Sunday, July 13, 2008

Announcing...

I'm starting my very own blogging book club. It will be simple, really. I'll read a book, then I will comment on it and give it away. The person who gets it must promise to do the same. (I have no idea how I will enforce that, of course.) I need some incentive to read something decent, because - really - my brain is rotting away from the inside out. I can feel it. I mean, if I see a blog post with paragraphs more than 5 sentences long and/or no pictures, I skip it 'cause it looks too hard. That is a very bad sign, indeed.

Hence, the fun of a giveaway. Granted, I still haven't mailed the first book I gave away; but I promise I will develop a better system. Maybe.

And if I were Marie of Memarie Lane, I would know how to make some sort of cute button advertising this club. Of course, if I were Marie, I would also know how to make my blog look not like a Creamsicle. Dream on...

So! I would like to start this giveaway with The Devil in the Details (Jennifer Traig); but I can't, because my best friend (hello?! are you reading this?) still has it. Until she decides to pretend that she is still literate and finish reading it, I will have to focus on other books I have read (because I've read about 3 other books since that one, not that my friend is slow or anything...).

Instead, I give you Cynthia Kaplan's Why I'm Like This. Her self-deprecating, somewhat neurotic style is a refreshing contrast to what one would assume to be the self-aggrandizing personality of a New York actress/writer. Cynthia never fails to surprise the reader with a fresh take on typical life situations, leaving him/her with a new appreciation for the mundane.

How did that sound? I've been reading a lot of Amazon book reviews, and I think I'm channeling them. Because, truth to tell, no matter how much I like a book, I always end up at a loss for words when I try to explain it to other people. I say things like, "Well, um, it's about this woman who is also an actress, but she's not really like that, she's sort of a regular person, too."

Or, "It's about this person who grew up sort of Jewish in Connecticut and who lives in NYC, but it's really funny."

Or, "I really liked this book because....hmm...I guess I identified with the author, even though we have absolutely nothing in common."

Anyway, if you are just dying to read this book (and then pass it on!) after those scintillating descriptions, please leave a comment saying that you are interested. Thanks! (I must say, this idea sounded very exciting when I first thought of it; I guess I don't get out much.)

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In other news, I have won the much-coveted (by me) Imperfect Parent Blogger award. Unfortunately, I have no idea what the prize is, other than that it is - in the words of the people running the contest - "unique." Frankly, I don't want unique; I want an Amazon gift card. So there may be another giveaway in the offing here. I'll keep you posted.

Poor Susie keeps jerking awake, saying that her ears hurt. We've already pinned her down and forced Motrin into her, but it doesn't seem to have made any difference (aside from traumatizing me). This situation does not bode well for the rest of our weekend.

The illness seems to have come on rather suddenly, as just today Susie (along with Rachel) was a happy attendee at a birthday party which featured The Reptile Lady. I know that sounds like someone who belongs in a circus sideshow (Step right up! See the Bearded Dragon Lady!), but in actuality it was a very personable young woman who arrived at the birthday girl's house with various ugly creatures in tow. These included a bearded dragon, 3 snakes (including a boa constrictor), and a tortoise. I, for one, was completely grossed out (well, except by the lizard - he was sort of cute). Oh, and Rachel is now the proud owner of a stuffed iguana, awarded for her prowess at Pin the Tail on the Donkey. I hope she didn't cheat. I also hope she doesn't cut its head off.

I chose to hang out at the party with the girls, because the alternative was to stay at home and watch Larry tug huge pieces of flagstone all over our backyard in the 90-plus degree heat. In fact, before the party, I was so desperate to get away that I took the kids on a walk to get a free smoothie at a Grand Opening about a mile from us. I figured we'd be the only people in our rather affluent town to be cheap enough to care about a free 12-ounce drink. Apparently, however, the economic downturn is taking its toll; we arrived to find we were 101st in the line waiting for the store to open. I know we were just past 100, because they ran out of free T-shirts just before we got to the door.

They were good smoothies, though.

Well, that's all the news fit to blog for today (and then some); pop on over to MidCenturyModernMoms if you care to find out what the cardinal rule for raising teenagers might be. Or don't. Whatever. I think I've bothered people enough this week.

29 comments:

  1. I love to read! I love free stuff. Count me in. I solemnly swear I will read the book (in a VERY timely manner), review the book on my blog, and giveaway the book. I EVEN promise to mail out the book to the next winner.

    P.T. Reptile is a big hit here. His repertoire is HUGE, and I would have thought the kids would get a little weary of it all, but they've been to 4 birthday parties with him, and they love it every time they get to see him. Go figure. They clearly are not related to me.

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  2. Well congratulations. Hope it was all worth it!

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  3. I desparately need motivation to read, so I'd be happy to participate! Your book description intrigued me.

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  4. I LOVE your book read & giveaway idea!! I just had to say that ... even though I don't want you to count me in, just yet, because I'm reading and reading and reading for a class I'm taking. Will participate later!

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  5. I love this idea, but know there are a few ahead of me. However, if they don't work out, let me know and I'll play along.

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  6. I realized, from Fairly Odd Mother's comment, that I didn't make this clear: if you are interested in the book, say so. I'll do a random drawing thing to pick the winner on Saturday.

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  7. Whoot! Congratulations! It does as though your prize might be... um... interesting...
    I do love me a good book and I ALWAYS give my books away when I am done with them. Otherwise, I would be buried in books. So feel free to sign me up for any book giveaways you might have.
    I just read cathy's comment. "needs movitivation to read". Hmm, I have a chance to contemplate that my reading addiction is perhaps not as common as I assumed...

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  8. i know what you mean about not even being able to handle long posts, much less a book. i have been finally reading this summer. finally. looking forward to your blook club and winning every time. can't wait.

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  9. AnonymousJuly 13, 2008

    The more I look at it, the more it makes me think of sweet potatoes instead of creamsicles.

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  10. AnonymousJuly 13, 2008

    Count me in! I would love to be part of your book... club... blog... thingy. It occurs to me, however, that you might not be all that thrilled about mailing a book to Germany. Well, if you draw my name, you can sneakily toss it back in the hat and pick another one, and nobody will ever know. Isn't the internet great?

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  11. I desperately want to read. I love to read. I'd love to be involved in this. But I worry about my procrastination when it comes to driving to the post office. I'm terrible about that. But if you're willing to take your chances on me, I'm in. I will just commit to getting my rear there.

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  12. I would walk a mile for a free smoothie.
    7-eleven was giving away free slurpees this week for their anniversary, and I forgot about it, so now my kids need to go another year before they can have a slurpee.

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  13. I will read anything, anytime, anywhere AND blog about it!

    Congrats on your win. What fun would a perfect parent award be?!

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  14. HOOK ME UP!

    I would have cried if I had to wait in line for a free smoothie and didn't get a freaking t-shirt.

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  15. Congrats on winning the imperfect parent blogger award!

    And I don't really read books but if anyone can inspire me, it's you. So I'm interested.

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  16. Congratulations on your win!

    Your book club idea sounds great, but count me out since I'm horrible about getting things to the post office.

    Mmm, smoothies. Now I'll have to go get a not-free smoothie tomorrow.

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  17. I need a good excuse to read, it is so hard to find the time (well, it would be easier if I didn't read so many blogs). So count me in.

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  18. Genius. You're gonna be bigger than Scribbit. ;>

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  19. AnonymousJuly 14, 2008

    There is usually a good quantity of Gin available at childrens parties...

    As for books, count me in...I did a similar thing with a cookery book....Jenn (juggling life) did a perfect review...but nothing has happened since...my concept was to keep passing it round! I don't know where it is now!

    Hen
    x

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  20. Totally in on the book thing...good idea. I am currently re-doing my bedroom (It seemed like a good idea at the time, oh, the pain. I'm sure it will be worth it in the end. It had better be!)and am cleaning out the bookcases to make room for, wait, more books! I like the idea of passing these on rather than trucking them all to the library book sale.

    Summer is my fun reading time. When I go on vacation, I pack two book bags and average a book a day. My kids are older, I can do this. Your time will come, probably far sooner than you would expect!

    And I love your blog! It's in my top five; thus, the pushing you over the edge in the parenting award.

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  21. Count me in for the book. I NEED books. :_) May your book club blossom!

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  22. AnonymousJuly 14, 2008

    Dang funny about that smoothie.

    Good luck with the kid's ear.

    A reptile lady sounds good. Would she do a party in Wisconsin?

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  23. Love free stuff. Love books. Sign me up.

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  24. OOH! My brain is rotting away from the inside out too! OOH! Pick me!

    See, I can't even use my vocabulary in a "pick me" post. I really need to do this.

    And, um, the reptile petting zoo? Did they have any hand sanitizer there?

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  25. I love freebies. BUT, I don't have a blog :( How bout, if I win, I'll pass it on to one of the blogs I lurk at?

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  26. I like this idea. It would be funny to force the person you give it to to SPEED read.
    You've GOT 3, I say THREE, days to finish WAR and PEACE.
    ...or you go on the blog sidebar of shame.

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  27. AnonymousJuly 19, 2008

    very, very funny. Just check out what pre-school apps are like in Manhattan! LOL

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  28. Oh, I would love a new book to read. You can never have enough. It's one of my only reality escapes I get from the kids. Usually after they go to bed, but mind vacations are still needed.

    Congrats on your imperfect blogger award!

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