Really Random Tuesday #34: The Gap Year Winner, and BBAW 2011

Congratulations to Tiffany Drew, the winner of The Gap Year, a new novel by Sarah Bird that I thoroughly enjoyed. My daughter (who chose the winning name from a hat) is reading the book now, and she seems to really like it as well.

If you didn't win this book giveaway, don't despair! I have other book giveaways listed on the right side of my blog, and many more on the way.

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Two, four, six, eight
Who do we appreciate?

You may have noticed the banners on various book blogs recently. Book Blogger Appreciation Week (BBAW) is almost here! Created in 2008 by Amy Riley from My Friend Amy, this year it will be held from September 12 - September 16. BBAW is a chance to meet other book bloggers who share a love of books and the joy of reading. It only takes a few moments to register for BBAW, and there are numerous activities planned, such as giveaways, interviews, guest posts, awards, and more. It should be a lot of fun.

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Appearing on random Tuesdays, Really Random Tuesday is a way to post odds and ends--announcements, musings, quotes, photos--any blogging and book-related things you can think of. If you're inspired by this idea, feel free to copy the button and use it on your own blog. For other recent Really Random Tuesday (and Thursday) posts, please visit Vivienne's blog, Serendipity Reviews, Avis' blog, she reads and reads, Naida's blog, the bookworm, and Leslie's blog, Under My Apple Tree. Please leave a link in the comments if you’re participating and I'll add it to this post.

Thanks for reading! Your comments are welcomed.

The Gap Year: Review and Giveaway

"Adolescence is perhaps nature's way of preparing parents to welcome the empty nest."
~The Good Stepmother, Karen Savage and Patricia Adams

Written in alternating perspectives, a mother and daughter reveal the events, thoughts, and feelings they experience over the course of about a year in The Gap Year, a novel by Sarah Bird, published in July 2011. As the mother of teenagers who drive me crazy at times (and vice versa, I'm sure), including a daughter who'll start college at the end August, I was interested in reading this book, in which a mother worries about her college-bound daughter. But I didn't know much more about the book or the author, and I had no idea if I'd truly enjoy reading this new novel.

Without further delay, I'll come right out and say that reading The Gap Year was a wonderful experience; I read most of it while in flight from NYC to San Diego recently. Instead of fretting about periods of turbulence, I was immersed in the worlds of the likable main characters, Camille Lightsey, a single mother and lactation consultant, and her daughter, Aubrey, a 17-year-old high school senior who's starting to become more independent. People talk about perfect beach reads, but for me, this book was the perfect airplane read.

In fact, I was so engrossed in the book that my 14-year-old daughter, sitting to my left on the plane, took note and turned her head to also read it (and told me to hurry and finish it, so that she could read it soon, by herself). Later during the flight, the man in my row by the window, whom I'd conversed with only briefly and perfunctorily (don't bother me, I'm reading), also noticed my intent reading and said that he wanted to read this book as well. The Gap Year is touching and funny (I laughed out loud more than once) and realistic, and I simply basked in it. In addition to my appreciation of the author's wit and fluid writing style, this book also made me decide to react more sensitively toward my teenaged daughters. Time and experience have toughened me up a great deal, but I certainly remember the overly sensitive days of my (boy-crazy) youth, and the extreme self-consciousness that was sometimes paralyzing; I realized while reading this that my daughters (and daughters everywhere) are struggling to become independent, to become themselves, and that I should respect their feelings and efforts, and back off some. Based on my enjoyment of this book, I'd really like to read more of Sarah Bird's work, which consists of eight novels.

Great news! Alfred A. Knopf Publishers is generously offering a copy of The Gap Year as a giveaway to a lucky reader (U.S./Canada only).

• To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment.
• For another chance at winning, become a follower of this blog, or let me know that you're already a follower, or that you subscribe in Google Reader.
• For an additional chance, post about this contest on your blog, Facebook, or Twitter.

Enter by 5PM PDT on Monday, August 22. One winner will be randomly chosen and announced on Tuesday, August 23. Good luck!

Special thanks to Lisa from TLC for sending me an uncorrected proof of this book. I did not quote from the book for that reason (sometimes I do bend the rules a tad, but in this case I chose not to). For other reviews of this novel, please visit the other stops on TLC's The Gap Year book blog tour.

Really Random Tuesday #32: Breaktime

When I crave a break on hot days, I brew some iced coffee. Last summer I rediscovered coffee, mostly in the form of iced coffee, after a long break from it. If you like the flavor of coffee, iced coffee is a delicious summer treat. I add unsweetened soymilk or coconut milk and lots of ice to strong coffee for an energizing drink.

About a year ago, we bought a Keurig machine (which has an iced coffee setting) and I really love it (although I recently acquired a small French press which I also enjoy using). Sara from One Cup Connection contacted me recently about some great deals on K-Cups, brewers, and accessories, because she had read a past post in which I mentioned my wonderful Keurig machine. They even have a deal on my favorite K-Cups, Newman's Own Special Blend, a bold, organic coffee.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Did you know?

• Hawaii is the only U.S. state that grows coffee.
• Coffee is the second most traded commodity on earth.

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I won't be posting (or visiting other blogs) again until next month. I'm taking a short blogging break to spend time with family, but I'll be back to announce the winner of The Lake by Banana Yoshimoto in early August, and will post a new review and giveaway for The Gap Year by Sarah Bird, so please stay tuned.

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Appearing on random Tuesdays, Really Random Tuesday is a way to post odds and ends--announcements, musings, quotes, photos--any blogging and book-related things you can think of. If you're inspired by this idea, feel free to copy the button and use it on your own blog. Please leave a link in the comments if you’re participating and I'll add it to this post.

For another Really Random Tuesday post, please visit Veens' blog, Giving Reading a Chance, and Vivienne's blog, Serendipity Reviews. Veens is the talented designer of my new, snazzy button, which I adore.

Thanks for reading!