Really Random Tuesday #93: National Poetry Month, and a Book Winner

As many of you know,  April is National Poetry Month.  In honor of National Poetry Month, I'll be reviewing a collection of poems later this month, The Robot Scientist's Daughter by Jeannine Hall Gailey.  (I've noticed that the titles of poetry collections tend to be especially unique and quirky.)  I'm part of the tour for this book with Poetic Book Tours.  I look forward to reading this poetry collection, and to sharing some thoughts about it with my readers.

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Félicitations go to. . . Vicki from I'd Rather Be At the Beach!  She's the winner of Why LA? Pourquoi Paris?: An Artistic Pairing of Two Iconic Cities, by Diane Ratican, which features terrific, colorful illustrations by artists Eric Giriat (Paris) and Nick Lu (Los Angeles).  Please help me to congratulate Vicki.

If you didn't win this time, please take a look at the other giveaways listed on the right side of my blog.  I update this list on a fairly regular basis.  (If you have a giveaway you'd like me to add, feel free to email me.)

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Today's post is quite brief.  I started a new job last month, which has left me with less time to read, and less time to blog.  Eventually, I hope to become more efficient, so that I can read more.

 

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.  I often announce my book giveaway winners in these posts.  If you have miscellaneous book news to gather up and are inspired by this idea, "grab" the button for use on your own blog, and add your link to the "master" Mister Linky on the Really Random Tuesday page.

Happy Tuesday!  Thanks very much for stopping by. Your comments are welcomed.

Why LA? Pourquoi Paris? Review and Giveaway

C'est vrai!

Why LA? Pourquoi Paris?: An Artistic Pairing of Two Iconic Cities is

exceptionnel, phénoménal, soufflant, surprenant!

Written by Diane Ratican, who loves both Los Angeles and Paris, Why LA? Pourquoi Paris?, is a dazzling picture book, published in 2014, that features full-color illustrations by artists Eric Giriat (Paris) and Nick Lu (Los Angeles).  I think the best way to review this book is to show you some of artwork in it.  It's truly enchanting!

Se il vous plaît,

 jetez un oei! 

 The pictures express beaucoup joie de vivre.
Beach scene, LA

This book has a very clever design!  With words and brilliant, colorful illustrations,
the two cities are compared and contrasted, in a fun and vibrant manner.

Pages on the left depict something in LA (in this case, soccer);

pages on the right depict the counterpart in Paris (football).

 

Street art or graffiti in LA, and murals in Paris.

Cycling: Tour of California, 2006, 

and Tour de France, 1903. 

 Booksellers!  

Barnes & Noble, and Les Bouquinistes.

Wonderful, eclectic quotations are sprinkled throughout the book, such as:

"Life is like riding a bicycle.  To keep your balance you must keep moving."
~Albert Einstein

 and

"Fashions fade, style is eternal."
~Yves Saint Laurent

At the end of this book is a list of the author's favorite addresses in Los Angeles and in Paris, for shops, restaurants, and hotels. (I'm familiar with several of the places listed in LA, but I've not yet visited Paris.)  Why LA?  Pourquoi Paris? is an exuberant celebration of two great cities that are very different, yet similar.  I absolutely loved it, and I learned a few things about both LA and Paris.

Thanks to the generosity of the book's author, illustrators, and agents, I'm thrilled to offer a giveaway for a copy of this gorgeous art book to a reader (U.S.A. /Canada)!

• To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment.
• For another chance at winning, become a follower of this blog, or indicate that you're already a follower.
• For an additional chance, post about this contest on your blog, Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter.
• For one more chance, mention the last art or picture book you enjoyed looking at.

Enter by 5 PM PST on Monday, April 13.  One winner will be selected randomly and announced on Tuesday, April 14.  Please be sure to leave your email address, or a link that leads to it.  Bonne chance!