Book Blogger Hop and Winners of The Hundred-Foot Journey

I'll start with the announcement of our two winners of The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard Morias. Chosen by a random number generator were the following bloggers:

Diane from Bibliophile By The Sea and Amanda from A Bookshelf Monstrosity. Congrats to both!

I have to tell you I was so hungry for Indian food after reading the novel that I decided to try a new restaurant here on Kauai. It was going well until the waiter set fire to the bread basket on our table. When he went to remove the basket, it touched the candle on the table and went up in flames. He ran to the kitchen with the basket and got there in time to extinguish the fire. Talk about hot food!

If you didn't win The Hundred-Foot Journey please join me for more giveaways. My next free book was featured in the New York Times earlier in July. It's Citrus County by John Brandon. As soon as my review is ready, hopefully this weekend, I'll post the contest.

I'm ending the week with the Book Blogger Hop hosted by Jennifer at Crazy-For-Books. It's a great place to meet and follow book enthusiasts.

This week on Book Blogger Hop I was asked to mention my favorite "new to me" author this year. My choice is the the late Rachel Ferguson. I loved her Brontes Went To Woolworths written long ago in 1931. The novel was given new life with its reissue by Bloomsbury last year.

I hope all of you have a good weekend. My plan is to do a lot of swimming on Kauai's North Shore. Wishing you well and a warm Aloha.

Mailbox Monday: Powell's indieSpensable

Is Powell's "indieSpensable" or not? I decided to find out. In my mailbox last week came my first "indieSpensable" box.

Here's how they tempted a self-diagnosed book addict:

• Autographed book in a specially designed slip cover

• Advanced Reader's Copy of an upcoming novel 

• Surprise treats added to the box. 

This fix cost $39 (postage included). I tried to resist for a few days but in the end I was completely weak.

I knew ahead of time that The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake would be included. The author signed copy looks nice in its case. For this I paid premium.

The Advanced Reader's Copy turned out to be, The False Friend by Myla Goldberg. It's scheduled for release in October. According to the book notes, it's "...the mysterious and deeply resonant story of childhood friends, the truths that we question, and the lies that we accept as truth." Sounds deep.

The surprise extras included notes from an interview Powell's conducted with Aimee Bender. Also in the box was a set of coasters advertising the reprint of the 1950's, The Hour: A Cocktail Manifesto. They added a 30 percent discount coupon should I decide to buy. Tempt me.

"IndieSpensable" pays special attention to independent publishers (although this package contained books by Doubleday). Every six weeks a new box arrives. It's ongoing until you tell Powell's to stop.

Would you be tempted by "indieSpensable?"

FTC Notes: Unfortunately, I paid full price for this pleasure. No deals. Bummer. 

Weekend Cooking: One-Ingredient Ice Cream

It's been awhile since I posted on Weekend Cooking. I've gone bananas this week, after harvesting 50 pounds in my backyard, and have a recipe to share. This is a quick and easy Banana Ice Cream dessert that is soft serve style.

The only ingredient you need are ripe bananas. That's it! For each serving I peel two.

Slice the bananas thin and place on a cookie sheet (single layer). Freeze for an hour until solid. Place the frozen slices into a Cuisinart and process about 4-5 minutes until you have the consistency of soft-serve ice cream.

Last night I added some walnuts at the end and gave it 6 short pulses. It added a nice texture and flavor.

For best results eat immediately. You can also put leftovers in your freezer overnight. In addition to a great taste, you have a healthy dessert that's low in fat.

If you try this, let me know how it works for you.

Weekend Cooking is hosted weekly at Beth Fish Reads. If you like food and cooking, be sure to enter by current giveaway, by July 27, for The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard Morais.

Monk Habits for Everday People

Monk Habits for Everyday People
by Dennis Okholm

Brazos Press, Copyright 2007
144 pages, ISBN 978-1-58743-185-2

Rating: 4/5

Quote from Book: "Benedictine spirituality is not glamorous. It is extraordinary ordinary. Indeed it aims at developing a healthy whole person."

When I saw Monk Habits for Everyday People on AbeBooks' list of 151 crazy and strange titles, I couldn't pass on the chance to read it myself. Monk attire has the potential of being a new fashion trend. It certainly reduces the stress of what to wear. I wonder if there is a shorter version for the beach?

As it turns out the book has nothing to do with clothes or how to make habits to wear. It does have everything to do with developing a philosophy of life using the Rule (or guide) written by St. Benedict over 1500 years ago.

What you may not know about me is that I'm a victim product of Catholic education. The Benedictine Monks were my high school teachers and college professors. I ended up working for them almost ten years.

The Catholic Church and I no longer see eye-to-eye on many issues like gay rights for example. At the same time I have always appreciated the philosophy of St. Benedict. His teachings have influenced who I am today.

Subtitled "Benedictine Spirituality for Protestants," author Dennis Okholm seeks to expand Benedict's teaching to a wider audience, "...offering bits of wisdom and strategies for growth gleaned from the Benedictine tradition."

This is a book that you can easily skim. Each chapter is devoted to a specific philosophy. There are two that I adopted years ago. They are hospitality (which I have renamed the Aloha spirit) and balance.

On the topic of balance, Benedict took a holistic approach to talk about finding a daily balance between mind, body and soul. In my life I see that as carving out time each day for meditation, work and play (exercise is in there too).

On my spiritual plate I feast on many traditions. There's good in all. While this book takes a Christian approach to Benedict, I have another one looking at his philosophy from a non-Christian perspective.

If you've had any experience with the Benedictine Order, I'd enjoy hearing about it. For those of you who looked at the link at the beginning of this review, which titles from AbeBooks' list seem the most strange or crazy?

The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard Morais: Book Review and Giveaway

The Hundred-Foot Journey
By Richard C. Morais

Simon and Schuster, Copyright 2010
256 pages, ISBN 978-1-43916564-5

Rating: 4/5

Quote from the book: "...my nose poked out as far as possible and searching the air for that aromatic packet of cardamom, fish heads, and palm oil, which, even at that young age, somehow suggested there were unfathomable riches to be discovered and savored..."





The Hundred-Foot Journey is a feast for the senses that will nourish and inspire you to be your best. Rather than gulping the book, I grazed leisurely savoring each tasty morsel.

What's your destiny in life? For Hassan Haji it was always food and cooking. Now a successful French Chef with three Michelin stars to his name, he reflects on his life, family and the important mentors who made a difference.

Author Richard Morais takes us on this culinary life adventure from the streets of Mumbai to the French Alps and eventually Paris. The smells and tastes of Indian and French food drift through each page.

This is a story of dealing with the good and bad in life. It's about family and the unique bond we share. There's also a strong message here about what it takes to be a success. Once you find your passion in life, you must step out of your comfort zone and take a chance at opportunity.

My favorite character is Madame Mallory who at first feels threatened by the talent of young chef Hassan. Her world has been turned upside down when his family opens up an Indian restaurant across the street from hers. The two restaurants are not compatible in the small French town of Lumiere. Eventually she becomes his mentor and invites Hassan to take the 100 foot journey across the street to study with her.

If you're passionate about food and cooking, you'll love this story. I also think it's perfect for someone starting out in their career regardless of occupation. Even the older crowd (me included) can benefit from this reminder to encourage someone young on his or her journey.

Thanks to Simon and Schuster, I have two copies of 

The Hundred-Foot Journey to give away. 

You must reside in the USA since the books are sent by the publisher.

How to Enter: Leave a comment on this post with your email address. For a second entry, share this contest on the social network of your choice and leave another comment that you have done so.

Deadline: July 27. Winners will be selected by a random number generator.

My thanks to Rose Marie Morse at InkWell Management for the Advanced Reader's Copy and the opportunity to participate in the author's blog tour.

For author information visit Richard Morais' website.

Winner: Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

I used a random number generator to pick the winner of Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson.

Our first winner was Thomas from My Porch. Thomas decided to pass. Temptation got the best of him and he purchased his copy over the weekend. Thomas reports he's on page 87 and, "loving it."

I went back to the number generator and this time "3" was selected. That spot belonged to Teresa from Teresa's Reading Corner. Teresa has accepted and the book will be sent to her next week.

I have more contests coming. On Friday I'll be reviewing the book, The One-Hundred Foot Journey by Richard Morais. The publisher, Simon and Schuster, has given me two copies for a giveaway. Next week I'll be taking you to Citrus County by John Brandon. McSweeny has donated one copy to a lucky reader of my blog. I'm also considering a giveaway for Where's My Wand which I just reviewed.

I love awarding free books. Maybe it will be your turn next?

Where's My Wand? by Eric Poole: Book Review

Where's My Wand?
By Eric Poole

Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam, Copyright 2010
263 pages, ISBN 978-0-399-15655-7

Rating: 5/5

Reading Challenge: GLBT 2010

Quote from the book: "My pursuit of a flawlessly raked floor did not strike me as odd, since perfection was not optional in the Poole family militia..."

Here's a trip down memory lane set in the shag carpeting days of the 1970's. It's a coming of age story that is full of heart and good humor. For those of us who grew up feeling different and not always popular, we have a new hero. He's Eric Poole, the self described "Endora of St. Louis."

Eric is funny. I mean really funny. There were times when I laughed so hard that my partner came running to my side. I just held up, Where's My Wand and pointed to the cover. Sometimes I felt a lump in my throat when Eric tackles not so funny issues like death, being bullied and trying to fit in.

The issue of sexuality takes a back seat for most of the book. We know Eric is gay but like most of us growing up, it takes awhile to register. Eric was warned in church that, "one never knows when the homosexual is about. They can appear normal; and it may be too late when you discover they are mentally ill." I don't know about you, but that would scare me straight.

Whenever Eric had a problem to tackle, he channeled the character of Endora on TV's Bewitched and used magic powers to create a positive outcome. As Eric gets older, however, he begins to realize that, "I didn't need magic. All I needed was me." A good message for all.

Find your wand and let Eric cast his spell on you. This book will charm and make you smile.

For More Information: Visit author Eric Poole on Facebook or his blog.

FTC Advisory: I purchased my copy from Barnes and Noble on-line.