Autism and Me Siblings Stories by Ouisie Shapiro and photos by Steven Vote

Title: Autism and Me Siblings Stories
Author: Ouisie Shapiro
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Autism and me is a wonderful way to introduce people no matter what their age to individuals with Autism. Each page in the book is a short story written by a sibling who has a brother or sister with Autism. Each child shares how they view Autism and what it means to them.

So many times people are afraid of the unknown. And individuals with Autism act differently then those individuals that do not have Autism. Some children may not talk, while others exhibit behaviors while in restaurants or malls. The children in this book show a better understanding and acceptance for Autism.

Ouisie Shapiro did a wonderful job of getting the stories from the families and presenting them in this book. Definite must read for children and adults.

Bedtime with Rollo by David and Seth Bier

Title: Bedtime with Rollo
Authors: David Bier and Seth Bier
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Like I mentioned in an earlier post I met two very nice gentlemen at the BEA they were the co-authors of Bedtime with Rollo and helped keep the peace in my family by giving me not just one book but three. Anywho, I brought two of the books over to my niece and nephew this afternoon with the stuffed Rollo dolls and let me say they absolutely loved the book. The minute I gave it to them they opened it up to look at it and were so excited to see that each book was addressed to them. They also immediately wanted to hear the story so me being the good auntie sat down on the couch with them and read them the story. As I read the story they each held their Rollo stuffed toy and listened. They laughed at the part where the father says he snores. They found that funny and said like daddy. Guess their daddy snores...lol As I read the book I found that it is great way to help children with nightmares. My niece and nephew laughed and had me read the book to them twice that shows me they loved it. And my niece said to me as I was leaving Thank you aunti for Rollo I am going to have him sleep with me tonight to keep the monsters away.

So David and Seth if you read this you have written a great story that I think will help children feel safe again when going to bed.

Thought I would add the website for the Book that way if anyone wants this great book they can check it out at http://www.nightsprytes.com/sd_Home.html

Like watching book trailers? Why not make your own.

While attending the BEA I had the opportunity to attend a Geektastic Party put on by Little Brown Books, there I got to meet lots of amazing bloggers and authors. One author met was Barry Lyga author of the upcoming book Goth Girl Rising due out in October. While chatting with Barry he shared a contest he is having.

Wondering what Barry writes well check out his books here. Now I know the scoop on this contest becuase Barry Lyga told me about it himself. Very exciting. The rules for his contest can be found at Goth Girl Rising Trailer Contest .

Oh one more thing deadline for Barry's contest is July 31. And make sure that you post on Barry's page Where he can see the video. Good luck everyone.

And the best part yet Barry shared with me that everyone who enters will win a prize and the winner will make the book trailer for the upcoming book Goth Girl Rising

News to come later

Okay Folks here it is the BEA has come to a close for me as I a catching a train at 12 and need to fit some books into my suitcase my arms are gonna disown me now...lol feet disowned me yesterday.

So I will share with you all the fun I had last night at the Geektastic party put on by Little Brown, Barry Lyga's contest he is having and a recap of lasts night cab ride where I had to sit in the front with the cabbie. Scary Scary Scary. Let's just say if you need to sober someone up whether it be you or a friend let them ride in the front seat in a NYC cab. That will fix anyone. will also tell you about the bouncer I met at the Lucky Strikes bowling alley. for now I am signing off.

Day 2 of the BEA

Day two of BEA 2009

First my poor feet have disowned me. I have never made them do this much walking in one day in a very long time. But it is a very good tired and very good sore feet. Another wonderful day at the BEA.

Before I forget I realized this morning that I had forgotten to list out a couple of books I had received at the Authors breakfast those books were:

Strega Nona Harvest by Tomie DePaola
Air Head by Meg Cabot.

Now on to today's list of books that were autograophed.

James Van Praagh for Unfinished Business: What the Dead can Teach us About Life

Brenda Jackson for Temperature Rising

Frank McKinney for The Tap

Frank McKinney and his daughter for Dear Fred, Flying Lunchboxes and the Good Luck Circle

Daniel and Dina Nayeri for Another Faust

Hannah Friedman for Everything Sucks

Janet Lord Leszi for A Pebble to Polish

Jeannette Franfou Ramnarine for The 4 Little Pigs

Jess McCann for You Lost Him at Hello

Carrie Silver-Stock for Secrets Girls Keep

Todd Strasser for Wish You Were Dead (which I have begun to read already)

George Mann for The Affinity Bridge

Ouisie Shapiro and Stephen Vote for Autism & Me:Sibling Stories

Leigh Brescia for One Wish

Francine Prose for Anne Frank: The Book, The Life, The Afterlife

Those were all planned signings but as I was walking through the various booths I picked up a couple more books signed by the author and they were:

Is It Dumb To Suck Your Thumb by Paul M. Krammer

Maggie Goes on a Diet also by Paul M. Krammer

Sniper Bid by Rick Robinson

Bedtime with Rollo by brothers David and Seth Bier (Here I must take a minute and tell you how awesome these two gentlemen were not only did they give me one book and one stuffed toy of Rollo but they gave me a total of three books and three stuffed toys and signed all three books. They are helping me keep the peace with my nieces and nephews. These two gentleman were awesome and I think everyone should have a copy of their book.)

Other books picked up but not signed are as follows:

A golf Book (spacing on the title and already shipped it home so it will have to come later)

Juliet Naked by Nick Hornby ( given to me by a fellow attendee who didn't want it. How nice is that)

The Gift of an Ordinary Day by Katrina Kenison

Pals in Peril: Jasper Dash and the Flame PIts of Delware by M.T. Anderson

Being Nikki by Meg Cabot

Allie Finkle's Rues for Girls Stage Fright by Meg Cabot

The Pale Assassin by Patricia Elliott

Oh wait almost forgot, I got books this am at the author breakfast I attended and they are:
Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder

Half Broke Horses: A True Life Novel by Jeannette Walls

American on Purpose: A Memoir by Craig Ferguson

This days total of books is: 29 b00ks not counting the two books I forgot yesterday.

I have had a wonderful time at the Bea and plan on attending next Year. This time though I will pack short sleeve shirts ans better shoes. lol

First Official Day at the BEA 2009

Began my day at 3:45am. Yes, Yes you read correctly. Crazy you say, why yes I would have to agree with you on that one. lol However the reason for my craziness to get two orange tickets for authors signing later in the day, one of which I gave to a fellow tweeter and blogger who could not get up that early and one to get books signed for my mom... aren't I sweet...lol.
The first event of the day was they Children's book & Author breakfast. The authors there were Meg Cabot, Tomie DePaola, Amy Krouse Rosenthal, and the well know and love Julie Andrews. Much to my surprise at this breakfast was to find free books were on my seat when I sat down. What a wonderful way to start the day. then from there I began the day long event of getting authors' signatures.

So in review here are the authors I saw and got autographs from.
Jordan Summers for Crimson (also was given another book but at the moment at a loss for the
tittle.)

Sarah MaClean for The Season

Laurie Faria Stolarz for Deadly Little Lies

Jennifer Leigh (PsyD) for Laid or Loved? The secrets Guys Wish You Knew About Being a
Dream Girl instead of a Just-in-his- jeans Girl. (here she gave out a keychaing
attached to a zipper book mark. Very cool message and with the bookmark.
Should you be curious and want to know just ask me and I shall tell you. =).

Heather Graham for Dust to Dust

Two books for my mom
Carol Higgins Clark for Cursed
Mary Higgins Clark forJust Take my Heart

Bridie Clark for The Overnight Socialite

For the nieces and nephews
Chris Van Dusen for Circus Ship
Ted Lewin illustrator for The Longest Night
Lynnette Murray-Gibson for The Magical adventures of Clara the Cleaning Woman: Clara Meets
Mr. Twiddles (She was nice enough to sign two books for me so they cherubs wont fight)

Back to my books
Walter Krumm for Diary of a Dead Man (sadly he did not show up to sign it but still got a copy)

Lev Grossman for The Magicians

Darryl Hagar for The Man Overboard

David Lubar for My Rotten Life:Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie

Then I went to a couple of Publishers booths and picked up a couple more autographs they were
Anna Leonard for DreamCatcher

Gena Showalter forVampire's Bride

Maria Synder for Storm Glass

Rachel Vincent for Pride

Along with the above books a publisher asked me to review a children's book that is quite
popular and will be sending the book my way the book to be reviewed is Everybody
poops. (yes folks you read it correctly...lol ) Look forward to getting it and posting about
it here.
Also picked up School of Fear (blanking on the author. Sorry) and a friend picked up a vampire book for me (wasn't that nice of her?)
Too other locations I went to were a booth selling massaging insoles. The company is Best Soles Inc. They had me try on the insoles and lets just say my feet were thanking God that the Guy pulled me into the booth to try them. walked out buying a pair and they are quite comfortable. The website if you are interested is www.MassagingInsoles.com
And finally I stopped at a booth for Carl R. Sams PhotoTgraphy Inc. where I was shown a book about being lost in the forest. The photographes used in this book were exsquiste. It had a nice story line and was educational. Highly reccomend if interested in books on animals Another book shown too me had oil paintings for the illustrations again the pictures were exquiste. The webpage to find them at is www.strangerinthewoods.com

So at the end of Day one I managed to pick up 23 books, 24 counting the one being mailed to mre.

Well that is all for me for tonight. My feet are hurting and my have sore muscles that I never knew I had. But the above books eith the exception of three were shipped home and hopefully will arrive this week. So excited.

Happy reading.

Book Expo America day one

Well really it is not the first day of the expo but it is the first day in NYC. Arrived in NYC at Penn Station at 5:00pm grabbed a cab and headed over to the Roosevelt Hotel. Man it was a fast ride and I had my eyes closed for half of it. Never take a New York Cab ride if you are faint of heart. Checked in to the hotel and headed out to meet some fellow tweeters at the Strand. The strand for those of you that don't know (cause I didn't) is a huge and I mean huge book store. You would need a whole day to look through everything they have on their shelves. But FYI where light weight clothes as it is very hot. Could have been inpart due to the two mojitos I had at dinner but the store was hot. After spending about two hours in the strand I left having spent 124.00 dollars. Way more then I planned on especially cause I am do to get some books at the BEA this weekend but who I tell you can resist half price books or books that are just $1.99. (apparently not me) Anywho, day one in NYC is over and I am heading to bed as I have a early wake up call 4 am so my friend and I can go get tickets for an authors signing. so night all and more to come tomorrow.

Reviews, reviews and more reviews

Just when I think I am getting caught up on reviews I can add 3 more books to the list.
The Season
Red Headed Step Child
Salt and Silver

reviews left to be done

Okay I am almost caught up on my reviews I only have two reviews left and they are:
1. Necking
2. Evermore

Breathers A Zombies Lament by S.G. Browne

Title: Breathers A Zombies Lament
Author: S.G. Browne
Rating 5 out of 5 stars

For all you zombie lovers Breathers is a must read. This book provides a very different take on how Hollywood presents Zombies. In Hollywood Zombies can't talk and want to eat people. S.G. Browne presents a different kind of zombies.

The Zombies in Breathers all can talk at the most part and are not out to eat people but want to co-exist with them. Meet Andy the main character in Breathers. Andy came to be part of the undead after a car accident where he lost his wife, his human life and his daughter moving in with his in-laws.

Andy was pronounced dead after the accident but after being prepped for his funeral Andy cam back to life. Andy however can't talk as the funeral parlor had sewn his mouth shut. So to communicate he writes on a board hung around his neck.

Andy is part of a support group of other zombies, zombies that are trying to find their new place in a world that will not accept them. In their new world they need to be careful where and when they go out as the humans or also referred to as breathers will torment them and beat them up. Even though the zombies are being tortured by breathers they themselves can not retaliate against the breathers for risk of being arrested and either sold to a zombie zoo or have their body parts sold for research.

Breathers A Zombies Lament is a story of rebirth, love and determination to fight for ones rights. S.G. Browne does an excellent job of telling Andy and the others stories and how they survive in a world that does not accept them.

Willow by Julia Hoban

Title: Willow
Author: Julia Hoban
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Willow is a book that covers a difficult topic to talk about, Cutting or self mutilation. If you never have never known someone who is self abusive this book can give some insight into what individuals are thinking and what is behind the cause for one to self mutilate.

Julia Hoban does a wonderful job of describing the feelings that Willow has before she is cutting, during and also after she has cut herself.

Willow is a young girl who blames herself for her parents death. Since her parents death she has moved in with her older brother and his wife and daughter. Willow also feels that her brother blames her for the death of their parents and now for having to play a parent role for his younger sister. When Willow experiences all these emotions of loneliness, depression and guilt she cuts herself. Willow feels that she is all alone until she meets a boy named Guy.

Guy showing interest in Willow finds out that she is cutting herself and for the first time in her life Willow lets Guy in and tells him why she cuts and the purpose that it serves.

There are parts of the book that are difficult to read and aren't for the faint of heart but overall Julia Hoban does a wonderful job of showing an outsider what it is that drives an individual that feels the need to cut.

Willow is a heartfelt story that shows how one girl can overcome her past.