November: Ascending Butterfly Book Club Review and Giveaway - THREE TITLES - Build your library!

This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thank You so much to our wonderful sponsor, Hachette Book Group! We would love to work with you again! The winner has been notified and upon winner confirmation, follower name will be posted both here and on our homepage. Remember: There are still some great giveaways active on the upper right hand side of the page!

---Ascending Butterfly's Editorial Team


˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

Ascending Butterfly Book Club is coming at you with a vengeance for November with not just one, but THREE titles for your reading pleasure! Best Part: Winner takes them all! With help from our friends at Hachette Book Group we are going to help you build your library! Grab a cup of Joe or Hot Chocolate and curl up on the couch with your favorite throw!

First Up: BO'S CAFE by John Lynch, Bill Thrall and Bruce McNicol.

DESCRIPTION:

High-powered executive Steven Kerner is living the dream in southern California. But when his bottled pain ignites in anger one night, his wife kicks him out. Then an eccentric mystery man named Andy Monroe befriends Steven and begins unravelling his tightly wound world. Andy leads Steven through a series of frustrating and revealing encounters to repair his life through genuine friendship and the grace and love of a God who has been waiting for him to accept it. A story to challenge and encourage, BO'S CAFE is a model for all who struggle with unresolved problems and a performance-based life.

My Impressions: I read this title first, and I will say I devoured it. Quickly. It was a good read and a much needed read. In these troubled times, words that encourage and inspire are sorely needed. We all struggle with something, and sometimes it's difficult to find the perspective we need to sort through it all, Bo's Cafe provides the words in that way, that special way that makes sense of it all. If only there was a Bo's Cafe in my neighborhood! No spoilers here, just my recommendation.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Second Title: A Change in Altitude by Anita Shreve

DESCRIPTION:

Margaret and Patrick have been married just a few months when they set off on what they hope will be a great adventure-a year living in Kenya. Margaret quickly realizes there is a great deal she doesn't know about the complex mores of her new home, and about her own husband.

A British couple invites the newlyweds to join on a climbing expedition to Mount Kenya, and they eagerly agree. But during their harrowing ascent, a horrific accident occurs. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Margaret struggles to understand what happened on the mountain and how these events have transformed her and her marriage, perhaps forever.

A Change in Altitude illuminates the inner landscape of a couple, the irrevocable impact of tragedy, and the elusive nature of forgiveness. With stunning language and striking emotional intensity, Anita Shreve transports us to the exotic panoramas of Africa and into the core of our most intimate relationships.

My Impressions: Several friends had recommended I read this book and I hadn't had the chance to do so at the time, but now I see what all the fuss was all about! (My apologies friends, but I finally did get around to it!). All I can say is this is my first Anita Shreve title and will not be my last! It's certainly a powerful introduction! Some writers are very engaging in the way the character dialogue is written, and A Change in Altitude is very much powerfully written in a voice that makes you feel very much part of the experience. Again, no spoilers here, I hate when people spoil books and movies for me, and I will not do it to you! I will recommend you read A Change in Altitude!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Final Title: THE MURDER OF KING TUT - The Plot to Kill the Child King - A Nonfiction Thriller - by James Patterson & Martin Dugard.

DESCRIPTION:

A secret buried for centuries

Thrust onto Egypt's most powerful throne at the age of nine, King Tut's reign was fiercely debated from the outset. Behind the palace's veil of prosperity, bitter rivalries and jealousy flourished among the Boy King's most trusted advisors, and after only nine years, King Tut suddenly perished, his name purged from Egyptian history. To this day, his death remains shrouded in controversy.

The keys to an unsolved mystery

Enchanted by the ruler's tragic story and hoping to unlock the answers to the 3,000 year-old mystery, Howard Carter made it his life's mission to uncover the pharaoh's hidden tomb. He began his search in 1907, but encountered countless setbacks and dead-ends before he finally, uncovered the long-lost crypt.

The clues point to murder

Now, in The Murder of King Tut, James Patterson and Martin Dugard dig through stacks of evidence--X-rays, Carter's files, forensic clues, and stories told through the ages--to arrive at their own account of King Tut's life and death. The result is an exhilarating true crime tale of intrigue, passion, and betrayal that casts fresh light on the oldest mystery of all.

My Impressions: I am not an Egyptologist, and kept putting this title off because I anticipated a very scholarly undertaking that might not have held my interest very long. I feared this would be one of those books, that mid way through I would end up putting down. I did make it through, but will warn those looking for a scholarly undertaking, this is not what you are looking for! And for those afraid of it because they thought it would be a more scholarly read, I say, don't be afraid, it's not what you thought either! For lovers of Patterson's detective writing, this is a HUGE departure. It doesn't grip you the same way the detective books do. I've read some pretty harsh criticism regarding this title and I personally feel it's un-warranted! Writing is an art, and the artist has every right to change brushes and canvases every now and then!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

WIN IT! - 1 reader will receive all three books!

How to Win: You must be a follower of Ascending Butterfly to be eligible for this and all giveaways. In addition, you must follow each book on at least one of their social media pages! Leave a comment letting us you know you follow the blog, and that you are following each book on one of their social media pages and tell us which you chose, twitter or facebook. Comments that don't follow these instructions, or just say 'enter me' will NOT be entered into the giveaway! USA 18+

Please leave your email address somewhere in your comment. (You can format it this way for security, example: ascendingbutterfly AT mail host DOT com), if your blogger profile has your email you can just indicate this in your entry. If your comment name, and your follower name are different, please indicate this as well.

Please follow directions or you will be disqualified! All comments are moderated, so no worries if your comment doesn't appear on the site right away. This giveaway is open to bloggers and non-bloggers alike, but you must follow this blog for your entry to count. You have from now until Friday, December 04, 2009 at 11:59 PM (EST) to comment and be entered for a chance to win. Winner will be announced shortly after Wednesday, December 9th! Giveaway open to USA only, 18+.

Earn Entries By Doing the Following and Leaving a Comment for Each one you do:

* Blog about this giveaway, linking to this giveaway post. Leave the URL in a comment

* Follow me @Tracy_Iglesias on Twitter (this is ascendingbutterfly’s editor) and give me your twitter ID in a comment

* Tweet about this giveaway and leave the URL in a comment. (you can do this DAILY)

* Digg about this giveaway and leave your digg username in your comment

* Fave this blog on Technorati and leave your Technorati user name in your comment

* Vote for Ascending Butterfly on: Fuel My Blog

* Follow Bo's Cafe on Facebook HERE

* Follow Bo's Cafe on Twitter HERE

* Follow A Change In Altitude on Facebook HERE

* Follow A Change In Altitude on Twitter HERE

* Follow The Murder of King Tut on Facebook HERE

* Follow The Murder of King Tut on Twitter HERE

*NEW: Join Ascending Butterfly's Ning Group HERE

* Please vote for Ascending Butterfly on Divine Caroline's Love! This Site Award '09 for the Body and Soul category, you can press into the badge on the upper right hand site of the page or click through HERE, there is a Vote button right under the description. (it's a one time only, super fast, super easy vote!)

*NEW: Please vote for me on the Downy Simple Pleasures Next Scent Contest. My scent is called 'Ascending Butterfly' of course, LOL. You can scroll down to the bottom of this page, and press 'Vote' on the widget below, it's super fast and super easy! (You can do this daily and get credit for voting daily!)

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~