New Book Recommendation February 2010

Happy February! I hope you were able to take a look at Commencement, the book recommendation from January. If not, add it to your reading list. It's really worth it.

This month, we're putting out The Red Tent by Anita Diamant.


On Anita's website she describes The Red Tent like this: "The Red Tent retells the story of Dinah, which is found in the Biblical book of Genesis, Chapter 34. This episode, usually known as the "Rape of Dinah" has been a difficult passage for bible readers for centuries because of the murderous behavior of Jacob's sons. In Genesis, Dinah does not say a single word; what happens to her is recounted and characterized as rape by her brothers. In my retelling of the story, Dinah finds her voice. The Red Tent is told entirely from her perspective and the point of view of the women around her."

It's pretty riveting. It's historical, more than religious, but it's still interesting to hear a book written from a female perspective re: Genesis.

Has anyone else read this? Thoughts? Let us know what you think!

-Sam and Grace

New Book Recommendation + New Blogging Bookworms

Hello to all you blogging bookworms out there. Happy 2010!

We (Samantha and Grace) want to apologize for the slight hiatus Blogging Bookworms has been on. We've been busy (end of the year always is) but it doesn't mean we haven't been reading or that we forgot about each of you.

With that being said, we want to start a new form of Blogging Bookworms. We still want to recommend books that we have read and will still post (about monthly) new book(s) to read. We also encourage each of you, whether you're a member or just a reader that stumbled across this blog, to recommend books via e-mail or in the comments.

For January 2010, our book recommendation is Commencement by J. Courtney Sullivan.
The New York Times writes a great review on the book you can read here, and we've linked to Amazon above if you're interested in buying the book.

Here's a quick synopsis:

There is a curious thing that happens to nearly all of us in the haze of our post-college years, and that is this: we anticipate the prospect of becoming honest-to-God adults with both heady excitement and unfathomable dread. Dread because we know, wisely, that once we cross this threshold, we cannot go back; there is no sleeping in past eleven, no immature antics that can still be written off to childhood, no phoning our parents when the checkbook hits zero. Excitement because it is such a relief to evolve into something bigger than we were before, to embrace the world as ready, steady grown-ups. And J. Courtney Sullivan, via her debut novel, Commencement, explores these very complexities and growing pains of leaving behind our adolescences and surrendering to adulthood. -Source

We hope you enjoy this book recommendation. It's riveting - and a fantastic coming of age article about four best girlfriends from college and the paths they find themselves on post-graduation.

Please send us feedback as always and stay tuned to our next recommendation. If you have a book recommendation, feel free to post in the comments or e-mail us so we can post it and link to you.

In addition, check out Samantha's new E-book, The Appreciation Revolution. It's free and chalk full of amazing writers, focusing on appreciation and gratitude.

The Fourth Book: Firefly Lane

Hey there Blogging Bookworms! We already sent out an e-mail, but here is the official announcement: our next book will be Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah. It's a beautifully written story of friendship and the journey of life. Sam cheated and has already started the book and she absolutely loves it. We hope you will too!

The countdown begins today, so stop by your local library, bookstore, or favorite website and pick up your copy ASAP. Discussion will begin one month from today when the countdown hits zero. Let us know if you have any questions. We can't wait to hear what you think of this book! Happy Reading!

Photo Credit: Barnes & Noble

The Third Book: Tales of a Female Nomad-Living at Large in the World

Hola Blogging Bookworms! We're pleased to announce our third book for the month of July: Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World by Rita Golden Gelman.

The countdown and reading will begin officially in a week from today on Monday, July 13th. We want to give you ample time to check it out at your local library or snag it from Amazon if you're interested. Stay tuned for the countdown meter and an e-mail from us if you're on our e-mail list.


About the book: This is a true story of Rita Golden Gelman, who at age forty-eight was on the verge of divorce so she decided to leave her elegant life in L.A. and follow her dream of connecting with people in cultures all around the world. In 1986 she sold her possessions and became a nomad. Rita’s example encourages "us all to dust off our dreams and rediscover the joy, the exuberance, and the hidden spirit that so many of us bury when we become adults."

For more information on this riveting and inspiring read, check out Rita's own website or consumer reviews on Amazon.

As always, if you have any questions please feel free to e-mail us!

Photo Credit: Barnes & Noble

The Second Book: The Bean Trees

Hello Bookworms! We hope everyone is enjoying (or enjoyed) the first book, The Northern Clemency. Don't worry if you're not done yet, you still have eight days, but we wanted to give a little more advanced notice on the second book so we would all have more time to find a copy. (Added benefit: It's paperback!) We won't be starting the second book until after we've had some time to discuss the first one, so no rush. For anyone who found us mid-book and has been waiting to join, now is a great time!

Without further ado, our second book will be: The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver. This was Kingsolver's debut book back in the late 80s, long before she wrote her bestseller, The Poisonwood Bible. The Bean Trees follows the adventures of a young girl from Kentucky as she travels west and confronts life experiences that are both ordinary and extraordinary.

So, start keeping an eye out for the book. If you need some help, check out our tools in the sidebar. Stay tuned for more info. in the coming weeks! If you have any questions, send us an e-mail.

Photo Credit: Books.Google

The First Book: The Northern Clemency

Welcome Blogging Bookworms! We are pleased to announce that our inaugural book will be The Northern Clemency by Philip Hensher. The novel follows a 20 year span in the lives of a group of suburban neighbors beginning in the 1970s. Hensher examines his characters, relaying the events of ordinary life, both large and small. Feel free to read the book review on Amazon here.

Photo from coverbrowser.com

Since we're just getting started, we want to give everyone time to get the book. You are welcome to start reading whenever you have it, but we will not start the official countdown until Monday April 6. If you’re ever curious how much time is left, just visit this page and check out the countdown in the sidebar. To help you save money and still be able to read with us, we’ve provided a link to a directory of libraries across the country. It’s the first link under Book Resources in the right sidebar.

Once you’ve decided to read with us, please send an e-mail to bloggingbookworms@gmail.com and become a follower of the blog using the widget on the left. We look forward to hearing your comments when the counter reaches zero. Enjoy!

Welcome to Blogging Bookworms!

Hello and welcome to Blogging Bookworms! We are Samantha Karol and Grace Boyle, bookworms with a penchant for blogging and the digital world. Although we’ve never met in person (yet), this idea came about organically, and we decided that we want to bring together other bloggers in the online world to remember the importance of reading books and the fulfillment that you can find from reading, offline.

Here’s how it works:

• Each month, we pick a book (check back soon for our first selection).
  
• We will post the author, title and pertinent information.
  
• We allot one month for the book reading, which you can follow with our countdown meter.
• At the end of the month, we will open up the comments for discussion.

Anyone can join, and if you like our idea, share it with a friend! Just e-mail us to be part of Blogging Bookworms and then “Follow” our blog for updates.

We’re encouraging engagement and interaction, so hopefully as we get rolling readers can contribute their ideas for the next book. We’re here to admin, answer questions, and of course, read with everyone! Happy Reading!

This is a work in progress, so please reference our FAQ and/or e-mail us directly with specific questions at: bloggingbookworms@gmail.com

Sam and Grace