MATRIMONY winner revealed!!!

The winner of MATRIMONY by Joshua Henkin is...........

DEIDRE!!!!

Congratulations, Deidre!!! I have sent you an email asking for your mailing address!!

Thanks to everyone for playing!! I hope everyone has a happy holiday season!!!!

**Winner was chosen by Random.org - Sequence Generator.

Here is your sequence:

• 8
• 2
• 11
• 5
• 3
• 6
• 13
• 10
• 14
• 16
• 4
• 1
• 12
• 15
• 7
• 9

Timestamp: 2008-12-23 17:42:06 UTC

A side of ice...

So, it's been a while since I've posted a life update, so I thought I might give you a little inside scoop into the world of A Real Librarian...

My hubby and I made it to Minnesota and we've been here for about a month and a half. Go figure - it's the coldest winter they've had in MN in a really long time. Nice. Let me give you a little back story. I HATE winter. My hell is not flames and heat, it's frigid cold and ice. I moved south for several reasons - the most prominent being WINTER SUCKS GIGANTIC FROZEN DONKEY BALLS.

I woke up today to the temperature of -10. With the wind chill that translated to -25 or so. Yeah. NEGATIVE 25!!!!!! How anyone lives here and likes it is beyond me. I once heard my dad say "yeah, it's warmed up to zero." WARMED up to ZERO?!?!?! Hell...I'm in hell.

Anyway, I'll get off the frigid temperatures for a minute. I am no longer an unemployed Minnesotan! WHOOOOT!!!! I am not, however, a real librarian...yet. I am working at a clothing store. Retail. I have a new found respect for anyone who works retail. Standing on your feet all day is hard work! And I gotta tell ya - listening to Christmas music all day pretty much BLOWS (Normally, I like Christmas music a day or two before...I've been listening to it constantly at work since I started!). Luckily, I have had great experiences so far with my customers, and my coworkers seem pretty great, too. And I am LOVING my employee discount. Especially exciting because I have pretty much NO winter clothes, and definitely no winter professional clothes. So, yay for being employed, and yay for employee discounts!!!

I had an interview with a public library last week, but unfortunately I was not selected for a second interview. Which is okay - I didn't have the management experience that they were looking for. I'm pretty pumped that I got an interview, though!! (Does that sound a too much like "It's an honor just to be nominated!"?) I also had a phone interview on Friday for a job that would be pretty much perfect. A children's librarian position!!! I should find out in the next day or two if I am selected for an in person interview - wish me luck!!!

I'll leave you with a patron story... Or, as they are called in retail, "customers."

Lady with a coupon: So, how does this coupon work?
Real Librarian: Well, if you spend $50, then you get $25 off!
LwaC: Oh, so does it work like cash? I can use this to buy stuff?
RL: No, actually, you have to spend $50 first, then we use this coupon to take $25 off.
LwaC: Oh, I see. So does it work like cash?
RL: **mentally slaps head**

Stupid patrons are everywhere!! =)

MATRIMONY - Review and Giveaway!!

I am very excited to have been contacted by author Joshua Henkin about his most recent novel, MATRIMONY. I actually read this book after reading several reviews about it from other fabulous book bloggers, even before I got the email from Mr. Henkin. It seemed like it would be a great story, and I couldn't wait to read it! Did I mention that MATRIMONY is also a New York Times Notable Book?

Here is the description of the novel:

It's the fall of 1986, and Julian Wainwright, an aspiring writer, arrives at Graymont College in New England. Here he meets Carter Heinz, with whom he develops a strong but ambivalent friendship, and beautiful Mia Mendelsohn, with whom he falls in love. Spurred on by a family tragedy, Julian and Mia's love affair will carry them to graduation and beyond, taking them through several college towns, over the next fifteen years. Starting at the height of the Reagan era and ending in the new millennium, Matrimony is a stunning novel of love and friendship, money and ambition, desire and tensions of faith. It is a richly detailed portrait of what it means to share a life with someone-to do it when you're young, and to try to do it afresh on the brink of middle age.

I enjoyed this book. I really felt that the characters had depth. They all started out as college students, and evolved through the years. They grew and learned from their experiences and mistakes, which is always great to see. All of the individual characters were interesting and believable on their own, and the relationships that they formed together were also convincing. I felt that Henkin showed the reader relationships, rather than tell about them (Even though one of Professor Chesterfield's rules said "Thou shalt not utter the phrase 'show, don't tell' when discussing another's short stories" – it still describes what Henkin did with his story). I definitely think this book is worth picking up and checking out!!

In fact, we're going to do a giveaway!!! HOOORAY!!! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post and you will be entered to win. It's that simple!! The only rule is that you HAVE to post an email address so I'll have a way to get in contact with you if you win. If there is a comment that doesn't have an email address, it will be deleted, and you will not be entered. Not trying to be mean, but like I said – we need to be able to contact you if you win! Oh, and the coolest part? This contest is open to ANYONE in the world!! The last day to comment will be midnight on Monday, December 22, and I'll choose the winner on Tuesday, December 23!!

Check out this post, where Joshua talks about visiting book groups!

Also, if you are interested, here is a list of blogs who have reviewed MATRIMONY:
The Literate Housewife
The 3 R's: Reading, 'Riting, and Randomness
She is Too Fond of Books
Age 30 - A Year of Books
Books and Cooks
Reading Room
Bookfoolery and Babble
A Reader's Journal
B&B Ex Libris
Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin'?
Shelf Life
The Boston Bibliophile
Trish's Reading Nook
Musings of a Bookish Kitty

Good luck and happy reading!!!

I've been tagged!!

I was tagged by brainella the librarian a while ago, and I've finally gotten around to pulling it together! Sorry for being so lame, brainella!!!

8 TV shows I like to watch
1. Grey's Anatomy
2. Private Practice
3. Dirty Sexy Money
4. Weeds
5. American Idol
6. Americas Next Top Model
7. So You Think You Can Dance
8. Hell's Kitchen

8 places I like to eat
1. Casa Fiesta (ohh how I miss you!)
2. Chipotle
3. Carraba's
4. Papa Murphy's (although that's a take and bake place, so really I'm eating it at home!)
5. PF Changs
6. Famous Dave's
7. McDonalds (I know, I know)
8. My mom's place (she's an AWESOME cook!)

8 things that happened yesterday
1. An interview (I was keeping it under wraps, because I didn't want to jinx myself!)
2. A road trip
3. Mmmm, Potato Ole's
4. Watched the 10th and 11th episodes of the 2nd season of Dexter
5. Heated up my RelaxWrap to put on my feet
6. Thought about exercising, but then didn't
7. Spent time at the library
8. Snuggled with the hubby

8 things I look forward to
1. Christmas
2. Seeing Twilight again
3. My cookie making party with my friend B
4. Decorating the tree
5. Maybe a second interview?
6. Getting the 4th disk of the 2nd season of Dexter
7. Campfire Mocha from Caribou Coffee
8. 2009

8 things I love about Fall
1. Leaves changing color
2. Pumpkin Spice Latte's
3. Pumpkin flavored creamer for my coffee at home
4. yeah, that's about it...
5.
6.
7.
8.

8 things on my wish list
1. See my family more
2. A new job
3. A turn around in the economy
4. Spend more time with friends
5. A vacation
6. Summer
7. Less snow
8. Christina Aguilara's new CD

8 people to tag
Yeah - I'm gonna be lame and just say if you wanna play, you should!!! If you do post this meme, leave me a comment, so I can check it out!!!

Review: Rose Hill

A couple of months ago, I was contacted by Pamela Grandstaff, an independent author, about reading and reviewing her latest book, Rose Hill. First things first, I want to apologize to Pamela for taking so long to read the book. I got it right before I started the whole moving process, and it's taken me a while to get started on it. However, once I started it, I couldn't put it down. Let me tell you what it's about:

When the bludgeoned body of rich and rotten Theo Eldridge turns up in the kennel of the local veterinary, police chief Scott Gordon is determined to solve the case before Sarah Albright, the county sheriff’s investigator, beats him to it. Scott is convinced that temperamental bookstore owner Maggie Fitzpatrick is the woman for him, but she’s still grieving over the mysterious disappearance of the love of her life six years previously. Although determined to resist the powerful chemistry between them, Maggie is resolved to help Scott find the killer. As Maggie and Scott attempt to untangle the sticky web of Theo’s shady business dealings, they discover a dog-breeding scam and enough arson, graft, and blackmail to supply motives to a dozen suspects. They also uncover some dark family secrets that may connect Theo’s murder to another committed twenty years previously.

I have to tell you, I loved this book. It was a great mystery set in a very small town, where everyone knows all your business. I grew up in a small town, so I could really relate to these people and actually kind of felt like I knew them. I definitely know people LIKE them! Another fun addition to the story was Duke, the community cat. Duke pops up all over town, finding food, places to relax, and love with all (or most!) of the locals.
Not only did this have a great mystery with a bunch of twists, there is also a budding romance in the background of this novel. Scott and Maggie - will they? Won't they? Could they?

All in all, I loved this book - you should definitely check it out. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the Rose Hill mystery series, Morning Glory Circle.

Thanks again to Pamela! You wrote a highly entertaining book, and I am so glad that I am able to spread the word!!!