Between Interruptions : Thirty Women Tell the Truth About Motherhood edited by Cori Howard
Published by Key Porter Books
Pages: 328
Buy It: Amazon Kindle | Author’s Website – Print Copy
Publishers Summary:

Most mothers don’t have time for long conversations. They may want them, crave them, begin them again and again, but they are constantly interrupted by kids, partners, work and the day-to-day of busy lives. Between Interruptions is a remarkable collection of original essays by Canadian writers that explores what is unspoken, cut off or lost in those interrupted conversations. Between Interruptions asks what becomes of us when our children’s lives interrupt our own. What prayers, what cries, what taboo thoughts are suddenly left unspoken? Marina Jimenez struggles with her decision to return to her job as a journalist—in a war zone. Carrie-Anne Moss lets us into her home during her self-imposed, forty-day seclusion after the birth of her first son. Chantal Kreviazuk learns to surrender to the limitations of motherhood. Joanna Streetly struggles to find a balance between protecting and letting go. Elizabeth Renzetti and Karrina Onstad search for friends in mommyland. And Estee Klar-Wolfond finds perfection in autism. Provocative, funny and honest, Between Interruptions highlights the differences and similarities between mothers today and generations past. It is, without a doubt, a conversation worth having.

Life after children is often something that takes most women completely by surprise. No matter the classes attended, books read and advice from friends nothing ever fully prepares you for those days of self-discovery. In Between Interruptions mothers from all walks of life share their honest and open experiences about this ever changing territory. Their stories range from hilarious to introspective, but their overarching theme remains the same…motherhood is an undiscovered country with a constantly changing environment that requires no less than what each mother has to offer, individually, for their own children and family.

Between Interruptions was a book I picked up because, well, I’m a mother. It goes without saying that I had an immediate interest in relating to other mothers who may have potentially been in my very shoes. As the publishers summary states, “most mothers don’t have time for long conversations”, and perhaps that’s part of the reason why I read so much. Reading is easily accessible, easy to stop and pick up, and it’s something I enjoy promoting to my children. That being said I love the opportunity to gather with friends and fellow mothers to chat about anything from our children to politics (yes, politics). So Between Interruptions was a no-brainer for me and I’m glad I picked it up.

Though I didn’t relate to or even connect with all or many of the mothers in the book I was still able to appreciate each of their stories individually. Before having children I think I was as naive as most of the women in the book, thinking that parenting would be a breeze. I’d simply tote along kiddos to whatever function or I’d get a sitter when needed. Well, surprise surprise my children completely changed the landscape of my life. The Turkeybird, though delightful and one of the two greatest blessings I’ve ever received was/is much more difficult than I could have imagined. He didn’t sleep through the night until almost nine months old, at eighteen months devoured books like candy leaving me at a loss as to how to stimulate him and certainly wasn’t interested in interacting with other children let alone a sitter. His medical diagnosis of Hyperlexia seemed to only bring more questions than answers. All of this aside, I became and am still becoming a different person than I ever thought I’d be. Though it’s been the most difficult transition of my life, motherhood is something I’m growing into and allowing myself to swim in.

Many of the stories that I connected with the most in Between Interruptions were much like my own. For example Carol Shaben’s story and how she related her life to the birth of her son by C-Section was inspiring. She quotes the words of famous American artist Charles DuBois toward the end of her essay:

“The important thing is this: To be able at any moment be able to sacrifice what we are for what we want to be.” (p. 59, Between Interruptions by Cori Howard)

It’s not the first time I’d read the quote, but in the context and feeling connected to this other mother I’ve never met before it became something more. It was stories like Carol’s that gave me that feeling that I’m not alone in this effort, which most of the time is all we need as mothers. A kind word, a phone call, an email or a short story from someone who knows the complexities surrounding the world we live in today as mothers. Now, obviously not all of these stories were like this and some of them quite honestly irritated me. Many of the writers were former journalists either in print or television media of some sort and many lived a life I only dreamed about. That being said, another thing I’ve learned since becoming a mother is to be less judgmental, to know that no one’s experience is the same and certainly of no less value than my own. Though perhaps I didn’t connect with all of the mothers I did connect with quite a few and I absolutely learned something from each one.

Between Interruptions by Cori Howard is a wonderful collection of essays that sheds light on the often difficult but joyous experiences of motherhood. With the demands we place on each other in this day and time mothers need connection, a shoulder to rest on and a listening ear. Each of the stories contained in Between Interruptions will leave readers with a sense of understanding and a feeling of peace knowing they aren’t alone in their experiences. As a mother who is still on her journey to becoming, it was wonderful to find these connections I have with fellow women for one reason or another and I’d certainly recommend Between Interruptions to friends and fellow mothers.

The1stdaughter Recommends: Perfect for mothers with children of all ages. You’ll laugh and reflect on your own experiences as you read about the lives of these incredible mothers.

Find Between Interruptions : Thirty Women Tell the Truth About Motherhood edited by Cori Howard at the following spots:
Amazon Kindle | Author’s Website – Print Copy | Goodreads

Follow the TLC Tour for other fantastic reviews and giveaways of Between Interruptions:
Monday, January 2nd:  A Musing Reviews
Wednesday, January 4th:  Acting Balanced
Monday, January 9th:  Seaside Book Nook
Wednesday, January 11th:  Overstuffed
Thursday, January 12th:  Just Another Mommy Blog
Monday, January 16th:  Juggling Life
Wednesday, January 18th:  Get Healthy with Heather
Monday, January 23rd:  Musings of a Bookish Kitty
Tuesday, January 24th:  From Tracie
Wednesday, January 25th:  Red Headed Book Child
Thursday, January 26th:  There’s a Book

Thank you so much to the author and publisher in connection with TLC Book Tours for providing a copy of this book for review and giveaway! Connect with them on Twitter and on Facebook!
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our various affiliate relationships.

Welcome to the Mid-Winter’s Eve Giveaway Hop at There’s A Book!
I’m thrilled to be taking part in this wonderful event for the second year and am looking forward to seeing what everyone else has planned in these last few days of the year!

Because the days of 2011 are numbered and by the time this giveaway closes all of those gift giving holidays will most likely have come to an end I thought what better to giveaway than the opportunity to pick up that last book for the year? Did your favorite and most-anticipated book not make your holiday loot? Well, maybe with this giveaway you’ll be able to pick it up yourself! So, what’s up for grabs? Take a look…

Two $15 USD Gift Cards to Amazon or Barnes & Noble!

Details: Two winners will be chosen at random after the contest closes. You MUST fill out the entry form, comments will not count alone as entries. Only one entrant per household. No purchase necessary. Giveaway is open Worldwide.

I’d highly recommend also taking a look at the Giveaways page while you’re here as we have number of giveaways currently going on (some worldwide). And be sure to take a look at our Reviews page to get any help you might need in last minute shopping for yourself or others! That’s it! Thank you again for stopping by There’s A Book, we hope you’ll come back again soon and make sure to stop by the rest of the Mid-Winter’s Eve Giveaway Hop for more great giveaways! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Nosy Crow is an absolute favorite publisher of ours and we’re thrilled to be able to feature some of our top picks in a giveaway sponsored by Nosy Crow! Firstly, thank you to Nosy Crow for giving us this opportunity! Now, take a look at some of what’s up for grabs during this month’s Book Publishers 101 feature:

Nosy Crow is being incredibly generous and offering two prize packs including the following:

Grand Prize Winner – One Nosy Crow bag, two pins, one Bizzy Bear book, one Mega Mash-Up book, one Pip and Posy book, one Noodle book, and one copy of Dinosaur Dig by Penny Dale.

Runner Up – One Nosy Crow bag with two pins, and one Nosy Crow book of their chosing!

(Also, if for some reason the winner happens to be international (and because shipping might be a bit much for us right now) we will have the option for an international winner to win the Nosy Crow book of their choice up to $15 USD from Book Depository.)

Sound great? We think so, and we’re really excited to offer these titles! All of these have been huge hits in our home and I have no doubt they’ll be happily welcomed into the homes of the winners. All of these are amazing books and authors that we will be featuring this month either in an interview or review so be sure to stay tuned!

Make sure to stop by these sites to connect directly with Nosy Crow!

Nosy Crow Site
Nosy Crow Blog
Nosy Crow on Facebook
Nosy Crow on Twitter
Nosy Crow Apps on Twitter
Nosy Crow on YouTube

Thanks go again to the publisher, Nosy Crow for providing this fantastic giveaway to our readers! The only requirement? Visit one of the above links and find something new you love!

Details: Two winners will be chosen at random after the contest closes, as outlined above. If the winner is international they will receive a Nosy Crow book of their choosing up to $15 USD from Book Depository. You MUST fill out the form below, comments will not count as entries. Only one entry per household. No purchase necessary. Giveaway is open WORLDWIDE. The giveaway will run from December 08, 2011 until December 31, 2011 Extended to January 31st 2012 at midnight EST.

Today’s post is part of our month long celebration of all things Nosy Crow. Make sure to stop by the Nosy Crow site for more information about this title and more. For more information about our Book Publishers 101 feature take a look at this month’s opening post.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Nosy Crow, for coordinating many of this month’s features and reviews! Connect with them on Twitter and on Facebook!
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our various affiliate relationships.

The Cats in the Doll Shop by Yona Zeldis McDonough and Illustrated by Heather Maione
Published by Viking Juvenile
Pages: 140
Ages: 8-11
Buy It: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Powell’s Books | Indiebound | Book Depository
Publishers Summmary:

When Anna spots a cat in the yard behind her parents’ doll shop, she is excited. Then she realizes the cat is about to have kittens-even better! And Anna has something else to look forward to: her cousin Tania is coming from Russia to stay with Anna’s family. Anna already has two sisters, but she and Tania are the exact same age-eleven-and she imagines they will get along perfectly. But Tania doesn’t respond to Anna’s friendly overtures, and her sisters don’t seem to like Tania at all. Luckily, Anna finds a creative way to use her love of dolls and cats to bring everyone together.

In a family of three girls the news of an addition to the family comes with mixed feelings. When Anna discovers her new cousin Tania is coming from Russia to spend the year with their family she’s thrilled, though their shared age seems to be the only similarity as of yet. Anna’s sisters find Tania’s quietness and the food she hides odd and instantly dislike her, but Anna quickly accepts her by offering her a new doll she created specifically for Tania. With the addition of Tania the last thing the family needs is a pet, but it may be just the thing to bring Tania out of her shell and potentially solve another problem altogether.

Charming. Absolutely charming and beautiful storytelling are found within the pages of The Cats in the Doll Shop by Yona Zeldis McDonough. Generally speaking I’m not incredibly fond of historically based novels & books for one reason or another, but this story was written so well that I couldn’t help but be taken in by the lovely Anna. Her parents are recent immigrants to the US and have found a way to provide for themselves by creating and selling a line of dolls to companies like FAO Schwartz. For a ten or eleven year old girl I can think of no better place to be than in a family that has a never ending supply of dolls to create and play with, making it the perfect setting for the intended audience.

Obviously Anna’s family is frugal though and the story isn’t simply about the dolls and the doll shop, but about their cousin Tania and the cats that accompany her arrival. Anna was so welcoming to her cousin and it was wonderful to read about not only her desire to make her feel at home but her thoughts about her two sister’s feelings about Tania. It’s the perfect message for a young reader, one of welcoming and comforting those who may be in need of a friend. In addition to Tania the compassion Anna shows toward a family of cats is heartwarming and in the end turns out to help not only the cats but Tania as well.

It would be a shame to fail to note the historical and religious aspects of the story in my review because both were handled incredibly well. In both cases they were so well written that they became more a part of the fabric of the story than an over-arching theme making it accessible for all varieties of readers. Anna and her family are of Jewish descent and there is even a short story about the history of Chanukah, but I never felt as though it was a boring history lesson or preachy in any way. Instead the story and the background shared throughout work to enhance Anna’s character and her family making it all the more enjoyable.

The Cats in the Doll Shop by Yona Zeldis McDonough is delightful historically based middle grade fiction novel. Not only would educators benefit from sharing it with their students, but young readers will thoroughly fall in love with Anna and her charm. Though it’s the second in the series it easily stands alone, but those who haven’t read the first will be clamoring to get their hands on Anna’s first story as well. The Cats in the Doll Shop is a story about kindness, acceptance, giving and friendship all told through the eyes of one delightful young girl who welcomes all with open arms.

The1stdaughter Recommends: Ages 7 to 12. A charming historically based middle grade novel that young readers will enjoy and learn the importance of compassion from. Highly recommended reading for young readers and educators alike!

Find The Cats in the Doll Shop by Yona Zeldis McDonough and Illustrated by Heather Maione at the following spots:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Powell’s Books | Indiebound | Book Depository | Goodreads

Thank you so much to the publisher, Viking Juvenile, for providing a copy of this book for review and giveaway! Connect with them on Twitter and on Facebook!
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our various affiliate relationships.

Can You See What I See? Toyland Express by Walter Wick
Published by Scholastic Press
Pages: 40
Buy It: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Powell’s Books | Indiebound | Book Depository
Publishers Summmary:

CAN YOU SEE WHAT I SEE? TOYLAND EXPRESS, the eighth title in the bestselling search-and-find series, follows the life of a toy train from the workshop to the attic, only to be rescued at a yard sale and brought to life once again in a new home. As readers search for more than 250 hidden objects, they will also notice how the train takes on various transformations along its journey.

Can You See What I See? Toyland Express by Walter Wick takes vintage Christmas toy magic to an entirely new level! Open the pages and entire a world filled with trains, toys and every imaginable related object will come to life before your eyes. This was our family’s first venture into the world of Walter Wick’s “look and find” style books, but I’m positive I’ll be sharing more with both kiddos. The images are gorgeous! Walter Wick has an incredible talent for capturing the life of a still toy making it seem as if they may begin moving at any moment.

Anyone who’s a fan of vintage toys, train sets or even simply has a kiddo who loves to discover new things should pick this up for the season. We will definitely be adding to our collection and I know that the Turkeybird especially is excited to have another chance to discover a brand new world of toys!

The1stdaughter Recommends: Ages 4 to 8. Flip through pages of toys and discover the hidden treasures waiting for children of all ages. Perfect for hours of enjoyment seeking and finding.

About the author:
Walter Wick has opened millions of eyes to a world of treasures big and small in his award-winning, bestselling I SPY and CAN YOU SEE WHAT I SEE? picture-puzzle books. Walter discovered his passion for building picture puzzles by accident. One day when cleaning out a drawer, he scattered odds and ends on a glass tabletop and photographed them. The photo appeared in a magazine and caught the eye of Jean Marzollo, editor of Scholastic’s Let’s Find Out. This photo inspired the first I SPY book, with riddles by Jean Marzollo, and led to their long collaboration.

In his more recent CAN YOU SEE WHAT I SEE? series, Walter’s detailed photographs convey subtle hidden stories. Walter meticulously constructs 3-D sets for CAN YOU SEE WHAT I SEE? in his Connecticut studio. For videos and more photos, visit www.walterwick.com or www.facebook.com/walterwick.

Giveaway!

As an added bonus the publisher, Scholastic Press, has provided me with one Signed copy of Can You See What I See? Toyland Express by Walter Wick to giveaway to one There’s A Book reader! Please fill out the form below and good luck!

Find Can You See What I See? Toyland Express by Walter Wick at the following spots:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Powell’s Books | Indiebound | Book Depository | Goodreads

Thank you so much to the publisher, Scholastic Press, for providing a copy for review & giveaway! Find them on Twitter as well as Facebook.
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our various affiliate relationships.

Chronicle Books is an absolute favorite publisher of ours and we’re thrilled to be able to feature some of our top picks in a giveaway sponsored by Chronicle Books! Firstly, thank you to Chronicle for giving us this opportunity! Now, take a look at what’s up for grabs during this month’s Book Publishers 101 feature:

Giveaway!

Because we hate to limit the winnings to just one winner we’re going to split the selection in to two winners with the 1st place winner receiving their top two choices from the books and the 2nd place winner receiving the remaining two books. Also, if for some reason the winner happens to be international (and because shipping might be a bit much for us right now) we will have the option for an international winner to win the Chronicle Books book of their choice up to $15 USD from Book Depository.

Sound great? We think so, and we’re really excited to offer these titles, as they are some of our most recent favorites. If you have questions about any of them, just click on the title cover to be taken to our review or Goodreads for more info. All of these are amazing books and authors that we will be featuring this month either in an interview or review so be sure to stay tuned!

Make sure to stop by these sites to connect directly with them and the imprints we’ll be featuring this month!

Chronicle Books Website
Chronicle Books Blog
Chronicle Kids Blog
Chronicle Books on Twitter
Chronicle Kids on Twitter
Chronicle Books on Facebook
Chronicle Books on YouTube
Chronicle Books Mobile Apps

Thank you so much to the publisher, Chronicle Books for providing this fantastic giveaway to our readers! The only requirement? Visit one of the above links and find something new you love!

Also, remember that if you have a blog or love to read blogs that Chronicle Books is now celebrating their Happy Haul-idays event and there’s an opportunity for you to win $500 in your favorite Chronicle Books books. Make sure to check out our post as well as their site for more details!

Details: Two winners will be chosen at random after the contest closes. The first place winner will receive their top two selections and the second place winner the remaining two. If the winner is international they will receive a Chronicle Books book of their choice up to $15 USD from Book Depository. You MUST fill out the form below, comments will not count as entries. Only one entry per household. Giveaway is open WORLDWIDE. The giveaway will run from November 16, 2011 until November 30, 2011 at midnight EST.