Hi folks! I’ve got a book review upcoming and more after that, but in the meantime, I wanted to tell you about a couple of cool gifts to consider for your favorite readers. I make beaded, hand-made bookmarks and sell them at errantdreams.etsy.com. All of the ones I posted before November have been marked down in price by 20-30%. Also, from now through Dec. 31, if you live in the USA and order a least $20 in products, you’ll get free shipping. Just place your order and wait to pay until I send you a revised invoice.

I also make & sell jewelry of various kinds there. Here’s a sampling of items:

In addition, if you’re in a more practical and less fanciful mode, we have a cafepress store with T-shirts, mugs, etc. in a bunch of designs, including a handful for writers & readers, such as:

     

Give one of these lovely gifts to a friend or loved one this year, and you’ll be giving them something unusual and special!

Passing along a press release I thought you folks might be interested in. After all, it has stuff in it about FREE BOOKS! Well, potentially free, anyway, if you win a contest.

Bookreporter.com’s Books as the Perfect Gifts Countdown

There’s one gift that’s perfect for everyone on your holiday list — a
book! Yes, everyone has people who are readers on their lists, which makes
shopping for them easy. But beyond these kindred spirits, there’s a book
that can match just about any recipient’s interests, even if reading is not
their true passion. That is why Bookreporter.com is sharing 45 reasons why a
book makes a perfect gift, counting down until Christmas Day, December 25th.
Check out the countdown and see why we think this is the gift you want to
give — and, oh yes, receive!

The Countdown can be read at:
http://www.bookreporter.com/features/holiday_countdown/index.asp

The feature is also running on ReadingGroupGuides.com, FaithfulReader.com,
Teenreads.com and Kidsreads.com.

Bookreporter.com’s Holiday Basket of Cheer Contest

Bookreporter.com’s popular annual contest spotlights a different title or
collection of titles every week from November 7th to December 12th. Readers
can enter to win a basket that includes two copies of the book (one to keep
and one to give), wrapping paper and a bow, and holiday-themed items such as
Ghirardelli hot chocolate mix, gourmet vanilla marshmallows, Chewy Peps
candy, an Illuminations cinnamon spice-scented candle, and more.

The Holiday Basket of Cheer feature can be found at:

http://www.bookreporter.com/features/holiday_basket_2008/index.asp

Launching November 21st: Bookreporter.com’s Authors on the Holidays

More than 25 authors share their favorite memories of giving or receiving a
book at the holidays, including Mary Higgins Clark, Carol Higgins Clark,
Kristin Hannah, Garth Stein, M.J. Rose, Adriana Trigiani, Mary Kay Andrews,
and more.

Launching November 14th: Bookreporter.com’s What to Give/What to Get Guide

Gift giving is made easy with “reader perfect” suggestions in categories
like Eat, Drink & Be Merry (cookbooks and culinary tales), Faces & Places
(history, biography and memoir), and Healthy, Wealthy & Wise (advice and
how-to).

Pros: Gorgeous world; interesting plot; unusual “hero”
Cons: Villain lost some dimensions at the end; not everyone will like the style
Rating: 4 out of 5

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Pros: Classic of science fiction; interesting world-building
Cons: Pacing; somewhat flat characters
Rating: 4 out of 5

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Hey there. I just got a press release from MetroKitchen. They’re celebrating their 10-year anniversary with a bunch of exclusive items and a pretty cool sweepstakes. It looks like the sweepstakes itself will start on November 15th.

October 30, 2008 – To celebrate MetroKitchen.com’s 10 year anniversary of selling on-line direct to consumers, companies like Mauviel and All-Clad Metalcrafters LLC and Wusthof have created new and unique products to be sold only at Metrokitchen this holiday season. MetroKitchen is the only internet retailer to have the opportunity to carry these tailor-made, exclusive products and offer them online to their loyal customer base starting early Fall. For more information about the 10 year anniversary new and exclusive products, please click on this URL
http://www.metrokitchen.com/metrokitchen-10-year-anniversary

This Fall, MetroKitchen.com celebrates 10 years as the premiere on-line retailer for top brands of cookware and cutlery. Over the span of 10 years, MetroKitchen has expanded its upscale
product line to include other kitchenware products, such as gourmet electric appliances and wine accessories. While most online retailers have come and gone, and other home goods stores struggle, MetroKitchen continues to grow and expand its selection of product lines, establishing unique relationships with the top brands used by and found in professional chefs and finest kitchens around the world. MetroKitchen CEO Lynn Clarke says, “Every employee at MetroKitchen follows the guide of treating our customers the way each of us wants to be treated. That’s why top brands such as All-Clad, Wusthof and Mauviel have selected us as their on-line retailer.” MetroKitchen is proud to offer several exclusive product sets for the upcoming holiday season from top cookware/cutlery brands such as All-Clad, Wusthof, Henckels and Mauviel.

Additionally, MetroKitchen in conjunction with the Culinary Institute of America, will be promoting a new sweepstakes in honor of MetroKitchen’s 10 year anniversary, with several valued prizes, including a vacation CIA bootcamp getaway at an exclusive CIA locationTo check out the MetroKitchen 10 Year Anniversary Exclusives, visit: http://www.metrokitchen.com/metrokitchen-10-year-anniversary

About MetroKitchen: Metrokitchen.com has been in business since 1998. It was the first website in the world to sell only top brands of cookware, knives and small kitchen appliances. All-Clad chose
MetroKitchen.com to be its first on-line retailer. CIA cookware and Marcus cookware secured exclusivity rights with MetroKitchen when they introduced their cookware into e-commerce.
MetroKitchen ships directly from its warehouse in Atlanta within 24 hours of receiving an order. MetroKitchen is a privately held company.

About Mauviel: Mauviel, the renowned French copper cookware manufacturer, is one of the only copper cookware manufacturers left in the world today. Mauviel artisans blend handwork techniques that date back to the Middle Ages with modern technology to make beautiful cookware that lasts a lifetime, whether it’s used in the home or in a commercial environment. The Company is located in the Normandy countryside of France in the town of Villedieu

Also, just a reminder that all of our first round of hand-made beaded bookmarks are on sale (all have been marked down 20-30%) at our Etsy store (errantdreams.etsy.com). They make great holiday gifts for your favorite readers, and they come packaged in little jewelry gift boxes!

Pros: Sturdy, strong, tough, and did I mention, sturdy?
Cons: None
Rating: 5 out of 5

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Pros: Handy odd sizes; balance well on counters; dishwasher-safe; sturdy
Cons: None
Rating: 5 out of 5

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I don’t review the books I don’t finish. I don’t talk about them on Amazon or Epinions, I don’t rate them on a numerical scale, and I don’t pretend to know for sure whether they’re good or bad books ultimately. But I don’t mind telling you exactly why I decided not to finish them.

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Pros: Humor; enjoyable plot
Cons: Creepy age factor; some plot devices
Rating: 2 out of 5

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Pros: I couldn’t think coherently for at least an hour after I was done
Cons: None
Rating: 6 out of 5

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