Moms's Books

Book Giveaway – What’s Better Than a Great Summer Book to Read? How about a chance to WIN it?

cammie@momsmaterial.com — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 19:31:08 GMT

Last week I posted “God’s GIFT of 3 Sets of Twins” the story of Fran Pitre and her struggle through infertility and the arrival of three sets of twins. You can read about her journey in the book, Twins x 3. This book has been described as heart wrenching, funny and inspiring. It takes you through the emotional roller coaster filled with love, pain, humor, fear, thanksgiving, anguish, joy and faith.

Author, Fran Pitre wanted to give MomsMaterial readers a chance to win a copy of Twins x 3. Thank you, Fran! Take some time for yourself this summer to read this inspiring story.

Enter the giveaway in the comments below, and include your first name and email, you may do this once a day. For those that want to increase your odds of winning, I added a few "extras below":

Tweet about the giveaway and include @MomsMaterial and @FPitreTWINSx3 link - copy this tweet – Just entered @MomsMaterial giveaway for Twins x 3 Book by @FPitreTWINSx3 enter here http://bit.ly/aUHQP2 #giveaway #sweepstakes

Post about giveaway on your Facebook Profile http://bit.ly/aUHQP2

Like Twins x 3 Facebook Fan Page – Please post comment (after “liking”) that you came from @MomsMaterial

Like MomsMaterial Facebook Fan Page

Put a link to MomsMaterial on your website/blog, click here to find out more

Tell your friends about the giveaway - email, Facebook, on your website, etc.

Please enter below and leave a comment including any additional entries you completed. If you already subscribe, follow or link you will get credit for that, just be sure to let me know in your comment.

Contest will end Sunday, July 18th 2010 at 11:59 p.m. (Central Time). Winner will be chosen using True Random Number Generator at random.org. Winner will be notified on Monday July 19, 2010 by email and announced on MomsMaterial.com. US residents only.

More about the book…

When parents raise twins, it’s double the fun and twice the trouble. But when they have three sets of twins, it’s six times the chaos, problems, joy and laughter!

Author Fran Pitre invites readers to come along with her as she shares the struggles, heartaches and moral dilemmas associated with infertility, and the incredible arrival of her three sets of twins.

In Twins X 3, Fran shares in detail her personal experiences with:

long-term infertility
infertility diagnostic work-up
morning sickness
high-risk, multiple pregnancy
pre-term labor
pregnancy bedrest
premature birth
preemie illness and surgery
breastfeeding twins
anxiety attacks
pregnancy over 40
post partum depression, and more

Heart wrenching, funny, yet incredibly inspiring, Twins X 3 is an emotional roller coaster filled with love, pain, humor, fear, thanksgiving, anguish, joy and a healthy dose of faith and family which will cause every reader to laugh, cry and discover that they can relate to it all.

Thanks and Good Luck!

Cammie Moise

God's GIFT of 3 Sets of Twins

Book Review - What Would You Add to Your List to Make Your Life Better?

Review of Everyone is Beautiful by Katherine Center

Top 10 Books Recommended At The Women Who Read Are Dangerous Party

cammie@momsmaterial.com — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 18:41:15 GMT

Last night I attended the Women Who Read Are Dangerous Party hosted by my favorite local bookstore, Blue Willow Bookshop. I purchased a spot at this event at our elementary school auction party. We had a great time enjoying appetizers, drinks and book talk.

My favorite part of the night was when the owner, Valerie Koehler brought out a stack of books that she had picked out. These were some of her top picks for summer reading. The majority of the women had elementary age children and she had pulled a few books that she recommended for children as well. These included The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott and The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly.

Valerie mentioned a few things that really made an impact. She mentioned that when it comes to reading we need to be a role model for our children. Think of the impact you have when you are reading a book and you laugh out loud or you are moved to tears. They want to know what is so funny or why you are crying. This is an opportunity to show them that some stories can effect you emotionally and pull you deeper into the story.

She mentioned that if our kids tell us they don't like to read, then they haven't found the right book. Make this a fun activity with your child by becoming investigators. Think of all the different types of books and the different subjects. Find your child's interest and start there, do they like fiction or non-fiction? Let them investigate, read a little and if they don't like it, have them try another. Find recommendations from your local librarian or neighborhood bookstore. It may take awhile to find the right type of book that will introduce your child to the love of reading. The search for books that make you love reading is well worth it.

We ended the night with a discussion of the 10 books that were recommended, which are listed below. I left the store with several books I can't wait to read. I will follow up with reviews on those books.

The Forgotten Garden
by Kate Morton

The Help
by Kathryn Stockett

The Art of Racing in the Rain: A Novel
by Garth Stein

On the Divinity of Second Chances
by Kaya McLaren

Shanghai Girls
by Lisa See

Annie's Ghosts: A Journey into a Family Secret
by Steve Luxenberg

The19th Wife
by David Ebershoff

Etta: A Novel
by Gerald Kolpan

Into the Beautiful North : A Novel
by Luis Alberto Urrea

Still Alice
by Lisa Genova

You may find out more information or purchase a book by clicking on the title of the book. If you have read any of these books listed above, please comment below.

Cammie Moise

Book Giveaway - Just In Time For Your Summer Reading, Everyone Is Beautiful and The Bright Side of Disaster By Katherine Center

cammie@momsmaterial.com — Wed, 20 May 2009 17:52:32 GMT

Are you looking for some great books to read this summer? Author, Katherine Center is providing a signed copy of both her novels, The Bright Side of Disaster and Everyone is Beautiful to get your summer reading started off. Cammie Moise, founder of MomsMaterial.com said, "I can't stop talking about and recommending Everyone is Beautiful to my friends and I am looking forward to reading The Bright Side of Disaster." So, it was only natural for MomsMaterial.com and Author, Katherine Center to team up to get your summer started off right.

Enter the giveaway in the comments below, and include your name and email, you may do this once a day.

For those that want to increase your odds of winning, I added a few "extras below":

Suggest a great book to read this summer (+1 entry)
Keeping the theme, Everyone Is Beautiful, tell us who you think is beautiful and why (+3 entries)
Tweet about the giveaway and include @MomsMaterial and link (+3 entries)
Sign up for MomsMaterial's email subscription, click here and choose full feed (+5 entries)
Sign up for Katherine Center's subscription and find out about her latest news and appearances, click here (+5 entries)
Put a link to MomsMaterial on your website/blog, click here to find out more (+5 entries)
Tell your friends about the giveaway - email, Facebook, on your website, etc. (+1 entry)

Contest will end Sunday, June 7, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. (Central Time). Winner will be chosen using True Random Number Generator at random.org. Winner will be notified on Monday June 8, 2009 by email and announced on MomsMaterial.com. US and Canada only.

Click here to read MomsMaterial's review of Everyone Is Beautiful.

Click here to read the Publisher's Notes for Everyone Is Beautiful with link to the promotional video on YouTube.

Good Luck!

Update - Winner is Lily K, Congratulations!

Cammie Moise

Everyone is Beautiful By Katherine Center

cammie@momsmaterial.com — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 19:04:10 GMT

Everyone is Beautiful by Katherine Center was recently recommended to me by my sister. I know anything she recommends will be great! I don't recall ever being disappointed by any of her recommendations. So, I am adding this to my list of books to read and I will follow up with my own review afterwards. It recently received a lovely review in today's edition of USA Today, People Magazine and in the March issue of Redbook Magazine.

From the Publisher

Lanie Coates’s life is spinning out of control. She’s piled everything she owns into a U-Haul and driven with her husband, Peter, and their three little boys from their cozy Texas home to a multiflight walkup in the Northeast. She’s left behind family, friends, and a comfortable life–all so her husband can realize his dream of becoming a professional musician. But somewhere in the eye of her personal hurricane, it hits Lanie that she once had dreams too. If only she could remember what they were.

These days, Lanie always seems to rank herself dead last–and when another mom accidentally criticizes her appearance, it’s the final straw. Fifteen years, three babies, and more pounds than she’s willing to count since the day she said “I do,” Lanie longs desperately to feel like her old self again. It’s time to rise up, fish her moxie out of the diaper pail, and find the woman she was before motherhood capsized her entire existence.

Lanie sets change in motion–joining a gym, signing up for photography classes, and finding a new best friend. But she also creates waves that come to threaten her whole life. In the end, Lanie must figure out once and for all how to find herself without losing everything else in the process.

Katherine Center’s Everyone Is Beautiful is a hugely entertaining, poignant, and charming new novel about what happens after happily ever after: how a woman learns to fall in love with her husband–and her entire life–all over again.

Click Here to watch YouTube video promoting the book. It is very inspiring.

I am looking forward to reading this book.

Cammie Moise

Review - Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

cammie@momsmaterial.com — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 09:12:12 GMT

Team Edward fans will be thrilled to know that Edward is back! Book #3 in the Twilight Series, Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer, brings back an entire book filled with pages of Edward and Bella's romance, action and suspense. This time the testosterone heats up, as Edward and Jacob pursue Bella. Soon they realize they must set their differences aside and work together to keep Bella safe. Remember Victoria (from Twilight, Book #1), she is back and she is still plotting revenge on Edward and Bella. We find out just how busy she has been preparing for her vengeance! If all this isn't enough, Bella realizes graduation is around the corner and she must decide life (a death sentence to her as she grows older and Edward remains 17) or death (an eternity with Edward but as a vampire). Twilight fans will one again be pleased with Edward's return, the struggle between Edward and Jacob and the impending choice Bella must make. The ending leaves you immediately in search of Breaking Dawn (Book #4).

Review - New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

cammie@momsmaterial.com — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 22:55:40 GMT

Team Edward Fans may find it difficult to get through this book, knowing he is absent from the majority of this story. I became worried when Edward disappeared and wondered if the story could hold my interest until he returns. It did seem like a slower read to me but I think it was the absence of Edward and the anticipation for his return. Looking back after having read all the books, it makes more sense to focus on this side of the story. Bella and Jacob need time to develop their relationship. This friendship provides the conflict that continues throughout the series.

The book begins with Bella's disastrous birthday celebration. During the party, she has an accident that involves blood and the danger surrounding them becomes evident. The Cullen Family reacts in such a way that Edward feels his only option is to disappear.

After Edward leaves, Bella goes into a deep depression, going through the motions of school, work and home. Months pass and as she considers life without Edward, her behavior becomes reckless. She begins to hear Edward's voice when she is in danger. In order to hold on to him, she continues to puts herself in danger. When she passes by two motorcycles that are for sale, she develops a plan. She promises one of the motorcycles to Jacob if he will help her fix it up. Jacob is thrilled at this opportunity hoping that it will lead to more than a friendship. Bella is hoping it will allow her to hear Edward's voice more often. Her relationship with Jacob grows and she considers the possibility of romance. Then a secret is revealed and it threatens to destroy their friendship.

The suspense continues to pick up as we find out where Edward is and his plans. I did enjoy the book but at times it was difficult to get through. I kept anticipating the return of the Cullen family, Edward and the vampire Victoria. The ending was good and left me wanting to find out more.

This is a definite read for Twilight fans and the ending will leave you wanting more. And if you are like me, more of Edward!

Cammie Moise

Review - Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

cammie@momsmaterial.com — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 05:37:46 GMT

Edward... need I say more? I loved the book and am currently obsessed with the movie. I had heard about the books from a friend a couple of years ago. She told me I would love it and wouldn't be able to put it down. It was on my list of books to read, and every time I saw it at the bookstore, I thought about it. I just never picked it up.

Two years later, I see the preview of the movie, and it is coming to theaters in one week. I get my hands on the book as fast as I can and start reading. I can't stop, for two weeks I stay up until 4:00 a.m. reading until the last of the series (4 books) has been read. It is that good!

Twilight starts off with Bella who has moved to the gloomy town of Forks. This is where she meets Edward Cullen, the most beautiful and captivating boy in the school. She is intrigued by him when she learns more about him from her classmates. She quickly becomes irritated at his reaction when she becomes his lab partner. He seems violently ill at the sight of her but risks his life (or so she thought) when she is almost killed. She realizes that he was across the parking lot right before the accident. Also, he seemed to push the car away to keep her from getting hit. Something isn't right, and Bella soon uncovers his secret... he is a vampire. The story continues with a very intense romance and is filled with suspense.

I only recommend this book to those that want to be swept away in a very intense romance that is filled with suspense. Look for reviews on the rest of the series, they are coming soon!