Sunday Stew: May 29, 2011

 

Sunday Stew is a weekly meme hosted by Shannon of Books Devored.

Bookmark of the Week:  While I can't even BEAT last week's bookmark (a picture of Maddy the Shih Tzu and toilet paper), I thought I might actually share a bookmark with you this week.  Not just one bookmark, but three!!!  Author Camy Tang sent me some of her glossy beauties to pass around to needy book lovers, so I've found all sorts of fun places to put the bookmarks, including Easter baskets, candy jars, and the colored pencil container (which is actually a my mom's flower pot) at my ladies' Bible study.  If you want a Camy Tang bookmark, I can hook you up.

Around The Web:  As usual, I'd love for you to check out the latest edition of Friday Faves "The Josh-Wilson-Is-Coming-To-Town Edition."  From this, I'm sure you can gather that Josh Wilson is coming to town and if you read the post, you know where I'll be Sunday evening at 8 PM.  Watch the video below to watch Josh sing, "Savior, Please," one of my fave JW songs.  Then go buy his music--all of it!  It's an upgrade from Elijah Wood's dancey dance (scroll down on linked post to see it.)

And now on to some lovely giveaways happening 'round the Interwebs:

From now until May 31, you can partake in the Splash Into Summer Giveaway Hop, hosted by the fine folks at I am a Reader, Not a Writer and Page Turners Blog. There are about 300 blogs participating including Backseat Writer and here at Backseat Reader.  Be sure to enter both of my giveaways for a chance to win your choice of a $10 Amazon GC or book of choice up to $10 from The Book Depository. Both of my giveaways are International (well, as long as TBP ships to your address.)

 Moonlight Gleam's BookShelf is offering  one $10 book of choice from The Book Depository in celebration of 500 followers and a six month blogoversary.  As if things couldn't get better, Lucy is offering ANOTHER prize to every 100 followers she gets until the giveaway ends on June 30.  (Open to wherever The Book Depository ships.)

 Brittany of Brittany's Fantasy fame is doing her very first giveaway.  One lucky ducky wins his or her choice of the books pictured above.  Giveaway ends at some time because the winner will be announced June 3. No word on whether or not the giveaway is International.

Up until June 7, you can win an ARC of Meg Cabot's Abandon from BookGeeksRule.  US only.

 The Girl From The Ghetto is giving away one copy of Dirty Secret: A Daughter Comes Clean About Her Mother's Compulsive Hoarding By Jessie Sholl.  The giveaway ends June 2 and is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada.

If you've been around a while, you know the subject of cutting is near and dear to my heart.  That's why I want you to check out Cheryl Rainfield's giveaway for a copy of her book Scars and $10 Amazon gift cards.  It looks like a great book.  Contest ends June 15 and is INTERNATIONAL!!!

 Between now and Sunday, June 5, head over to Number One Novels to win a copy of Ruta Septys highly acclaimed novel, Between Shades of Gray.  (U.S. only.)

Around Me: My doctor's appointment went well, except for the discovery of cellulitus in my poor forefinger.  A tiny piece of the rose bush I wrangled a couple of weeks ago was embedded in my finger.  I thought I got it all out, but a week later, I was still in a lot of pain.  My mom managed to get the rest of the "splinter" out on Saturday evening, but by Monday morning the damage had been done.  I'm thinking of starting a reality show called, "When Rose Bushes Attack" based on my experiences and to inform other gardeners about the beastly vegetation.

Besides my little veggie garden and flower pots (and the rose bush, of course), there is a ton of wild activity happening behind my apartment.  Last week (during my splinter removal surgery), my friend Shari discovered a male ring-necked pheasant wandering around in the field out back.  I named him Phineas and see him or (hear him) just about every day.  This week BFF Sarah and I also had our first deer sighting (we see deer all the time, just not behind our apartment.)  Deer, Phineas the Pheasant, songbirds, squirrels, and rabbits have all been around me this week.  

I also noticed that last week's Sunday Stew was incorrectly dated as "April 22," not "May 22" and NONE OF YOU told me!  I guess we're all a month behind.

How about you?  What have you been seeing? What do you think of my friend Josh Wilson's song, "Savior Please"?  Have you been entering the Splash Into Summer giveaways?  Do you want to be my friend?  Comment below!