Sunday Stew: July 3, 2011

 

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

 Bookmark Sale of the Week: You know, the hard I try *not* to buy books, the more I find that need me to take them home and love them.  This week when I innocently went to to library to renew my card and maybe check out an audio book--I saw them.  I was perusing the summer reading list for the high school kids (Speak was on it! Woot!).  I grabbed the book Jennifer Government and noticed a few boxes labeled "Summer Reads for Sale." At $1 for hardcovers and large paperbacks, 50 cents for regular paperback and 25 cents for mass market paperback, how could I not be look?  You know the answer to that one. Fifteen minutes and $5.50 later (c'mon, I'd at least pay that in late fees.  I *never* return my books on time), I was the proud owner of the books pictured below, minus Lord of the Flies (because some of the interior pages were missing.)

I know you guys understand.  I had to support the library because they are the centers of literary goodness in our communities.(Marley & Me is for an upcoming giveaway!  I love that book.)

Around The Web: This week's Friday Faves is called "The Civil War(s) Edition" because I talk about the Battle of Gettysburg, the band The Civil Wars (and SHIROCK), and share some great linkage including a story about my friends, Al and Linda Iezzi, and their grandchildren who suffer from a rare genetic disorder called San Filippo syndrome.  If you click on no other links, please read about the Iezzi's plight.  It will make you hold your loved ones closer, pray a little more, and thank God for what you've got.  I'm thankful for knowing people like Al and Linda.

Here's a clip of Al Iezzi when he was featured on "Undercover Boss" in February, when the head of Mack Trucks came and worked at the Macungie plant.  I thought it was funny that everyone kept calling him, "Allan." I'm kept saying, "It's Al!"  He and his wife were our young adult Sunday School teachers for years.  Really great, honest, genuine people.

Confessions of a Bookaholic is taking a stand against domestic/relationship abuse.  It wasn't until my mom saw one of those, "Are you being abused?" signs in her doctor's office that she realized that, yes, she was a victim of domestic abuse, even though she wasn't being touched physically.  We can never scream enough about violence against women, children, men and we can never accept it.  Find out the warning signs of abuse and check out all the neat stuff going on at Confessions of a Bookaholic, including a giveaway for books that deal with domestic violence.

 Don't forget that now through July 7, you can enter hundreds of bookish giveaways from many wonderful bloggers, including yours truly.  To enter my giveaway, head over to Backseat Writer and enter to win your choice of a $10 Amazon gift card or choice of $10 worth of books from The Book Depository.  For an extra entry, just vote in my poll telling me whether or not you think Fred Weasley (from Harry Potter) is *really* dead? (You only get the extra entry if you vote "no.")  For a full list of participants, go here.

 'Tis the summer for blog hops and giveaways!  Right now the Summer Blog Tour is also in full swing.  Over at Frugal Experiments, you can win FIVE gently-loved books including The Reluctant Queen, The Fine Art of Insincerity, and Spring for Susannah.

 Help a friend out!  All you have to do is head over to We Fancy Books, help 'em pick which book to pre-order, and if that book gets the most votes, then you have a chance to win it, too! Contest ends August 10 and as long as The Book Depository ships to you, you're good to go!

 As part of Bless Their Hearts Mom's two-year blog birthday celebration, you can win a bunch of books including Sarah Sentilles' Breaking Up with God, which has been on my TBR list for a while now.  The giveaway ends July 17 and is open to US/Canada only.

Around Me: Do you *really* want to know?  I've been driven to distraction by all sorts of chaos going on around me--student loan issues, dental problems, money issues, health problems (my mom and friends), and the general state of the world.  I mean, I don't talk about it a lot on Twitter and I mention it fleetingly on Backseat Writer.  I've learned the roles of Bible study leader, encourager, counselor, prayer partner, "all-around fun gal," living-on-subsistence writer pretty well.  Being real, well, that's another story.  If you linger long enough to listen, I'll tell you a story or two.  Yet I am desperate to be known, to tell people I hurt, to not always be the strong one (or the weak one--which is how others view me).  I want to pull the mask off and be "real," but I don't even know what that means.  When is being real too vulnerable? Where am I just protecting myself?  That's what's been spinning around in my head this week.  It's not a pretty picture, a funny story, or a nice video (by the way, thanks for loving my video last week), it's just the nitty gritty truth.  I respect you enough to give you nothing less than the truth, even if it is nitty gritty.

What's in your stew this Sunday?