Eco-Friendly Books

I recently read in Body & Soul magazine that roughly 30 million trees are used in the production of books consumed by the American public. Some major publishing houses are now beginning to use recycled paper. Scholastic printed the last Harry Potter book on 30% recycled paper and is now partnering with the Rainforest Alliance to use paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. Random House and Simon & Schuster are also jumping on board with committments to increasing their recycled-paper content by the years 2010 to 2012.

Tales of a Female Nomad

This book is not the usual type of book that I read, but a brief description of it struck a chord and I had to read it. Like, Rita, I enjoy traveling to new places but I think it was the description of her non-traditional, nomadic lifestyle that I wanted to read more about because it is so opposite of who I am. In Tales of a Female Nomad, Rita Golden Gelman is serendipitously stepping out in mid-life following an empty nest and a divorce. She packs her bags, leaves her home for months on end and travels to places that instinctively feel right.

She loves meeting new people, and her life just seems to flow from one event to another, one adventure to another as she is drawn in by the local people on her travels. She becomes one of them, staying at their homes, participating in their lives and events, and cooking with them. Did I mention that she is a cookbook author. Her travels definitely take her off the beaten path where she discovers her independence, spontaneity and the child-like joy of life once again.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and admire her courage in stepping out of the mainstream. She writes in an interesting conversational manner that keeps you reading along for the next adventure.

A Money Saving Offer from Suze Orman

If your new year's resolution is to save money this year, then you may be interested in money expert, Suze Orman's new book, Women and Money. The book comes along with a special offer from TD Ameritrade. If you follow Suze's "Save Yourself" plan you can get $100. Yes, $100! The offer requires that you open a new TD Ameritrade (non-retirement) account and arrange for a direct deposit of $50 per month for 12 consecutive months. After the twelfth month, TD Ameritrade will pay you a bonus of $100. What a great way to get started saving! Direct deposit is the easiest and surest way to stay on track with a savings plan. It's easy and painless!

Suze Orman has written many personal finance books for women and has appeared on PBS to teach women how to be more savvy with their money. This offer is valid only through 3/31/08. Find out more at saveyourselfplan.com.

In the Land of Second Chances

In the Land of Second Chances by George Shaffner you will find a most delightful tale. Vernon Moore, the mysterious travelling salesman, arrives in small-town Ebb just in time to save Millet's department store and the town from certain economic doom. He tosses out his witty philosophical belief in "reasoned faith," and the town's people wonder if he is an angel sent to save them all. Mr. Moore's striking character will grab hold of your own heart as you try to determine if he's human or angel, or perhaps a bit of both. Mr. Shaffner, a mathmetician by trade, includes many humorous mathematical equations (I didn't know math could be so funny) for determining the odds of situations throughout the book. I guarantee you'll fall in love with Mr. Moore, and the charming characters portrayed in this book.
Fortunately for me (because I liked the first book so much) a sequel entitled One Part Angel was recently released. Mr. Shaffner's second book is just as charming as the first. In this story Vernon Moore returns to find his former lover and mother of his child, Lorrtta Parsons clinging to life following a brutal attack in her hair salon. The person who has been arrested is Loretta's best friend's grandson. Once again Mr. Moore sets out with faith to reason with this young man who is protecting others from the evil attack. With time running out, Mr. Moore springs into action, while the richest man in town schemes (to no avail) to discover if he is human or angel. Curl up in a comfy chair with these two heart-warming books, and you'll forget it's snowing outside.

A Fabulous Autumn Read - Backyard Giants

Backyard Giants written by Susan Warren is “The Passionate, heartbreaking, and glorious quest to grow the biggest pumpkin ever.” I know that there are gardeners out there that grow record size vegetables, but what I didn’t know is how serious they are about it. I figured they threw a little extra Miracle Gro on them, and voila’ a super-sized vegetable was a result. Boy, was I wrong. The Rhode Island gardeners that Warren features in her new book are what I would call “extreme gardeners.” They eat, drink and (don’t) sleep “extreme” pumpkins, sometimes at the expense of their relationships. This book will attest to the fact that prize winning pumpkins do not happen by accident. In fact, a ton of planning and cultivation goes into producing the next winner. Warren describes the heart-moving account of these gardeners in a humorous and delightful way. You can’t help but be intrigued by these passionately dedicated gardeners.

You can hear more about this popular book on CBS Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood on October 28th. Click here to check local listings for times and stations. Click here to read the reviews of people who have purchased this book.

2007 National Book Festival

The 2007 National Book Festival, organized and sponsored by the Library of Congress and hosted by First lady Laura Bush will be held on Saturday, September 29, 2007 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

More than 70 American authors, illustrators and poets will be making presentations and autographing books. You can listen to interviews with some of the award-winning authors on podcasts by clicking here.

Some Frightening Book Facts

Here are some facts on who is reading books from 2000 by ParaPublising.com that I found on Rich Burridge's weblog.

* One third of high school graduates never read another book for the rest of their lives.
* 58% of the US adult population never reads another book after high school.
* 42% of college graduates never read another book after graduation.
* 80% of US families did not buy or read a book last year.
* 70% of US adults have not been in a bookstore in the last five years.
* 57% of new books are not read to completion.

These statistics are pretty shocking! Read more on Rich's weblog.