Is ‘Italian” synonymous with “design”? Perhaps my husband could help answer that question. A proud European to the core, he practically shuddered with delight when a Bialetti Moka Express arrived in our home. Was I excited too? Yes, I adore coffee, especially any with a European preparation involved, but for my husband it meant a glimpse of home. He even researched the little unit and discovered the Bialetti is a 70-year-old Italian design icon, found in most Italian kitchens. And a big hurrah was let out from the man who yearns for something more lasting (and more Old World) these days.
So what is this Bialetti? Envision a simple coffee pot that brews espressos and prepares unbelievable coffee-house style coffee on your stovetop, without electricity, loud whirring noises, or attitudinal, heavily-pierced baristas rolling their eyes at you. If you wanted an espresso machine but didn’t want to cough up hundreds of dollars for the countertop hogging unit of your dreams, this darling Bialetti takes up no more than a few inches of space and starts at only $19.95, well worth every dime. Mine stays on the stove because it’s just that darned charming looking! And the coffee? Let’s put it this way: Since the Bialetti Moka Express’s arrival, my cappuccino machine has been in storage. The operation is simple. Place water in the bottom portion, fresh ground coffee in the strainer, screw on the top half, and set the unit on low heat until all the water from the bottom has found its way to the top. (I wait for this pleasant little gurgling sound; then I know my coffee is waiting.) The results is smooth, heavenly coffee with no grounds to chew around. I haven’t prepared a bad brew yet! It’s very consistent in its results, with the simplicity of the unit most likely its secret.
And my Euro husband? He used to work for an American movie company overseas and says this: “I did see the Bialetti Moka Express sometime in 1993, and had a taste of the coffee it produced. It was a great starter for a hard working day. And it was three Italians that brought this wonderful coffee maker to the film crew. A lot of us gathered there to jumpstart the day. Gianni was brewing, Aldo would comment and Adolfo would bless it, the rest would drink and wish for more.” I’d say that sums it up nicely! With no Adolfo for the blessing, though, I’ll just have to thank heaven each morning myself.
Want to win your own Bialetti Moka Express? The people of Bialetti are kindly offering one to a lucky carp(e) libris reviews reader!
Multiple Options for Multiple Entries:
1.) Just visit Bialettiand tell me something you liked or learned about the company or their products.(You may enter once a day.) Remember, leave an interesting comment. If I cannot contact the winner, you might be chosen instead based on your comment.
2.) Blog about, Twitter, and/or Subscribe! Get an extra entry for each of these activities. Blog about and/or Twitter this giveaway with a link to the post. Subscribers to carp(e) libris reviews and get an entry too! Just leave a separate comment for each, giving me a link to your blog post, your Twitter name, and/or a note saying you’re a subscriber. SUBSCRIBE HERE!
(Psst! My Twitter name is dkMommy.)
Feel free to do all four to gather multiple entries to win! You have until midnight EST on Tuesday, June 16, 2009, to enter.
One thing I truly desire to do through this blog is to entice people to explore our world through music and literature. We sometimes get a little shortsighted in our selections, falling into the ruts of what is set before us through television and radio stations. But what if you branched out on your own? What would you discover? Perhaps you’d stumble upon a musical group such as Nomad, who would have the ability to transport you to a corner of the world that needs more exploring. And maybe, by listening to Nomad’s Egyptian Dances, you’d discover Egypt is a country that inspires in you more creativity, a stretching of the mind, and a love for something that, while as ancient as the dawn of time, is fresh and new to your ears.
Traditional sounds, instruments, and arrangements make “Cairo - Dancas Egipcias” a most beautiful and haunting collection of the spirit of Egyptian music. Instrumental with occasional vocals, each of the 10 tracks are enough to make you want to pack your bags, hop on a plane, and experience the windswept sands of the ancients. One can’t help but have romantic and dreamy visions of pyramids, street bazaars, and camels.
Maestro Paulo Freitas brings us the Nomad project as part of his specialization in oriental music. He currently lives in Rio de Janeiro. You can listen to clips of this CD or purchase the CD through the button below.
When sitting still is just not an option, it’s time to pop in Marianni Ebert’s CD Vai Saber. This Brazilian Jazz singer puts on quite a show at the Zinc Bar in New York City, and fortunately you can hear a live performance anytime you like when you have Vai Saber on hand. An amazingly talented woman, Marianni has already built herself quite a reputation in Brazil as a well-known actress, singer, dancer, and songwriter. She’s been making her mark in New York as well, with a weekly gig at the Zinc Bar (West Village of Manhattan, if you’re in the area). She’s even appeared in an episode of Law & Order. But she’s not limiting herself to only two countries. With the vivacity that exudes every track of Vai Saber, no one can doubt she’ll continue to take the globe by storm!
Vai Saber is alive with the sounds of Brazilian jazz - cool rhythms, a hot voice, and a sound that bears hitting the play button again and again. Listeners will be in for a real tropical treat, as all tracks are written by Marianni and lead guitarist Jair Coelho. The overall feel of the music is fun, sexy, and filled with motion, so it’s with great excitement that I tell you I have one copy of Marianni’s Vai Saber to give to one of you! Please take a moment to visit Marianni’s My Space Page and take a listen!
Too impatient to see if you win the CD?
Multiple Options for Entry:
1.) Just visit Marianni’s MySpace page and give her music a listen. Come back here and tell me why you like it! (You may enter once a day.) Remember, leave an interesting comment. If I cannot contact the winner, you might be chosen instead based on your comment.
2.) Email subscribers get an extra entry for as long as their subscription is active.
Already a subscriber? Leave me a separate comment on this post to let me know you’re interested in this giveaway.
Want to subscribe? Just enter your email address in the “Subscribe” box on the left. (Please make sure to verify your Feedburner subscription by responding to the email they send you. If you do not receive it, check your junk mail. Only verified subscriptions are entered for all the giveaways.)
3.) Blog about this giveaway on your blog with a link back to this post. Come back and leave me a Comment with a link to your blog post. (If your comment doesn’t show up right away, don’t worry - I may have to approve it first. My blog might think it’s spam but gosh darn, I certainly don’t!)
4.) I’m feeling Twittery. If you Twitter a link to this giveaway, come back and comment here to let me know your Twitter name for another entry! (I’m dkmommy if you want to follow me.)
Feel free to do all four to gain several entries to win! You have until midnight EST on Friday, May 29, 2009, to enter.
He’s a rather thin man, hates it when they call him skinny. But he’s a runner and likes how he is - he finds himself gracile, his own word for his graceful, slender appearance. We don’t know much about him, really. His story may be this book but he keeps himself at a comfortable distance, which for him is a little further than most. We can see him interact with his partner (Wife? Girlfriend?), even hear them speak but it is as if we’re peering through their apartment windows, following him as he runs, spying on him in his office. I doubt he realizes he’s so distant. And it appears that, perhaps due to his distance, he is shrinking still.
Long Slow Distance by Thomas Phillips is what one might call a minimalist story. A mere 115 pages and a character whose name we don’t even know, it’s a very talented Thomas Phillips who pulls off writing in such a manner while still connecting to his audience. ”Distance” seems to be the key word to this story, as the main character certainly keeps his. Yet even though we don’t get to know him that well, our desire to do so keeps us reading, piecing together what we can. Perhaps it’s because we’ve all known such people, and as any reader knows, it’s the mysteries of human nature and a bit of a voyeuristic spirit that keeps most of us up to our eyeballs in books. Long Slow Distance gives the voyeur-by-book a good fix, and gives it brilliantly. As our runner all but disappears, leaving little more than fleeting shadows as the book progresses, Phillips’ ability to hold his readers’ rapt attention is nothing short of extraordinary. A fascinating main character and an even more riveting writing style makes Long Slow Distance a worthy piece of literature.
In Michael Malone’s brand new novel The Four Corners of the Sky, Annie’s father gave her a lot more than an old broken-down airplane when he took off. After leaving her to be raised by her aunt and uncle, he also gave her a mystery to solve years later; a mystery that would change everything. Annie’s father Jack is a con artist who, after abandoning his daughter for years without any word, has resurfaced and suddenly needs her help. Now a successful Navy pilot, Anne isn’t so willing to take the bait - but perhaps if he agrees to finally tell her who her mother is…
The Four Corners of the Sky is suspenseful, humorous, and filled with mystery. New York Times Best-Selling Author Michael Malone gives us a host of unforgettable characters, both dramatic and humorous, and a plot that will keep you guessing right up to the end. This his tenth novel, Malone offers an entertaining read to a large audience base. Whether you’re a mystery, romance, thriller, or comedy reader, you’ll find it in aces in The Four Corners of the Sky.
Want to win your own hardcover copy? The book debuted this week, so enter to win while you’re still the first in your book club to hear about it! ($24.99 retail)
Multiple Options for Entry:
1.) Just give me a con! Try and sell me a watch, snow me, or tell me about a con you experienced or heard about. Ever buy some land in Florida? Get creative! (You may enter once a day.) Remember, leave an interesting comment. If I cannot contact the winner, you might be chosen instead based on your comment.
2.) Email subscribers get an extra entry for as long as their subscription is active.
Already a subscriber? Leave me a separate comment on this post to let me know you’re interested in this giveaway.
Want to subscribe? Just enter your email address in the “Subscribe” box on the left. (Please make sure to verify your Feedburner subscription by responding to the email they send you. If you do not receive it, check your junk mail. Only verified subscriptions are entered for all the giveaways.)
3.) Blog about this giveaway on your blog with a link back to this post. Come back and leave me a Comment with a link to your blog post. (If your comment doesn’t show up right away, don’t worry - I may have to approve it first. My blog might think it’s spam but gosh darn, I certainly don’t!)
4.) I’m feeling Twittery. If you Twitter a link to this giveaway, come back and comment here to let me know your Twitter name for another entry! (I’m dkmommy if you want to follow me.)
Feel free to do all four to gain several entries to win! You have until midnight EST on Tuesday, May 19, 2009, to enter.
Are you the Tito Puente type? Like to live your life to the beat of hot latin rhythms? Then it’s time to get yourself plugged into the Latin Giants of Jazz. I’ve been mamboing my way through the house and down the street to the sounds of two of their CD’s: Ven Baila Conmigo! and Trip to Mamboland. Both CD’s play homage to Tito Puente, and they do it masterfully. In fact, Ven Baila Conmigo! includes several all-stars from the former Tito Puente Orchestra. There’s just something about the Puente musical style that won’t let you sit still, from the moment you press play. Each CD contains 13 tracks, so you know you’ll be moving for awhile!
Perfect background music for a tropical summer party, The Latin Giants of Jazz goes well with mojitos and Cuba Libres, friends and lively conversation - or turn it up louder and rip up the dance floor! Don’t believe me? Just check out this video of No Me Molesto shot live at Birdland, NYC.
Incidentally, you can hear No Me Molesto on their Trip to Mamboland CD on sale at CDBaby. And of course for more Latin Jazz fun, be sure to check out their CD Ven Baila Conmigo! Your parties will never be the same again. Nor will your dancing shoes…
In their new CD Altamira, guitarist Gabor Olgyay and percussionist Aurel Hollo of Hungary give us an intensely entertaining blend of world music and jazz. While the musical stylings vary throughout, the most present sounds are those of the classical guitar, the meringue and wind instruments as well as occasional gentle vocals. The compositions range from a more classic Spanish feel and hints of Hungarian folk, to more experimental jazz and new age flavored pieces, and each song progresses throughout the CD from the classical to modern jazz, making for a most enriching musical journey.
In this journey, listeners will start out with Abel, a gorgeous melody rich with the sounds of a Spanish inspired classical guitar, flute, bass guitar, even maracas. Sunny, mediterranean, and a little jazzy, the feeling remains throughout the CD, but merges more often with gentle jazz rhythms and a decidedly contemporary sound. The overall impression is of a warm and vibrant collection of Old World meets New, making Altamira a project worthy of an earnest listen.
Want to win your own copy of Altamira? We have TWO to give away! ($12.97 retail, each)
Or if you can’t wait…
Multiple Options for Entry:
1.) Just visit the Altamira CDBaby page and listen to a few samples in the left-hand column. Tell me what you like about the music and why. (You may enter once a day.) Remember, leave an interesting comment. If I cannot contact the winner, you might be chosen instead based on your comment.
2.) Email subscribers get an extra entry for as long as their subscription is active.
Already a subscriber? Leave me a separate comment on this post to let me know you’re interested in this giveaway.
Want to subscribe? Just enter your email address in the “Subscribe” box on the left. (Please make sure to verify your Feedburner subscription by responding to the email they send you. If you do not receive it, check your junk mail. Only verified subscriptions are entered for all the giveaways.)
3.) Blog about this giveaway on your blog with a link back to this post. Come back and leave me a Comment with a link to your blog post. (If your comment doesn’t show up right away, don’t worry - I may have to approve it first. My blog might think it’s spam but gosh darn, I certainly don’t!)
4.) I’m feeling Twittery. If you Twitter a link to this giveaway, come back and comment here to let me know your Twitter name for another entry! (I’m dkmommy if you want to follow me.)
Feel free to do all four to gain several entries to win! You have until midnight EST on Thursday, May 14, 2009, to enter.
Number 2 of the Charlie Chan Series, The Chinese Parrot: A Charlie Chan Mystery lands our master detective in the California desert. But this time, he not only must find a murderer, he must discover who’s been murdered! Helping Bob Eden deliver a string of pearls to a buyer started out sounding simple enough; now Charlie Chan finds himself undercover and is painfully forced to speak bad English - not such a comfort for our intellectual sleuth who prides himself in the well-formed and poetic sentence.
Biggers manages to make the second book of his Charlie Chan series, The Chinese Parrot: A Charlie Chan Mystery even better than the first. Great dialog reminiscent in style of some of my favorite old movies, an even more complex mystery plot than the first, and a lot more of Charlie Chan himself, are all to be found in The Chinese Parrot. And as before, Biggers jumped decades ahead of his time by subtly taking on the misconceptions of race to stereotypes while keeping his audience guessing, laughing, and completely riveted in yet another compelling mystery I, for one, am impatiently awaiting Academy of Chicago’s fall release of numbers 3 and 4 of the Charlie Chan series.
Want a shot at winning The Chinese Parrot? Here’s your chance!
Multiple Options for Entry:
1.) Just tell me a real mystery you’ve encountered - solved, unsolved, one sentence or ten! Baffle me… (You may enter once a day.) Remember, leave an interesting comment. If I cannot contact the winner, you might be chosen instead based on your comment.
2.) Email subscribers get an extra entry for as long as their subscription is active.
Already a subscriber? Leave me a separate comment on this post to let me know you’re interested in this giveaway.
Want to subscribe? Just enter your email address in the “Subscribe” box on the left. (Please make sure to verify your Feedburner subscription by responding to the email they send you. If you do not receive it, check your junk mail. Only verified subscriptions are entered for all the giveaways.)
3.) Blog about this giveaway on your blog with a link back to this post. Come back and leave me a Comment with a link to your blog post. (If your comment doesn’t show up right away, don’t worry - I may have to approve it first. My blog might think it’s spam but gosh darn, I certainly don’t!)
4.) I’m feeling Twittery. If you Twitter a link to this giveaway, come back and comment here to let me know your Twitter name for another entry! (I’m dkmommy if you want to follow me.)
Feel free to do all four to gain several entries to win! You have until midnight EST on Wednesday, May 13, 2009, to enter.
It’s time for Mother’s Day, and this year you may want to try something a little different than the usual flowers. How about some tea? Red Leaf Tea has a great selection, something for everyone’s mom. They even have a new variety called “Mama-to-Be“. This new tea is a wonderful blend of nettles, chamomile, spearmint, raspberry leaf,ginger, oatstraw, rose petals, and lemon balm.
Whether the mom on your shopping list is waiting for a new baby, or still calls you baby, Red Leaf Tea has some great varieties that she’ll love. For a great shopping experience, Red Leaf Tea is offering 20% off and free shipping to carp(e) libris reviews readers. Just use this code: carp(e)libris at checkout.
Want to win some? Red Leaf Tea is giving away one 1.6 oz. container of “Mama-to-Be” tea, or any other tea up to $9.99 value. Read on to enter!
Multiple Options for Entry:
1.) Just tell me which Red Leaf Tea your mom would like and why. How does it match her personality? (You may enter once a day.) Remember, leave an interesting comment. If I cannot contact the winner, you might be chosen instead based on your comment.
2.) Email subscribers get an extra entry for as long as their subscription is active.
Already a subscriber? Leave me a separate comment on this post to let me know you’re interested in this giveaway.
Want to subscribe? Just enter your email address in the “Subscribe” box on the left. (Please make sure to verify your Feedburner subscription by responding to the email they send you. If you do not receive it, check your junk mail. Only verified subscriptions are entered for all the giveaways.)
3.) Blog about this giveaway on your blog with a link back to this post. Come back and leave me a Comment with a link to your blog post. (If your comment doesn’t show up right away, don’t worry - I may have to approve it first. My blog might think it’s spam but gosh darn, I certainly don’t!)
4.) I’m feeling Twittery. If you Twitter a link to this giveaway, come back and comment here to let me know your Twitter name for another entry! (I’m dkmommy if you want to follow me.)
Feel free to do all four to gain several entries to win! You have until midnight EST on Tuesday, May 12, 2009, to enter.
If you’ve been visiting this blog long enough, perhaps you remember one of my favorite books from 2008, Locke 1928 by Shawna Yang Ryan. I love being able to follow up on authors whose works I’ve reviewed, and it’s such a great feeling to discover a book I favored is going even stronger now than last year!
For anyone who knows a little about the publishing industry, you’ll know how hard it is for an author’s work to not only go from a paperback to a hardcover, but from an indie press to one of the big guys. That’s just what Shawna Yang Ryan has done with Locke 1928, which has recently been republished by Penguin Press in hardcover under the title “Water Ghosts“.
I’m really proud to have been given the opportunity to review Ryan’s book under its first publication with El Leon Literary Arts, and it’s pretty exciting to see the book reaching an even wider audience. Here’s a bit of the description I gave in my review: “When three Chinese women float to shore on a dilapidated boat after having been adrift at sea for over a month, the men of the town line up to woo them. The madame of the local brothel begins having visions she takes as a warning. The pastor’s wife, the only “whitewoman” in town who isn’t a prostitute, takes two of the women under her wing, and it could be a big mistake.” You can read the review in its entirety here: Locke 1928. This book will transport you to 1920’s Locke, California. The town was real, making the story even more enticing. By the time you finish reading, you’ll swear the characters were real too.
A big congratulations are due to Shawna Yang Ryan. We look forward to hearing about your continued success! Just remember us when you finally meet Oprah…
I have two copies of Water Ghosts in its beautiful new hardcover format (retail $25) to give to a couple of very fortunate carp(e) readers!
Multiple Options for Entry:
1.) Just tell me a short ghost story!It can be one sentence or a paragraph; this book is about what happens when a Chinese ghost story comes true, so give us a scare. (You may enter once a day.) Remember, leave an interesting comment. If I cannot contact the winner, you might be chosen instead based on your comment.
2.) Email subscribers get an extra entry for as long as their subscription is active.
Already a subscriber? Leave me a separate comment on this post to let me know you’re interested in this giveaway.
Want to subscribe? Just enter your email address in the “Subscribe” box on the left. (Please make sure to verify your Feedburner subscription by responding to the email they send you. If you do not receive it, check your junk mail. Only verified subscriptions are entered for all the giveaways.)
3.) Blog about this giveaway on your blog with a link back to this post. Come back and leave me a Comment with a link to your blog post. (If your comment doesn’t show up right away, don’t worry - I may have to approve it first. My blog might think it’s spam but gosh darn, I certainly don’t!)
4.) I’m feeling Twittery. If you Twitter a link to this giveaway, come back and comment here to let me know your Twitter name for another entry! (I’m dkmommy if you want to follow me.)
Feel free to do all four to gain several entries to win! You have until midnight EST on Wednesday, May 6, 2009, to enter.
Is ‘Italian” synonymous with “design”? Perhaps my husband could help answer that question. A proud European to the core, he practically shuddered with delight when a Bialetti Moka Express arrived in our home. Was I excited too? Yes, I adore coffee, especially any with a European preparation involved, but for my husband it meant a glimpse of home. He even researched the little unit and discovered the Bialetti is a 70-year-old Italian design icon, found in most Italian kitchens. And a big hurrah was let out from the man who yearns for something more lasting (and more Old World) these days. 
, Annie’s father gave her a lot more than an old broken-down airplane when he took off. After leaving her to be raised by her aunt and uncle, he also gave her a mystery to solve years later; a mystery that would change everything. Annie’s father Jack is a con artist who, after abandoning his daughter for years without any word, has resurfaced and suddenly needs her help. Now a successful Navy pilot, Anne isn’t so willing to take the bait - but perhaps if he agrees to finally tell her who her mother is…
lands our master detective in the California desert. But this time, he not only must find a murderer, he must discover who’s been murdered! Helping Bob Eden deliver a string of pearls to a buyer started out sounding simple enough; now Charlie Chan finds himself undercover and is painfully forced to speak bad English - not such a comfort for our intellectual sleuth who prides himself in the well-formed and poetic sentence.
“. 
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