This is my 1000th published post. I would have reached this earlier but I deleted a few posts a year ago that were sign ups for book challenges I never even read a single book for. I also have some drafts that aren't ready to be published yet, they don't count.
I can't believe it! 1000 posts! I started this blog June 2007 but I started writing book reviews in 2001. I started off writing reviews on my webpage (not blog but free geocities webpage) and then added them to amazon.com so that others could see what I thought. I wanted my review to be seen. I was sick of looking at reviews for a book and finding short sentences that weren't helpful at all like:
"The book was awesome, I really enjoyed it." OR
"I didn't like this book at all."
Where were the WHYs. Knowing you liked or didn't like a book just isn't enough. I especially had trouble finding good reviews for nonfiction books. My early reviews weren't much better but I've since improved.
When I discovered book blogs in 2007 (starting with The Hidden Side of a Leaf [Dewey has since
passed],
PussReboots and
Thoughts of Joy) I realized that putting my reviews in blog format would be a better fit. Then I could get real comments and design the site to be me. Just my reviews and no one else's!
I quickly found book challenges. The first one I joined was the
2nds Challenge hosted at Thoughts of Joy. (My second challenge was Beach Blanket Bonanza hosted at PussReboots!)
I also found book memes. I found Booking Through Thursday first and the first one I participated in was about being desperate to read when nothing much is around. Check out my first
BTT post. The first book meme I found that wasn't BTT (and wasn't a weekly thing but a one time thing) is this
Book Quiz. Check it out to learn more about me.
It took me longer to figure out something book related that wasn't a review, meme, challenge or a post about a giveaway or website to write about. My first OTHER post was
The Obligatory Harry Potter Post which explains my thoughts on HP but also why you didn't see reviews of the books or speculation about book 7 when most other book blogs at that time were.
As for my reviews, most of my early review were for books on Paganism. My very first review from 2001 was for
Celebrate the Earth by Laurie Cabot with Jean Mills. My second review, and first non-Pagan book was
Let Me Hear Your Voice: A Family's Triumph over Autism by Catherine Maurice. This book sparked my interest in Autism. I researched and made a report FOR FUN about it and continued to read many more books on Autism and other
Special Needs. Other than the ones listed, I have one more already reviewed but not published yet and another one yet to be read.
And now for the part you've all been waiting for, GIVEAWAYS!
I really do hope you read the rest of the post though. I'm so proud of myself!
I've got four giveaways for you. I'm sorry I couldn't do more.
Here's what's up for grabs: [links for #1 are to my reviews, links for rest is to publishers book page)
Chicken, Pig, Cow and
Chicken, Pig, Cow On the Move by Ruth Ohi (picture books) and some cute bookmarks to a
Canadian Winner (Courtesy of
Annick Press)
CPC:
Pig, Chicken and Cow love the warm and cozy barn Girl made for them out of Popsicle® sticks. Even though Girl forgot to make a door, the three toy animals think their home is perfect. The only thing that isn’t perfect is Dog. He lives outside, but his drool makes it feel as if it’s raining in the barn. CPC On the Move:
Chicken, Pig and Cow are looking for a change. The popsicle-stick barn Girl built for them is great, but sometimes it gets just a little too crowded. 
ROSES by Leila Meacham to a
Canada/US Winner (NO P.O. Boxes) (Courtesy of
Hachette Book Group)
624 Pages - another big read!
Spanning the 20th century, the story of Roses takes place in a small East Texas town against the backdrop of the powerful timber and cotton industries, industries controlled by the scions of the town's founding families. Cotton tycoon Mary Toliver and timber magnate Percy Warwick should have married but unwisely did not, and now must deal with the deceit, secrets, and tragedies of their choice and the loss of what might have been--not just for themselves but for their children, and children's children.
THE CRUSADES by Thomas Asbridge to a
UK Winner (Courtesy of
Simon & Schuster UK)
At 784 pages this is a big read!
In the eleventh century, a vast Christian army, summoned to holy war by the pope, rampaged through the Muslim world of the eastern Mediterranean, seizing possession of Jerusalem, a city revered by both faiths. Over the two hundred years that followed this First Crusade, Islam and the West fought for dominion of the Holy Land, clashing in a succession of chillingly brutal wars, both firm in the belief that they were at God's work.
For the first time, this book tells the story of this epic struggle from the perspective of both Christians and Muslims, reconstructing the experiences and attitudes of those on either side of the conflict. Mixing pulsing narrative and piercing insight, it exposes the full horror, passion and barbaric grandeur of the crusading era.For an
international winner (must be a blogger) the only thing I can offer you is a spot near the top of my blog for your blog button for 1 month. I hope it helps you get some extra readers.
EDIT Feb. 2 - Clarification: You do not have to have a book blog to enter this giveaway but it must be in English and not an adult site or full of hatred or discrimination.Giveaway Open till Feb. 3, 2010 at 11:59 PM EST
*Apologies to anyone who visited before the entry form was up. To Enter:Fill in the form below once for your mandatory entry. Please read carefully.
For extra entries, do the following and fill the form in again with proper information as required:
- Tweet the following and leave link to your tweet for +1 (may be done once daily)
Post 1000 - Celebration! @callista83 - GIVEAWAYS! ~ SMS Book Reviews http://bit.ly/bWojMy
- Post about giveaway on your blog (sidebar's fine) and leave link for +1
- Visit one of the publishers who donated a book (whether you're entering for that book or not) and find another book you'd be interested in reading and tell me what it is (and what publisher it's from) for +1
- *For NON-bloggers only* Email at least 3 friends about giveaway and BCC callista83 AT cogeco DOT ca for +1 (also fill out form again and just state what you did)
GIVEAWAY CLOSED!
ROSES by Leila Meacham to a Canada/US Winner (NO P.O. Boxes) (Courtesy of Hachette Book Group)
THE CRUSADES by Thomas Asbridge to a UK Winner (Courtesy of Simon & Schuster UK) 
Subtitle: How Adoption Saved a Boy with Autism & His Shelter Dog 
from Amazon.com and support SMS Book Reviews
TK: My photography started soon after I moved to Arizona in 1983. Coming from Iowa I was in absolute awe of all there was to see out here. Photography was a way of expressing my love for this new and wonderful place. While my photography has changed over the years, it has always largely been concentrated in the high desert regions of the Colorado Plateau. Sandstone truly is my passion with the camera. It's endlessly beautiful to me and, even though I've been here for over 25 years now, I still see new places every year and find new and wonderful things to photograph. I've tried photographing mountains, and coastlines, and trees, and such, but I always come back to the desert.
Today I share with you an interview I did with the author Nancy Bo Flood. (Pictured at right)
Unless your child is REALLY into sandstone, this book isn't one that you'd buy for your child to read on their own. This is more of a book for teachers or homeschool parents to use with their children. As you can probably tell based on the ages, this would be good for children in grades 4-7.
