wanna view some reviews?

Yeah, I know, it seems like I just did this, but whereas April was a s...l...o...w reading month, May has flown by in a flurry of children's books, cute little fun books, nonfiction selections and awesome novels. I've submitted more reviews this past month than ever before, and I've had several post since I last referred you to some good reads. And, of course, the real reason to post this today is to send you over to a current giveaway!

* So you've gotta know by now that I've gone crazy for Katherine Center's novel Everyone is Beautiful. Next week is when the fun begins! Here's some encouragement to play along, and here's the official preview for the festivities. Anyone joining in??

* JAM and Red have been enjoying the book Help Your Parents Save the Planet: 50 Simple Ways to Go Green Now! by Play Bac books-- very colorful, very accessible and a great way to get children in a more thoughtful-about-the-environment kind of mindset!

* Another one that JAM has read, cover to cover, is Obama: The Historic Journey, Young Reader's Edition. This is the children's version of the New York Times amazing photo-journalistic record of last year's election of Barack Obama. The photos are incredible, and the history of the entire election season is presented here in a perfect format for older children.

* Just had a baby and looking to get back into shape? The Hot Mommy Next Door: A Quick, Easy and Effective Way to Drop Baby Weight and Achieve Your Personal Best After Pregnancy by Alison Fadoul is the book for you. The jury's still out about how this book will affect this mama's 'personal best.'

* Steve Lopez and Nathaniel Anthony Ayers have been in the news in more than just Los Angeles since the release of the movie version of The Soloist this spring. I read the book (loved it!!) and caught the movie (go get the book!!) and did a dual review. Guess which one I preferred?

* Do you want a timely and hysterically funny read? Pick up Christopher Buckley's Supreme Courtship, and you can wonder if all these absurd goings-on are really happening with Sotomayor these days! (There just might be a little giveaway of this book coming up around Father's Day... but you didn't hear it from me...)

*And finally, a novel that I got pulled into and didn't want to say goodbye to the main character as I turned the last page. Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz captured my attention in the first few pages and was the type of book that I wanted to keep by my side all day, just in case I got a surprise spare minute or two to read a couple of pages. If the review sounds like something you might like, well you're in luck! The publisher, Hachette Book Group, is giving away FIVE copies-- just leave a comment on the review to be eligible!

Happy reading, as always,