My house is overrun with boys! Three extras, plus our three, make for a lot of boys. My Noah turned 11 yesterday, and he requested a game blow-out slumber party. So aside from opening presents, eating, and sleeping, they have been playing on the computers, PS2 and Gameboys. Which makes things very easy on me – as long as there’s food available at reasonable intervals, I’m able to read and blog. 
Author links:
~ Interesting post from Karen Essex, author of Stealing Athena and Leonardo’s Swans, both of which I loved: Who owns art? The post has to do with some recent developments regarding the Elgin Marbles, which are the main topic of Stealing Athena.
~ Rebecca at Just One More Page has an interview with Emily Listfield, author of Best Intentions.
~ Jen at Devourer of Books has a post by author Eve Brown-Waite: Lives are Like Noses – On Writing a Memoir.
Discussion starters:
~ Natasha at Maw Books Blog asks: Do books make you cry? (I cry over books all the time.)
~ Nicole at Linus’s Blanket asks: Do you disclaim?
~ Chris at Book-a-rama is Pondering Book Blogger Angst. (You can wish her Happy Anniversary while you’re there. )
Reviews:
~ Jen at Devourer of Books calls Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruis Zafon a “gothic, bookish thriller.” Count me in!
~ Amy at My Friend Amy reviews The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist. I’ve added this one to my to-read/wish list.
~ Another title added to my to-read/wish list: Real Life and Liars by Kristina Riggle, reviewed by S. Krishna’s Books.
~ Chris at Book-a-rama has a great review of a book I really want to read: The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe.
Book lists:
~ NYT: The Girls of Summer – Surveying the Season’s Chick-Lit Books.
~ Boston.com: The 100 Essential New England Books.
Book news:
~ Russian Federation: Court rules against book reviewers. Scary precedent, even if it’s not in the US.
Giveaways:
~ Toni at A Circle of Books is giving away a copy of Stand the Storm by Breena Clark. She’s also giving away three copies of Stephenie Meyer’s The Host.
~ You can also win a copy of The Host from Trish at Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin’?
~ You can also enter to win one of five copies of Stand the Storm at Peeking Between the Pages.
~ Sally at Book Critiques is giving away five copies of Breaking Up is Hard to Do by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt.
~ Rashmi at A Book Blogger’s Diary is giving away The Night Gardener by George Pelecanos.
~ Kathy at Bermudaonion is giving away a bunch of books in honor of her one-year Blogiversary. Congrats, Kathy! Kathy is also giving away a galley copy of Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea.
~ Lesa at Lesa’s Book Critiques is giving away two autographed books: Killer Keepsakes by Jane K. Cleland and Death Books a Return by Marian Moore Hill.
~ Dar at Peeking Between the Pages is giving away five copies of A Summer Affair by Elin Hilderbrand.
~ Alea at Pop Culture Junkie is giving away a copy of The Dork Diaries by Rachel Renee Russell. You can also win a copy from Bonnie at Redlady’s Reading Room.
~ Alyssa at The Shady Glade is giving away the ARC we all want to get our hands on: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins.
~ Alyce at At Home With Books is giving away five copies of Julie and Julia by Julie Powell.
~ Jacqueline at The Eclectic Book Hoarder is also giving away Julie and Julie, and also The Impostor’s Daughter by Laurie Sandell.
~ Deborah at Books, Movies, and Chinese Food is giving away five copies of The Host by Stephenie Meyer.
~ Melissa is giving away the first seven books in Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse series – huge giveaway!
~ Swapna at S. Krishna’s Books is giving away two autographed titles by Jane Green.
~ Avis at She Reads and Reads is giving away a copy of Last Night in Montreal by Emily St. John Mandel.
~ The Kool Aid Mom at Mt. TBR is giving away a copy of The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff.
~ Shelly at Write for a Reader is giving five lucky readers paperback copies of the last three Harry Potter novels.
Just for fun:
~ Trish at Hey Lady! posts You Know You’re a Book Blogger When…
To be honest, I’m glad our slumber party days are behind us. Thanks for linking to my giveaways!
Thanks for all the links. I have quite a few giveaways going on too…left hand sidebar if you want to enter.
Oh, on another note. I have a YA Book Carnival starting tomorrow if you want to take part, enter contests, or find new blogs. Check it out!
-Lauren
Twitter: booksandmovies
says:
Kathy -you’re welcome! I’m down to only my own three boys now, and it’s amazing how much quieter the house is. Of course, my boys are so exhausted, they’re just vegging in front of a movie.
Lauren – thanks for the head’s up!
Wow, that’s a LOT of giveaways! I’m feelin’ lucky all of a sudden
Thanks for linking me
Are you all worn out yet? At least they are able to entertain themselves for the most part.
Happy birthday to your son!
Wow, that is a lot of kids. Thank goodness they can keep themselves occupied.
Twitter: booksandmovies
says:
Kool-Aid Mom – I know – it took forever to link them all!
LF – I am worn out, but not because of the kids. I woke up with a migraine this morning. It’s gone now, but I’m beat.
Debbie – hear, hear!
Thanks for the link love Carrie!
Twitter: booksandmovies
says:
Jen – you’re welcome.
Thanks for mentioning my giveaway, Carrie!
Thanks for mentioning my Sookie giveaway!!
Twitter: BethFishReads
says:
Great list of links! Thanks so much.
Twitter: booksandmovies
says:
Avis & Melissa – you’re welcome! Thanks for commenting and reminding me that after spending all this time linking to the giveaways, I forgot to actually enter them myself!
Beth -you’re welcome.