Weekly Link Round-Up (April 5)

Here's what I was reading last week.

Conversations

Cathy over at Kittling Books discusses two autobiographies and asks, "Do we always have to tell the absolute truth?" What's your reaction to finding out that a person's life story has been embellished or secretly ghost-written? Let Cathy know.

Natalie at Book, Line, and Sinker wants to know if readers are born or bred. What do you think? Be sure to leave a comment on Natalie's blog.

Events

Did you know that April is National Poetry Month in the United States? Carrie from Books and Movies is celebrating by introducing us to some of her favorites. Wendell Berry and William Blake are among the authors highlighted by Carrie. Check out who else is mentioned and read some poems she shares with us.

Have you heard of Book Binge? Everyone is invited to keep track of the books he or she reads in April. Head on over to It's Not All Mary Poppins to get your badge and join the fun.

Joint Book Reviews

Jackie at Farm Lane Books hooked up with Rebecca from Rebecca Reads to do a joint book review of Foundation by Isaac Asimov. They reviewed the book as part of a mini-challenge and purposely picked a genre outside their comfort zone. Although neither of them liked the book, you should check out their posts for some ideas of how to conduct a joint review via email.

Amy from My Friend Amy took joint reviews into the social media realm. She put out a request on Twitter for a co-reviewer of Etta by Gerald Kolpan. Ali from Worducopia took up the challenge, and the two reviewed the book on Google Talk! Pretty cool, eh? The novel is based on the life of Etta Place, of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid fame. Amy concluded: "we both felt the book was decent though the format didn't work for us one hundred percent of the time."

Super Monthly Wrap-Up

I'm officially and publicly acknowledging that my monthly wrap-up posts are on the lame side. Jen from Devourer of Books is my new "wrap-up guru." Not only did she read 20 books in March but she presented her monthly stats in a terrific post. I have some work to do before May 1!

Giveaway

Shelly from Write for a Reader has a fabulous April Fools' giveaway that is no joke. Seriously, check it out for a chance to win a number of books. You'll be the fool if you don't enter!

More Reviews

Nicole from Linus's Blanket reviewed a super YA novel about the Underground Railroad. The Light across the River by Stephanie Reed provides some insight into Uncle Tom's Cabin and "is a great mix of love, duty, mystery, suspense and history . . . an exciting read, and definitely a page turner." Wow!

Swapna from S. Krishna's Books reviewed The Lost Hours by Karen White. This one went directly onto my wish list, especially after I read this: "If you haven't read Karen White, I can't recommend her highly enough, especially if you like Southern fiction and/or mysteries. If you have and enjoyed her work, then definitely read this book – you'll find all that you've previously loved in it and more!"

Wendi from Wendi's Book Corner absolutely loved Married by Mistake by Abby Gaines. As Wendi suggests, this one sound like a great vacation read: "It was refreshing, the characters were well-written, the story moved along at a nice pace, and had a wonderfully happy ending."