Sunday, June 27, 2010

Changing Horses Mid-Stream

I’ve heard various versions about “changing horses in mid-stream” all of my life. And, for the life of me, as I’m writing this (last night) I can’t remember if the saying says you can or can’t change horses mid-stream. Maybe someone can set me straight today.

As you’ve guessed, this is another post that really has nothing to do with the title other than I’ve changed the direction/theme (or horse) for today’s post. If you read yesterday’s post, you were expecting a book review today. I fully intended to have one about a really good (no don’t tell now) book I read. But, when I went to write the review, the words just wouldn’t fall in place like I wanted them to. (BTW, the horse in the photo looks a lot like my first horse, but it's not him just a photo I found online.)

I didn’t want to do the book an injustice so I decided to mull over what I wanted to say another few hours. I will have the review tomorrow plus I have at least two other reviews planned for the next few days as well. I also realized that I probably shouldn’t write a blog post late at night after taking medicine for a headache. I leave things out of the post. I forgot to pass the Awesome Award onto other bloggers and to thank Anna and the folks at Hachette for the great books and audios I have to giveaway. Sorry.

 I received another wonderful award yesterday from Jemi of Just Jemi. This is the Versatile Award. I do hope I keep this blog versatile and offer a vast array of information to those who stop by. Thanks Jemi for this neat award. If you haven’t dropped by Just Jemi, please do so. Jemi is a teacher in Canada. You can tell from her writing and the projects she does with her students that she is a terrific teacher. I know I would have loved to have had teachers like her when I was in school. I think she makes it fun and educational for her students. Thanks Jemi for the award and the great work you do with students.

Since this is a no pressure award and I forgot to pass the award yesterday, I’d like to pass both or either award to all visitors. Thanks for stopping by. I really appreciate it.

Now I’ve still got some audio books to giveaway thanks to Anna and the Hachette Audio Books. Here are the guidelines. I have three copies of each of these audios. To enter the giveaway, just send me an e-mail (mcbookshelf@gmail.com) with “Win and the book title” in the subject line and include your name and mailing address in the body of the e-mail. You must send an e-mail for each giveaway you wish to enter. The contest is open to only residents of the U.S. and Canada and no post office box addresses can be accepted. The deadline to enter these giveaways is 8 p.m. on Tuesday, July 20.

ROBERT LUDLUM’S™ THE BOURNE OBJECTIVE (ISBN:9781607882268) by Eric Van Lustbader and read by Scott

Sowers. This fiction audio is unabridged and is the final novel in a special 3-book story arc in Robert Ludlum's bestselling series written by New York Times bestselling author Eric Van Lustbader.

After Bourne is ambushed and nearly killed while in Indonesia, he fakes his death to take on a new identity and mission- to find out who is trying to assassinate him. In the process, Bourne begins to question who he really is and what he would become if he no longer carried the Bourne identity. Across the globe, an American passenger airliner is shot down over Egypt-apparently by an Iranian missile-leaving the world wondering if it was an accident or an act of aggression. A massive global team lead by Soraya Moore is assembled to investigate the attack before the situation escalates. When Bourne's search for his would-be assassin intersects with Soraya's search for the group behind the airplane bombing, Bourne is thrust into a race to prevent a new world war. But it may already be too late.

Listen to an excerpt.
Start reading online.

THE BROOM OF THE SYSTEM (ISBN:9781607883883) by David
Foster Wallace and read by Robert Petkoff. This fiction audio is unabridged. The "dazzling, exhilarating" (San Francisco Chronicle) debut novel from the bestselling author of Infinite Jest, available for the first time as an audiobook.

At the center of The Broom of the System is the betwitching (and also bewildered) heroine, Lenore Stonecipher Beadsman. The year is 1990 and the place is a slightly altered Cleveland, Ohio, which sits on the edge of a suburban wasteland-the Great Ohio Desert. Lenore works as a switchboard attendant at a publishing firm, and in addition to her mind-numbing job, she has a few other problems. Her great-grandmother, a one-time student of Wittgenstein, has disappeared with twenty-five other inmates of the Shaker Heights Nursing Home. Her beau (and boss), editor-in-chief Rick Vigorous, is insanely jealous. And her cockatiel, Vlad the Impaler, has suddenly started spouting a mixture of psychobabble, Auden, and the King James Bible, which may propel him to stardom on a Christian fundamentalist television program.

Listen to an excerpt.

DELIVERING HAPPINESS (ISBN:9781607882305) by Tony Hsieh and read by the author. This business and economics audio is unabridged.

The hip, iconoclastic CEO of Zappos shows how a different kind of corporate culture can make a huge difference in achieving remarkable results — by actually creating a company culture that values happiness — and then delivers on it.

Listen to an excerpt.
Start reading online.
Watch a video.

HITCH 22 (ISBN:9781607882329) by Christopher Hitchens and read by the author. This biography and autobiography audio is unabridged.

The life story of one of the most admired and controversial public intellectuals of our time, in his own voice.

Listen to an excerpt.
Start reading online.

WHEN I STOP TALKING, YOU’LL KNOW I’M DEAD (ISBN:9781607889687) by Jerry Weintraub with Rich Cohen and
read by the author. This biography and autobiography audio is unabridged.

Maverick movie producer Jerry Weintraub's hilarious, autobiographical account of what  it takes to make it to the top, in life and business: a de facto primer in the  Art of Persuasion

Listen to an excerpt.
Start reading online.

Thanks everyone for stopping by today. May today be a fun day to spend as you wish.



13 comments:

  1. "Changing horses in midstream" is a descriptive phrase, not a bit of advice - so nobody saying you can or you can't. It's just that it is a tough thing to do, and something you'd want to do at some other time if possible.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mason - The Daring Novelist has it right about what that phrase means. And I, for one, appreciate it that you decided to wait until you can do a book justice to give it a review : ). I'm very eager to find out what the book is and what you think of it.

    And congratulations on your Versatile Blog award - you certainly have more than earned it!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Daring Novelist, thanks for clearing up the phrase. It's one of those I've heard over and over and sometime it runs together with 'Southern' sayings.

    Margot, I hope I can do the book justice with my review. I'm always concerned that I might cause someone not to try a book by something I say and I had rather they try for themselves. I only give one glimpse at the book so to speak. I think I have a review later this week that the history buff in you will like too.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I think you can change midstream, but the saying advises you not to do so.

    And ooo! Will have to enter this contest.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Those look like amazing books. However, please don't enter me. It's difficult to get books to me because of where I live.

    Congrats on your award.

    CD

    ReplyDelete
  6. Congrats on your Award, a very apt one. Your blog is wonderfully versatile, even teaching me about changing horses midstream! I'd heard the phrase before but never gave it much thought till today.

    Happy Sunday :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I used to read Ludlum, then stopped. But I'm going to pick up the latest. Great series and one that can help isnpire authors like me, especially action scenes.

    Stephen Tremp

    ReplyDelete
  8. Congratulations on the award. And if you change horses midstream, don't fall off.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks for the kind words, Mason - you're such a sweetie! :)

    I really enjoyed the first 3 Bourne books - I look forward to trying this one too!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Congratulations on your award!

    I know how you feel about your review. I write the best reviews in my head when I'm not around a computer, but put me in front of a computer, and it's a whole different story. I like to sit on my reviews a day or two before I publish them.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I absolutely relate to this post, Mason, especially of late. My content has flagged, and it seems what I want to sit down with to write just. doesn't. materialize. I think we need to follow our feelings then, and not force ourselves.

    Thanks for visiting my blog again. :)

    And it's a beautiful horse. My youngest would call him Peter.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I guess I think just like Jemi ~ I placed your blog on my list of "Versatile Blogger Awards." You certainly do provide a versatile blog with a variety of information ~ it's greatly appreciated!

    My post can be found here:

    http://kathleenaryan.blogspot.com/2010/06/versatile-blogger-award.html

    ReplyDelete
  13. Delivering Happiness to employees is probably not a priority of many businesses, too sad to say. Great idea though.

    ReplyDelete

I'd love to hear your thoughts on today's post. Thanks for dropping by.