Some New Book and A Giveaway

Just saying hi to those visiting from my friend's blog, Not Exactly Bento. She wrote a great post about the first time I took her out for tapas. Check it out!

Thanks to Paperbackswap, my mailman has been gifting me with some new books to read. I'm totally addicted to books, mostly collecting them since I don't have as much time to read as I'd like. (If you've never heard of Paperbackswap, it's a great way to swap your books, paperbacks and hardcovers, for FREE! Just pay for postage. If you decide to join, please use my link--I get a referral point. Thank!)

First, I just got a copy of Padma Lakshm's Tangy, Tart, Hot, & Sweet. I love watching Top Chef. Though the current Top Chef Masters is a bit lackluster. I totally have a girl crush on her. I love that Padma isn't afraid to eat. I've just lightly skimmed the cookbook, and it's everything I love in a cookbook. The pages are glossy, beautiful pictures and a picture of Padma biting into a piece of fried chicken! Now to clean my kitchen so I can try out one of the recipes.

I took Living Artfully by Sandra Magsamen to read while at my doctor's appointment. It's a fun book-inspiring without being too preachy. She believes that everyone is creative. We just all have to discover what calls each of us. I totally believe this too. She gave me a great idea. I've been wanting to host a gathering of my favorite women for a day of creativity and pampering. Reading this book has definitely kickstarted me!

Now onto the giveaway! Every now and again, I'm given the opportunity to review some books for Elle Magazine. I'm stalking my mailman for the August issue to see if they published any of my reviews for the Elle Lettres column.

After I read the books, I usually post them on Paperbackswap, but why not do a giveaway? Normally, I wouldn't even pick up books that pertain to the military, but I Love a Man in Uniform by Lily Buruna totally drew me in. Maintaining a marriage is tough enough, but maintaining a marriage while your husband is in Iraq. The writing isn't sappy or self-deprecating (one of my peeves), and kept me turning the pages.

So if you'd like a chance to win this book, there are 4 different ways to earn entries.

1. Just leave a comment with your email address. I'll randomly drawing a name on or about July 30th.

2. Tweet about the contest, then comment again for an extra entry. If you're feeling lazy, just use this tweet:

Not your usual beach read-book giveaway from @thienkim http://bit.ly/summerread

3. Follow me on Twitter, and just post another comment saying you did

4. Subscribe to my blog for another entry. That's right, leave another comment. If you're already subscribe, just let me know too!