This week's book giveaway: A beach read

David Baldacci ("Absolute Power," "The Sixth Man"), gained fame for writing thrillers. But now he has a beach book -- "One Summer," a family drama about love, loss, faith and healing that's set partly in South Carolina.

Want to win a copy? Leave a comment here with some way to identify yourself, not just "anonymous." I'll post the winner on Wednesday, so be sure to check back.

Four readers win John Hart's "Iron House"

Four readers have won copies of John Hart's latest thriller, "Iron House":

• Tim44, who says his pay keeps getting cut. Tim, here's a small bonus for you.

• DC2006, who wants to win a book from a fellow Wildcat. Hart, who grew up in Salisbury, graduated from Davidson College.

• Rexxtigger, who says he'll donate the book to his library when he's done.

• Paula Finegan, who's going to share the book with her daughter.

Folks, send me an email (pkelley@charlotteobserver.com) with you mailing address, and I'll get the books to you. And check back next week for another summer book giveaway.

It's AWESOME. It's AMAZING. It's cliche.

Maybe you hadn't noticed, but the word "amazing" is suffering from overexposure.

I blame Facebook. Status updates are full of amazing stuff -- amazing friends, husbands, movies, hamburgers. There's a lot of awesome going on, too.
It's enough to give a person superlative fatigue.

I'm not going to try to convince anyone that it's unnecessary to refer to new sandals as "fabulous." But if we're going to continue describing everything with superlatives, maybe we could at least change them up.

To that end, I suggest perusing Arthur Plotnik's "Better Than Great: A Plenitudinous Compendium of Wallopingly Fresh Superlatives" (Viva Editions; $15.95).

Plotnik's new book offers hundreds of superlatives neatly organized into chapters such as "Intense," "Great," "Sublime," "Physically Affecting" and "Trendy." Under "Intense," for instance, you'll find "dead-on," "dharma incarnate," "high-wire" and "Hegelian."

So next time you want to describe some really yummy frozen yogurt in your status update, consider calling it "slurp-worthy" or "plate-licking good." Or, my favorite: "Glad tidings for the gullet."

Win "Iron House," John Hart's latest thriller

John Hart, who grew up in Salisbury and graduated from Davidson College, is winning raves for "Iron House," his new thriller. Booklist calls it "an unforgettable novel from a master of popular fiction."

So wouldn't you love a copy?
I've got four to give away. Leave a comment here with some way to identify yourself, not just "anonymous." I'll post the four winners on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, you can pay Hart a visit at his book launch party, 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 12, at Park Road Books, 4139 Park Road.

Charlotte book club for the homeless to discuss "The Dry Grass of August"

The good people who organize the Turning Pages Book Club at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg library tell me they've had a nice run of local authors who've spoken at recent meetings.

On Tuesday, July 12, North Carolina's Anna Jean Mayhew, author of "The Dry Grass of August," will speak to the group. It meets at 10 a.m. on the first floor of the main library, 310 N. Tryon St. The discussion is open to the public.

Launched in late 2009, Turning Pages is the brainchild of Charlotte's Candace Curlin Vance. It was designed as an outreach to the homeless, but participants now include people from varied circumstances and backgrounds.

Mayhew got her publisher, Kensington Publishing, to donate 25 copies of her novel to the club. It should be a rich discussion. The book tells a coming-of-age story of a white girl in Charlotte in the 1950s.

If you'd like to learn more about the club, check out Kay McSpadden's recent column.

And if you'd like to donate to keep the club running, send your check to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library, 310 N. Tryon St., Charlotte, NC 28202 to the attention of John Zika. Write "Turning Pages Book Club" in on the memo line.

Chaine2: You've won the new Warriors book

Chaine2, I love the image of your daughter making cat bookmarks for her Warriors books. Email me your mailing address, and I'll get the book to you so your daughter can put those bookmarks to use.

Be sure to check back in on Monday. I'll post a book giveaway for a new novel from one of North Carolina's biggest authors -- John Hart.

Meanwhile, a second call to last week's winner of Annie Proulx's "Bird Cloud": Veronica MacKinnon, send me your address so I can mail you the book.

Win the new Warriors Super Edition: "Crookedstar's Promise"

In this week's Summer Book Giveaway I've got a novel for younger readers: "Crookedstar's Promise," the latest in the hugely popular Warriors series.

The book is aimed at kids 10 and up. Feel free to enter and win for your favorite middle-grade reader. Just leave a comment with your name or some way to identify you -- not just "anonymous." I'll post the winner on Wednesday, July 6, so be sure to check back.

For those unfamiliar with the whole kitties-as-warriors premise, a little background: Written by three British women using the pseudonym "Erin Hunter," this book series features clans of cats who engage in heart-stopping epic adventures.

As the owner of a couple of felines who spend their day sleeping, eating and dealing with grooming issues, this makes me chuckle.