I made a lot of friends this year..

It's New Year's Eve and another year in reading is complete. While I would have, and probably COULD have, read more this year, here is my list:

BOOKS READ 2008
(In no particular order)
1. Why Men Don't Listen and Women Can't Read Maps by Allan Pease and Barbara Pease
2. Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot
3. A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
4. The Bombshell Manual of Style by Laren Stover
5. Closing the Deal-Richard Kirshenbaum and Daniel Rosenberg
6. How to Set His Thighs on Fire by Kate White
7. Why Men Don't Have a Clue and Women Always Need More Shoes by Allan Pease and Barbara Pease
8. Bookends by Jane Green
9. Crazy In Alabama by Mark Childress
10. Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs
11. Girls in Pants by Ann Brashares
12. Otherwise Engaged by Suzanne Finnamore
13. The Second Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares
14. The Summerhouse by Jude Deveraux
15. Long Hard Road Out of Hell by Marilyn Manson
16. The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
17. The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve
18. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
19. How to Be Popular by Meg Cabot
20. Navy Wife by Debbie Macomber
21. The Cement Garden by Ian McEwan
22. The Perfect Family by Carla Cassidy
23. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
24. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
25. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
26. Milk In My Coffee by Eric Jerome Dickey
27. Shopaholic and Baby by Sophie Kinsella
28. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
29. America by Jon Stewart
30. Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard
31. god Is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens
32. Flawless by Sara Shepard
33. Perfect by Sara Shepard
34. Entertaining by Malcolm Hillier
35. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
36. The Other Woman by Jane Green
37. Long, Lean, and Lethal by Heather Graham
38. One For The Money by Janet Evanovich
39. Little Stories by Jeff Roberts
40. Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
41. Unbelievable by Sara Shepard
42. Wicked by Sara Shepard
43. Book Lust by Nancy Pearl
44. More Book Lust by Nancy Pearl
45. The Knot Complete Guide to Weddings in the Real World by Carley Roney
46. I Like You by Amy Sedaris
47. Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carman


Looking back on this list makes me smile. While there weren't too many books I read this year that I can envision being classics one day, I did have a lot of fun with my reading. This past year for me was the year of the Twilight series, Pretty Little Liars, Memory Keeper's Daughter, Amy Sedaris, Marilyn Manson, Jane Green, weddings, and Stargirl. It's been pretty eclectic and all enjoyable. I hope next year brings me more great finds.

I hope you all have a great New Year's Eve and a fantastic 2009!

Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carman

Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carman
Ages: 10 and up
Release date: February 10, 2009

I just had the pleasure of reading a very unusual book. Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carman is a novel targeted towards readers 10 and up, which follows best friends Ryan McCray and Sarah Fincher on their journey to discover the odd happenings of the deserted "Dredge" in their town. What makes this book unique is the fact that it's told in journal format, written by Ryan, and also allows the adamant reader a chance to go online and view videos sent to him by his friend Sarah. Since Ryan's accident in the Dredge, the friends are told by their parents to keep away from each other. Through email and video correspondence, which the reader gets to experience as well, they try to piece together the mystery behind the abandoned dredge.

I had quite a bit of fun reading this book. I flew through it very quickly because I was so eager to get to the next video. There's something captivating about being able to watch this scary story/mystery unfold before your eyes and feeling like you're learning and seeing things as the characters are.

If Mr. Carman's hope was to find a new way for young readers to enjoy reading, I think he's found it. While I'm fond of the old "use your imagination" type of reading, I agree that this style of book will find a fan base. With technology advancing so quickly, more young readers are choosing the computer over a book, and this is a nice medium. My younger self would easily have fallen in love with this book, and would be anticipating a sequel (which I sure hope Mr. Carman is going to do).

I would suggest anyone that is looking for a change of pace, to pick this book up and give it a go. You'll have a blast reading/watching it. This I promise you.

**If you'd like to get more of a feel of the book, I suggest visiting http://www.skeletoncreekisreal.com/.

Tons of excitement!!

So much has happened since the last time I've updated. I feel like I have a world of news to share with you all. I'd like to start with the Christmas Swap! After coming home for lunch today, I noticed that there was a package waiting for me in the mailbox. I was pretty curious about it because it was a big parcel and I wasn't expecting any big books from bookmooch any time soon. I completely forgot the fact that I should be expecting a package from a book blogger for the Christmas swap. I guess with everything that has been happening recently, it has completely left my mind. Needless to say, I was extremely surprised to see that Lisa had sent me Book Lust and More Book Lust by Nancy Pearl.

I'm not sure if Lisa just took a guess and knew that as a book lover I would adore these books, or if by some kind of Christmas magic she found out that I have had these two books on my wishlist for quite a while now. Either way, I was thrilled to death to get them. Besides the "other" gift I got recently from boyfriend (which I will mention below), this has been my favorite Christmas gift so far! Thank you so much Lisa, you're a doll! I hope you have an "old-fashioned Christmas" as well.



Now on to my next nugget of news....I'm engaged! A week or so ago, boyfriend just couldn't wait to give me my Christmas present. After asking him several times if he was sure he wanted me to open it now, I obliged and tore open the box. Inside the box was an envelope with a card taped on the inside. At the end of the card he wrote, "I never want to lose you. Close your eyes and face me." I asked him if I had to close my eyes and he quickly replied, "Yes!" When I opened my eyes, he was on his knees with a ring in his hands. "Will you marry me?" Needless to say, I was a complete mess. I'm pretty sure I cried for 5 minute before answering yes. I'm a baby, I know. I have never been so happy about anything in my life. Oh...I'm sure you'd like to see the ring.





It's so beautiful on its own, but even more so because he put his heart into picking it out for me. So that explains why I've been a bit MIA. Most of my time over the last week has been reading this wedding book I picked up at Target the day I got engaged (I just couldn't help it). As you can see, I already have it stuffed full of print-outs, post-its, and random wedding papers. It's funny how fast the wedding madness can engulf you.






I hope all is well with you all, dear readers. This time of year is one to just enjoy the "warmness" of the season. Enjoy the cheesy Christmas songs, the great old timey movies, and spend time with the ones you love. I hope you all have an "old-fashioned Christmas filled with happy traditions." :)

Wicked by Sara Shepard

**SOME SPOILERS-BEWARE**


Wicked is the latest installment in the Pretty Little Liars series by Sara Shepard. After the fourth novel in the series, Unbelievable, I was a little worried about where the plot line was going to go. I mean, they found out who A was, and they apparently found out who murdered Ali. However, I was pretty suspicious about who they pegged as the killer. Knowing that Shepard intends to write 8 novels in this series, I just have a feeling that the murderer isn't who we think it is.

In Wicked we have a new A, and I have absolutely no clue who it is (it also took me a while to find out who the first A was). So now I'm scratching my head and back in the same situation I was in before. Some part of me was mad at Shepard for putting me back in this situation, and another part was a little disappointed that this series didn't end with Unbelievable. Everything was wrapped up, and now I feel like Shepard and Alloy books are just trying to milk the series.

With that being said, I must admit that these books are so addicting and I can honestly say that I will probably buy and read the rest of the series. The next book, Killer, is due out in July 2009. If you're a fan of young adult fiction, and enjoy suspenseful reads then I suggest, once again, that you all look into this series.

Spiraling...

Things just seem to be getting out of control. I haven't had the strength or energy to update lately for several reasons. My mind has been flooded with heavy thoughts about my life and where it's going. I turned 24 on November 28, and I guess you could say I'm having a bit of a quarter-life crisis. It's just a bit of a funk and I'm sure I'll be out of it in a few days.

I've also been a little under the weather the past week. It all started when I ate some bad BBQ from a local restaurant here which left me with a terrible stomach ache for the past few days.

Then there is Dewey. Like many other bloggers, I'm still not quite over her passing. It's a sad thing to have happened and I find myself thinking of her and her family often. Her death has been a shock to my system and has in a way affected my blogging. However, I have found by reading other book blogs that so many people were inspired by her, and as a result, tons of people have rallied together to make sure her projects continue to live on. In times like this, that is nice to see.

Sorry for the "blah" post. Regardless of what has happened in the past week, I have continued to keep my head in a book. I find it's the best way to clear my head and relax. When life is crazy, pick up a book.

Shock and sadness

As most of the book blogging community is already aware, Dewey passed away today. Apparently she has been in some pain for a while now, although her readers would have never known.

I came home for lunch today, signed on to Google Reader, and my jaw dropped when I saw the latest update on her website. I can't believe she's gone. I think we're all in shock at this moment; she was such a momental force in this community.

A lot of people don't know this, but she was my inspiration for starting my book blog. I was reading tons of different blogs for a while before starting Book and Cranny and I found myself drawn to hers. She was an exceptional writer, and I just loved checking into her site to find out what she was reading and how she liked it.

I took part in her October 2008 Read-A-Thon which she organized for fellow book bloggers and I had such a great time. That's the way she was, always organizing challenges, activities, giveaways. She was kind in every way. People loved her, even people like me that didn't really even know who she was but felt like we did anyway.

My thoughts and well wishes go out to her family and everyone that was touched by this wonderful woman.

We miss you Dewey.

I hope you ate lots of turkey.

I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you were all able to gather around the ones you love, stuff your face full of turkey and pumpkin pie, and crash in front of the TV watching Christmas movies.

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade was on when I woke up this morning so I was able to ring in the day right. I'm almost positive I've never missed the parade since I was around 6 years old. It's somewhat of a self-made tradition. We just got back from boyfriend's parents house where we ate deep fried turkey and lots of other goodies. I was just sad there was no pumpkin pie. :(

As for my reading, I'm having a bit of a delima (and maybe you can help me out). I just can't find a book I can get into. These spells hit me at different times and I just hate that I'm in the middle of one now, especially since I've been sent so many interesting reads. They seem interesting anyway, but when I start to read I just lose interest. I know it has nothing to do with the book really, it's just my current state of mind. I can't get into reading anything! You have any suggestions for what I can do to get out of this funk? I feel lost when I'm not immersed in a book. It rarely happens, but when it does I don't even feel like myself.

Well, anyway, I hope you all had a good day and took note of all the things you're thankful for. It's nice to take a pause once in a while and really examine what is important in your life and all the things/people to be thankful for.

Happy turkey day everyone! Now, let's all give our bellies a good rub and take a nice nap.

Twilight movie disappoints..

I went to see the Twilight movie on Friday at 10pm. Boyfriend, Sister, and I all battled the crowd of teenage girls in order to see this flick the day it was released. I wish I would have waited. After I returned home, I checked my inbox and saw that I had a PM from a fellow BookCrosser. Here is our exchange; it will describe perfectly how I felt right after viewing this movie.

*Please excuse any grammatical errors. I wrote this reply in a blind fury.

Bookcrosser: I started a thread in Chit-Chat asking who was going to see Twilight this weekend, and so far, only the ones who wanted to wait for the DVD or who wouldn't be caught dead watching it responded! I was wondering where all the other Twilighters were when I took a look at your blog. My friend and I are going to see it Sunday. Please let me know what you thought.

Me: Funny that you wrote to me. I just got out of the theater and I must say I was SO disappointed. The acting was terrible and they rushed a lot of the important aspects of the movie (even the evolution of Edward and Bella's love). They spent way too much time on unnecessary stuff like the students in the school and her relationship with her father, but rushed all the information regarding Edward and the Cullens. My boyfriend hadn't read the books and I had to explain so much to him after we left the movie because they rushed through it and didn't spend anytime explaining. I would tell anyone to just wait and watch it when it's released on DVD, although I know that if you're as big of a Twilight fan as I am, you'll go see it in the theaters anyway just to see for yourself. Just know that you will leave thinking that they should have casted the whole movie all over. The only people in the movie that could act were the people that played Bella, Charlie, Billy, and Rosalie. Since it's still so fresh on my mind I just can't explain how devastated I am by the movie. I'm in such shock. I would think since the books had such a cult following they would have put more effort into making a better film.

I think that pretty much sums it up for me. I realize that when you make a movie based on a novel, that there are things you must cut out. I totally understand that, but my disappointment wasn't just about that. The acting was horrible and they didn't explain much about the Cullens at all. I'm just sad and frustrated about it. This movie could have been much better and could have rivalled Harry Potter, but now it's just going to be another movie that no one remembers 10 years from now.

I feel like doing cartwheels!

I'm so incredibly excited about a couple things. First, let me just remind you (in case you've been living under a rock for the past few months) that Twilight the movie will be released THIS Friday, November 21. I'm still a little worried if it will live up to the books, although I have to admit that this won't stop me from seeing it. I'm going straight after work on Friday, and I'm sure I'll be giddy as a teenager.

The trailer in case you haven't seen it...







I'm also thrilled to pieces because I've put my Christmas Tree up! Now I know what you're thinking. You're thinking it's way too early for Christmas decorations, but my theory is this: the tree is inspiration. Every time I look at that tree I will be reminded that I need to finish up my Christmas shopping. Hopefully this way I won't be scampering around for Christmas gifts the week before Christmas. Plus, I get to enjoy it longer this way..and it's so pretty...and, well...I don't need an excuse! I'm just excited for Christmas! Notice I even have a few presents under the tree already.



Anyone else have their Christmas stuff up yet? If so, please post a picture! I'd love to see everyone's decorations.

reading update 11/16/08

I'd like to be able to tell you I'll be posting a review later today, but honestly I'm not quite sure. I've been bouncing around from book to book, and have spent more time than I'd like to admit reading blogging books. There's just so much I still need to learn. When I'm not reading my blogging books, I'm looking around my house and realizing all that needs to be done. I skipped over spring cleaning and now my house is in dire need for an overhaul. At least I got my desk area cleaned up.

You should have seen it before. Books EVERYWHERE! I can't even begin to explain how I was functioning at all in this area.
Now that the house is decent, I plan to get my reading in order and post a review ASAP. I'm working on Unbelievable by Sara Shepard and Forever Lily by Beth Nonte Russell so be sure to check back.

Secret Santa

I sure hope my fellow blogger's aren't upset that I haven't posted this earlier (and if you are-please forgive me). Dewey and Nymeth are hosting a book blogger's Secret Santa swap! I'm extremely excited as you will tell by the many exclamations I put throughout this post!!!

If you're a book blogger and would like to participate, please head over to their blogs for all the details. You better hurry! Sign up ends November 18 and names will be handed out on the 20th.

I can't wait to find out which blogger I will get to surprise! Christmas is just a barrel of candy-coated fun!

Top Selling Books

USA Today's Top Selling Books of the last 15 years Meme!

I got this from Andrea's blog
Here are the rules: Bold what you've read, italicize what you own, star* books on your TBR list!

1 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J.K. Rowling
2 Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution - Robert C. Atkins
3 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
4 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling
5 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling
6 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling
7 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling
8 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K. Rowling
9 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling
10 Who Moved My Cheese? - Spencer Johnson
11 The South Beach Diet - Arthur Agatston
12 Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom
13 Angels & Demons - Dan Brown
14 What to Expect When You're Expecting - Murkoff, etal.
15 The Purpose-Driven Life - Rick Warren
16 The Five People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom
17 The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen R. Covey
18 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini**
19 Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus - John Gray
20 The Secret - Rhonda Byrne**
21 Rich Dad, Poor Dad - Robert T. Kiyosaki
22 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
23 Don't Sweat the Small Stuff - and It's All Small Stuff - Richard Carlson
24 The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd
25 Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert**
26 Twilight - Stephenie Meyer
27 The Notebook - Nicholas Sparks
28 The Memory Keeper's Daughter - Kim Edwards
29 The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
30 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
31 A New Earth - Eckhart Tolle
32 Oh, the Places You'll Go! - Dr. Seuss
33 The Four Agreements - Don Miguel Ruiz
34 Angela's Ashes - Frank McCourt
35 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
36 Body-for-Life - Bill Phillips, Michael D’Orso
37 New Moon - Stephenie Meyer
38 Night - Elie Wiesel
39 Chicken Soup for the Soul - Jack Canfield, etal.
40 The Greatest Generation - Tom Brokaw
41 Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer
42 The Celestine Prophecy - James Redfield
43 Wicked - Gregory Maguire
44 Good to Great - Jim Collins
45 Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer
46 Eragon - Christopher Paolini**
47 Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood - Rebecca Wells
48 Your Best Life Now - Joel Osteen
49 In the Kitchen With Rosie - Rosie Daley
50 Simple Abundance - Sarah Ban Breathnach
51 A Child Called It - Dave Pelzer
52 A Million Little Pieces - James Frey
53 The Testament - John Grisham
54 Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul - Jack Canfield, etal.
55 Deception Point - Dan Brown
56 The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
57 Marley & Me - John Grogan
58 Dr. Atkins' New Carbohydrate Gram Counter - Robert C. Atkins
59 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
60 The Brethren - John Grisham
61 The South Beach Diet Good Fats Good Carbs Guide - Arthur Agatston
62 The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town - John Grisham
63 For One More Day - Mitch Albom
64 The Polar Express - Chris Van Allsburg
65 The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald**
66 The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch, Jeffrey Zaslow
67 What to Expect the First Year - Arlene Eisenberg, etal.
68 Love You Forever - Robert Munsch
69 Green Eggs and Ham - Dr. Seuss
70 A Painted House - John Grisham
71 The Rainmaker - John Grisham
72 Skipping Christmas - John Grisham
73 Cold Mountain - Charles Frazier
74 The Curious Incident of the Dog In the Night-Time - Mark Haddon
75 Life Strategies - Phillip C. McGraw
76 Seabiscuit: An American Legend - Laura Hillenbrand
77 The Summons - John Grisham
78 Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil - John Berendt
79 The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien**
80 The Runaway Jury - John Grisham
81 Goodnight Moon - Margaret Wise Brown
82 The Perfect Storm - Sebastian Junger
83 Snow Falling on Cedars - David Guterson
84 The Giver - Lois Lowry
85 Embraced by the Light - Betty J. Eadie
86 The Chamber - John Grisham
87 You: On A Diet - Michael F. Roizen, Mehmet C. Oz
88 The Prayer of Jabez - Bruce Wilkinson
89 Holes - Louis Sachar
90 Digital Fortress - Dan Brown
91 The Shack - William P. Young
92 The Devil Wears Prada - Lauren Weisberger
93 Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen**
94 A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini
95 The Seat of the Soul - Gary Zukav
96 Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul - Jack Canfield, etal.
97 The Partner - John Grisham
98 Lord of the Flies - William Golding**
99 Eldest: Inheritance, Book II - Christopher Paolini
100 The Broker - John Grisham
101 The Street Lawyer - John Grisham
102 A Series of Unfortunate Events - Lemony Snicket
103 The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver
104 Into the Wild - Jon Krakauer
105 The King of Torts - John Grisham
106 The Tipping Point - Malcolm Gladwell
107 The Horse Whisperer - Nicholas Evans
108 Hannibal - Thomas Harris
109 The Audacity of Hope - Barack Obama
110 Running With Scissors - Augusten Burroughs
111 The Glass Castle: A Memoir - Jeannette Walls
112 My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult
113 The Last Juror - John Grisham
114 The Devil in the White City - Erik Larson
115 Left Behind - Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins
116 America (The Book) - Jon Stewart
117 The Red Tent - Anita Diamant
118 John Adams - David McCullough**
119 The Christmas Box - Richard Paul Evans**
120 The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - Ann Brashares
121 Sugar Busters! - Leighton Steward, etal.
122 Blink - Malcolm Gladwell**
123 The Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle**
124 90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death and Life - Don Piper
125 The Fellowship of the Ring - J.R.R. Tolkien**
126 1776 - David McCullough
127 The Bridges of Madison County - Robert James Waller
128 Where the Heart Is - Billie Letts
129 The Ultimate Weight Solution - Phillip C. McGraw
130 Protein Power - Mr. & Mra. Michael R. Eades
131 Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul - Jack Canfield, etal.
132 Into Thin Air - Jon Krakauer
133 Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides
134 Three Cups of Tea - Greg Mortenson, David Oliver Relin
135 You: The Owner's Manual - Michael F. Roizen, Mehmet C. Oz
136 1,000 Places to See Before You Die: A Traveler’s Life List - Patricia Schultz**
137 Self Matters - Phillip C. McGraw
138 She's Come Undone - Wally Lamb
139 1984 - George Orwell
140 The Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis**
141 The Millionaire Next Door - Thomas J. Stanley
142 The Other Boleyn Girl - Philippa Gregory**
143 The Zone - Barry Sears, Bill Lawren
144 The Pilot's Wife - Anita Shreve
145 The Lost World - Michael Crichton
146 Atonement - Ian McEwan
147 He's Just Not That Into You - Greg Behrendt, Liz Tuccillo
148 Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
149 The World Is Flat - Thomas L. Friedman**
150 Cross - James Patterson

To sum it up: I've read 48 of these and I have 16 on my TBR list.

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

"She was elusive. She was today. She was tomorrow. She was the faintest scent of a cactus flower, the flitting shadow of an elf owl. We did not know what to make of her. In our minds we tried to pin her to corkboard like a butterfly, but the pin merely went through and away she flew." -excerpt from Stargirl

Stargirl is one of those precious stories that isn't bogged down with useless words. It's very simple, direct, and with a message. Stargirl Caraway is a new student in Mica High School. None of the other kids have seen anybody quite like her. She's different. At first the other students are baffled by her hippy skirts and free-spirit ways, but soon she is the most popular girl in school. After she cheers for the opposing basketball team during a school tournament, she's immediately shunned by everyone in school-everyone but Leo.

Told by Leo Borlock, the story of Stargirl shows you how someone like her can make such an impact on so many people in such a short period of time. There are times when I smiled, when I wanted to shout at these narrow-minded people, and when I just wanted to cheer for Stargirl.

Stargirl Caraway is the kind of person everyone strives to be but is too afraid. We're afraid of the world and what it will say. We would all like to be so carefree that we could stand up in the middle of a high school cafeteria and sing "Happy Birthday" with a ukulele. We'd like to be able to wear flapper style dresses one day and an ankle length prairie dress the next. We'd all love to anonymously leave homemade greeting cards for any occasion to a deserving stranger or leave candy hearts for everyone on Valentine's Day. I think I can say that all of us would essentially like to be more like Stargirl. She's a nonconformist, and doesn't give one lick about what others think. She's never even thought to care.

I was touched, and I was left wanting to be just like Stargirl. I think the world would be a more happier place if there were more people like her.

I learned that there is a sequel to this book called Love, Stargirl. I'm pretty skeptical about reading it just because this is one of those books that doesn't need a second part. It's perfect just the way it is. I'm not in a hurry to read it, but if it crosses my path I may just have to. I can't resist Stargirl and her charm.

Fantastic Fiction

For anyone not in the know, I thought I would share one of my favorite websites. Fantastic Fiction is a website that contains information about any author and their list of publish works. If you're trying to find out what books a certain author has published to date and any forthcoming books, this is the site to go to. I spend lots of time on this site because I'm really into reading series and it's nice to have a list and publication dates for these books so I know which one to read next.

Take a look and let me know what you think. If you know of any other sites of this kind please let me know.

Little Stories by Jeff Roberts

Little Stories by Jeff Roberts is a collection of 11 short stories written by the author during his time as an undergraduate student. Each story is somewhat of a snapshot of life in general, and what people go through during this journey. While some of the stories are purely fictional, there are times when I wondered if a few weren't real life accounts (just muddled up a bit in order to call it fiction).

There were a few stories in this book that I would have liked to skip over entirely (Iowa City and Tadpoles), but there are stories that left me with a tear in my eye. My favorite story in this collection was Cosette, a touching account of Roberts and his daughter losing their pet cat. I believe this story effected me because I've been in that situation, and I know how emotionally draining it is to bury a "pet" that was so much more than that; they were a part of the family.

After reading an interview by Roberts, I wasn't surprised to learn that a lot of readers enjoyed The Red and the Black. This one was on my list as one that I enjoyed as well. While Roberts welcomes a daughter into the world, his grandfather is lying in ICU on his deathbed. Through Roberts compelling writing, you find yourself wondering what you would do in that same situation. Would you sneak your newborn daughter into an ICU to meet her dying grandfather?

That's the beauty of Robert's "little stories." They transplant you into the situation and you find yourself questioning how you would react. I even came across a few stories that seemed to be written about me, and while reading those it came to my attention that Roberts has a gift. He recognizes that life is not all roses and happiness and joyful times. Life is sometimes tough and his little stories are a fantastic snapshot of what some people choose not to pay attention to.

I wished Roberts would have had someone edit his writing a little better. There were typos and incorrect use of simple punctuation. I'm sure this was not the fault of Roberts himself, but just a lack of good editing. I, however, chose to overlook this small detail because the stories were so mesmerizing.

I made a small list of friends and family that may enjoy reading this: friends graduation from college, mothers, daughters, people in relationships, sons, fathers, anyone that has lost a loved one... There is something in this small book for everyone. I suggest you pick this up, pour yourself a cup o' Joe, and let yourself get sucked into this great book.

Yard sales equal BIG scores!

Any reader as bad as I am will know, yard sales are the one place where you can stock up on books for MEGA cheap. Today at work, we had an employee yard sale in the front of our building, and while I didn't sell anything, I most certainly bought! As many of my colleagues were packing up items that didn't sell, I attached myself to them like a leech and bought all the books I could find.


While some aren't my taste, I bought them all anyway because I just couldn't pass them up. Since bookcrossing as become one of my big hobbies, I buy all books I see that are marked down because I just find it extremely fun to "release into the wild."


Here are my latest scores:

• Mirror, Mirror by Judy Baer
• The Baby Came C.O.D. by Marie Ferrarella
• Where There's a Will by Day LeClaire
• Missionary Daddy by Linda Goodnight
• Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks
• The Five-Year Baby Secret by Liz Fielding
• Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
• Three Weeks with My Brother by Nicholas Sparks
• Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
• A Soldier's Heart by Marta Perry
• Kelton's Rules by Peggy Nicholson
• Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen
• Best Friends for Never by Lisi Harrison
• Invasion of the Boy Snatchers by Lisi Harrison
• The Pretty Committee Strikes Back by Lisi Harrison
• Dial L for Loser by Lisi Harrison
• Revenge of the Wannabes by Lisi Harrison
• That Summer by Sarah Dressen
• Pretties by Scott Westerfeld
• The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks
• Sam's Letters to Jennifer by James Patterson
• Angel Eyes by Myrna Mackenzie
• Meeting Her Match by Debra Clopton
• Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks

Phew! Spending the early part of the afternoon labeling books was just the icing on the cake. I think most of the romance novels will ultimately be bookcrossed, but I'm sure most of the YA novels will be devoured pretty quickly. I've been on a teen lit reading frenzy lately.
I hope everyone else scores some good reads this weekend. Let me know what you come across; I'm always adding to my never ending wishlist.

One for the Money by Janet Evanovich

I've never really had much want to read a Janet Evanovich novel. None of my friend's had suggested any of her books, and overall, I just hadn't heard much about her. Of course, I saw this novel in my local supermarket on the bestseller list and I had seen the author's name plenty of times but just never had a reason to want to read anything from her.

A couple weeks ago, as some of you may remember reading, I received a bookcrossing bookbox and one of the books I selected was One for the Money. I figured I'd give Evanovich a try since I've seen her books EVERYWHERE, and I can honestly say I'm glad I did.

One for the Money is the first book in the Stephanie Plum series. Stephanie Plum is a layed off retail buyer who is looking for a job in order to keep from losing her apartment and living on the streets. As suggested by her mother, she asks her cousin Vinny, a bail bondsman, for a job as a bounty hunter. After hearing of a 10,000 dollar reward for the capture of her old flame, Morelli, Stephanie takes on the challenge.

Stephanie Plum is just the kind of character I can rally behind. Evanovich does a great job giving the reader a female protagonist that readers can relate with and ultimately root for. I found myself several times while reading the novel actually wishing that I could go on these excursions with Stephanie. She's just the kind of gal I would befriend, and that's what makes her so endearing. She's tough, and she doesn't take any crap. While she definitely makes tons of beginners mistakes, she keeps going.

I've told myself over the last few months that I'm going to try to stop reading so many book series. I'm not sure what it is lately that has drawn me to them, but I just can't stop. I guess I can put Janet Evanovich's Plum series on my list as well.

Sorry for the absence.

It's been a little while since I last updated and I just want to apologize. Last Friday I came down with a really bad cold which lasted until Monday, and now boyfriend has caught the cold as well. While I'm slowly trying to get over this bug (the sinus cocktail and antibiotics are helping), I haven't been in much of a mood to read. It's hard to digest what I'm reading when every part of my body is aching. I'm not even going to mention the endless amount of Kleenex I've gone through in the span of a week. Hopefully this misery will be over with in the next few days and I'll be back to my old self.

In case you keep up with my "currently reading" selections, I did finish Janet Evanovich's One for the Money. I plan to most my review tomorrow, and hopefully be able to finish up Forever Lily.

Sorry again for being AWOL for so long. Surely I won't have a reason for that again anytime soon.

Reading Update

I read the first small background chapter of Lost by Jack Ketchum and while it held my attention, I still find myself wondering if I'll be able to get through it. As of right now, it will be put to the side so I can read a book that was just sent to me by a PR rep to review.

Forever Lily by Beth Nonte Russell is the new book I've received and the subject matter looks very interesting. Russell accompanies her friend to China because her friend wants to adopt a child. When they get there, Russell's friend distances herself from the child and Russell soon takes over. She soon finds herself in love with this baby and starts on the journey of adopting this baby herself.

I'm very excited to start reading this one. We've all heard stories about chinese adoption, but I don't think I've ever heard of a story quite like this one. Of course, you all know as soon as I finish I will post a review as soon as possible. Until then, keep reading!

Wishing for Wicked my Sara Shepard

Okay, I may be a dork (call it what you want), but I'm thrilled to death about the November 25 release of Wicked by Sara Shepard. This will be a wonderful birthday gift seeing as how my birthday is three days later.

If you haven't read the series yet, I suggest that you read it--IMMEDIATELY! I promise you, if you are a fan of teen fiction, then you will not be disappointed. I compare these novels to the Desperate Housewives sitcom just because there is so much...juice, dirt, gusto! You'll be finding yourself up at two in the morning continually turning the pages wanting to know what happens next.
I promise you all that I will have a review of this book posted as soon as it reaches my little hands. Until then, I shall be counting down the days until it's here.

Long, Lean, and Lethal by Heather Graham

I bought this novel along with several others at a garage sale during the read-a-thon, and didn't really think it would be my kind of read. I frequently buy books with hopes that they will be a nice change of pace for me, and if they aren't then I can bookcross them. This one was pretty enjoyable, and it was definitely a quick read (this one was read in about 2 days).

Heather Graham is new to me and while she may be a bestseller, I had never really heard of her. Just by judging the cover I thought this one was going to be a cheesy romance novel (the hot pink cover with a man on it kind of got me), but it just reiterated the fact that you can't judge a book by its cover. Far from a cheesy romance, this novel was a who-did-it thriller that held my attention to the last page.

Jennifer Connolly, a soap opera actress, has much to fear. Her mother has received notes from an anonymous person threatening to kill her daughter. Two other Hollywood actresses are murdered and it's suspected that the killer could be someone close to her. Conar, her stepbrother and love interest in the book, has promised Jennifer's mother that he will protect her, but he can only do so much. Jennifer even has suspicion that Conar may be the killer, but out of all her acquaintances, who is it really?

I'm not a huge fan of mystery/thrillers, and I don't read a lot of them so for me to enjoy this book is saying a lot. I'm not sure if it is because I'm craving easy reads lately, or just because this novel was actually pretty good. Read it and find out for yourself. I will warn you though, it is a good book but with a cheesy ending. I found myself rolling my eyes at the end, and I'm sure you will too. Don't let that discourage you from reading though. Most books of this kind end in the exact same way, whether we like it or not.

Long semi-bookish weekend.

This weekend probably shouldn't be called the "bookish weekend" but really the "I'm too tired to read so I'll just collect more books weekend." Friday, the boyfriend and I went to Nashville to see The Crystal Method. I took my current read, Long, Lean, and Lethal by Heather Graham, hoping I could get some reading done on the trip there, but that just didn't seem to happen. Both of us were too anxious and excited to get there.

After a three hour trip home on 3 hours of sleep, we were both extremely ready to be home. Low-a-behold when I pull into the driveway, there is a bookcrossing bookbox waiting for me on the porch. Even though I was pretty much having to hold my eyelids open, I tore open the box and looked through. These are the books I've decided to keep.

The Lost by Jack Ketchum
Silent Night 2 by R.L. Stine
Dust to Dust by Tami Hoag
Anatomy of Fear by Jonathan Santlofer
One for the Money by Janet Evanovich

There is no method to my book picking madness. If it looks interesting in anyway, then I take it. If my interest is piqued in anyway then I might as well give it a try. I'll just end up bookcrossing it if I don't enjoy it. I'm also thinking of doing a few giveaways on Book and Cranny so make sure you check back for those.

So now, that my long weekend is nearing it's end, I will pick the book back up and continue to update.

The Westing Game

This is another book I chose to read during the read-a-thon. Anyone that really knows me will know that I don't really read too much children's literature (besides Harry Potter, of course), but I picked this one up because I wanted a change of pace. I received just that. This book was such a fun read and reminded me of my childhood days, as this is just the kind of book I would have read when I was young. Actually, I'm quite surprised I never read this one as a child.

In this book, a millionaire Paper company owner, Mr. Westing, dies and his Sixteen heirs have to play a game invented by him. The game, which is layed out in his will, instructs the heirs that they must figure out who his murder is by the clues he left behind. What they soon find out is that the murder is one of the sixteen heirs, but who is it?

It was so much fun reading this and trying to figure out the murder along with the other characters. Maybe I'm slow, but I only realized who it was right before everyone else did. I did have lots of fun reading this and realized why this book was awarded the Newberry prize. Ellen Raskin has a knack for keeping the reader involved in the story. There were times when I was kind of reminded of the game Clue which was a favorite game of mine growing up (along with Guess Who?). I had lots of fun reading this one, and it made me realize that it's actually fun to read children's books occassionally. Apparently, I'm not the only one that enjoyed this one...

As Gene Shalit from The Today Show said about this novel, 'The Westing Game is wonderful-part mystery story, part play-along game, part do-it-yourself puzzle."

Booklist said, "A supersharp mystery...Confoundingly clever, and very funny."

Buy this one for your children or if, like me, you are wanting to morph into your childhood self for a while. Pick this one up and don't be embarrassed about it. As I found out, it's nice to feel like a child again.

The Other Woman by Jane Green

During the 24 Hour Read-A-Thon I had the opportunity to finish reading The Other Woman by Jane Green. I've read a few others of hers in the past and have really enjoyed them (although I must say that Jemima J was my favorite).

This book follows Ellie through her engagement and first two years of marriage. Her mother has died when she was younger and has never really know the love of a mother. When she becomes engaged to Dan, his mother, Linda, feels the need to try everything she can to make Ellie feel like part of the family-part of a family.

Ellie immediately finds Linda overbearing and intrusive. In a way, I kind of agree with Ellie. There are times when I find Linda to be absolutely unbearable and find myself feeling sorry for poor Ellie. During the course of the novel, things start to unravel in her life and you're soon finding Ellie fighting for every realtionship in her life, including the one with her mother-in-law.

I enjoyed this novel mostly because it kept my attention during the 24 hour reading binge, but also because Jane Green realistically portrays marriage and the hardest realtionship of all, the daughter and mother-in-law relationship. Jane Green has a great talent of keeping her novels fun, light, easy reads while at the same time taking on serious issues.

I recommend this book for anyone that has in-laws that they love but just can't quite connect with. It will really shine some light on it all for you.

Hour 22 and I'm done.

I read over 500 pages and stayed up 22 hours. I'm exhaused and completely non-functional right now. I'm sure I'll wake up after a nice sleep and just gasp at all my typing errors and absurd sentences.

I want to thank every person that took time to come visit me here and send me good luck messages. Your encouragement kept me going for as long as I did. I don't think I could have lasted this long without you guys. Thanks again!

I'm not off to brush my teeth and cuddle up in the bed.

Read-A-Thon: Hour 21

Title of book(s) read since last update: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
Number of books read since you started: I'm on book 3
Pages read since last update: 11
Running total of pages read since you started: 509
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 27 min
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 12 hrs 11 min
Mini-challenges completed: 10
Other participants you’ve visited: Checked in at Dewey's page and left a comment in hopes that I will win a box of books. I also left a few comments on other readers blogs (the ones still awake) encouraging them to stay awake.
Prize you’ve won: None

I'm really about to fall asleep in my book. There are a few moment here and there that I can think clearly for a few minutes. At these times I think I may just be able to make it. However, I'm going to try my hardest to get through hour 22.

Read-A-Thon: Hour 20

Title of book(s) read since last update: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
Number of books read since you started: I'm on book 3
Pages read since last update: 17
Running total of pages read since you started: 498
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 34 min
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 11 hrs 44 min
Mini-challenges completed: 10
Other participants you’ve visited: I visited Aerin's list of participants to see who is still reading and blogging and who has gone to bed.
Prize you’ve won: None

I had to go check out what the other bloggers are doing at this hour. Seems like more people are still up than I thought there would be. A part of me really wants to finish the 24 hours, but my body is telling me I can't last much longer. I'm trying to hang in there guys, I really am.

Read-A-Thon: Hour 19

Title of book(s) read since last update: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin and It by Stephen King
Number of books read since you started: I'm on book 3
Pages read since last update: 19
Running total of pages read since you started: 481
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 40 min
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 11 hrs 10 min
Mini-challenges completed: 10
Other participants you’ve visited: Visited the RIP III Challenge blog. Prize you’ve won: None

Oh goodness! The word on the page are not really staying ON the page anymore, they're kind of swimming across the page as I'm reading. I finished the RIP III Challenge where I had to read a scary book for an hour (It by Stephen King), and now I'm terrified to go outside and smoke. I don't do scary books at night. I just don't. ;)

Now I'm going to continue with The Westing Game and hopefully finish it before the 24 hours is up or either I pass out-whichever comes first.

RIP III mini-challenge

I started reading It by Stephen King for the RIP III Challenge. I decided to stop my reading for a second to let you all know. In order to me eligible you must participate for the full hour. I will up date you all on my reading in this post at the end of the hour.

PS. It's a little spooky reading this when the house is silent and I'm up all by myself. :(

**UPDATE**I read 16 pages of It and now I'm glad I'm done with that challenge! Phew, I'm not a huge fan of reading scary books late at night in silence. No way, Jose. More like when the sun is out and there are plenty of people around. Hehe

Thanks for hosting this challenge!

Read-A-Thon: Hour 18

Title of book(s) read since last update: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
Number of books read since you started: I'm on book 3
Pages read since last update: 21
Running total of pages read since you started: 462
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 41 minutes
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 10 hrs 30 min
Mini-challenges completed: 9
Other participants you’ve visited: Went to Dewey's blog and answered the question for the hour.
Prize you’ve won: None

Ugh, I'm starting to get that "I don't think I can go much longer" feeling. I knew last hour when my head started to feel heavy that it was not looking good for me. I haven't had a cup of coffee in a couple hours so I'm refueling. I have to make it, I just have to!

Boyfriend went to bed and from now on I'm up alone. Now things will start to get really challenging with no one here to help keep me away. It's pure will power now...and not to mention the book I'm reading! The Westing Game is a fun book. I'm just cracking up over Turtle, she's a hoot!

Read-A-Thon: Hour 17

Title of book(s) read since last update: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
Number of books read since you started: I'm on book 3
Pages read since last update: 24
Running total of pages read since you started: 462
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 37 minutes
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 9 hrs 49 min
Mini-challenges completed: 9
Other participants you’ve visited: I went over to Tracy's blog to participate in her mini-challenge. I had to provide a caption to a funny photo she posted.
Prize you’ve won: None

The Westing Game keeps me turning the pages. They just received the clues and are pondering over what they mean. I'm trying to get a feel for all the different characters so I can figure out who the murderer is!

Read-A-Thon: Hour 16

Title of book(s) read since last update: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
Number of books read since you started: I'm on book 3
Pages read since last update: 8
Running total of pages read since you started: 438
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 16 minutes
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 9 hrs 12 min
Mini-challenges completed: 8
Other participants you’ve visited: None this hour. I've been too busy reading all my comments! I was reader of the hour!!
Prize you’ve won: None..although reader of the hour was prize enough!

Wow...this past hour has been crazy! I was selected as reader of the hour and I must say I was absolutely overwelmed by the inflow of comment messages I received in my inbox during this time! Thanks to everyone that left me comments and kind words! I can't say it enough; you guys are awesome!

As for my reading, I wasn't able to get too much reading done this past hour. I read all my comments left by you terrific people and boyfriend and I ran to Sonic for a late night hot fudge cake sundae. I might regret this sugar intake later in the night, but it was just so delicious.

Read-A-Thon: Hour 15

Title of book(s) read since last update: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
Number of books read since you started: I'm on book 3
Pages read since last update:26
Running total of pages read since you started: 430
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 33 minutes
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 8 hrs 56 min
Mini-challenges completed: 8
Other participants you’ve visited: I went to softdrink's page to participate in the Top 10 challenge.
Prize you’ve won: None


I just want to say, since I didn't elaborate in my last update, that The Other Woman by Jane Green was a pretty good read. It really sheds light on the whole mother and daughter-in-law relationship. Also, it realistically portrays marriage and the work you must put into it to make it work. I'm not reading some children's literature-The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin.

Top 10 List Mini-Challenge

This one is hosted by Softdrink. We're supposed to make a Top 10 list like on David Letterman that has a read-a-thon theme. Here's mine.

TOP 10 WAYS YOU KNOW YOU'VE HAD TOO MUCH COFFEE DURING THE READ-A-THON

10. Just the smell makes you feel perkier.
9. You can't even think about going to sleep.
8. Your hands feel empty without a cup in it.
7. You can't find your coffee mug and start to freak out, and scold your boyfriend when you find out he washed it when you were obviously still using it.
6. You automatically fill the coffee pot when you see it's close to empty.
5. You can't keep your fingers still enough to type a coherent sentence.
4. You can no longer taste food because you have continuously taken your first sip when it was still entirely too hot.
3. Your urine begins to smell like coffee.
2. Your mind races so fast you can no longer remember what you were just thinking.

AND NUMBER ONE....
1. You now know why they call coffee a natural laxative.

I had tons of fun with this one! Thanks softdrink!

Read-A-Thon: Hour 14

Title of book(s) read since last update: The Other Woman by Jane Green
Number of books read since you started: 2
Pages read since last update:21
Running total of pages read since you started: 404
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 30 minutes
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 8 hrs 23 min
Mini-challenges completed: 7
Other participants you’ve visited: None...was trying to finish up this book.
Prize you’ve won: None

Okay, I finally finished reading The Other Woman by Jane Green. Only took me 8 hrs and 23 min! hehe So, now my problem is picking my next read. Hmm...I guess I could pick up where I left off in A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby or maybe one of my new yard sale finds? Guess you'll have to wait until my next update to see what I decided..

Read-A-Thon: Hour 13

Title of book(s) read since last update: Same one- The Other Woman by Jane Green
Number of books read since you started: 2
Pages read since last update:10
Running total of pages read since you started: 383
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 13 minutes
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 7 hrs 53 min
Mini-challenges completed: 7
Other participants you’ve visited: I haven't visited any blogs this hour besides Dewey's to check in for the hour.
Prize you’ve won: None

Friend finally left and now it's back to reading. :) Sorry for the late update.

Mini-Challenge: Mid-Event Survey

This seems to be a mini-challenge Dewey is hosting. She does so much, you have to love her!

Mid-Event Survey:

1. What are you reading right now? The Other Woman by Jane Green

2. How many books have you read so far? 2

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? I'm really looking forward to the RIP III Challenge. I picked up It by Stephen King just for the event.

4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day? Nope. I work one Saturday a month and luckily this weekend was not my weekend to work. Perfect timing I would guess.

5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? Well I'm currently dealing with plenty of interruptions. My boyfriends friend just showed up with his girlfriend and two kids. :( So I'm sure I won't be doing as much reading as I'd like until they leave. Other than that, my interruptions haven't been too bad. I had to help my boyfriend a few times with winterizing the boat, but nothing that took longer than 5 min or so.

6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? The cheerleaders, the readers, and random people stopping by to wish me good luck. I'm honestly overwelmed by everyone's kindness.

7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? Not really, I think everything was very well organized. Thanks to Dewey and all the other co-hosts.

8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year? Make sure I have the house to myself for the day. heh

9. Are you getting tired yet? Surprisingly, no. I'm sure that will all change around midnight.

10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered? I'm really not sure. This is my first Read-A-Thon and I'm just learning as I go. Maybe some alumni gave give ME some tips! :)

Read-A-Thon: Hour 12

Phew...halfway through! I'm close to being done with this Jane Green novel. I'm just trying to figure out what I will work on next now that I have these new books I bought at the yard sale during the mini-challenge.

Here are my stats:

Title of book(s) read since last update: Same one- The Other Woman by Jane Green
Number of books read since you started: 2
Pages read since last update:26
Running total of pages read since you started: 373
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 52 minutes
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 7 hrs 40 min
Mini-challenges completed: 6
Other participants you’ve visited: Too many to list. I visited most of the people that commented on Kim's blog under the Walkin' & Snappin' mini-challenge.
Prize you’ve won: None

People finally showed up. Expect my reading time to dwindle. :(

Read-A-Thon: Hour 11

No new reading this hour. My stats are the same as last hour. I've been participating in a mini-challenge and chatting a bit with boyfriend (which feels a little neglected today). A BIG thanks goes out to all that have commented with words of encouragement. You don't know how much it all means to me.

Good luck to all fellow readers! We're almost halfway there!

Walkin' & Snappin' Mini-Challenge

I just finished doing Kim's Walkin' & Snappin' Mini-Challenge for the Read-A-Thon. For this challenge, I was supposed to take a short walk and take pictures of the things I see along the way. I decided for this challenge to take a short walk down the street to visit a neighbor's garage sale. They were in the process of packing up and I figured it would be the perfect time to see if they had any books they were willing to part with.



A picture of the garage sale from a distance.



What I scored at the sale.

I would say my walk was a successful one. Thanks so much for the opportunity Kim! Not only did I get a little exercise, but also some new reading material!

Read-A-Thon: Hour 10

Title of book(s) read since last update: Same one- The Other Woman by Jane Green
Number of books read since you started: 2
Pages read since last update:26
Running total of pages read since you started: 347
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 24 minutes
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 6 hrs 48 min
Mini-challenges completed: 5
Other participants you’ve visited: Still trying to catch up on my reading. I promise to visit other bloggers during the couple off hours I decide to take.
Prize you’ve won: None

Boyfriend is inviting company over. We'll see how that affects my reading. :/

Read-A-Thon:Hour 9

Title of book(s) read since last update: Same one- The Other Woman by Jane Green
Number of books read since you started: 2
Pages read since last update:81
Running total of pages read since you started: 321
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 50 min
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 6 hrs 24 min
Mini-challenges completed: 5
Other participants you’ve visited: None this hour. Tried to catch up on the reading because of the hour I missed for showering.
Prize you’ve won: None

Now I'm really starting to feel bad for poor Ellie. I'm still rooting for her though, and while I haven't been able to visit too many blogger's page this hour, I'm rooting for you all too! Good luck readers! Keep plowing through the pages.

Read-A-Thon: Hour 8

Title of book(s) read since last update: Same one- The Other Woman by Jane Green
Number of books read since you started: 2
Pages read since last update:46
Running total of pages read since you started: 260
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 1 hr 10 min
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 6 hrs 44 min
Mini-challenges completed: 5
Other participants you’ve visited: None this hour
Prize you’ve won: None

Oh goodness, my book is something else! I don't want to give anything away, but things don't seem to be going well for poor Ellie right now. I hope things end ok, I really do.

Read-a-Thon: Hour 7

Just completed hour 7! Here are the stats:

Title of book(s) read since last update: Same one- The Other Woman by Jane Green
Number of books read since you started: 2
Pages read since last update:26
Running total of pages read since you started: 214
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 45 min
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 5 hrs 34 min
Mini-challenges completed: 5
Other participants you’ve visited: I commented on the readers of the hour blogs, Tammy and J.C. Montgomery
Prize you’ve won: None

Read-A-Thon:Hour 6

Title of book(s) read since last update: Same one- The Other Woman by Jane Green
Number of books read since you started: 2
Pages read since last update:26
Running total of pages read since you started: 188
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 45 min
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 4 hrs 49 min
Mini-challenges completed: 4
Other participants you’ve visited: This hour I visited Meryl's blog and took part in the mini-challenge she was hosting. I had to submit a quote from any of the books I've read today so far. I entered in one from The Other Woman by Jane Green which you can view by going to her blog.
Prize you’ve won: None

Things are going well so far. I'm just dealing with minor interruptions here and there mainly do to the fact that my boyfriend is winterizing the boat today and needs my help for little things here and there. I think I'm going to continue with the same book for hour 7. The more I read, the more enraged I become with the "other woman" which is in fact the mother-in-law of the main character, Ellie. I'm having fun with it.

Read-A-Thon:Hour 5

Title of book(s) read since last update: Same one- The Other Woman by Jane Green
Number of books read since you started: 2
Pages read since last update:30
Running total of pages read since you started: 162
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 1 hr
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 3 hrs 56 min
Mini-challenges completed: 3
Other participants you’ve visited: Valentina and Chris
Prize you’ve won: None

I had to battle my boyfriend over quiet time. He insisted on turning the TV and continuously asking me questions while he was making breakfast. Nevermind, it doesn't matter. I will now try to participate in the 6th hour's mini-challenge.

Read-A-Thon:Hour 4

Just to let everyone know. I'm posting at the end of the hours. So while most people are posting their blogs and hour ahead of me (for example, most bloggers are calling this hour 5), I'm posting at the end of the hour and there for my post look like I'm an hour behind. In all actuality, I started on time even though it was hard to get out of bed this morning.

So at the end of the hour, I will update. I haven't read anymore since my last update because I had to take shower and refresh my coffee supply (although I believe this will be my last cup for a while because I'm already getting coffee jitters). So now I will continue where I left off with The Other Woman by Jane Green.

I'll update my end of the hour progress close to noon.

Read-A-Thon:Hour 3

Title of book(s) read since last update: Still on The Other Woman by Jane Green
Number of books read since you started: 2
Pages read since last update:41
Running total of pages read since you started: 132
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 56 minutes
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 2 hrs and 56 min
Mini-challenges completed: 2
Other participants you’ve visited: I went to all the co-hosts pages and thanked them for helping with the Read-A-Thon
Prize you’ve won: None

I'm really enjoying this Jane Green novel. I believe I will now take a small break and take a quick shower.

Read-A-Thon: Hour 2

Well I've moved on to The Other Woman by Jane Green which I had already read 50 pages into. Here are my stats:

Title of book(s) read since last update:The Other Woman by Jane Green
Number of books read since you started: 2-although none completed yet.
Pages read since last update:48
Running total of pages read since you started:91
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 1 hour
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 2 hours
Mini-challenges completed: 2
Other participants you’ve visited: Sarah at http://www.dillonslattery.com
Prize you’ve won: None

Thanks checking in...now time to open the book back up!

Read-A-Thon: Hour 1

Hour 1 was spent reading Sex Fantasies for Women by Women by Lisa Sussman. I can honestly say that I might already have to switch to something different for a little while. Reading the word "orgasm" over and over this early in the morning isn't really helping me much. heh

Dewey posted some introduction questions on her site that I will go ahead and answer.

Where are you reading from today? I have a small stack of books reserved for today which can change at any given time. As of right now I have:
Sex Fantasties for Women by Women by Lisa Sussman
A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby (recommended by my friend Josh)
The Other Woman by Jane Green
Where or When by Anita Shreve
Enticing by Lori Foster
Navy Husband by Debbie Macomber
Lost and Found by Jacqueline Sheehan
It by Stephen King

All books I have never read before but some I may have started and not gotten very far. I have plenty of bookmarks to go around and plan on reading bits and pieces from each book.

3 facts about me …
1. I love rock and roll concerts. Tool puts on a fantastic show.
2. Ticks terrify me.
3. I have a book buying addiction. Please help. hehe

How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?
I guess it's 8 as of right now. Although I have no plans of completing them all during this 24 hours.

Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)? Well, I don't really have too many goals. I would like to stay up for the whole 24 hours and that's a big enough goal for me I guess. It would be nice to have a few comments on my blogs because it's still fairly new.

If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, Any advice for people doing this for the first time? No, this is my first time doing the Read-A-Thon. I'm having fun though!


Well now I need to update you on my reading. Phew that last hour just flew by, but time always seems to fly by when I'm reading.

Title of book(s) read since last update:Sex Fantasies for Women by Women by Lisa Sussman
Number of books read since you started:Haven't finished any yet. Still on book 1.
Pages read since last update:
Running total of pages read since you started: 43
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 1 hour
Running total of time spent reading since you started:1 hour
Mini-challenges completed:2
Other participants you’ve visited:Well, during the days leading up to the event I've comment on several other reader's blogs. However, this morning, just starting out, I've dedicated the first hour mostly to reading and this update. I hope to visit others blogs soon enough.
Prize you’ve won: None as of yet.

5 minutes left until Read-A-Thon begins.

Alrighty, my coffee is brewed and my books are stacked. I stocked up on cigarettes and I'm ready to go! I think I'll start my reading with Sex Fantasies for Women by Women so I can at least feel like I've finished a book during the 24 hour period. Some of my selections I know I will not get through, and are mostly there for variety.

The last 15 minutes have been spent contemplating this whole thing. "What have I gotten myself into this time?" It's okay though. I have a feeling it's going to be a lot of fun and very rewarding in the end to say I've actually read continuously during a 24 hour period. How many others can say that?

So I'll be using a template for my hour updates that Dewey has provided on her page. Every hour I hope to update so please stick with me.

I want to wish all the other readers good luck, and thank the cheerleaders for their words of encouragement. Above all, thanks to Dewey for organizing this event! You're an angel. :)

Read-A-Thon Book Choices

So I've been at work all day stressing about what to read tomorrow for the 24 Hour Read-A-Thon. Yeah, yeah. I know I've kind of waited until the last minute to figure all this out, but Covington, TN is not the place to buy books. I was hoping that while I was in Memphis yesterday I could stop by Goodwill and stock up on some good novels for cheap, but alas, I couldn't. I had to rush to Memphis after work, pick up my relatives and best friend, and head to the movie theater so we could wait in line in the freezing cold. BTW, The Secret Life of Bees movie was great! The movie stayed true to the book and was portrayed very well on film. Go see it!

Now let me get back on track. My book choices so far are as follows:

1. Sex Fantasies for Women by Women by Lisa Sussman
2. A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby
3. The Other Woman by Jane Green
4. Where or When by Anita Shreve
5. Enticing by Lori Foster
6. Navy Husband by Debbie Macomber
7. Lost and Found by Jacqueline Sheehan

I still need to go by Wal-Mart (Covington's only "bookstore") tonight and pick up something for the RIP III mini-challenge. Maybe some Stephen King (sigh), but hopefully I won't have to resort to that. Everyone knows Stephen King is not my favorite writer, to say the least.

I'll be waking up in the morning at 6am. That should give me enough time to take a quick shower, brew a pot of coffee, gather my books, and log online to set up my first blog of the 24 hours. I'm interested to check out other readers blogs as well and check in on their progress. It'll be fun to know that more than 100 readers will all be reading at the same time for a same common goal.

Please feel free to check in on me tomorrow and leave me a comment or two. I could use any kind words or encouragement tomorrow, especially in the later hours when my head is going to feel like a brick. I'm looking forward to it though. Bring on the books!

Special "Secret Life of Bees" movie screening.

I read The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd about a year ago and absolutely loved it. Now they're making a movie out of this great novel and I was lucky enough to score free tickets (courtesy of a book club I'm in)! The movie has tons of big name actors and actresses such as Queen Latifah, Alicia Keyes, Jennifer Hudson, Paul Bettany, and Dakota Fanning. I think the casting is excellent, although I don't really care for Dakota Fanning too much.

I'm not going to go into what the book is about because I believe most people have read this one already (and if you haven't then you should go read it right now). However, here's the trailer for anyone interested in viewing it.


While I'm usually skeptical about movies based on books, I still find myself anxious to go see them. This is especially true when I've loved the book in the past. I'm going to this special viewing on October 16th so I'll be sure to let you all know what I thought.

24 Hour Read-A-Thon

I've decided today after much debating that I will be taking part in the 24 hour Read-A-Thon on October 18. That means I'll be waking my happy butt up at 7:00am and reading until 7am the next day. Yes, I may be crazy and foolish, but to this ole bookworm it sounds like tons of fun.

I'll be updating every hour or so on my reading and my progress which everyone can track here. I'm sure there will be plenty of post that don't make much sense, but just bare with me! I plan on making it through all 24 hours (although I can't guarantee anything). I'd appreciate any support from readers, so please feel free to stop by and give me a comment with a little encouragement. My sleep deprived mind will be thrilled!

If you're interested in signing up as a reader or a cheerleader (spend time checking up on the reader's blogs and giving them words of encouragement), then please feel free to check out the website. http://deweymonster.com/?page_id=722

Lusting.

While checking out Amazon.com one day, I saw an advertisement on their main page for their new ebook reader. The Amazon Kindle.

I've always liked the idea of an ebook but never felt compelled to buy one. The paper book always seemed more appealing to me. However, when I saw the Amazon Kindle and read all the features, I started drolling. I started showing it to anyone that would look and listen to be. I even begged.

This device has tons of cool features that other ebooks don't. First, it has wireless internet so you don't ever have to connect it to a computer to download new books. Just connect to the Amazon store and download wirelessly. It also has a built in dictionary and access to Wikipedia!

My favorite feature of all is the screen. The Amazon Kindle has "electronic paper" which basically means that the screen isn't back lit. The background of the screen is white so it reads just like paper. Your eyes won't be straining after reading like they would if you'd been staring at a computer screen for a while.

All the reviews I've read have been great. There were one or two people that didn't like the layout of the buttons, but most of the complaints have been of a cosmetic sort. The price tag? 350 dollars. Yes, it's a bit pricey but if you purchase it through Amazon, shipping is free.

I would like to tell you how I have personally enjoyed it, but I haven't been able to scrap up enough cash to purchase one yet. When I do, I'll be sure to post a review. Until then, if anyone has purchased one, please tell me how you like it or dislike it. I would love to know what others think.