Book and Cranny

I'm back!!!!

2011-09-22T12:00:00.000-05:00

Dear Everyone,

Ashley here. As you all may be aware by now, this blog has undergone some changes in the past 2+ years, but in reality, they're a result of changes in my personal life. I've enjoyed very much reading books and reviewing them, and making friendships with authors out there that trust me enough to let me review their books. I informed you all a while back (over 2 years ago..) that I became engaged, and not long after that I stopped updating as much. My personal life ended up taking me away from this blog, and I'm still a little sad about that. Planning a wedding is a lot of work! Phew!

Then, I became bogged down in life and all that entails. When I knew that I wouldn't be able to update as much, I added my best friend Jessica (blondy) as a co-author to this blog. I'm so glad I did! If it weren't for her, this blog would have crashed and died a long time ago!

This past year my husband and I found out we would be having our first child, and the following 9 months were filled with doctor's appointment, baby books, nursery decorating, and so on. That whole time Jessica was here, faithfully keeping this blog afloat. Thanks, girl! I really appreciate it!

Now that life has settled down a bit (as much as it can when you have a 4 month old), I would like to start reviewing again. I started this whole blog because I love to read, I love to write, and I love making contacts with other people. This blog has brought me the opportunity to do that, and quite frankly, I missed it. The whole time I was absent, I never forgot about Book and Cranny. It's kind of my baby...which now makes me even more sad that I abandoned my baby! What kind of mother am I?!?

So, dear readers, I'm back and I'm ready to be a good mother again. Except now, there are two parents! Jessica will remain a co-author with me. Where my reading interests end, hers usually begins. Maybe this will make for a more rounded group of opinions. Hope all you faithful readers continue to come back, and we'll try our best to bring you some great reviews.

Thanks so much!

Love,

Ashley

I love being stalked by my husband's exes! :)

2011-08-23T13:34:00.002-05:00

Ever since I've started Book and Cranny AND my other personal site (which, to all my loyal fans/stalkers is now blocked), I've ran Google Analytics on my blogs. If you're unfamiliar with how Analytics works, it works by telling a website owner (in this case, me) every little detail about every visitor visiting my blogs. It's used as a tool to webmasters that allow them to better advertise their site. I can tell where a vistor is viewing my blog from down to the exact city they're in, how many times they view my page, for how long, and exactly how they found my site (what keywords, search engine, etc.).

I've never really used it for any purpose other than what it was intended for, but lately I went on to my Google Analytics page and viewed the statistics for both my personal and my Book and Cranny site to see what kind of traffic I've been getting. I was very surprised by what I saw! Apparently my husband's exes are avid readers of both of my blogs!! How special am I?? This is a screen shot of my best friend Google Analytics:

This is only the statistics for my personal blog, but there are views on this blog as well. You see how Google Analytics is a big 'ole tattletail? Poor unsuspecting site stalkers just don't know how bad ole Analytics is telling on them. Bless their hearts! Now I'm blushing from the flattery. :)

THANKSGIVING - JANET EVANOVICH

2011-08-01T15:23:00.002-05:00

I’m going to make this short, but unfortunately not sweet which is really hard for me since Janet Evanovich is one of my favorite authors. So writing negative things about her are hard.

When Megan Murphy discovered a floppy-eared rabbit gnawing on the hem of her skirt, she meant to give its careless owner a piece of her mind, but Dr. Patrick Hunter was too attractive to stay mad at for long. Soon the two are making Thanksgiving dinner for their families.

Thanksgiving is one of the single author romance novels Evanovich wrote previous to her critically acclaimed Stephanie Plum series. I have read three other of the single author romance novels and have enjoyed each a lot. They are easy stories of love and attraction of opposites that you can get lost in but aren’t the cheesy burning loins of Harlequin romance novels. Thanksgiving is not an awful book by no means I just did not get the character relationships. Like all romance novels two people have to fall in love and this book is no different but these characters I just didn’t get the ooey gooey lovie dovie feeling. Plus the ending of the book is lacking. You never find out what happened to the baby in the book that they get to watch. Does he go back to live with his parents, but is it a happy life. Do Megan and Patrick have kids? Why is the rabbit which brought to them together never mentioned again after the first few chapters? So many questions that when I finished I literally said out loud “WHAT?” I felt as though I had just wasted the last few hours reading this book. So this book isn’t worth reading because it can actually make you think down on an author that is otherwise really fantastic.

2011-08-01T14:37:00.004-05:00

In the frigid clime of Tumba, Sweden, a gruesome triple homicide attracts the interest of Detective Inspector Joona Linna, who demands to investigate the murders. The killer is still at large, and there’s only one surviving witness—the boy whose family was killed before his eyes. Whoever committed the crimes wanted this boy to die: he’s suffered more than one hundred knife wounds and lapsed into a state of shock. Desperate for information, Linna sees only one option: hypnotism. He enlists Dr. Erik Maria Bark to mesmerize the boy, hoping to discover the killer through his eyes.

It’s the sort of work that Bark has sworn he would never do again—ethically dubious and psychically scarring. When he breaks his promise and hypnotizes the victim, a long and terrifying chain of events begins to unfurl.

An international sensation, The Hypnotist is set to appear in thirty-seven countries, and it has landed at the top of bestseller lists wherever it’s been published—in France, Holland, Germany, Spain, Italy, Denmark. Now it’s America’s turn. Combining the addictive power of the Stieg Larsson trilogy with the storytelling drive of The Silence of the Lambs, this adrenaline-drenched thriller is spellbinding from its very first page.

THIS IS THE DEBUT BOOK BY THE HUSBAND AND WIFE WRITING DUO KNOWN AS LARS KEPLER.

THIS BOOK, AS YOU READ ABOVE, HAS BEEN COMPARED TO LEGENDARY WORKS SUCH AS THE “THE GIRL WHO” TRILOGY BY STEIG LARSSON AND SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. TO ME THIS BOOK IS SO FAR BEYOND THE STIEG LARSSON SERIES THAT THE ONLY THING THE AUTHORS HAVE IN COMMON IS THAT THEY ARE ALL FROM SWEDEN AND WRITE BOOKS IN THE MYSTERY/THRILLER GENRE. THE BOOK AND THE FIRST STORY LINE OF THE TRIPLE HOMICIDE AND THE LONE MALE SURVIVOR WILL REMIND YOU OF THE TWISTEDNESS OF “THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS” AND THE TWISTEDNESS OF THE KILLER/KIDNAPPER.

THE PLOT OF THE STORY TWIST AND TURNS SO MUCH THAT IT KEEPS YOU GUESSING TO WHO THE REAL KILLER/KIDNAPPER WILL BE. THIS BOOK HAS SO MANY STORY LINES THAT ARE INTERWOVEN IN THE LAST FEW CHAPTERS SO BEAUTIFULLY THAT IT AMAZES HOW ONE ACTION DOMINOS AL THE OTHERS TO CREATE THIS ELABORATE TALE OF LOVE, MURDER, AND HYPNOSIS.

IF I HAVE TO COME UP WITH SOME CONS TO THE NOVEL THEY WOULD BE SMALL SUCH AS THE BOOK IS VERY LONG. IT IS OVER 500 PAGES LONG, BUT EACH PAGE IS NEEDED. THERE ARE SO MANY DETAILS TO EVERY ACTION AND SCENE THAT THE DUO COULD HAVE MADE A WHOLE SERIES OFF THIS SINGLE NOVEL. THE SECOND WOULD BE SINCE THERE ARE SO MANY STORY LINES AND THE CHAPTERS CHANGE POINT OF VIEWS THAT THEY CAN BECOME A TAD BIT CONFUSING IN THE BEGINNING. THOSE ARE THE ONLY BAD THINGS I COULD POSSIBLE SAY ABOUT THIS BOOK. I ENJOYES THIS BOOK FROM THE FIRST ATTENTION GRABBING PREFACE PAGE TO THE VERY LAST PAGE THAT I HOPE AND PRAY THIS IS NOT THE LAST WE HEAR FROM THE DUO.

IS TINY DANCER REALLY ELTON'S LITTLE JOHN?

2011-06-13T13:05:00.004-05:00

"Sex, Drugs, Rock 'n' Roll, and . . . Ham Sandwiches? If you are a music fan, you may be aware of some of music's most enduring mysteries. Where did Pearl Jam get their name? Are the White Stripes related by blood or by marriage? Did Mama Cass really die from choking on a ham sandwich? Gavin Edwards has heard just about every strange question, racy rumor, and legend of the music world. As the writer of Rolling Stone's "Rolling Stone Knows" column, Edwards proved himself as a one-man encyclopedia of music trivia. Now he shares all of his knowledge with you. Look inside to find the answers to these questions and more: What's the connection between The Beach Boys and Charles Manson? How did Dr. Dre and Eminem meet? Did Mick Jagger and David Bowie really sleep together? What's the deal with Led Zeppelin and the shark? What's the feud between The Smashing Pumpkins and Pavement all about? Was Elton John's "Tiny Dancer" really written about his most private body part? Is Tiny Dancer Really Elton's Little John might not tell you who shot Tupac or why Celine Dion is still allowed to make records, but with thorough research and answers straight from the mouths of the performers themselves, Edwards will help you become a music geek extraordinaire."

I RECENTLY FINISHED THIS BOOK AND LLLOOOVVVEEDD IT! IT IS WRITTEN BY GAVIN EDWARDS WHO HAS WRITTEN THREE OTHER BOOKS ON MISHEARD LYRICS AS WELL AS HAS WRITTEN FOR MAJOR PUBLICATIONS SUCH AS "DETAILS", "SPIN", AND THE ALWAYS FANTASTIC "ROLLING STONE".

FOR THOSE WHO HAVE READ BOOKS SUCH AS "WHY DO MEN HAVE NIPPLES" (and if you haven't read the book you should go get it NOW its awesome) THIS BOOK IS WRITTEN IN THE SAME STYLE OF QUESTION AND ANSWER. BUT DO NOT GET ANY IDEAS THESE ARE NOT YOUR EVERYDAY MUSIC QUESTIONS LIKE CHORDS AND LYRICS. OH NO NO THESE QUESTIONS ARE ABOUT THINGS LIKE CERTAIN BANDS GETTING MOLD OF THEIR PENISES OR PLEASURING A GROUPIE WITH A FISH.

SO IF YOU ARE A TRUE MUSIC FAN OR HELL IF YOU HAVE EVER EVEN HEARD MUSIC THIS IS A GREAT BOOK FOR YOU TO READ. THE AUTHOR KNOWS HIS STUFF AND HE KNOWS WHEN TO BE FUNNY OR A SMART ASS AND ALSO WHEN TO BE COMPLETELY SERIOUS. THIS BOOK LETS YOU INTO THE LIVES AND INTO THE INSPIRATIONS OF OUR FAVORITE CURRENT AND CLASSIC MUSICIANS.

FORGIVE YOURSELF BY ALLIE SAGER

2010-09-21T12:33:00.003-05:00

Evocative and filled with a rare compassion, Forgive Yourself by new author Allie Sager blends supernatural dreamscapes with affairs of the heart and unforgivable betrayal. Smart and telling, the author enlists a stunning and heartfelt prose to weave one woman's reluctant love story. On the surface to the outside world, Sammy Logan might appear to be a woman who has it all, but the fact is she is married to a man who has never truly forgiven her for a past she had no control over. Haunted each day by the vivid secret, she turns to Conner Simpson, a man she has always loved--the man without question who makes her feel complete. Caught on the brink, confused, but certainly not alone, Sammy must first forgive herself, make peace with the dark demons of her past and her mystic ancestral visions before she can truly be free.

This is a book in which I have mixed emotions about. I did enjoy greatly reading this book, but while doing so I had many eye roll moments.

One eye roll reason and this is a “SPOILER ALERT” Do not Read any further if you do not want any of the book told to you…..

The main character Samantha “Sammy” Logan has a grandmother that contacts her and many other characters in the book from beyond the grave. But this does give the book a “Lovely Bones” type feel with the grandmother leading them all to the truths which is the title to….. FORGIVE THEMSELVES.

The second is some of the things Conner says to Sammy, but that maybe the point the author may want you to see how cheesy he is.

But on that note the sex scenes in the book between Connor and Sammy are “Harlequin Romance eat your freaking heart out” moments. That are very descriptive so if your soft hearted then this book is not up your alley, but for us other people it is worth the browse or two….. “wink, wink”!

Now to the serious stuff. This book is not very long, its only 195 pgs and is an easy read. Once in awhile the story line can get confusing such as when in Sammy’s and Conner’s final intimate moment in the hotel room and the interaction of drugs and others being there. But it all works out. Then when it comes to the more graphic subjects discussed in the this work like rape and abuse the author knows when to hold back. Which to me is the sign of a great artist in the works of literature. So this is a great book from a great new author!

"H: A NOVEL" BY BARBARA DINERMAN

2010-06-10T13:43:00.003-05:00

After being infected with herpes, Joan Halprin, a single woman in her mid-thirties, feels untouchable. She spent her youth enjoying worldly experiences in New York and other cities, but now it’s time to start a serious career as a copywriter for a Fort Lauderdale advertising agency. Despite feeling like a pariah in her personal life, Joan is anxious to prove herself professionally.
Fort Lauderdale in the 1980s is experiencing a real estate boom. Joan’s parents have moved from Boston to a retirement community in the area, and her brother and his thrifty wife have settled nearby. But even with the presence of her family, Joan feels isolated with her “H” problem, despite knowing that one in four women, and one in five men, are similarly afflicted.
Her irascible, rotund new boss certainly isn’t helping her regain her self-esteem. But with her irrepressible humor, Joan concocts an extraordinary solution to most of what ails her. Will this creative project work?
“H”: A Novel is an amusing and original tale of office politics, sex, and one woman’s search for her true identity.

THIS IS A FUN AND HIGHLY ENTERTAINING NOVEL. THE MAIN CHARACTER, JOAN, IS WITTY, SMART, AND REAL. SHE IS ACTUALLY A CHARACTER YOU COULD SEE BEING SOMEONE YOU WOULD MEET IN AN EVERYDAY SITUATION. THE WAY SHE REACTS TO SITUATIONS IS THAT OF WHICH MOST PEOPLE WOULD.
I ALSO LIKE THAT EVEN THOUGH THE TITLE OF THE BOO IS "H" THE HERPES IS JUST A MINOR CHARACTER THAT IS KNOWN THROUGH OUT BUT JUST ADDS TO THE STORY AND DOES NOT OVER TAKE IT. I ALSO REALLY ENJOYED THE CHARACTERS OF THIS NOVEL EACH IS UNIQUE AND FUN, EVEN WHEN THEY ARE BEENING MEAN. I DO LIKE THE LITTLE TWIST AT THE END. TO ME IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THIS IS THE AUTHOR'S FIRST NOVEL, AND I CAN'T WAIT TIL SHE PRODUCES MORE WORKS LIKE THIS ONE!
I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO MANY. ITS A VERY EASY READ. IT IS ONLY 118 PAGES SO ITS ALSO A FAST READ. IT RETAILS AT $10.95 AND YOU CAN GET IT VIA THE WEBSITE ABOVE AS WELL AS AMAZON.

ADULATION BY TIANA WILKINS

2010-06-01T15:07:00.004-05:00

ANOTHER CINDERALLA STORY WITH A TWIST. A MUCH NEEDED TWIST. AS A READER ONE OF THE MOST OVER DONE STORIES OF ALL TIME WILL BE THAT OF CINDERELLA OR ANY VARIATION OF IT. THIS STORY IS ONE OF SUCH WITH A YOUNG HIGH SCHOOL GIRL CASSIE WHO LOSES HER FATHER ONLY TO BE RAISED BY HER "EVIL" STEPMOTHER WITH HER TWO DAUGHTERS. CASSIE IS FAILING ALGEBRA; HER MATH TEACHER'S NEPHEW IS A MATH WIZ WHO GOES TO THE LOCAL UNIVERISTY. HER TEACHER GETS HIM TO TUTOR OUR YOUNG CASSIE IN THE SUBJECT AND OMG THEY FALL FOR EACH OTHER. SHOCKER!!! ONE TWIST TO THE STORY, BUT HAS BEEN SEEN IS THAT OF HER STEPSISTERS CAUSE THEY ACTUALLY TURN OUT NOT TO EVIL. ONE OF HER STEP SISTERS IS THE SKINNY YOU GUESS PRETTY SINCE SHE IS SHALL WE SAY A TAD LOOSE AND IN THE BEGINING DOES NOT LIKE THE MAIN CHARACTER SO DOES NOT TREAT HER VERY WELL. THE OTHER IS OVER WEIGHT AND HAS LOW SELF-ESTEEM THAT IS ONLY MADE WORSE BY HER MOTHER AND SISTER SO SHE BEFRIENDS CASSIE. THE OTHER TWISTS WILL JUST HAVE TO BE FOUND OUT WHEN YOU READ THE NOVEL SINCE IT WOULD PROBABLY TOTALLY RIUN THE STORY IF I WAS TO TELL THEM SINCE IT IS TOWARDS THE END. THIS TWIST I WILL SAY FOR ME WAS A FIRST IN THE VARATIONS OF THE CINDERELLA STORIES, IT HAS A GRIMM FAIRYTALE FLAIR TO IT!

OVERALL THIS STORY WAS A ROLLERCOASTER FOR ME IN THAT THE FIRST 50 PAGES FLEW BY THEN THE NEXT 40 WERE REALLY SLOW. THEN NEXT 30 AGAIN WERE FAST PACED AND FULL OF EXCITEMENT AND PLOT TWISTS... THEN THE LAST OF THE BOOK WAS SLOW CAUSE IT WAS ALL "HAPPILY EVER AFTER THE END" TYPE STUFF. SO WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK? SURE IT IS ONLY 139 PAGES SO IT DID NOT TAKE ME LONG TO READ IT AND IT IS A SWEET LOVE STORY UNDERNEATH. THEN THE REVENGE CERTAIN CHARACTERS GET IS PRETTY SWEET TOO!

BUT THERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT I FIND ANNOYING OR OFF TO ME IN A WAY, BUT OTHERS MAY NOT FOCUS ON THEM LIKE I DID...... SUCH AS THIS KID, CASSIE, IS IN HIGH SCHOOL NO MATTER IF SHE IS A SENIOR OR NOT SHE IS 17 AND THE "PRINCE CHARMING" TUTOR CHARACTER IS IN COLLEGE AND OVER 21. OTHER IS CASSIE WAS SUPPOSILY A VIRGIN, BUT SHE WAS ON BIRTH CONTROL... WHY? AS WELL AS THEY DO IT ON THEIR FIRST REAL DATE?!?!?! YEAH OKAY.... THAT'S ALL I WILL SPOIL FOR YOU LOL

THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT BARNES AND NOBLES AND AMAZON.COM IT COST RANGES AROUND $17.99 (WHICH FOR A PAPERBACK I DO FEEL IS A LITTLE STEEP).

SO HAPPY READING!!!!

P.S. TO THE AUTHOR TO ME THIS WOULD MAKE A COOL MOVIE!

BODY PARTS: A COLLECTION OF POEMS ABOUT AGING

2010-06-01T13:13:00.003-05:00

THIS IS A COLLECTION OF 50 POEMS ON AGING JUST LIKE THE TITLE SAYS. THEY RANGE FROM THE EARS AND HEARING TO THE KNEES AND BENDING, BUT THEY MUCH MORE THAN THAT SOME EVEN BRING UP THE TOPIC OF AGING IN THAT WHEN YOU REACH A CERTAIN AGE PEOPLE CALL YOU ELDERLY, YET AT TIMES YOU DO NOT FEEL ELDERLY. I ENJOYED MANY OF THESE POEMS IN THIS COLLECTION, BUT I DO GOT TO SAY I CAN NOT FULL GRASP THIS SUBJECT COMPLETELY SINCE I AM ONLY IN MY 20S. I RECOMMEND THOUGH THAT IF YOU HAVE A MOM, DAD, AUNT, UNCLE, OR GRANDPARENTS IT WOULD MAKE A GREAT GIFT TO THEM CAUSE THEY MOST CERTAINLY WOULD ENJOY THE SUBJECT.

THE ONLY REGRESSION I HAVE AGAINST THIS COLLECTION IS NOT ONE AGAINST THE WRITING ITSELF OR THE AUTHOR IT IS THAT I WISHED MORE WERE FUNNY, CAUSE SOME WHERE A TAD SCARY TO ME IN THAT THIS IS WHAT I HAVE LEFT TO FACE WITH MY BODY GIVING OUT.

WITH THIS REVIEW I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A SMALL SPOILER IN THAT I WOULD LIKE TO INCLUDE MY TWO FAVORITE POEMS FROM THE NOVEL SO YOU THE READER CAN SEE THAT THIS NOVEL IS BOTH HUMOROUS, YET SERIOUS. SO IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO HAVE ANY PART SPOILED PLEASE STOP READING HERE......

THE FIRST IS TO ME A MORE HUMOROUS ONE:

MEMORY LAPSES

Several dozen years ago

I was on a TV show.

I won a car and lots of money

"Great Books" and chairs and jars of honey.

My Mind was sharp, right on the mark

I knew I couldn't lose.

These days I'm really lucky

If I can find my shoes.

When I need to park my car

I let the valet mind it.

If I parked my car myself

I don't think I could find it.

Often I see people

I know that I once knew.

But how or where or when we met

I haven't got a clue.

What happened to this memory

That once I often flaunted?

Now when I go get something

I forget what it was I wanted.

(page 2)

AND NOW ONE WITH A MUCH MORE SERIOUS TONE.....

TIME TO DIE

I want to die with dignity.

Not how the system plans for me.

Not in a hospital bed

With many tubes about my head

My body undergoing tests

When all I really need is rest.

For I'll know when and I'll know why

The time has come for me to die.

(page 50)

FROM THESE TWO EXCERTS YOU CAN SEE HOW THIS COLLECTION RANGES.

THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT AMAZON.COM AND OUTSKIRTSPRESS.COM/BODYPARTS. IT IS $10.95, BUT ALL THE AUTHOR'S PROCEEDS FROM THE SALE OF THIS BOOK GO TO THE CSULA EMERITI ASSOCIATION SCHOLARSHIP WHICH WAS SET UP IN THE MEMORY OF HER SON DAVID CAMERON FISHER. SO NOT ONLY WILL YOU GET A GREAT COLLECTIONS OF POEMS ON AGING YOU CARE GIVING TO A GREAT CAUSE!

HAPPY HOUR BY MICHELE SCOTT

2010-05-04T13:05:00.006-05:00

I just had the pleasure of reading this fantastic chick lit book, and let me tell you the title for this book is perfect. This is one book that any woman would love to sit down with and have a great glass of wine. Which is not to be expected from this author who has put out 9 books with Berkley Prime Crime publisher, and has sold 100,000 copies of her books.

Every woman has that group of friends in her life ~ her "go to girls" The friends that she can turn to who "get it." The ones who are there for you no matter what. The ones who laugh with you and cry with you. The ones that will always be there. These are the women of Napa Valley.

Jamie is the editor-in-chief of Wine Lover's Magazine, a single mother and caretaker to her senile mother-in-law ~ a woman who thinks her daily caregiver is Dean Martin. Jamie is still recovering, financially and emotionally from the death of her husband several years earlier. And when she finds what could be the key to happiness, can she open the door and let it in? Or will her feelings of guilt and betrayal hold her back?

Danielle is a vintner and the divorced mom of two. She's basking in what she knows is going to be a successful launch of her new wines. Wines she created on her own after her divorce. But what she doesn't expect is for her daughter to come home with news that will shock her to her core. Will an old flame help her accept the changes that are coming and find the love she's been missing in her life for so long? Or will a tragedy that no one sees coming change their lives forever?

Kat is a sommelier, co-owner of a magnificent restaurant with her chef husband, and mother of a blended family. But is being deeply in love with your husband enough to get them through the teenage years, step-children and exes? And what happens when old faces return and she's faced with the knowledge that not everything is what you thought it was. What happens when she finds she was mad at the wrong person and finds out the "right one" was in the wrong? Can she forgive and move on? Can love overcome everything and truly bring a family together?

Alyssa is an artist and gallery owner with a secret of her own. One she was hoping would stay buried deep in her closet. But the time has come for her to put someone else first, to face the past and to deal with her demons. What she never expected to find was love and her "home."

No matter what is going on in their own lives, no matter the heartache or joy they're experiencing these four women are always there to love, support and encourage each other.

The book begins with a kind of prologue that set up where all the characters are, then it skips to 3 years later. each chapter is told by one of the four characters and tells of their lives and what they are going through. From the first chapter of the prologue the author had my FULL attention. I also really enjoyed that the author told a real story about love, lose, and friendship. The things that happen to these characters are more real than most chick lit stories out there, like in most the main character finds her true love in a multimillionaire that sweeps her off her feet and gives her the world. This is so far from the truth in this book. As the synopsis above shows Jamie has to deal with a husband death, raising her daughter after the fact, and her deceased husbands sick mother. Not much of a fairy tale, but through her friends and there love of wine that brought them together she tried to get through it and survive. As well as even the friends that have what on the outside would like fairy tale lives, we see that on the inside that is right the opposite. And though this book is not a mystery novel in the sense that we are trying to find a killer, its a mystery in that the author leaves clif hanger after clif hanger on what is going on with each character and their little secrets they are afraid to tell, and let me tell you she does and excellent job at keeping you guessing on these secrets. It is a book that will make you laugh out loud and cry all at the same time. So i highly recommend it to anyone especially a woman who has great friends where she can relate to these four women.

If you go to the website there is a short video on the book, but i did not include it since it does give away some of the story and the girl's secrets

RUBY OF THE REALMS BY DAN KAMIN

2010-03-29T11:52:00.004-05:00

On the northwest side of Chicago, Ruby has a perfect life. Her family feeds her everyday, they are home with her all the time, and they allow her to patrol the backyard. What more could a dog ask for? But when Ruby meets Ortis the blue bunny, all of this changes. In order to help Ortis return to his home in The Six Realms, Ruby must jump into the family's pool with the rabbit. Ruby never expected anything to happen. But when the water started swirling and pulled her under, there was nothing the little dog could do. Now Ruby is in Rocia, one of the Six Realms underneath the earth. This new land is fraught with dangers at every corner, from hideous Crites to the ball-like Ozzixites. But something else has been silently pulling strings from inside the Diamond Dust Desert. An evil, older than the world itself, has begun its plans. The fate of the Six Realms and Ruby's home in the world above is at stake. Now, Ruby must brave these strange new lands to save everything she holds dear.

This is the first book by this author and I got to say he did a really good job for his first book. This is a highly creative subject for someone to come up with, its got blue bunnies, talking dogs, and rock men. Yet it is too short. The book is only 187 pages, I know that doesn’t sound so little, but I could see this book spanning over at least 2 or 3 more books. He needs to be more descriptive really intrigue the readers into this fantasy world. It does get a tad boring and tedious in the middle as they are just camping out and walking trying to get to the rock man’s home. The ending is good, but it also again leave me hanging because it is happy in that Ruby does get home and back to her family, but she never gets to say goodbye to the blue bunny or the rock man. Ruby does think if this as she gets back. Is this the author leaving it open for a sequel or is it him leaving me to finish the book on our own?!?!?

The connection the readers get, or I did, with Ruby shows how well this is written. The one thing though that confuses me is who this book is geared towards. Since it is about a dog that goes to another realm of the earth with a blue bunny, yet some of the battle scenes are pretty gruesome.

Overall, I would recommend this to people who enjoy Harry Potterish type books since it has many similarities, yet I will say that it is not the next Harry Potter.

THE LAST GOODNIGHTS: ASSISTING MY PARENTS WITH THEIR SUICIDES BY OHN WEST

2010-03-24T22:22:00.003-05:00

A husband and wife are gravely ill. Rather than living in pain, they choose to end their lives, and they turn to their son for help. Despite the legal risks and emotional turmoil it is sure to cause him, he agrees—and ultimately performs an act of love more difficult than any other. The Last Goodnights provides a unique and unflinching look deep inside the reality of one of the most galvanizing issues of our time: assisted suicide. Told with bare honesty, John West's account of the deaths of two brave people is both gritty and loving, frightening and illuminating. It also offers a powerful testament to the act of death by choice, and reveals all the reasons why end-of-life issues are far too personal for government intrusion. Intimately told, The Last Goodnights points out the unnecessary pain and suffering that is often forced upon dying people and their families, and honors the choice to live or die with purpose and dignity. In the end, this story is not just about death—it is also about love, courage, and autonomy.

There is one word that I can sum up the book in..... haunting. This is especially true for anyone that has had the troublesome reality of watching someone die of a horrific, incurable disease and having no way of helping. The first half of this book I did connect to more than I did with the second since my father died of cancer just as John West father would have. The last two weeks of his life he was kept "comfortable" or really kept in a morphine induced coma. Is that really living? This book is not a light piece of literature this is a book you have to read and really think. It makes you question right from wrong in the traditional beliefs we are brought up in in this christian faith run society as well as the value of life. I give many props to the author for his courage. He talks about in the book how he could go to jail for this, yet he still help his parents. Many books written now you can just read the dialogue or the conversations between characters and not the full text and get what is going on, this book is not one of those. If you read just the conversation you would view the author as cold hearted and I praise the author for really putting in his feelings so the reader can feel the as he did. I really enjoyed that he spent most of the book going threw the struggles with his mom, her disease, and the want and need to end her life. His father you would agree with more since he was told that he only had a few weeks maybe a few months left to live and we are also more confortable with the topic of cancer and most people know what a devastating disease it is. His mom story looking at just the basic facts would seem extreme to want to kill herself, yet his depiction of the day to day struggles shows that this disease is just as devastating. His mom is also very quirky at times and it helps the story light a bit so it is easier to read.

So I highly recommend that everyone should read this book. Its a story that is one that needs to be told as well as discussed. Since as the author points out no changes can be made to laws without everyone helps and this book is a great starting point. It is a story that you an really put yourself into that person shoes and you really should and ask yourself what would you want to do or have done?

Here is a link to a great video interview with author about the book from Good Morning America!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Z6jTRxj7kM

FIRE GAZER BY KEVIN BURTON MCGUIRE

2010-03-02T22:15:00.003-06:00

Follow newsman Ben Jennings around an Asheville, North Carolina that Thomas Wolfe would not have recognized.

   Ride along as Ben encounters visions of Zelda Fitzgerald, pagan rituals, a sub-culture embedded in the city’s infrastructure, and fires of unknown origin.

   Ben becomes enamored by DC, a charismatic drifter with a dark world vision, and he is forced to confront DC’s rejection of culture and the art it produces.
   Through Ben’s private journal entries, learn about his struggle to overcome DC’s destructive cynicism and his pursuit of an artistic vision. Will Ben follow his own artistic calling, or will he adopt DC’s anti-social lifestyle? Hang on, as these two personalities collide and events spiral out of control!
Let me just say that this is a fictional story, but it is so well written at time it leaves you wondering this could actually be true. This book is only 100 pages, the 100th page being the about the author page which even on that page Kevin McGuire does not give up the facade that this is a fictional story. In its 100 pages it covers so much. This is a great book for a leisure day of reading. It has historical references, it has comedy, and at times it make you question if you know how you really are or if you believe something because its what you believe or what you have been taught to believe. The only bad thing about the book is that it just ends. You are left wondering what happened to our young Ben, as well as what happen to the other characters like DC or who I wonder the most about Cynthia who is take off to the hospital after having what I guess is some sort of fit. So I highly recommend this book. It is well worth its price!

You can also go to http://www.reminiscingbooks.com/index.php?page_id=350 and get an autographed copy of this book for only $8.95!!

WEB OF DECEIT BY DARLENE COX

2010-03-02T22:08:00.003-06:00

This is the second book by the little known author, and I can tell why. This book is a very easy read, but the “deceit” and action do not live up to the title. For me it was like reading Mary Higgins Clark mixed with a Harlequin romance novel.

The plot of books is…… Peter Brock is a man to be envied. He is young, handsome, intelligent, a founding partner of one of New York's most prestigious law firms, and a respected member of the International Community of Currency Traders. But, that isn't enough to fulfill his goal in life. When he meets James Campbell , a very wealthy New York diamond dealer who would like to keep more of his wealth out of the hands of the IRS, Peter starts weaving a web of deceit to divert the bulk of Campbell's wealth to his own account. But, he needs a little help. He enlists Delilah, a strip-club dancer, to learn, through pillow talk, the extent of Campbell's wealth; and Jenny, a flight attendant for a major airline, to smuggle loose diamonds to Europe on international flights. As a coconspirator, how can Campbell yell "foul," at the risk of spending his remaining days in a Federal prison? The perfect Plan-so Peter thinks.

Unfortunately, his law partner, Jack Morrison, gets wind of the Plan and decides to toss in his ante. Now the game gets interesting-a case of diamond cut diamond. When two people wind up dead, Jack says "enough," leaving Peter hopelessly entangled in his web. As Jack says: "That's what happens when little fish try to swim with the predators."

In the synopsis above it says that the game gets interesting once two people wind up dead, well this is partially true, it does add an MUCH needed twist to the story. But the last person to die in the story if the author had wrote more about that than Peter’s love affairs with all the different women. The book might have been better. The book also ends with a “…to be continued” seriously I asked myself why! We know who killed everyone, but one person and in a few extra pages you could have told the readers and saved the effort of writing the second half. Oh and the book has a prologue that really had no point, the only time anything from the prologue is brought up is in it Peter picks up a rock and takes it with him. Well towards the end of the book Peter takes out the rock again. You find out as well that Peter is an immigrant that his family and he moved to the United States from Poland, and you figure that the scene in the prologue was him saying goodbye to Poland and that was his one little token to take with him, yet this is NEVER said or addressed its just what I believe.

This is the first book I have read by this author so I can not tell you that this is just her style, but I highly hope not. Yet if you don’t have high hopes for mystery and people screwing over each other and you want a easy read then this would be for you cause truly the typing is large and its only 259 pages it really is an easy read.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

2010-01-13T13:38:00.007-06:00

SPOILER ALERT: STORY PLOT LINES INCLUDED. READ WITH CAUTION

“Lily is haunted by memories – of who she once was, and of a person, long gone, who defined her existence. She has nothing but time now, as she recounts the tale of Snow Flower, and asks the gods for forgiveness.In nineteenth-century China, when wives and daughters were foot-bound and lived in almost total seclusion, the women in one remote Hunan County developed their own secret code for communication: nu shu ("women's writing"). Some girls were paired with laotongs, "old sames," in emotional matches that lasted throughout their lives. They painted letters on fans, embroidered messages on handkerchiefs, and composed stories, thereby reaching out of their isolation to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments.With the arrival of a silk fan on which Snow Flower has composed for Lily a poem of introduction in nu shu, their friendship is sealed and they become "old sames" at the tender age of seven. As the years pass, through famine and rebellion, they reflect upon their arranged marriages, loneliness, and the joys and tragedies of motherhood. The two find solace, developing a bond that keeps their spirits alive. But when a misunderstanding arises, their lifelong friendship suddenly threatens to tear apart.”

This book is a gripping tale of two girls struggle to just basically live life. From the first page it grabs your attention and never lets it go. You relive the story along with Lily. You feel her pain, and when I say pain I mean pain. When her feet are bond your too become the same. When her toes, as she says “finally broke,” I could hear the sound and feel the shock in my own feet.

Yet the pain is not just the physical. Even though a major part is, there is the physical pain you feel with her. Lily reminisces about the time before Snow Flower came and before her foot binding when she was free to run the village, go to the river’s end and let the water wash over her feet. All she really wanted was basically affection, affection from her mother most of all. Then as she matures, she begins to realize that her mother loved her the best way she could. In China during this time, a girl only belonged to her natal family until the time of her marriage. Once married, the girl stayed with her natal family until she became pregnant and was close to giving birth, at that time she was sent to live with her husband and his family. There she would stay until her death, only seeing her family a few times a year at festivals. So to get too close would only bring more heart ache to the mother at that time. Fathers also did this and it become apparent in the scene where Madame Wang comes to look at Lily’s feet to make sure they are developing correctly and to pick a proper date to being her foot binding. Madame Wang sees Lily’s feet and tells her family that they have a great shape and already small so once the binding is done her feet will be prefect and that should make her more valuable in bride price. When this is announced the description of the change in the father’s emotions towards her is heartbreaking.

The Snow Flower comes and joy is restored. With her we learn about Nu Shu, which is a secret written language invented by women to communicate that men could not read, and men were also not allowed to ever touch nu shu either.

Snow Flower is already highly educated in the language and this is where we become just as fascinated with her as little Lily does. In Nu Shu, there are many stories told to the young girls, basically like biblical stories we as children are told today in order to give us life lessons. In these stories I fall even more in love with the author of this book, Amy See, who researched these stories and this book meticulously. These stories are said to be real stories told at this time in China.
As the story continues, the girls get married, and this is where the story really grows. Here we find out that the characters have multiple dimensions, especially Snow Flower. We find that her family is not all that Lily thinks them to be, and that because of the issues suffered from her father, Snow Flower will now be married to a butcher, which at this time is looked down on. Lily, because of her feet and friendship with Snow Flower, was married to a wealthy well to-do family, the Lu. The girls have children, Snow Flower with much difficulty and loss. Then the revolt happens, and is again another example of the author’s in-depth research, this now is called the 1855 Third Pandemic in China.
For more information on this war go to this website
http://history.cultural-china.com/en/34History6529.html
When the war started, Lily is staying with Snow Flower and cannot return home. She escapes with Snow Flower’s family to the mountains. Their journey up the mountain, to me, symbolizes their journey through life so far. They make it only with the help of each other, but also watch many of the people they know die along the way. Also, while in the mountains, they learn things about each other. Lily learns that Snow Flower’s husband is not a kind man to her friend, and that Snow Flower has broke man rules or the “Bed Business” with him. Once the war has stopped they return home and Lily goes back to her family. The girls make plans towards making their daughter loatongs like themselves. With this comes also getting a date set to have their daughters feet binded. With each meeting to arrange these things Snow flower tells Lily of her life with her husband the troubles and heartbreak with him. Lily tells her what she was always told that you should follow the rules of womanhood, never taking a sympathetic and friendly ear. Lily takes this as criticisms, and this is where the misunderstanding happens and our friends break apart, but not forever.
The book ends sadly, with the horrible death of one of the main characters, BUT I will not say which one!! You will have to read the story to find out!

If you enjoyed Memior of a Geisha, you will absolutely adore this novel. I would highly highly highly recommend this book!

*** For more information on Foot Binding you should check out these websites!****

http://www.dismalaesthetics.com/boundfeet.html

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=8966942

The Last Surgeon By: Michael Palmer Review

2009-12-23T00:47:00.002-06:00

The Last Surgeon is a psychological thriller full of murder and political deceit set in the back drop of Washington D.C. where loss connects two individuals.
Everyone told Jillian Coates that her sister’s suicide was just that; a suicide.
Everyone told Dr. Garrity that his best friend, Lieutenant Umberto Vasquez, had simply disappeared, battling the demons of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Jillian doesn’t believe it. Nick doesn’t believe it. And, soon, they discover a chilling connection between these two seemingly random events….. A common denominator that will lead a killer to the next victim….. And the last surgeon.

The prologue just grabs your attention making you beg to read more. Begging you to know what happened to the girl. Why did he want to kill her.
Then the book starts, and it starts slow it takes more than half the book to build up to some real action. With this building it makes you start to think and wonder who is behind all of this. Wondering could this some kind of military cover up. Not until the end does the truth come out. You are always wondering until the very end. This I applaud the author for keeping the reader, me, guessing.
The murders are highly thought out and I really like how Koller, the hired assassin explains everything he has done, and will do. It helps really get in touch with the killings. They are never simple like most murder mysteries where some one is shot, stabbed, or choked. These have to be really understood. Yet as the killer runs out of time his killings so become sloppier like those would if this was really happening.
The ending is a little ordinary with the hero winning and the bad guys dying or going to jail. I really wish that Conklin, CIA chief who basically puts the bad guy, Ramsland, away had come up more than just at the end or there had been some other connection in the book, because it was kind of unbelievable. On that same not of critisms I do find the love story between the two main characters to be way to predictable!

Overall, I would truly recommend this book to any thriller reader.

PROLOGUE TO BOOK: http://www.michaelpalmerbooks.com/files/Prologue-TheLastSurgeon.pdf.

****Also to those fans of Mr. Palmer we have a special treat!! He has agreed to give away one autographed copy of his latest book “The Last Surgeon”…. To enter to get this book all you have to do is leave a comment about the review and I will pick one of the entries on New Year’s Day!! In your comment just leave me feedback on whether you though this review helped you wan to read the book or not and your e-mail address so I can get your address to send the book!

I couldn't resist this challenge!

2009-01-19T16:42:00.008-06:00

I normally don't like to commit myself to challenges just for the fact that I feel like a failure if I don't complete them. Yes, call me a pessimist, but that's just the way I am. When I saw this challenge, however, there was no way I couldn't sign up. J. Kaye's 2009 Young Adult Book Challenge was just up my alley. As you all know, I'm a teen fiction addict and spend a lot of my time reading these books just because they're A:) fun and B:) easy reads. I feel there is no way I could possibly mess this one up.

If you'd like to join, just go to the link posted above and sign up. You don't have to have a book blog to join. Here are the rules:

1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.

2. Read 12 Young Adult novels. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.

3. Challenge begins January thru December, 2009.

4. You can join anytime between now and December 31, 2009.

Easy enough, eh?

Here is my preliminary list. Since I change my mind extremely often, I figure this list will change several times over the year.

1. Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen

2. That Summer by Sarah Dessen

3. The Host by Stephenie Meyer

4. Killer by Sarah Shepard (Released July 2009)

5. The Clique by Lisi Harrison

6. Crank by Ellen Hopkins

7. Paper Towns by John Green

8. Forever in Blue by Ann Brashares

9. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

10. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

11. Pretties by Scott Westerfeld

12. Airhead by Meg Cabot

I Like You by Amy Sedaris

2009-01-13T16:57:00.005-06:00

I've been a big fan of David Sedaris for a while now. Through his books, I've gotten a glimpse of his crazy sister Amy. I always like reading about her because she seems like the kind of person I would love to invite to a party. She's quirky, spontaneous, and a little crazy. That's just my style.

When I found out she wrote a hospitality/cooking/entertaining book, I just knew I had to read it. She starts off by writing, "This is not a joke cookbook." While I must say I laughed plenty of times while reading it, there is definitely some substance to this book. During the Christmas holidays I used quite a few of her recipes and people raved about them.

One of the recipes was "Tattletail's Vanilla Cupcakes" which is in the "And Rabbits" section of the book. She explains her outrageous idea of starting a business focused around her pet rabbit, Tattletail. They sell cupcakes, cheese balls, and other goodies. The idea is so crazy I just had to giggle. I made the cupcakes just as the recipe said and they turned out great. I didn't make my own frosting as she suggested, but bought the premade kind at the store. I iced those babies up, alternated green and red sugar sprinkles, and I must say they were devoured quite quickly. So yummy.

I also used 2 of her cheese ball recipes and took the balls to my mother's for Christmas. The one that most everyone enjoyed was the "Lil' Smoky Cheese Ball." It was very easy to make; just take shredded Gouda, cream cheese, butter, milk, steak sauce, and chopped nuts. Let me just tell you, that makes a gigantic cheese ball! There's nothing "Lil'" about it. The other cheese ball, "The Heavyset Cheese Ball," I made just for the novelty factor. You shape the cheese ball into a pine cone shape and use whole almonds in layers to make it look like a pine cone. Add rosemary garnish on the top and you're all set. While this cheese ball was also delicious, it is for a more adult pallet.

Heavyset Cheese Ball

While these are just a few that I've tried, there are so many other good recipes in this book. However, she doesn't just give great recipes but also plans out meals, tells you how to properly fill out invites, explains how to be a good guest (never go number 2 in someone's toilet), explains how to make a F*ck It Bucket, tells you how to entertain elderly people (I love how she used the huge font throughout this chapter), and gives you many uses for pantyhose.
If you're wanting to read a new hospitality book and want to laugh in the process, you'll love this book. It helped me remember that cooking and entertaining is supposed to be fun, not a hassle.

I made a lot of friends this year..

2008-12-31T19:09:00.004-06:00

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

2008-12-24T22:11:00.005-06:00

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!!

2008-12-15T19:39:00.008-06:00

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

2008-12-08T17:43:00.006-06:00

**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...

2008-12-05T22:32:00.004-06:00

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

2008-12-01T18:44:00.004-06:00

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.

2008-11-27T20:26:00.003-06:00

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..

2008-11-23T13:05:00.006-06:00

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!

2008-11-18T20:55:00.006-06:00

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

2008-11-16T13:11:00.005-06:00

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

2008-11-13T21:53:00.005-06:00

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

2008-11-12T20:28:00.004-06:00

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

2008-11-12T18:55:00.005-06:00

"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

2008-11-11T20:59:00.003-06:00

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

2008-11-09T16:43:00.007-06:00

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!

2008-11-08T14:05:00.005-06:00

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

2008-11-06T19:39:00.006-06:00

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.

2008-11-05T21:08:00.003-06:00

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

2008-11-01T11:48:00.005-05:00

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

2008-10-29T17:58:00.007-05:00

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

2008-10-27T19:45:00.003-05:00

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.

2008-10-26T16:40:00.004-05:00

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

2008-10-20T22:39:00.003-05:00

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

2008-10-19T22:36:00.004-05:00

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.

2008-10-19T04:28:00.003-05:00

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

2008-10-19T03:55:00.004-05:00

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

2008-10-19T03:04:00.004-05:00

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

2008-10-19T01:56:00.003-05:00

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

2008-10-19T01:10:00.003-05:00

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

2008-10-19T00:56:00.002-05:00

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

2008-10-19T00:00:00.002-05:00

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

2008-10-18T23:05:00.002-05:00

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

2008-10-18T22:08:00.002-05:00

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

2008-10-18T21:16:00.002-05:00

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

2008-10-18T20:54:00.002-05:00

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

2008-10-18T20:07:00.002-05:00

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

2008-10-18T19:05:00.002-05:00

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

2008-10-18T18:56:00.003-05:00

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

2008-10-18T17:54:00.002-05:00

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

2008-10-18T17:41:00.004-05:00

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

2008-10-18T16:59:00.002-05:00

Read-A-Thon:Hour 9

2008-10-18T16:13:00.003-05:00

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

2008-10-18T15:10:00.002-05:00

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

2008-10-18T13:59:00.002-05:00

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

2008-10-18T13:05:00.003-05:00

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

2008-10-18T12:00:00.003-05:00

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

2008-10-18T11:01:00.002-05:00

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

2008-10-18T10:30:00.004-05:00

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

2008-10-18T09:23:00.003-05:00

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

2008-10-18T08:01:00.002-05:00

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.

2008-10-18T06:53:00.002-05:00

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

2008-10-17T18:43:00.002-05:00

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.

2008-10-11T13:17:00.004-05:00

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

2008-10-08T16:53:00.002-05:00

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.

2008-10-05T21:42:00.003-05:00

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.

I'm ready for my book to arrive.

2008-10-03T22:25:00.004-05:00

I've always been a sucker for a good young adult read. I've plowed through the Princess Diaries series, Twilight series, Harry Potter series etc. Sure, character development is usually lacking, but I usually just read these books because they're fun. The stories are entertaining and yes, I do sometimes roll my eyes at some of the dialogue (especially in the Twilight series) but I can't stop reading them. After reading a novel like The Memory Keeper's Daughter or Atonement (which were both really good in my opinion), it's nice to open up a YA book and just morph (for the time being) into my teenage self.

I stumbled upon the first book in the Pretty Little Liars series, also titled "Pretty Little Liars", at a garage sale. I read the back cover and figured since it was only a few cents I had nothing to lose. Let me just say, I read the book in a day and a half and I was captivated by it. So much scandal, so much mystery. So much....dirt.

In a nutshell, it's a story about 5 best friends. The ring leader, Ali, disappears mysteriously when the girls are in 8th grade. Three years later, the remaining four girls lead seperate lives, not really having much to do with each other until they start receiving mysterious text messages and emails from someone called "A." You spend the whole novel trying to figure out if this is really Ali, if she's still alive and following her friends around taunting them via text or if it's someone else. If it is someone other than Ali then who is it?

After reading this book, I couldn't wait to read the second in the series called "Flawless." Since I live in "no-where-town" and there is no where to shop for books other than my local Wal-Mart hell, I decided to buy it on half.com. The seller marked the book as shipped yesterday so I'm just waiting for it to arrive. I can't wait.

Anyone who enjoys YA fiction should definitely pick up Pretty Little Liars! It's like the teen version of Desperate Housewives. You have to try it!

Devil's Knot

2008-09-30T21:58:00.005-05:00

I've lived in Memphis most of my life and have always heard stories about the West Memphis Three. I was the same age as the victims when the murders occurred so my mother pretty much kept my 8-year-old self out of the loop on this one.

About 3 years ago, I read a story in the Memphis Flyer which peaked my interest in this crazy, insane witch trial. The article was one that ran in several publications across the country. You may remember it. A man on the cover in a white jumpsuit, dead eyes, pale skin. A death row inmate. His name is Damien Echols and he was sentenced to death for murdering three 8-year-old boys in 1993. He was only 18 years old.

After reading the Damien Echols interview, I had to learn more about this. I rented the HBO documentaries Paradise Lost and Paradise Lost 2. These movies started off as an unbiased look at this unusual case as it was unfolding. Even as unbiased as it was intended to be, anyone could see that there was no case against these three teenagers that were accused (Echols and two of his friends). There was no evidence that placed them at the scene of the crime. Hell, there was no evidence to suggest they had anything to do with it at all!

The author of this book, Mara Leveritt, was interviewed in this documentary and I went to buy her book the next day. It's filled with TONS of facts, notes, and details even the documentary didn't include. She was a Arkansas newspaper reporter at the time of the investigation and trials, but was convinced enough of the West Memphis Three's innocence that she was compelled to write this book.

I believe everyone should take a look at this one. You'll be so enraged by the time you finish it, that you may actually think about writing to the Arkansas governor like many other West Memphis Three supporters have already.