Dec 31, 2008
"Waiting On" Wednesday: Roanoke by Margaret Lawrence
Dec 30, 2008
2008: A Look Back
Cross Your Heart and Hope to Die by Nancy Martin
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
Deep Dish by Mary Kay Andrews
Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
The Ex-Debutante by Linda Francis Lee
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
Just Who Will You Be? by Maria Shriver
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
The Snake Charmer by Jamie James
The Richest Season by Maryann McFadden
Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
The Wentworths by Katie Arnoldi
House and Home by Kathleen McCleary
Driving Sideways by Jess Riley
The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
My Husband’s Sweethearts by Bridget Asher
A Dog Among Diplomats by J.F. Englert
The Shack by William P. Young
Chasing Windmills by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Mudbound by Hillary Jordan
The Day I Killed James by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O’Nan
Tomato Girl by Jayne Pupek
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford (Review forthcoming)
It would be very difficult to pick a favorite, so instead I'll list my Top 5, in no particular order!
- The Secret Life of Bees
- Tomato Girl
- The Kite Runner
- The Art of Racing in the Rain
- Mudbound
In closing, I'd like to thank all of the readers of my blog for your support and friendship. Starting this blog was one of the best things I've done and I'm so glad to have met you all and I'm looking forward to 2009 being even better! I want to wish all of you a very Happy New Year full of wonderful new books and of course, happiness!
Dec 29, 2008
Musing Mondays: Recommendations
Dec 28, 2008
The Sunday Salon:
Dec 25, 2008
BTT: Merry Christmas!!
I'm going to answer this a little differently because I'm sure there are others who can name many more wintery books than I can even think of. So instead, I'm simply going to name the wintery books I've read this year and hope that will suffice.
The first one that comes to mind is LAST NIGHT AT THE LOBSTER by Stewart O'Nan, which I read a couple months ago. It takes place on Christmas Eve in Connecticut during a blzzard. It's a great little story (only 160 pages) and the cover of the book is amazing as well. Even though I read it in October, it had me reaching for the blankets to keep warm! lol You can read my review here.
Another wintery book I read this year was THE SUGAR QUEEN by Sarah Addison Allen. This story takes place in a small touristy ski town in North Carolina. The images the author paints in your mind leave no doubt of snow drifts, ice and cold air blowing all around. The characters even make snow angels at one point. I read this book in August and living in Florida, that is a HOT time of year. it was a treat to think of all the snow and ice as I was reading this cute story. You can catch that review here.
Another wintery book I read in August was THE SHACK by William P. Young, This was a very interesting book that I enjoyed very much. In fact, I just got a phone call from my aunt in Ohio yesterday and she thanked me for telling her about this book. She went and bought several copies and gave them to her daughter and a few close friends and they are all enjoying reading it as well. You can read my review here.
Well, I think that about does it for the wintery books I've read this year. Now I must go and finish the rest of my holiday cooking so I'll be ready to go when my dad arrives to pick me up. I want to wish all of my friends in the book blogging world a wonderful, merry Christmas and may you all have lots of love and joy surrounding your family today!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!
Dec 23, 2008
Teaser Tuesdays 12.23
- Grab your current read
- Let the book fall open to a random page.
- Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
- You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!
Keiko nodded slowly, contemplating its effects as she looked around the barren streets. "No Japanese are allowed outside of our neighborhoods from eight o'clock at night to six in the morning. We are prisoners at night." ~ page 94.
This book is scheduled to be released January 27th, 2009.Dec 22, 2008
Musing Mondays: Holiday Book Giving
In these last few days before Christmas, I'm sure there are plenty of us scrambling to get our last minute shopping done. Are you buying any books for friends or family (or even yourself)? Do you expect to receive any bookish gifts from others - books, or book-related?
Dec 21, 2008
The Sunday Salon: 12.21
Not only is this a story of family, but also of forbidden love, racism and the tragedies of war. In 1942 much of the west coast was considered war territory after the attacks on Pearl Harbor, so consequently, it was very dangerous to be Japanese during those years. This story involves the deportation of Japanese families to internment camps here in the US in the 1940's. Through Henry, we learn how difficult it was to be Asian at that time and also the danger in forging a friendship with a Japanese-American girl he attended school with.
Dec 18, 2008
Booking Through Thursday: Book Giving
To everyone? Or only to select people?
How do you feel about receiving books as gifts?
I do give books to a few people as gifts. However, I wish I could give books to everyone - mainly because I want them to love the stories as much as I do. There are certain books that I think certain people in my life would really enjoy if they would take the time to read, but many of them simply are not readers. I could so easily match someone's personality with a book that I think they'd enjoy, but if they're not into reading, it would just sit and collect dust. So I end up getting them something I know they would use or appreciate more. I do have a select few people that I buy books for and those are the gifts I enjoy giving the most.
As far as receiving books - I'M ALL FOR IT! I don't know any avid reader who doesn't LOVE getting books as gifts! There are so many books I'd love to read and I love it when someone surprises me with a book! My mother teases that she never has a problem wondering what to get me because there's always a book I'm talking about. I also love book store gift cards! After using a gift card, I always let the person who gave it to me know what book I chose and how much I am looking forward to reading it. I think it lets them know how much I love their gift, even though they didn't actually pick it out.
When giving books as gifts, do you actually pick out a book or do you give a gift card so they can choose their own?
Dec 15, 2008
Musing Mondays: On The Go Reading
I always like to have a book with me at all times – call it a nerdy grown-up security blanket – and rarely do I leave the house without slipping one into my bag (even if I KNOW I’m not going to have a chance to read it). Do you take a book with you? Do you take whatever book you’re currently reading, or do you have a special on-the-go book? And do you have a preference for a these types of book (paperback, hardback; short stories; poetry etc)?
Dec 11, 2008
Booking Through Thursday: Reading Time
Absolutely not! If I had my wish, I’d quit my job and read 8 hours a day! My favorite time to read is first thing in the morning when my brain is fresh and my eyes aren’t tired. During the week, by the time I get home from work, do the daily things around the house, its usually close to 9:00pm before I can sit down to read and by then, I’m so tired, that I fall asleep after a few pages. The weekends are better, but I still struggle for reading time.
2. If you had (magically) more time to read–what would you read? Something educational? Classic? Comfort Reading? Escapism? Magazines?
What about you? If you had all the time in the world, what would you choose to read?
Dec 9, 2008
Teaser Tuesday: Matrimony
Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!
I’m sharing two sentences from the novel MATRIMONY by Joshua Henkin, a book I’ve just started reading.
She turned her mother’s hospital room into a shrine. She unplugged the lamps and lit candles and incense and put on tapes of Native American oboe music and covered the walls with photos of the family. ~page 86
If you'd like to participate in Teaser Tuesdays or to read other comments, click here.
Also, check back later this month when I'll be hosting a giveaway of MATRIMONY! I'll have more details later!
Dec 8, 2008
Musing Mondays: Readin' & Reviewin'
Usually when I finish a book I really liked or one that left a strong impression on me, I like to wait at least a few days before starting a new one. I don’t like to jump into another one right away. That being said, if it was a book that was just ok to me, then I would be quicker to start another one.
I do plan ahead what book I’m going to read next, however sometimes that changes often. If I have several ARCs to read, then I already know what I’m reading next, but if I’m caught up on those, I typically have at least 4 or 5 that I pick from my TBR mountain. Either way, its a hard decision!
I don’t like to put off writing my reviews. Usually I start right away, but I allow several days to finish it. I’ll write a review, then leave it for a day, then go back and re-read it to make sure my feelings are accurate and not just spur-of-the-moment.
With my full-time job, I find it hard to read multiple books each week, so I read a book, then write the review. I like for the book to be fresh in my mind, therefore, I don’t put off the review. I find that if I rush into the next book I’m more apt to push the characters that I’ve just ‘met’ out of my mind quicker, without savoring those good stories. For instance, when I read THE KITE RUNNER, I waited a whole week before picking up a new book. I feel like I owe it to the author, who put their heart and soul into writing that book the time to reflect and remember what I liked about it. My reading is done for my pleasure, not to see how many books I can read and I find pleasure in reminiscing about a book if it really touched me.
What are your thoughts on this subject? Do you go from book to book or do you wait a day or two to start another? For more answers from other bloggers, click here.
Dec 6, 2008
CHOMP ON THIS!
Tim Tebow and the rest of the Florida football team showed what they are made of this afternoon by beating the undefeated Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship game. Next stop: The National Championship!! GO GATORS!!!
Dec 4, 2008
BTT: 5 For Favorites
1. Do you have a favorite author?
2. Have you read everything he or she has written?
3. Did you LIKE everything?
4. How about a least favorite author?
5. An author you wanted to like, but didn’t?
My response:
Now, you wouldn't think these would be a hard questions to answer, but for me, they kinda are.
Do I have a favorite author? Hmmmm . . . yes, its always the writer of the last book I read and loved! OK, many years ago my favorite was John Grisham. Bought and read EVERYTHING he wrote in record time. Then, about 12 novels in, I got bored. More recently though, I would say Mary Kay Andrews is one of my favorite authors. I love the wit and humor of her southern fiction and her characters are just that - they are real characters. I'd love to have them as my friends! They're quirky and fun.
Yes, I've read everything she's written under the name Mary Kay Andrews and many of the mysteries she wrote under her real name, Kathy Trochek. But as far as the Mary Kay Andrews' books, there's only been one that left me a bit disappointed, but I will always read her books.
As far as least favorite author - that's hard too. Only one comes to mind. I could use her as the answer for questions 4 and 5. I really wanted to like this author. I looked forward to reading her book for many months before I actually did. When I finally did read it, I hated it. The book was THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING, written by Joan Dideon. I wrote a review on it earlier this year. It was not a positive review, but it was my true feelings on the book.
Have you liked every book your favorite author has written? Do you have a least favorite author? For more BTT answers click here.
Dec 3, 2008
I've Been Tagged!
The meme:
1. What book is on the left hand side of your computer or closest to the left hand side?
The closest book to the left side of my computer is THE THIRTEETH TALE by Diane Setterfield. The reason it is that I just received it in the mail a few days ago and I laid it there as a reminder to catalogue it on LibraryThing.
2. Are you reviewing it, is it your favourite, or is it there for some other reason and specify.
I have not yet read this book, but I'm so anxious to get started. This book is different than what I normally read and just by reading the dust jacket and other snippets, I am already curious to get to know Vida and Margaret, the two heroines of the story. It promises to be an interesting tale. This book I'm reading for my own pleasure.
3. Go to page 38 and write down from the 2nd paragraph, the first 4 sentences. (Actually this is the second and third paragraph to make up 4 sentences.)
She ushered me in and closed the door behind me. The key turned in the lock without a sound and there was not a squeak as the well-oiled bolts were slid noiselessly into place.
Standing there in my coat in the hallway, I experienced for the first time the most profound oddity of the place. Miss Winter's house was entirely silent.
4. Tag 4 friends and pass them this avatar.
Instead of tagging individuals, I'm going to leave this open for anyone who would like to participate. Thanks Jo-Jo for tagging me for this meme. It was fun and now I'm even more excited about reading this book!
"Waiting On" Wednesday: Heart and Soul by Maeve Binchy
Heart and Soul is Maeve Binchy at her heartwarming storytelling best.
Although the book has already been released and is currently #1 in Australia, the UK, Ireland and Canada, it won't be published here in the States until February. I'm looking forward to getting to know this most adored author.
HEART AND SOUL
Maeve Binchy
Publisher: Knopf
Pages: 432
Release Date: February 17, 2009
Dec 1, 2008
Giveaway of Chasing Windmills by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Musing Mondays: Christmas-Time Reading
Nov 30, 2008
The Sunday Salon: I Love New Books!!
Nov 28, 2008
Friday Fill Ins
1. My stomach is so full right now.
2. Potatoes (sweet and mashed) is what I ate the most of on Thursday.
3. The yard needs some attention from me.
4. At home is where I'd rather be at any given time.
5. The smell of warm cider reminds me of winters in my childhood hometown.
6. Uninterupted, restful sleep is what I need right now!
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to eating leftovers and hanging out at home, tomorrow my plans include watching the Florida/Florida State football game and Sunday, I want to read and blog!
If you'd like to play Friday Fill Ins, click here! To read other answers click here!
Nov 27, 2008
Booking Through Thursday: What I'm Thankful For
Now, you may have noticed that the global economy isn’t exactly doing well. There’s war. Starvation. All sorts of bad, scary things going on.
So–just for today–how about sharing 7 things that you’re thankful for?
This can be about books, sure–authors you appreciate, books you love, an ode to your public library–but also, how about other things, too? Because in times like these, with bills piling up and disaster seemingly lurking around every corner, it’s more important than ever to stop and take stock of the things we’re grateful for. Family. Friends. Good health (I hope). Coffee and tea. Turkey. Sunshine. Wagging tails. Curling up with a good book.
So, how about it? Spread a little positive thinking and tell the world what there is to be thankful for.
Nov 26, 2008
"Waiting On" Wednesday: Bound South (Paperback)
My pick for this week's "Waiting On" Wednesday is BOUND SOUTH by Susan Rebecca White. I love southern fiction and I'm really looking forward to this debut novel. There is no available cover image as of yet so you'll just have to picture it in your mind.
Nov 25, 2008
Book Review: Out Stealing Horses
OUT STEALING HORSES by Per Petterson is a story about fathers and sons, families and secrets. The story is told by Trond Sander in late 1999 when he is sixty-seven years old. It's a time when he has chosen solitude over the bustle of city life after the deaths of both his wife and sister. Trond decides that he wants to live out the twilight years of his life alone in the remote north forests of Norway. However, the unexpected happens when one night he meets a man who lives not far from his own riverside cabin. There is something familiar about this man that brings back memories of Trond's teenage years, specifically the summer of 1948 when everything as he knew it changed.
Trond tells the story of that summer when he and his father left their family home in Oslo to help fell trees high in the forests of Norway and the simple life they led there. But when Trond returned to Oslo in the fall, he would not be the same boy as before, and neither would his father be the same man, for he learned things about his father's life that he had no knowledge of until that point.
This is a story told with simplicity and with the beauty of the place and time they lived. At sixty-seven, Trond re-lives that summer in flashbacks as he settles into his new life. The story is not hard to follow and flows smoothly between time. It's all very picturesque in your mind and you can almost hear the river rushing and feel the snow falling, as winter time approaches in 1999.
I had heard a lot about this book and was looking forward to reading it. The premise of the story seemed interesting, but I have to be honest and say that I had a hard time getting through this book. I've read other reviews that were glowing, but I just didn't love it. I don't know if it was something in the translation from Norwegian to English that lost me somewhere or not. For me, this was a very slow read. I found myself back-tracking and re-reading whole pages to make sure I was getting what the author wanted me to feel. Also, I couldn't get used to the extremely long sentences that seemed to go on and on. Another thing is that the last fifty or so pages were the most interesting for me. Per Petterson has a simplistic way of writing and it was impressive, however I just never connected with it the way others did. Like I said, I didn't not like it, it just wasn't one of my favorites.
Matt at A Guy's Moleskine Notebook loved this book very much and wrote a great review. I encourage you to click here and read his review to get a different perspective of this very interesting book.
Nov 24, 2008
Musing Mondays: Book Fads
Nov 23, 2008
The Sunday Salon: Ramblings and a Recipe
This week was pretty interesting on the blogs. On Monday I participated in Musing Mondays, which is now being hosted by Rebecca from Just One More Page. If you’d like to participate, click here on Monday morning for the day’s question. Last Monday’s musing was a short book meme. One of the questions was: Do you plan on reading a holiday-themed book this season? Most responders said no. I was a little surprised by that. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not rushing out and buying the first holiday book that comes out, but I thought I was more the exception than the rule. What about you? Do you read holiday-themed books?
Booking Through Thursdayposed a very good question about reviewers being honest about books they really didn’t like when asked by an author to review said book. There was quite a bit of discussion on this topic and it was unanimous that reviewers should always be honest, even if they are getting a free book from an author. It all comes down to integrity and being constructive with the criticism if the reviewer didn’t care for the book. I was a little surprised to learn that some bloggers don’t accept review copies at all and that some reviewers choose only to write reviews on books they like. Personally, I write reviews on every book I read, mainly to help keep track of the books I’ve read for my own purpose. Fortunately, there hasn’t been many books that I didn’t like. If you’d like to see some of the comments left on my blog about this topic, click here.
I joined Book Blogs this week. It’s a social networking site where you can meet other bloggers and book lovers and discuss anything bookish! I’ve only had a little time to nose around but from what I can see, it looks like I’m really going to enjoy it. I’ve already found many of my blogging friends! If you’d like to check my page out, feel free to click here. Maybe I’ll see you there!
In non-book news I just have to mention the fantastic hair cut I got yesterday! I had very long hair that was in desperate need of some change. Because my hair is so long and I like to have it highlighted, it cost a fortune so I’m not always able to have it done like I want to. But I couldn’t put it off any longer! I went to the salon yesterday and had 41/2 inches taken off and highlights put back in and I am back to looking like my old self! I was beginning to feel frumpy! I’m so happy now and feel like I lost 10 pounds! (If only that were true!) Just in time for the holidays! Isn’t it great what a pair of scissors and someone who knows how to use them can do for your attitude??
6 boneless pork chops
½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tsp ginger
¼ cup ketchup
2 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper
Just put the pork chops in the slow cooker, mix the remaining ingredients together and pour over the chops. Cook on low for about 6-7 hours. You can thicken the juice with a little corn starch and serve it over rice. How easy is that?
Nov 21, 2008
Friday Fill Ins
Nov 20, 2008
Book Through Thursday: Honesty
Do you think reviewers are obligated to put up a good review of a book, even if they don’t like it? Have we come to a point where reviewers *need* to put up disclaimers to (hopefully) save themselves from being harassed by unhappy authors who get negative reviews?
Nov 19, 2008
"Waiting On" Wednesday: Saints In Limbo
Ever since her husband, Joe, died, Velma True's world has been limited to what she can see while clinging to one of the multicolored threads tied to the porch railing of her rural home outside Echo, Florida.
Nov 17, 2008
Musing Mondays: What Are You Reading?
WHAT ARE YOU READING RIGHT NOW? Right now I'm (still) reading Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson. It's a slow read, but very good.
WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING, and WHAT DID YOU THINK OF IT? I recently finished The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and I loved it! What an interestingly different sort of book. It was a very enjoyable read. You can read my review here if you like.
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WILL READ NEXT? It's a toss-up between Whistling in the Dark by Lesley Kagan or The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent . I'm having a hard time deciding!
WILL YOU READ ANY HOLIDAY-THEMED BOOKS SOON? I haven't really thought about it, but there is one holiday-themed book I enjoyed awhile back that I wouldn't mind reading again. It's Mary Kay Andrews' Blue Christmas. (She's the author of Savannah Blues, which I loved!) In fact, I believe it's being re-releasing for the season. It's a cute story and it's only 208 pages, so you can read it pretty quickly.
Nov 16, 2008
The Sunday Salon: Good Will Hunting
Nov 14, 2008
Friday Fill Ins
Nov 13, 2008
Booking Through Thursday: Why Buy?
Even if you are a die-hard fan of the public library system, I’m betting you have at least ONE permanent resident of your bookshelves in your house. I’m betting that no real book-lover can go through life without owning at least one book. So … why that one? What made you buy the books that you actually own, even though your usual preference is to borrow and return them?
If you usually buy your books, tell me why. Why buy instead of borrow? Why shell out your hard-earned dollars for something you could get for free?
Nov 11, 2008
Teaser Tuesdays: Out Stealing Horses
Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!
This week my teasers are from page 130 of OUT STEALING HORSES by Per Petterson.
All this that Franz talked to me about was news to me then, but I had no reason to doubt anything he said. Why he should tell me about those times, when my father had never done so, was a question I sat pondering as he talked on, but I did not know whether I could ask him that and have an answer I could live with, for he must certainly have thought I knew all about it already and was merely amused to hear another version.
This from sixty-seven year old Trond Sanders remembering back to when he was fifteen and learning things about his father for the first time.