Some various, random and assorted items:
Fall Fruit Crostatas (a Rachael Ray recipe)
Crockpot Turkey and Black Bean Chili (which was named Black Bean and Pumpkin Chili at Taste of Home, but I renamed it because of the pumpkin, Tim is not a fan, but you can’t taste it!)
Coffeehouse Cookies (using leftover Halloween candy)
Crockpot Spinach Artichoke Dip (football food, baby!)
I just love, love, love to see one of these:
Sitting on my doorstep, like it was today I had a bunch of credit stored up at Amazon (gift cards, plus a certificate cashed in from points at MyPoints, and gift cards accumulated by searching at Swagbucks). So, I decided to splurge and order some books from my wish list. They’re all Christian fiction books but one, and the other is a cozy, so they are definitely not everyone’s favorite kind of books. But they are mine, and I’m so excited to get a big box of new books. Here’s my stash:
Happy Reading!
Since our website was down (and therefore my blog), I haven’t been able to post any updates on the books I’ve been reading so far in 2009. I have, however, been keeping up at GoodReads, so hopefully most of those who might be interested in what I’ve read or my thoughts on those books are following me over there. In case there are any who aren’t, I thought I’d do a quick rundown on some of the books I’ve been reading lately.
So far this year, I’ve completed 9 books, including 4 for the two reading challenges I am participating in. I’ve read:
1. Through the Grinder by Cleo Coyle (cozy mystery, part of a series about murders revolving around the owner of a coffeehouse in New York City)
2. Happily Ever After by Susan May Warren (cute Christian chick-lit/romance book, my first by this author but it won’t be the last, counts toward my Chick-Lit Challenge)
3. Life Support by Tess Gerritsen (medical mystery, second book by this author that I’ve read and liked, counts towards the What’s in a Name challenge, category of medical condition)
4. The Way We Were by Judy Baer (part of the Guidepost series, Tales from the Grace Chapel Inn, easy and enjoyable Christian fiction)
5. Nights of Rain and Stars by Maeve Binchy (one of hers I had not read, not my favorite of hers, but not bad, counts towards the What’s in a Name Challenge, category of time of day)
6. Booked to Die by John Dunning (first in the Cliff Janeway series, I’m on the fence about continuing with these)
7. Rorey’s Secret by Leisha Kelly (continuing story of the Wortham and Hammond families, wonderful Christian fiction books I’m reading)
8. Whispers of the Bayou by Mindy Starns Clark (Christian mystery, not part of the Million Dollar or Smart Chick mysteries but still a good read)
9. The Broker by John Grisham (one of the many Grisham books we own I have not read, not my favorite but still enjoyable, counts toward the What’s in a Name Challenge, category of profession)
I’m going to include a few of the blurbs I wrote over at GoodReads about a few of these on the extended page, please click on the “Please read more” if you’re interested and want to read them.
For the record, I’ve read 9 books so far in 2009, for a total of 2,884 pages. Up next is the first in the Spa Girls series by Kristin Billerbeck (”She’s All That”). I’ll count all three of these towards my 10 required for the Chick-Lit Challenge.
Happy Reading!
I know a lot of bloggers aren’t avid readers, but I am one of those who is. I read a lot more since Tim took up golf, LOL! I ended up reading 88 books last year (get it, 88 in 08?!), and will once again shoot for 75 or more this year. 2007 was my highest year ever, when I read 104 books. I’m not sure I’ll top 100 ever again, but it was nice to do it that time.
Anyway, I’ve read a whopping one book so far this year. We are staying pretty busy and I haven’t had much time to read. We have gotten some new games for the Wii lately, plus it’s hunting and football season (Tim’s other hobbies besides golf). Maybe once the Super Bowl is over, I’ll have a little more time to read.
I was in Sam’s Club last weekend, stocking up on a few things, and I went to check out the books. Being an avid reader, I look at the book section in any store I go to (Walmart, Target, Sam’s and of course bookstores). I was really surprised to see that Sam’s is now selling the Sony E-reader. I was also surprised at its size. Not only is it smaller than I thought, but that thing is thin. I think the product info said it is 1/3 of an inch thick. I held my iPhone up to it and it is bigger than that, but it’s still a very manageable size. I guess seeing these things in person, as opposed to online, really makes a difference. I’ve heard so much about Amazon’s Kindle but I have never seen one in person. I have been thinking off and on, for a while now, about whether I would like one of these one day or not.
I’ve had a blog post brewing in my head for months, about the pros and cons of printed books versus electronic books. About the way things will go in the future and if these things will even be around in 10 years. Or if the way of the printed book is going to some day be like trying to find a coin-operated pay phone.
I, for one, am not sure that I’ll ever be able to transition from printed books to a digital reader. I think I like holding a book in my hand and turning the page. But I do know this, I think I could convert to a digital reader a whole lot quicker than audiobooks. I’ve tried those, and they just don’t work for me. Hearing someone else read to me just doesn’t work for me, I like to read myself and “hear” my own voice in my head. If that makes any sense at all. However, I must admit, after seeing this e-reader in person, it makes me think that on some level I might really like it. I certainly love all of the other electronic gadgets in my life and have adapted to them quite well. One of the biggest drawbacks for me, I think, is not being able to get books free from the library, but having to always pay for them. If my library ever starts offering free downloads to a digital reader, that might really propel me into getting one.
OK, so, if you’re a reader, or even if you’re not, I’d love to hear what you think. Today’s Question of the Day is - do you have a Sony Digital Reader or an Amazon Kindle, and if not, do you think you might ever get one? Do you think digital books will be the way in the future, or do you think printed books, bookstores, libraries and the like are here to stay for our foreseeable lifetime?
Leave me a comment and let me know! Happy Reading!
I’ve decided to join the reading challenge at The Twiga Blog, the 2009 Chick Lit Challenge. The rules are:
Back by popular demand, the 2009 Chick Lit Challenge has been expanded for the whole year! From January 1 through December 31, 2009, read at least 10 chick lit books. Books can overlap with other challenges and you can change your list at any time.
Debi (aka Twiga) has set up another installment of her popular reading challenge. I didn’t participate in 2008, but I wish I had! I read a lot of chick-lit in 08, and I’m having a hard time finding books left to read for the challenge this year, LOL! Mostly because I’m trying to read books I already own before buying more or going to the library. However, I don’t have enough chick-lit books here in my TBR pile to complete this challenge, so I’ll have to do one of those to finish the list at some point.
Here’s what I have so far:
1. The Potluck Club by Linda Evans Shepherd & Eva Marie Everson - read June 09
2. The Potluck Club Trouble’s Brewing - read June 09
3. The Potluck Club Takes the Cake - read July 09
4. She’s All That (Spa girls 1) by Kristin Billerbeck- read February 09
5. A Girl’s Best Friend (Spa Girls 2) by Kristin Billerbeck- read March 09
6. Calm, Cool & Adjusted (Spa Girls 3) by Kristin Billerbeck- read March 09
7. Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner- read April 09
8. Crazy for You by Jennifer Crusie
9. Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah (not sure if this is chick-lit???) // Changed to:
9. The Convenient Groom by Denise Hunter - read July 09
10. Happily Ever After by Susan May Warren - read January 09
Thanks to Debi for sponsoring this challenge and I’m looking forward to reading lots of chick-lit this year!
I participated in the first “What’s in a Name” challenge last year and had a great time picking and reading the books. So, it was a no-brainer that I would join again!
Annie is hosting again this year, at a new blog place (here). The rules are as follows:
*Dates: January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009
*The Challenge: Choose one book from each of the following categories.
1. A book with a “profession” in its title. Examples might include: The Book Thief, The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Historian
2. A book with a “time of day” in its title. Examples might include: Twilight, Four Past Midnight, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
3. A book with a “relative” in its title. Examples might include: Eight Cousins, My Father’s Dragon, The Daughter of Time
4. A book with a “body part” in its title. Examples might include: The Bluest Eye, Bag of Bones, The Heart of Darkness
5. A book with a “building” in its title. Examples might include: Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Little House on the Prairie, The Looming Tower
6. A book with a “medical condition” in its title. Examples might include: Insomnia, Coma, The Plague
*You may overlap books with other challenges, but please don’t use the same book for more than one category.
I am struggling a bit with books in one of the categories. I’ve already tentatively chosen the following books for my picks, but I might substitute one or two along the way if I come across a book that looks better
My choices:
1. A book with a “Profession” in the title - The Broker by John Grisham — Read in February 09.
2. A book with a “Time of Day” in the title - Nights of Rain and Stars by Maeve Binchy or Four Seasons by Mary Alice Monroe — Read “Nights of Rain and Stars” in January 09.
3. A book with a “Relative” in the title - The Preachers Daughter by Beverly Lewis
4. A book with a “Body Part” in the title - The Amethyst Heart by Penelope Stokes — Read November 09
5. A book with a “Building” in the title - A Painted House by John Grisham — Read March 09.
6. A book with a “Medical Condition” in the title - Survivors Club by Lisa Gardner or Life Support by Tess Gerritsen — Read “Life Support” in January 09.
Thanks to Annie for hosting again this year. Happy Reading!
I finished the books I set out to read for the Winter Holiday Reading Challenge (original post here). I also read a book entitled “My Mother’s Wish: An American Christmas Carol”, which was very short and pretty decent, but was not my favorite of the books I read. My original three books I chose were more to my liking. I tend to like really sweet, really old-fashioned, easy books, especially at this hectic time of year.
The books I completed were:
1) Till Morning is Nigh by Leisha Kelly (part of the Wortham Family series of books I am reading)
2) A Cedar Cove Christmas by Debbie Macomber (part of the Cedar Cove series, fit in nicely after the 8th book I recently finished)
3) The Spirit of the Season by Dana Corbit (part of the Grace Chapel Inn series I am reading)
As you can see, these all fit in with current series that I am reading, so that was an added bonus for me. Irregardless, I really enjoy reading holiday books this time of year and am glad that I got a chance to participate in this challenge. I hope to do it again next year.
For the record, I’ve completed 85 books so far this year, for a total of 27,320 pages. I have started another book (”Sugar Cookie Murder” by Joanne Fluke, one of the Christmas offerings in a series of cozy mysteries that I am reading) and will probably finish it before the year is out. The really odd, anal side of me wishes that I wouldn’t read it or another book. I like round numbers, people. 85 is a round number, 86 or 87 is not, LOL! Anyway, I have so many more books to read, and I’m looking forward to turning the calendar to January and starting on a new goal for 2009.
Happy Reading!
I saw this over at Lynne’s blog (here), and thought it looked like fun. I always like to read some seasonal books at Christmas. Last year, I checked several out of the library, and this year, I asked for and received a couple as birthday gifts. So, I’m really looking forward to reading these before the end of the year, although the challenge runs until the end of January 2009.
The Winter Holiday Reading Challenge is hosted by BookinHand and the original post is here. Go check it out and sign up, if you want
Here’s the books I’m planning to read for this challenge:
1. A Cedar Cove Christmas by Debbie Macomber
2. Till Morning is Nigh by Leisha Kelly
3. The Spirit of the Season (Grace Chapel Inn book 8, Guideposts books) by Dana Corbit
Bonus: If I get to it, I might read a book that my mother-in-law gave me, an older book of several short stories with Christmas themes, called Christmas Dreams.
Happy Reading!
Here’s a couple of random quotes I have marked from one of the non-fiction books I am reading. It’s called “One Month to Live: 30 Days to a No-Regrets Life” and is a book we’re doing in conjunction with a sermon series at our church. The book is written by Kerry and Chris Shook. I’m really enjoying what it says, but I do have trouble with the “assignments”. I always do. I’m not really a self-help or deep-involved kind of study/reader. I wish I was, but it’s not my nature to do the kind of exercises that these books employ. Still, I’m enjoying it
God says to you and me today, “Remember who you are. You are My child. you are a child of the King.” Too many people today have forgotten their Creator, so they have completely missed out on the purpose and meaning of life. They’re not really living; they’re just existing. They don’t know their place in life because they have forgotten whose they are, and therefore they have forgotten who they are.”
And another one from the next chapter:
The great theologian Dr. Seuss once said, “Be who you are because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” Our greatest pleasure in life often comes from serving others, from giving them what no one else can provide in that exact time and place, whether it’s a hot meal, a kind word, a listening ear, or a strong shoulder. We must be willing to be guided by the One who knows us best.
Hope you have a wonderful and blessed day!
I’m cheating again and posting here what I wrote over at GoodReads about two books I recently finished. The first is Katie’s Dream by Leisha Kelly and the second is The Choice by Nicholas Sparks. I enjoyed them both, quite a bit, but then again, I tend to enjoy most every single book I read on one level or another! You can’t use me for recommendations
Katies Dream: A Novel by Leisha Kelly
My review
rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is the third book in the Wortham family series by Leisha Kelly. I read these 3 books back to back to back, which is highly unusual for me. But I love the writing, love the characters, love the lessons it teachers, and I love the simplicity of these books. I believe the stories are going to go on in the next set of books by Kelly, the Country Road Chronicles (which I’ve been “collecting”!), but I’m going to take a break between reading them and read some other things first. I like to have a little anticipation for books I know I’m going to enjoy and characters I love to return to.
If you like old-fashioned, good, heartwarming Christian fiction, then these are good books for you. I’ve certainly been enjoying them
My review
rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is another really good novel, at least to me, from one of my favorite authors. I usually buy Nicholas Spark’s books in hardcover when they come out, although I tend to wait nearly a year to read it, before the next one comes out, so I always have one waiting in the wings of his to read, if I want to! Which makes absolutely no sense to anyone but me, but that’s one of my reading quirks.
I don’t want to write much about this book, because I don’t want to give anything away. I usually really enjoy most of his books, and this one was no exception. I like light, predictable love stories. I like the way he builds characters and crafts a story, especially a love story. This book was a great example of that. If you’ve liked most of his other love stories, I think you’d really like this one too
For the record, I’ve completed 73 books with a total of 24,199 pages. Up next is an older book I picked up at a library sale by Christian author Lisa Samson. It appears to be one of her earlier works, and is probably 8-10 years old. It’s a romance and is called “The Moment I Saw You.” After that, I’ll either read more Christian fiction or maybe mix in a cozy or mystery. Depends on my mood. I’m definitely a moody reader
Happy Reading!
I thought I would post a quick review of a really good Christian fiction book I completed late last night. I am also happy to report that this book finishes out the books I chose in January for the “What’s in a Name” challenge that I set out to read in 2008. You can see my original post and what books I read here (along with when I read each book). Thanks to Annie for hosting this challenge, I had a really good time choosing and reading these books
Here’s the quick review I wrote up at GoodReads about this book, Julia’s Hope:
My review
rating: 5 of 5 stars
First in the Wortham Family series by new-to-me author Leisha Kelly. This is good old-fashioned Christian fiction at its best, at least for me. Sweet, charming, quaint, old-fashioned, simple, heart-warming. No action, just lots of details about life and faith.
The premise - the Wortham Family (father Samuel, mother Julia, children Robert and Sarah) have lost everything in the Great Depression, including their home in Harrisburg PA and their entire life savings. They leave with the barest of essentials in a bag, and try to reach a cousin in Illinois, with the promise of a job in a factory. They hitchhike, sleep in churches, eat in soup kitchens, and finally take refuge one stormy night in an old farmhouse that seems abandoned. Julia immediately is drawn to the farmhouse and land, and the hope of what they could build there. But without a dime to their name, how can they convince the owner to let them live there and work the land? Well, since this is wonderful old-fashioned fiction, the owner is, of course, an 80-something widow lady named Emma, who is having health problems and cannot remain on her beloved farm as she wants and hopes for. Easy solution, yes, but not everyone is happy to have strangers come in and start “taking advantage” of sweet Emma.
There’s 2 more in this series that I plan to read, and I really think I’ll enjoy them as much as this one. Great read, if you like this kind of story.
It’s time for another book-related post! I promised in a recent post to try and be better about blogging about the books I read. I’m going to cheat and take the easy way out, and post the quick blurbs I’ve been writing over at GoodReads about the last 3 books I read.
Two of the books (“Rematch” and “Match Point”, by Erynn Mangum) were part of a 3 book series, and I enjoyed this whole series immensely. If you like Christian chick-lit, then I’d recommend these books. The main character, Lauren Holbrook, is a committed Christian single girl who loves setting up her family and friends and playing matchmaker. She’s a fun character and the witty dialogue in these books really won me over
The other book is another Christian fiction one, albeit historical fiction, and I enjoyed it as well. I have read one other book by this author (I read “Courting Trouble” by Deeanne Gist earlier this year) and enjoyed it too. This one was called “A Bride Most Begrudging” and was about an earl’s daughter who ended up on a boat from England to the colonies in the 1600’s, as a “tobacco bride”. She is married off, thankfully, to a Godly Christian man and of course, they end up falling in love. I always love predictable books with happy endings What I enjoyed most about this book was the description of life at this time, very harsh conditions, where the women had no say and the living incredibly primitive. I also had not heard of this concept of tobacco brides, so I enjoyed reading a little about that.
My reviews from GoodReads (although quite similar to what is above!) are on the extended page….
For the record, I’ve read 66 books so far this year, for a total of 21,880 pages. Up next, I’m trying to decide between a cozy mystery or the next Cedar Cove book by Debbie Macomber, 8 Sandpiper Way. I’ll probably read that one first, then a cozy, and then I might dive into another series of Christian fiction books.
Happy Reading!!!
I’ve read so many books since the last time I posted a book review, that I really don’t even know where to begin. I think my last book-related post was sometime back in June, and I’ve read a lot of books since then. If you’re a member of GoodReads and linked up to me, then you’ve heard all about them before I have been trying to rate and do a quick review of the books I read over there.
The latest book I read, I will post a link to my review here. That’s because this book is also part of the one challenge I am participating in, Annie’s “What’s In a Name” Challenge. I read most of the books for this challenge earlier in the year, but I still lack two. This book, “The Snake, The Crocodile and the Dog” was my entry for the category of a book with an animal in its title. I think I should get brownie points since the book I chose has not one, not two, but three in its title, LOL!
Here’s the review I posted at Goodreads:
The Snake, the Crocodile & the Dog: An Amelia Peabody Mystery by Elizabeth Peters
My review
rating: 2 of 5 stars
I picked up this book at a library sale (paperback, so just 50 cents), thinking it was the first in this long series by Elizabeth Peters. I mixed this one up with the Crocodile on the Sandbank, which started the series off (this is book 7 in the series). Still, it was easy to pick up who was who and for the most part, what was going on. These are books about famed British Egyptologist Amelia Peabody and her husband Emerson. They live in Victorian England, but spend most of their time on adventures in Egypt, amongst mummies, Pharaohs, tombs and curses.
I’ve learned that I get easily bored with books that go into too much detail on a specific subject. For this book, it was the Egyptology and specifics of archeology. For the John Nance book I recently read (”Saving Cascadia”), it was seismology. With the Robert Ludlum books I’ve read, it’s weapons and guerrilla warfare tactics, etc. I prefer a cursory overview of these things, not the length and width and depth these books go into.
So, this one was just ok for me, not a winner. For once, I won’t feel compelled to collect or check out from the library every book in this series. I can gladly move on to other, lighter books (my favorites being Christian fiction, chick-lit and cozy mysteries).
If you’re interested in other books I’ve read this year, I always list them in my sidebar. Here’s the link for all of the books I’ve read so far in 2008, although there are no ratings or reviews, just a plain listing. If you have a question about a book I have read, just let me know! I’ll try to do better in the future with keeping up with my book-related posts
Deena, a wonderful book reviewer and very generous lady, is hosting a 30 day book giveaway over at her blog, a Peek at My Bookshelf. I’m a little late posting, as it started on Monday. But it’s going on all month, so stop by and try to win some wonderful Christian fiction.
Thanks for doing this, Deena!
This week’s topic: Vacation Spots
Do you buy books while on vacation/holiday?
Do you have favorite bookstores that you only get to visit while away on a trip?
What/Where are they?
I wish I had a really interesting answer for this week’s question. But you know, I don’t think I’ve ever made a trip to a bookstore while we were on vacation! Years ago, when I was in the midst of my scrapbooking phase, I would have Tim take me to a scrapbook store somewhere while we were on vacation. And a couple of years ago when we were in Savannah, we went a couple of times to the “Bob’s Your Uncle” Life is Good store. I LOVE Life is Good products! The idea of an entire store devoted to their products left me nearly breathless! But I’ve never made a special trip to a bookstore, isn’t that sad? I always take enough books with me when we travel and I haven’t run out yet. I hate to admit it, but we have a nice Barnes and Noble very close to my house, and a Borders across town. While I love to go there, I end up buying the majority of my books online or at a local Christian bookstore. I also utilize my local library - a lot.
Happy Reading!
