Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Ten on Tuesday





Ten On Tuesday

10 New Year’s Resolutions
1 Lose weight (always the big one)
2 Get organized at my computer desk
3 Be consistant in my Blogging
4 Clean up the back patio
5 Rearrange Living Room
6 Exercise more
7 Work on the Family Genealogy
8 Get a new job (at least a permanent one – been temping since July 2006)
9 Cross stitch more
10 Take more pictures and post them.

2009 YA Challenge





January 1 - December 31, 2009

J. Kaye of J. Kaye's Book Blog is hosting the 2009 YA Challenge to read 12 YA novels during the challenge period. Anyone is welcome to join - you do not need a blog to participate.

Sign ups and more information are on the post about the challenge.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Winter Reading Challenge 2009




December 21, 2008 - March 20, 2009

Robin from My Two Blessings. is hosting the Winter Reading Challenge.

Robin writes:
December 21st marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. As the days grow shorter and colder, the nights longer, it is a perfect time to curl up by the fire with a hot cup of tea and a good book. I have so many books in my To Be Read pile that I decided to continue on with a seasonal challenge.

The rules are flexible:
1. Choose any number of books you would like to read and post them on your blog.
2. Books may be fiction and/or nonfiction including e-books and audiobooks
3. Books may overlap with other challenges.

To sign up, visit the post about the challenge and use Mr. Linky.

Childhood Favorites Reading Challenge


December 21, 2008 - June 21, 2009

Lynda from Lynda's Book Blog is hosting the Childhood Favourites Challenge. She's given the challenge its own dedicated blog.

Here are the rules:
1. Read a minimum of 5 books which you loved as a child. Anything from Dr.Seuss and Beatrix Potter to Water Scott - you choose your favourites.
2. They must be books you read as a child, not new children's books
3. Cross overs with other challenges, audio books, eBooks all acceptable.


To join and learn more, visit the dedicated blog for the challenge.

Here's my list. I have to check my books at home to complete.

1 Hop on Pop by Dr. Suess
2 Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Suess
3 The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher
4 Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
5

GIVEAWAY - Brad Meltzer Audio Book Giveaways

Here is another one with Brad Meltzer Audio Books books

The Book of Lies
The Tenth Justice
Dead Even

Book Review - Danger After Dark by Ellie McDonald





Title: Danger After Dark (Creative Girls Club)
Author: Ellie McDonald
Genre: Young Adult
Challenges: 101 Books in 1001 Days, From the Stacks 2008, The Naming Conventions Challenge

Rating: 4/5
No. of Pages: 120
Published: 2007


Bacl Cover:
The abandoned mansion loomed above them in the dark night. Wait! Did she just see a flicker of light coming from a window? Who could be lurking inside the mansion in the middle of the night? Someone looking for the lost treasure on the estate?
Mine:
What a neat story of investigation. These girls know how to figure things out by just thinking.
It was easy for them to find the “hidden treasure” before the many adults that were looking.
Would read more from this series again.

Book Review - Curious George Tadpole Trouble by Margaret Rey





Title: Curious George Tadpole Trouble
Author: Margaret Rey
Genre: Children’s
Challenges: 101 Books in 1001 Days, PB&J Challenge, What An Animal Challenge

Rating: 4/5
No. of Pages: 24
Published: 2007


Inside Cover:
Curious George's friend Bill has put him in charge of several tadpoles. George sends the tadpoles for a nice swim in the lagoon, but to his dismay, the tadpoles don't return! Each time he goes back to the lake he tries to find the tadpoles, but he finds only tadpole-like creatures without tails...and with legs. A trip to the museum teaches George about the development of tadpoles into frogs, and he and Bill are happy to make the acquaintance of their new froggy friends!
Mine:
What a great way to teach about the cycle of life. It doesn’t hurt that is has my favorite animal in it frogs.

This allowed me to finish the What An Animal challenge

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Chick Lit Challenge 2





January 1 - December 31, 2009

Twiga at Books and Life is hosting the second Installation of the Chick Lit Challenge.

The rules are:

1. Read at least 10 chick lit books.
2. Books can overlap with other challenges.
3. You can change your list at any time.

To sign up, visit Twiga and leave her a comment on the post about the challenge.

2009 Second Chances




January 1 - December 31, 2009

J. Kaye at J. Kaye's Book Blog is hosting the 2009 Seconds Challenge.

The rules are:
1. Anyone can join. You don't need to have a blog to participate.
2. Read 12 books by authors that you have only read once. It doesn't have to be a series.
3. You can join anytime between now and December 31, 2009. Don't start reading until January.
4. You may list your chosen books any time during the year. Change the list if needed.

To read more and to sign up, visit the post about the challenge.

Book Review - I'm Your Santa




Title: I'm Your Santa
Author: Lori Foster, Karen Kelley, Dianne Castell
Genre: Romance
Challenges: 101 Books in 1001 Days, Winter Holiday Reading, From the Stacks 2008

Rating: 5/5
No. of Pages: 304
Published: 2008


Back Cover:
He's making a list, he's checking it twice--and he's hoping you're more naughty than nice. He's your own personal Saint Nick--sans beard, belly, and red suit--and he's coming special delivery in this sizzling collection...

Lori Foster
The Christmas Present
When Beth Monroe catches her fiancé fooling around, she's out for revenge...and the sweetest kind comes courtesy of Levi, the cheater's best friend. But when their one-hour tryst stretches to an entire weekend, holiday cheer takes on a whole new meaning...

Karen Kelley
It's a Wonderful Life
Hollywood hottie Jeremy Hunter needs to get serious about his acting career, and that means Christmas spent researching his upcoming role. But going incognito as a preacher in a tiny Texas town soon brings wicked temptation in the form of beautiful Bailey Tanner...

Dianne Castell
Home for Christmas
A philandering boyfriend plus an empty wallet add up to LuLu Cahill's worst Christmas ever, until she heads home to O'Fallon's Landing and crosses paths with jilted groom Sebastian Moore. Sebastian is determined to go through with his pre-wedding holiday bash. All he needs is LuLu to fill in for the bride

Mine:
Lori Foster
The Christmas Present
Beth can seem to keep her hands off Levi and it’s a good thing, because he certainly seems like a hunk. Good thing she’s getting over her old fiancé.

Karen Kelley
It's a Wonderful Life
Jeremy strolls into a small town in Texas and never wants to leave. He’s studying for a new movie part, but actually the part doesn’t fit him like Bailey does. He does end up winning an Oscar for his part.

Dianne Castell
Home for Christmas
What more could happen to LuLu as she tries to go home and like her wounds and try to earn money for the baby that her ex-boyfriend is going to leave her with. She meets Sebastian and sparks fly…

Book Review - Foul Play by Janet Evanovich





Title: Foul Play
Author: Janet Evanovich
Genre: ChickLit/Romance
Challenges: 101 Books in 1001 Days, Winter Holiday Reading, From the Stacks 2008

Rating: 5/5
No. of Pages: 228
Published: 2008


Inside Cover:
Amy Klasse, who has been playing a clown named Lulu on her own TV show for children, is suddenly fired because the new station manager thinks that a show about a dancing rooster would do better in that time slot. Jake Elliott is the local much-beloved veterinarian, who also just happens to be very handsome and sexy. He sees Amy in a grocery store, and for him, it's love at first sight. He begins a stealthy campaign to get her to the altar. Of course, romance never proceeds smoothly and the upstart rooster goes missing and Amy is accused of being his kidnapper and worse….
Mine:
Amy can’t seem to stay out of trouble with Jake in tow. And it’s all over a rooster that Jake and Amy fall in love. I just love her slap stick romances

Book Review: Froggy Rides a Bike by Jonathan London



Title: Froggy Rides a Bike
Author: Jonathan London
Genre: Children’s
Challenges: 101 Books in 1001 Days, PB&J Challenge, What An Animal Challeng

Rating: 5/5
No. of Pages: 32
Published: 2006


Inside Cover:
Froggy just got his very first bike, and it's exactly what he wanted. Almost. Finishing touches like a bell and a horn have to be added before Froggy is ready to ride. Then, surrounded by cheering friends, Froggy starts to pedal. Oops! He falls off. He tries again. Oops! Riding a bike is hard! After a long day, and a few bumps and bruises, Froggy finally learns to ride—and once he does he can't wait to go again.
Froggy Rides a Bike is a reassuring reminder that practice makes perfect— and it's sure to make kids eager to learn to ride on their own.
Mine:
What an appropriate book for the time. My nephew is getting a bike for Christmas and he will be just like Froggy the first several times and be all wobbly. I guess that is why we are starting him out on training wheels

Reading: Danger After Dark by Ellie McDonald
Listening to:

Sue

Thursday, December 11, 2008

World Citizen Challenge

January 1 - December 31, 2009


Eva at A Striped Armchair is hosting the World Citizen Challenge. She writes:

There are a ton of challenges focused on almost every aspect of fiction imaginable, but not very many on non-fiction. So, hopefully all of those with ‘inner bookworms’ (as Bybee calls it) guilt-tripping you for not reading enough non-fiction will be interested. And, of course, all of you who love non-fiction should be perking up too!

I struggled with what to call this challenge, but I finally decided on World Citizen. That’s because, in this day and age, it’s important for all of us to know something about the world around us.
Eva has set up several participation levels:

The Prospie Level - This is for those of you with no time to read another book, but who still want to do something. There will be a different mini-challenge each month of the challenge, and all you have to do to be a prospie is say you want to participate in at least one of them. There will be prizes!

The Auditor Level - For this level, you just need to declare your interest in the challenge. Anything else you might want to do: the mini-challenges, making a list of potential books, participating in the discussions, etc. is completely up to you. Maybe you want to commit to reading a newspaper or magazine instead of a book-go for it.

The World Citizenship 101 Level - For this level, you need to commit to one book.
The Minor Level - For this level, you need to commit to three books, from at least two different categories (listed on the post about the challenge).

The Major Level - For this level, you need to commit to five books, from at least three different categories.

The Postgraduate Level - For this level, you need to commit to seven books, including one book from each category.

There is a lot more information on the post about the challenge - and Eva is setting up a dedicated blog as well.

20 Books in 2009






January 1 - December 31, 2009

Lynn is hosting the 20 Books in 2009 Challenge where participants are asked to read a total of 20 books in 2009. The rules are:

• You must create a progress page, which will be updated each time you complete one of your 20 books.
• You can read as many books as you want by an author or in the same series.
• If the book is a re-read, it must be from a year ago.
• If you begin the book in 2008 and finish it in 2009, it does count for this challenge.
• The following do not count: comics, catalogs, manga, journals.
• You must link back to this challenge with one of the buttons provided or one that you make for your own personal use.
• If you intend to participate, leave a comment on the main entry stating so. You will then be added to the participants list.
• Everyone who successfully completes the 20 in 2009 challenge will win a small award graphic to display on their website

To read more and sign up, visit the dedicated blog for the challenge.

Read Your Name Challenge 2009





January 1 - December 31, 2009


Victoria from My 50 Book Challenge is hosting the 2009 Read Your Name Challenge. The rules are:

Using your first name, or blogger name, or your pets name, or even your favorite literary character's name; whichever you like, choose books with first title letters that spell out your name.
Bloggers and non-bloggers alike are free to join. If you do not have a blog and would like to post your reviews/titles that spelled your name somewhere, you may do so at the group blog. Just send Victoria an e-mail (phantombibliophile [at] gmail [dot] com), or leave a comment on the group blog letting her know you'd like to join.
If you have your own blog, go back to the group blog every month and leave a comment containing the link to your challenge page containing the books you've read or each review you've written for books that count for this challenge. (Crossovers with other challenges are okay.)

You may join at any time.

To sign up and learn more, visit the group blog.

Trying to catch Up

I'm trying to catch up so here are my entries for the week.

Mailbox Monday





My winning book Life After Genius which I won from A Novel Menagerie

Tuesday Teaser



Fowl Play by Janet Evanovich (Pg 61)
Everything about her was normal. Normal kitchen table. Normal kitchen light. Normal kitchen clock. She slouched into a chair. “Hmm” she didn’t feel normal. She felt agitated. She needed exercise. The soles of her feet fairly buzzed with the need to move.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Ten on Tuesday





Ten On Tuesday

'10 Favorite Holiday Songs'
Wow this is a hard one – just 10 huh? And I must be an old fuddy duddy, since I like the traditional versions ( It probably doesn’t hurt that they all used to have Christmas specials on TV every year) They are in no particular order
1. The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You) – Nat King Cole
2. A Holly Jolly Christmas – Burl Ives
3. It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year – Andy Williams
4. Little Saint Nick – Beach Boys
5. White Christmas – Bing Crosby
6. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – Judy Garland
7. Christmas Time Is Here – Tony Bennett
8. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer – Burl Ives
9. There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays – Perry Como
10. All I Want for Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey

Friday, December 5, 2008

Friday Fill-ins #101



#101
And...here we go!

1. Snow flake.

2. I'm looking forward to holiday shutdown at work.

3. Disneyland is the best vacation spot ever!

4. One of my favorite old tv shows is Magnum PI (Tom Selleck was such a cutie).

5. I'm done with Christmas Shopping.

6. The most enjoyable thing around the holidays is watching the excitement in my nephews eyes.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing and stitching, tomorrow my plans include drive through the park with the Christmas lights and Sunday, I want to catch up on the computer!

Mrs. Claus Giveaway



A BookBlogger's Diary

is having a giveaway of Mrs. Claus Explains It All. It looks like a very cute book and I would love to win a copy.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

5 for Favorites - Booking Thru Thursday



Booking Thru Thursday can be found here.

1. Do you have a favorite author? I tend to like cozy mysteries – Laura Childs, Leslie Meier, etc.
2. Have you read everything he or she has written? No not yet
3. Did you LIKE everything? usually
4. How about a least favorite author? I’ll try anyone once, so haven’t really found one I don’t like
5. An author you wanted to like, but didn’t? Tolstoy

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Series Challenge Season 3

December 1, 2008 - November 30, 2009 (signed up 12/2/08)

Kathrin at Crazy Cozy Murders is hosting The Series Challenge Season 3.

1. Pick a couple series you already started and now want to finish (meaning, you'll be all up to date with the series when it ends).
2. Read at least 4 books, more are also okay, of course!
3. Post your review of the books on your blog or in the comment section of the post about the challenge, no matter how long. If you post the review on your blog, Kathrin requests that you post a link to the review in the comment section of the post about the challenge so that everyone else can check out your review.

To sign up, use Mr. Linky on the sticky post about the challenge.

The Numbers Challenge 2009




January 1 - August 1, 2009 (signed up 12/2/08)


Callista is once again hosting The Numbers Challenge. Sign ups have started for the 2009 Challenge

Here are the guidelines for 2009:


Read 5 books with numbers in the title.
You can choose up to three that are on lists for other challenges. So two of the choices must not be on any list.
You can re-read books but all books must NOT be read until January 1, 2009.
To learn more and to sign up (or join the blog), visit the post about the 2009 Numbers Challenge which is located on the dedicated blog for this challenge.

2009 Audiobook Challenge





January 1 - December 31, 2009 (signed up 12/2/08)

J. Kaye is hosting the 2009 Audiobook Challenge which encourages participants to listen to books. The guidelines are:
• Do not start the challenge prior to January 1st - although sign ups begin now.
• Listen to 12 books.
• You do not need to make a list ahead of time; lists can change at any time.
For sign ups, visit the post about the challenge and use Mr. Linky to link directly to your post about the challenge.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Ten on Tuesday





Ten On Tuesday

'10 Things You Want for the Holiday'
1. Clear weather for Thanksgiving at Disneyland
2. To be able to find the bike my nephew wants for Christmas
3. More gift cards for iTunes
4. Good health for all my family
5. Backup drive (external) for my laptop
6. Some new stitching supplies (fabric, threads)
7. Time to spend with family
8. A new Permanent job in the new year
9. A magic pill for losing weight
10. ???????

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Friday Fill-ins #99



#99
And...here we go!

1. The last band I saw live was The Rippingtons.
2. What I look forward to most on Thanksgiving is the family time. (actually going to Disneyland with my Brother, SIL and 2 nephews - should be fun)
3. My Christmas/holiday shopping is half done.
4. Thoughts of packing for Disneyland fill my head.
5. I wish I could wear a smaller size.
6. Bagpipes I love (Hey with a Stewart side of the family what do you expect).
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing, tomorrow my plans include going with my nephews cub scout troup to the fire station tour and Sunday, I want to start washing clothes and packing for Disneyland!

Monday, November 17, 2008

Mailbox Monday #1



I was lucky enough to be a winner of Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly



I won from Amy at The Sleepy Reader

Themed Reading Challenge 2009




February 1, 2009 - July 31, 2009

The Themed Reading Challenge is a six month challenge designed to help readers clear books from their to-be-read stacks which center around a common theme or themes. Here are the “rules”:
1. Books should be chosen from the reader’s TBR pile (this may be an actual physical pile or a virtual pile).
2. The goal is to read 4 to 6 books linked by theme.
3. Overlaps with other challenges are allowed.
4. Readers may change their list of books at any time.
5. Readers may choose three different levels of participation:
• Read at least 4 books with the same theme.
• Read at least 5 books that share at least TWO themes.
• Read at least 6 books that share MORE than two themes.
Themes can be geographic, genre, author, subject matter, or anything in between! Last year’s themes were wonderfully creative and varied and included such things as: books about books, books set in New England, books with a color in the title, books about vampires, books with the word ‘lady’ in the title, Gothic classics, fairy tales retold for adults, highschool classics, Asian culture, feathered friends, WWII, Canada, books in translation, and Beverly Cleary. There were many others I have not listed here!
The only thing limiting your choices is your imagination - so have fun!

Romance Reading Challenge 2009





January 1 - December 31, 2009

Naida from The Bookworm is hosting the Romance Reading Challenge for 2009. She points out that Romance Reading is not just about the bodice-rippers...
There is a huge selection of books in this category such as contemporary romance, historical romance, romantic suspense and paranormal romance to name a few. As long as the story has romantic love between the two main characters your selection will fit this challenge. The novels do not need to have a happy ending either, there can also be unrequited love.
The goal is to read a minimum of five (5) Romance novels during the challenge period. You can change your list at any times and crossovers with other challenges is allowed. Naida is encouraging you to provide links to your reviews of the books you read.

To sign up, visit the post about the challenge and use Mr. Linky (also leave a comment!).

Friday, November 14, 2008

Particpating in..



Sounds like fun to have a Secret Santa

Friday Fill-ins #98



#98
And...here we go!



1. Please feel free to leave comments.
2. When I cut the roses in the yard I can't help sniffing it occasionally.
3. My favorite thing to cook is enchilada pie.
4. Spending time with my nephews is something I can't get enough of.
5. That's the thing I love most about living close to them.
6. My birthday always makes me think to myself, what the heck?
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to reading, soccer, tomorrow my plans include soccer, church and Sunday, I want to relax and catch up on blogging!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

It's Tuesday - Where are You?




I can be found in a small motel in Gillespe, Kentucky. Beth's run off to family to get away from Luke. Luke has just followed her there and will not take "No" for an answer.

Tuesday Teaser 11/11



The Christmas Present by Lori Foster (book I'm Your Santa) p 80

For a single moment Noah looked horrified, then he gave a chagrined half laugh. ' Hell, honey I don't want to think about anything like that, much less talk about it. Beth's practically a sister. A baby sister' He shook his head. 'Her sexual activities are definately on my list of taboo subjects."

Monday, November 10, 2008

The 2009 Support Your Local Library Challenge




Kaye is sponsoring this one


You all know what a supporter of the library my family and I are. What better way to pay homage than by having a reading challenge in 2009? Since we are all different, there will be three sizes of challenges.

** The first is to read 12 books from your local library in 2009.
** The second is to read 25 books from your local library in 2009.
** The third is to read 50 books from your local library in 2009.

You decide which one of the three challenges is best for you.

Here are the guidelines:

1) You can join anytime as long as you don’t start reading your books prior to 2009.

2) This challenge is for 2009 only. The last day to have all your books read is December 31, 2009.

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

4) When you sign up under Mr. Linky, list the direct link to your post where your library books will be listed. If you list just your blog’s URL, it will be removed. If you don’t have a blog, leave the URL blank.

6) Our goal is to read 12, 25, or 50 books checkout from our local library in 2009. Please decide which when you sign up and don’t change it.

7) These can be audios, downloads, children’s, YA. As long as it’s a book, format and target age group does not matter.

8) Feel free to post a link to your reviews in the comment section below. That way, we can visit your blog and read your review.

9) If you have any questions, feel free to ask below or email me at jkayeoldner@yahoo.com. Comments usually get a quicker response.

Book Review - Naughty Neighbor by Janet Evanovich





#46
Title: Naughty Neighbor
Author: Janet Evanovich
Genre: Romance
Challenges: 101 Books in 1001 Days,

Rating: 4/5
No. of Pages: 229
Published: (originally 1992) 2008
From the back:
Louisa Brannigan’s neighbor was driving here crazy. He snatched here newspaper and listended through her townhouse walls. But when she got fired from her government job, Pete was there, asking her to join his undercover operation. So Louisa was hopelessly entangled – professionally speaking – with the sexiest man alive. Sneaking around corners was fun, especially when the getaway car was a Porshe. Suddenly Louisa was enjoying live on the edge.

Mine:

The pig is the main partner in the story, but what does he really have to do with it? Of course the politics of Washington DC are involved (oh boy). Pete does rescue Louisa from herself and her straight as an arrow life, everyone needs a thrill every once and a while.

Friday, November 7, 2008

Friday Fill-ins #97



#97
And...here we go!



1. My blueprint for success includes laughing at myself.
2. Laffy Taffy Banana was the last candy I ate.
3. The best facial moisturizer I've ever used is Clinique.
4. Screaming can be good therapy.
5. I'd like to tell you about I'm not sure.
6. Honesty is my strongest characteristic.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Numbers, tomorrow my plans include watch nephews soccer game (last week was rained out) and Sunday, I want to do nothing (but will be cleaning house)!

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

What's In A Name - 2009




Debi is hosting Part II of the What's In A Name Challenge with all new categories! Here are the rules:

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.

There will be some small prizes scattered throughout. There will also be a prize awarded at the conclusion to one participant who completes the challenge.

You don't need to decide exactly which books you will be reading ahead of time

From The Stacks 2008




November 1, 2008 - January 30, 2009

Sponsored by Michelle

If you are anything like me your stack of purchased to-be-read books is teetering over. So for this challenge we would be reading 5 books that we have already purchased, have been meaning to get to, have been sitting on the nightstand and haven't read before. No going out and buying new books. No getting sidetracked by the lure of the holiday bookstore displays.
The bonus would be that we would finally get to some of those titles (you know you picked them for a reason!) and we wouldn't be spending any extra money over the holidays.
The time frame would be Nov. 1st until Jan. 30 and there will be some small, fun prizes awarded to random participants and/or those with clever review posts.

What do you think? Sound good?

U.S. Presidents Reading Project




Perpetual Challenge - No Time Limit
Started 11/5/08 - ????



This one is is sponsored by Lezlie
This project started as a passing comment made by a co-worker that she wanted to learn more about American history by reading one biography about each of the U.S. Presidents. What reading junkie could pass up that challenge?? Certainly not I! I posted a quick note on my book blog so I wouldn't forget about the idea, and a few others out in the blogosphere expressed an interest in participating along with me. Voila! A new Project/Challenge for all of us to mull over! And mull it over I did. Then I forgot about it. Until Nov. 4, 2008, when we elected our first African-American president. History was made, and a project was remembered.


The rules are simple:

1. Read at least one non-fiction book about each of the U.S. Presidents
2. Take as much time as you need
3. Have fun learning about U.S. history and its leaders

That's it! If one book about each president sounds a bit like "too much information" to you, feel free to choose books that talk about more than one president at a time and count it for each one. Tailor this project to suit your personal level of interest. Maybe you just want a passing knowledge of each one. Maybe you found a couple presidents interesting enough to read two or three or more books about them. Maybe you'll discover so many avenues you'd like to explore that we'll need to start an American History Reading Project. :-) The possibilities are endless!


In order to share the experience if you should so choose, leave a comment on this "Welcome" post, and I will add your blog or website to the list of participants found on the sidebar. Track your reads however is convenient for you on your site, and others can stop by to cheer you on!

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Book Giveaway Carnival - Three books to give away! (11/7)




As part of the Book Giveaway Carnival Michele is giving you a chance to win one of three books.

Hell Bent by William Tapley
A Perfect Day by Lauraine Snelling
The Darker Side by Cody McFadyen

Good luck to all of you

TBR *LITE* CHALLENGE 2009






January 1 - December 31, 2009

The TBR *LITE* CHALLENGE asks you to:

** Choose from ONE of the following 3 options:

OPTION A: read 6 books in 12 months (January 1 - December 31)...your list CANNOT change after January 1st. You ARE allowed to create an "Alternates" list of up to 6 books, though.

OPTION B: read 6 books in 12 months (January 1 - December 31)... your list CAN change at any time throughout the year.

OPTION C: create a list of however many books you want to read between January 1st and December 31st, as long as they're from your TBR list/stacks. You must have at least 3 books on your list.

* audiobooks & eBooks ARE allowed
* overlaps with other challenges ARE allowed

Tuesday Teaser 11/4



Naughty Neighbor by Janet Evanovich

"And that would have been his future, Pete thought, but thanks to his good luck, no of the women who'd gone past his doorstep had botten pregnant."

Monday, November 3, 2008

Book Giveaways - Book Giveaway Carnival





Here is a great list of giveaways for the week:

At Reading with Monie there is a book, a tote bag and a gift card.

At Brimful Curiosities there is a book about nature in the backyard.

At Bermuda Onion she is having a contest to win Life After Genius (ending 11/4/08)
She's also giving away a copy of In the Land of Invisible Women (ending 11/5/08)

Well Seasoned Reader Challenge





January 1 - March 31, 2009


Booknut is hosting the Well Seasoned Reader Challenge.

The rules are:

Read three books. After that, it's up to you how much you want to read.
The books must be middle-grade on up, but can be either fiction or non-fiction.
The books must:
have a food name in the title, OR
be about cooking/eating, OR
have a place name in the title, OR
be about one (or more) person's travel experience, OR
be about a specific culture, OR
be by an author whose ethnicity is other than your own

You to choose how the three books you read fit the criteria.

Winter Holiday Reading Challenge - COMPLETED

November 1, 2008 - January 31, 2009

The Winter Holiday Reading Challenge will last from November 1, 2008 to January 31, 2009.

The theme for this challenge is Winter Holidays. The books that you choose to read must have a storyline that includes celebrating a winter holiday, such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year's, etc. (However, the holidays are not limited to just these examples.)

You choose the number of books you wish to read.

Each month, leave a comment at the end of the Winter Holiday Reading Challenge Update post that includes the book (title and author) that you read for that month and the link to your review (if you have one).

And finally... Enjoy your holiday reading!

1. I’m Your Santa by Lori Foster, Diane Castella and Karen Kelly
2. Fowl Play by Janet Evanovich
3. A Christmas Thief by Mary Higgins Clark & Carole Higgins Clark

Book Review - Sam's Letters to Jennifer by James Patterson



#45
Title: Sam’s Letters to Jennifer (942-3930430- 0446-61334-7)
Author: James Patterson
Genre: Romance
Challenges: 101 Books in 1001 Days, Baby Steps, Books Around the States Challenge

Rating: 5/5
No. of Pages: 245
Published: 2004
From the back:
Grief-stricken by a recent tragedy, Jennifer returns to the resort village where she grew up to help her beloved grandmother. There, Jennifer will discover new meaning in life – and experience not one, but two of the most amazing love stories ever.

Mine:

It’s amazing to think that Mr. Patterson can write wonderful thrillers and at the same time a wonderful moving love story. The art of letter writing is put to the test as part of the stories is told in the letters. The letters tell of an old love story while a new one occurs while Jennifer is waiting for grandmother to come out of a coma.

Book Review - Reflections by Barbara Bush




#44
Title: Reflections
Author: Barbara Bush
Genre: Audio -AutoBiography
Challenges: 101 Books in 1001 Days, Presidential Reading Challenge, Eight Books and 8 Categories in 2008
Rating: 5/5
No. of Pages: 6 CDs - Abridged(432 pages)
Published: 2003
From the inside:
Not since Abigail Adams has one woman been both the wife and mother to a president. Barbara Bush’s prominent place in American history is mated by her extraordinary popularity: Republicans and Democrats alike appreciate her wit, her compassion, and her devotion to her family. Dignified, loyal, and unpretentious. Barbara Bush defied skeptics to become one of the most admired First Ladies in history; she remains a beloved public figure today.

Reflections begins with the inauguration of her son, President George W. Bush, in January 2001, and then flashes back eight years to President Clinton’s inauguration, when she and her husband George H. W. Bush were leaving the White House. Drawing on excerpts from her diary, Mrs. Bush chronologically takes us through this time in her life. She reveals her and her husband’s inner lives through sometimes touching and often hilarious stories about their extensive travels, their hobbies, and their charity work. She discusses here interactions with VIPs from around the world. Mr. Bush also reflects on the expericne of having a president for a sone and discusses the family’s reactions to September 11, 2001, and its aftermath.

Reflections will delight Barbara Bush’s millions of admirers with the former First Lady’s warmth and wit, as well as with candid revelations and anecdotes from the past decade of a full and fascinating life.

Mine:

This is a story that you wish would not end. She is a lovely story teller and tells it with wit. The people she meets with and how others react to her are a story unto themselves.

Friday, October 31, 2008

Friday Fill-ins #96




#96
And...here we go!



1. My favorite food seasoning is salt.
2. Frog's croaking is music to my ears.
3. Lucky is having a great family.
4. Voting is something I take very seriously.
5. Many people live inthe world.
6. Fruit salad was the last thing I bought at the store.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to doing counted crossstitching and lots of trick or treaters, tomorrow my plans include cleaning the bathroom and Sunday, I want to read and relax!

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Book Review - One Frog Sings by Shirley Parenteau



#43
Title: One Frog Sings
Author: Shirley Parenteau
Genre: Childrens
Challenges: 101 Books in 1001 Days, PB&J, What an Animal
Rating: 5/5
No. of Pages: 32
Published: 2007

From the inside:
On a wet spring night, one big frog sings Ka-Blu-Urp!
Two tiny frogs sing preep, preep
Three young frogs sing ribbit, ribbit
All the way up to ten frogs who trill peep, peep as a frog chorus fills the air with grunts and croaks, chirps and ribbits – until….a car splashes down the street and all the frogs from 10 down to one are hushed.

Mine:

What a great way for children to learn how to count up to 10 and down to 1. It is greatly illustrated with 148 frogs all together.


Reading: Sam’s Letters to Jennifer by James Patterson
Listening to: Reflections by Barbara Bush

Book Review - Little Tad Grows Up by Giuliano Ferri



#42
Title: Little Tad Grows Up
Author: Giuliano Ferri
Genre: Childrens
Challenges: 101 Books in 1001 Days, PB&J, What an Animal
Rating: 5/5
No. of Pages: 32
Published: 2007

From the inside:
Little Tadpole is going through some big changes in his early life. For one thing, he’s sad when he learns his is losing his tail. Instead, he’s growing strange new legs that he doesn’t know what to do with. The older frogs tell him to be patient, but it’s hard when everything’s changing around you. Then one day he finds himself face to face with a sneaky watersnake, and he learns just how useful his new legs can be. In the process, he discovers a beautiful new world outside the water. This is a funny endearing book at what it means to grow up.

Mine:
You can see the pains that Tad goes through as he realizes his body is changing. He doesn’t know why yet, but the reason will come by the end of the book. What a wonderful way to teach children that longer legs, loosing teeth are all just part of growing up.


Reading: Sam’s Letters to Jennifer by James Patterson
Listening to: Reflections by Barbara Bush

Book Review - Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlin




#41
Title: Sarah, Plain and Tall (Newbery Medal Winner 1986)
Author: Patricia MacLachlan
Genre: Young Adult
Challenges: Baby Steps, 101 Books in 1001 Days, Naming Conventions, Around The States
Rating: 5/5
No. of Pages: 64
Published: 1985, Epilogue 1992
From the back:
Their mother died the day after Caleb was born. Their house on the prarie is quiet now, and Papa doesn’t sing anymore. Then Papa puts an ad in the paper, asking for a wife, and he receives a letter from one Sarah Elizabeth Wheaton of Maine. Papa, Anna and Caleb write back. Caleb asks if she sings.

Sarah decides to come for a month. She writes Papa, I will come by train. I will wear a yellow bonnet. I am plina and tall, and tell them I sing. Anna and Caleb wait and wonder. Will Sarah be nice? Will she like them? Will she stay?

What an endearing story about how people used to live and think. It seems all so simple. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a simple life now. How people were match quite often didn’t have to do with if they loved each other, but if the circumstances were right.

Sarah was nice, she did like them and she did stay.


Reading: Sam’s Letters to Jennifer by James Patterson
Listening to: Reflections by Barbara Bush