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. ???????

Kelley Armstrong Book Giveaway

A Bookbloggers Diary is having a giveway - check it out.

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!

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!).

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!

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."

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 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)!

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!

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."

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.