Book Dragon's lair: 8/1/12

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Back to School Read-a-Thon!

sigh, I must be a glutton for punishment! Melissa at Must Read Faster is hosting a personal Read-a-Thon and has opened it up for anyone who wants to join her.

Back to School

Read-a-Thon

Monday, Aug 27 to Sunday, Sep 2

7 a.m. to Midnight

hosted by Melissa at Must Read Faster
info/sign-ups here

I'm jumping in a little late but I'm hoping to read 1,520 pages, which was my goal (missed) for the last RaT. I know I finished something Monday morning but I'm sure it was before 7 a.m.

~Books Read~

1. American Assassin by Vince Flynn (448 pages)
2. Dirty Kisses* by Sean Michael (22 pages, ISBN 978-1-61124-285-0)
3. Losing and Gaining by Heidi Champa (128 pages)
4. An Accidental Athlete by John "The Penguin" Bingham (204 pages)
5. A Soldier's Choice by D.L. Warner with bonus story (216 pages)
6. Anything You Can Do by Christiane France (76 pages)
~1,094, wonder if I'll make it ~
7. Duck and Bunny Rescue by Pepper Espinoza (84 pages)
8. Beautiful Sacrifice by Elizabeth Lowell (on page 104)
9.
10.

*Hot Chocolate and Rum

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Challenge - Dewey Decimal

2012

Dewey Decimal

Challenge

hosted by the Introverted Reader, sign-ups and more information, here.

The main thing to know... read non-fiction. Any and all non-fiction count.

There are levels and I'm going for

Explorer

and hope to read 6-10 non-fiction books. The good news is that I've already completed the requirements for Dilettante!

~ Books Read ~

1. A Three Dog Life by Abigail Thomas (Jan)
2. How Lego Built a Comeback by the Editors of New Word City (Feb)
3. The Gardner Heist by Ulrich Boser (Apr) ~ review
4. 28 Days to Hope for Your Home by Dana White (May)
5. The Blind Side by Michael Lewis (May)
6. Natural Running by Danny Abshire with Brian Metzler (Aug)

~1st goal complete ~

Aug 5

7. Mile Markers by Kristin Armstrong (Aug)
8. An Accidental Athlete by John "The Penguin" Bingham (Aug)
9. Running on Empty by Marshall Ulrich (Sep)
10. The Runner's Rule Book by Mark Remy (Sep)

~ Challenge Complete ~

September 21

wow, I didn't realize I had read six! That's okay, the memoirs I need to read for another challenge will count here plus I'm hoping to read a couple more fitness/running/health type books. Dare I hope to read 11?

Monday, August 20, 2012

Summer Challenges Update

Challenge 1:
Big Book Summer Challenge ends Labor Day Weekend. I'm going to take that to mean Midnight on Monday. I have no idea if I'll be reading more 400+ page books between now and then so I'm closing out the challenge.

hosted at Book By Book

Three books on my list and I only read one of them. That's not to say I only read one big book, just one from the beginning list ;-)

Books Read:
Consent to Kill by Vince Flynn (675) ~ finished 6-11A Slice of Heaven by Sherryl Woods (400) ~ finished 7-10
Feels like Family by Sherryl Woods (400) ~ finished 7-11
Protect and Defend by Vince Flynn (405) ~ finished 7-17
Memorial Day by Vince Flynn (407) ~ finished 7-24
Sweet Tea at Sunrise by Sherryl Woods (400) ~ finished 8-5
Christmas in Lucky Harbor by Jill Shalvis (664) ~ finished 8-10
Edge of Forever by Sherryl Woods w/A Natural Father by Sarah Mayberry (537) ~ finished 8-13

Thoughts:
That was fun. Usually the big books are 500+ pages and I miss out.

Challenge 2:
Summer Read Challenge ends August 31.

1. A book in an unfamiliar genre. Nope. maybe Steampunk?

2. A book that is part of a series. Catching Fireflies by Sherryl Woods

3. A book that your friend or wider society has been raving about! Nope, should have been Divergent but I haven't finished it.

4. A book that ‘could’ [This category is open to your interpretation*]. Consent to Kill by Vince Flynn. Hey, it could happen! We'd never hear about it but it could.

5. A book from the Modern Library's 100 Best Novels List. sigh, this has been on my tbr list for years!

6. A book that reminds you of your childhood. Amy's Adventure by Mark and Victoria Freeman. Amy moves to the country were she has lots of freedom to roam and animal friends. I may not have been in the country but we did have rabbits and I had lots of freedom to roam. As long as I was home when the street lights came on, or soon after.

7. A banned or contested book, OR a book that lied to us. Once again, I didn't read this and it's been on my tbr list forever

8. A book you judged by the cover. Forbidden Heat by Opal Carew

9. Bonus: A blog turned book or book turned blockbuster movie. The Blind Side by Michael Lewis. I liked the movie better, the book had too much football stats/background for me.

10. Bonus: Free Choice! Memorial Day by Vince Flynn.

Challenge 3:
Summer 2012 Book Challenge ends September 1.

This one was by point values. I did horrible. I only got 80 out of 200 points.

Unread points:
5 points: Read a book chosen for the U.S. 2012 World Book Night.

10: Read a book you were supposed to read in school, but either bailed on or Cliff-Noted.

10: Read a memoir or narrative nonfiction book.

20: Read a book that is set in a place you've never been but want to visit.

25: Find a book written the year you were born that was later made into a movie. Read the book and watch the movie; compare. Or find a movie released the year you were born that was based on a book. Do the same thing.

25: Go into a bookstore or library. Pick any bookshelf. Read the third book from the left on the fourth shelf from the top. (If it's not at least 200 pages, pick the next book to the right.)

25: Read a book about which you’ve heard bad things.

Points earned:
15: Read a book in one calendar day. Forbidden Heat by Opal Carew

15: Read a book that you've always wanted to read but haven't gotten around to yet. The Blind Side by Michael Lewis

20: Read a pair of books that have antonyms in the titles. Memorial Day by Vince Flynn and The Long Stitch Good Night by Amanda Lee

30: Read a trilogy. Midnight Promises, Catching Fireflies, and Where Azaleas Bloom by Sherryl Woods

The calendar may say these are not over yet but my stress levels about them say they are. Fun but... not during the summer. I don't seem to have as much reading time during the summer.

RaT Wrap up (Bout of Books)

Bout of Books

Read-a-Thon
Wrap-up

Time Devoted to Reading

I'll spend some time reading each day? Check. I usually spend hours reading each day so when I say I was able to read 20 pages? I was busy!

My Goals

To read at least half of what I did last week? No. - My goal was 1,520, I missed it by 153 pages. I had time to knock it out but didn't really feel like reading.

Visit ten other participants? Check? I did visit but with Pick Your Thon going on too I may have overlapped....next time, keep track of who you visit!

Tweet updates? Check.

post a wrap-up? Check. :-)

Challenges? Check. Passing Books and The page 99 Test. Also, Introduce Yourself.

Books Finished

Thirteen print books stacked by my reading chair. Most of this stack was left untouched. I have no idea how many ebooks I've got that are started that I could have read.

A Natural Father (2nd half of Edge of Forever*) 280 pages

Only Mine by Susan Mallery (379 pages)
Gilbert by Bailey Bradford (138 pages)
Rescued by Bailey Bradford (95 pages)

and the book that hooked me. . . Dream Lake by Lisa Kleypas (355 pages)

*Edge of Forever was a reprint that included A Natural Father, also a reprint. Both had their own ISBN when first published

Books Started

The Last Patriot by Brad Thor (10 pages)
All Summer Long by Susan Mallery (page 143)
Chihuahua of the Baskervilles by Esri Allbritten (page 76)
A Killer Read by Erika Chase (page 20)
The Long Quicke Goodbye by Avery Aames (page 43)

nothing wrong with any of the books, all will be finished, just restless this week.

Overall, I had a great time and am looking forward to next time. I do have some changes I want to make: visit more (and keep track of who), more challenges, read more and do a couple of reviews.

A Big Thank You to Amanda and Kelly!

Progress by Day

Monday
Number of books I've read today: ~1~
Total number of books I've finished: ~1~
Total number of pages read: 280
Books: A Natural Father (2nd half of Edge of Forever) 280 pages
Challenge: Passing Books

Tuesday
Number of books I've read today: ~1~
Total number of books I've finished: ~1~
Total number of pages read: 20 today, 300 total
Books: started A Killer Read by Erika Chase

Wednesday
Number of books I've read today: ~1~
Total number of books I've finished: ~1~
Total number of pages read: 52 today
Books: started Only Mine by Susan Mallery

Thursday
Number of books I've read today: ~2~
Total number of books I've finished: ~3~
Total number of pages read: 817
Books: Only Mine by Susan Mallery (379 pages)
Gilbert by Bailey Bradford (138 pages)

Friday
Number of books I've read today: ~1~
Total number of books I've finished: ~4~
Total number of pages read: 912
Books: Rescued by Bailey Bradford (95 pages)

Saturday
Number of books I've read today: ~3~ (parts of)
Total number of books I've finished: ~4~
Total number of pages read: 1,013
Books: started The Last Patriot by Brad Thor (10 pages)
up to page 132 in All Summer Long by Susan Mallery,
up to page 76 in Chihuahua of the Baskervilles by Esri Allbritten,
still at page 20 in A Killer Read by Erika Chase
Challenges: Page 99 Test

Sunday
Number of books I've read today: ~1~
Total number of books I've finished: ~5~
Total number of pages read:1,368
Books: Dream Lake by Lisa Kleypas (355 pages)

Sunday, August 19, 2012

What books are on your shelf waiting for "Someday"?

I follow The Boston Bibliophile in my blog roll. The title of her post really caught my attention, "Someday" Books or Literary Dust Bunnies. Her post was a jump from The BookArista but Literary Dust Bunnies came from Marie and really hit me.

Can you see them? Those thick ones. Or just an uncomfortable subject. Recommended but forgotten. Sitting on the top shelf where you always see them but never look. Did you just see a tail?

I commented that Life of Pi is one of my dust bunnies. I'm sure I've still got it, it sat there forever, falling deeper and deeper into the dark recesses of the book shelf. I saw a movie trailer for it recently, a MOVIE trailer!

Under the Dome, The Count of Monte Cristo, Atlas Shrugged. I wonder what other treasures I'll find when I deep a little deeper.

What are your Literary Dust Bunnies?

So my graphic isn't really a dust bunny. It should be scary to all that own books (or any paper for that matter). Laura M. Haight and recent discoveries in Eletromagnetic Mycelia reads like science fiction and I'm not smart enough to know real from fake. Head over and take a look at some of her other photographs. My question is, how were the books left alone long enough for the fungi to get so big?

I hope I'm protecting my treasures better!

Saturday, August 18, 2012

RaT Update and Wrap-up

Read-a-Thon &
Review-a-Thon Update

Saturday's over? Already? Well, almost :-)

The Book Monster's Pick Your Thon Wrap-up

I did horrible this time! I wanted to review one book and didn't even open it! I did touch it, moved it on top of my reading stack but that's as far as I got. I have gotten some reading done (Bout of Books overlaps), visited some and did a challenge so the week wasn't a complete waste. I am thinking that I should skip the RaTs when I say I'm going to be off-line when they're happening!

Bout of Books Update

I've got a little time to catch up on my reading but it really isn't looking like I'll meet my pages read goal. If I get in gear, I'll be close. . . need a book to hook me in!

Saturday
Number of books I've read today: ~3~ (parts of)

Total number of books I've finished: ~4~

Total number of pages read: 1,013
Books: started The Last Patriot by Brad Thor (10 pages)
up to page 132 in All Summer Long by Susan Mallery,
up to page 76 in Chihuahua of the Baskervilles by Esri Allbritten,
still at page 20 in A Killer Read by Erika Chase

How are you doing?

Friday, August 17, 2012

RaT Update 3

Read-a-Thon &
Review-a-Thon Update

Happy Friday!

M and I went to lunch instead of dinner for our anniversary. We also ran errands :p

The store I stopped at to purchase shoes didn't have to right color so I ordered them online. We did stop somewhere else and bought knee pads so I can play volleyball next week. :D

I did stop at Danasquare to do a Mini-Challenge... Choose your favorite cover of a book you are reading or reviewing and explain why it's your favorite.

I commented that The Eighty-Dollar Champion was a favorite because it has a horse on the cover but I was sure I'd find another favorite once I looked at all the books.... Yup. I'd love to sit and read on the front porch of A Killer Read.

Finished another book but have lots more pages to go before I'm close to my page goal. Still haven't ~~finished~~ touched Code Blood by Kurt Kamm.

I have visited several bloggers and tweeted that I finished a book.

How are you doing?

Thursday, August 16, 2012

RaT Update 2

Read-a-Thon &
Review-a-Thon Update

Woo Hoo! I DOUBLED the pages read from yesterday. Yeah, that right, I read over 40 pages today. Fifty-two actually.

I woke up early for me, late for you and headed to my parents. Lunch with Mom then back to the house for visits. Before I knew it, it was 5 p.m. and my Dad was kicking me out. ;-)

I didn't play volleyball, several of the girls couldn't play so we put it off until next week. Which was a very good thing, my knees hurt and I didn't buy knee pads. I've got time to pick some up before next week.

Review-a-Thon goal: Finish and review Code Blood by Kurt Kamm. Progress? none.

Read-a-Thon goals: read twice as many pages as Summer Wrap-up (3.041 pages). Visit ten bloggers. Tweet updates.

Progress: Way behind in the page count. I did a challenge so that counts as a visit, right? Tweeting too, so I guess I just need to get busy with the reading.

Tomorrow is my 27th Anniversary. Dinner out on Friday will take away some of reading time (only if I want to look really nice) but I should be able to read most of tomorrow.

How are you doing?

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Dark Tower Read-a-Long

The Dark Tower

Read-a-Long

Sept 2012 to Jul 2013

Hosted at The Stephen King Challenge Blog.

Sign ups and more information is here.

September--The Gunslinger, Book 1
October--The Drawing of the Three, Book 2
November--The Waste Lands, Book 3
December/January--Wizard and Glass, Book 4
February--The Wind Through the Keyhole, Book 4.5
March/April--Wolves of the Calla, Book 5
May--Song of Susannah, Book 6
June/July--The Dark Tower, Book 7

Somewhere, in the black hole called garage, I have books 1 - 4. Luckily, Son was given them for his birthday plus several others for Christmas. Wonder if he'll let me borrow them ;-)

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy!

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Read-a-long

7-1 to 11-30

Pinar is hosting her first read-a-long
Sign up here

How It Works?
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series is composed of 5 books. It is summer time already. I have heard that the series is fun to read so I will try to read at least 3 books from the series in two months but I don’t want to bore my prospective participants so the read-a-long will run from July 1, 2012 to November 30, 2012. To sign up, please read the general rules below. Then, post about this read-a-long on your blog, including the button above, and don’t forget to link back to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Read-a-long page on my blog!

Rules
Anyone may join at any time. Just leave a comment below with the following info: Name / Blog (if you have one) / # of books you plan to read from the series I’ll comprise a list with everyone and add it to this page. Updates on the read-a-long will be posted each time I finish off a book from the series and you may then comment with your own progress and add a link to your review if you like.

I've read the series many time but it is always fun and I know where the books are so I'm going to jump in with the first book.

edited 8-26: I was wrong about knowing where the books were. Took me a while but I found the omnibus of five books and the hardcover of Mostly Harmless. Ready to go!

RaT Update

Read-a-Thon &
Review-a-Thon Update

Today was not a good day for books. Tomorrow doesn't look good either.

sigh

Today, I spent some time on the treadmill then 30 min on the weight machines. I ended my day with 90 min of volleyball. I didn't take knee pads (we played inside) and played barefoot. I've got scrapes on my knees and the tops of my feet, knees are banged up some too.

Silly me, I'll be playing volleyball again tomorrow after going shopping and to lunch with my Mom. Maybe I'll remember knee pads.

Did I get any reading done?

Yes. Yes I did. Twenty pages.

sigh

Monday, August 13, 2012

Pick Your Thon!

Yikes! The Book Monster's Pick-Your-Thon has already started!

The Book Monsters

Pick Your Thon

August 13-18

1. Which thon are you choosing? Readathon, Reviewathon or both? And why?

2. Where are you from? You can be vague or specific, up to you.

3. Say a little bit about yourself so we can get to know you if we don't already!

4. What are you currently reading or about to pick up to read?

5. What are your goals for this Pick Your Thon?

1. I'm going with both. I'm already doing Bout of Books but hadn't planned on actually reviewing anything. Might as well overlap my reading and also review something.

2. Northern Hemisphere :-) ... Southern California ... LA area

3. never know what to say here...I love to read (duh), have a had time reviewing. I've started a running program and hope to drop 60+ pounds. Disappointed that gym time will cut into reading time but looking forward to hiking in the Tetons. I'm a SAHM of adult children, only one of which is still home. I'm owned by two cats. Have been married for 26 years. (OH! 27 years on the 16th)

4. I've got a huge stack by my reading chair and need to add The Big Kitty and A Killer Read to it. Code Blood is what I'm hoping to review this week.

5. I'm hoping to review Code Blood this week. I'd like to finish up a couple of challenges but since I was planning on being offline this month I don't really have a plan.

~ Book Stack ~
All Summer Long by Susan Mallery
Chihuahua of the Baskervilles by Esri Allbritten
When the Cookie Crumbles by virginia Lowell
Pies adn Prejudice by Ellery Adams
The Big Kitty by Claire Donally
A Killer Read by Erika Chase
The Last Patriot by Brad Thor
Power Down by Ben Coes
Hear Lies the Librarian by Richard Peck
Divergent by ...Roth
Brave New World
Room
Code Blood
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Circles of Seven by Bryan Davis
The Eighty Dollar Champion

~ Books Read ~

A Natural Father by Sarah Mayberry bound with Edge of Forever by Sherryl Woods.

Bout of Books Challenge: Passing Books

Bout of Books

Read-a-Thon Challenge

Passing Books

Today's challenge can be found at Reading in Texas. The challenge is also hosted by The Space Between.

To enter this challenge, tell us what happens to your books after you have read them. More details/rules at both sites.

I like to re-read my books so most of them are shelved (or boxed). I'm using LibraryThing to help keep track of them but my account is not up-to-date.

If I know I won't be reading them again, they are given to GoodWill, the library or friends. I once left two at the hospital. I use to trade them in at a used books store. Recently I gave about ten to a BIL to take home so he could trade them in or leave them at work (SO works at a hospital).

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Bout of Books Read-a-Thon Goals

Bout of Books

Read-a-Thon

August 13 - 19

(and why did I think this was 14 - 20?)

RaT Twitter: #boutofbooks
My Twitter: @bookdragonslair

I do have RL plans for this week but no wedding to attend or trips coming up. Plus I'm still trying to be offline so even with lunches, shopping and starting a running program, I should be spending a lot of time reading.

This is where I'll update my reading but I'm sure any challenges I complete will have their own pages.

Time Devoted to Reading

I'll spend some time reading each day

My Goals

To read at least half of what I did last week
Visit ten other participants
Tweet updates
post a wrap-up

Books to Read

books taken on vacation but not finished plus books started and stacked by my reading chair. . .
The Big Kitty by Claire Donally
Chihuahua of the Baskervilles by Esri Allbritten
Power Down by Ben Coes
The Last Patriot by Brad Thor
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Room by Emma Donoghue
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Here Lies the Librarian by Richard Peck
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Code Blood by Kurt Kamm
Amad Orser by Daniel Armand
Circles of Seven by Bryan Davis

. . . plus several ebooks have been started and left unfinished

. . . and the other half of Edge of Forever, unless finished on Sunday

Updates

RaT Wrap Up Post

Summer Wrap-up Read-a-Thon

Wrap-up :-)

August 4 - 12

hosted at Some Like it Paranormal and In Between

Twitter: #SWUR
me @bookdragonslair

A lot of things interfered with my full participation in this read-a-thon, mainly I had planned on being offline this month but there was a wedding and other stuff.

Being offline meant I was able to spend a lot of time reading (stupid FB games) but will look forward to participating more fully next summer.

~ Number of Books Read ~

14.5

I finished a book I had already started, more than half of the book was unread so I counted it as a full book. The half book is because the binding (and current ISBN) was a two title book and I only read one of them. Several of the titles are short stories but with their own ISBN so they were counted as a full book.

One of the books was nonfiction and one was a re-read but the sequel was a new read. I don't know if I'll read the other book in the Edge of Forever binding before Midnight.

Please see my original post for a list of books read.

~ Total Pages Read ~

3,041

wow. Really? That's going to be hard to top

~ Number of eBooks ~

~ Number of Print Books ~

6.5

~ Challenges ~

sigh, none

These are the books I took on vacation. . .

Edge of Forever by Sherryl Woods
The Big Kitty by Claire Donally
Chihuahua of the Baskervilles by Esri Allbritten
Power Down by Ben Coes
The Last Patriot by Brad Thor
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Room by Emma Donoghue
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

. . . these are the ones I've touched since we got back

Edge of Forever by Sherryl Woods

These are the print books stacked by my reading chair. . .

Here Lies the Librarian by Richard Peck
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Code Blood by Kurt Kamm
Amad Orser by Daniel Armand
Circles of Seven by Bryan Davis

. . . these are the ones I've read during the RaT

(yes, that's right. I haven't read any of them!)

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Thoughts on ... Devil's Food Cake Murder

This is not the first book in the series. Doesn't it read like you're missing stuff? Sort of. I know stuff happened in the character's lives before this but enough is retold that I didn't feel like I was missing out, I want to go back to the beginning of the series!

As for the book itself... I liked enough to read more in this series but not enough to read this title again by itself.

The story didn't seem forced. I liked the twists. Hated a couple of characters, loved others. I'm ready to bake ;) This isn't a heart-stopping action story but parts did have my heart pounding.

Disclaimer: This title is from my personal library. The opinions expressed in this post are mine and may differ from yours. Book information courtesy of several sources

Devil's Food Cake Murder
Hannah Swensen Mystery
by Joanne Fluke

Kensington
Mass Market Paperback
978-0-7582-3492-6
Cozy Mystery
304 pages
14+?
Grade: C+

Product Description:

Hannah Swensen has to admit life is pretty sweet. Things are going well in the romance department and her bakery’s delectable confections are selling as fast as she can bake them. Even her good friend Claire is head over heels with her new husband, Reverend Bob Knudson. If only they could find time to take their honeymoon!

When Bob’s childhood friend, Matthew Walters, comes to town, it seems like divine intervention. Matthew, like Bob, is a Lutheran minister with a stubborn sweet tooth. Since he’s on sabbatical, Matthew is happy to fill in for Bob while he and Claire take that long-awaited honeymoon. It sounds like the perfect plan—until Hannah finds Matthew face-down in a plate full of Devil’s Food Cake, a single bullet in his head. It will take some sleuthing to sift out the killer, but Hannah is sure of one thing: even the most half-baked murder plot can be oh so deadly…

Monday, August 6, 2012

Challenges+ Left to Complete: Aug - Dec

Challenges Left to Complete (Sep - Dec)
Plus Perpetual Challenges, Read-a-Thons, Read-a-Longs, and Events

I've done really well so far this year but it's time I consolidated, and separated. For example: most of my paranormal challenges are complete, except for reading one more Fairy book.

Let's see if this works. . .

*NEW* ~~Fall into Reading~~, Sep 22 to Dec 21
*NEW* Review Copy Wipeout, Oct 1 to Dec 31
*NEW* ~~Spooktacular Paranormal~~, October
*NEW* Christmas Spirit, Nov 19 to Jan 6
*NEW* Week Long RaT, Dec 2 - 8

Read-a-Thon

October: ~~Two Read-a-Thons~~ - FrightFall (1-7) and Fraterfest (5-8)
Oct: Dewey's 24-Hour

Read-a-Long

~~Dark Tower~~ (9-12/7-13) sigh, give up on this one
~~Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy~~ (7-1/11-30) sigh, give up on this one

Event

September: ~~BBAW~~ (10-14)
September/October: ~~R.I.P. VII~~ (8-28/10-31)
September/October: ~~Banned Books Week~~ (9-30/10-6)
October: ~~Season of the Witch~~

Perpetual Challenges
Whittle Down Your Perpetual TBR List

100 Best Novels :: Cedar Cove :: Disney Lit :: Landover :: Prey :: Redwall

Open Challenges

ARC, Read and Review, 10 already read plus 12, 11

~~ALA's Top Ten Banned/Challenged Books of 2011, ends approx 4-1-13~~

50 States, Where are you Reading?, 20 19 more states

~~Cruisin thru the Cozies,~~ ~~3 more, only one more!~~
Criminal Plots, 1 more (weapon in title)

~~Dewey Decimal, 4 1 more non-fiction~~
Dystopia, 3 more

12 in 12, 2 more (Fairy Tale, 100 Best Novels List)
The Eclectic Reader, 2 more (Literary Fiction, Classic)

~~Memorable Memoirs~~

~~Immortals, 1 more Fae~~

~~Harry Potter~~ sigh, give up on this one

~~Chronicles of Narnia~~ sigh, give up on this one

~~Dean Koontz~~, gave up on this one

~~Game of Thrones/The Song of Ice and Fire~~ sigh, give up on this one

~~Why Buy the Cow?,~~ 7 6 more free ebooks

Color Coded, 5 more (Red, Yellow, Green, Brown, Black)

Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks, 52? Check. Going for one a week! dang, missed a week!

Monthly Mix-up Mania, 4 "E" titles left to go, ends 3-31-13, one down & 3 to go

Alex Awards, Room

Getting Lost in a Comfortable Book, 5 from list - my own challenge and I've read nothing for it!

Personal Goal (GoodReads Group): ~~Read One Million Pages~~, :p

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Books Read in 2012 . . . .

Stay tuned for proof that I am still reading even if I am trying to stay unplugged :-)

August Recap

132. Hot Money by Dick Francis
150+, One Million Pages, Big Book Summer, Summer Reading Challenge?

133. Ramping Up by Sean Michael
150+, One Million Pages,

134. Competition by J. Rocci
150+, One Million Pages,

135. The Dragon and the Mistletoe by M. Raiya
150+, One Million Pages

136. Isaiah by Bailey Bradford
150+, One Million Pages, Summer Wrap-Up RaT

137. Prince Incognito by Rachelle McCalla
150+, One Million Pages, Summer Wrap-Up RaT

138. Sweet Tea at Sunrise by Sherryl Woods
150+, One Million Pages, Big Book Summer, 52 in 52, Summer Wrap-up RaT

139. Knives and Feathers by Sage Marlowe
150+, One Million Pages, Summer Wrap-Up RaT

140. Natural Running by Danny Abshire with Brian Metzler
150+, One Million Pages, Summer Wrap-Up RaT

141. Opening Moves by Sean Michael
150+, One Million Pages, Summer Wrap-Up RaT

142. Middle Game by Sean Michael
150+, One Million Pages, Summer Wrap-Up RaT

143. Bend by Bailey Bradford
150+, One Million Pages, Summer Wrap-Up RaT

144. Robert's Rancher by Amber Kell
150+, One Million Pages, Summer Wrap-Up RaT

145. Straight Cowboy by Jan Irving
150+, One Million Pages, Summer Wrap-Up RaT

146. Shifter Cowboy by Jan Irving
150+, One Million Pages, Summer Wrap-Up RaT

~~146.5. Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis~~
~~150+, One Million Pages, Summer Wrap-Up RaT~~

147. Christmas in Lucky Harbor by Jill Shalvis
150+, One Million Pages, Summer Wrap-Up RaT, Big Book Summer

148. Almost Perfect by Susan Mallery
150+, One Million Pages, Summer Wrap-Up RaT

149. Finding Perfect by Susan Mallery
150+, One Million Pages, Summer Wrap-Up RaT

~~149.5. Edge of Forever by Sherryl Woods~~
~~150+, One Million Pages, Summer Wrap-Up RaT~~

150. Edge of Forever by Sherryl Woods
(with bonus book: A Natural Father by Sarah Mayberry)
150+, One Million Pages, Summer Wrap-Up RaT, bout of Books

151. Only Mine by Susan Mallery
150+, One Million Pages, Bout of Books, Pick Your Thon

152. Gilbert by Bailey Bradford
150+, One Million Pages, Bout of Books, Pick Your Thon

153. Rescued by Bailey Bradford
150+, One Million Pages, Bout of Books, Pick Your Thon

154. Dream Lake by Lisa Kleypas
150+, One Million Pages, Bout of Books, 52 in 52

155. All Summer Long by Susan Mallery
150+, One Million Pages

156. Summer Days by Susan Mallery
150+, One Million Pages

157. Summer Nights by Susan Mallery
150+, One Million Pages

158. Only Yours by Susan Mallery
150+, One Million Pages,

159. Only His by Susan Mallery
150+, One Million Pages

160. Only Us by Susan Mallery
150+, One Million Pages,

161. Mile Markers by Kristin Armstrong
150+, One Million Pages, Read & Review

162. Kill Shot by Vince Flynn
150+, One Million Pages, 52 in 52

163. The Third Option by Vince Flynn
150+, One Million Pages

164. American Assassin by Vince Flynn
150+, One Million Pages, Back to School RaT

165. Dirty Kisses by Sean Michael
150+, One Million Pages, Back to School RaT

166. Losing and Gaining by Heidi Champa
150+, One Million Pages, Back to School RaT

167. An Accidental Athlete by John "The Penguin" Bingham
150+, One Million Pages, Back to School RaT

168. A Soldier's Choice by D.L. Warner (with bonus story)
150+, One Million Pages, Back to School RaT

169. Anything You Can Do by Christiane France
150+, One Million Pages, Back to School RaT

170. Duck and Bunny Rescue by Pepper Espinoza
150+, One Million Pages, Back to School RaT

115. Title by
150+, One Million Pages, Spring Reading Thing, other challenges. . .

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Spotlight: Immigration and Adaptation

I've heard say that America is a melting pot. Well, I'd prefer we were more like a stew. We'll simmer until our flavors blend together while we remain true to ourselves at our core. Does that make sense to you?

Come to the front door, bring the best of your old home to your new home. Share your old home "flavor" will us but blend in with your new home.

I was excited when I received the invitation for this blog tour, it sounds like the author agrees with me. I was disappointed when the time was didn't work. At least I can spotlight the book and advertise the tour.

Blog Tour Schedule, there are lots of giveaways too!

Immigration and Adaptation
How Immigrant Families Excel in North America
by Haskell G. Edwards, D. Min.

Landgon Street Press
9781936782239
272 Pages

Release Date: September 15, 2011
$16.95

Description: Adaptation is a must. But how does one go about doing this? It takes great planning, finances, and courage to leave one's homeland; but then finding support and comfort or anything of familiarity in a new land presents a whole new set of challenges. The stress is overwhelming. How do you gain the happiness and success you dreamed of attaining in the new land?

Immigration and Adaptation is here to help you navigate through these challenges. With the information herein, immigrants coming to North America will be prepared to identify and resolve social, family, and personal challenges with confidence. Mr. Edwards' vast professional experience with diverse immigrant families, as well as his own personal journey and genuinely encouraging approach, not only help immigrant families adapt to new surroundings, but grow stronger together in their journey.

This book includes:
- A family wellness test
- Step-by-step guidelines
- Real-life examples
- Inspirational stories
- Family, parenting, and spousal exercises
- Illustrations
- Single-parenting advice

Immigration and Adaptation also includes tips on: building self-confidence, resolving conflicts, tuning communication skills, networking and building social supports, budgeting, parenting, enhancing spousal relationships, helping teenagers adjust, communicating effectively, and more.

Currently available at amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Books a Million, and as always, check your favorite bookseller.

Looking for an ebook? PDF format here

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Haskell G. Edwards, D. Min. has vast professional experience for more than forty years as pastor, administrator, family therapist, and director of a family therapy center. His extensive experience gained from working with immigrant families in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic setting, as well as his own personal journey and genuinely encouraging approach, positions him not only to help immigrant families adapt to new surroundings, but grow stronger together in their journey.

He has successfully held immigrant seminars, workshops, and lectures throughout North America. Now a retired pastor, he continues to help immigrant families of a wide cultural heritage transition into their new homeland.

Giveaway!

I'll be unplugged so I have nothing complicated. Just leave a comment with your email. Deadline: August 25!

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Monday, August 20, 2012

Time Devoted to Reading

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Sunday, August 19, 2012

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Friday, August 17, 2012

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

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Sunday, August 12, 2012

Time Devoted to Reading

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Wednesday, August 8, 2012

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Thursday, August 2, 2012

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

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