Yes!!

Well, I don't know about where you all live, but where I live, the signs are starting to appear.

Cooler nights.
Cooler mornings.
Darker earlier in the evening.
Just the hint of color on the early trees.
Pumpkins turning orange.
Sunflowers have burst forth in blooms.

Fall is coming. I love fall for a whole host of reasons, but what I am really excited about tonight is the announcement that Katrina made on her blog, Callapidder Days.

The announcement that I actually asked her about in a comment last night!

The return of The Fall Into Reading challenge is imminent!



So, prepare your list and get ready to sign up next week!!

Monday Bonanza

What's In Your Mailbox Monday is hosted each week by Marcia over at The Printed Page.



A busy mailbox for me this week!

I also received 2 ARC's:
The Christmas Clock by Kat Martin
Spinning Forward by Terri Dulong

What are you reading on Mondays? is hosted each week by J. Kaye's Book Blog.



Finished last week: The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes

Currently reading: Love Walked In

Up next: Mr. Pip or If You Lived Here

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about books for children… Do you buy books as gifts for children – either your own or those of friends or family? Would you buy books for all children, or only children who are already practiced readers?

Do I buy books for children? By all means yes! We don't have a lot of extended family to buy books for, but I have 4 kids of my own. I used to be always looking for an occasion to buy them all a new book! I give them books for Valentines Day, Easter, The Last Day of School, Birthdays and best of all, Christmas. They might get 2 or 3 in their stockings and there is always one nice book wrapped under the tree. I am a firm believer that you can NEVER have too many books! (If only my husband agreed!)

A first for me....(edited!)

Oops! I guess it would have been nice if I had told you the titles of the books.
1. The Christmas Lock by Kat Martin (available October 20009)
2. Spinning Forward by Terri Dulong (available November 2009)
They both look like cozy reads and the Christmas one is a novella.


I am so excited!
Something arrived in my mailbox the likes of which I have never received before, although many of you receive tons of these!
What could it be??




My very first ARC's to read and review!

I was contacted a week or so ago by email and I responded with a "yes" email and then low and behold two books showed up this week.

What is protocol? Or maybe I should be asking about read/review etiquette? Do I email the sender to let them know when I have read the books and reviewed them on my blog? I certainly don't want to offend anyone.
Man, I feel like such a dweeb and so behind the times within the book blogging world.

Well, I am off to do some Friday night laundry. Exciting, huh? Then to bed with a book!

My Favorite Reads

My Favorite Reads is hosted by Alyce from At Home With Books every Thursday. What a great way to read reviews of books that were mainstream (or not!) a while back but have faded off the radar of what is "hot" right now.

The book I am choosing this week is the first of a series containing many books, several of which are back in print. These little gems were originally printed in the 1950's and 1960's.

Village School by Miss Read

I discovered Miss Read when I was in need of a gentle read. This series tells the story of Miss Read, the fictional head teacher in the little school in Fairacre--a tiny village set in Britain. The whole series spans her life and career in the little town and by the end of even one book, you feel like you know everyone in the town.
Fairacre has been compared to Mitford--perhaps even gentler than Mitford. So if you want a slow moving, character driven story, Miss Read is for you.

Why did I pick this book? There is something uplifting and hopeful in the stories, even in the middle of life's little crises, disappointments and travails. I love escaping to this little village and have read the complete series twice in the past 9 years. There is also a second series, Thrush Green, which I found equally appealing, although Miss Read and the folks in Fairacre hold a special place in my reading heart.

Wordless Wednesday: vacation boys

When did they grow up??

August 2009

My Favorite Reads and a Give Away!!!

The winner of the book, Welcome to the World Baby Girl is Crystal from My Reading Room.
Congrats, Crystal. I have emailed you!



My Favorite Reads is hosted by Alyce from At Home With Books every Thursday. What a great way to read reviews of books that were mainstream (or not!) a while back but have faded off the radar of what is "hot" right now.

My favorite read today comes from my reading during July 2002. Wow--just was thinking back and realizing how much has happened since then! My oldest, Sarah, was high school senior and now she has a masters degree, is married, and about to have her first child! Andrew was a sophomore, and he now has his BA in International Business with a minor in Chinese and hopefuly hears tomorrow if he is headed to China for the next year! Austen and Sam were 10 and 7 years old and were being homeschooled by me! They are now 17 and 14, both in public school where Sam is an 8th grader and Austen is a high school senior! Where oh where has the time flown to?

Anyway, sorry for the digression...my favorite book is Welcome to the World Baby Girl by Fannie Flagg.

Why did I choose this book?
Oh how I loved this book--the characters were enchanting and Flagg writes with such cozy down homeness that I just did not want this story to end. (There did end up being some sequels, Oh Joy!) I really had a hard time putting this one down and was caught up in the story on page 1!

If you are looking for a sweet, romantic, melodramatic at times, character driven book you must read this one.

In fact....I have a copy to give away!

Just comment by 6:00 pm next Wednesday which is when I will close this and draw a winner.
+1 entry by commenting and telling me why you want this book.
+2 entries if you become a new follower of my blog.
+3 entries if you are already a follower.
Be sure to leave me your email address so I can contact you!

Cheers and Happy Reading

I am back!

We had a glorious 3 days of vacation--wish it was longer, but we have Disneyland to look forward to at Christmas time!

My boys had a blast surfing, body boarding, diving and rough housing in the pool. Everyone ended up with a sunburn, but it was worth it. Kerry and I played in the water a bit, and then relaxed with our books the rest of the time. I finished one, (very long, over 500 pages) book--the Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes. I loved it! Review to come later.

We arrived home late last night and today has been spent trying to get ready for school to start next Monday. OH, did I say school was starting? Well maybe not. We will know tonight for sure--our teachers are meeting as I write this to vote whether or not to strike. A strike is looking very likely.
But.
I took Sam out today and dropped a wad of money. First to the school to pay his fees.
Year Book: $25
ASB card: $10
Science Fee $5
Planner: $5
New PE shorts: $10
Sheesh! I do pay taxes!


Then off to Target to purchase supplies. Can you believe that Target was completely out of pencils? How does that happen?



So, off to Staples (which I like better for supplies than Target...shh..)
I also picked up supplies for Austen--he was too busy working in someone's yard from church to come along.


Then, did I mention we are going to Disney for Christmas? --we told the boys we would not be buying a ton of brand new school clothes. Sam and I made a trip to Value Village (thrift store) where we found 2 pairs of jeans and about 6 new shirts. He was happy.

Now I am off to do laundry and get myself ready for my return to work tomorrow.

dilemma (edited)

Leaving for a little mini vacation tomorrow and my burning thought for the day? What books do I bring????


Edited at midnight Sunday: I am all done packing and guess what? I have 7 books packed for 3 days. There is no way I will probably even get 2 read but a girl has got to have options, right Ti, and others who commented earlier?!!
See you all Tuesday night!

Weekly Geeks: languishing on the shelf

I think just about every reader has a least one book that they've been meaning to read for awhile (months or even years) but, for one reason or another, they just haven't gotten around to it. Maybe it's a book a friend recommended last year, or a title you've flirted with in a bookstore on more than one occasion, or maybe it's a book that's sitting right there on your bookshelf, patiently waiting for you to pick it up -- but the thought is always there, in the back of your mind:

This week, tell us about a book (or books) you have been meaning to read. What is it? How long have you wanted to read it? And, why haven't you read it yet?


I as pondered this question for all of about 20 seconds I realized that the first book which popped into my brain is IT for this question. I have had this book sitting on my shelves for 7 years! It even had "possible read for several challenges" status last year but never actually was chosen.
I have not seen the movie.
I won't see the movie until I have read the book.

The book:
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

I really can't even tell you why I haven't read it. The one reason I can think it might be is the sheer length of it--512 pages. I am just not a huge fan of chunksters. I feel such pressure to read fast so I can get through them and on to the next book!
I know.
Weird me. ;)

Happy Reading~~~~

A-Z Wednesday: B

Welcome to A-Z Wednesday!! Hosted by Vicki from Reading At The Beach
To join, here's all you have to do:
Go to your stack of books and find one whose title starts with the letter of the week.
Post:
1~ a photo of the book
2~ title and synopsis
3~ link(amazon, barnes and noble etc.)
4~ Come back here and leave your link in the comments
Be sure to visit other participants to see what book they have posted and leave them a comment.
(We all love comments, don't we?)
Who knows? You may find your next "favorite" book.

THIS WEEKS LETTER IS: B

My "B" book is one that has been sitting on my shelf for quite some time. It looks like it would fit the bill when a chick-lit fix is required!

Bride Needs Groom by Wendy Markham

From Amazon:
Product Description
Gorgeous playboy Dominick Chickalini can charm his way out of - or into-any and every situation. But on the plane on his way to Las Vegas for a weekend of drinking, flirting, and gambling, he suddenly feels like everyone is coupled up-except himself. He tries to push it out of his mind, but then he notices the passenger next to him. She's the most stunningly beautiful woman he's ever seen...and she's wearing a wedding dress. Mia Calogera has to get married or her strong-willed, and incredibly wealthy grandfather will cut her off. Accustomed to the finer things in life, she's hatched a plan: marry a man she met on the Internet. But with Dominick next to her on the plane, her stomach won't stop doing flip-flops. When Mia's plan goes awry, and Dom needs to borrow money, Mia has the perfect way for him to pay her back. But will the eternal bachelor succumb to the bride's plan?

Garden Changes

The end of Summer

The beginning of Autumn

Oh Happy Day!

After a rough day at work, I came home to find this in my mailbox. It will be a good time tonight--my favorite magazine. And I noticed they are featuring Lisa See, who has written several books I have enjoyed.

Monday and Books

What's In Your Mailbox Monday is hosted each week by Marcia over at The Printed Page.

I had a full mailbox this week. Just wish I had more time to read them NOW!

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What are you reading on Mondays? is hosted each week by J. Kaye's Book Blog.

What I finished last week: Julie and Julia
What I am reading: The Elegance of the Hedgehog
What is up next: Love Walked In and The Zookeepers Wife

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Musing Mondays is hosted each week by Rebecca at Just One More Page.


Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about movies …
How do you react to movies made of your favourite books (or even not-so-favourite books)? Do you look forward to seeing them, or avoid them? Do you like to have read the book before seeing the movie?

I always look forward to them! After seeing so many of them over the years I have learned to go with an open mind and not get excited if they change things a bit. I know sometimes things need rearranging to make a movie flow, or to fit the story into a 2 hour time frame. I must say that I very rarely see a movie that is better than the book though.
I do try to read the book first--especially if it is already on my tbr pile.

TSS: my weekly wrap up

Happy Sunday, fellow readers!

It has been a gorgeous day here after about a week of gray, cloudy skies. I am beginning to see some early signs of Fall, which makes me a little sad, and a little excited both at the same time. Autumn is my favorite season, all those warm rich colors and the beginning of cozy candle lit evenings. When I went to the store today I purchased these beautiful mums to put in my flower pots outside--mums scream fall to me!




Today was spent menu planning and grocery shopping, blog reading, and book finishing. Yes, after a couple of weeks of slow going reading, I finished a book! My review of Julie and Julia will be up in the next couple of days. I am also about 1/2 way through Elegance of the Hedgehog.

I finished the New Authors challenge, which brings total completed challenges to date to 10.

I participated in a couple of my favorite memes also: Friday Finds, My Favorite Reads and all the fun Monday ones I roll into one post. A new meme was brought to my attention called A-Z Wednesday and I dove right in and joined in! After posting about the book I chose from my shelf to highlight , I realized that I really want to read it!

Two reviews of books were written this week also: The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder and The Year of Fog. Neither one of them will be counted among my favorite reads.

An idea I have been mulling around for a few days: after participating in My Favorite Reads each week, hosted by Alyce from At Home With Books, I have found so many of my "old" favorites, read back in 2001, 2002, and up, which it seems many readers have not heard of. A couple of the ones I showcased aren't even in print anymore. I decided that I am going to try to get copies of these older books and hold a give-away each week. If not for the book being spotlighted that day, then maybe the book from the week before. So! Be on the lookout for the chance of more free books being delivered to your door!

second time around

Weekly Geeks: Second Chances

There have been times in my life where I reread a book (or author) I hated--or thought I hated--but the second time around ended up loving. Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever changed your mind about a book or author the second time around? Have you ever given a book or author a second chance?

If you have, I'd love to hear your stories. Blog about your experience(s) in giving second chances.

If you haven't, I'd like you to consider giving a book or an author a second chance. You can blog about your intentions to do so--or if you're a quick reader, maybe you can even squeeze something in!

Can't think of a single book or author? Don't worry, you can stretch this one to include movies or music if you prefer.

It is just very interesting to me how time can change tastes and perceptions. How subjective the reading experience is and always will be.


Today, I can't think of any books which I initially rejected and then returned to later. But I can think of a couple that I think I maybe, might, someday try reading after rejecting for many years.
#1. The first is The Lord of the Rings series. I adored The Hobbit. I adored it so much that I re-read it every summer for about 5 years in a row on my family's yearly week long camping trip, when I was in Junior High and early High School.
Could I EVER get into the trilogy?
No!
Never.
And I tried.
Truly I did try.
I think the writing between The Hobbit and the trilogy is drastically different and I would always get bogged down in the lengthy descriptions found in the trilogy. All of my kids have read the whole kit and kaboodle. We own all the movies, which I am in love with. Each time I watch the movies I think to myself, how much more am I missing out on the story and characterizations and such by not reading the books?
So, maybe...2010 will be the year I attempt them again. I think I am talking myself into it here!

#2. The Harry Potter series. Once again, my whole family has read them all, and seen all the movies several times over.
Me?
Not even.
They all tell me I would love them.
And I am thinking more and more that maybe I would. So once again. Maybe 2010 will be the year for me to dabble in a little J.K. Rowling.

#3. My current book I am reading almost qualified for this as one I couldn't read and would maybe get read at a later date. The title is The Elegance of the Hedgehog and is so different from what I was expecting. I had a dickens of a time getting in to it last week--maybe I was just in the mood for some summer light fluff, vacation reading stuff.
BUT, I stuck with it, slogging through a few parts at times, but I can honestly say I am enjoying it and seeing more wit and humor than I thought I would.

Challenge Finished

Edited, August 2009: I finished!!!
Twenty-Five new authors for me so far this year.
My most favorites: Karen Stolz and Gin Phillips
My least favorte: Robert Olen Butler
My most surprising: Stephen King

Thanks Jackie for hosting this.....





Jackie from Literary Escapism is hosting this challenge again.

The basic rules:

1. The challenge will run from January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009.
2. Since this is an author challenge, there is no restriction on choosing your novels. They can definitely be from other challenges. However, the authors must be new to you and, preferably from novels, but anthologies are also a great way to try someone new.
3. I want this to be an easy challenge, so you state how many new authors you want to try this year and then that’s your challenge. For me, I’m trying another 50 new authors. If you want a number given to you, try for either 25 or 50.

I am going to go for 25 new authors. I have read close to 70 books this year which is right on par for a typical year for me. One year I broke over 100, but that was before I began a full time job. So, out of 70 books I will probably read more than 25 new to me authors, but I want to be successful so I am sticking with a lower number!

1. Alan Bennett(The Uncommon Reader)
2. Doreen Orion (Queen of the Road).
3. Neil Gaiman (Coraline)
4. Daniel Wallace (Big Fish)
5. Elizabeth Strout (Olive Kitteridge)
6. Kate Chopin (The Awakening)
7. Karen Stolz (World of Pies)
8. Elizabeth Von Arnim (Elizabeth and Her German Garden)
9. Kevin Henkes
10. Jerry Spinelli
11.Barbara Noble
12. Robert Olen Butler
13. Roddy Doyle
14. Jason F.Wright
15. Tatiana de Rosnay
16. Ami McKay
17. Ali Smith
18. Elizabeth Gaskell
19. Fanny Burney
20. Stephen King
21. Hillary Jordan
22. Jamie Ford
23. Edward Hardy
24. Gin Phillips
25. Michelle Richmond

a discovery

To see other Friday Finds or to share some of your own, visit MizB, our Friday hostess!

I haven't posted a find for a couple of weeks---I just can't keep up with you all in posting as often! But I did find a book this week that looks amazingly intriguing.

Impossible by Nancy Werlin

When I went to Amazon I found that there was quite a mix of reviews for this one--some really loved it, some really hated it. It does deal with some pretty deep topics, but not anything a high school reader hasn't been exposed to. I think I will give this one a try....

From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 9 Up—Werlin combines magic, romance, and a family curse in this 21st-century fairy tale based on the ballad "Scarborough Fair.....

...This unique story flows smoothly and evenly, and the well-drawn characters and subtle hints of magic early on allow readers to enter willingly into the world of fantasy. As in The Rules of Survival (Dial, 2006), Werlin addresses tough topics. Rape, teen pregnancy, and family madness set the story in motion, but the strength of Lucy's character and the love of her family and friends allow her to deal with such difficult matters and take on the impossible. Teens, especially young women, will enjoy this romantic fairy tale with modern trappings.

My Favorite Reads is hosted by Alyce from At Home With Books every Thursday. I am using this space each Thursday to highlight outstanding books I read before I blogged about books.

This week I am visiting my book journal page, dated August 2004. That was the time I discovered a favorite new author, her name being Marcia Willett. Previously I had read everything ever written by Rosamunde Pilcher and Maeve Binchy, and I had received the sad news that Pilcher was retiring from writing. Well, Marcia Willett is a lovely mix of my two favorite's Pilcher and Binchy! She was a magnificent find and anyone who, like me, enjoys novels with sumptuous settings, deeply drawn characters, and generations coming together will find her a delight.

My favorite from 2004 is The Children's Hour.

From BooklistShe may not be as famous as Binchy or Pilcher, but British writer Willett is just as gifted at combining elements of romance and melodrama into compelling women's fiction. Stylistically, her writing mirrors Pilcher's, with a hint of subtlety suggesting more literary fiction, but her generational plots and sumptuous scene setting have all of Binchy's wide-ranging commercial appeal. The "children's hour" was the time when Lydia read to her six children at Ottercombe, the family home in Devon. It was a delightful childhood, but nothing could protect the children from war and personal tragedy. Memories of earlier times are still fresh for now-septuagenarian Nest and Mina, whose quiet life at Ottercombe is disturbed by the arrival of their eldest sister, Georgie, who despite encroaching senility knows all the family secrets and threatens to reveal them. Willett captures the sights, sounds, and smells of seaside Devon superbly, and her characters are just complex enough to draw us into the story and keep us there contentedly. A must for women's fiction readers. Emily Melton

A-Z Wednesday

Vicki from Reading At The Beach has begun a fun new Wednesday meme and I thought I would give it a try. I think today is the first day for this event! It is even easy!

Welcome to A-Z Wednesday!!
To join, here's all you have to do:
Go to your stack of books and find one whose title starts with the letter of the week.
Post:
1~ a photo of the book
2~ title and synopsis
3~ link(amazon, barnes and noble etc.)
4~ Come back here and leave your link in the comments
Be sure to visit other participants to see what book they have posted and leave them a comment.
(We all love comments, don't we?)
Who knows? You may find your next "favorite" book.


THIS WEEK'S LETTER IS A

My "A" book is Abide With Me by Elizabeth Strout. (Strout won the Pulitzer Prize in 2009 for her novel, Olive Kitteridge)


Synopsis:
In the late 1950's, in a small New England town, Reverend Tyler Caskey has suffered a terrible loss and finds it hard to be the person he once was. He struggles to find the right words in his sermons and in his conversations with those facing crises of their own, and to bring his five-year old daughter, Katherine, out of the silence she has observed in the wake of the family's tragedy. Tyler's usually patient and kind congregation now questions his leadership and propriety, and accusations are born out of anger and gossip. Then, in Tyler's darkest hour, a startling discovery will test his parish's humanity--and his own will to endure the trials that sooner or later test us all.

Review: The Year of Fog

Book: The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond
Pages: 416
Finished: August 2009
Challenges:
**Summer Reading Challenge
** New Authors
** A-Z Challenge
** Read and Review
** Read Your Name Challenge

First Sentence: "Here is the truth, this is what I know: we were walking on Ocean Beach hand in hand. "

This book grabbed me on page one. I mean, after having raised four children, how could I not relate to the absolute nightmare of losing a child. This is every parent's nightmare--and the truth of that nightmare was written about expertly in the early pages of The Year of Fog--so realistically that my adrenaline was racing while reading.

Then, I got bored. This story could have been about 150-200 pages shorter and then maybe I wouldn't have lost interest. There are endless chapters of Abby searching for Emma, searching the same places over and over again.... and chapters about Abby's past that bored me to tears.

I finally skimmed the last 150 pages so I could find out the ending. I hated the way Emma's father, (Abby's fiancee) treats Abby at the end, which is one more reason why I am glad I didn't slog through all those pages that I skimmed.

The book was not a total failure for me, just too long for the story it was telling. I will definitely give Michelle Richmond another try as her new book, No One You Know, does sound intriguing.

Review: Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder

Book: The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder by Rebecca Wells
Finished: August 2009
Pages: 416
Challenges:
**Read and Review

First Sentence: "My name is Calla Lily Ponder."

What can I say? It pains me to write this review. I had such high hopes for this book. Rebecca Wells won me over as a reader with The Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood and the sequel, Ya Ya's in Bloom. (The prequel to the first two, Little Alters Everywhere was a great disappointment to me)

The idea behind Calla Lily was wonderful---little girl growing up in a small town, under the moon in Louisiana, dreaming of going to New Orleans to get beauty school training so she can take over her dead mother's beauty shop back in her home town...

...But, the dialogue. Oh the dialogue! There were some places where it was so corny, so stereotypical, so NOT real, so stilted, that I was almost embarrassed for the author. The character were so one dimensional that it was hard to really feel much for them--although I must say that the best writing and characterization of the whole novel was found in the first third of the book. Events seemed a bit more cohesive in the plot line there also. Once Calla grows up and moves to New Orleans, the story fell apart for me.

I can say though that I enjoyed Well's prose in the passages where she described the landscape and river of Calla's childhood and also how she made the Lady in the Moon become a character in the story--those passages were lyrical and beautiful.

I so wanted to love this book, I bought it in hard back as my summer guilty pleasure purchase for crying out loud, so I kept reading hoping it was going to pull back out of the plot disaster tailspin it was in. But it didn't. And I am sorry to have to write a less than glowing review of a book I had so looked forward to. Written by an author I have enjoyed in the past, no less.

Wordless Wednesday: Miss Molly

The dog days of summer!