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Saturday, January 25, 2014

New books

So I bought Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, 12 Years a Slave, and The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion on my Nook yesterday. I found out the Barnes and Noble had lowered the prices on their prices on these e-books. I had been thinking of picking up Goldfinch but I figured I would wait till it was out in paperback, but for 7.99 I was thrilled! So I thought I would pass on that news! 

Friday, January 24, 2014

reading tonight and Dear Book Nerd

So tonight as I snuggle up against the cold and drink a glass of wine I am reading Celebrity in Death by J.D. Robb. I really love this series. it is one of my favorite series. And that is not very hard to believe since I am reading the 34th book in the series. I love the way she describes her characters and how they interact with each other. This series is just really fun and entertaining. So that is what I will be reading to make me feel better after a very long day at work.

As I was listening to the latest podcast from Book Riot they announced another book podcast. It is called Dear Book Nerd. I listened to the first show and it was delightful. I subscribed to it already. It will be released every other week right now. So I was super excited about that. The show is an advice column revolving around books...which is very cool!

I also caved and put in an order for the book box that Book Riot does. This is the second book box that they will be releasing. So I will be getting that in March. So I am pretty excited about that.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Jim Henson and book riot

So I got my copy of Jim Henson The Biography by Brian Jay Jones in the mail today. I am very excited to read this book. I need to finish the book I am reading now first, but I am glad I got it. It wasn't one I could find easily and so I decided to buy it while I was thinking about it. I am a very large Jim Henson fan. I love the Muppets, Sesame Street, and Fraggle Rock, just to mention his shows. I have read some things about him and find his life very interesting. We had an exhibit come to the Museum of Natural History about Jim Hanson and we got to see some real Muppets and drawings. So I am excited to learn more about this amazing man.

I also have to add that I am loving the Book Riot podcasts. I have been listening to them and they are full of really interesting book information and discussion. If you are interested in learning more about what is going on in the world of books this podcast is amazing. There is an app for it and you can get it on itunes.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

choosing books

I have been giving a lot of thought to how I go about choosing what books to read next. Why do we select some books and pass on others? This year I am completing that 25 category challenge I wrote about in a previous post, so expand what I am reading. I have done that throughout the last few years and each year I try or add something to my reading that enhances how I read. By branching out and exploring different genres I am getting a better handle of what I enjoy as a reader. Now I have always been open to trying different books and as I get older i do read a variety. But I find that there are still some areas I have either moved away from or just don't read as much. For example this year I am going to try and read more new releases. This means I need to be more careful what books I spend money on and budget for that. I am also planning on using my public library more. Some books won't be to hard because I can catch up on my series then read them as they come out. So as I look at what I have read so far and see what changes need to be done or if how I am approaching my reading this year is working well  I also need to consider how to go about selecting books I will enjoy.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Review for Heat Wave

So last time I went to the library I picked up a couple of audio books. I just finished the first one yesterday. Now to start off I would like to say that I am a huge Castle fan. I love the show and the actors. So the fact that the show has a character who is a writer, really makes my life. So I have been meaning to read Heat Wave by Richard Castle for quite a while now. So when I saw it at the library I thought I would give it a try.

Now the overall book I would give a 3 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed it because I love the show. It was a cute read. The plot was a bit hit or miss for me, but overall not to bad. Now the audio book I would give 4 stars. This audio book is read by Johnny Heller. He was amazing. I loved how he read it and how he did all the voices. Right out of the gate I could follow him and he made the story very engaging.

Johnny Heller does not do the next book in the series, but he does the ones after that. So I will be getting the next book on audio book and seeing how well I like that one.


Monday, January 20, 2014

Review for The Ocean at the End of the Lane

So today I finished Neil Gaiman's book The Ocean at the End of the Lane. Now this is the first book by Gaiman I have read. I have Stardust and Good Omens on my self waiting to be read. But I selected this one because I have heard a lot of good things about it. I finished it today and I have it two out of five stars on Goodreads. I thought the novel was a bit slow and I didn't particularly care for the characters. I was hoping it would pick up as the story went on, but it wasn't all that interesting for me. I guess the story wasn't what I was expecting. Looking at the reviews a lot of people have loved this book. I would recommend trying it, especially if you are a Neil Gaiman fan. I would not recommend this book to be the first one you start with for this author however. 

My goal is to read another one of his books this year so I can get a better feel for his writing and storytelling. I also have a couple of his comic books to read. I would love to hear some of the books you like by Neil Gaiman. 


Sunday, January 19, 2014

Access to books and audio books

So I have seen a lot of debates and talk back and forth about e-readers vs print books. I have owner a Nook since they came out with the 1st generation. I recently updated my Nook Simple Touch to their new Nook Glowlight. I wanted an e-reader that had a back light. I also have an IPad mini which is where I read my library books and my iBooks, Kindle, and my Barnes and Noble e-books. Now I do still read a lot of print books as well. here is how I decide which medium to use. The first thing I look at is price. If it is on sale or a lot cheaper as an e-book, then I buy it for my Nook. I buy most of my books through Barnes and Noble since I have their e-reader. My Kindle and iBooks libraries are mostly free books that I come across. I get a lot of those from Book Bub. You set up your account and tell them what you like to read and which devices you read on. I also use coupons and discounts through websites to see which is the best way to buy the book.

Now I read a lot of books. So this has lead me to look into other ways to get books. I have started going to the library more to take out books and audio books. I am looking into Oyster which lets you read any books you want in their library for 9.95 a month. So even if I read one book a month from them it is paid for. I heard a pretty good review on it on the Book Riot podcast. This will be a service I check out later this year while I try to read through the books I already have on my shelf. I am also looking into doing audible. I will be worth the $15 dollars a month to get the audio books. I am not always able to find audio books I want to listen to at the library. So this will give me more options in that regard. I have been listening to more audio books lately and I am enjoying listening to them when I am in the car or doing chores. So those are some things I am looking into to see if I can save some money in the long run.

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Reading Progess

So tonight I am evaluating what I have read so far this year. As we are midway into January I am actually very proud of my progress. While I am not a terribly fast reader I have been trying to spend more time reading. So far I have read 5 books: Ghost Story, Cold Days, Wonder, Manuscript Found in Accra, and The Invention of Wings.  I have enjoyed most of the books I have read so far. I have found making a goal of reading at least 50 pages a day helps me stay on track. I also have been focusing on one book at a time as opposed to reading multiple books at once. I am trying to stay focused on one book at a time and see if that helps me finish more books. Know, I have been doing an audio book and reading a book. So usually I have 2 going. One in the car and one I am reading. I am half way through Heat Wave by Richard Castle and almost half of the way through The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. I am enjoying both very much. So next week I am hoping to post two new reviews.

Friday, January 17, 2014

Review of The Invention of Wings

So I just finished the book The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd. I liked it, but I was actually expecting to like it more. i loved the beginning of the novel. I thought she had strong character development and it was very interesting. But as the book went on I felt it got a bit slow. I was hoping it would pick up again but I felt myself not very interested in the later part of the book. I did greatly enjoy the chapters going back and forth between Sarah and Handful. It added an intriguing element to the novel to see it from both point of view. I liked the characters in the book and the writing style. I gave the book 3 out of 5 stars on goodreads. I liked the book I just didn't love it. I do have Sue Monk Kidd's other books and I am planning on reading them to see if I prefer them.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

New books


So the other night I went to Barnes and Noble and got a couple books I had heard people talking about. So when I picked up The Invention of Wings I picked up a couple of new reads. I am trying to stay on top of newer releases. I am usually behind in new titles and this year I want to be more informed on newer titles. So I picked up The Impossible Knife by Laurie Halse Anderson, Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell, and Life After Life by Kate Atkinson. I have heard great things about the last two titles so I decided to snag them. I bought the first one because I am a huge Laurie Halse Anderson fan. I love her books.Winter Girls is my favorite book by her. I actually took it out of the library at my school and I really want to buy a copy of it for my personal library.

I am very excited to start one of my new books once I finish The Invention of Wings. I should be able to finish that book this weekend and start another one on my to read shelf. 


Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Invention of Wings

So I am very excited to say that I went out and bought Invention of Wings by Susan Monk Kidd. Once Oprah announced her next book I decided to read it. While I was a bit young to get into her original book club I am trying to read some of her 2.0 book club books. The novel sounded like something I wanted to read. I am about half way through the book and so far I love it.

I decided to read it since I loved the last book she had recommended. I took The Twelve Tribes of Hattie from the library and read it in three days. I loved how it changed point of view and how we saw the story form from those multiple viewpoints. 

The Invention of Wings is also told from a couple point of views. Now I love when books do this. I Loved the Time Traveler's Wife which also uses this style. While you may have to pay extra attention to what your reading, i usually enjoying seeing the events from multiple people. I like seeing what was misunderstood, what hurt people, what events meant more to another character.

I do like stumbling across books that are playing with form and structure. It makes me really think about what I am reading and gives me another way to view the world around me and make those connections. So my goal for the upcoming weekend is to finish The Invention of Wings so I can write a review for you. Then I need to decide what to start next.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Book Riot

So I have been following a site called Book Riot on Facebook for a while now. I am not sure how I stumbled upon it, but I do follow a lot of different book sites. Well I do have to say I am impressed with their website. Today I actually went to their website to check it out and explore what they have. The site has all different articles on books and things like that.

What I got really excited about is that they have podcast about books. let me tell you I was pretty excited. I started the first one and liked it enough that I will be downloading more of them tonight. I had actually been looking for something like this and am very glad I discovered it. Book Riot actually has a free app for your phone or iPod so that you can get the podcasts. I have it on my phone and it is very easy to use.

The website also does a quarterly subscription to their book box. I am really tempted to get the one they send out in March. The box is $50 and it comes with a book and a bunch of book related items. The first one they put together looked pretty cool. I just haven't decided if I want to spend the money on it. I may wait and see what their second one is like before I decide or I may just take a chance on it. It depends on how well I can budget for it to be honest with you.

Here is the website for any of you interested in checking out this great book resource.

http://bookriot.com/

Monday, January 13, 2014

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

So yesterday I read Wonder by R.J. Palacio. It is a very easy and quick read. It is about a fifth grade boy who has as facial deformity. The story goes through his first year at school. Up until the fifth grade Auggie had been home schooled. What I really liked about this book is that it was told from several points of view. You get Auggie himself, Via Auggie's sister, Jack hos friend, and a variety of other characters. each character adds to the story and in the opening of their story they overlap with their view of what happened.

This novel would be good for young adults since it gives kids different view points and allows them to see how their decisions and words can effect others. This year this book is on the Sunshine State Reading list, which is a list of books that are selected for middle school aged students (Grades 6-8). This book was a very popular pick at my school which is why I decided to read it. I like reading books when the students go crazy for them. It helps me to be able to give them other recommendations and see what types of books they are interested in reading. I do highly recommend this book, especially for kids. This book had a similar feel to the book Out Of My Mind by Sharon Draper. So fans of that book would most likely enjoy this book as well.



Sunday, January 12, 2014

Cold Days

So i finished Cold Days by Jim Butcher this afternoon. I must say I really enjoyed this book. His last few books in the series have taken me a while to read. I thought they were a bit slow at parts and had to force myself to get through. Now the endings of the books where always worth it. His endings are amazing. And in Cold Days you will not be disappointed. I was shell shocked by the end of the book.

I enjoyed the direction he took the characters and how they interacted with this book. I also liked seeing Harry's constant internal battle with himself. Which is not a new component but after what has happened in the last few books, he has a lot more baggage to deal with. This book hits the ground running and does not let up.

We also get to see more of Lily, Mab, Mauve and their courts. It is fun when you get reoccurring characters in a book and Butcher weaves them in very well. This book is an excellent read. I love books that have so many in the series and this is the 14th book. I look forward to the next installment of the series. 

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Invention or Wings and Twelve Tribes of Hattie

So tonight's goal is to finish Cold Days by Jim Butcher. I also plan on going to the library tomorrow to see what audio books I want to check out. I am debating on whether to buy The Invention of Wings by Sue Kidd Monk on audio book, Hardback, or on my Nook. I know ridiculous debate. But I downloaded the sample and read it and really want to read the book. So I may need to pick it up tomorrow one way or another. But the sample was really engaging and I am excited about it. I also want to start reading the New Oprah book club selections.

I read the first selection she chose. The Twelve Tribes of Hattie was a really good read. I thought it was well written and very interesting. I did take that one out of the library and read it and am tempted to buy it some day. I think if I ever see it second hand I will definitely pick it up. Each chapter is told from the point of view of one of her children. Which I thought was a very interesting way to tell the story. I will be watching this author for more books.

Now back to my cup of tea and my book.

Friday, January 10, 2014

The Alchemist and Veronika Decides to Die

After posting last nights post I started think about what I was going to post about tonight. I started thinking about my last post and decided to talk about the two books I have read by Paulo Coelho. he has written some of my favorite books. I highly recommend his books. Of course I may be biased because I am border line fan girl. The first one I read was The Alchemist. I actually listened to the audio book. It is narrated by Jeremy Irons, which is delightful I must say. I actually have a copy of the book and the graphic novel version. It is a story about a shepherd boy who is searching for his personal legend. It is an interesting story of finding out who you are and what you want. This book is appropriate for all audiences.

The second book is Veronika Decides to Die. This book is amazing. It does have some adult content in it abd is not recommended for younger readers. It is the story of a girl who tries to commit suicide and her time in a hospital following the incident.  I found this book very engaging and the language he uses is lovely. This book has also been made into a movie starring Sarah Michelle Geller. I haven't seen the movie yet but it is high on my to do list. The best way to describe the book is hauntingly beautiful.  It is about taking risks and chances and not being afraid to make changes. It also shows the power of treasuring life and what you have in front of you. That sometimes what we think is the end of our journey is simply a new beginning and a chance to explore something new, no matter how little time we may have.

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Audio book

Now I have listened to audio books and I enjoy listening to them in the car or when I am doing data entry type tasks. My new goal is to make a conscious effort to try and listen to one more often. Right now the only one I had in my car was The Manuscript Found in Accra by Paulo Coelho. I actually have a signed copy of the book. The book isn't that long. It is only two CDs. So I started that on my way home from work tonight. I figured listening to audio books when I am cleaning, driving, or doing other tasks would build in more reading time. So now I am on the look out for other audio books to enjoy. This is the second time I have listened to it. And like rereading a book, you discover new things when you listen to an audio book again. 

So I may go to the library this weekend to see what I can find to listen to. I may also look into Audible and see if that would be worth. I know some people who really like it and I can use the app on my phone to listen to the books on that. So we shall see the most efficient way for my new goal. 


Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Reading challenge


So as we are early into the year I was looking at how much I have been reading so far. Now I have been reading a good amount each day. While I haven't read as much as would like I am doing pretty well. I finished Ghost Story by Jim Butcher last week. I'm a little over half way done with Cold Days. I am really loving that book so far. But it is over 600 pages, so I should be done with it this week. Then I will post a complete review. I originally had the book as my fantasy but I may put it in the chunker category since it is so long. It really doesn't matter because I have quite a few books this year on my list that are pretty long. 

I am trying to decide what to read next. I have so many good books waiting to be read and I am trying to decide what I want to read. So as is there tonight and continue to read Cold Days. I am hoping to finish tomorrow or Friday. I am comfy with my blanket and my cup of tea. 

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Coozies

In 2009 I went to a romance convention in Orlando, Florida. It was the best book convention I had ever gone to. Ever since then I have been on the look out for other book conventions. I got to meet author and get signed books, I was in heaven. During that I picked up some really cool stuff. One of the free promotional items was a bright pink coozie the one one side said "The Club" and the other said "The Last Seduction." I love this coozie. I used it all the time. Well that was four years ago or so. So my coozie has seen better days. It is dirty and well loved. I didn't want to get rid of my coozie. This coozie was given out by the author Sharon Page.

A couple months ago I emailed the author Sharon Page to see if she happened to have any extra I could get. I had looked on her website to see if she had any for sale. She asked me for my info and that she had some extra ones! I was ecstatic!! With holidays and life in general it took a bit to get them. Which I was fine with waiting as long as it took. I was in no rush. I was so impressed when I got her package. In it she sent me two coozies and a Christmas card. Let me tell you I went a little fan girl about it. I was very excited about it and can not wait to use my new coozies!

 


Monday, January 6, 2014

Box of books

So tonight I was excited when I came home and discovered I had received some packages. Now I could not remember what I had ordered so I was I terested to see what had arrived. One of the boxes that was delivered was from Barnes and Nobles. I had bought some books when they were having their really good sale. So all the books I got were between $3-$4. Since they were cheaper then I could get on my Nook I bought the physical copies. So the books I bought were:

For Teachers Only by Vicki Hathaway
Dream Lake by Lisa Kleypas
The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O'Connor McNees
Frozen Heat by Richard Castle
The Stand (graphic novel) by Stephen King

So Dream Lake and The Stand are going on my to read pile. The others will be added later on the year. I bought Frozen Heat because it was so cheap. I have the first two on my Nook. So that is definitely on my reading list for eh summer. 

I had not expected that box to come till tomorrow so that was a pleasant surprise. So I have put those books away and am excited to get to them! 


Saturday, January 4, 2014

Ghost Story


So I have finished my first book of 2014. Now I had started this book last year, but every year I have some books that follow me into the new year. Now I am not using this book for the 25 genres/categories challenge because the rules state that the book needs to be started in 2014 to count. But it does count towards my overall total. 



My first book for 2014 was Ghost Story by Jim Butcher. It is the thirteenth novel in the Dresden Files series. This book took me awhile to read. I had trouble in the middle and thought it got the really slow. Now once I got through that slow point for me the ending was amazing. If there is one thing Jim Butcher can do it is wrap up his books with a bang. I think it was interesting look at the different characters and what would happen if something happened to Harry. In this book we are dealing with Harry's Ghost. We see the development of different characters and how they cope. I thought it was a very interesting way to progress the story and the characters. 

My favorite characters in the series are Butters and Bob. Now in this book I also feel in love with Mort the ecnomancer. It is worth reading, especially if you have been reading the series. There are so e lovely scenes and Jews in this book, just like most of his books have. 

I am actually interested in reading his other series and see how much I like that one. I think it is worth looking into. 

I have now started Cold Days by Jim Butcher. I will write more about what I think about that book in a later last. 

Challenge #2

The second challenge I am undertaking is the monthly genre challenge. Here is the link for those of you who are interested: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/118012-the-2014-reading-challenge-group. Know this group has a variety of reading challenges on it since it is the 2014 Reading Challenge Group. So this allows you to select a challenge that is right for you. I selected the genre challenge which means each month you read a specific genre. You can read one or as many as you like. I have chosen to read one book for each genre. Here is the run down....
January - Historical
February - Romance/Chick-Lit
March - Young Adult
April - Humour
May - Fantasy/Science-Fiction
June - Contemporary
July - Utopian/Dystopian
August - Crime/Mystery
September - Classic/Literary
October - Horror
November - Non-Fiction
December - Adventure

This group is pretty active and I like when i can see what other people are reading and talking about. it helps me select books and get an idea of what may be good or interests me. 

So that those are the challenges I am trying this year. So my goal is to read 52 books this year, the 25 genre or category challenge, and the monthly genre challenge. I am very excited to get started on my reading adventure!!

Friday, January 3, 2014

Challenge #1

So as of today I have added two more titles to my reading list. There are 25 genres that were selected by the Goodreads group I am following. They are: read a chunker (+600 pgs), mystery, young adult fiction, accidentally watched the movie first, relive the magic, gathering dust, loved by others, second chance, award winner, classic, biography/memoir, contemporary fiction, non-fiction, adult fiction (romance), fantasy, horror, lost in translation, secret Santa, short stories, graphic novels, banned books, true crime, current NY Time #1 best seller, cover story ( a book selected only by cover), and humor. 

Here it's the link for those of you who are interested. https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/119797-2014-book-challenge

Now I selected this challenge because some of the categories are out of my comfort zone. I also have most of the categories covered by what is already on my bookcase. So this is to try reading a bit more variety the. I may usually try. I have branched out throughout the years and am trying new this. Now this is one of the challenges I am doing. I am also doing a genre challenge that is a different genre each month. Now to an extent I may try and get so e crossover between the two. But since my goal is 52 books this year and one challenge is 25 and the other is 12 which is only 37. It should not be a problem. I am very excited and have the books I will start with all mapped out. 

As for starting the challenges I should be ready to start hem next week. I am finishing up Ghost Story by Jim Buthcher, which will count for 2014, but not for my challenges. So I will keep chugging along with that one for now. 

Next post will cover the second challenge I am doing. 



Thursday, January 2, 2014

Reading list

So I have been compiling what books I have to read for my reading challenges. I am hoping to read a lot of books that I have just had sitting on my shelf. Below I have taken a picture of the books I plan to read for the 25 genre challenge on Goodreads. I have put a post it note on each book to remind me of the category I chose it for since some of my books fall into more then one category. I did select two for so e genres since I was not sure which to choose. I may just read both. I am missing four selections and will upload a new picture once those have been selected. 

Right now I have to swinish up the books I was already reading. So first I need to finish Ghost Story by Jim Butcher and The City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. The. I can get started on the reading challenge in the picture!

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

New Years

Well it is the first day of a brand new year. While many people make resolutions, I take on reading challenges. This year I am completing two challenges. They overlap, but that is a moot point. So for 2013 I managed to read 57 books. Which I was quite proud of myself! My original goal had been 50 books. So with that data from last year I decided my goal for this year will be 52. So that is about a one book every week. I am very excited to get started.

The second challenge is one that I found on Goodreads. The moderators of the group came up with 25 different genres of books to read. So the goal for that challenge is 25. Now there are some pretty long books I am considering using for this challenge. So we will see how it goes as the year progresses. My book club will all be trying this challenge. So this one should be both interesting and fun. it will be nice to have people do it with me. I will be posting what I am mapping out for my challenge later this week. I am going through each category and pulling books off my bookshelf that I have not read yet. For most of the categories I think I have books that will be great to read.

So with that I hope everyone has a Happy New Year and has a great reading list ahead of them.