About Me

It's about time I did one of these, don't you think? ;-) I thought I'd give you more of an introduction. Eventually, I will add a picture, but not right now. I can't find what I'd want to share ...

The basics

My name (as you can tell pretty easily) is Heather. My husband and I live in Illinois with our three kids. We both grew up near Chicago, and still have family there, so we return there often. High school sweethearts, we both attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I earned a bachelor's degree in English (literature). Since then, I've worked in publishing for 8 years – most of that time as an editor. I stopped working in 2007 after the birth of our third child so I could focus on our family.

I have always been super shy. Shy to a fault. I've found that I can be a bit bolder, more myself, when I express myself online. Part of it is because I communicate better in writing. I can take my time and think about things, rethink things, edit, and make sure things come across well. I'm not a good improvisational speaker, and that tends to bleed into face-to-face conversation. I guess that would be why I ended up really enjoying blogging. I can take my time expressing myself, and once I submit I (usually) feel like I've done a decent job of expressing myself and not sounding like an idiot.

On blogging

I dabbled in a few different platforms before coming to Blogger. My favorite thing about it is how customizable it is. Once I was able to create a blog that I felt reflected me, I found that posting wasn't so hard. Before I knew it, I was posting a lot about books. Mostly reviews, but some occasional giveaways. My blog felt cluttered, so I created this one. And I am so glad I did! Thank you for joining me!

So, what do I hope to accomplish with this? Well, mainly, I want to share my love of reading. I have been a bookworm for as long as I can remember. Reading is such a fun, relaxing, enjoyable thing for me. I hope to impart that to others, inspire others to read more, and also to help readers to find new authors to read. My reviews and giveaways are primarily aimed at that.

My reviews

I HATE spoilers. HATE them. I generally won't read others' reviews of something if I'm planning to read it. I do NOT want to know what's coming – AT ALL! In some cases, I won't even read the back cover of a book I want to read. I don't want any hints – none whatsoever. Keep this in mind when you read my reviews. I try to avoid spoilers. My reviews often aren't very specific, because I don't want to spoil the story for anyone else. If I DO include anything that might spoil even the smallest thing, I'll make it clear so you can choose not to read the review. Because of this, my reviews often are short. But, I try to touch on the basics: How are the characters? How is the plot? Is there anything that sticks out as REALLY not working? What makes it good? What makes it bad? Really, the only time I write any potential spoilers is when there's something that I just HAVE to say.

Press info

Oh, yes, I am a PR-friendly blogger. If you have a book you'd like me to review and/or give away to a reader, please feel free to contact me. Other book/reading-related items for giveaways also are welcome: bookmarks, tote bags, anything that reflects a love of reading.

Editing info

In addition to my post-college jobs (of which I've had two), I have done some freelance editing since leaving my last job. I have edited articles for eHow.com and several novels. If you are interested in having me edit something (or seeing my resume), please contact me, and we can make arrangements.

Contact info

If you would like to contact me for any reason, please do! I am all for having a dialogue with my readers. You can either use my contact form or just send an e-mail.

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I'm so touched

Elle at Media Molly gave me a new blog award! I was totally surprised, and I am truly thankful! Firstly, I'm so pleased to receive this in the first place, but for her to put me in excellent company and call Proud Book Nerd "amazing" – I'm just, well, pleasantly shocked. And very humbled. THANK YOU, Elle, for the Prolific Blogger Award!

"A prolific blogger is one who is intellectually productive, keeping up an active blog with enjoyable content. After accepting this award, recipients are asked to pass it forward to seven other deserving blogs."

And so, I get to pass the baton ... I bestow the Prolific Blogger Award to:

1. OutnumberedMama at Busy Moms Who Love to Read
2. Keely at Mann Land 5
3. Chris at God Is Love
4. Jen at Following the Footsteps
5. Detweilermom at A Room Without Books Is Empty
6. Yesenia at Silly Little Game Called Life
7. Reading Teen

These are some great bloggers/friends! Please pay them a visit! :-)

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On My Wish List, Part 4

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where I list all the books I desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It's also an event that you can join in with too - Mr Linky is always at the ready for you to link your own 'On My Wishlist' post. If you want to know more click here.

All descriptions are from Goodreads.com.

OK, so it just occurred to me that I've been saying "wish list" when the title is "wishlist." Darn that being a grammarian ... my apologies to Book Chick City! (In keeping with the whole editor/grammarian thing, I'm gonna keep it this way – it's grammatically correct. Plus, all my other posts were this way, and my tags/labels ...)

Anyway, my wish list is ALWAYS growing. Always. So, let's see what I can come up with today ...

Columbine by Dave Cullen

I have wanted to read this one for quite some time now. That is a day from my life that I don't think I'll ever forget. I remember where I was, what I was doing, who I was with when the news broke. Whenever I think about that tragedy, my heart breaks. Such a sad time in our nation's history. I continue to pray for all affected.

Ten years in the making and a masterpiece of reportage, "Columbine" is an award-winning journalist's definitive account of one of the most shocking massacres in American history.

It is driven by two questions: what drove these killers, and what did they do to this town?

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

I have seen this one all over book blogs, lately, and it sounds really good. Plus, I just LOVE the cover. So beautiful and compelling.

Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her “power” to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world . . . and the imprints that attach to their killers.

Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find dead birds her cat had tired of playing with. But now that a serial killer has begun terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he’s claimed haunt her daily, she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet on her quest to find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved to find herself hoping that Jay’s intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she’s falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer . . . and becoming his prey herself.

If you wanna join in on the Linky, it can be found HERE.

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Blogmania will be coming HERE

That's right, the HUGE blogging giveaway event is coming HERE, to Proud Book Nerd! The next event is scheduled for September 15-16. I applied, and I've been accepted! WOOHOO! This is so exciting, and will be so much FUN! I don't know if you saw my posts, but I won several fun prizes that day! And now I get to give back! :-) I'll be posting updates as it approaches. I was just so EXCITED that I HAD to share you all!

While I'm not 100% certain on my theme yet, it'll be (no surprise here) something related to reading. I'm leaning toward Read with Me, but that might change ...

I plan to have TWO giveaway packages. One for those of you in the U.S., and one for International readers. (It's not fair that they miss out on a lot, so I'm gonna give 'em some props.) If I can find some sponsors to donate prizes, perhaps I'll increase the number of winners ...

SO, if you are interested in donating a prize (or two or three), please feel free to contact me via e-mail at proudbooknerd (at) gmail (dot) com. I will be more than happy to provide you with advertising, a dedicated post, and/or other help to thank you for your contribution!

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Book Blogger Hop: May 7-13, 2010

I have met some wonderful book bloggers through this blog hop. Here are some from last week:

• A Room Without Books Is Empty
• Imagination in Focus

ABOUT THE HOP:
In the spirit of the Friday Follow, Jennifer at Crazy For Books thought it would be cool to do a Book Blogger Hop to give us all bookies a chance to connect and find new blogs that we may be missing out on! She created this weekly BOOK PARTY where book bloggers and readers can connect to find new blogs to read, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books!  It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs that they may not know existed!  So, grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start PARTYING!!

Your blog should have content related to books, including, but not limited to book reviews.

If you start following someone through the Hop, leave a comment on their blog to let them know!  Stop back during the week to see other blogs that are added!  And, most importantly, the idea is to HAVE FUN!!

For the full rules, see HERE. 

OPTIONAL TWIST:
On your blog hop post, tell us about some of the other great blogs you've found while Hopping around!

 

The usual link service wasn't working correctly this morning, so if you wanna link up, please do so HERE.

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The Friday 56: Indivisible

This is fun meme hosted at Storytime with Tonya.

Rules:

* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
* Post a link along with your post back to this blog.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Once again, the nearest book is the one I'm currently reading. This time, it's Indivisible by Kristen Heitzmann.

Judge Walthrup would probably allow bail the next day since the drugs were found through Merv's alleged trespass and vandalism.

Add your link to the comments HERE to share with Tonya and others! 

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More Awards

I'm so blessed! OutnumberedMama from Busy Moms Who Love to Read gave me two more awards! :-) THANK YOU!

First is the Book Blogger Neighbor Award. I will pass this on to a few good neighbors, too. I am awarding this to those of you who've been my biggest supporters and really welcomed me into the book blogging world (well, minus OutnumberedMama, since she gave it to me). Thank you. (If you're not on the list, PLEASE don't think I don't appreciate you. I DO. I just can't possibly list everyone. ;-) I love ALL of my neighbors!

1. Namine at Books I've Read
2. Milli at HOME
3. Christina T at Reading Extensively
4. Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books
5. Sara at Along for the Ride

Thanks for your support, everyone! 

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The second one I received was the Sunshine Award. Here are the award rules:

• Nominate 12 other bloggers
• List the award in either a post or on your sidebar
• Link your nominees within your post
• Let the nominees know you have passed this on to them by commenting on their blog

Twelve. This one doesn't specifically say BOOK bloggers, so I'm going to share this with people both in the book blogging community and elsewhere. Again, please don't be hurt if I don't mention you. It's not an intentional omission!

1. Susanne at Living to Tell the Story
2. Sarah at Blogger Chix Designs
3. Christine at Whimsical Musings and More
4. Jolanthe at No Ordinary Moments
5. Beth at Weavings
6. Sheila at Book Journey
7. MrsJenB at The Misadventures of Mrs. B
8. Michelle at Simply Blessed
9. Heidi at Sacred and Profane
10. Amber at .{Silver Lining}.
11. Rita at Fighting Off Frumpy
12. Sam at Life is Beautiful

A special thank-you for all of you for brightening my days ~ hence the Sunshine Award! :-)

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Book Beginnings on Friday 5/7

Book Beginnings on Friday is a meme hosted by Becky at Page Turners. Anyone can participate; just share the opening sentence of your current read, making sure that you include the title and author so others know what you're reading. If you like, share with everyone why you do, or do not, like the sentence.

Wrapped in a woolen throw, Jonah stared out through moon-silvered evergreen spires. ~ Indivisible by Kristen Heitzmann

I like how descriptive it is, "moon-silvered evergreen spires." Other than that, I don't really have any thoughts about it. It could be dull, but then if I think about it, it could be good. Why is he clearly sitting somewhere cold, wrapped in a throw, and just staring? What's on his mind? (Honestly, I'm on page 92 now, and still don't fully know. I sure hope I find out soon – I hate being strung along ...)

OK, I feel the need to clarify: despite being "strung along" so far, I am enjoying this book. Stay tuned for a review and giveaway next week ...

Anyway, there's a link list back on Becky's post (see link above), so make sure to add your post to the link if you participate!

Oh, and TGIF! FINALLY!

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My First Award!

What a lovely surprise during a week that's been less than uplifting! My fabulous friend, OutnumberedMama at Busy Moms Who Love to Read, kindly gave me her Bodacious Blogging Book Reviewers Award! :-) I am honored and flattered! THANK YOU, OutnumberedMama!

Here is how it works: If you are given this award you must first accept it by leaving a comment on the post you were nominated on. Then copy and paste the post and add it to your own blog (I had to download the photo then add it to ). List the last 5 books you read (whether you liked or disliked them, just list 'em). Then nominate your own award winners!

So, the last five books I've read are (links are to my reviews):

1. Captivating by John & Stasi Eldredge
2. No Greater Love by Kathi Macias
3. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
4. The Bridegrooms by Allison Pittman
5. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Wow, I have been slacking in the reading department! Gotta pick up the pace again ...

Now I pass this award on to 5 other bloggers, who must do the same – make a list of the last 5 books you read and pass the award on to 5 other bloggers (no backsies!). Don't forget to let them know they have an award! Please also identify the blog from which you got the award.

I pass this award along to:

1. Carolyn at Book Chick City
2. Jennifer at Crazy for Books
3. Namine at Book I've Read
4. MizB at Should Be Reading
5. Christina T at Reading Extensively

I gotta tell you, choosing just five was HARD! There are so many AWESOME book bloggers out there! But, if I chose more, that'd be less for YOU to choose from! Anyway, now it's your turn to share the love! :-)

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Whatcha Reading Wednesday

Hey, bookworms! This one's for you! Hosted by Busy Moms Who Love to Read, this is just a fun little thing to share a tidbit from what you're reading.

Here's how it works:

Grab the book you're currently reading and open it to a random page. Choose a random spot on the page (I close my eyes and point LOL), and select two full sentences. Make a post (or just leave a comment, if you'd prefer) with the two sentences you selected. Include the page number and title and author of the book. If, by some odd chance, your two sentences have the possibility of spoiling the story for someone (say, it happens to name the death of a character or reveals a surprise twist), make sure to include **Spoiler Alert** before you share the sentences – that way anyone who'd rather not have it spoiled can opt to skip it! ;-) Then link up on the MckLinky provided HERE! :-)

I just finished my previous read earlier today, so I'm excited to have something new to share – FINALLY!

Here's mine for the week:

Tia looked around the circle of graying women. One was widowed, one divorced, all with kids mostly grown. ~ Page 125 in Indivisible by Kristen Heitzmann

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Review: Captivating by John & Stasi Eldredge

Summary: There is so much to this book that it's hard for me to summarize briefly. It's about what God created women for and how to get back to WHO God created you to be. This isn't your typical how-to-be-a-woman-of-God book in that it doesn't offer a list of what you should be doing, rather it gets to the roots of WHO you are, WHO God created you to be, WHY you are the way you are. To take it from the back cover:

The message of Captivating is this: Your heart matters more than anything else in all of creation.

My thoughts: I, honestly, was somewhat skeptical coming into reading this book, but it sounded interesting so I gave it a try. And it is GOOD. I couldn't believe how quickly it drew me in – for this type of book that is R-A-R-E! I found myself just drinking this book in. This book was talking to me Stasi gets me. This is a powerful, amazing book. It was a real eye-opener in so many ways. It helped me see how Satan has been tying me down, cutting me off from God's power and love. It made me rethink a LOT of things. I intend to re-read this book somewhat regularly – every year or two – because I think this is something that is constantly a work in progress, and regular refreshers will help keep me progressing in the right direction. I would HIGHLY recommend this book to all women I know! I think this is a book PACKED with a lot of valuable information, based on Biblical truth, and if women can really drink it in they will find themselves FREE!

My rating: 5 stars

Source: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I did not receive any monetary compensation.

Get it: As I said before, I HIGHLY recommend this book. You can find it HERE. (This is an Amazon link, and purchase through this link will result in my receiving a small commission. Your support is appreciated!)

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Blogger Appreciation Day: April 2010

If you follow both of my blogs, you already have an idea what this is about, as I posted this a few hours ago over on Ramblings & More. For those who don't, here's the scoop (all is copied from there, except the rankings, of course):

What a great way to say THANK YOU to those who have sent readers your way! This is something started by Kelli at 3 Boys & a Dog.

Here’s how it works:

1. Go into your tracking service (I use Google Analytics) and set the time period for April 1st – April 30th.
2. Find the sites that have referred readers to you and put them in order from most sends to lowest.
3. Write a post (like this one) listing your top 10 referrers.
4. Link that post up in Kelli's MckLinky HERE.

It would be appreciated if you could link back to this post, you know – return the favor! ;-)

Without further ado ...

THANK YOU to ALL of my referrers, especially April's TOP TEN:

1. Ramblings & More ~ 6 Visits (Yes, this is my other blog. The one I used to put book reviews and giveaways on. I still think it counts – at least this month, the first month of Proud Book Nerd's life, when a Top Ten anything is a bit hard to do. If this ends up being a recurring trend, I'll skip this one in future rankings.)
2. Networked Blogs ~ 4 Visits (Yes, I know. This is a Facebook App. Right now, it's necessary, as there aren't a full ten blogs listed as referrers in April. Given that PBN was born a few days into April, I'm not surprised.)
3. Book Chick City ~ 3 Visits
4. Michael J. Sullivan ~ 2 Visits ***TIED with #5 – listed in same order as on Google Analytics***
5. She Is Too Fond of Books ~ 2 Visits ***TIED with #4 – listed in same order as on Google Analytics***
6. Whimsical Musings and More ~ 1 Visit ***TIED with #7-10 – listed in same order as on Google Analytics***
7. FROGs ~ 1 Visit ***TIED with #6, 8-10 – listed in same order as on Google Analytics***
8. The Fiction Enthusiast ~ 1 Visit ***TIED with #6-7, 9-10 – listed in same order as on Google Analytics***
9. The King's Court IV ~ 1 Visit ***TIED with #7-8, 10 – listed in same order as on Google Analytics***
10. Top Mommy Blogs ~ 1 Visit ***TIED with #7-9 – listed in same order as on Google Analytics***

Not too bad for a blog with less than a full month of "life" to get stats from! I look forward to seeing how it looks come the end of May! :-)

(With the exception of Networked Blogs, I do not list engines, Twitter, FaceBook, etc… I list bloggers and mom entrepreneurs!)

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A-Z Wednesdays

This is hosted over on 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 the following:

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.

If you've already reviewed this book you can add it also.

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: "M "

My book is:

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

Summary (from Goodreads):

Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. The product of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate -- a life and a role that she has never challenged...until now. Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to question who she truly is. But unlike most teenagers, she has always been defined in terms of her sister -- and so Anna makes a decision that for most would be unthinkable, a decision that will tear her family apart and have perhaps fatal consequences for the sister she loves.
My Sister's Keeper examines what it means to be a good parent, a good sister, a good person. Is it morally correct to do whatever it takes to save a child's life, even if that means infringing upon the rights of another? Is it worth trying to discover who you really are, if that quest makes you like yourself less? Should you follow your own heart, or let others lead you? Once again, in My Sister's Keeper, Jodi Picoult tackles a controversial real-life subject with grace, wisdom, and sensitivity. An amazing read and an incredible experience.

This is another book I read before I really started actually reviewing them. I liked it eough to give it 5 stars, though. It was VERY good – MUCH better than the movie, which I felt was a disappointment.

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WINNER: The Bridegrooms

First and foremost, THANK YOU to all who entered! Your support means a lot to me! :-)


The winner of The Bridegrooms, is ....

She said it herself, "Lucky #7" – Cindy!

CONGRATULATIONS! The e-mail is on the way.

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Teaser Tuesday ~ 5/4

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read.
• Open to a random page.
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's mine:

When Matthew adds a few women to the cast, it is a major and notable exception. These women are so important to God that he had the writer break all cultural norms and even open himself to criticism and dismissal in order to make a point: "Look here – these are really good women." ~ Page 158 of Captivating by John & Stasi Eldredge

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your 2 "teasers" in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!

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My Humble Apologies

I have been unusually quiet today. And it's not my fault - I SWEAR! I have been seeing in my e-mail that I've had lots of comments today (THANK YOU!), but I haven't been able to check into my blogs until now. And it wasn't for lack of trying. Apparently Google, and all things associated with Google, has been known to have technical trouble with AT&T DSL users in my region of the country. That resulted in sketchy access to anything Google for most of the day. Blogger was most affected, of course!

I will do my best to at least read all – hopefully respond to all, too – comments that I wasn't able to get to. If you don't get a response, please don't be offended. It's not intentional that anyone goes ignored! :-(

It appears to be working properly now. I'm crossing my fingers here!

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It's Monday! What are you reading?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. Hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey Through a World of Books, it is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

I figure it's close enough to Monday here (and already Monday elsewhere), so I'm OK! ;-)

Last week I finished:

• This is so embarrassing ... NOTHING! :-( But, I was very, very sick the second half of the week, and reading just wasn't happening. We had family visiting this weekend, so reading wasn't on the schedule then, either. I should be getting back into the swing of things starting tomorrow.

I'm still working on:

• Captivating by John & Stasi Eldredge ~ I'm really getting into it. I was quite bummed that I got sick when I did. 
• Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading: Finding and Losing Myself in Books by Maureen Corrigan

Next up:

• Indivisible by Kristen Heitzmann ~ I signed up to participate in a blog tour for this one. I think it sounds good. Look for my review next week!
• The Host by Stephenie Meyer ~ I've been waiting for what feels like forever for the day this came out in paperback. I am chomping at the bit to get started on this one! LOL (And, no, I haven't read any of the Twilight books – yet. I do plan to, though.) I'm HOPING to finish Indivisible early enough to have time to get through this MONSTER! (If it's good, as I'm anticipating, I shouldn't have a problem reading it quickly!)

As mentioned above, Sheila hosts this on her blog, One Person's Journey Through a World of Books. If you'd like to see others' lists and/or share your list with others, she has a Linky HERE.

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Don't forget about my GIVEAWAYS!

• The Bridegrooms ~ Closes TONIGHT (Monday, May 3)
• Wind Warrior ~ Closes 5/20

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On My Wish List, Part 3

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where I list all the books I desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It's also an event that you can join in with too - Mr Linky is always at the ready for you to link your own "On My Wishlist" post. If you want to know more click here.
Idea inspired by The Story Siren. All descriptions are from Goodreads.com.

I have been thinking, and I've come to the conclusion that this is going to become difficult to do regularly. Not because I don't love this meme, but because I might get repetitive! LOL So, forgive me if you've seen repeats – especially as time goes by! I'll do my best to avoid repeats, but I'm sure I'll miss one or two – eventually! Think of it as a sign that I really want whatever's been repeated! ;-) That said, I'll get to the list!

After the Rains by Deborah Raney

I read this book's predecessor as part of a blog tour recently, and I really liked it. It was sad, but very good. I heard about this one and, naturally, HAD to read it. Not sure when, but some day, I will.

Long ago, Natalie’s mother faced an agonizing choice between the two people she loved most, and the difficult resolution to her predicament affects Natalie throughout her young life–fueling a season of teenage rebellion that results in the death of her best friend.

As a young woman, Natalie attempts to put her troubles behind her, ultimately finding solace in the arms of a man with close ties to the tragedy. Yet neither time nor love can liberate her from the past. Determined to confront her terrible guilt, Natalie embarks on a journey that will take her thousands of miles from home and straight into the life and heart of a man unlike any she has ever known.

Confronted with a decision that echoes the one her mother faced so many years before, Natalie finds herself drawn to two men–each of whom holds a claim to her heart. But the sins of her past must be confronted, and an escape from her guilt found, before her heart will be free to find its home.

Showing that God can forgive the gravest of sins, After the Rains beautifully illustrates that his forgiveness comes purely through loving mercy and grace, not by our human efforts to earn it.

Because the Cat Purrs: How We Relate to Other Species and Why It Matters by Janet Lembke

I'm an animal lover, and this just sounds very interesting. Plus, how can you NOT fall in love with that ADORABLE cover?

We share our lives, for better or worse, with a multitude of animals, white-tailed deer and white-tailed eagles, hens and wrens, frogs and guppies, and, last but hardly least, bugs and bacteria. For the most part, we drift along separately, with neither man nor animal affecting the other's way of life. Sometimes, however, we fall in love—as in the case of the cat in the title—or otherwise encounter our animal neighbors in ways that change both of us. Lembke challenges her readers to consider the idea that all creatures are conscious, with the ability to make choices, exercise awareness, and seek pleasure while shunning pain.

Rarely has a book of natural history covered such a broad range of subjects, from the everyday bargains we make with our pets and other domestic creatures to descriptions of bungee-cord snail sex and the purpose of a honeybee's sting. Lembke explores the evolution of her subjects, and draws on literature and myth to paint gorgeous, wide-ranging portraits of everyday (and more unusual) encounters, such as that of a gardener and a groundhog, or a chicken egg and Augustus Caesar's wife. This is a sensitive and timely appraisal of how we treat the creatures we share our planet with—and how we ought to. It is a book that no lover of intelligent writing about the natural world will want to miss. 20 b/w illustrations.

If you wanna join in on the Linky, it can be found HERE.

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I'm a Blogmania winner! ~ UPDATED ** ANOTHER UPDATE

I am so shocked and excited! I entered TONS of giveaways yesterday as part of Blogmania. I did NOT expect to win, but I DID! And, best part, I won a giveaway that I REALLY wanted to win at a blog I discovered (and LOVE) thanks to Blogmania. That blog is Tethered Mommy.

What'd I get? Well, clearly, since I'm posting it on my BOOK blog, it's a book! ;-)

A copy of House Rules by Jodi Picoult! I am so EXCITED! I've had my eye on this one since it was released! Here's the Goodreads.com description:

HOUSE RULES is about Jacob Hunt, a teenage boy with Asperger’s Syndrome. He’s hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, and like many kids with AS, Jacob has a special focus on one subject – in his case, forensic analysis. He’s always showing up at crime scenes, thanks to the police scanner he keeps in his room, and telling the cops what they need to do…and he’s usually right. But then one day his tutor is found dead, and the police come to question him. All of the hallmark behaviors of Asperger’s – not looking someone in the eye, stimulatory tics and twitches, inappropriate affect – can look a heck of a lot like guilt to law enforcement personnel -- and suddenly, Jacob finds himself accused of murder. HOUSE RULES looks at what it means to be different in our society, how autism affects a family, and how our legal system works well for people who communicate a certain way – but lousy for those who don’t.

I am so excited! This made my morning! (It was a rough morning. There's nothing like getting a call from Bank of America saying there have been some suspicious charges – and agreeing that they are, indeed, suspicious!) This was the pick-me-up I needed! I LOVE Jodi Picoult, so I added this book to my TBR list when I first saw it on Goodreads! I can't wait to read it, and you know I'll be reviewing it for sure!

THANK YOU, Tethered Mommy, for the great giveaway! And THANK YOU to Lynda at Between the Pages for an awesome event! I had so much fun finding new blogs – many of which I'm following. It was an extraordinary event that I'm glad I was able to partake in!

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OK. I'm in complete SHOCK! I also won the Blogmania package from Along the Way! (((Insert fainting smiley here!))) I never expected to win even once, let alone TWICE! Again, this certainly makes my day a LOT better! :-) Thank you, Janet! :-D

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OMGosh! It must be my lucky day! I won yet ANOTHER Blogmania package from Star Shadow! Pick me up off the floor ... Three has always been my lucky number, so perhaps this is it! I'm so excited! :-) THANK YOU, Star Shadow! :-)

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How many have YOU read?

I consider myself an avid reader. I can't remember a time in my life when I didn't love to read. Yeah, I had a bit of a reading hiatus for a bit after college, but four years of FORCED reading will do that to a girl! LOL Especially when it's not necessarily stuff I'd have read otherwise! ;-) That said, I found this on Heather's blog at View From the Shoe, and decided to see how I stack up. According to her, reading more than seven of these makes you an above-average reader. Not sure exactly what that means, but here goes! What I've read is in pink. Books I started but didn't finish are blue.

1. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

2. The Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien ~ Definitely something I intend to read.

3. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte

4. Harry Potter Series - J.K. Rowling ~ This is the series that got me to fall back in love with reading again after college!

5. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

6. The Bible

7. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

8. Nineteen Eighty-Four - George Orwell
9. His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman

10. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens

11. Little Women - Louisa May Alcott ~ I know, I know. How have I NOT read this?
12. Tess of the D'Ubervilles - Thomas Hardy
13. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller

14. Complete Works of Shakespeare

15. Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16. The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien ~ This was a rare book that I just couldn't get into. I'll try again, I really will!
17. Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk

18. Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger

19. The Time Traveler’s Wife ~ Just read this. See my review.
20. Middlemarch - George Eliot
21. Gone with the Wind - Margaret Mitchell

22. The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

23. Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky

28. The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck

29. Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32. David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33. The Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis

34. Emma - Jane Austen

35. Persuasion - Jane Austen

36. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis

37. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39.Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40. Winnie the Pooh - A.A. Milne
41. Animal Farm - George Orwel

42. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown

43. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44. A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins

46. Anne of Green Gables - L.M. Montgomery

47. Far from the Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood

49. Lord of the Flies - William Golding

50. Atonement - Ian McEwan
51. Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52. Dune - Frank Herbert
53. Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons

54. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen

55. A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

57. A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens

58. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - Mark Haddon
60. Love in the Time of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

61. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck

62. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63. The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65. The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66. On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67. Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy

68. Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding

69. Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdi

70. Moby Dick - Herman Melville

71. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens

72. Dracula - Bram Stoker ~ AWESOME book

73. The Secret Garden -Frances Hodgson Burnett

74. Notes from a Small Island - Bill Bryson
75. Ulysses - James Joyce
76. The Inferno-Dante
77. Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78. Germinal - Emile Zola
79. Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80. Possession - A.S. Byatt
81. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens ~ I honestly don't know about this one. I have seen the movie so many times – and so many variations thereof – I'm not sure if I've actually read it!
82. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell

83. The Color Purple - Alice Walker

84. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85. Madam Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry

87. Charlotte’s Web - E.B. White

88. The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom

89. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90. The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92. The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93. The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94. Watership Down -Richard Adams
95. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96. A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97. The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas

98. Hamlet - William Shakespeare

99. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

And my grand total is ...





... give me a minute to count the pink ones ...





30

Only?

Sheesh ...

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