Proud Book Nerd

More Awards

>> Friday, May 7, 2010

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!

Namine at Books I've Read
Milli at HOME
Christina T at Reading Extensively
Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books
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!

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

Book Beginnings on Friday 5/7

>> Thursday, May 6, 2010

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!

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):

Captivating by John & Stasi Eldredge
No Greater Love by Kathi Macias
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
The Bridegrooms by Allison Pittman
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:

Carolyn at Book Chick City
Jennifer at Crazy for Books
Namine at Book I've Read
MizB at Should Be Reading
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! :-)

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

Review: Captivating by John & Stasi Eldredge

>> Wednesday, May 5, 2010

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!)

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:

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

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.)
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.)
Book Chick City ~ 3 Visits
Michael J. Sullivan ~ 2 Visits ***TIED with #5 – listed in same order as on Google Analytics***
She Is Too Fond of Books ~ 2 Visits ***TIED with #4 – listed in same order as on Google Analytics***
Whimsical Musings and More ~ 1 Visit ***TIED with #7-10 – listed in same order as on Google Analytics***
FROGs ~ 1 Visit ***TIED with #6, 8-10 – listed in same order as on Google Analytics***
The Fiction Enthusiast ~ 1 Visit ***TIED with #6-7, 9-10 – listed in same order as on Google Analytics***
The King's Court IV ~ 1 Visit ***TIED with #7-8, 10 – listed in same order as on Google Analytics***
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!)

A-Z Wednesdays

>> Tuesday, May 4, 2010

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.

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.

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!

My Humble Apologies

>> Monday, May 3, 2010

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!

It's Monday! What are you reading?

>> Sunday, May 2, 2010

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

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.

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

>> Saturday, May 1, 2010

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! :-)

How many have YOU read?

>> Friday, April 30, 2010

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 ...

The Friday 56: Pretend All Your Life

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.

The nearest book is an ARC I happen to have nearby. The following excerpt is from Pretend All Your Life by Joseph Mackin:

They were flaky and hot, sweet meat in the middle.

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

Book Blogger Hop: April 30-May 6

I love this blog hop! It's so fun finding so many new book blogs! :-)

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

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!

NOTE: You can snag the linky code and post the Hop links on your site, too! That way someone can start with link #1 and hop around in order to each person's site without having to come back here each time! At the bottom of the linky list, just click on "Get the code here"! Add your link below.

If you sign MckLinky, please share the love and POST ABOUT THE HOP ON YOUR BLOG! How else will anyone else find out about it and come join the party?

Please use the following format when entering your link below (be careful - I don't always have time to go in and edit your link!!):

NAME OF BLOG (How long you've been blogging; what genres you PRIMARILY review)
I know a lot of us read all different genres, but if you had to choose ONE OR TWO genres that you review more often than others, what would they be??

Example:
Crazy-for-Books (21 months; contemporary fiction/mystery)

Author Spotlight: Cynthia Roberts ~ Wind Warrior GIVEAWAY

>> Thursday, April 29, 2010

I am very excited to introduce you to Cynthia Roberts, romance author of the new book Wind Warrior. Let me tell you, this book sounds GOOD! Oh, and one of YOU will have a chance to win a SIGNED copy! But, first, let me introduce you to Cynthia!

Hello everyone. Like all of you, I lived and breathed reading … it filled many long, lonely evenings when my husband worked nights in law enforcement and I was raising our children, Jason and Alyssa (now 31 and 29). It proved my constant companion later, when my “Cinderella” marriage of twenty-five years came to an unexpected end. There is a quote I heard once, I can’t remember verbatim but goes somewhat like … “There is no greater loss than a love once known.”

I’m a true believer that when tragedy strikes and you’re standing at the edge of a fathomless abyss and all you see is darkness looking back at you, faith lies in knowing one of two things will happen. You can either let fear consume you, roll up into a ball and waste away, or,you can take a leap of faith and learn how to soar like an eagle.

I’ve always had a passion for writing from that very moment a Crayola was placed in my hand, and throughout my career in marketing, public relations and sales, writing creatively came easy. When my marriage ended at the age of 45, life as I knew it was never the same. It was a time of unrest, uncertainty, losing friends and family and financial ruin because I also found myself jobless, which continued nearly two years.

Wind Warrior became my salvation. One evening I sat in front of the computer and decided to write instead of read. I loved Cassie Edwards' Savage Series and read every one of her books and figured all I could do was fail. It proved my therapy back then, but not quite up to par to win the favor of publishers. I received so many rejections I could have wallpapered a small room in my house, and almost gave up on my dream. That is, until I realized it just wasn’t my time. I needed to live through and get beyond the pain in my own life, before I could transform that experience into the kind of passion and emotion I wanted my readers to feel personally through my writing.

Wind Warrior is book one of five of my Iroquois Series, and will officially be released by Tate Publishing June 15th. It is, however, available now for purchase through Tate’s Web site, and it is my heartfelt hope readers will find it as enthralling to read as it was for me to research and bring to life. Book #2, Captive Heart, is finished and expected to be released the end of this year.

Now that the writer in me has been unleashed … look out world! If I can leave my beautiful five grandchildren any legacy, it will be the strength, conviction and passion put into every story I bring to life. Please stay tuned for future projects, which will include a series-introducing contemporary shape shifters and two mainstream romance thrillers entitled Pawn For Malice and The Keeper’s Watch.

Thank you, Cynthia, for that lovely introduction! :-) And now for the blurb from the back cover:

Leslie Michaels is a visionary, and only those close to her know of her special gift and the visions that come when her mind and body surrender to sleep. Fate has a way of righting many wrongs, and for Leslie it is a destiny that changes her life dramatically. But not before she is forced to flee into the wilderness to escape a murderous trapper bent on claiming her for his very own. Faith and a strong will to survive are her only companions, until she encounters Winnokin, the handsome Seneca war chief who first came to her in her dreams. Not only does he prove to be her rescuer and protector, he teaches her that tragedy can breed happiness and the passion to live and love deeply once again.

Wind Warrior plunges readers into the intimate depths of a relationship that unfolds like a live drama before their eyes while painting an insightful and intriguing portrait of Native Indian life in the 1800s. It is a story of longing, of a wanton need to survive all odds, and a love so strong it conquers human evil. Wind Warrior expresses with cunning words the simple, raw human emotions that hold readers spellbound and captivates their hearts.

And, finally, an excerpt from the book:

Leslie Michaels detected the immediate transformation in the stranger’s eyes after she reached out and stroked the tips of her fingers slowly along the strong, angular curves of his chin and jaw. She looked for a change, some kind of reaction that told her he found her to be too bold or forward. However, his calm reserve gave away no emotion at all. She was pleased that he did not draw away from her touch or display any signs of displeasure. More than anything, she wanted to know what was going on in his mind.

Did he find her attractive? Would he want to know her more intimately? She could not believe that those thoughts were even running through her mind. By God, she thought, I’m thinking just like one of those dance hall girls always standing outside the saloon at the settlement.

She certainly was not the kind of woman to just throw herself at a man. She was generally shy and reserved, and it normally took a while before she warmed up to someone, especially a man like the one right there in front of her.

And to think, she sighed, that his lips may just taste sweeter than sugar. She could feel her cheeks flush and patted them with her palms. This man certainly made her feel brazen. She wondered if he found her touch as pleasing as it was for her. When the moments passed with words unspoken between them, Leslie was afraid she truly overstepped her bounds.

There must be someone else in his life, a wife or betrothed, she thought. She searched his eyes to see if disinterest reflected in their depths, but he was too difficult to read. Leslie leaned back slightly and pondered if his lack of response was more out of duty or respect and not wanting to offend her.

I am such a––a fool––a stupid, crazy ninny, she chastised silently and lowered her head to hide her embarrassment. Just because I am drawn to him like a bee to honey does not mean he feels the same about me, she argued with herself. After all, we are from different cultures. Those in my world would never approve of such a union.

Leslie’s heart began to pound rapidly in her chest when he moved slightly and reached out for her. She gasped faintly when he tenderly clasped her chin to raise it and gazed into her eyes. A lump caught in her throat, and she knew she could not swallow even if she tried. Joy filled her heart when she watched as his beautiful, full lips began to slowly curve into a smile.

The pleasure she felt overwhelmed her and she pressed her fingers to her lips and sighed softly. She did not know his name, where he came from, or what kind of person he was. What she did know was that she felt no fear, no apprehension, in his presence. She did not hold back and drew herself up from her squatting position to kneel before him.

His beautiful, amber eyes were captivating, and Leslie knew at that very moment that she could get lost in their depths for an eternity. She wanted nothing else. He clasped a hold of her tiny wrists and placed her right hand upon his shoulder.

She reacted instantly and did not hold back. She needed, wanted, to touch more of him and slowly ran the flat of her palm down the length of his naked chest, feeling the strength of hard muscle beneath his light copper skin. It amazed her how such a masculine man could feel as soft as a rabbit’s pelt. Her eyes drifted again to the fullness of his lips, and she craved to have her own held captive by them.

He was the most handsome man she had ever seen, and even though he was Indian, it did not sway her from wanting to share something more with him. The comfort and safety she felt was far from odd, even knowing it would prove disturbing to others. Leslie dismissed all doubt and worry from her mind. She never was a person to be affected by what others thought. And she was not about to start now.

If he was an admirable man with a kind and compassionate heart, that was all she needed to know. She felt an immediate connection and shivered slightly when he reached forward to tenderly move a tendril of her hair away from her face. It seemed natural and right to rest her cheek against the palm of his hand.

His thumb glided softly against her skin, and she shivered slightly as she tilted her body to nuzzle the side of her face against the warmth of his touch. He reached his other hand to cup her face and draw her nearer.

Leslie could feel his breath caressing her skin, and she knew he was going to kiss her.

“Come. Let us ride the wind together,” he whispered softly in her ear. Slowly his lips brushed across her cheek, barely touching skin, causing her body to tremble in response.

This was the moment she hoped for, and she leaned her body closer and raised her chin to meet the pressure of his lips. His powerful arms were tender as they softly folded about her until their bodies were pressed together in a heated embrace.

The loud, shrilling chatter of gray squirrels playing outside her bedroom loft window jolted Leslie from her sleep as though cold water had just been thrown upon her face, and she bolted upright, into a sitting position.

“No!” she cried softly.

She realized it was just a dream as she ran her palm softly across the spot where she could swear she still felt the warmth of the stranger’s touch. Her eyes scanned every corner of her room, and her heart sank from the disappointing realization that she did indeed dream of the beautiful stranger once again. She turned and watched the humorous antics that continued outside her window.

"Shoo––shoo, you two,” she scolded. “Did you have to choose this very moment to wake me?” she continued as she shook her head and stretched her limbs like a contented feline.

For a moment she played back the memory of the dream that had haunted her over and over again for the past two months. When is this going to end? She wondered. What does it all mean?

It was not just this particular incident that bewildered her. For as long as she could remember, Leslie had always been taunted by such riddles. Early in her childhood, she had learned not to question her special ability to see what would happen in the very near future through her dreams.

She never feared them, because they were so very much a part of her life, and she naturally assumed every one had the same experiences in their life. That is, until she was old enough to speak and express what she saw with her parents.

Leslie was nearly seven when she finally began to understand what was happening to her, what she was born with. Her mother, Olivia, had sat her down and carefully told her of the special gift they both shared. It was a guarded secret that had been passed down for five generations by the feminine line on her mother’s side.

Still, the dream she had just experienced was so different and more personal than any she had before. This dream involved her emotions. She knew this particular stranger would play a major role in her future. She just did not know what, or when, or where. Each time he entered her sleep, it became more real, and her attraction for him grew stronger. She was becoming drawn to his long, dark hair and a physique, which looked as though it had been chiseled from stone. He was a mystery for now, and she was certain it was one that would be solved sooner rather than later.

For more information on Cynthia and her books, check out her site. This book is currently available only through the publisher's site. It will be available through Amazon.com on June 15.

Oh, wait! There's more ...

Cynthia has graciously agreed to offer one free signed copy to one of my lucky readers! All you have to do is fill out the Linky Tools form below to be entered. All e-mail addresses will be shared with Cynthia so that she can add you to her mailing list.

Rules: Submit your entry using the form below. (Under "contest entry" please put your name and/or screen name.) Entries will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. (Central) Thursday, May 20. (One entry per person. Duplicate entries will disqualify you.) A winner will be chosen randomly with the help of random.org. I will send the lucky winner an e-mail notification. (It will come from proudbooknerd(at)gmail(dot)com, so make sure to add this address to your safe list or address book to ensure it doesn't get lost in junk/bulk mail.) If I do not get a response within 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen. Unfortunately, this giveaway is only open to readers in the U.S. No P.O. boxes.

Good luck!

A-Z Wednesdays

>> Wednesday, April 28, 2010

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: "L "

My book is:

Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin

Summary (from Goodreads):

The New York Times bestselling author of Something Borrowed, Something Blue, and Baby Proof delivers another captivating novel about women and the choices that define them. This is the story for anyone who has ever wondered: How can I truly love the one I'm with when I can't forget the one who got away?
Ellen and Andy's first year of marriage doesn't just seem perfect, it is perfect. There is no question how deep their devotion is, and how naturally they bring out the best in each other. But one fateful afternoon, Ellen runs into Leo for the first time in eight years. Leo, the one who brought out the worst in her. Leo, the one who left her heartbroken with no explanation. Leo, the one she could never quite forget. When his reappearance ignites long-dormant emotions, Ellen begins to question whether the life she's living is the one she's meant to live.
Love the One You're With is a powerful story about one woman at the crossroads of true love and real life.

Unfortunately, I didn't write a review for this one, but I LOVED it! It's a five-star book on Goodreads, and most definitely my favorite by Emily Giffin.

WWW Wednesdays (Apr. 28)

To play along, just answer the following three questions…What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

My Answers:
What are you currently reading?

Captivating by John & Stasi Eldredge ~ It's part of a blog tour via Pump Up Your Book. It sounded interesting, and it is. It's VERY good, very eye-opening! I highly recommend this for all women!

Leave Me Alone: I'm Reading by Maureen Corrigan ~ Still working on this one. In fact, haven't read it in quite a while. I'll likely pick it up between books. Couldn't tell ya when, though. (And, yes, I copied this from last week's post. What more can I say?)

What did you recently finish reading?

Umm... let me think ...

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger ~ Wow, this book was A-MAZE-ING! (Yes, I know that's not the way you spell "amazing"!) Read my review HERE.

No Greater Love by Kathi Macias ~ I snagged this as another blog tour read, and it was pretty good. I look forward to reading the next book in the series. You can see my review HERE.

What do you think you’ll read next?
I honestly have no idea. My next review isn't due for another two weeks, so I'll likely pick one of my leisure reads next. Couldn't tell you what yet, though. We'll see what I feel like reading when I'm done with Captivating. You can see my To-Read shelf on Goodreads HERE, if you're curious to see what I might pick up next.

That's it for me this week!

This is a meme hosted by Should Be Reading. To participate, PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own WWW Wednesdays post or your answers, if you don't have a blog.

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! :-)

Because I also participate in Teaser Tuesday, I will do like we did last week, and share the first two lines in Chapter 1 (not a prologue, preface, introduction, or anything like that) of my current book. Feel free to do the same, if you also participate in both!

Here's mine for the week:

"Let's do it." Dusk was settling in. ~ Captivating by John & Stasi Eldredge

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Every little girl has dreams of being swept up into a great adventure, of being the beautiful princess. Sadly, when women grow up, they are often swept up into a life filled merely with duty and demands. Many Christian women are tired, struggling under the weight of the pressure to be a "good servant," a nurturing caregiver, or a capable home manager.

What Wild at Heart did for men, Captivating is doing for women. Setting their hearts free. This groundbreaking book shows readers the glorious design of women before the fall, describes how the feminine heart can be restored, and casts a vision for the power, freedom, and beauty of a woman released to be all she was meant to be. By revealing the core desires every woman shares-to be romanced, to play an irreplaceable role in a grand adventure, and to unveil beauty-John and Stasi Eldredge invite women to recover their feminine hearts, created in the image of an intimate and passionate God. Further, they encourage men to discover the secret of a woman's soul and to delight in the beauty and strength women were created to offer.

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