Saturday, December 31, 2011

SPECIAL thanks to our Sponsors of this Challenge:  Edifying and Edgy!

HBRC - Today's Challenge:
Day 16
Choose our TOP '11' books of the year!

"My" TOP 11 books of 2011

Wow! There were SO many GREAT books this year, it was 
SUPER hard to choose!
Okay, I DID stretch it out a little, with Honorable Mentions, Christmas Reads, and a Humorous MUST-READ!  Hope that's okay!
If you look at the Academy Awards, The People's Choice
Awards, and others, they ALL have these Sub-Categories! 
Here they are!

  MY BEST BOOKS 0F 2011:

1. "THE HELP, A Novel" by Marilyn Stockett!

This book, by FAR, was the BEST BOOK OF 2011!  I have it on my Kindle, and every now and then, as I pass it by, I will open it back up, and read a page or two, three, four . . .  this book is a Classic in it's own right! What a book!  Wow!  The relationship between these women is amazing!  The difficult times of the 1960's in the deep South have pulled ALL of these women together to write this book about "The Help".  I cried, I laughed, I felt the emotions theses women felt.  I cannot describe in words exactly the feeling I got as I devoured this book!  If you have NOT read this book, I HIGHLY suggest it!  Teenagers should read this book as well, and learn what history really was all about back then.  The good, the bad, the happy, the sad, and the PROGRESS WE HAVE MADE THROUGH TIME!  Where we are now is where we ALWAYS should have been!  NEVER should we have gone through the history we did.  I am thankful that history can teach us to NEVER repeat something.  We celebrate with these women!  I cannot say enough about this book!  I will NEVER stop singing the praises for this book!  A MUST-READ!
I have also seen this movie, and NO OTHER MOVIE HAS 'EVER' FOLLOWED A BOOK LIKE THIS ONE DID!  To a "T"!  At least no movie "I" have EVER seen has followed the book like this one did!  I read the book BEFORE I saw this movie, and am VERY HAPPY I did!  It brought the book MORE to life for me!  Although, I still have to say that the intimacy of reading this book was very special.  The emotions this book stirred up were many.  I think EVERYONE should get the wonderful opportunity to read this book!
Isn't it AMAZING this book was the FIRST book this author has written!  It was her DEBUT NOVEL!  AMAZING!  There is information about how hard of a time the author had getting a Publisher to publish this book, and how HARD SHE WORKED to keep revising it to try again, and again, and again.  Persistence DOES pay off!  Look what we now have!
For Christmas this year, I bought myself a present! The Blu Ray/DVD/Digital Copy of this movie!
I am saving the movie to watch one wintry day this January!  Looking very much forward to it!
Today's Holiday Break Reading Challenge was to make a Book Trailer of your #1 book.  I could NOT do it!  I felt I could NOT do this book the justice it deserves!  It already has trailers, it has been made into a movie, and I could NOT 'take away' from this book/movie.  I forewent the challenge today on this book.

2.  Come Back to Me by Melissa Foster

3.  The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon

4.  Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens 

  
5.  Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews

6.  After the Party by Lisa Jewel

7.  Megan's Way by Melissa Foster

8.  Yours to Keep by Stacey Shannon

9.  The Amish Nanny, The Women of Lancaster
County #2 by Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould

10.  Anything by Michael Baron

11.  Room by Emma Donaghue


Honorable, Honorable Mention

You Don't Need a Prince, A Letter to My Daughter by Cheryl Shireman


Honorable Mentions

Altamont Augie by Richard Barager

The Bone Garden by Tess Gerittsen

Chasing Amanda by Melissa Foster


Christmas Reads

The Man in the Cinder Clouds


Christmas at Harrington's by Melody Carlson

A Lancaster County Christmas by Suzanne Woods Fisher
Twas the Night Before Christmas, A Visit from St Nicholas (The Classic) by Clement Clarke Moore and Illustrator (beautiful illustrations) Jesse Wilcox Smith
Copyright 1912
A Project Gutenberg Edition
www.gutenberg.net




Absolutely Humorous Must-Read:

Flat Out Love by Jessica Park


CONGRATULATIONS BOOKS AND AUTHORS!!!



  
    

Friday, December 30, 2011

Thanks to our Sponsors of this challenge Edifying and Egdy!

DAY 15 - SETTING GOALS FOR 2012!

Wow!  Day 15 already of this Challenge!  I have LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this Challenge with Julie and Karin! They are two WONDERFUL people!  You really should get to know them better! Make SURE you click on the link above under the banner and visit their site OFTEN!  They are very special people!  Very caring and a LOT of fun!
Today they want us to talk about our goals we are setting for ourselves for 2012!
Goal #1:  Set and DO "Realistic" things!  I would LOVE to set some LOFTY goals and do ALL kinds of wonderful things, but I have to stay realistic!  I have done some things on my blog that I have really learned from, such as not being able to keep up with, such as Follow Fridays, and some other things.  I could not keep up with those on a weekly basis.  I tried, and learned a LOT about myself and blogging!  What I learned is I LOVE to read and write my reviews on BOOKS the most, so with that in mind, I AM going to keep my feet on the ground, and focus on that for the main part!  NOT to get distracted with the things I know I cannot keep up with and set goals I KNOW I 'can' accomplish, but push myself a little more at the same time!  We ALL go through growing pangs with our Blogs, learning the difference between what we can and cannot do, and since I have learned this, that is what I am going to do!  The things I WANT to do, knowing in the back of my mind what I am able and not able to do.   
Goal #2:  To do things I really WANT to do, again, KNOWING the difference between what I can and cannot do, within my limits!  To search out for those things I WANT to do!  We all go through growing pangs while doing our Blogs.  For instance, the other day we were challenged to find Reading Challenges by searching the net.  I did that and I have NOT STOPPED!  I have succeeded in finding some GREAT Blogs along the way!  I HAVE found several Challenges that 'do' fit my reading tastes, which I otherwise may NOT have found had it not been for THIS Challenge!!  YEAH!!  I have been working on those today some more!  I set up a new page with 2 of the Challenges I will be working on, and I have 2 more I am going to set up there as well!  I will be including 'this' Challenge for next year if the Host it, again!  I'm VERY excited about this!  Just think, if Julie and Karin had NOT set that as a Challenge, would I have put so much time and effort into seeking these Challenges I've SO wanted to participate in and most likely given up.  I probably would have given up!  So my #1 GOAL is to continue to push myself and NOT give up on the things I want to do!  Follow through!
GOAL #3:  Search out the Reading Challenges and other things I come across I really want to do!  Post them and follow through on them!  I have done so easily on Goodreads, but not as good with some others, such as learning we must post an Update Monthly!  I will be doing that now for sure!
Goal #4:  Visit the Blogs I like a LOT MORE than what I have been.  To take the time to really get to know the authors of the Blogs I have come across and LOVE!  Google Reader really gives up GREAT updates, and I am going to keep up with that!  I LOVE Google Reader!  Don't you?!
Goal #5:   I have chosen 4 Social Networks to work with and NOT add more!  I have come across MANY Social Networks, MORE than I can handle!  I think we ALL have found ourselves in this position!  There are SO many!  TOO many to keep up with!  I have found the ones I LOVE the most and I am sticking with them, exclusively!  The Social Networks I LOVE and will ONLY be working with are Twitter, Google+, Goodreads (of course!!), and just a little on Facebook.  I am going to try to get everyone on Facebook to come over to Google+!  I LOVE Google+!  I think it is "THE" WAY TO GO!  You can personalize Google+ UNLIKE Facebook!  Google+ is also integrated as part of our Blogs, and I want to MAINLY stick with it! Don't YOU LOVE GOOGLE+!!! 
Goal #6:  If I need to change/alter my goals as I go, I WILL!
Again, HUGE thanks to Karin and Julie at Edifying and Edgy!
I just may NOT have actually written these goals down on my Blog had it NOT been for them!  THANK YOU TO YOU BOTH!  YOU ARE AWESOME!

A quick edit! 
Goal #7:  Learn how to make my OWN button for MY blog!!  Also learning how to do this will pave the way for being able to make other buttons/banners I may need or want along the way!
Goal #8:  Like Karin, I want to learn Photoshop!  I have ALWAYS used Printmaster, but it 'seems' that Photoshop is used by MANY MORE PEOPLE.  I think I need to follow everyone with 'this' program! I just hope I like it 'as much as' I LOVE Printmaster!
Thanks again! 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
"2012!"
Giveaway Blog Hop!
Dec 30th to Jan 3rd!

Thanks to our Sponsors I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Babs Book Bistro

Wow! Another NEW year has come around again!
That means ANOTHER BLOG HOP!!
If you would like to enter, please click


Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Thanks to our Sponsors, Edifying and Edgy

HOLIDAY BREAK READING CHALLENGE
2011-2012!
DAY 13

Well, this post WILL BE LATE!!!  I've been searching the Internet and trying to find . . . OH!!!
What is our Challenge for today???
Today we are supposed to find CHALLENGES that we want to participate through the year for 2012!!
I have been diligently searching today for the Challenges I want to participate in!!!  I'm NOT in a rush to post which Challenges I want to participate in because I can't find ALL of the ones I want to do.
Here are TWO that I am going to do:
1.  Goodreads Reading Challenge
2.      An Ebook reading Challenge 
(The Ebook Reading Challenge is sponsored by workadayreads.com.)
What I am really "looking for" is an Adult Fiction Challenge.  I can find YA Challenges ALL OVER the place, but for Adult Fiction, the genre I LOVE to read, I am having the hardest time!!!  So, what I am going to do is continue to look for Challenges until I find some that suit me!!  I am starting to think "I" need to make one MYSELF!!! My problem is prizes.  "I" could not fund the prizes I would need in order to hold a Challenge!  I would need to approach some Authors and Publishers and ask them if they would be willing to donate some books for it.  I MIGHT work on that!!
My question for ANY of you is this: Have YOU ever run a Challenge?  HOW do you approach Authors or Publishers for prizes?  How do you advertise your Challenges?   On the Book Blogs Social Networks?
If ANYONE would know HOW to do this, PLEASE CONTACT ME!!!  I would LOVE to Host one!!!
So I m going to continue looking for Challenges that suit my reading taste!!  What I am going to do is come back and EDIT this post as I find MORE Challenges I want to participate in, and more!!
Thanks!!  Let me know if you have any info!!  Appreciate it!!!
Laurie  


Tuesday, December 27, 2011

BEST OF 2011 GIVEAWAY HOP!
Dec 27th to Dec 31st, 2011
5 Days of Blog Hop FUN!


Thanks to our Sponsor I Am A Reader, Not a Writer

What can I say?  
It's the BEST BOOKS OF 2011!
To ENTER MY GIVEAWAY,





Monday, December 26, 2011


With MANY thanks to our Sponsors:  Edifying and Edgy 
Today's Challenge:

Today is December 26th, the day after Christmas.  Most of you are probably still busy with family or traveling or plain worn out from all the festivities.  We didn't want to make today's activity too difficult so all you have to do is:  

The Challenge for today is this:

1. Pick up a book you are reading right now.

2. Turn to page 26.

3. Count down the page until you get to line 26. (Get it??? Today is December 26th? Are we clever?)  YES!!!!

4. Create a blog post including the title of the book, a picture of the cover, and your 26th line.

5. If you don't have a 26th line on your page you can either choose a different book, choose the 26th word, or just flow onto the next page and stop when you reach 26. We are flexible. There isn't a HBRC Police Force.

I am reading "The Man in the Cinder Clouds" by Rick Daley.  Actually, I JUST finished it and am getting ready to write a review!  (I have not yet started my next book.)  This book is surely going to become a Christmas Classic!  We need to get it into MORE people's hands to read it and I PROMISE it WILL become a holiday classic! It is about the origin of Santa Claus!  From the beginning when he was a baby!  He is part elf, did you know?

                            "The Man in the Cinder Clouds" by Rick Daley

. . . Elfin law requires human contact!


IF you are interested in reading this 'soon to be Christmas Classic, Rick Daley would LOVE it!!  IF you would like to write a review on this book, you would MAKE HIS NEW YEAR!!  Even if it is AFTER the New Year!!  You can purchase it at the link below!




Sunday, December 25, 2011


MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
It's HERE!!
I wish you and yours, the BEST Christmas EVER!
Remember the reason for the season!
Happy Birthday, baby Jesus!
So, what did Santa bring YOU?


Sponsored by Edifying and Edgy

HBRC Day 10 - Books As Gifts

We all have books that are special to us. Today's challenge is to choose a book or books that you have received as a gift/gifts that mean something special to you.

Okay, my book might seem a little corny, but I have used this book my ENTIRE adult life!  If I didn't have this book, I don't know where I would be today!  You have to understand that when I grew up, my mom did not really 'teach me' HOW to do things like cooking, but she did teach me a few good family recipes.  Mostly, I got books.  So one day BEFORE I got married, that Christmas before, she got me this book!  I really have your interest now, don't i!!  You're really wondering what this book could be!!  LOL!  Although, you probably see the photo below, so . . . it is:


The Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, Copyright 1981.  Yes!  THAT old!  I am still VERY young, though, you see!  My copy is tattered and torn!  Pages falling out, stained and has food on it!  It is well used!  My edition has Better Homes and Gardens across the top and in the middle there is a big, blue circle with the words, New Cook Book in white.  It's a nice, 3-ring binder, and I have used it and abused it!  It has come in SO handy, I still find myself using it today, every now and then!  In the front of the book cover, there is a GREAT conversion table called Weights and Measures, info on broiling, Internal Temps for meats, and the back inside cover has Emergency Substitutions, and Ingredient Equivalents.  
Also, there are a number of pages out of order, some not 'in' the three ring binder, just in there loosely, and crunched up from my daughter.  For some reason, when she was little, she HAD to open the binder and take the pages out!  Thank gosh I would go behind her and pick the pages up or else I would not have this book to today! LOL!  Yes, it is still like that!  I just can't bring myself to put it back together as it was so adorable, in her words!
This, has been my FAVORITE, most used, most reliable book I have ever received!
I wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS for what is left for the rest of today!
Happy Holidays for the rest of the week, and Happy New Year for the end of this week!  Now I guess it's time to start making resolutions that we all end up breaking!  Do you make resolutions?  I generally do not.  Leave a comment if you do!  I'd LOVE to hear about them!  Even as the week goes on, come on back and leave a comment!

And, here is the link if YOU would like to purchase this book!  It is WELL-WORTH it!  You WILL use this book!  It's a GREAT Wedding Shower gift, even if the person does not 'yet' cook!







"Year of the INDIE"
eBook Celebration!
100 Books - 100 Authors!
Dec 24th - 31st
Buy 3, Get 1 FREE!
Where?  Click on the LINK below
A "must-go" Event!



Saturday, December 24, 2011

DECEMBER 24TH, 2011
CHRISTMAS EVE!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
REMEMBER THE REASON 
FOR THE SEASON!
Santa is getting ready to get in his sleigh and on his way, delivering toys and goodies to ALL girls and boys!
Did you know Santa is really already out there delivering toys to good little girls and boys on the other side of the world!  YES!  They are a DAY ahead of us!
While I am waiting till bedtime so Santa can come over to MY house here in the United States, I am going to do today's Holiday Break Reading Challenge sponsored by Edifying and Edgy and share it ALL with you!
Here it is!  And, to EVERYONE,
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL,
and to ALL a Goodnight!
Till tomorrow . . . 

Thanks to the Sponsor http://www.edifyingandedgy.com/

HBRC Day 9 - Book with a Christmas Theme or Setting

Merry Christmas Eve.  For today's activity I want everyone to think about books that have Christmas as an important part of the story.  Post the cover and the synopsis so we can see what it is about.

One of my favorites and choices I highly suggest:
  
   "Everything Christmas" by Waterbrook Press

Why?  This book has EVERYTHING you EVER wondered or wanted to know about Christmas in it!  I won this book last year, Christmas 2010, from Bookreporter.com in their Holiday Cheer Contest, and it is a treasured book!  It has EVERYTHING you could possibly want to know and NEVER KNEW about Christmas in it!!

It starts with December 1st and goes ALL the way through December 24th.  
For example:  December 1st starts with a poem called "Let Us Keep Christmas" by Grace Noll Crowell and continues on with the "History of Christmas". The next topic is "Christmas Every Day" by  William Dean Howells, then there is a little poem, a recipe for Scented Applesauce-Cinnamon Ornaments, Mmmmm!  Another recipe for Chestnut Dressing, Roasted Goose, and then a Christmas Hymn, "O Little Town of Bethlehem" by Philip Brooks, then a Historical Note and a Bible verse.    

December 2 starts with "The Merry Family Gatherings" by Helen Lowrie Marshall, and goes onto the 1932 Royal Christmas Message by King George V and Rudyard Kipling, broadcast LIVE over the radio!  Then they talk about Christmas Dinner in England which is like our traditional Thanksgiving Dinner! Followed by some trivia, MORE recipes, Colorful Pine cones for the Fireplace, The Wooden Shoes of the Little Wolff by Francois Coppe'e and MORE!!!

EVERY Day is a NEW Chapter! Imagine a book FILLED with things like this and MORE!!  There really is SO much more in it.  It covers other Christmas Traditions in other countries, Christmas articles, GIFT IDEAS, MORE recipes.  Want to know the lyrics of a song?  They are there!  Would you like to learn how to make Gingerbread Men and Pavlova? It's in there!  Want to learn how to make holiday bows?  It's in there!  I'll be willing to be there isn't "ONE" thing you could question or ASK about about Christmas and it WOULD BE IN HERE!  I LOVE this book!

I will truly cherish this book forever!  It will remain on my shelf forever, as well!

I had such a wonderful time reading this book, and you will, too!  I promise!  I have NEVER come across a book like this that covers EVERYTHING CHRISTMAS!!

You will NOT be disappointed if YOU want to to purchase this TREASURY OF Christmas, as it IS divine!  Even the cover of the book necessitates a place on your coffee table, yet this one WILL BE READ!!  Here's the link to purchase it if you would like!

    
 

Now, get to bed so Santa can come!!!
No!  Don't pretend!  REALLY GO TO SLEEP!  Remember, Santa KNOWS WHEN YOU ARE SLEEPING!
HE KNOWS WHEN YOU'RE AWAKE!!
(Okay!  I'll sing the rest!!  But only once!)
He KNOWS IF YOU'VE BEEN BAD OR GOOD,
SO BE GOOD, FOR GOODNESS SAKE!
OH,
YOU BETTER WATCH OUT,
YOU BETTER NOT POUT,
YOU BETTER NOT CRY, I'M TELLING YOU WHY,
SANTA CLAUS IS COMING . . . TO TOWN!!!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!!

Christmas Cheer to ALL of you!  Laurie

Friday, December 23, 2011

Holiday Break Reading Challenge!!  Day 8! Wow! SO much FUN!
December 16th to January 1st, 2012!

With HUGE thanks to our Sponsors,Edifying and Edgy!

Today we are to, (directly copied and pasted from their site)

Sometimes books can surprise us in a good way and sometimes they can surprise us in a bad way.  A book you might have been waiting to come out for a year could be a total bomb once you finally get to read it and a book you drag your feet about reading can turn out to be the best book ever. Today let's explore those books. Create a blog post featuring a HIT and a MISS.  Come back and link it using the Simply Linked.

My MISS:
Well, for one, I do not want to name the book NOR the author, as in this case it was their first book, their first attempt at writing a fiction novel.  I do NOT want to hurt their feelings, nor give them a bad name, so I am going to forego the title of the book and the author's name.  I will tell you what I did NOT like about the book, without mentioning the previous.  The author is an Indie author, and I DO believe with a little more time, effort, and possibly taking a class or two in writing fiction, this author might be able to make a great second try and learn to excel in their writing.  
I was SO looking forward to reading this one book, as I saw it EVERYWHERE on almost EVERY Blog I went to!  (I NEVER see this book anymore, anywhere, now.)  The title and the cover looked SO inviting, I DID end up getting an invitation to read this book!  YEAH!!!  Well, I started to read the book, as excited as I was, and I HATED IT!  I gave it such a good try.  I really tried and tried, again and again to continue reading this book, and after so long, about half-way through, I tossed it aside.
Why?  The main character did not like the male, secondary character so much that trying to read through her hatred of the man, continuously, was like fingers being scraped across a chalk board.
Every scene that occurred in the book, right in the middle of the scene/occurrence, the author would change the chapter, and continue on with the scene.  Why?  It frustrated me to NO END!  That was THE END of that book!

My HIT:
Well, of course, I think this book WILL win many awards, as it was EXCELLENT!  It has been on the New York Times Best Seller List for SO many weeks!  I have lost track now!  It is,  "The Help" by Marilyn Stockett.  Wonderful book!  Of course, we all know a movie was born from it as well!  I went to see the movie, the FIRST TIME IN OVER 8 YEARS!!  I TRULY and THOROUGHLY ENJOYED BOTH the book, then the movie!

My HIT:
Now I cannot go on without giving an Indie Author my FAVORITE read of the year!  Melissa Foster's "Come Back to Me"!  What a wonderful story!  Melissa Foster can WRITE!  WOW!  From "Chasing Amanda", to "Megan's Way", THIS 'new' book, "Come Back to Me" had me BALLING up a storm!
I 'am' doing an 'official' blog post/tour date for her book on my birthday, January 6th!  Be SURE to come back to my Blog to check it out!
This is a book you CAN'T miss!  You won't want to miss it!!  The story line was AMAZING!  That is all I will say about it now!  Come on back to find out more about it then!  
I do believe this book could make the BEST book of the year!

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Holiday Break Reading Challenge - Day 7 already!



Today we are supposed to pick our FAVORITE character of the year, out of ALL the books we have read this year!

I am going to pick the book I just wrote about in pictures the other day!
The book is called "Christmas at Harrington's" by Melody Carlson
(I am now reading one of her other Christmas books called "The Christmas Bus")
I really do like this author quite a bit!  Her main characters in her books seem very strong, which I like a lot!  
Lena, in Christmas at Harrington's, has a really TOUGH TIME, just being released from prison, and having to readjust to the outside world and make her way trying to find a job.  Her EX-husband was a minister at a church, and she was the 'Preacher's Wife'.  SHE was accused of embezzlement when you KNOW it was her EX!  SHE was the one who was blamed and had to serve time in prison for HIS embezzlement.  She couldn't fight it. Her own father was a minister as well, and HE believed HER HUSBAND!  Her husband always accused Lena of wanting 'worldly goods' and more, when she simply wanted to buy a house with an inheritance she received, instead of renting.  He put her down endlessly.  Since she had a degree in Accounting, her husband made sure he got her hands in the books, so you KNOW it was him!   She could NOT fight the charges against her. She had NO money, NO family to back her up, and even her friends turned their backs on her.  Everyone believed her husband.
Well, let me tell you about this character.  I LOVE her strength!  After being released from prison, she had to face MANY people with the name, 'Ex-Con' attached to her.  She had to stand up to people and be strong.  An older lady befriended her on the bus as she was going to her new town to live in.  She explained to her what happened, and this woman accepted her.  It was quite a different story when this woman invited her to her home for dinner one Sunday afternoon.  Her son cornered Lena and accused her of trying to take advantage of his mother.  Lena stood up to him so well!  She can stand up for herself, strongly, now!  When people started to learn she was an ex-con, she had to stand up to them for herself!  She did a great job of it!  Even when she moved to a city she had NEVER heard of, guess what?  The was an ex-parishioner from the church who accused her of embezzlement from, in the NEW city she moved to!  Of course, that woman wrote to the boss of her new job she got, as Mrs. Santa, and she was fired immediately. 
She went to the local library and read books to the children, and guess 'who' was there? That ex-parishioner!  She took a verbal lashing so hateful about her, and when she talked back, she just shone!  This character stood up for herself SO well!  She never let anyone put her down!  I guess after spending 5 years in prison, that would definitely help you stand up for yourself!  
No matter what came Lena's way, she was able to stay standing on her own two feet, regardless of the situation.  This strength she had is what really saved her and helped her make her way in life.
I love characters/woman who are strong and can stand up for themselves.  To be able to face people in times of adversity and come out shining!  To be able to take on any situation and turn it into a positive when other characters are trying to be so negative!  To NOT allow people to walk all over them!  Melody Carlson, this books Author, is really one to watch for great strength in characters!


You can purchase this book directly from my Blog by clicking on the Amazon photo!   ALL proceeds go to helping support Giveaways in the MANY Blog Hops I do!!  Your support is TRULY appreciated!!  Thank you!

WRAP-UP POST FOR


Courtesy of Callapidderdays

Wrap-Up Post 12-22-11
I would really like to take a moment to thank Callipidderdays.com for hosting this reading challenge!  I had a LOT of fun with it!!  It really gave me the 'umph' to get these books read!  It was also SUPER NICE to have these ALL written down in ONE place instead of floating around in my head!!  I LOVED THIS!!!  I suggest anyone do one of these challenges!!  They are VERY rewarding to look back while you do a Wrap-Up post such as this!!  It's amazing to see what you have done in a certain amount of time, too!  Wow!

These are the DIRECTIONS:
What is this?
You list the books you want and plan to read between September 23rd to December 21st and put them in a post.  There is MORE INFORMATION at the above link
There is NO TIME LIMIT TO WHEN PEOPLE CAN SIGN UP TO PARTICIPATE IN “FALL INTO READING 2011”.   You are welcome to join at ANYTIME!!  Between NOW AND DECEMBER!  The deadlines mentioned in the prize/giveaways post are ONLY for prize eligibility!!  YES!!!  THERE ARE PRIZES!!
Go on over to sign up!!
Come back to MY blog here: http://lauriehere.blogspot.com/2011/09/fall-into-reading-2011.html  to come back to my blog to see what I am reading!!  (The books that are crossed out are books that I am done reading.)

but I will try to copy and paste what I posted there so I can talk about my books here!!

Here's what I am reading! Or, need to get read! The books that are numbered in RED are books I did NOT get read.  ALL the books that are crossed out ARE READ!!!  ALL the reviews may not yet be posted.
Never Knowing                                  Chevy Stevens            Goodreads!
Flat Out Love                                     Jessica Park               Crazy for Books Tour
Heiress                                              Susan May Warren     LitFuse Tour
Josefina’s Sin                                    Claudia H Long           Publisher  3/4 the way thru!

ALMOST DONE!!  Currently Reading!!  3/4 of the way done!!  Sins of the Mother     Tara Hyland                  Publisher
Come Back to Me                              Melissa Foster's***NEW!***Book Tour on 1-6-12
Baby, It’s Cold Outside                     Susan May Warren     LitFuse Tour
1.  Unforeseen Fears                         H WilliamGruchow
Holy Ghost Girl                                 Donna M Johnson -    Crazy for Books Tour
Farsighted                                        Emlyn Chand          -   Novel Publicity Tour
2.  Beatrice Munson                          Lorena Bathey            Author
The Baby Boomer’s Guide to
    Chronic Pain                                 Dr Michael J Kaye       Author
Anything                                           Michael Baron             Publisher/NetGalley
Still More Stories from
    Grandma’s Attic  Book 3              Arleta Richardson       Author
Treasures from Grandma’s
    Attic  Book 4                                Arleta Richardson       Author
Down From Cascom Mountain         Ann Joslin Williams     Publisher
3.  Northwest Angle                         William Kent Krueger  Author
The Burning Soul                             John Connolly            Publisher
4.  The Lost Angel                            Javier Sierra               Publisher
Falling to Pieces, A Shipshewana
    Amish Mystery                              Vanetta Chapman       NetGalley
Beside Still Waters                          Tricia Goyer                 NetGalley
Along Wooded Paths                       Tricia Goyer                 NetGalley
The Healing - Kentucky Brothers Book 3  Wanda E Brunstetter      NetGalley
The Journey-Kentucky Brothers  Book 2  Wanda E Brunstetter      NetGalley
5.  Lydia’s Charm                             Wanda E Brunstetter  NetGalley
Money Secrets of  the Amish            Lorilee  Craker             BookSneeze
Something Old                                  Dianne Christner         NetGalley
6.  A Prairie Christmas Collection      9 Different Authors     NetGalley
A Marriage Carol                   Chris Fabry&Gary Chapman   NetGalley
Easy and Elegant Beaded
    Copper Jewelry                            Lora S Irish                  NetGalley
Illustrated Guide to Sewing
    Garment, A Complete Guide
    For Fit and Fashion                     Peg Couch                    NetGalley
*Intoxications – Short Story           Tim Kizer                       Author
*The Black Chronicles:  Cry of
    The Fallen                                      Joel M Andre   ERROR - from Summer but still need to read and review!!  Have read it!  Need to write the review!


Books I forgot to list above OR I CHOSE TO READ and ARE INCLUDED IN THIS Challenge as I did read them during this Challenge:
The Green River Killer: A True Detective Story  by Jeff Jensen and Jonathon Case 
      A Graphic Novel - (My first!)                                                 NetGalley         
*A Winter Discovery                           Michael Baron                  NetGalley
*Any Color But Beige                         Catherine Larose             Tour Company/Publisher
*The World's Greatest Christmas Cookies:  A Sweet Collection of Recipes, Tips & Decorating Ideas, and Inspirations for the Season          Nanette Anderson           NetGalley
*You Don't Need a Prince, A Letter to My Daughter   Cheryl Shireman     My Choice
*Wanda E Brunstetter's Amish Friends Cookbook Desserts  Wanda E. Brunstetter  NetGalley
*The Attic in My Yard                           Birgit Horvath-Muck       My Choice
*Wired                                                 Martha Carr                    Author/Tour
*Naomi's Gift: An Amish Christmas Story     Amy Clipston        NetGalley
*Christmas at Harrington's                 Melody Carlson              My Choice


**CURRENTLY READING!! and WILL be again with my son:  *The Man in the Cinder Clouds     Rick Daley/Independent Author
only 2 Chapters left and I will be done with this book right after I post this!
*This a Middle Grade book that I am going to try to get my son to read over break!  
We'll see how my son likes doing this???  Eeeeks?  "TWO" books!!  He knows about the 
'1' listed below, but now I have added this, a 2nd one for him!!   That is okay, though, because this Christmas we are ONLY purchasing toys where he MUST sit still and play with!  This is intentional because he already knows he wants to be a Marine.  He has an Air-Soft Gun ARSENAL!!!  He has SOOO many guns, and has asked for ANOTHER one for Christmas! I talked to my father-in-law, who happens to be dying, but introduced him to collecting Die-Cast Collectible cars and motorcycles!  My FIL, even though he is dying, is STILL collecting AND building scenes from his hospital bed of gas stations, car dealers, and some Airplanes!  How's that!  He is buying my son some Die-Cast collectibles for him to play with.  I WISH I had this photo as a digital photo, but, my FIL sent us money to purchase a shelving unit. We purchased a plastic one for my son.  It has four shelves.  EVERY motorcycle is perfectly stood up by it's kick-stand, and every car is perfectly placed.  He loves these!  Now, allow me to tell you "I" have knocked some of these over, and he takes the time to re-stand EVERY vehicle that "I" knocked over! ALL 4 shelves are FILLED!!  This will be the PERFECT Xmas gift!  I am also buying him a Wright Brothers Wooden Air Plane to put together!  I'm excited over this! I think he'll LOVE it!!
I will let you know how the experiments go, IF you are interested to find out if a boy who HATES TO READ, DECIDES HE JUST 'MIGHT' LIKE IT!! To be continued . . . 

DURING CHRISTMAS WITH MY SON AND OF NOTE!!
*The Boy Who Flew With Eagles     Ben Woodard                Author - Middle Grade Book - This book is SUPER neat!  The author and I are doing an experiment with my son who HATES reading!!  This book is about a boy and an Eagle that soars.  I am to sit down with my son and we are going to read this book together and see what HE thinks!  I will let the author know.  My son is 14, but VERY immature for his age.  He is repeating the 8th grade.   He had ADHD and the medications he takes causes him to have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder pretty bad.  He must touch EVERYTHING 4x ALL the time.  It is VERY frustrating for him. I feel SO bad for him because he has come crying to me asking me why does he HAVE to do this?  REALLY pulls at your heartstrings, huh?  UGH! I wish I could take it away!

So, HOW DID I DO in this Fall Reading Challenge 2011?

How many books did I list to read in total -"44" 
How many books did I get read in total -    "38"!!  WOW!!  
How many did I NOT get read?   '6' of the books I listed for this challenge!
Did I ADD books as I the Challenge went along?  "YES!!!"
 
As I was reading along, I came across EVEN MORE books I NEEDED/WANTED TO "ADD" to this Challenge because they NEEDED TO BE READ AND HAVE REVIEWS WRITTEN BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR, or I CHOSE TO READ THESE BOOKS ON MY OWN!!  These are ALL listed under:  "Books I forgot to list above OR BOOKS I CHOSE TO READ and ARE INCLUDED IN THIS Challenge"
  
I am 'almost' done with Josefina's Sins, and The Man in the Cinder Clouds.  I wlll be finishing these tonight, right after I Post this Post, which I am including in this Challenge as I only have 2 short chapters of each book left.  

I read a Christmas book called, "Christmas at Harrington's" by Melody Carlson!  I also started another of her books called, "The Christmas Bus", by Melody Carlson as well.  I found out I LOVE Melody Carlson's writing!!  She is an author I had not read before, and I truly enjoyed and could relate to her character really well.  I thought she wrote a very good, believable story for the holidays.  I could really feel what the main character felt, the way the author wanted to portray this main character, she succeeded!  So I found a NEW Author I LOVE to read!!    

The BIGGEST challenge for ME with this was that I DID find other books I wanted to read, especially Christmas books!  I did find myself pushing myself EXTRA HARD!!  I did NOT figure in "Life"! Life happens!! Such as the testing for allergies, and I could NOT stop itching for 2 days after the testing!!  I could NOT read because I was sitting still, and the more I sat still, the WORSE MY ARMS ITCHED!!!  LOL!!!  That was really a nightmare!!  I can laugh NOW, but at the time, I think I drove my husband NUTS!!  That's okay.  Husband's NEED to be driven nuts every now and then!  They need to remember WHY they got married!  LOL!!  I'm on a roll tonight!
I also had to have a tooth pulled, which set me back 1 week in reading!  LIFE! UGH!
Next Fall Reading Challenge, I am going to keep about 5 books OPEN for Christmas reading "I" want to read for myself!  I found this year I REALLY WANTED TO READ MORE CHRISTMAS BOOKS once the season got near!!!  I wish I had thought of that back in September this year!  Well, this is why we have these challenges though, so we can learn from them!

What book stayed with me the most? "Come Back to Me" by Melissa Foster!  Excellent book!  My review will be posted here on my Blog on January 6th!  Come back then and you'll know WHY I chose this book!

Which book did I like the least?  Probably "The Lost Angel" by Javier Sierra, which is why I did not read it all - YET!!   It is just different than what I am used to reading.  It is NOT a BAD book AT ALL.  Just different than what I am used to reading.

Yes!  I already have books ready and listed for the NEXT reading Challenge!!  This is what I have so far.  I do NOT have ALL the ebooks listed here yet. So there ARE MORE TO COME!!!  Keep watching!!! 


**NEXT CHALLENGE:  These are books I received AFTER I posted this post. These books are NOT a part of this Challenge!  It's a nice way to keep track of what I need to read!! I will 'try' to get to these books before 12-21, but it is doubtful.  That is NOT to say I won't try!!  I WILL try!!  I think some of these are going to have to go into the Winter Reading Challenge 2012!  By listing them here as I get them is a nice way to keep track of what I will need to read for the NEXT CHALLENGE, the 

Winter Reading Challenge 2012!


**Defending Jacob                             William Landay                      Publisher
        Release date: 1-31-12 
**She Had No Choice                         Debra Burroughs                 Author 
**The Mercy                                       Beverly Lewis                        Publisher
(**Unto These Hills                             Emily Sue Harvey                 Publisher/NetGalley - This book I've had a problem downloading from NetGalley.  Due to the volume of books I still have to read, I am NOT going to contact the Publisher to get this one at this point in time.)  
**Lilly's Wedding Quilt:
**A Patch of Heaven                          Kelly Long                            NetGalley
**Alison Wonderland                         Helen Smith                          Author
**The Wonder of Ordinary Magic       Lilli Jologren Day                     Author
**Painted Jezebel                              Author                                  Author
**Longing                                          Karen Kingsbury                 NetGalley
**Smitten                                           Several Authors                  NetGalley

About the books:
A lot of the Amish books are from NetGalley.  NetGalley always seems to have a wonderful selection of Amish books.I've heard them referred to as, 'Bonnet Books'.  I had to laugh when I read that, but really, I guess they are in a way!  I belong to Amish Living, which you can find that by scrolling ALL the way to the bottom of this page, and you can find it on the top row in the far right column and click on the Icon!  We need to read a total of 15 Amish books within the year.  I am not sure what number I am on, and all the books I have read so far I have written reviews on, so they will be easy to find as they are here on my blog!  I 'do' need to catch up reading my Amish novels, and these should take me over 15, I believe.  The Amish books are such endearing reads.  They are about the simple life, but not about simple topics.  A topic that seems to have been addressed lately is the German Bible versus the English Bible.  Only the Bishops read from the :"German" Bible, leaving NO Bibles for the Amish folk.  The Amish rely completely on the Bishop's interpretation of the Bible since hardly anyone can read German.  Lately a LOT of Amish people have been purchasing English Bibles, which doesn't necessarily go over well with the other Amish families, which has made reading these books very interesting, to say the least!   I feel these are very enjoyable reads.  The books that do not have anything written as to where they are from are directly 'from' the Publisher.  The books marked with an * are directly from Indie Authors!  YEAH for the Indies!!!


STRUCK THROUGH BOOKS:   Are books I have read and written MOST of the reviews on!!  

Good Luck in ALL you do now and in the future! REMEMBER:  IT IS NEVER TO LATE TO SIGN UP!  HAVE FUN!
Laurie