Saturday, January 30, 2016

The #Weekly #Post #3! #BOOK #BLOG UPDATES, #GIVEAWAYS, AND MORE!


Welcome! It's been another week of GREAT books and GREAT reading! I hope the same is true for you, too! This week starts the FIRST WEEK OF FEBRUARY! Wow! February already! This year is FLYING BY already! So the 1st starts Monday! Wow!!!!
This THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4th, STARTS the Romance in the Air Giveaway Hop at midnight! A Blog Hop from blog to blog entering all of their Giveaways! This Hop goes from 2-4 to 2-14! Make SURE to come by, then HOP to ALL of the other blogs, too!!! I usually always win at least 'one' book or ebook, so try it out! It's FUN!
So this is the old post where I USED TO post for the NYTimes Top 15 (20) Bestsellers for every past week, but even the NYTimes and so many other sites have that SAME post, it was getting very difficult for me to get this done on time and published before that 9:00pm time frame! My one hand shakes (I learned this week it has to do with my neurological muscle disease - YEAH!!! I say that because now I KNOW what causes it!!! I did not know for SOOOOO long! I kind of thought that had something to do with it, but I was not sure. I was right!) Now I want to use this post to educate you about the things that are going on here at my blog, at other blogs, links about books! Also, Reviews if they are out of this world, reviews of my own I post every week, Giveaways HERE and at other places, and more! Which reminds me, I was supposed to have a link for you FOR the NYT article showing you what they put out now, but with how busy this week was for me, I just didn't have the time. I am SO sorry. I didn't have ONE OUNCE of energy left to find it. I WILL have it next week! PROMISE!!!
YOU are also able to SHARE THIS these same things from YOUR blog, too! WHY SHARE??? Is it so I can get NEW readers to my blog? ABSOLUTELY "NOT"! (However, if you "would" like to follow my blog, there is Bloglovin (my preferred way for people to follow, and the way most ALL blogs have people follow them with ) and GFC which is Google Friend Connect! The reason I want you to share this article it's kind of like a weekly wrap-up, tells you what's coming this week, and MORE! YOU ALSO GET TO LIST YOUR THINGS GOING ON IN THE COMMENTS! I SURE HOPE YOU DO!!!
What I don't have today and WISHED I did is the different days NEW RELEASES come out, and what books the publishers are allowing me ONE copy of to give away!
This past week has been SO busy. I've been at ALLLLLLL of my doctors, and that has wiped me out! Riding in the car is painful, so the car killed me, too! I just felt outright sick, which I HATE! I am starting to feel better, BUT, I did sleep most of the day away AGAIN!! I HATE when that happens! It all has to do with the neuro disease. That thing has list(s) of issues, unfortunately, of things it causes to go wrong, but it is ONLY TO ME, NOT TO YOU! That's GREAT, huh!
Oh!!! My computer had OVER 600+ VIRUSES THIS WEEK!!! We don't know HOW it happened because I have ALL the coverage I could possibly need, but I did accidentally turn if off a few times without knowing it, and when I noticed, I turned it back on. I remember that. Grrrrrr! I'll tell you more about that next week.
I want to let you know there are 2 Giveaways that are ending TONIGHT AT MIDNIGHT!!! Enter them NOW!!! That is if you have not YET entered them! They are listed in the LEFT SIDE COLUMN! I list ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL the Giveaways there! ALWAYS CHECK THAT COLUMN! You never know what you'll find there!
Well, I want to get this out to you tonight! Remember, EVERY DAY will be different this week, especially for Giveaways, so check back!
You have a WONDERFUL week of reading, of ANYTHING you do!! See you next week!
Laurie

#STACKINGTHESHELVES #21 1-30-16


                  Thanks to our Sponsor, Tynga's Reviews

Welcome! It's been another GREAT week of reading and books! Time to share with everyone what I received, and show the books off! I got these in print and ebook from the publishers, well, everything is marked!
This one, Kingdom Come, deserves mention again! I loved this one, so I'll have my review here shortly. This released the beginning of January, but I was still stuck in holiday mode, which was VERY unusual for me, setting me back a bit. Looks are deceiving! I didn't think much of the looks of this book, but WOW! What a PUNCH! A young teen girl is found dead inside an Amish farm, and it's left to a female detective and the entire town of Paradise for her to solve it in. Hmmm. (EXCELLENT!) And this book is . . .


Kingdom Come by Jane Jensen - an murder victim found on an Amish farm. VERY interesting! EXCELLENT writing!!




Cats in Paris, A Magical Coloring book by Won Son Jang - Look in the LEFT SIDE COLUMN! Already reviewed! Already up for a Giveaway! Go enter until 3-8!

ONE MORE!!! BY R J PARKER! It's in my email box, I lost it in there, but I'll have it out next week!! (I have to DIG for it.) Thanks, RJ! RJ Parker is a true crime writer, so I'll have it dug out for next week!

And ZERO books I bought for myself! I see a trend here. One week I get a TON of books, the next week, it's slim picking like this week! That's okay, though, because NO ONE can read THAT much!
Enjoy "BOOKS", everyone! In EVERY shape, style, way, and appearance! They just might surprise you!
Enjoy the GIFT OF READING!!!
I certainly am!!!
Totally!
Laurie


Friday, January 29, 2016

#BOOK #REVIEW #COLORINGBOOK for #Adults!!! "Cats In Paris, A Magical Coloring Book" by Won-Son Jang! #GIVEAWAY!


Description:
This gorgeously illustrated adult coloring book draws readers into the secret world of cats in Paris as they explore the city's most famous (and feline-friendly) spots.

Say bonjour to the cats of Paris as they slink through its fabled streets and alleyways, from Montmartre to the Shakespeare and Company bookshop and into a feline-filled land of playful imagination. Featuring intricate pen-and-ink drawings of tabbies, Persians, Siamese, and more, this evocative coloring book’s frisky kitties lie in wait for your colorful stylings.
From Amazon:
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Won-Sun Jang is an award-winning Korean illustrator whose work has appeared in Vogue Korea, Elle Korea, Bazaar Korea, and InStyle Korea, and clients include MAC Cosmetics and Clinique. Winner of the Children’s Books Illustration Award from Kemongsa Publishers, she currently works as a package designer in Seoul, Korea. Since meeting Eva the Norwegian Forest Cat fourteen years ago, she has fallen in love with cats and the inspiration they bring to her art.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Introduction
Before I knew it, cats began to find their place in my life.
I work from home, and I found myself wanting to share my day with someone. That’s when I met my first cat, Eva. After that, cats started to fill my empty spaces. They would stay near me—by the desk, beside the table, and under the bed before I went to sleep. Cats seemed to be close by all the time.
In order to learn their subtle language, I discovered that patience and observation is key. I was inspired by their smooth and fine movements, their eyes shining with a variety of colors, and their charming communications. The illustrations in this book are proof of such inspiration.
At first cats may seem cautious and shy. But they have a surprising charm. They approach you slowly and one day you realize they have taken over your entire life. I hope this book will become as enchanting as cats are. Fill in the blanks using your creativity.
The sketches, lines, and patterns in this book leave room for you to express your individuality—because a cat’s charm cannot be expressed in just one way! So, without further ado, I invite you to a magical world of cats as they slink through the streets of Paris and into a realm of imagination.

MY TAKE:
3 STARS!!!
You cat lovers out there, you are going to be in love getting to color these BEAUTIFUL felines, YOUR PETS! Who would not? No one, as long as you don't LOVE cats! There are so MANY different ways these cats are positioned in so many wonderful ways, such as in backgrounds and even wrapping paper! The list goes on! Allow me to inform you this IS a coloring book FOR ADULTS TO COLOR AND ENJOY! Finally, huh! Yes! For the 18+ crowd! No, there are not ANY adult-themed photos, so NO WORRIES there! This is just NOT for your kids to color! It's for the adults out there who DESERVE to have their OWN DEDICATED COLORING BOOKS!
You are going to LOVE these cats, for the most part, but I've got to be honest and say I have seen better drawings of domestic pets other than what are in this book. Although, this book does say the following in the description which is,

"Fill in the blanks using your creativity.
The sketches, lines, and patterns in this book leave room for you to express your individuality"

so that is the lack thereof, but not enough explanation for myself. 
The one thing that is drastically different as compared to other coloring books out there, and if we were inside of a bookstore, it would be COMPLETELY different than what we can see now is that I really wish this author weren't as stingy (Yes! I said that!) as she was in that she did not show us at least some "more" of her sketch collection from this coloring book (where Amazon allows us to see inside of books) of these cats that are throughout it! Why not? Other authors have shown us their ENTIRE BOOKS in their Previews! (Their coloring books, too, just like this one!) They have shown us page-by-page of the gorgeous art they have made! Again, in the PREVIEW!!! They don't hide ONE drawing, unlike THIS author IS doing, and I don't understand why??? WHY HIDE such talent? I'll say it again, if I were PHYSICALLY inside of a bookstore, I COULD look through the entire book! I believe the other authors are thinking the VERY SAME THING, so why not allow us to see inside this beautiful book? I have reviewed several other coloring books, and I have to admit that those authors have shown every single page that is in their book, as if we were physically INSIDE of a bookstore, and I also believe that IS the BEST WAY to do it! I cannot understand why you would NOT show off what is inside your coloring book? I LOVE Art, Drawing, Painting, etc., so this is why I am so disappointed she has not shared more of her work with us. We should have been given MORE to expect from this book, more to excite us and to make us want to HAVE TO HAVE THIS BOOK! At least "I" can tell you there is MORE to come inside of this book since I have it in my hands! There is so MUCH MORE you will enjoy, PROMISE!
I will express my disappointment with this coloring book as it starts to get towards the end. After a while, it seems as if the drawings start to get a little messy, weighed down with a lot of ink. I don't know why this difference starts to happen? 
All in all, I can't think of anything MORE enjoyable than to sit and color in these beautiful creatures! YOUR favorite pets, wild animals possibly!
HONESTLY, ENJOY THIS BOOK! You are NEVER too old to enjoy the timeless art of coloring your favorite things! Remember, too, coloring is SO relaxing! Enjoy!
I received this book for FREE from the publisher, Watson-Guptil Publications in exchange to read and write a review about this book. It is NOT required for this review to be either positive or negative, but of my own honest opinion. "Free" means I was provided with ZERO MONIES to read this book nor to write this review, but to enjoy the pure pleasure of reading it. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.


HOW TO ENTER TO WIN '1' COPY OF THIS BOOK?  
"US ONLY" PLEASE due to postage costs
ENTER THE FORM BELOW! GOOD LUCK!!!
Also - please NOTICE the GREY SCROLL BAR ON THE right side of the entry form! MOVE THAT UP AND DOWN TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY!

ENTER FROM NOW UNTIL MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8th, 2016!







print: $10.26

Saturday, January 23, 2016

The #Weekly #Post #2! #BOOK #BLOG UPDATES, #GIVEAWAYS, AND MORE!


Welcome! It's been another week of GREAT reading of GREAT books! Or at least I HOPE you had a wonderful week of it all! Remember this post has changed as of last week, and I'm not doing the NYTimes Bestsellers any longer, but giving you head-ups, what's going on through the week HERE at my blog, talking about books, and telling you about ANY #GIVEAWAYS I may be having!!! So much more, too!
I hope you keep coming back! I'd LOVE to do some type of link-up, OR if you would like to leave a comment of YOUR REVIEWS OR GIVEAWAYS in the COMMENT section, that would be GREAT! You are very welcome to do it! Give us your links, please! There is NEVER too many book reviews, or even finding out about NEW books that are coming out!!! I get the shivers thinking about NEW BOOKS COMING OUT, AS ALWAYS!!!
If you have questions, wonder about how things work, want to ask anything, feel free to do so in the comments section! I'd LOVE to help, and if I can't answer it, I'll find a way! Have suggestions for things you want to see here in this post? Just let me know! Like something I did, or didn't like it? Let me know!!
Okay! I'm going to show you the books I will be doing reviews on with Giveaways first! ALL GIVEAWAYS ARE COMING FROM THE PUBLISHERS! I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL PUBLISHERS WHO GIVE BOOKS AWAY TO MY WONDERFUL, FAVORITE PEOPLE OUT THERE, "YOU" WHO FOLLOW ME AT MY BLOG! THANK YOU!!!!!

FIRST, CURRENT GIVEAWAYS! - Look in the LEFT side corner at the TOP for 2 Giveaways going on NOW! One is for $250 #CASH! The other is to win 1 of 8 $50 Gift Cards (most likely to Amazon!) and 1 of 3 copies of the book, The Reader's of Broken Wheel Recommend, a novel, by Katarina Bivald! That was an excellent book! I loved it!

A BLOG HOP!!! "NEXT" week! "Romance Is In the Air"! Feb 4th to the 14th! Suggestions WANTED for books you would like to win, please!!! Any books you've been DYING to read? Want to WIN them so you can read them? Tell me below!!! I'm dying to find out!! I'm looking for suggestions!! Thank YOU!!!!!

REVIEWS AND GIVEAWAYS THIS UPCOMING WEEK! As for the DAY each of these start, well, you'll have to come back to check on that because I don't have that figured out yet as to what days I'll be doing which books yet! I'll keep you on your toes!! Go ahead! Call me a witch! The book below IS about witches!!! My NEW LOVE-to-read genre! (I think it was that NEW TV show, Witches of something? It was on a cable network and IS coming back pretty soon after a LONGGGGGGGG wait! Or was it just called Salem? Anyone remember? Thanks!!)

Here it is, and it will be a FAST AND FURIOUS Giveaway BEFORE AND ENDING BEFORE the release date of Feb 9th! Get ready for a giveaway of:

The Witches of Cambridge by Menna van Praag! Here's the cover! It's SO good!!!



YES YOU CAN! Bloom Where You Are Planted! How to motivate and influence those who need you, by Kelly Post
 - no photo of this book??? I've looked EVERYWHERE! 


YOUR NEW MONEY MINDSET by Brad Hewitt (CEO of Thrivent Financial) and James Moline (Licensed Psychologist) WHAT does a psychologist have to do with money? A LOT! Wait and see! It's mind blowing!



White Walls, A Memoir About Motherhood, Daughterhood, and the Mess In-Between by Judy Batalion


Girls Who Travel by Nicole Trilivas


And I am DONE for this upcoming week! Keep checking back because you never know what I may have forgotten! Knowing myself, there is ALWAYS something I have forgotten! LOL!!! Shhhhh! LOL!

All in all, there is a total of another 5 GIVEAWAYS COMING THIS WEEK!!! Whew!!!!!!! Also, don't forget about the 2 Giveaways that are going on NOW in the LEFT SIDE COLUMN, too!!!

By the way, if any of you are looking for my weekly post hosted by Tynga's Reviews called Stacking the Shelves, it can found HERE!!! For some reason, she did not have the Linky up. Enjoy!

Have a WONDERFUL AND GREAT week of reading books! See you later for now!
Laurie



















Friday, January 22, 2016

#StackingtheShelves #20 Jan 23, 2016



                  Thanks to our Sponsor, Tynga's Reviews

Welcome everyone!!! I'm going to go straight to the books today and show you what I got over the last few weeks. Some books did not come in, some did, you know how it goes!
#Giveaways on books - one book is corrected - a book about witches that I told you about last week, I believe, is wrong, and it is a different book about witches which I'll show you next!
I have a LOT of New Releases here! I am behind for the beginning of January a little still because of the Holiday activities, but catching up and having to wait to post reviews as I am in Blog Tours for most of the books I got and I joined up in!
These are some of the books I have for review from NetGalley! I'm DYING to read so MANY of these, especially the Witch one!!!
Enjoy ooh'ing and ahhh'ing over these! 
There we go for now!

The Witches of Cambridge by Menna van Praag - Releases 2-9 and will do Giveaway prior to the release date! Book is coming direclty from the publisher.


Buzz Book Spring/Summer 2016 - One of my FAVORITE BOOKS!!! OUT NOW! NETGALLEY!



Dating, Dining, and Desperation by Melody Carlson Releases 3-1



Lock, Stock and Over A Barrel by Melody Carlson Releases June 1st



Pure Soapmaking,  

How to Create Nourishing, Organic Skin Care Soaps by Anne-Marie Faiola - Releases 2-9

(I LOVE this cover!)



No One Knows by JT Ellison - Releases 3-22



The Widow by Fiona Barton - Releases 2-16



The Girls in the Garden by Lisa Jewell Releases June 7th
(I love reading Lisa Jewell! She writes such great, full, satisfying novels!)



Tough Justice: Exposed (Part 1 of 8) by Carla Cassidy

 

The Cherry Tree Cafe by Heidi Swain - I bought



The Memorist by M J Rose (The Reincarnationist #2) I bought
(I love M J Rose)



And one I got from one of my FAVORITE AUTHORS!!!

Lies and Other Acts of Love by Kristy Woodson Harvey
(the copy I got is a mustard Uncorrected Proof! Not this beautiful photo! I WILL morph!)


Monday, January 18, 2016

#DREAMING OF #CASH $250 #GIVEAWAY! NOW to 1-30! Come #enter now!

Dreaming of Cash


Dreaming of Cash $250 Giveaway

An Awesome Group of Authors and Bloggers have joined with me to bring you 1 fabulous prize!!

We’re giving away $250 in Paypal Cash! Or alternately you can choose a $250 Amazon.com eGift Code!

Sponsor List – Thanks to these awesome bloggers and authors for sponsoring this giveaway!

Sponsor List

I Am A Reader
Melissa M. Frye
Here We Go Again...Ready?
Unshelfish
Heather Gray, Author
The YA Gal
Auggie @ AuggieTalk
Jenna Lyn Field
Kimberly Krey
Lori's Reading Corner
Simple Wyrdings
Hidden World Books
Author Inger Iversen
Melanie McFarlane Books
Author Mary Ting/M. Clarke
Kimber Leigh Wheaton
Suzi Love
Rockin' Book Reviews
Author Georgina Young-Ellis
Author Ednah Walters
Author D.E. Haggerty
Laurie Here - Cont Fiction and More
Author Cindy C Bennett
Krysten Lindsay Hager author
Literary Winner
Mia Siegert, Author
The Page Unbound
Glistering Bs Blog
Bonnie Blythe Pure Romance
Bella Street's Time Travel Romance
The Book Referees
Author Wendi Sotis
Nikki Jefford
Author A. Gardner
Dark and Dreamy With C. C. Marks
Diana's Book Reviews
Author Joy Penny



Giveaway Details

$250 in Paypal Cash or a $250 Amazon.com eGift Card

Ends 1/30/16

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via Paypal or who can redeem an Amazon.com Gift Code. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the authors, bloggers and publishers on the sponsor list. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

The #Weekly #Post! #BOOK #BLOG UPDATES, #GIVEAWAYS, AND MORE!


Welcome everyone! Hope you have been reading some AMAZING books! I have found a few to get lost in, and you know that is why I do this! To escape the 'yuckies' of life and enjoy living in a make-believe world! LOL! It's true!

HERE'S WHAT'S GOING ON THIS WEEK AT THE BLOG!!!
These will ALWAYS be posted in the LEFT SIDE COLUMN, AS USUAL!!! Thanks
1.  Dreaming of Cash - $250 Giveaway! I WILL BE POSTING THAT LATER TODAY!
2.  Girls Who Travel Giveaway  
3.  The Reader's of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald - There are 1 of 3 of these books to win AND 1 of 8 - $50 Gift Cards are up for grabs, too! Pretty darned amazing!!! THIS IS FOR ALL the blogs that are participating! Good luck!!!

Keep your eyes open, though! You never know what might sneak up or what I might forget! That happens! The rest of this post talks about what more it will be like, and ebooks.

THIS COLUMN
Is changing! I'm not complaining when I say this, but I have been writing this column every Sunday of about these bestsellers and where they made it on the charts based the New York Times sales charts for about two to three years now. It's been a LOT of fun, but it also takes a LOT of time! Some days if I am feeling pretty good, I could type it out in 3 HOURS! Yes! Most of the time, I can't do it that fast and it takes FOREVER! I can' tell you how MANY times it has taken me ALL DAY when I needed a nap and was just fighting muscle spasms. Those were tough days! This not only affected me, but my family, too. I would be SO tired by the time I got done, that I wasn't good for much. I could have EASILY spent the ENTIRE day on the computer trying to type! My hands would go numb, among other issues.
So . . . I have made the decision I am no longer going to write the #NYT's book column any longer. Phew! I said it! I'm DONE! Besides, they are writing their own article now. I'll post their link when I come upon it
I'm sorry to those of you who really enjoyed it! It was a LOT of FUN to see what books made it where on the list, and the books I had never heard of - there they were! the pricing in comparison of the ebooks which STILL to THIS DAY OUTRAGES ME!!!!

EBOOKS
In my opinion, they have always been my preferred choice of reading, however, I still have issues with their costs! Publishers! NO EBOOK is worth "$14.99", costing MORE than the print price! NONE! I can't BELIEVE I even SEE ebooks going for this price!! Was or is it worth it for those people who did pay it, I wonder? I would say, 'NO WAY', but I am putting words in their mouths at this point! Maybe it IS for some people. The publisher's have tried to put out the reasons "why" the ebook costs so much MORE than the printed version, but that was a ONE-TIME FEE FOR SET-UP, yet the problem continues that the price NEVER DROPS AFTER THAT! THAT IS THE PROBLEM AND IT CONTINUES BEING OVER-PRICED! The ebook price should be going DOWN THE OTHER WAY! LOWER!!! HOW do they get away with that kind of pricing? They don't. The ebooks don't sell, either. There is NO WAY they can try to pull the wool over our eyes on that one! TRY as they might! That was about the time this article kind of pushed me over the edge to write about it. Another thing, are they saying there are 'better' author's out there, worth more money as compared to another? Well, sure! For them! So does that make US HAVE TO PAY FOR THEM? NO!!! That is when you find yourself asking WHAT?, WHO?, HOW?, AND FOR WHAT PRICE??????? AND WHY? NOPE! PASS!
I believe they have finally figured out how to sell Women's Fiction, Chick-Lit, Literature, and other ebooks in that subject! (I think!) THEY DROPPED THE PRICE!!! So far, I believe that IS WORKING!! That $14.99 was NOT WORKING, was it?!! NO WAIT, I have seen the publishers drop the prices of the ebooks down, below or at the $10 mark, and guess what? EBOOKS SELL, FINALLY, AT OR BELOW THE $10 PRICE-POINT! WOW! I've seen some EINSTEIN MOMENTS! 
Speaking of the 'word' yuckies, you know every year colleges, universities, (I wonder what the difference between those two 'words' are? I'll be right back! I am going to go look it up! LOL!!! There really is NO difference between the two words! Go do a search on and see! I think it's hilarious when one or the other of them use it to 'think' it makes them sound better than another person! What a waste time out of my life!)

Banned Words from colleges ad Universities - here is the link: http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2015/12/31/this-may-break-the-internet-but-university-wants-some-words-banned.html 
Isn't it ENOUGH we have banned BOOKS, let alone banned WORDS, TOO??? WOW!!!
My thoughts about those two words are: THESE ARE RIDICULOUS!!! WOW!!! It's fighting like college football! This is a pretty HOT topic! Pretty much, more or less, they ALL want whatever sounds the BEST! Now you have to take into effect I am a border resident, or across the St Clair River! We get a lot of Canadians coming here to shop, always have. Also living on the American side, too, I do have family who live in Canada, too, just a few of them, the older ones were because they ran from the draft back in 1960 what? Seriously, they did!!! That IS why they live in Canada!! They were hippies and did not believe in the draft, at least that was the story my mother gave me DECADES ago and still when she was alive. She also told me they lived in a commune in this large farmhouse (we went there one summer, and the kitchen floor was wood and dirt mixed together! It was a REAL farmhouse floor!
I have a cousin who is the same age as I am, or maybe a year younger? It doesn't really matter anymore, either, especially at our ages now anyway. Plus, she won't keep in touch with me as it is, so I could really care LESS now. There! I said it! LOL! Just kidding when I say that, but I'm NOT kidding about the part where she won't keep in touch! There is NOTHING that IRKS ME MORE than to have family that IGNORES each other! I should be used to it with mine! Ha! Although, then again what does THAT SAY about me?! LOL!!! Nothing but the fact I would LOVE to stay in contact! Family IS all that we have after all! Why doesn't everyone get it??? It really DOES irk me for those IN my family who do NOT keep in touch. Oh! My FAVORITES are the ones who are ALL so lovey-dovey when they see you at the funerals! LOL!!! They PROMISE to keep in touch with you, you can't live without them, (but they did just fine prior to it!) then a few days later you notice the paper with ALL your info you wrote out for them at "THEIR" request to contact you, sitting on a kitchen counter in your parents (if we are lucky enough to have them left!) kitchen a day or two later! LOL!!! These were the relatives you can really do without! We can just HOPE each day, and as each day comes and goes that there is NOT another funeral coming soon because you could NOT be responsible for what might come out of your mouth right about then! LOL! Pathetic, huh! (Yes, I'm that person who will let it slip! Ooops! Not! LOL!)
"I" can give you what "I" think now about getting side-tracked from those two words I was going to talk about!! I think this is a little funny, too! (I am also laughing as I write this!) In Canada, everyone always asks, "University?" You also see that on TV, too! Or, the statement, 'University? Which one?'
In the US, we'll ask, 'Hey! What 'college' did you end up choosing?' Or, you'll be out walking the dog, and the neighbors catch you with nothing but good intentions! They are curious! Seriously, they ARE curious.
Do you think it's regional? I know the UK says 'University' just like Canada! I don't know? Oh, you'll have to let us know in the Comments section! I say THOSE TWO WORDS NEED TO BE BANNED! FOR THE FIGHT VALUE THEY PUT INTO PEOPLE!

THE FUTURE! What am I going to write into the future here for Sundays?
BLOG UPDATES!!!!! FOR SURE!!!! I will let you know what's coming at my blog, if you have something going on at YOUR blog, maybe we'll have to set up a Linky to link-up to! Oh, that sounds like fun!!!! I'M UP FOR THAT!!! HOW ABOUT YOU???
PLEASE VOTE BELOW!!! You would write a post on your blog of the things coming at your BLOG, then come HERE and link up to the Linky-list!!! Oh! Let me know!!

The name of this post is NEW, too! Look up above! I'll leave these widgets up here through the week IN THE LEFT SIDE COLUMN so you can click on them to remember what's going on!                  

The "Fiction" photo will remain the SAME! It applies to the books I read and review!

I AM going to keep using this LONG post this week! Especially for Updates! If there is anything YOU want to see HERE, please let me know in the comments section below!                                                                  

Thanks for reading this LONG post!
Laurie

Friday, January 15, 2016

#STACKINGTHESHELVES #19 - AND OTHER INFO!


Welcome! Thanks for waiting for me this week! I've had Windows 10 Update issues because this computer wants to UPDATE THE UPDATE and I would LOVE to throw this out the window! LOL! Nah, just kidding (I think?) because then I would NOT have the money to buy a NEW computer right now! LOL! Ah, figures! Instead, I will continue to yell at it! LOL! Hey, at least I have a sense of humor over it!

Just in case you missed my post last week, and yes, that was MY fault! I could not stay awake long enough

THIS BOOK HAS SO MANY GIVEAWAYS YOU'LL DIE!! YES!!! From this blog, (win 1 of 3 books! From the Publisher's website, you'll win 1 of 8 $50 Gift Cards!!! Amazing, isn't it!!! I have read this book already, too, and you WILL enjoy it immensely!!! Now go enter HERE! on/at my blog! I'll have the liniaddress of the publisher there for you, too, to enter for the $50 Gift Cards!!


THESE ARE THE BOOKS I GOT! Publisher contacted me and had me go to NetGalley to pick them up!



CORRECTION: THIS BOOK DOES "NOT" HAVE A GIVEAWAY. PLEASE SEE THIS LINK FOR THE WITH the giveaway info HERE! 

#GIVEAWAY FOR THIS BOOK!!! Releases March 8th! "The Return of the Witch, The Witches Daughter, Book 2" by Paula Brackston (Book 2 - I have Book 1, did not yet read it! I sure wish I had now!) I will be posting my review of this book before it comes out and there will be ONE book up for Giveaway per the publisher!! 



Perfectly Broken by Robert Burke Warren New Release - March 8th (my Grandfather's birthday! He's LONG gone, but still VERY much alive in my heart and soul!)

    Meditation Through Coloring



"Missing Pieces" by Heather Gudenau  Release Date: 2-2-16 - I do know I will NOT have this book reviewed for the release date because I 'just' got this book THIS WEEK, (Thursday, I believe) and I am still reading the books I have for the February Releases. 


And this is all for this week. I'll have to add the books "I" bought next week! Yes, I'm still behind on these books since Christmas!




Wednesday, January 13, 2016

#GIVEAWAY!!! "The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend, a novel" by Katarina Bivald HAS AN AMAZING #GIVEAWAY FOR EVERYONE TO BENEFIT FROM! NOW TO Jan 31st, YOU COULD #WIN a $50 #Gift #Card + #VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE #BOOKSTORE !!!




"ALL" IN HONOR OF THIS BOOK!
"The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend, a novel", by Katarina Bivald


WE ARE ASKING "YOU", OUR READERS and NEW READERS, TOO, TO RECOMMEND YOUR FAVORITE BOOKSTORE WHILE GETTING THE CHANCE TO #win 1 of 8 - $50 #GIFT CARDS!!!
Sourcebooks Publisher is Launching a Reader Voting Campaign to Grant Money to Community Bookstores!
THIS GIVES "YOU" A CHANCE TO WIN "1 of 8" - $50 #GIFT #CARDS FOR YOUR POCKET AND
"1" OF YOUR FAVORITE BOOKSTORES WILL GO ON TO WIN ONE (1) - $3,000 GRANTS
PLUS ANOTHER "2" OF YOUR FAVORITE BOOKSTORES CAN WIN
A $637 GRANT WITH 2 MORE CHANCES it looks like!
A 2nd and 3rd PLACE, TOO!
Why 637? That's the population of Broken Wheel! LOL!
*************************************
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katrina Bivald
(9781492623441; January 19, 2016; $16.99; Trade Paper Original)



#1 INDIE NEXT GREAT READ January 2016
#2 LibraryReads Picks
Midwest Connections Pick February 2016

“Touching and lively, Bivald’s genuine homage to the power of books vibrates with fondness for small-town life and fascination with its indelible connections.”  
— Booklist

“[A] heartwarming and utterly charming debut novel by Swedish author Bivald…. This gentle, intelligent Midwestern tale will captivate fans of Antoine Laurain’s The Red Notebook, Nina George’s The Little Paris Bookshop, and Gabrielle Zevin’s The Storied Life of A.J. ­FikryAn ideal book group selection, it reminds us why we are book lovers and why it’s nice to read a few happy endings.
— Library Journal (STARRED)

“Between the book references and the idyllic setting, readers won't want to leave Broken Wheel, either.”
— Kirkus Reviews

“Bivald's The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend is perfection. Every word on every page is sheer perfection. I haven't been this in love with a book in ages! Sara has traveled all the way from Sweden to meet her pen pal Amy in Broken Wheel, Iowa, only to discover Amy has recently passed away. The townspeople of Broken Wheel quickly adopt Sara as one of their own and what follows is one of the loveliest and endearing books I've encountered in ages! I'll carry this book in my heart for years to come.”—Bess Bleyaert, McLean & Eakin (Petoskey, MI)
This heartwarming story is the answer for those who loved The Storied Life of AJ Fikry.  Book lovers will applaud Sara and her love of books.  Book clubs will delight in this delightful caper through book-loving middle America. Read this and smile!”
—Nancy Simpson-Brice, Book Vault (Oskaloosa, IA)

LOVED IT!  Readers will cheer for Sara and all the residents of Broken Wheel as a friendship that began with An Old Fashioned Girl renews and offers hope to an entire town.”
—Jennifer Winberry, Hunterdon County Library (Flemington, NJ)

I thoroughly enjoyed reading [this book]. The descriptive language waswonderful.”
—Lesley Marshall, Perry Branch Library (Gilbert, AZ)

*******I will be posting MY review of this book on January 26th, 2016!!! Make SURE to come back to read what I think about this lovely, quirky, wonderful book!

**********************************************************


  NAPERVILLE IL (January 5, 2016) — Independent publisher Sourcebooks announces the: 
“Readers, Recommend Your Bookstore” Campaign! 
This will give grant money to three nominated bookstores. The “Readers, Recommend Your Bookstore Campaign” is inspired by the phenomenal support booksellers have given 
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald
Selected as the #1 Indie Next Great Read for January 2016

Katarina Bivald’s international bestselling debut novel, The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend, is a charming, big-hearted story about the joy of books and the transformative power of community bookstores.

“Bookstores are the heart and soul of their community and have enormous impact on readers’ lives,” said Dominique Raccah, founder and CEO of Sourcebooks. The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend inspired us to create a campaign that will not only give back to a few deserving bookstores, but hopefully highlight all the many wonderful bookstores that service communities across the country.”

Sourcebooks will award the winning bookstore with a $3,000 prize; two additional bookstores will each receive a $637 prize (the population of Bivald’s fictional Broken Wheel, Iowa). 
In addition to bookstores . . . receiving prizes, weekly giveaways for those who nominate will be held throughout the campaign. Voting began January 4, and runs until February 19, when the winning bookstores will be announced.

VOTING HERE GETS YOU A CHANCE AT WINNING 1 of 3 of these books!!!
Please go on to the publisher's site after entering HERE for the book (only until the date on the Rafflecopter form says it is to!) Then go on to the Publisher's website to:
#VOTE 4 YOUR favorite bookstore "HERE" at this link! http://books.sourcebooks.com/readers-recommend-your-bookstore-sweepstakes/. 
WHY GO THERE? 
FOR A CHANCE TO WIN ANOTHER PRIZE!
WIN 1 OF "8" - $50 GIFT CARDS!!! YOU CAN'T PASS THAT UP!!!
There is a Rafflecopter Form at that link to vote for your favorite bookstore! Just fill it out! The voting for the bookstore is OVER ON FEBRUARY 19th! Just a LITTLE longer than this entry time for this contest for a chance to win here!

Tell us what you think, too! Write in the COMMENTS section what you think about this giveaway and the contest for the bookstores!!! This is AWESOME that the publishers will get to know what you think! (not required).
WHEN YOU FILL OUT THIS RAFFLECOPTER FORM HERE AT THIS BLOG, YOU ARE ENTERING TO WIN 1 of 3 #prizes FOR ALL THE BLOGS!!! THIS BOOK! It's SO NEAT!!!

FILL IN THE RAFFLECOPTER FORM BELOW for your chance to win 1 of 3 OF THESE BOOKS!!! 
THEN MOVE ON TO THE PUBLISHER'S WEBSITE, ADDRESS IS BELOW THE RAFFLECOPTER FORM TO GO TO ANOTHER RAFFLECOPTER FORM TO ENTER YOUR FAVORITE BOOKSTORES!!!
(IF your favorite bookstore is part of a CHAIN - ADD THE CITY NAME THE STORES IS IN! THAT WILL SHOW WHO YOUR FAVORITE STORE IS! ENJOY!) THANK YOU, KATARINA BIVALD!!!




a Rafflecopter giveaway






HERE IS THE LINK TO THE OTHER RAFFLECOPTER FORM - THE ONE WHERE THE RAFFLECOPTER FORM UP ABOVE STATES TO GO TO TO FILL IT OUT!
http://books.sourcebooks.com/readers-recommend-your-bookstore-sweepstakes/       
You KNOW the publisher did this on purpose - for YOUR BENEFIT!!! That is a total chance at winning 1 in 8 for the $50!!! Pretty GREAT, huh!!! Now go vote!!!
GOOD LUCK!!!!

Monday, January 11, 2016

#BoutofBooks 15 #Read-A-Thon Update! Wrap-Up Post!


                #BoutofBooks can be found HERE! Sign up for their Newsletter and YOU can be notified of ALL future Read-A-Thons! I think you'll LOVE these!!! I do!! I HOPE to see you at the next one, and if you do, please let #boutofbooks know!! Sign up for their newsletter! Maybe if all of us reading this joined in, we could UP the number of participants by 10, 30, or 50 or MORE of us ALL doing this together! Wouldn't that be SO MUCH FUN?! YES!! I HOPE to see you during the NEXT Read-A-Thon!!!
I finished ONE book, 426 pages! Now, to write the review!
Thanks to EVERYONE working the #BoutofBooks !!! Thanks to ALL the participants, too! You're GREAT!!!