Sunday, May 31, 2009

The Sunday Salon- May 31, 2009


So I just got back from a girl's weekend in New Orleans. We stayed at Le Pavillion which was soooo nice! We basically planned our trip around food and drinks! Let's see..we went out late Friday night to Bourbon St...we got Hurricanes at Pat O'Brien's, and got frozen drinks from Fat Tuesdays. We walked around a bunch! On Saturday we got up and had beignets and coffee at Cafe Du Monde, walked around Jackson Square, had Po Boys at Johnny's Po Boys, went to the Mardi Gras Museum, went to dinner at Red Fish Grill, and had oysters at ACME Oyster House. Today we got up and had brunch, went to Harrah's Casino (where I won a bunch of money playing blackjack) and took the trolley to the Garden District. We had so much fun! It was the perfect amount of time to be away and do everything!

I finished and reviewed the following books this week:

I fullfilled the following items for challenges this week:
Paranormal 999 Challenge: Dragons (can also be used for vampires, were-animals)

I completed the Chick-Lit Challenge!!

I am currently reading Miranda's Big Mistake by Jill Mansell and up next is Hollywood Car Wash by Lori Cullwell.

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Contests- May 25- June 1

Fantastic Book Review is giving away a copy of Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow. The contest ends on June 10.

The Story Siren is giving away a copy of Crazy Beautiful by Lauren Baratz-Logsted. The contest ends on June 26.

Hope's Bookshelf is giving away a signed copy of I Know It's Over, a signed copy of One Lonely Degree, and a One Lonely Degree mousepad.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Book Review- Wait Till Your Vampire Gets Home

I just finished reading Wait Till Your Vampire Gets Home by Michele Bardsley.


From the back cover:


It's only because of my work as a paranormal investigator that I, Libby Monroe, end up in a town like Broken Heart, Oklahoma, chasing down bizarre rumors of strange goings-on--and finding vampires, lycanthropes, and zombies. Oh, my!


I never expected to fall in lust, but sexy vampire Ralph Genessa is too irresistible. The fact that he's the loving father of twin boys drives the nail into my coffin and wins my undying love. And you know what they say: Home is where the heart is. Only this town is being torn in two by a war between the undead, and I may be the only thing that can hold Broken Heart together.


This is the 4th book in the series. I'm not sure if its because I read the last book last August, or what, but I had a hard time reading this book. I normally can remember all of the characters in series, but I jusst could not remember anything about the characters in this one. And there wasn't a lot of details reminding you who each character was. Because of this, I just didn't enjoy it as much. And maybe that was my fault. I liked the humor, and the romance (I would love a Ralph of my own!) I just spent a lot of time trying to remember who each character was. I look forward to reading the next one, Over My Dead Body, soon!


I gave this book a 3/5.


This book fullfilled items in the following challenges:
A to Z Reading Challenge: W
Paranormal 999 Challenge: Dragons (can also be used for vampires, were-animals)
What's In A Name? Challenge: Home

The Friday 56- May 29, 2009


1. Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
2. Turn to page 56.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like).
5. Post a link along with your post back to Storytime with Tonya and Friends.

"Daniel Delancey's mouth was twitching. The lights turned green and he let out the clutch. 'Eddie's my sister's son.' "
From Miranda's Big Mistake by Jill Mansell

Friday Fill-In- May 29, 2009


And...here we go!
1. It's cold and chilly in the hotel room.
2. I hate tomatoes.
3. My favorite health and beauty product is uhh...eyeliner I guess.
4. I get antsy during a nice long ride.
5. Well, first of all I am sitting in a hotel room in New Orleans waiting for my friends' plane to get in so we can go out!.
6. Kory and my dad; those were the cast of characters in a recent dream and it was a scary nightmare.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going out to a bar when my friends get here, tomorrow my plans include touring New Orleans and Sunday, I want to eat a lot of New Orleans food!

Friday Finds- May 29, 2009


Thursday, May 28, 2009

Blog Tour- Reunion

I just finished reading Reunion by Therese Fowler.

About the Book

Following the acclaimed success of Souvenir, Therese Fowler’s captivating new novel will resonate with every woman who has wondered what if—as a heartfelt drama of buried secrets and daring passion unfolds.

Celebrity talk show host Blue Reynolds is the queen of daytime television—she is smart, funny, and as down-to-earth as her adoring fans. In the eyes of the world, she has it all. But no one knows about the secret she has harbored for the last twenty years—a secret that could destroy her image, her reputation, and her career. Twenty years ago, she gave birth to a son and put him up for adoption through illegal channels. And every day since, she’s been filled with regret. Now Blue has hired a private investigator to find her son, knowing full well the consequences.

A week in Key West to do her show on location brings Blue a much-needed change of pace—and an unexpected reunion with an old flame, Mitch Forrester. Helping him launch a television series may help her recapture the kind of genuine romance and affection long missing from her life. But it also means having to deal with Mitch’s disapproving son, Julian, who is only nine years younger than Blue. Emotionally battered from his years as a war photographer in the world’s most dangerous hotspots, Julian struggles to get close to his father while making his disdain for Blue crystal clear—which makes his desire for her all the more shocking.

As serendipity and scandal collide, Therese Fowler’s passionate, illuminating novel takes a dramatic turn deep into our own hearts, as the healing power of love—family love, romantic love, and self-love—transforms pain and regrets into promises and second chances.

My Review

I really enjoyed this book. I think I might have felt an immediate connection with Blue since my undergrad was in broadcast journalism. But the way that Ms. Fowler wrote the characters in Reunion really made me feel the warmth from each of them. I was hooked on this book from the very beginning (and I suppose that the reference to the band Journey helped some since I have become obssesed with them in the past couple of months). I liked the ways that the characters interacted and I liked each and every one of them. I saw some of my best friend in Marcy, some of my first love in Mitch, and some of my current love in Julian. And the plot worked too. I should have seen what happened in the end coming, but I didn't. The only thing I didn't like is that (without giving too much away), I wish more was written about what happened between Blue and her son. This story has many serious points in it, but its heartwarming too.
I gave this book a rating of 4/5.


About the Author


Therese Fowler has believed in the magic of a good story since she learned to read at the age of four. At age thirty, as a newly single parent, she put herself into college, earning a degree in sociology (and finding her real Mr. Right) before deciding to scratch her longtime fiction-writing itch. That led to an MFA in creative writing, and the composition of stories that explore the nature of our families, our culture, our mistakes, and our desires. The author of two novels, with a third scheduled for 2010, Therese lives in Wake Forest, NC, with her supportive husband and sons, and two largely indifferent cats. You can visit her website at http://www.theresefowler.com/ or her blog, http://www.theresefowler.blogspot.com/.



Excerpt

Chapter One

In Chicago, the snow was falling so hard that, although quite a few pedestrians saw the woman standing on the fire escape nine stories up, none were sure they recognized her. At first the woman leaned against the railing and looked down, as if calculating the odds of death from such a height. After a minute or two, though, when she hadn’t climbed the rail but had instead stepped back from it, most people who’d noticed her continued on their ways. She didn’t look ready to jump, so why keep watching? And how about this snow, they said. What the hell? It wasn’t supposed to snow like this in spring!

To the few who watched her a minute longer, it was conceivable that the woman in the black pants and white blouse could be the popular talk show host whose show was taped inside the building. Conceivable, but unlikely. Was Blue Reynolds’s hair that long? That dark? Why would Blue be standing there motionless on the fire escape, looking up into the sky? Such a sensible, practical dynamo of a person—she certainly wasn’t the type to catch snowflakes on her tongue, as this woman now appeared to be doing. And especially not when The Blue Reynolds Show was going to start in twenty minutes. Tourists who’d hoped for last-minute tickets were right this second being turned away, the studio was full, please check the website for how to get tickets in advance.

This snow, coming two days after spring had officially begun, had the effect of bringing people throughout the city to windows and doorways—and to fire escapes, apparently. Though six to eight inches was forecasted, it was hard to begrudge snow like this, flakes so big that if you caught one on your sleeve, you could see the crystalline shape of it, perfect as a newborn baby’s hand. And with tomorrow’s temperatures rising into the fifties, what snow was piling up on railings and rooftops and ledges would melt away. It would be as if this remarkable snowfall had never happened at all. Much like the sighting of Blue—if in fact it was Blue—there outside her studio building’s ninth floor.

The black steel fire escape stood out against the buff-colored limestone, an add-on when the building got transformed from bank to apartments in 1953. Now that it housed offices again, its fire escape made balconies for those lucky enough to have access along with their downtown skyline views. Like a switchback trail, the escape descended from the twelfth-story rooftop to the second floor, with landings at each floor. The landing on which the woman stood was piled with a good three inches of snow, deep enough to close in on her ankles and soak the hem of black crepe pants. Her boots, Hugo Boss, lambskin, three-inch heels, were styled for fashion, not utility, and as she stood with her face upturned, she was vaguely aware that her feet were growing cold. Still, the pleasure of being pelted by snowflakes held her there. She could not recall the last time she’d been in, truly in, weather like this. And never alone, it seemed, and never focused, anymore, on the weather. Standing here, she had the exquisite feeling of being just one more anonymous Chicago dweller. Just a forty-ish woman on a fire escape in the snow, and not Blue Reynolds at all.

This snow made her want to be a child again so that, instead of going home to a bowl of Froot Loops eaten while she reviewed reports, she would be preparing to pull on snow pants and boots and head for the lighted hillside at the park, plastic saucer sled in tow. She would return home later soaking wet, with chapped red cheeks and frozen toes and a smile that would still be on her face when she woke the next morning. Was such a day a memory, she wondered, or a wish?

She knew the snowflakes must be wetting her just-styled hair, spotting her white silk blouse, Escada, she’d put it on not fifteen minutes earlier. These thoughts, they existed outside her somehow, far enough away that they didn’t motivate her to climb back inside her office window—even as today’s guests waited downstairs in the green room, nervous about meeting her. Even as the camera and lighting and sound and recording crews were gearing up for this last show of the week. Even as three hundred eager audience members were now taking their seats and would soon meet Marcy, Blue’s right hand, Marcy who managed her life, who would tell them what to expect on today’s show. They wouldn’t expect a snow-wet, distracted Blue Reynolds.

Still, even when she heard someone tapping the window to get her attention, she stood there squinting up into the whitened sky. One more minute. One more.

The tapping, again.

“I know, I’m coming,” she said.

Inside, the stylists and her producer and her assistants fluttered around her, clucking like outraged hens. What are you doing, it’s practically showtime! Look at that blouse! Are you sure you’re okay? No. She wasn’t okay, hadn’t been truly okay ever, that she could recall.

What expectation she saw on the faces of her studio audience when she took the stage! It wasn’t her they’d come to watch; she never lost sight of that. Because she was a regular person who argued with her mother, who cleaned hair from her shower drain so that the cleaning lady didn’t have to. She was a woman who failed to floss, who needed to clean out her purse, who paged through People at the dentist’s office, just like most of them. They were here to see the woman who, upon seeing that magazine, could then book whoever interested her and interview them on this very stage. They were here to see the woman who sometimes made the cover herself.

On today’s show were a sociologist, a high school superintendent, a Christian minister, and three teens—one boy and two girls. One of the girls was eight months pregnant. The topic was abstinence education.

In talking with Peter, TBRS’s producer, about this show, Blue had protested his suggestion that she open with an audience poll. Getting the audience involved in hot-button issues had in the past led to a Jerry Springer–like atmosphere she had to work hard to redirect. Peter said, yes, but think of the drama. “We want people to engage,” he said. “And not only because it’s good for ratings.” She agreed in part; engagement was the point of it all, or was supposed to be the point.

He continued, “You saw the latest numbers. We’re slipping—just a little, and obviously we’ll bring it back up, but if we lose our edge right now, we lose our contract renewal leverage.” Lower ratings also led to lower ad revenues, lower production budgets, more difficulty in booking guests who had the power to draw viewers—all of which then trickled down to lower salaries for everyone on her payroll. Lower salaries meant good people jumped onto newer, flashier, competing ships. Ultimately, she’d agreed to do the poll.

Standing at the front of the stage, she welcomed the audience. Three hundred faces of all skin tones and both genders watched her eagerly, fans from any and every place on Earth. Beyond, too, she sometimes suspected. While Marcy claimed there was an angel in every audience, Blue rather thought there was an alien, who would inevitably write in to rant about how off base she’d been on a particular topic, even if that topic was the fifty best uses of phyllo.

“Let me introduce you to some typical teens,” Blue said, and the two teenage girls appeared from the wings to take their seats behind her. Indeed, both girls were typical-looking, with long brown hair and eye makeup and TV-modest clothing bearing popular-brand logos. Both girls were white.

Facing the audience, she said, “Kendra and Stacey—who is eight months pregnant—are seventeen-year-olds from intact middle-class families. Their parents are professionals. Both girls are B-students, involved in extracurricular activities”—this drew a chuckle from some of the audience—“and both have made preliminary plans to attend college. The main difference in these young women’s lives is that one of them attends a high school that follows an abstinence-only curriculum, and one attends a school where teenage sexuality is considered ‘normal’ and the students are educated accordingly. Abstinence is taught as one of several possible choices.”

She stepped down from the dais and walked to the lip of the stage. “With a show of hands: Which of you thinks Stacey, our pregnant teen, got the sex-is-normal message?”

About half of the audience raised hands.

“Now, who thinks Kendra did?”

Most of the other hands went up, as did the volume of voices, arguments already begun.

Blue waited a beat, resisting the urge to rub her face. Looking into Camera 4, she said, “The answer, when we come back.”

She allowed the rumbling to continue during the break, hoping the audience would get it out of the way now; things were not going to get better.

Taking a seat between the girls, she looked at each of their nervous faces. “Are you hanging in there?”

Kendra shrugged. Stacey shifted in her chair and smoothed her pink maternity top. “I’m okay, I guess,” she whispered.

In a moment, they were on-air again. Blue said, “With me today are Kendra and Stacey, Chicago-area teenagers who, like most of their peers, are dealing as best they can with the pressures of growing up in our increasingly sexualized culture.

“Before the break I polled the audience on which of these girls received the teen-sex-is-normal message from her school, and which was taught to abstain until marriage.” She looked at Camera 2: “Brad, give us that tight view—audience, watch the screen.”

She waited, knowing that on the screen behind her would be a close-up image of a girl’s left hand, on which there was a silver ring. Brad nodded, and Blue continued, “This is known as a purity ring, representing adherence to the abstinence ideal: a vow of chastity, a promise to wait for the right man—or woman, because some young men are wearing them, too—and marriage.

“Girls, raise your hands.”

Of the four hands now displayed, three were bare of jewelry, as they’d arranged ahead of time.

The silver glinted, of course, from Stacey’s left hand.

Amidst the reactions of surprise from many in the audience, and satisfaction from others, a skinny, dark-haired woman in the middle of the room stood up and yelled, “Sinner! Hypocrite! Take off that ring!”

Stacey’s face crumpled. “It’s not wrong! I love him,” she said, then burst into tears.

And before Blue could stop herself, she did, too.

After refereeing fifteen rounds between the sociologist and the minister—had Peter chosen such a closed-minded, sanctimonious old man on purpose?—Blue escaped the set the minute they were clear. Reverend Mark Masterson, a tall, self-serious man with heavy jowls and bottle-black hair, followed her backstage.“

Just what do you think you’re going to accomplish by telling teenage girls to go ahead and have sex?”

“Was that what I said?”

“You made that child out to be a hero.”

He’d made no secret of his disdain for the facts and the statistics, which were the substance of her supposed endorsement. Blue looked at him coolly. “And you made her out to be a whore—I’m sorry, ‘whoremonger’ was your word, wasn’t it? I thought you were a minister, but apparently you’re a judge."

He frowned down at her, his height giving him an illusion of superiority she was sure he made the most of. He said, “When I agreed to do this show, I was under the impression that you had a conscience.”

“And I was under the impression that someone who has committed to serving his community would at least attempt to do so.”

He straightened the lapels of his brown suit jacket and picked off a spot of lint. “These are children we’re talking about. They require firmness and absolutes to shut down ungodly urges. Romans chapter eight, verse thirteen, for example: ‘For if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.’ ”

“So Stacey must die? That’s a reasonable punishment.”

“Now let’s not be ridiculous. The Bible permits a certain amount of interpretation.“

Blue nodded. “So true. Excuse me.” Giving him no chance to reply, she walked away quickly, shoulders pulled back, chin up, and shut herself in her dressing room. She’d known there would be no easy consensus on such a complex issue, but just once she would have liked to have the kind of powers needed to instantly transform a person like Masterson into a hormonal, love-struck teenage girl.

Blue was pulling off her boots when Marcy joined her, looking as fresh and enthused now, at four-fifteen, as she had at eight this morning. It was more than Marcy’s white-blond hair (“Of course it’s dyed,” she’d told a woman in the audience during a commercial break. “Nature doesn’t make this color…”), more than her flared-leg jeans and gray cashmere T-shirt. Marcy had what Blue’s mother Nancy Kucharski called “a dynamic aura,” grown even more dynamic since meeting Stephen Boyd, an industrial designer who was teaching Marcy ballroom dance. Passion created that aura, Nancy said. “It’s good for the complexion, and not bad for the rest of the body, either!” Blue had to take her word for it—and an experienced word it was.

“Good show,” Marcy said, as though things had gone just as well as the day before, when they’d hosted four champion dog breeders and four captivating puppies.

“Compared to what?” Blue stepped out of her pants and stripped off the substitute Escada blouse (there were two of everything, just in case) then put on gym gear and brown velour sweats. Or rather, a brown velour track suit, as they were being called again. The seventies were back, complete with Barry Manilow and Cat Stevens and Neil Diamond on the radio, which Blue didn’t mind so much. The songs were reminders of a time when she was young enough to believe she knew where she stood.

“I’m serious. Except for that little…outburst, you really kept things under control.”

Blue shook her head, still embarrassed. “I don’t know what that was about.” “Empathy, maybe.”

“Is Peter having a fit?”

“He’s too busy working on a spin strategy. Stacey’s still a mess though, poor thing.”

“I suspect she’s going to need therapy.”
“You didn’t.”
“I did. I just didn’t get any."

Marcy reached behind Blue to straighten her hood. “Speaking of misguided youths, your mother called. She’s not coming to the Keys with us after all; she says she met someone and he wants her all to himself this weekend.”

Excerpted from Reunion by Therese Fowler Copyright © 2009 by Therese Fowler. Excerpted by permission of Ballantine Books, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Wednesday Wordle- May 27, 2009



Here is a screen shot of my Wordle for the week (Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from words that is seen on my blog)


Waiting on Wednesday- May 27, 2009



This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Never Cry Werewolf
by Heather Davis
Publication Release Date: September 1, 2009


"Moonlight can totally change your life.And it all starts so simply.You. Him. The moon. You’re toast."
Okay, so maybe Shelby has made a few mistakes with boys lately (how was she supposed to know Wes had “borrowed” that Porsche?). But her step-mother totally overreacts when she catches Shelby in a post-curfew kiss with a hot senior. Suddenly Shelby’s summer plans are on the shelf, and she’s being packed off to brat camp. It’s good-bye, prom dress; hello, hiking boots.

Things start looking up, though, when Shelby meets fellow camper (and son of a rock star) Austin Bridges, III. But soon she realizes there’s more to Austin than crush material—his family has a dark secret, and he wants Shelby’s help guarding it. Shelby knows that she really shouldn’t be getting tangled up with another bad boy…but who is she to turn her back on a guy in need, especially such a good looking one? One thing’s for sure, that pesky full moon is about to get her into trouble all over again.

Guest Blog- Lauren Lipton

Today I am lucky enough to have the author of Mating Rituals of the North American WASP, Lauren Lipton, doing a guest blog for me!

Dear Andrea:

I confess, I'm a bit of a fraud. Despite having written a novel about White Anglo-Saxon Protestant culture, and despite my own part-WASP heritage-born in Providence, Rhode Island, to a native New Englander-I might not succeed if, like Peggy Adams, the heroine of my novel, I had to pass myself off as "one of them." Here are five reasons why not:

1. I can't drink gin-and-tonics. In fact, I can't drink gin or tonic in any form, separately or together, thanks to one unfortunate party my freshman year of college, when I decided it would be fun to toss back several G&Ts in succession. Just remembering this incident is making me queasy. Better change the subject...
2. Speaking of college, it was not an Ivy.
3. I look ghastly in pink and green. Coral and teal are lovely on me. But the authentic, preppy hues of powder-pink and lime make me look as if I've had too many gin and tonics.
4. It's hard to sail, golf or play tennis when you don't like to be in the sun.
5. I'd choose high heels over boat shoes any day.

I hope you and your readers enjoy MATING RITUALS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN WASP anyway. Do have a G&T for me!

Thank you so much for your blog, Lauren!

Blog Tour- Mating Rituals of the North American WASP

I just finished reading Mating Rituals of the North American WASP by Lauren Lipton.

From the back cover:

Peggy Adams is upset when she wakes up next to a strange man after a Vegas night she can't remember... but she's horrified when she discovers that she married him! Luke Sedgwick is WASP royalty, the last of the New Nineveh, Connecticut, Sedgwicks. He might also be perfect, if Peggy weren't already "pre-engaged" to her live-in boyfriend of seven years (she even has a "promise ring" to prove it). Peggy and Luke agree to get an annulment ASAP--and then received an offer they can't refuse...


Luke's eccentric great-aunt Abigail offers the two the chance to make millions on the family estate: All they have to do is stay married for a year. Peggy is soon pretending to be one-half of the perfect couple among New England's WASPy set on the weekends, while keeping her marriage a secret during the week. But she isn't prepared for what might be her worst mistake of all--falling in love with her soon-to-be ex-husband.

Peggy Adams is comfortable in her New York life, until she makes an unusual agreement with Luke Sedgwick, the last scion of an old New England family. The deal: Stay married for a year, and the two will inherit the Sedgwick mansion in New Nineveh, a quaint, preppy Connecticut town.But entering Luke’s world isn’t easy. Peggy must quickly learn how to pass herself off as a proper Connecticut wife and a perfect WASP.(Hint: At parties, nobody actually eats the food.) To make matters worse, she finds herself falling in love with the man she’s married to—despite that he seems to have no feelings for her.

When I first read the summary of this book, I knew I had to read it! I loved the plot. I could really identify with Peggy and her wanting to be married to her boyfriend Brock. And I could totally then picture the whole crazy night in Vegas and the aftermath that followed. I fell for Luke but at times I wanted to strangle him and wanted him to share his feelings with Peggy. At first, I sped through the book, but it took me longer to get into it, the more it went on. I liked how the story ended, just not the exact way that it got there (I can't explain more or I'll spoil the story). Overall, it was a fun summer read.

I gave this book a rating of 4/5.

This book fullfilled items in the following challenges:
Chick-Lit Challenge: 10






About the Author:

















Lauren Lipton is the author of two novels, It's About Your Husband (2006) and Mating Rituals of the North American WASP (2009). She is also a freelance journalist who specializes in style, business and trend stories.

She is currently fashion, beauty and lifestyle editor at ForbesWoman magazine. She has also contributed features on society and media to the New York Times Sunday Styles section. A former Wall Street Journal staff writer, she reported on copycat brides who steal their friends' wedding ideas, pajama parties for grown women, and luxury homes with his-and-hers garages.


Her work also has appeared in Conde Nast Portfolio, In Style Weddings, Martha Stewart Weddings, Best Life, Glamour, Marie Claire, Fit Pregnancy and Working Mother, and on National Public Radio's All Things Considered. She began her career at the Los Angeles Times.


Born in Providence, R.I., Lauren grew up in the North County of San Diego and in Los Gatos, Calif., before moving to Los Angeles. She holds a bachelor's degree in English and anthropology from Occidental College and a master's degree in print journalism from the University of Southern California.She lives with her family in New York City and in Litchfield County, Conn.


To learn more about Lauren Lipton:

Author website: http://www.laurenlipton.com/
Author blog: http://laurenlipton.blogspot.com/
Facebook fan group: ttp://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=64715506150&ref=ts

Visit these other stops on the blog tour:

http://thereviewfromhere.wordpress.com/
http://librarygirlreads.blogspot.com/
http://hiddenplace.wordpress.com/
http://kylees2009.blogspot.com/
http://www.devourerofbooks.com/
http://burtonreview.blogspot.com
http://bookopolis.blogspot.com/
http://carolsnotebook.wordpress.com/
http://www.foreigncircuslibrary.blogspot.com/
http://www.xanga.com/bravehsgirl
http://booksmovieschinesefood.blogspot.com/
http://inbedwithbooks.blogspot.com/
http://www.bookconfessions.com/
http://peekingbetweenthepages.blogspot.com/
http://www.readingwithmonie.com/
http://www.sheistoofondofbooks.com/
http://2kidsandtiredbooks.blogspot.com/
http://www.squidoo.com/bookbin
http://www.acircleofbooks.com/
http://www.myspace.com/darbyscloset
http://www.thisbookforfree.com
http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com/
http://cindysloveofbooks.blogspot.com/
http://lastexilewords.blogspot.com/
http://unmainstreammomreads.blogspot.com/
http://martasmeanderings.blogspot.com
http://www.bermudaonion.wordpress.com/
http://bookinwithbingo.blogspot.com/
http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/
http://bookingmama.blogspot.com/
http://bookslovejessicmarie.blogspot.com
http://www.thenovelbookworm.com/
http://proudbookworm.blogspot.com/
http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/
http://booksiesblog.blogspot.com/
http://epicrat.blogspot.com/
http://cafeofdreams.blogspot.com/
http://luanne-abookwormsworld.blogspot.com/
http://www.thebookzombie.com/
http://thetometraveller.blogspot.com/
http://www.myfriendamysblog.com/
http://www.linussblanket.com/
http://donnasbookreviews.blogspot.com/
http://www.skrishnasbooks.com/
http://www.morbid-romantic.net/
http://www.writeforareader.blogspot.com/
http://www.brimfulcuriosities.com
http://mindingspot.blogspot.com/
http://diaryofaneccentric.blogspot.com/
http://savvyverseandwit.blogspot.com/
http://danys-san.blogspot.com
http://www.iheartmonster.com/
http://debbiesworld.wordpress.com
http://www.bookwormygirl.blogspot.com
http://ebogie.blogspot.com


I have a copy of Mating Rituals of the North American WASP to giveaway!
HOW TO ENTER:
+1 Post a comment saying that you would like to be entered (make sure to leave your e-mail address or your comment won't count!)
+1 Post about the contest on your blog and leave the link in your comment
+1 Become a follower (or if you already follow me, let me know!)
~~For each thing that you do, please leave a separate comment or you will only be entered once!!
~~The contest will end on Wednesday June 3rd at 11:59pm
~~This contest is open to US and Canada only, no PO Boxes.

Thanks to Miriam from Hachette Book Groups for hosting this blog tour!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Teaser Tuesdays- May 26, 2009




TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:
Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!


My two teasers:

"Spring was taking its sweet time coming to the Midwest. He was almost looking forward to leaving for Iraq--not that his trip was going to be any kind of tropical vacation; the temps would, however, be warm."
~ pg 179, Reunion by Therese Fowler

Monday, May 25, 2009

Mailbox Monday- May 25, 2009




Mailbox Monday: Here's what came in my mailbox this week:



TUESDAY

























Flirting With Boys- Hailey Abbott--Book Review for TeensReadToo
















Vampire Academy- Richelle Mead--FrugalReader Book Ring
















WEDNESDAY



The Time Song- Rozanne Lanczak Williams--FrugalReader (for my Kindergarten classroom)





Beat the Reaper- Josh Bezell--FrugalReader book ring








Summer Blowout- Claire Cook-- FrugalReader book ring














Busy Woman Seeks Wife- Annie Sanders--FrugalReader Book Ring








Best Friends Forever- Jennifer Weiner--I am so excited about this one!! It was a complete surprise and I have no idea why I was lucky enough to get an ARC to review!!





THURSDAY


Dinousaurs of the Land and Sea--FrugalReader (for my Kindergarten classroom)



This One Is Mine- Maria Semple--FrugalReader book ring








Ghostgirl-Tonya Hurley--thanks to Lisa from Hachette Book Group









Ghostgirl: Homecoming- Tonya Hurley--thanks Lisa from Hachette Book Group








FRIDAY


Challenge Completed- Chick-Lit Challenge!



I have completed my first Challenge!!

Back by popular demand, the 2009 Chick Lit Challenge has been expanded for the whole year! From January 1 through December 31, 2009, read at least 10 chick lit books. Books can overlap with other challenges and you can change your list at any time. If you join, please leave a comment here with a link to your challenge page, and click on the image above to leave a comment on the original page as well.

  1. American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld
  2. The Agency by Ally O'Brien
  3. All You Need Is Love by Carole Matthews
  4. The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
  5. Follow Me by Joanna Scott
  6. Knit Two by Kate Jacobs
  7. Sleepwalking in Daylight by Elizabeth Flock
  8. Trophies by Heather Thomas
  9. Holly's Inbox by Holly Denham
  10. Mating Rituals of the North American WASP by Lauren Lipton





Sunday, May 24, 2009

The Sunday Salon- May 24, 2009


The school year is almost done! Only 7 more days with the kids. I can't wait for break, but I am so stressed about all of the things that have to get done! Yesterday Kory and I went shopping for a new car for him. I HATE car shopping. I am not good at trying to get good prices. But its done now and Kory got a Mazda 3. He needed a new car (his other one's air conditioning broke which isn't a good thing in Florida) and this one is really nice!

I finished and reviewed the following books this week:

I fullfilled the following items for challenges this week:

I am currently readnig Mating Rituals of the North American WASP by Lauren Lipton for a book ring and up next is Reunion by Therese Fowler for another book ring.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Contests- May 18- May 25

Presenting Lenore is having 2 contests (both contests end June 3):
Win the Penguin Reality Pack: Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen, After by Amy Efaw, A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck, I'm a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to be Your Class President by Josh Lieb, Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollen, Hold Still by Nina LaCour, and Million Dollar Throw by Mike Lupica.
Win the Penguin Fantasy Prize Pack: Dull Boy by Sarah Cross, Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow, Goddess Boot Camp by Tera Lynn Childs, Possessions by Nancy Holder, Dreamdark: Silksinger by Laini Taylor, Fire by Kristin Cashore, and Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by Lauren Kate.

Reader Rabbit is giving away a copy of Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler. The contest ends on June 2.

Reviewer X is giving away one copy of all of Elizabeth Scott's books! (Bloom, Stealing Heaven, Love You Hate You Miss You (out June 2nd), Perfect You, Something, Maybe, and Living Dead Girl). Read the Pub Story of Elizabeth Scott! And join the Elizabeth Scott Facebook group! And here is Reviewer X's review of Bloom by Elizabeth Scott!

Sharon Loves Books and Cats is giving away an ARC of Pretty Dead by Francesca Lia Block. The contest ends on June 3.

The Book Resort is giving away 2 copies of The Real Real by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus! The contest ends on May 30.

Fantastic Book Review is giving away a copy of Swoon by Nina Malkin. The contest ends on June 5.

Contest Winners- Testimony





According to Random.org, the following people have won a copy of Testimony by Anita Shreve!

ginnn7
Katrina
jwx4
The Queen of Free
DawnM


Please email your address to belle2211@yahoo.com by noon on Monday and I'll have your books mailed out to you!

Thanks to Hachette Book Groups for this giveaway!