The I suck at challenges challenge – update 7 (July)

This challenge is being hosted by book-a-rama.

This post is a challenge wrap-up for the month of July. Overall I think I did very well. I sorta skipped reading a lot of the review books that I should have read and instead from my own stacks (bought books) that helped me. So next month I might not do as well since I want to get most of my review books read, I'm a bit behind. Also, I know I still have a couple months to complete the non-fiction challenge, but not feeling it. I don't think I'll be completing that one. I guess it depends on if any of the books catch my interest or not. I really do want to read them, but each time I go to pick one up..I just don't want to. I have several that I'm close to finishing and some that I'm not very close but hoping I can focus on in the next couple of months.

Now…for the facts!

Total challenges that I'm competing in as of July 1st:

12(this doesn't count the completed challenges from earlier in the year)

Completed Challenges in (July):
Paranormal Challenge
Young Adult

Total completed challenges in 2009:

20 Books in 2009 - Challenge completed 02/2009
The Pub Challenge - challenge completed 05/2009
Love Bites – Challenge completed 06/2009
Paranormal Challenge – challenge completed 07/2009
Young Adult Challenge – challenge completed 07/2009

Challenges I read a qualifying book for in July:
Young Adult
I read 4 books (Playing with Fire, Love Lies and Texas Dips, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Eight Grade Bites)
At the end of July I had 12/12 completed

Paranormal 2009
I read 1 book (Playing with Fire)
At the end of July I had 7/7 completed

Read-Your-Own Books
I read 1 book (Big Cherry Holler)
At the end of July I had 14/26 completed

TBR Challenge
I read 1 book (Playing with Fire)
At the end of July I had 6/24 completed (I'm counting my main list and alternate list since I'm going to try and read all of them)

War Through The Generations
I read 1 book (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas)
At the end of July I had 4/5 completed

Series Challenge 3
I read 1 book (Down by the River)
At the end of July I had 13/21 books completed, 7/12 series completed.

Cozy Mystery Challenge (April-Sept)
I read 2 books (Cream Puff Murder, The Missing Ink)
At the end of July I had 5/6 completed

Non-Fiction Five Challenge (May-Sept)
I read 1 book (The Rise and Fall of the Dillinger Gang)
At the end of July I had 2/5 completed


Progress for challenges that I didn't read a book for in July:
9 books for 2009 (I currently have 4/9 completed)
1st in a series challenge (I currently have 6/12 completed)
Chunkster Challenge (I currently have 2/3 completed)
Arthurian Challenge ( I currently have 0/2 completed)

July 2009 Reads

Boy oh boy! I had an awesome month. See what happens when a girl doesn't have to study for a certificate?

Fun reading facts for July
Total books read: 11
New Authors: 6
Mystery: 3
Non-Fiction: 1
Fiction: 3
Young Adult: 4
Pages: 3,268

Promise of the Wolves by Dorothy Hearst
Playing with Fire by Derek Landy
Love, Lies, and Texas Dips by Susan McBride
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
The Rise and Fall of the Dillinger Gang by Jeffery S. King
Cream Puff Murder by Joanne Fluke
Starvation Lake by Bryan Gruley
Eighth Grade Bites (The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod) by Heather Brewer
Down by the River by Robyn Carr
The Missing Ink by Karen E. Olson
Big Cherry Holler by Adriana Trigiani

Friday Smile - a story and a link

http://shop.cafepress.com/design/23977774

Since the image I wanted to show is really a shirt I found at Cafe Press, I'm stuck just sharing the link. The shirt says: "will run for chocolate"

By itself, it's cute but once I share this little story with you, I think you'll understand why I loved it and wanted to share it.

Growing up my parents used to take my sisters and I hiking a lot and backpacking. As a kid...who really wants to backpack? Lugging a heavy pack up hills does not sound like fun. Plus..who wants to walk up a freakin' hill anyway! So my parents used to bribe me with chocolate. They promised me a candy bar if I would just walk to the top of the hill! So imagine the surprise when I turned into a cross-country runner and I try to do trails with hills in them so I get a bette workout! haha! So that shirt is perfect for me! I sent my Mom the link and she enjoyed it, thought I should get one.

and here's another item the store sells, I hope to get one of these soon too.

http://buttons.cafepress.com/item/read-a-banned-book-button/14832973

Big Cherry Holler by Adriana Trigiani

Copyright: 2001

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 270

Challenges: 2009 Read your own books,

New-to-me author? No

Author's website

Simple Description:

This book is the 2nd in the Big Stone Gap series. It takes place 7 years from where Big Stone Gap ends. At this point Ave Maria has been married for 8 years. She has had 2 children, although one passed away about 3 years ago.

Jack and Ave Maria's marriage is in trouble. Jack loses his job and Ave thinks she is doing what is right but instead her response and actions hurt Jack. Things move forward in her life, things that she doesn't discuss with Jack first. Jack is also trying to move forward in hopes of being the provider for his family.

Things get tricky when the family is supposed to go to Italy for part of the summer and Jack backs out at the last minute. Rumors are that he is having an affiar however Ave Maria doesn't do much better while in Italy.

Will Ave Maria and Jack be able to save their marriage?

Now what you really want to know…my thoughts:

I remember liking Big Stone Gap but I'm not sure I liked this one. Well, let me rephrase that. I wasn't too into the book at first but liked it more as I got further along, however I don't think I liked it enough to continue with the series. Here's part of my problem. I didn't read the back that said this book takes place 7 years after the last one. So imagine my surprise when I start reading it and so many years have gone by. I'm confused and thinking I skipped a book. Plus, you learn about their son's death as they think about it, but you don't get the entire story at once..you get it in parts. That kinda annoyed me. I also admit that when I read a series I prefer the books to follow closer together in regards to amount of time that has passed. I'm not saying it has to pick up exactly where the other left off, but within a year. 7 years was just too much for me. I know this series has gotten a lot of good reviews though, so maybe try to find some of those before making up your mind. I will also say that I read Lucia, Lucia by this author several years ago and absolutley loved it! So it's not really the author that I wont' read again, it's just this particulat series that I don't think I'll continue with.

Have you reviewed this book on your blog? Leave me a comment to let me know and I’ll link it below.

Sorry, no linked reviews yet.

Happy Reading and thanks for stopping by……Kris

The Missing Ink by Karen E. Olson

Copyright: 2009

Publisher: Obsidian

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 299

Challenges: Cozy Mystery Challenge

New-to-me author? yes

Author's Website

Simple Description:

Brett Kavanaugh moved to Vegas and opened her own tattoo shop. Things seem to be going well until the police come knocking on her door. It appears that she was the last to see a person before that person disappeared. The woman was to wed the son in a rich family and now she can't be found.

Brett is curious as to what happened to this girl and even though her brother is a cop in Vegas, she decides to dig around a little. Even if she wanted to stop, I dont' think she could. Not when a local tattoo artist is wanted for questioning and decides to hide out and only contact Brett when he has something interested or wants to ask her for some clues.

Brett has an exciting couple of days. She is being watched by a big tattooed man, she ends up at an Elvis karaoke bar, and she meets an englishman who might be a lady's man..but he is oh so sexy and she can't resist him.

Now what you really want to know…my thoughts:

This is the first in a new cozy mystery series by the author and I do have to say that I think it is very, very promising. I do like tattoo's so I admit that because she is a tattoo artist that was the main thing that drew me to this book. Oh, and the cover art..Love it! But...the story itself was really really good. Brett was a great character and the type of "person" I think I would get along with in real life. I definitely recommend this book to others and can't wait for the 2nd in the series to be published.

Down by the River by Robyn Carr

Copyright: 2003

Publisher: Mira

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 366

Challenges: Series Challenge Season 3

New-to-me author: No

author Website

Simple Desription:

This is the 3rd book in the trilogy. In this one June is pregnant and the towns people who love her want to know more about the father and when she is getting married. June, however, doesn't feel that marriage should be rushed.

Aunt Myrna is sure how to feel when she learns that her pen-pal, a fellow author, is coming to visit. I'm not saying anything else though, because this was a fun surprise.

Something is going on with their new minister, but nobody really knows what.

Tragedy hits Grace Valley when they get too much rain and the creek behind the clinic and dinner and other places flood. Will this help bring together some of the townsfolk or is there just too much damange?

Now what you really want to know…my thoughts:

This is the final book in the trilogy, and boy was I sad to see it end. I really love all the charactors. I love the small town and how they call come together to help somebody in need. This is definitly a book that I recommend reading. Although, I think you should start with the first in the series.

Reliquiae Challenge

Yes..I decided to join another challenge.

The Reliquiae Challenge is being hosted by Ana O. There is a blog dedicated to the challenge, which can be found here.

I chosen to do the level: Bite on the Neck. So I have to read 3 books. I haven't decided which books I will read yet and don't think I will plan that in advance.

Here's the info regarding the challenge:

Rules:

1. Challenge runs from July 15th 2009 to January 15th 2010.

2. Choose the number of books you want to read by selecting one of the reading levels we’ve proposed (see below).

3. Books must fall under one, two or all of the categories we’ve proposed depending on the number of books you wish to read (see above).

4. Sign up by using Mr. Linky (see bottom of post).

5. Share your reviews with us by leaving your link with Mr. Linky on the appropriate post.

Levels:

• Bite on the Neck: 3 books.
• Flying Cauldron: 4 books.
• Deadly Red Moon: 5 books.
• Haunted Nights: 6 books.

Categories:

• Vampires
• Witches
• Ghosts
• Shapeshifters
• Fairies
• Elfs

Friday Smile (a day early) - Aunt Kris's house is awesome

I never did get around to posting a Friday Smile picture last week..so this week you are blessed with two pictures. Both are of my nephews. Husband and I had the family out a couple of weekends ago for a swim party..although it was too rainy and cold to swim. We had fun inside though.

Winner of Love, Lies, and Texas Dips by Susan McBride

We have a winner for Love, Lies, and Texas Dips by Susan McBride!!!! Thanks to everyone you participated - it was a great turnout. Can you believe I had 34 entries! Woohoo!

I used random.org to generate a number and it was number 14 - so Brooke P. in MD is the winner!!!! Congratulations!!!!!

Brooke - I hope to drop it off at the post office tomorrow, but sometimes things don't work out as planned. If I don't get it mailed tomorrow I'll plan on doing it on Monday.

Book burning - in this century? Give me a break!

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/22/wisconsin.book.row/index.html

I found the above article rather entertaining and unbelievable. Basically..in a somewhat smaller town...some parents think they have the right to tell other parent's children what is and is not ok to read. They want some YA books moved to the adult section so they can't be found in the YA section. Then, another group of older men got on board with this and decided they wanted some of the books burned. BURNED! Seriously people!!! Time to grow up. It's a book. If you don't want your kid to read it..don't let them (and I can promise they will find a way to read it without you knowing). However you don't have the right to tell other people's children what is ok for them to read. Wouldn't it be a better idea to just read the book along with your child and discuss it with them? Doesn't that make more sense? It does to me.

Book Giveaway - Love, Lies, and Texas Dips by Susan McBride

*****sticky post - will remain at top until 07/22*****

I recently read and reviewed Love, Lies, and Texas Dips by Susan McBride. I'm excited to be giving away a copy of the book here on my blog! The author was super cool and sent me a SIGNED copy to give away to one of my lucky readers!

To be entered into the contest please fill out the form below. Here's why I ask that you give me your mailing address right away - it saves time and effort from me having to track it down later on. This way when the challenge ends, I can just announce the winner and mail the book! The information is not available to the public, I'm the only one who can see the info.

The last day to sign up for this giveaway is July 22nd! Good luck!
Oh..and I will use random.org to pick a winner.

Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer (#1 in The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod)

Copyright: 2007
Publisher: Speak (Penguin)
Genre: Young Adult
Pages: 182
Challenges: Young Adult Challenge
New-to-me author? Yes
Author's website

Simple Description
Vlad is a vampire. However vampires are still a secret to the rest of the world so he has to act like a normal boy. Vlad isn't your super handsome, super popular vampire. Instead, he is the kid that the bullies pick on. He doesn't know how to talk to girls and other than his best friend, Henry, he doesn't have any other friends. He also lives with Nelly, his Mom's best friend. His parents died in a fire about 3 years ago. Vlad is able is go out in sunlight, as long as he wears lots of sunscreen. He does attend school like normal boys. But he isn't normal. He can hover and he needs blood to survive.

One day one of the schools teachers disappears and they get a substitute teacher. This teacher is rather odd and seems to know what Vlad is. Vlad soon thinks that this new teacher, Mister Otis, killed his parents. At the same time, Vlad has found a diary that his dad, Tomas, kept. He begins to learn more about vampires. It also appears that somebody is after Vlad and if not Mr. Otis, then who is?

Now what you really want to know…my thoughts:
I thought this was a great ya book! I loved that the vampire isn't loved by everyone and is somebody that is picked on my bullies. I like it because it's just different from the other books I've read about vampires. I liked Henry too, Vlad's friend. The jokes between the two are very funny. I also loved Nelly. She is a normal human who finds interesting ways for Vlad to get blood without having to kill anybody and to make it look like he is eating normal human food. Of course, Vlad is able to eat normal human food and even enjoys the taste of some of it.

Overall this was a very quick and enjoyable read. It's one I think a lot of kids would enjoy as well as adults, like myself. I can't wait to read more in the series! There will be 5 total, right now only 3 are published.

I also had the joy of going to a book signing for this author. She was great! She gave us some background on herself, about how she was bullied growing up. That's one reason that is a major theme in this story. What I loved is that the author really connects with kids. During the question and answer section several boys asked her how to treat bullies, since they themselves were being bulled. I loved that they felt comfortable enough to ask her this and that they wanted her advice. What a great role model for kids. Oh, and her answers were awesome too. If she is doing a book signing in your area, I recommend going, It was a great time and it was fun to see the kids so excited about meeting an author.

Oh, and the town that Vlad lives in is called Bathory. I haven't had a chance to play around on the authors website to confirm my thoughts but..I think that's named after Elizabeth Bathory. How cool is that! Oh, not sure who Elizabeth Bathory, click here.

Have you reviewed this book on your blog? Leave me a comment to let me know and I'll link it below.

Sorry, no linked reviews yet.

Happy Reading and thanks for stopping by……Kris

Starvation Lake by Bryan Gruley

Copyright: 2009
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 370
Challenges: None
New-to-me author? yes
Author's website

Simple Description
Gus is unhappy to be back in Starvation lake, the small town he grew up in. It's a hockey town..and he missed the goal that caused the River Rats to lose a championship game. The town has never let him forget it. To make matters worse, the town knows he is back because he got in trouble with his last job. He is a reporter/journalist. He was working for a bigger newspaper in Detroit and had uncovered a huge story. However something happened and he had to leave his job and there are legal actions being taken against him.

Things get interesting when a snow mobile is found in Starvation Lake. This proves to be the snowmobile that the beloved coach of the River Rats hockey team owned, the one he died while riding on ice. However, he supposedly drowned in a different lake, so how did it end up in this one? Gus and his only other reporter, Joanie, begin to ask questions. They are pretty much stonewalled wherever they go though. People loved the coach and don't want to think that he was murdered or better yet, that he wasn't the stand up guy they thought he was.

So in this book you really have a couple of stories. We have the story about the coach. Gus begins to uncover things about his past and the coach's past that he never even realized when he was younger. These aren't good things. He realizes that the town is a bit shadier than originally thought. You also have to story about why Gus had to leave the Detroit newspaper and what is going on with that one. They do intertwine and at the end you understand why there were two stories.

Now what you really want to know…my thoughts:
I liked it, I thought it was good, but can't list it as one of my favorites. I would recommend it to others though. I'm just not a hockey fan, and hockey is a major part of this story. So you are told different plays and moves and since I have no idea what they are, I was just like "ok..whatever". I also don't understand how a town could fall apart just because a championship game was lost. But..I'm not a hockey fan or much of any kind of sports fan to where a loss would really effect me. Heck..when the Cardinals won the world series a couple of years ago I was happy for them, but not overly excited like the rest of STL was. Haha! So that gives you an idea of why I didn't really get all the hockey stuff.

The mystery part of the book was very good. It kept moving. Gus was always uncovering something else or getting stonewalled or something. So I really enjoyed that aspect of the story. I did figure out what was going on with Coach before Gus did but that didn't ruin it for me at all. I was just waiting for Gus to put 2 and 2 together.

There is a prologue to this story. Well, wait, let me mention that I have an ARC. So in my copy there is a prologue. I don't know if it made it in the final copy or not. Let me just say that I have no idea what the prologue is trying to tell me about the story. Even after finishing the book, I just don't get it. Maybe somebody else will but I didn't. In fact, if you have read this book and can explain it to me, please leave a comment. I would love to know how it fits in.

Have you reviewed this book on your blog? Leave me a comment to let me know and I'll link it below.

Sorry, no linked reviews yet.

Happy Reading and thanks for stopping by……Kris

Cream Puff Murder by Joanne Fluke

Copyright: 2009
Publisher: Kensington Books
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 310
Challenges: Cozy Mystery Challenge
New-to-me author? no
Author's website

Simple Description
Hannah is forced to diet and start working out at Heavenly Bodies when she realizes the dress her Mom ordered for her doesn't fit. She needs the dress for her Mom's book launch party in two weeks, and unable to order a new dress. Lucky for Hannah, her sister Andrea works out at Heavenly Bodies and is able to get her a pass and sign her up for the same class she does. After Andrea and Hannah work out one morning, they head to the jacuzzi to relax. Hannah gets there first and notices that it's a mess. When she starts to get into the Jacuzzi she realizes somebody left their clothes in there. However when she goes to get them out…she realizes the clothes are attached to a person…and the person has been murdered. The murdered lady is Ronnie, somebody that is not very popular with the ladies. Ronnie was a big flirt and didn't care if the men were married or not.

Even worse is the fact that Bill, Mike, and Lonnie are pulled from the investigation because they were involved with Ronnie. Uh-oh! Hannah and her sisters are not happy. To make matters worse, they are the top three detectives. So they secretly ask that Hannah investigate the murder and use others to pass notes to her on how she should investigate the issue.

Now what you really want to know…my thoughts:
I thought this was a great addition to the series! I did read a review by Violette over at The Mystery Bookshelf and she didn't like this book very much but this was also the first book she has read in the series. I kept that in mind while I was reading the book and I can see why she didn't like it. If you haven't read this series before, then you don't have a lot of the background info. You don't understand why Hannah is basically dating Norman and Mike. You don't really get the relationship between everyone. You don't understand why Hannah was asked to help investigate. But for those of us who have been reading this series and know this info..the book is really good. Sure, the murder doesn't happen until you reach around 100 pages, but because I love the characters so much, I just don't care. I honestly think I would still read this series even if the author decided not to make them mysteries anymore. I do wish that Hannah would pick between Norman and Mike and it seems like maybe the author will be making that happen soon. It also seems like Norman is proving to be the better of the two, which I like because I think Norman is the best pick. Sorry Mike, you might be hot, but Norman is a better guy (in my opinion anyway).




Have you reviewed this book on your blog? Leave me a comment to let me know and I'll link it below.


The Mystery Bookshelf

Pudgy Penguin Perusals

Lesa's Book Criques

Happy Reading and thanks for stopping by……Kris

Friday Fill-in #133

1. Mushrooms, Olive oil and thin spaghetti make a quick and easy dinner.

2. Starvation Lake by Bryan Gruley is the book I'm reading right now.

3. July brings back memories of vacationing in the mountains/forests with the family for 2 weeks when I have major allergy isseus - and no medication.

4. That it was a stupid call was obvious.

5. They say if you tell your dreams to friends, they will laugh at you. :)

6. Sometimes I need time to think it over.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a book signing for Heather Brewer, tomorrow my plans include pool time if the weather is nice and Sunday, I want to hang out in the pool some more!

Booking Through Thursday - a day late

Do you keep all your unread books together, like books in a waiting room? Or are they scattered throughout your shelves, mingling like party-goers waiting for the host to come along?

Mine are usually mingled throughout the bookshelves. I like to keep my books in alaphabetical order by author (and by genre in some cases). So that means I shelve the unread books and read books by the same author together.

Now, the exception to this is that this year I took all the books I plan to read for challenges and shelved them together. So I do have a section of shelving that is all unread books.

The Rise and Fall of the Dillinger Gang by Jeffery S. King

Copyright: 2006
Publisher: Turner Publishing Group

Genre: Non-fiction
Pages: 238
Challenges: None-Fiction 5
New-to-me author? yes

Simple Description
I apologize in advance for my description that follows. Due to the nature of the book I found it a bit hard to do the simple description. This is a non-fiction book regarding the Dillinger Gang. The thing that peeked my interest regarding this specific book is that it gives information on all of the members of both Dillinger gangs and not just on Dillinger himself. The introduction gives us some background on the DOI (later the FBI) and how it got started as well as what was going on with crime in the 20's and 30's. Then we move on and get a background on each of the major members of the two gangs. The next step is moving in to the two gangs. The banks they robbed and how they did it, their escapes, what they did in-between the bank robberies, etc. The book finally wraps up with what the outcome was for each member – either how they were captured or killed. The book also gives some info on the women of the gang (wives and/or girlfriends) and other people who helped them. Oh..and the author also gives info on what the police/DOI were doing to try and catch the criminals.

Now what you really want to know…my thoughts:
Ok, so most of you know that I rarely read a non-fiction book, even though I always want to read more. So I'm going to say that I had a hard time getting through this one, but know that I have no idea of it's the book, me, or just a combination of the two. Did I find it interesting? Yes – I really did. However, I had a hard time reading it. There were a ton of names and dates and I kept getting confused. Now though..I did say that I found it interesting. I'm very glad I read it. It was just amazing to me that the gangsters would sometimes rob more than 1 bank in a day. It amazed me that it's the depression and they were able to steal as much money as they did! Let's also not forget that they were walking around in broad day light, going to movies, eating out, etc. They would even go into police stations and inquire about people and not be recognized! On that same note, they also robbed several police stations. I don't know how that could happen now a days, but it's pretty funny that they did it so often and got away with it. I also found it interesting that they kept crashing cars too. They would drive them into ditches, hit trees, hit other cars, etc. I just found that interesting, made it sound like they really didn't know how to drive very well.

Keeping in mind that it was the early 30's, I found it interesting that many of the women were single and living with these men. I guess it's just how we are brought up, always told that stuff like that didn't happen back then and so on. So whether this was more common than I thought it was or whether I need to think about the type of people these are (gangsters) I don't know, but it's interesting.

I think what I found so interesting was seeing how much they got away with before they were caught. Yeah..they were eventually caught but man it took years. And it's not like they were in hiding that whole time, nope, they were still robbing banks!

I had some of my family over on Sunday for a pool party (but it rained instead..boohoo) and while I was cleaning up the kitchen after we had dinner I told my Grandpa I was reading a book on the Dillinger gang and asked if he remembered them. (I live in St. Louis and my Grandparents have always lived here too). My Grandpa remembered! He was around 10/11 at the time and he remembers hearing about them. He was also able to tell me names of several of the gangsters that I read about. How cool is that! Then I started talking to him about all the stuff that I was just amazed about and I'm so glad I did. Because I grew up in a more recent time (most of you would still consider me a youngster even though I feel old) I'm used to having a police force that has the technology and smarts to catch people. I'm also used the media showing pictures of criminals and hearing about it on the news and cnn, etc. So as I'm talking to my Grandpa about some of the stuff that I was amazed about, he reminded me about how things were different then. He said that once he got outside of the STL city limits, most people didn't have power. They didn't have as good of phone systems and the communication technology that we have. He also said that he didn't think the police were that smart and then saved himself by saying that they didn't have the scientific discoveries and technology that they have now. Haha! I thought that was pretty funny. We also talked about how I found it funny they were driving around with machine guns while most criminals these days have hand guns etc. So basically, talking to my Grandpa about it actually made me enjoy the book even more. It was fun to talk about the differences between then and now and also about the gangsters and what they were doing.

So overall – do I recommend the book? Yes. But I give you warning that it might be slow to get through and hard to get through. But even saying that, I think it's well worth the read. For me it was interesting to read about gangsters who are currently gaining some popularity due to the move Public Enemies (which by the way it was interested to read where the title came from).

Oh – and there are some pictures. I loved looking at the pictures!




Have you reviewed this book on your blog? Leave me a comment to let me know and I'll link it below.
Sorry, no linked reviews yet.



Happy Reading and thanks for stopping by……Kris

Friday Smile - swim time

Husband and I attempted to have a pool party for July 4th. However, due to all the rain we received that morning and the day before, the water was very very cold. The sun was hidden behind clouds and the temps didn't reach 80. But...we tried anyway! Everyone got their suits on and we did hang out in the pool or at least outside for about 40 min before it was just too cold. So this picture is of 3 of my nephews, my oldest sister and myself. Please don't mind my hair - I was having a bad hair day (that's what I get for being too lazy to blow dry it)

Friday Fill-in #132

Boy oh boy! I have neglected this one in a long time..hopefully this is a start to me doing it on a regularly basis.

1. The last thing I ate was a bowl of frosted mini wheats with milk and orange juice.

2. A pair of jeans that actually fit me in the waist is something I recently bought.

3. When it rains, it makes a pool owner sad

4. My husband was the first person I talked to today.

5. Hugs are soothing.

6. My dog needs extra comfort. (just because she's cute and she likes to be hugged and kissed)

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to reading or relaxing in front of the tv, tomorrow my plans include using the pool if it doesn't rain and maybe running and go to a book signing and Sunday, I want to hang out with my extended family in the pool - if the rain holds off - otherwise we'll hang out inside!

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

Copyright: 2006
Publisher: David Fickling Books
Genre: YA
Pages: 216
Challenges: War Through the Generations, Young Adult Challenge
New-to-me author? yes
Author's website

Simple Description
This story is told from the point of view of a 9 year old boy named Bruno. Bruno comes home from school one day to find his maid packing all his clothes and other belongings. When he asks his Mom about it, he is told that his Dad received a promotion at work and therefore they have to move. They are to move away from Berlin, the only home Bruno has known. His father has been given the title of Commandant. Before Bruno knows it, they have moved to a place that his sister tells him is called Out-With. They live in a small house, small by Bruno's standards anyway however close to their house is another compound. From his window Bruno can see that there are a lot of other huts/buildings even smaller than his new house and lots of people. There is a fence surrounding this compound too. Bruno doesn't see any women, but he can see a lot of men and boys. He does find it interesting that they wear their pajamas all day, they are grey striped pajamas. Sometimes Bruno wishes he could wear his pajamas all day.

One day when Bruno is bored he decides to go exploring. He walks down the road, alongside the fence. After about an hour he sees a boy sitting by the fence. The boy is wearing the stripped pajamas and is on the other side of the fence. Bruno learns that he isn't in Germany, the Fatherland, anymore. He is in Poland. The boy is Polish and he was taken from his home against his will too. During the year that Bruno lives at Out-With, he visits the boy almost every day –weather permitting. The boy in the striped pajamas and Bruno forge a friendship.

There's more but I don't want to spoil it or give anything away, so I'm just going to stop there.

Now what you really want to know…my thoughts:
So hopefully from the clues you have realized that Bruno's father is in the German army during WWII. He is made Commandant of Auschwitz. The reason I didn't come out and say that in my description is because the way I did it, is the way you get it from Bruno. Bruno at times seems naïve. But you have to remember that he was young, his parents didn't explain what was going on in the world and what exactly his Dad did for a living. Plus it was a different time then, it was the media age that it is now. All Bruno knows is that he is taken from a home he loves and brought to a home where there are no other boys to play with and city to explore. He doesn't realize exactly what it is his father is doing and what is going in the concentration camp that is right by his house. However that is what makes this story so powerful! The story is told from a totally different point of view than what we normally get. It's told from a kids point of view, the way a kid experiences what is going on and understands what is going on.

I thought this was a very good book and recommend it to others. If you like reading books about WWII, then pick this one up. It's different from any other WWII book I have read. It is sad at the end, but it's worth the read. Now I was expecting something like what happened in the end, but that was due to reading other reviews and people talking about it. So I wasn't shocked but I know others who were.


This book has also been reviewed by:
Confessions of a Book Addict

Bermudaonion's Weblog

Bibliophile by the Sea
All About {n}

Thoughts of Joy

Reading Through the Night


Have you reviewed this book on your blog? Leave me a comment to let me know and I'll link it below.




Happy Reading and thanks for stopping by……Kris

Love, Lies, and Texas Dips by Susan McBride

Copyright: 2009
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Genre: young adult
Pages: 293
Challenges: Young Adult Challenge
New-to-me author? no
Author's website

Simple Description
Love, Lies, and Texas Dips picks up where the first in the series, The Debs, left off. There are four main charactors, three are friends and the fourth is pretty much their enemy. All 4 girls have been invited to The Glass Slipper Club, something all most girls aspire to be a part of in their area of Texas.

Mac is the only one of the 4 who doesn't really want to be a part of it. She isn't about dressing up and pretty much thinks it's shallow. She is doing it though, because her mother would have wanted her to. She has more important things to deal with – such as a step-mom she doesn't like, a father who isn't around much, and the realization that she wants to me more than just friends with her best friend, Alex.

Ginger is excited to be part of The Glass Slipper Club, especially since her two best friends are also in it. She is at her Grandmother's for tea one afternoon, when she finds out that her Grandmother has commissioned a portrait of Ginger in her gown. The same gown her Grandmother wore when she had her debute. It all sounds good until she learns that the person doing the portrait is an old comrade from grade school who put down her artwork.

Laura is the third person who makes up the friends group. She is bigger than the other girls, not exactly skinny. This is a major cause of concern for her mother and the bimbo's – the other girls who make fun of her for her weight. Laura is happy with who she is, but still has to deal with the weight issue. In this one it looks like Laura has a secret admirer, somebody is sending her yummy treats. The problem is that these are causing her to gain weight. When she confronts the guy she likes, he tells her the treats are not from him. Could the treats be a joke? Plus an evil rumor is spread around about her, once that could get her kicked out of the Glass Slipper Club. She isn't sure what to do.

Jo Lynn is the fourth main character and enemy to Laura and her friends. She is beautiful, skinny, and things seem to be wonderful. However she is evil. Jo Lynn is the type of character you love to hate. She hates Laura and will do whatever she can to ruin her life and her chance to be in The Glass Slipper Club. Things come to an boiling point when Jo Lynn believes her current boyfriend is cheating on her with Laura.

Now what you really want to know…my thoughts:
I enjoyed this one as much as I enjoyed the first one. Each of the girls is different and it's fun to see them interact with each other. Of course, as I said, Jo Lynn is the type of person you just love to hate. Oh man is she evil! I just wanted to slap her! Laura, Mac, and Ginger have a great friendship. What I love is that they have their issues to, they fight, they get mad at each other, it's not 100% awesome all the time. I also think it's fun to see what life is like for a Deb. Being from St. Louis, it's all kinda foreign to me. Of course, they could have those in STL but since I'm not incredibly wealthy, I don't see it. I also really like Laura. To me, Laura is more of a "normal" person. She has to constantly battler her weight and Jo Lynn. She's the type of person you want to root for and home they come out finishing first.

My only complaint is that the book ends with a cliff hanger. Nothing is really resolved in this one and it's totally left as is. Ack! No no no! I wanted to know what would happen to the rumors regarding Laura. I wanted to know what Jo Lynn's next step would be! So I guess it's not really something to complain about, I just don't want to have to wait till next year to see what happens! Haha! I will definitely be reading the next one, which has a release date of March 2010. And yes..I do recommend this one to others. I think teenage girls will really like this series.

and..I have a copy of this book to give away to one lucky winner! That will bein a seperate blog post!

Have you reviewed this book on your blog? Leave me a comment to let me know and I'll link it below.
Sorry, no linked reviews yet.


Happy Reading and thanks for stopping by……Kris

2009 Paranormal Challenge - completed

I completed another challenge! Woohoo! I think I'm doing much better with challenges than I did last year.

This challenge was hosted by Secret Dreamworld of a Bookaholic. The goal with this one was to read at least 2 books..I read my entire list of 7!


Each book listed below is linked to my review if you care to read it again.
New Moon by Stephanie Meyer
Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer
Breaking Dawn by Stpehanie Meyer
Playing with Fire by Drek Landy
An Ice Cold Grave by Charlaine Harris
Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Playing with Fire by Derek Landy

Copyright: 2008
Publisher: Harper Collins
Genre: Young Adult (#2 Skulduggery Pleasant)
Pages: 389
Challenges: TBR Challenge, Paranormal Challenge, Young Adult Challenge
New-to-me author? No
Author's website

Simple Description
In the 2^nd book in the series, the first is called Skulduggery Pleasant, Valkyrie has learned more fighting skills and how to use her magic. She still has a lot to learn, but she's training. She's going to use all the training she has received so far too. Together Valkyrie and Skulduggery attempt to kill the Grotesquery. The Grotesquery is made of several different body parts from different things. If the evil Baron gives the Grotesquery the last ingredient it needs to come alive, then on the full moon it can open up a portal to bring back the faceless ones. The faceless ones are evil and Skulduggery and Valkyrie need to stop the Grotesquery from coming alive. However..that doesn't happen. Once it is alive, they need the help of several others to try and stop the Grotesquery and the Baron – along with other evil villains. Especially those evil villains who seem intent on destroying Valkyrie.

While batteling evil villains, Valkyrie is also dealing with being a teenage and possibly missing out on an important part of her life. Her reflection is mostly going to school for her and interacting with her parents, but she wonders if maybe that isn't good. She misses her parents. Yet, she knows she needs to train and help save the world.

Now what you really want to know…my thoughts:
I liked the book, but admit that I didn't like it as much as I liked the first one. I'm not really sure why either. There was a lot going on and it kept the book moving and there were always twists and turns. I liked seeing Valkyrie being able to use magic and defend herself, although it was good to see her still make mistakes and not be excellent at it. She is still pretty young and new with it. Do I recommend this series? Heck yeah. I think kids will really enjoy this series. Will I continue to read it, yeah. Even though I didn't like this one as much as the first, I still really enjoyed it.



Have you reviewed this book on your blog? Leave me a comment to let me know and I'll link it below.

Sorry, no linked reviews yet.

Happy Reading and thanks for stopping by……Kris

Friday Smile - New York City pictures - finally

This one is for those of you who are fans of True blood.

Now...for those who want to see other pictures from the NYC trip...see below (it took me long enough to share didn't it?)

New York 2009

Promise of the Wolves by Dorothy Hearst

Copyright: 2008
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 335
Challenges: none
New-to-me author? yes
Author's website

Simple Description
This is a story about wolves and humans, dating about 14,000 years ago. The story is told from the point of view of a young wolf, Kaala. When the story starts she is a young pup. Her mother breed without the pack leaders approval and therefore he pups must die – especially because she breed with an outsider. However when it's Kaala's turn to be killed she stands up to the leaderwolf. Then two greatwolves appear. They decide that Kaala should live and her leaderwolf has to obey them, but he doesn't have to be happy about it. At first we learn about how Kaala is treated as an outcast by some but helped by others. She soon becomes friends with two other pups. However, soon she is show what/who humans are. She feels drawn to them. Wolf legand says that the wolves should not mix with the humans. If a wolf mixes with the humans they could be killed. If a wolf kills a human, their pack will be killed. However, Kaala is drawn to them.

One day when she is a bit older she ends up saving a human child from drowning. Soon she forms a bond with the human and visits her regularly. She must keep this secret because she could risk not becoming pack. Then things begin to get out of hand. There are whisperings that there will be a war between the humans and the wolves. Kaala is somehow meant to be more than she is, she is somehow meant to lead the other wolves in forming a bond with the humans. She doesn't know how though. She isn't even a year old, her pack leader doesn't like her or approve of her. How is she going to save her human friends and her pack?

Now what you really want to know…my thoughts:
Ok, yeah, I know, how good could a story be that is told from a wolf's point of view? To be honest, excellent! Oh yes, I loved loved loved this book! From the minute I started to read it, I didn't want to put it down. I admit that there were several times I picked the book up, only to put it down again and select something else. I'm so glad I finally picked it up and began to read it. I think the story itself is interesting, taking place long ago and showing the trials of a wolf pack and a human pack and how they are destined to be together but don't know it. I think it took me so long to actually begin reading it because I was afraid it just wouldn't work. That wasn't the case, thank goodness. The author does a wonderful job of drawing the reader into the story and keeping the story going. There always seems to be something going on. Either we are wondering what Kaala will do when faced with an obstacle or we are drawn into learning about a wolf pack and how they work. I admit that there were some parts when I thought "ok, that seemed over the top" but it didn't ruin the book for me. To be honest those parts were usually when the wolves were teasing each other or something like that, and it's just because I can't picture wolves teasing each other. Haha! But what do I know right?

I really do think this was a great book and recommend it to others. I think maybe others won't enjoy it as much as I did, but I hope you give it a chance to see. I checked the authors website and couldn't find where it mentioned if there would be a sequel or if this is the first in a series, but the book does end in such a way that there could be. Plus, on the cover it says something like "The Wolf Chronicles", so that gives me hope that there are more to come. I hope so..I really want to know what happens next!



Have you reviewed this book on your blog? Leave me a comment to let me know and I'll link it below.
Sorry, no linked reviews yet.




Happy Reading and thanks for stopping by……Kris

Thursday Thunk -

1. When you close a door, do you close it quick and just let it slam or do you hold the knob and slowly shut it tight? I normally close it quickly and get in trouble with it slams. But..I'm too lazy to do it slowly and quitly. haha! The only time I do it quitly is when the husband is still sleeping.

2.Train A is moving at 60 miles an hour. Train B is moving at 22 miles an hour. They will pass each other at X time. Now what color shoes are you wearing when train A derails? My current tennis shoes. They are puma's, the main color is white (leather) but the puma standard dsign is lime green. I love 'em! Plus..I'm so glad I didn't actually have to treat this like a math problem!!!

3. What if M&M's grew on trees? What color M&M tree would you have? Blue. I love the blue colored m&m's. If I could have blue my selection would be green. Could I have a hybred? Blue and green?

4. How many petals on a flower does it take to make it the perfect bloom? Um, 5?

5. I took you to spend $421.67 on you, what did we spend that money on? Oh boy is this one ever easy! A new pair of tennis shoes, possibly deisels but that would require us to buy them online, but we could stop somewhere and do that right? a pair of heels -because a girl can never have enough heels. Then some books - of course!!!!! One can never have too many books, in my opinion. Then we would need to get some new pants and some shirts. Possibly some new running shoes. Oh dear...I think I need more than $421.67.

6. If you were a squash, what type of squash would you be? I don't even know the different kinds of squash! I think I'll not answer this one.

7. Have you ever gotten a wrong number call and ended up talking to the person for longer than 5 minutes? Every once in awhile, when they want to argue with me that it's not a wrong number. or..when they call and ask for somebody and I tell them the wrong number. Then they ask who I am. I refuse to answer, they argue. Then they ask what number they called, I tell them that they called me so they should know. I eventually hang up.

8. Why haven't you joined Berleen & Kimber at Insanity Cafe yet? Do we stink? I haven't joined, but assume you don't stink!

9. Now for one of Ber's questions back when TT was brand new... Shampoo bottles say lather, rinse, repeat... do you? Sometimes. Most days I don't..I use shampoo once and conditioner once. Although after swimming in the pool I'll shampoo twice because of the chemicals.

10. It's July, the year is half over. Do you see it as "whew that part is over" or best is yet to come? I see it as "OMG! I can't believe it's June already!"

11. Why do you do the Thursday Thunks meme? I think they are fun! I got out of the habit of doing them and hopefully doing them this week will put me back in the habit?

The I suck at challenges challenge – update 6 (June)

This fun challenge is being hosted by book-a-rama.

Originally June was supposed to be the last day for this challenge but I'm so glad to report that Book-a-rama has decided to continue it! Yeah!

Overall Progress?
Overall I think I did very well. I did complete one challenge and I'm very close to completing several others. I'm not accepting as many review books as I have in the past, but I still have several that I need to read, so that's one of my excuses as to why I'm not doing as well as I would like. Haha! There are still several challenges that I'm not doing too well on..but I think I might concentrate on finishing some of the ones I'm close to finishing and then I can concentrate on the ones I'm lagging behind in. At least..the plan sounds good right? Only time will tell if I actually follow it. Of course, I have a couple of challenges that finish in the next couple of months so I need to concentrate on those.



Total challenges that I'm competing in as of June 1st:
13(this doesn't count the completed challenges from earlier in the year)


Completed Challenges in June:
Love Bites

Total completed challenges in 2009:
20 Books in 2009 - Challenge completed 02/2009
The Pub Challenge - challenge completed 05/2009
Love Bites – challenge completed 06/2009

Challenges I read a qualifying book for in June:
Young Adult
I read 1 book (Lily Dale: Awakening)
At the end of June I had 4/12 completed

Paranormal 2009
I read 1 book (Moon Called)
At the end of June I had 6/7 completed

Read-Your-Own Books
I read 3 books (Murder is Binding, Moon Called, Lily Dale: Awakening)
At the end of June I had 13/26 completed

TBR Challenge
I read 1 book (Design for Murder)
At the end of June I had 5/24 completed (I'm counting my main list and alternate list since I'm going to try and read all of them)

Series Challenge 3
I read 2 books (Dead and Gone, Just Over the Mountain)
At the end of June I had 12/21 books completed, 6/12 series completed.

1st in a series challenge
I read 2 books (Murder is Binding, Moon Called)
At the end of June I had 3/12 completed

Cozy Mystery Challenge (April-Sept)
I read 2 books (Murder is Binding, Design for Murder)
At the end of June I had 3/6 completed

Love Bites (April – June)
I read 2 books (Moon Called, Dead and Gone)
At the end of June I had 3/3 completed

Progress for challenges that I didn't read a book for in June:
9 books for 2009
At the end of June I had 4/9 completed

Arthurian Challenge (April 2009 – March 2010)
At the end of June I had 0/2 completed

War Through The Generations
At the end of June I had 3/5 completed

Chunkster Challenge
At the end of June I had 2/3 completed

Non-Fiction Five Challenge (May-Sept)
At the end of June I had 1/5 completed

June 2009 Reads

Fun Reading Facts for June:
Total books read: 9
New Authors: 5
Mystery: 6
Non-Fiction: 0
Fiction: 1
Young Adult: 2
Pages: 2812

Murder is Binding by Lorna Barrett
Roadside Crosses by Jeffery Deaver
Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
The Hourglass Door by Lisa Mangum
Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris
Lily Dale: Awakening by Wendy Corsi Staub
Just Over the Mountain by Robyn Carr
Design for Murder by Carolyn G. Hart
Accidents Waiting to Happen by Simon Wood

Walgreens and paperback books - sale and coupon

I noticed in the Walgreens ad for my area (St. Louis, Mo) there was a coupon for $2 off of a paperback book. I had to stop by Walgreens yesterday so of course I took advantage of it.

Well..when I got home I looked at my receipt and the book had been on sale for $3.99 (instead of $7.99)! And..I still got the $2 off for the coupon. So I only paid $1.99 for the book. woohoo!

I have no idea if it was the book I bought that was on sale or if all of them are. I bought Dust to Dust by Heather Graham. I checked the ad and didn't see where the books were advertised as being on sale. I don't remember seeing a sale sign while I was looking at the books.

So..if you have a Walgreens by you - it might be worth stopping in to see if you can get a cheap book. I think I'll be stopping at another after work to see if I can get the same deal. If I do..I'll update this post.

Coupon Savings for June

Total savings for June: $132.79


Grocery store:
06/11 - $19.05
06/25 - $23.28
Total: $42.33

Walgreens/Target:
06/01 - $2.50
06/07 - $28.87
06/07 - $12.14
06/30 - $5.16
Total: $48.67

Books:
06/05 - $1.75
06/11 - $4.99
06/24 - $2.25
Total: $8.99

Scrapbooking/Hobbies:
05/31 - $4.00
06/03 - $8.00
06/24 - $7.50
Total: $19.50

Misc. House:
05/31 - $13.30