August 2010 Reads

Total Books Read: 9

New authors: 4
Mystery: 2
Fiction:4
Non-fiction: 1
Young adult: 2
Pages: 2164
Audio: 2


The Golden Spiral by Lisa Mangum
Second Chance Pass by Robyn Carr
Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin
The Pagan Stone by Nora Roberts
Night of the Living Deed by E. J. Copperman
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Looking For Alaska by John Green
The Darling Dahlias and the Cucumber Tree by Susan Wittig Albert
Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon


Challenges
Series Challenge - 5/7 books, 1/3 series
What's in a Name?  - 5/6
Chic Lit Challenge - 4/8
Year of the Historical - 8/12
War Through the Generations - 4/5
Stephanie Plum - 4/5
Young Adult - 11/12
Thriller and Suspense - 12/12 - completed!
TBR - 8/24
Audio Book - 18/20
Buy 1 Book and Read it - 9/12



Overall, I think I'm doing pretty good with my challenges.  I finished another one, so I'm down to only 10.  However I start another one next month (The Hometown challenge if anybody is interested!).  I have several more that I'm close to finishing..only one or two books away.  I'm going to try and focus on those next month and then I can hopefully focus on the others since I'm not doing too well with them.  

Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon

#2 Outland series
Genre: Fiction
Pages: audio
Challenges: audio book, year of the historical
Author's Website 
My rating: 2.8/5

Simple Description:
I don't believe I'm going to give anything away, especially when I looked at the description of the book on Amazon and this info was there.  However, if you don't want to read the following description, I understand.  Let me say this, I didn't read the description before listening to this book and I was rather confused at first and I think that set the tone for the book.

So...without further ado:

This book starts when Claire being out of the past into her present day, which is 1968 for us.  She has a daughter, Brianna.  Frank has passed away and this is the first time Claire travels back to Scotland and she brings her daughter with her.  Her daughter looks a lot like Jamie.  The first part of the book takes place in this setting, 1968.

Then we finally move on to when Claire is back in Scotland in the 18th century.   They arrive in Paris where Jamie works for a relative who is a merchant.  Lot's of stuff happens while in Paris.  It appears a rumor is going around that Claire is a bit of a witch, which actually helps her out of  a sticky situation.  She gets bored and decides to volunteer at a local hospital, where she meets some interesting individuals.  They are trying to keep Charles from going after the crown, yet have to appear that they support him.

Then we eventually move back to Scotland where it appears war is imminent and there isn't anything Jamie and Claire can do to stop it.



Now what you really want to know....my thoughts:
Ok..so I didn't go into a lot of detail with my description.  There is just so much that happens and it's such a long book that it's hard to do that.   I hadn't realized that the beginning of the book wasn't going to be set in the 18th century like the last one ended and it really threw me for a loop.  I was confused for a bit and I think that really set the tone for the book.    It picked up for me once Claire went back in time telling her story.  However, it was just so looooong.  Some things seemed to drag, I spent a lot of time thinking ok..let's move on. There was a lot of me just wanting the story to end.

I'm glad I did finish it though, I ended up liking it more than I expected to or thought I would based on the beginning.  I liked it enough to plan on reading the 3rd book in the series.   I just can't rate it higher because I did think it was too long and I did want it to end. I was tempted to stop listening to it several times.  I will say that the 2nd half was much better than the first and kept my interest more.    By this point, I've invested too much time the story of Jamie and Claire to just stop. lol!  

Also, one thing that was a pet peeve, if you will, it's really annoying that Jamie keeps telling Claire that she is his.  "You are mind Claire. Mine!"   Yeah..that just rubs me the wrong way.  I know that it's the 18th century and I'm a product of the 20-21st century.  That's the only reason it doesn't bother me more than it would if I was reading a more modern book.

Audio Review
Davina Porter is the narrator for the audio version of Dragonfly in Amber.  I think she does a wonderful job.  She changes her voice for Jamie and Clair (and others).  You don't have any trouble telling when the speaker changes.   Davina is very easy to understand.  I love that she does speak with a Scottish accent as well, that really helps bring the story to life.  I can honestly say that if I had read the book instead of listening to it, I probably would have given up on it.   I highly recommend this book in audio.

Keep in mind that it is in 2 parts, a total of 33 disks.  I rented this from the library (requested it online) and somehow got lucky that I selected one of the part 1 disks to rent first.  I knew that the cover said 33 disks and part 1 and that this was disk 1-17, but evidently that didn't register with me because when I was finished with part 1 I was surprised that the story wasn't over. haha!  I then had to rent part 2 and waited a couple weeks before I could get my hands on a copy.

The Darling Dahlias and the Cucumber Tree by Susan Wittig Albert

#1 Darling Dahlias
Copyright: 2010
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime (penguin)
Genre: mystery
Pages: 283
Author's Website
My rating: 4/5

Simple Description:
This book takes place in the early 30's in a small Southern town.  The Darling Dahlias is a gardening group.  These ladies range from the wealthy and the working woman.   The Dahlias have a new clubhouse, a house left to them by a woman who recently passed away.  There are some rumors behind the land they received. It's rumored that a ghost haunts the property looking for her baby, silver, and/or jewels.  The Dahlias are soon embarking on their own mysteries.   Bunny Scott is found dead, at first it appears to be a car wreck but some of the Dahlias who knew her don't think so and they start asking some questions.  Another Dahlia who works at the bank is accused of stealing money, but they know she didn't do it.  Problem is, they don't know who did and with it being the Depression, there is a lot of concern about the bank closing.  There is also the mystery of the escaped convict and whether or not he is still in the area or not.

Now what you really want to know....my thoughts: 
I loved this book!  What a great start to a new series by Susan Wittig Albert.  I'm having trouble putting my finger on exactly what I liked about it, I just know that I did.  We don't actually get to the first mystery until about 100 pages in, so don't expect this to be like other books.  The characters don't find the body and immediately investigate.  Instead, there are little things (and big things) going on in town that the different characters are interested in and decide to do some snooping or just happen to be in the right place at the right time to witness or help in something.   This read more like a story of some women in a small Southern town than it did a mystery, at least to me.

I definitely think a lot of you will like this one.  Just remember it's a cozy and not a harder mystery.  Keep in mind that it seems the mystery is only a secondary part of the story but that the characters and their lives are the main thing (and I hope that doesn't scare any of you away from reading it).

Thanks to Penguin for providing this book for review.

Friday Smile - Family Pool Party

Once again we celebrated my Grandma's birthday with a pool party at my house.  It works out great because she gets to enjoy the pool (which she loves) and play with all the great-grand kids.   This year, Husband had mentioned wanting to get a slip n slide for the nephews.  It just so happens that my sister recently bought one, so she brought it along.  I must admit, while I wasn't excited about the idea at first (why use a slip n slide when we have a pool?) it ended up being a lot of fun watching the nephews and a couple big kids use it.

My Grandma, the birthday girl

The nephews all needed a push from their daddies to get down the slip n slide, but they loved it

Husband didn't need a push

Now...this one.  This was soo funny.  He had trouble getting the ice cream on the spoon, but he knew he should be using the spoon.  So he picked up pieces of ice cream, put it on the spoon, then lifted the spoon to it.  We were laughing so hard and he had no idea why. 

This is my oldest sister, mother to two of the boys pictured above.  This was taken on 8/21.  I'm happy to report that baby boy #3 was born on the 25th!   I was able to hold him at the hospital but came from work and didn't have a camera, so no good pictures.   Hopefully I'll have some for next week.

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Copyright: 2008
Publisher: Knopf
Genre: YA
Pages: 221
Challenges: What's in a Name, Young Adult
Author's Website
My rating: 4/5 stars

Simple Description: 
Miles Halter isn't the most popular guy, in fact, he doesn't even have any friends.  He has decided to make some changes with his life and that involves finishing highschool at a boarding school in Alabama.  His roommate, Chip, becomes his best friend.  Chip is incredibly smart and also dirt poor.  Chip introduces Miles to Alaska.  Alaska is also appears to be poor and very smart.  Both of these individuals become Mile's best friends.  Alaska and Chip are also into pranks and drinking and smoking.  Miles is being introduced to a lot at this boarding school and he loves it.   He is also falling in love with Alaska, even though she already has a boyfriend.

This book takes us through a school year for Miles.  Miles really grows this year, he is forced to in a way.

I really don't want to say more though, because I don't want to give anything away.

Now what you really want to know....my thoughts: 
I thought this book was really really good.  I thought the writing was excellent.  The storyline flowed very well and kept my interest.  You couldn't help but really like Miles.  In fact, while Alaska's mood swings were a bit annoying (but oh so true for a teenage girl!), you loved all the main characters.  It actually made me wish that I had been sent to boarding school so I could experience this too.  Of course, living in dorms in college is probably the same thing.

I read this with a couple other ladies, one of which doesn't really read YA's, and we all loved this book.  Definitely one that I recommend.


This book is part of my collection and was either bought or given to me.

Mailbox Monday

Mondays in August, Chick Loves Lit will be hosting Mailbox Monday, created by The Printed Page!

Mailbox Monday is touring through blogs in the upcoming months - if you're stopping by on the tour please make sure to say hello :)

"Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists. 

If you’re new to Mailbox Monday welcome! Thank you to everyone who stops byMailbox Monday. Whether you comment or visit I appreciate your taking the time to drop in."

I received one book in the mail this past week and I'm really looking forward to reading it.

Pretty Little Things by Jilliane Hoffman

Here's the description from the author's website:

Thirteen-year-old Lainey Emerson is the middle child in a home police are already familiar with: her mom works too much and her stepfather favors his own blood over another man’s problems—namely Lainey and her wild older sister, Liza. When Lainey fails to come home from a Friday night out with friends, her disappearance is initially dismissed by the Coral Springs P.D. as just another disillusioned South Florida teen running away from suburban drama and an unhappy home life.
But Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Special Agent Bobby Dees, who heads up the Department’s difficult Crimes Against Children Squad (CAC), is not quite so sure. Nicknamed “The Shepherd” by colleagues, he has an uncanny ability to find the missing and bring them back home—dead or alive. After a search of Lainey’s computer and a frank talk with her best friend reveal the teen was involved in a secret internet relationship, Bobby suspects she may be the victim of an online predator.  And when chilling evidence of other possible victims is sent to a Miami television station, he fears she may not be the only one.
The faceless monster from cyberspace who has gone to remarkable lengths to stay invisible now seeks a captive audience. And it’s Bobby Dees he wants watching. Haunted by the still unsolved disappearance of his own teenage daughter, Bobby will find himself pulled into a deadly game of cat and mouse with the most prolific killer he’s ever encountered. But will he be able to save Lainey and the others before it’s too late?

Used Book Fair - mission accomplished

Yesterday was the annual YMCA used bookfair.  This is a huge event, they advertise over 1 million books available.  How could I possibly resist?  This is actually only the 2nd year I've attended it.  My Mom was in town and so I brought her with me. She did bring a bag, but only one, and it wasn't that big.  She says she'll be better prepared for next year.   I had to go out to the car and bring in 2 more bags because we filled the bags I initially brought in. haha!  All in all it was a successful trip.  In fact, so successful,  I need to list the books and hurry up and put them in my library before the husband wakes up and see's how many I actually bought.  (update: Husband did wake up and come into the pc room while I was typing this up and he saw all the books and asked where I got them.  I said the book fair yesterday, and he was actually interested in looking at some.  He commented on the Historian - he's heard about it, and he wanted to know what another one was.  He didn't seem too interested in any others and is now playing video games. lol  I'm just thankful he didn't ask how much I spent or comment on the amount of books.)

I can't remember exactly what my Mom bought but I know she got books 1-7 of the Women's Murder Club.  Neither one of us has read any of these books, but we have both heard they are good.  When we were looking at a couple of them, we had several woman tell us how great they were.  So, my Mom decided to go ahead and get the first couple.  Then we kept seeing more and more.  We didn't see any copies of 8 & 9, but never fear, we are confident we'll find them next year at this event.  She got all in hardback, each was in like new condition, and the most she paid was $3 per book.  Sweet!     She also got a lot of Mariah Stewart paperbacks.  I had mentioned that I liked the books I've read by the author, although I haven't read many.  We saw several paperbacks so she got all the ones we found that were in good condition.  At only $0.50 per paperback, it was worth getting them. If she ends up not liking them, we can always donate or sell them.  I can't remember what else she got though.

Now on to the fun part! What did yours truly purchase? Way too many would be my husbands response.  
In fact, because I bought so many, I'm going to share the titles in groups.

Hardcovers
The following 4 are books in series that I currently read but didn't have - of course I couldn't pass them up.
Fatally Flaky by Diane Mott Davidson ($5)
Aunt Dimity Takes a Holiday by Nancy Atherton ($2)
Aunt Dimity and the Next of Kin by Nancy Atherton ($2)
The Silver Needle Murder by Laura Childs  ($3)

The Trouble with Tulip by Mindy Starns Clark ($2) - never read anything by this author but it sounded cute
Enemy Women by Paulette Jiles ($1) - never heard of this one but it sounds interesting.  It's a civil war book and the main character is from Southern Missouri and ends up in a prison in St. Louis (where I live)
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova ($3) - reading this with a friend later this month, rented the audio version but thought it would be good to have a print copy too
Strange Affair by Peter Robinson ($1) - never read anything by this author, not sure I've heard of him but it's a signed first edition and figured for $1, if I didn't like it I could always sell it
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe ($4) - I know I've read several reviews of this one on other blogs, for the life of me I couldn't remember if people like it or not though and if I put it on my wish list. haha
The Templar Legacy by Steve Berry ($2) - my sister and her husband love his books, figured it was time I tried them myself
The Widow's War by Sally Gunning $2)

Young Adult
They priced the young adult $1.25 per inch.  I spent more on these than I would have liked (if they had counted the paperbacks as only $0.50 like the rest it would have been a lot cheaper) but think I got some great finds.  I spent $12.50 for all of these.

Tempted by P.C. Cast + Kristin Cast (hardcover)
How to Be Popular by Meg Cabot (hardcover)
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson (trade) I'm most excited about this one. I found it right away and immediately texted a friend because I'm scheduled to buddy read it with her and another friend in November.  It was meant to be!
I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak (trade)
How to Speak Dragonese by Hiccup Horrendous Haddack III translated by Cressida Cowell (hardback)  Don't believe I have ever heard of this one but it looks cute
Ghosthunts and the Incredibly Revolting Ghost! by Cornelia Funke(hardcover)
Ghosthunts and the Gruesome Invincible Lightning Ghost! by Cornelie Funke(hardcover) - I haven't read any of these books by Funke but they looked cute and thought my nephews or future kids might like
The 39 Clues - book 2 - One False Note by Gordon Korman (hardcover) - even had the 6 cards inside!
The 39 Clues - book 4 - Beyond the Grave by Jude Watson (hardcover) - I haven't read, nor do I own, any of the 39 clues books but I've heard they are good and figured the nephews or my future kids might like them. These are hardcover and in excellent condition, obviously another pair I couldn't pass up
one of those hideous books where the mother dies by Sonya Sones (paperback)
Freaky Green Eyes by Joyce Carol Oats (paperback) - haven't heard anything about this one but I like several of her adult books, felt this one was worth a try
The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander (paperback) - never heard of this one but it's a Newberry Honor book so I felt it was worth it
A Voice From the Border by Pamela Smith Hill (paperback) - never heard of this one but it's another civil war book that takes place in Missouri
Dear America - A Line in the Sand - The Alamo Diary of Lucinda Lawrence (hardcover) - I've never heard of this one, sounds like Dear America is a series? I'll have to look it up.  It's in great condition and had a blue ribbon bookmark attached

I also bought the following by Lemony Snicket.  They are all part of the A Series of Unfortunate Events. I listened to all but #13 on audio and really enjoyed them.  These three were all hardbacks in excellent condition and once again I couldn't pass them up because I thought the nephews and future kids could read them.  I'm hoping that I'll eventually find the rest of the series in hardback at the two huge used book fairs STL has every year.

#1 - The Bad Beginning
#3 - The Wide Window
#6 - The Ersatz Elevator

Paperbacks
The following are all paperbacks, mostly trade paperback size.  While paperbacks were $0.50 unless otherwise marked, most of the trade paperbacks were more expensive because of their size.  Also, my Mom and I couldn't find any tables of paperbacks marked fiction other than the larger sized table.  How weird is that right?  They had several mystery tables that were mass market paperbacks but no fiction.

Dead Man's Island by Carolyn G. Hart ($0.50)
Dead Man Docking by Mary Daheim ($0.50)
Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen ($0.50) -  this was another that I was super excited to find since I've been wanting to read something by this author for awhile
The Thistle and the Rose by Jean Plaidy ($1)
The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant ($2) The funny thing is that this book had 3 tickets in it, from 2007, two for the London Underground and 1 for Shakespeare's Glove
The Last Van Gogh by Alyson Richman ($0.50) - I haven't read anything by this author but the book sounded good
She Went All the Way by Meg Cabot ($2)
Soul Catcher by Michael White ($2)  - This one was familiar, not sure if I've just seen it at the bookstore or read some reviews online.
Welcome to the Great Mytserious by Lorna Landvik ($1)
Patty Jane's House of Curl by Lorna Landvik ($0.50)
House of Daughters by Sarah-Kate Lunch ($2) - This one sounded familiar too, but not sure why, sounds good though.
The Whiskey Rebels by David Liss ($3) - I was excited about finding this one too because I was recently looking at it at the bookstore and wanting it
The Likeness by Tana French ($2)


I spent $63.50 but walked away with a lot of great finds and I'm excited by the amount of books I was able to get for that price.   My Mom and I spent 4 hours at the book fair and didn't even get to all the tables.   My Mom mentioned maybe going back today. haha!  Then she found out that on Wednesday you can fill a box with books and the entire box is only $10, she's tempted to go again.  I wish I could go. In fact, she tried to convince me to take off work and go.

Weekend Cooking - Texas Potatoes

Weekend Cooking is hosted by Beth Fish Reads and is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.


This week, because my husband requested I make these yesterday for a family swim party and the recipe was already out on my counter, I'm sharing a Texas Potatoes recipe.  Many of you probably already have the same one or similar, but if not....here you go!  My family loves these..in fact I got this recipe from my sister who got it from one of my aunts.  I would have to say that 9 out of 10 times there is a gathering that involves food, Texas Potatoes makes an appearance.  It's not the healthiest, but it sure is yummy.

Ingredients
1 bag square hash browns
1 can cream of chicken soup
16 oz sour cream
8 oz mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup butter
salt and pepper to taste
cheddar cheese

Directions
Pre-heat oven to 350f  (or...a lot of times I'll make this dish the day before and store it in the fridge.  I'll take it out a little before I have to cook it to let it start warming up but the cooktime is usually the same)

Mix together the hash browns, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and mozzarella cheese.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Spread in a 9x13" pan.  Melt butter and pour over the top.  Put cheddar cheese on top.

Bake for 45 min.

Friday Smile - Oliver turned 2

Another nephew's birthday has come and gone.  Oliver turned two earlier this month and I finally have some pictures of his b-day party to share.   Husband and I did give him clothes (because he has a ton of toys already and my sister thought it would be a good idea since the hand-me-down jeans are a bit worn).  He wasn't excited about those, so I'm glad I also gave him a couple of small toys.  He's too young to hold a grudge against aunt's that give clothes for presents. haha

Oliver's older brother (in the green shirt) looks like he's ready to blow out that candle and get to the fun part...actually eating the cake.  Oh..and that cake..yup..my sister made it and did the icing.  I'm glad somebody in this family has some talent. 

My sister's husband's sister (you followed that right?) recently had a little girl.  The boy with the dark brown hair and the little girl are her two kids and the other two are my sister's boys.   Oliver was actually really cute with the new baby, can't wait to see how he reacts to his new little brother when he arrives.

What's that?  New little brother?  Yup....here's a picture of my sister (the boy's Mom).  Her third boy is due  in 8 days!   Be on the lookout for a future Friday smile showing off the new addition  - whenever he decides to make an appearance).

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Copyright: 1939 (my copy)
Publisher: Triangle Books
Genre: fiction/classic
Pages: 390
Challenges: Historical
My rating: 2/5

Seeing as how this one is a classic and most have either read this book or heard of it, I'm not going to follow my normal review format.  I'm going to refrain from giving a description of this book.

I've said it before and I'll say it agian, I'm really not much of a classics persons.  Which probably leads you to ask yourself "If you don't like classics, why did yo read this one?"  Well, here's the thing.  I don't really like any of the classics I've read, yet so many rave about classics in general that I feel like I'm missing out by not having read others.   When one of my friends said she was reading Wuthering Heights as a buddy read with another group, I decided to read it along with her.  I thought that maybe, just maybe, if we read it together and discussed it, I might actually like it.   Let me say right now that I just don't get why so many seem to like this one.  haha!  As you can see, this book did not change my opinion/view of classics.

I never really connected with any of the characters.  I felt they were mostly mean, annoying, and spoiled.  Maybe I'm not supposed to connect with them, maybe my views are exactly the views I'm supposed to have. I'm not sure, but I do know it didn't make me want to read more.  

This book really didn't do anything for me.  zip zilch nada.

I was thinking I would browse the Wuthering Heights info at sparknotes to get more of an understand of what I was supposed to pick up on while reading this one, but alas, I really don't have any desire to.

How about you, have you read Wuthering Heights?  Did you like it?  If so...inquiring minds what to know what you liked about it?  I didn't like anything..what did I miss?




This book is part of my collection and was either bought or given to me.

Now on Facebook!

Not Enough Books now has a facebook account.   I'm somewhat excited about this and hope you are too.  I don't know how many will want to follow this blog on facebook, I suppose this can be considered an experiment.

If you wish to follow on facebook, you can do so by clicking HERE.

Night of the Living Deed by E.J. Copperman

#1 Haunted Guesthouse Mystery
Copyright: 2010
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime (Penguin)
Genre: mystery
Pages: 325
Challenges: thriller and suspense
Author's Website
My rating: 3.5/5

Simple Description: 
Alison Kerby has recently bought a 100 year old house in a small town on the Jersey Shore.  She has moved in with her 9 year old daughter and has plans to renovate it and then open it as a guest house.   While working   on the house one day Alison hits her head and has a concussion.  When she comes to, she can see ghosts.  To be more exact, she can see two ghosts that haunt her house.   At first she thinks she's imaging it but after several days the ghosts won't go away and they are talking to her.

The ghosts are the two people who were found dead in her house almost a year ago.  One, Maxie, was the owner and the other, Paul, was a private investigator helping Maxie with some threats she was getting.  They want Alison to figure out who murdered them, even though the cops say it was suicide, and Maxie won't stop sabotaging the remodeling until Alison agree's to it.  When Alison starts getting threatening messages herself, she finally agree's to look into their murder with Paul's help.

Now what you really want to know....my thoughts:
I actually thought this was a great book in a new series.  I loved that it was different from other cozies out there.  Alison doesn't readily snoop and investigate a murder, she really doesn't want to but finally agree's in order to get the ghosts to leave her alone.  This was both different and refreshing for a main character in a cozy series.

I also liked how Alison tried to deal with these two ghosts when others were around.  She didn't want to tell people she could see ghosts because she didn't want them to think she was off her rockers.  There were several instances where this was fun and I liked how she handled it.

There were some issues with this book, things I hope are maybe just part of a first book jitters and won't be in the 2nd book in the series.  I wish I had been able to bookmark some examples so I could show you, but I didn't.  The main character did things like constantly remind the reader that she doesn't cook.  Ok..I got it once, I don't need to be reminded of this several times.  There were also times when the main character would just talk/think something that I didn't think had any relevance to the story itself.  Maybe it was supposed to make her seem like your average person, but it just annoyed me a bit.  Now, I have to be honest and say that my emotions/moods are going up and down lately.  So it could also be that I was in a different mood when reading this one.  I think we all know that sometimes our moods effect how well we like or don't like a book sometimes.    It could be that things that annoyed me a bit while reading this are things that haven't annoyed me in the past and won't annoy me in the future.

I can honestly say, though, that I did really enjoy this book and you can bet I'll read the 2nd in the series.
I really like the idea of this one.  I like the idea of the two ghosts who can't leave the property but want to know what happened to them.   I was wondering how that would work towards future books in the series and it's revealed to us in the end.   I definitely recommend this one to others, especially if you already like a good cozy mystery.



 Thanks to the publisher for providing this book in hopes of a review.

CSN Stores + upcoming giveaway

I was contacted by CSN Stores not too long ago about doing a review/giveaway on my blog.  At that time I was not familiar with the company so I happily went looking.  Oh my!  You can find just about anything on their website.  They offer things such as dutch ovens (something I've personally been coveting for awhile even though I'm not the cook in the family), eco-friendly products (which has my attention since I'm an eco-friendly geek), and so much more.  They have  hundreds of products, many from brands you probably already know and trust.  Plus, they have a lot of cool stuff I wouldn't have found otherwise.


Ok, I just love these plates and want to share a picture.  There is a company on there called notNeutral that has a series of plates that are maps of cities.  How cool!  Of course, it's of cool cities like Rome and London and not St. Louis. 

Alright, I think I've spent enough time shopping on that website, I keep finding things I want!  Stay tuned to see what product I decide to try out and for information on how you could win a giftcard. 

Strut your Shelves featuring Melissa from Palmer's Picks for Reading

I've known Melissa for years, long before I started this here blog.  We both happen to belong to the same yahoo group where we talk about, what else, books and reading.

Melissa was kind enough to jump on board and agree to my pleading and feature her shelves on here.  If I must be honest, I've known her for years but I've never seen her shelves!  I can't believe how many she has!  She is one lucky woman to have a husband willing to make shelves to accommodate all the books she has.   In fact, when she sent me the pictures she said "Taking the pictures, I realize I have a crap load of books." lol!  Yes she does! But I, for one, think it's wonderful!  I would rather fill up my house with books instead of a lot of other items people collect.  

Melissa also had this to say about her shelves:

The books on the floor are the ARCs that I have been sent to review.  The ceiling shelves are over top of the doorways in our hallways--Lucky built me shelves whereever he could.

The books aren't really organized anymore because I have too many but the scary thing is I can usually remember what shelf section the book is in.  

If you haven't checked out Melissa's blog, Palmer's Picks for Reading, I highly recommend it.  The reviews are short and sweet and to the point. They are perfect for somebody like me who doesn't have time to read a lot of posts every day and quickly falls behind in my blog reading.   I'm constantly adding young adult titles to my wish list thanks to her, and cozy mysteries, she's a cozy fan too. 

Without further ado, here are her shelves: (you can click on each picture to view a bigger version if you wish)

I want to know what that fancy looking book is under Breaking Dawn (at least I think it's Breaking Dawn..I do believe it's one of the Twilight saga books anyway).  I sure hope the ones on the shelves above the doors are ones you have already read!  I can picture myself falling off a ladder trying to get a book down, I'm such a klutz.

Thanks Melissa for agreeing to appear on Strut your Shelves, I don't know about anybody else but I enjoyed looking at your shelves and books. 

(If you would like to be featured on Strut Your Shelves, please email me at notenoughbooksblog@gmail.com.  Don't forget, you don't have to blog to be featured, you just need to have books on shelves.)

The Pagan Stone by Nora Roberts

#3 Sign of Seven trilogy
Publisher: audio version - Brilliance Audio
Genre: fiction
Challenges: Audio Book challenge
Author's Website
My rating: 2.75/5

Simple Description: 
In this final addition to the trilogy, we focus more on Gage and Cybil, the last duo.  Of course, like the other two books these two were not a couple at the beginning but they were by the end.  

It's getting closer to the date, the date that the 6 will need to come together and fight the evil that has been terrorizing Hawkins Hallow every 7 years since the three boys were little.   We find that Gage enjoys his single life and plans to get out of town as soon as it's over.  Then we find that it might take his sacrifice in order to kill the evil thing, and he's willing to do that.

Gage and Cibil both share the ability of precognition.  They band together to try and get a glimpse of what's to come so they can better prepare for things and for the final battle.


Now what you really want to know....my thoughts: 
I thought the book was good, but not great.  I liked it more than I liked the 2nd one in the trilogy and I think it's because I liked the character of Gage a lot more than I did Fox (the main guy character in the 2nd book).  I'm not sure why I didn't like this trilogy more than I did, I would expect to because it has a paranormal aspect to it.  I still thought it was good and a decent read.  It just left me wanting more.  

This is the first Nora Roberts trilogy I've tried and I have read a couple of other blog reviews and it seems this isn't one of her best.  With that in mind, I'll be giving another trilogy/series a try in hopes I like it more.

This trilogy was read by Dan John Miller.  I think he did an excellent job.  He changed his voice enough for each character that you could easily tell them apart and that always makes for a better audio book in my opinion.



 This audio book was rented from my local library.

If the weather where you are is as hot as it is where I am....

(Thanks to Kittling: Books for sharing on her blog..I felt this was too fun not to pass on)

Friday Smile - weddings

My Mom got remarried last month and I was finally able to get some pictures.   They got married at a friend's house in Utah, with the beautiful mountains in the background.  Their friend even got a license so he could marry them.  It was a very informal gathering, but to me, that's what weddings are supposed to.  Something with your friends and those you love in a setting you adore.

Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin

Copyright: 2005
Publisher: Running Press
Genre: non-fiction, diet/health
Pages: 191
Author's Website
My rating: 2.5/5


Taken from the front of the book "A no-nonsense, tough-love guide for savvy girls who want to stop eating crap and start looking fabulous!"


I've seen this book at the bookstore and finally decided to get it from the library and see what all the fuss is about.  I'm trying to eat healthier and thought this book might have some tips for me.   At first I thought it was going to be a great book.  The attitude, while it might not work for some, worked for me.  They were pretty forward, do use some curse words, but that didn't bother me.  It definitely was easier reading than other health books I've read.    I thought they made some great points at first too.

Here are some examples:

"Don't talk to me until I've had my mourning coffee." Uhm...pathetic! Coffee is for pussies.  Think about how widely accepted it has become that people need coffee to wake up.  You should not need anything to wake up. If you can't wake up without it, it's because you are either addicted to caffeine, sleep deprived, or a generally unhealthy slob.  page 15

Ok..so that one gives you an idea of how they talk.  I also think it's funny because some days I think Husband and I are the only ones left in the US who DON'T drink coffee (seriously..some books can annoy me because the character's are always buying coffee, drinking coffee, etc.).  For once somebody else is on my side!


Give up the notion that you can be sedentary and still lose weight.  You need to exercise, you lazy shit. Eating Properly will dramatically improve your health, body, and all aspects of your life.  But you've still gotta move your ass.  page 20


Ok..that's just another example of the way they "talk".  I think they cuss less as the book goes on, but it could also be that I was used to it and didn't notice it.  This didn't bother me, because I happen to cuss a lot in real life (I know I know..it's not a good thing but it sure gets the point across. haha!)

Now, what the back of the book fails to mention is that the authors are going to try and persuade you that you need to be vegan.  At first, I just let it slide, but then it seemed like they were just really really forcing it.  They even have a chapter on slaughter houses and have real quotes (or so they say) from people who work in them and let me tell you, it's not for the faint of heart.

They do make some good points about why eating meat isn't that great.  I zero'd in on all the chemicals that ends up in the animals and therefore in the food we eat, or milk we drink.   I even did more research regarding milk online and have since switched from cow milk to soy milk.  Now, they of course will also tell you how fattening milk is, but we all know that anyway.  It wasn't enough to get me to switch to soy, but thinking about all the chemicals that end up in it..yeah..that got me to finally make the switch.  Of course, I also have to admit that I've been kicking the idea around in my head anyway, so it didn't take much to convince me it was the right choice for me.

I think they did a good job of trying to explain why it's best to eat a lot of fruits and veggies, they definitely talk about the healthy aspect of them.  I'm not sure I believe some of what they say, like it's best to eat fruit in the morning before you ingest anything else otherwise you won't get the healthy benefits.

I do find it funny that they try to convince you that eating processed foods is not the way to go, yet recommend some processed foods.  Of course, it's thinks like soy burgers, etc, but still, it's processed foods.

There is also a part on fasting.  I'm very much against fasting, I don't think it's healthy.  I have a really really big problem with the following:

All fasts are challenging, both physically and mentally. Do not expect it to be easy, especially at the beginning when you find yourself salivating over foods you don't normally even care about.  But eventually, you get to a place where you are truly not hungry, and you feel light, clean, pure, and devine.  page 133


That example just screams eating disorder to me.  You will feel light, clean, pure, and devine, if you fast? If you don't eat a healthy meal for several days?  Oh boy....that's not the right thing to say.   Of course, I admit that some of the options are to eat soups that are broth based..so you are still "eating" something.  But I still have an issue with them even recommending fasting.


Overall, the book does make some good points but I'm not sure I believe everything they say and obviously have issues with the fasting recommendation.  I also have issues that the very last page of the book says that they don't care about weight, it's about eating healthy.  This is after 33 pages of sources, recommended reading, etc.  Who is going to see that last page? Barely anybody.  I only saw it because I was trying to figure out if either of these authors actually has a degree from a reputable college in Nutrition and Diet and was looking for the "about the author" page.

I also feel like some of their sources weren't good enough, not from a decent source.  Several of the web pages, I felt, wouldn't be good for a college essay, much less a book talking about eating healthy.

I have to admit that it did make me think more about what I'm eating.  I've been working on getting away from junk food and sweets, but now I'm even more aware of what I'm putting into my body.   So when asked if I recommend it to people, even though I gave it a low rating, I still have to say that I do recommend it but with some warnings.  You are warned about how they "talk" so you know to stay away if that bothers you.  You are warned that they are forcing you to be vegan (and yes..I understand why but I still didn't need it to be shoved at me).  You are warned about the fasting and that I don't think some of their sources are credible and I'm not sure if they have a decent degree.  But...they make some good points and it made me think about what I'm eating.  I've researched several things online based on claims they made.  Most of it can be backed up to a point and that's making me re-evaluate some of the foods that I currently purchase.

 They actually talk about the chemicals that are in sugar. It's not bad enough that we are eating sugar, but there are added chemicals as well.  I keep forgetting to check the ingredients listed on normal sugar at the grocery store, but I was looking at sugar in the organic/healthy section of a local grocery store and found some sugar that claims no chemicals added.  That makes me think that the sugar we find in the baking aisle does have chemicals.  I'm going to be doing more research on this, for now it's just food for thought.

I've also become repulsed by aspartame and will be drinking the rest of the crystal light I have at home..and not buying any more of it unless it doesn't have aspartame.

On a side note..I just want to mention shredded cheese versus buying block cheese. This wasn't in the book but rather something I read on a different blog and then did look at the packages in my local grocery store.  I read that it's best to buy cheese in blocks and shred it yourself because shredded cheese has extra chemicals added. What?  I never looked.  It's cheese, it's already shredded, it easier.    You can bet I won't be making a habit of buying shredded cheese any more.  It has extra chemicals in it, I'm guessing so the cheese doesn't clump and so it lasts longer.

 This book was borrowed from my local library.

Weekend Cooking: Pizza Sauce

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.




I decided to join in this week because I have a pizza sauce recipe.  Last weekend Beth Fish Reads shared a grilled pizza recipe.  I commented that I wanted to try it and use my pizza sauce recipe to make it all homemade.  She then asked for the pizza sauce recipe and I obliged.  Then I thought, heck, why not share it on my blog and participate in her weekly feature.

Pizza Sauce

Ingredients

1 can (28 oz) italian tomato sauce

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

salt to taste (optional)

Directions

In a large saucepan, bring tomato sauce, olive oil, and spices to a simmer.  Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes, or until sauce reduces to about 2 1/2 cups.  (Monitor sauce to prevent bubbling/splattering during simmering.) Taste and season with salt, if desired.  Cool to room temperature. Sauce keeps covered and chilled for about 5 days.  Maybe frozen.

I don't have any pictures for you, sorry.  I haven't actually made this in awhile.  I do want to make it and freeze it for when I need it.  The problem is that I don't really like to cook, so I don't make it ahead of time and then when we plan to make pizza, I just buy all the fixings.  Maybe this weekend..or next.  :)

Actually, I'm hoping some of my husbands co-workers give him tomatoes from their yard.  Then I could make this using fresh tomatoes instead of canned.  Maybe my sister would give me some fresh  herbs too.  Then I could use all fresh ingredients.  Yumm..now I'm hungry and craving fresh pizza sauce on a homemade pizza. 

Friday Smile: P90X

So what is the P90X you might ask?  Well, it's an insane (ok..they use extreme) workout that you can do from your home, no need for a gym membership.  It's a 90 day program.  You are supposed to get excellent results.  It's also an infomercial.  Yup..if you've heard of it, it's probably from an infomercial.    So why am I talking about it today?   Well, simple, I've done it.  Ok...I've completed 12 of the 13 weeks.  The last week is a recovery week, but I wanted to talk about it today and not next friday.

Here's a video to give you an idea.  It's not the best video, but I have to assume those people really did do the program and you see a glimpse of different workouts too.



I know what you are asking now, you want to see before and after videos.  Nope..not going to happen.  Why? Because my abs don't look like that. haha!

This workout also comes with a nutrition guide, and that's a big piece of it.  I read most of the guide. I didn't really follow it.  I did change my eating habits and I'm eating a heck of a lot better than I was, but I've also had several slips.  I'm also not eating as well as I can. I think part of that is that my husband isn't doing this,  and he's also the cook in the family.  So the dinners aren't as healthy as they could be.  However..don't think I'm complaining, I'm not.  I'm just making excuses as to why I don't have rock hard abs.

Here's another video where Tony Horton talks a bit about it.  I can't believe the guy is 51 years old.



Now, first, why in the world did I do this program?  It started out innocent enough, then I was dared to do it. I'm a runner, so I work out regularly.  It was all leg work though. Before starting the program I was doing 4-6 miles on average.  I thought that was pretty good.  I was fit, I was slowly making changes to my diet.  I was good.  Then my friend asked if I would want to borrow his p90x program.  I wasn't so sure, he said to ask my husband if he wanted to do it since he knows Husband works out.  So I asked Husband and he couldn't believe I was even thinking of doing the program.  He thought there was no way I could actually discipline myself to do it.  He didn't want to since he works out during his lunch break (his work has a gym on campus), but he thought I should try it.  So my friend gave me the introductory dvd.  Husband and I watched it.  We watched most of one of the work outs.  Husband laughed and said there was no way I could do it.  It turned into a dare.  How could I not do it?  So I told Husband that I would show him, I would do the workout.

After phase 1 I asked Husband if he thought I would make it that far.  He said no, he didn't expect me to make it past the first week.  HA! I showed him. I guess the  jokes on me though, because I really am in incredible shape now.

So the program is split into 3 phases.  Phase 1 and 2 are 3 weeks of extreme workouts (6 days per week) and 1 recovery week.  Phase 3 is 4 weeks of extreme workouts (6 days per week) and then a 5th week for recovery.  Tomorrow starts my week 13, which is the very last recovery week.

I can tell you that I had Husband take before measurements and then we re-took measurements after each phase. I also weighed myself each Friday.  (I started my weeks on Saturday, so Thursday was my 6th day of working out and Friday my off day).  I've lost 4lbs.  I know I know.  You are saying what?  This program sucks if you only lose 4 lbs. Trust me..I didn't expect to lose any weight.  I had some fat but I expected to gain a lot of arm muscle, so while I thought I might lose some fat I expected to gain weight over-all.    I wasn't over-weight to begin with. I didn't do this program to lose weight, I did it to get in shape..to be tone.   Sure, running meant I had leg muscles, but not arm muscles. I wasn't fit all around.  So, I did lose some weight which was a surprise.  More surprising is that I've lost an inch in my waist, each thigh, and my butt (per measurements at the end of phase 2..I haven't officially ended phase 3 yet). Lol! That was surprising and exciting!  My legs have never looked this tone.  They pretty much look like all muscle now.  It's awesome!  My arms, while there is definition and muscle, aren't huge.  Before they looked scrawny, now they are still small but they are tone and you can see the muscle.

I honestly hate and love this program.  I love the results, but some of the workouts are killers.  In fact, I hated the yoga workout so much I ended up not doing it the last several weeks, I substituted runs instead.  Speaking of running, have I noticed any changes?  It's hard to say at this point.  I tried to run a couple days as well as do the workout but it was too much.  So I went without running for several weeks.  Then I've only been running 1 day per week for the last 5 weeks or so.  My endurance has suffered because of that and I'm only doing 3 miles instead of 4-6miles.

So what's next?  If the program is only 90 days, what do you do when it's finished?  My guess is that most people start over and do it all over again.  Once you discipline yourself to doing the workouts every day, it's easy to continue with it.  I've been getting up at 5am and doing them before work in the morning.  Since I naturally wake up before 6am, it was easier for me to get up earlier and get it over with instead of trying to do them at night when I'm tired.      So my plan is to take a week off and then start the program over but instead of doing it every day, I'll do it every other day and run on the other days.  This way I get in 3 runs per week and 3 workouts.  Of course, I'll still skip the yoga dvd. haha!    Husband thinks I should do the program again in the winter, since I hate being outside in the cold.  At first I thought he was nuts, but I find I'm actually thinking about it.

Speaking of Husband.  He's actually been doing the workouts on Saturday and Sunday.   Since we only have one set of weights, and only 5lb - 20lb at that, it's hard for us to do any arms workouts together.  So instead I have been doing the Saturday workout when I get up and get around to it and he does it sometime after that.  Sunday workouts have been plyometrics.  Oh lord help me.  This workout is a killer. It's basically an hour of jumps, lunges, and squats.  Husband and I do this one together.  He yells at me when he finds me stepping into each lunge instead of jumping, I yell at him when I see his squats aren't very low.  Then we both yell at Tony when he keeps making us do lunges and squates and jumps when our legs are burning.

While I can't do all the sets of each exercise, I'm able to do most of them and I've increased some things a lot.  When I started I couldn't do any pull-ups without using a chair for help.  Last time I tried to do a pull-up without a chair, I could do one.  This was back in phase 2.  I usually use a chair to help with pull-ups and one wide pull-ups I started out doing 4, last time I did them I did 14.  That's a major improvement.  I'm excited to attempt pull-ups without the chair and see if I can do more than 1 now.

I hope this doesn't come off like I'm preaching to you and telling you how great this program is and how you need to do it etc.  That's not my intent.  I wanted to share with you what I've been doing the last 90 days..or almost 90 days.  I'm proud of myself for actually sticking with it, and I'm happy with the results.  I'm also tired. haha!  I used to read for awhile before falling asleep and now I read a couple of pages and that's it, I'm out.

So there you have it...now you all know I'm a bit crazy.  

In fact, I watched this video, for P90X+, and told my friend it was insane.  But secretly, I'm interested in trying it out.  You won't hear me tell my husband that though..he might dare me to actually do it and then I would have to.  For now, I'm going to be happy repeating my current program and work on being able to do the plyomtrics workouts completely without having to do the cheat versions. maybe. I like the cheat versions.

Second Chance Pass by Robyn Carr

#5 Virgin River series
Copyright: 2009
Publisher: Mira
Genre: fiction
Pages: 389
Author's Website
My rating: 4/5

Simple Description: 
I probably sound like a broken record but the books in this series are hard to describe because you really need to read them in order.  I can't say too much or I give things away.  I also feel like I can't do a good job describing it because you really do need to read the others to understand how everyone's life is entwined with the town and all the characters you meet.

This one focuses on Paul and Vanni.  While we met them in the previous book in the series, in this one we see them each have feelings for each other but not sure t's the right time to act on them, and mess things up by not talking about it.  

Mel and Paige both became pregnant in the last book and in this one they have their kids.

We also get more info on some of the secondary characters, so it's fun to guess who the next book will focus on....until you get impatient and read the back cover of the next book because you need to know right away.

There are also some other major events that happen in this one. Ricky and Tom each start off on a new path in life.  The town is in danger.  The mysterious pot grower who might not be a pot grower shows up to help at the last minute, again.

Now what you really want to know....my thoughts: 
I can't help it, I just love this series.  Sure, there are things that bother me about each book, such as the use of baby and honey so much. But it's really easy to overlook that because you are so engrossed in the characters lives.  You can't help but share their joy and their sadness.   The author does a good job with each series because while the focus is usually on two characters and a new romance, the two characters are always familiar to us because they were introduced in previous books.  Plus, this small town is always coming to together to help out so we still get to visit with our favorite characters from the previous books.

Never fear...I'll be continuing with this series.  I just can't stop!


This book is part of my collection and was either bought or given to me.

The Golden Spiral by Lisa Mangum

#2 in the Hourglass Door trilogy
Copyright: 2010
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Genre: Young Adult
Pages: 365
Challenges: Young Adult
Author's Website
My rating: 2.75/5

Simple Description:
This book picks up almost exactly where the first one left off. Dante has gone through the door after Zo and Abby is left in the current time.  She is making plans to build a door to help Dante come back.    Before she can get too far into her summer plans things start to change.  Things are being made in the past, which are obviously effecting the current time.  Suddenly she isn't going to the school she wants and she is valedictorian. Then her parents are divorced and she doesn't have a sister.

Abby is lucky that Leo has come back and he is willing to help her with these changes.  She has also been able to contact Dante by going into a dream state to the river.  Abby knows she needs to rescue Dante, he never made it out the other door.  With Leo and V's help, Abby tries to rebuild the door and also stop Zo.


Now what you really want to know....my thoughts: 
Unfortunately, this one kinda of fell flat for me.  I loved The Hourglass Door, book 1 in the trilogy.  I was supper excited to get this one as a surprise in the mail.  I'm left feeling a bit disappointed though.  I thought the book was decent, it just didn't keep my interest the way the first one did..nor do I think it's as fast paced.  This one definitely read like an in-between book, something that is giving a bit of background story and setting  us up for the 3rd in the trilogy.  In fact, this one did pick up for me towards the end.  While it wasn't horrible, I mean I did still like it, I was just left feeling a bit disappointed.  I wonder if I just had my hopes up since I liked the first so much?  Who knows. 

Will I read book 3 in the trilogy?  Oh yeah...you can count on it.  I want to know what happens. I'm still interested in the story and the characters.


I was sent this book from the publisher in hopes for a review, unfortunately I can't thank them by name because I left that paper at home.  ooops.