On the Bookshelf

A friend recently gave me a book she recommended titled A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel. She thought I would enjoy it since I had recently read The Glass Castle for MOPS book club and Half Broke Horses that was recommended by Charla, both by Jeannette Walls.
I will be starting it tonight- has anyone else read this one?

I just finished Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner this morning. I usually love the Jennifer Weiner books, but this one was not one of my favorites of hers.

Our next MOPS book club selection is The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski. I'm looking forward to it as well because two of the girls in book club have already read it and loved it! Have you read it?

Last but not least... I finished I Will Carry You by Angie Smith a while ago. I had preordered this as soon as it was available and started in the day I got it. Loved every minute of her story as well as her blog. A total tear jearker... she is such an amazing person with a love for the Lord that is contagious.

Book Update- Kindle vs. Nook

Recently I posted about reading The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls for my MOPS book club. One of my blog world friends posted a comment that I should also read another Jeannette Walls book called Half Broke Horses.

I enjoyed Half Broke Horses but think I liked Glass Castle a little more. It was neat to see how they connected however. Thanks for the recommendation Charla!


Last night I started Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner. I have read and enjoyed several Jennifer Weiner books so I'm really thinking I will probably love this one as well.



Another thing about Charla is that she got a Kindle for Christmas. I have really been thinking a lot about getting one of these fancy pants reading devices. Hubby said I can use some of our tax money to get one for myself because he knows how much I love to read.

So, recently I have been looking into the differences between an Amazon Kindle and a Barnes and Noble Nook.

I have read articles comparing / contrasting the two, looked through reviews, and thought and thought about them.

The thing is... I don't purchase books very often. Usually, I get my books at the local library. I also look for several books at garage sales.

The last two books I got from the library- Half Broke Horses & Best Friends Forever are each $10 each in e-book form. That is $20 I could save instead of buying the books.

So now I am torn...I really want one, but don't want to spend the money on the books because I would buy books all the time!

Do you have an eReader? Which one do you have? What do you think of it?

Bookshelf

I just finished The Glass Castle- a memoir by Jeannette Walls. This was a selection for our MOPS book club. I loved it. The author tells the story of growing up with her family. I thought it was so easy to read and get in to. I did however not like that it really was a memoir and that Ms. Walls went through some of the things she did growing up. It made me sad.



Tonight I am starting a book that I saw in a catalog at my grandma's house. Being the spoiled one that I am, gram ordered it right up for me. It is called Service Included by Phoebe Damrosch.

The Harper Collins site has this to say:

Warning: May contain material offensive to vegans, pharmaceutical lobbyists, and those on a low-sodium diet. Animals were harmed during the writing of this book.

While Phoebe Damrosch was waiting for life to happen, she supported herself by working as a waitress. Before long she was the only female captain at the four-star New York City restaurant Per Se during its first year. Service Included is the story of her obsession with food, her love affair with a sommelier, and her amusing, eye-opening, and sometimes shocking experiences in the fascinating, frenetic, highly competitive world of fine dining.

Sitting down at a restaurant table will never be the same.



And tonight B got to read his new book (also from the book catalog at Grams) William and the Magic Ring by Laura Robinson.

How fun was this- it comes with a flashlight and is called a shadow casting bedtime story. You flip the pages and use the flashlight to create the images on the wall as you read each page.




Page 1... William goes to bed...he hears a noise and looks at his bedroom window (not quoted)


He sees a crow with a magic ring outside his window....


A jackel wants to steal the magic ring from the crow...so he can be king!

What are you reading?

On the Bookshelf

Last week I finished The Pact by Jodi Picoult. I am a big fan of Jodi Picoult books, even though they are usually so sad. This book made me feel very sad for the young couple in the story. The pressure they are under from their family and the issue of teen suicide. One of the hardest JP books for me to have read. Did like the book, as much as you can say that about a book that makes your heart hurt.

Next up for our MOPS book club is The Glass Castle. I am looking forward to reading this memoir on our upcoming trip to Florida.

What's on your bookshelf?

On the Bookshelf

Tonight is our MOPS book club meeting. We have about 6 who attend regularly. We meet once every other month and the hostess gets to choose the book we read to discuss. Our hostess Krytal choose The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver. I liked the book, but didn't love it. It wasn't hard for me to get through or anything, just won't be going on my top faves list- (sorry Krystal!)

After I finished reading The Bean Trees last week I needed another book. I had been discussing several Jodi Picoult books with some friends on Sunday and mentioned that I have The Pact at home but have not read it. My friend Christie said it was good so I started in on that.

This one is difficult for me to read, but not because I am not "liking" it. It is about a alleged teen suicide pact between a young couple. It is just making me sad reading it.

I have always enjoyed Jodi Picoult's books- which ones of hers are your favorites? I have a few others in my pile of books that I haven't read yet.

So far I have read: Picture Perfect, My Sister's Keeper, Nineteen Minutes, & Change of Heart.

I am also looking forward to her newest book: House Rules

There was a story on Jodi Picoult in our Sunday paper last week. One thing that surprised me was that she says she answers every email or letter she gets from her fans. Maybe I will have to write her sometime and tell her that I enjoy her books!

On the Bookshelf

I recently finished two books. The first one was The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond. This had been on my reading list since last spring. While we were in Des Moines a few back, I purchased this book for about $10 at Target to read in the hotel. I rarely purchase a book anywhere other than a garage sale, but $10 wasn't too bad.

It wasn't as great as I had expected it to be considering all of the different reading lists I saw it on, but I did enjoy it.

One of my friends in MOPS asked me to go see the "Dear John" movie that is based on the Dear John novel by Nicholas Sparks. I'm wierd like that that I like to read a book before I see the movie.

I happened to already have it in my "box of books to read" that I have picked up at several garage sales or other random places. I got to it as quick as I could so we could see the movie while it was in the theater.

I didn't really know what it was about and hadn't seen any of the previews for the movie. It only took me a few days to finish it because yesterday afternoon and night I read the last half. I couldn't put it down and wanted to see how it ended up. I was totally crying as I laid in bed reading it.

As I was looking up the trailer to link up, I just watched it and I am going to cry, cry, cry at the movie!!!

The only other Nicholas Sparks book I have read is Three Weeks With My Brother. I enjoyed that one as well. That book was chosen by my friend Krystal for our book club meeting about a year ago.

She happens to be hosting our book club next week again. This time she has chosen for us The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver. I have never read any of her books but have heard about her. I am looking forward to it because I know it is a favorite of hers.

Why I love Book Club

The book club I am part of stems from our local MOPS group. We have been meeting for about a year and a half now. We meet every other month and I have been lucky enough to make each meeting. We also take turns hosting and the hostess chooses the book we read. One of our guidelines we try to go with is that we try not choose books that are super new because many of us like to get the books from our local library vs. purchasing them new in hardback. Our library usually only has one copy that we take turns with and some of the ladies have also purchased their books online at used prices.

One of my favorite things about the book club is that I have read some books I would never have picked for myself. Some of them I have really enjoyed ( The Good Earth, Three Weeks With My Brother, & The Notebook) and only one or two did I dislike (The Red Tent). It forces me out of my usual genre (Good in Bed, Something Borrowed, Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons, Yada Yada Prayer Group, Stephanie Plum Novels.

We are meeting at my house in a few weeks to discuss the book Icy Sparks by Gwyn Hyman Rubio. I had found this book at a garage sale a year or so ago and needed to make a decision one night on what our next selection was going to be. I grabbed this one out of my overflowing book box of "books to read". I really enjoyed it. It was full of sadness with some humor and love mixed in.

I am currenty reading East of Eden by John Steinbeck. This was not a book club selection by two of the gals in BC say it is their top favorite, so I thought I would give it a try. It is HUGE and for the first week or so I swear I was not even making a dent in it. Now I am over half way done and pick it up any time I can. I am really enjoying it. It is so interesting. Full of twists and turns with all of the characters.

I have looked at the new techie items out there for the digital reading of books...the e-reader thing-a-ma-jigs. There is the Amazon Kindle, which I first heard about when I saw Oprah giving them away on one of her shows, and the Nook by Barnes and Noble which I heard about at the stores while shopping one day. A Cowgirl at Heart just got one (Kindle) for Christmas and I can't wait to hear more about how much she loves hers as she breaks it in a bit. There are others I'm sure, but these are the only two I have really heard about.

One of the things I would have liked one of these for is that I heard that while you are reading if you come across a word that you would like to look up, you can just push a button. My lazy butt is not getting out of bed to go get a dictionary so I think I would use this feature. Right now I rely on my "context clues" from good ol' 4th grade to help me.

Okay that is just a lame reason for why I would like one...I really just think they would be cool to have and have basically a bookstore at your fingertips. Prices are generally lower on purchasing e books as well.

Fall Into Reading

I'm just in time to get my post up for Callapidder Days Fall Into Reading Challenge. I participated in the Spring Reading Thing and got several of my books crossed of my reading list, had fun, and won some prizes.

I did not, however get all of my list completed. For the Fall challenge, I am bringing back a few that I still would like to read.

Here is my list in no particular order:

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Tough #4 by Neta Jackson

Fearless 14 by Janet Evanovich

Dewey by Vicki Myron

Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner

A Perfect Mess by Lisa Harper

For more information on participating in this challenge, check out Callapidder Days. You can also use that link to see what other bloggers have posted on their reading list to get some ideas for yourself.

This list is a bit more managable than my Spring one. My goals will be similar as well. That is: I do not like to purchase books so I do try to find them at garage sales, the library, or borrow/ exchange with a friend.

Check back in to see how I do!

On the Bookshelf

What I'm reading:

Jodi Picoult's Picture Perfect


What I just got in the mail:

A Perfect Mess by Lisa Harper compliments of Callapidder Days


Yea!

On the Bookshelf

What I just finished:
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck.... loved it


What I'm reading now:
How Sweet It Is by Alice J. Wisler

Spring Reading Thing 2009- Wrap Up

Today is the official first day of summer. This means 2 things:

The Spring Reading Thing at Callapidder Days has come to an end. AND... Tomorrow is my birthday. Yippiee!!! I love my birthday!

But, I am here now to talk about how I did with my first reading challenge and how things ended. I am using the questions from Callapidder Days. If you are interested in my original post, you can find that here.

Did you finish reading all the books on your spring reading list?

If not, why not?

No, I did not complete my list. I did think that it was a little ambitious, but the main reason is that we have been so busy here. I have also abandoned my blog lately. The big news is that we have moved. We are done with house rental world and purchased our first house. More on this later... too much unpacking that needs to be done so I don't spend the usual ammount of time on blogger.

Yada Yada Prayer Group #3 by Neta Jackson- Finished!

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini Did Not Read

The Memory Keepers Daughter by Kim Edwards Did Not Read
Jemima J by Jane Green Did Not Read
Dewey by Vicki Myron Did Not Read
The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlain Did Not Read
The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd Did Not Read
The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs Finished!
The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond Did Not Read
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini Did Not Read

Added to list:

The Duggars: 20 and Counting! by Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar Finished!

The Shack by William P. Young Finished!

What was your favorite book you read this spring? Why?

Favorite book that I finished: Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs. I love to read girly novels. They are so relaxing to me and I can spend so much time each night in bed reading. Although, I did not love the way this one ended.

Least Favorite: The Shack by William P. Young

What was your favorite thing about the challenge?

One of my favorite things about this challenge was that I found a great new blog (new to me!) and I love to participate in things like this. I stayed true to my goal of not purchasing any of these books at full price. I only like to buy them at used or garage sale prices if it is not available at our local library.

Another thing I really liked was that I was a winner of one of the giveaways. I won a copy of How Sweet It Is by Alice J. Wisler. This is on my nightstand and I can't wait to get time to start on it. I haven't been reading for a long time due to the move, but I was planning on reading it next. I might have to read it second however. We have book club in July and I still haven't read the selection for that. This time we are reading The Good Earth by Pearle S. Buck.

Spring Reading Thing 2009- Update

A while back I signed on with the Spring Reading Thing 2009 at Callapidder Days. If you are interested in seeing what I put on my list, you can click here.

I have finished up two books so far. One was on my list and one wasn't. The first one was:

The Yada Yada Prayer Group- Gets Real (#3 in series) by Neta Jackson.
This one was on my list. I continue to enjoy this series. I am ready for number four in the series, but will probably wait a bit before checking it out at the library and try to focus on what I put on my list first.

Last night I finished The Duggars: 20 and Counting! by Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar. This book was not on my list by I did see it on several other lists from other participants in the SRT2009. My friend Ashley had just mentioned how she enjoyed it and so I thought I would give it a whirl.

Talk about a busy and organized family. But, as I was thinking about it, you would have to be organized to function in that family. I didn't really know much about them and I don't watch their show on tv. As I was reading though, I did vaguely remember watching one episode once. There was also a recent announcement this week on the Today show- they are expecting again, only this time it is their first grandchild.

I need to go to the library tomorrow and get another book on my SRT list. We are reading The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs for my book club that meets in May but I know a friend already has the library copy checked out. I don't know what I will decide on tomorrow.

Another book that was not on my list, but I had seen on several other lists on the SRT2009 was The Shack by William P. Young. I had also heard about this book from a few friends. On Easter I saw it at my aunt and uncle's house and borrowed it. I think I will add this in to my list as well.

Happy 40th Birthday Very Hungry Caterpillar!

We love The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. It is one of our FAVORITE books. I would say it is a must-have in any child's library. We have several around the house, a stuffed caterpillar, a poster, and a few puzzles.

Sandy has a super cute and easy craft to make. What a great way to celebrate a classic!

Spring Reading Thing 2009

Callapidder Days is having a fun reading challenge for Spring. There is still time to join in! It is no pressure and open to anyone! I love reading so I've selected several books on my list that I want to read. I don't quite think I'll get through all of them, but I'll try my best. Here they are in no particular order (except I will start with Yada Yada first since I already have it checked out from the library):

"Yada Yada Prayer Group #3" by Neta Jackson

"A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini"

"The Memory Keepers Daughter" by Kim Edwards

"Jemima J" by Jane Green

"Dewey" by Vicki Myron

"The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes" by Diane Chamberlain

"The Mermaid Chair" by Sue Monk Kidd

"The Friday Night Knitting Club" by Kate Jacobs

"The Year of Fog" by Michelle Richmond

"The Kite Runner' by Khaled Hosseini

**********

Several of these books I have seen on blogs, in stores, or others who I know have been reading them. One of the Spring Reading Thing guidelines is that you can set other goals for yourself during this time. Here is mine:

As usual, I do not want to buy any of these books. I am a big supporter of our local library and buy lots and lots of books at garage sales. (okay, that is buying them but I don't pay over a dollar for one!) I lend out and borrow books all the time and want to continue this!

I will be posting again in June to let you know how I did on the challenge. Check out Callapidder Days on Friday to see what the other participants are reading.

Feel free to leave a comment if you have read any of these books and let me know what you thought!