Camp and Coffee

While camp and coffee probably sound like they go together; in the context of this post, they really don't.  So, I'll start with Camp as it's the more exciting (in my opinion, anyway) of the two topics.  As many of you know I go on a little writing adventure each November called NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month).  It's an international event, by the way.  I have no idea why it's called 'National'.  Digression aside, the lovely people of NaNoWriMo have put together a summer program called Camp NaNoWriMo.  It's the same idea as in November - write 50,000 words toward the first draft of a new novel in a one month time span.  It's fun, it's crazy, it's sleep-stealing.  It's the best thing ever! Camp happened in July and is occurring again for August.  I was originally going to be ultra insane and take on both months but life had other plans for my family in July.  So, starting tomorrow (at 12:01 a.m. to be precise) I am going to Camp and taking the journey toward 50,000 words by month's end.  Care to join in the fun? They're in the process of assigning cabin mates.

I am a coffee addict.  There, I've admitted it.  I've heard it said that admitting you have a problem is the first step to fixing it.  Well, for me, the next step is that I am giving up coffee.  100%, cold turkey, stopping the coffee.  Besides the fact that it's a somewhat expensive habit (I love Starbucks), it doesn't really have any substantial health benefits - like tea does.  Oh, and there's also the fact that my husband and I think I might be allergic to coffee.  I have super annoyingly bad eczema.  I've dealt with it all my life but it's gotten so bad over the past few years.  And we realized that that is the time frame in which I really started drinking a lot of coffee.  A couple of months ago we thought it was chocolate and thankfully it wasn't.  I've done a lot of research the past couple of days about coffee allergies and I fit almost all of the criteria.  So, goodbye coffee.  It's been nice but if you are the root of my miserably itch skin - I won't miss you.

Booking Through Thursday - Night Owl

Booking Through Thursday is a fun weekly question and answer session, based on books, of course. This week, the question is:

What’s the latest you’ve ever stayed up reading a book? Is staying up late reading a usual thing for you?


I've stayed up all night reading before and then gone about my day as usual.  Granted, this is when I was at University and probably over a weekend.  Still, I have been known to stay up much too late reading, even now.  In fact, one night last week - I couldn't sleep and picked up my book.  I read until about three in the morning before finally being able to fall asleep.  While I do read at night, thankfully the three a.m. bedtime is not a usual occurence.

Teaser Tuesday's - Bled Dry by Erin McCarthy

Teaser Tuesday's is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. To play along, just do the following:

- Grab your current read

- Open to a random page

- Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like your teaser.
 
My teaser, from page 4 of Erin McCarthy's Bled Dry:
 
I've always wanted to have a baby, and I'm sure once the shock wears off, I'll be really excited.  It was just a... surprise.  Really unexpected.

Musing Monday's - On Display

Musing Monday's is hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading. This week’s musing asks:

Do you need to have your owned books out where you can see them, or are you okay with them being stored away?


I prefer to have the books I own unpacked and neatly organized on shelves in my house.  At this time, I have some of my books in this manner and many carefully stored in boxes in our garage.  We just don't have the space in our house for all of my books.  Someday I will have my dream library, though.

Review - Suddenly by Candace Camp

Suddenly by Candace Camp is the story of Simon Dure and Charity Emerson.  Simon is set to ask for Serena Emerson's hand in marriage.  he likes her but there is no passion and that's exactly what he wants; that and heirs, of course.  Serena is prepared to accept his proposal out of familial obligation.  Even though she is in love with the pastor in her country home village.  Intent on saving her sister from a loveless marriage - and what she assumes will be a sad life - Charity intervenes on her sister's behalf.  She offers herself for marriage to Simon - in place of her sister.

Of course, Simon accapts but only after he has been thoroughly talked into it by Charity.  Their courtship seems innocent enough.  They are fiercely attracted to one another and want to wed quickly.  Simon manages to convince Charity's mother to have the wedding in six months rather than the traditional twelve.  All seems to be going well - until Simon is accused of murder.  And all of the circumstantial evidence points to Simon indeed being a murderer. 

Camp's tale of passion and murder in Regency London is splendidly told and filled with love.  I really enjoyed this book.  Even though a bit of the plot was obvious from the beginning I still enjoyed the unfolding of the story.  Simon and Charity as a couple were delightful to read about.  If you like a bit of mystery thrown into your love story - this book is a great choice.

Teaser Tuesday's - Suddenly by Candace Camp

Teaser Tuesday's is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. To play along, just do the following:


- Grab your current read

- Open to a random page

- Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like your teaser.

My teaser, from page 23 of Candace Camp's Suddenly:

"Still, it is twelve years between us," Simon reminded her.  "I am too old and - jaded, I think, for one such as you."

Musing Monday's: Struggle

Musing Monday's is hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading. This week’s musing asks:

What is the last book you struggled to read through to the end, even though you weren’t really enjoying it? What made you keep reading?

Generally speaking, I don't continue on with books that I am bored with or just find unenjoyable for one reason or another.  There are just too many books that I want to read to continue with one I just don't care for. 

That being said, I do remember that I made myself finish Stephenie Meyers' New Moon.  I seriously dislike that book but so many people I know kept telling me to finish it; that it got better and set up the last half of the Twilight Saga.  To this day, I feel my time could have been better spent than reading New Moon.  The couple of chapters in the book that were decent didn't make up for the boredom I felt during the rest of it.  Plus - I just don't love the Twilight Saga like so many others do.

How about you? Do you struggle through a book or move on to the next one?

Musing Monday's - Cull or Surrender

Musing Monday's is hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading.  This week’s musing (courtesy of the BookCrazy Yahoo! group) asks…

Here is a link to an NPR discussion about the simple fact that there’s no way you can read, see and experience all the things that are available to be experienced. The two methods for dealing with it are culling (i.e., cutting out certain genres that don’t interest you, etc.) or surrender (i.e., just making peace with the facts and enjoying what you can in the time that you have).


So, do you cull, or do you surrender? Or do you do both?

I cull and I surrender.  I cull because I have never seen the point in reading what I am simply not interested in taking the time to read.  This excludes certain items I didn't necessarily care to read in school, of course, but still read.  For example, I am not a horror fan at all.  I get scared too easily and as a teenager had nightmares when attempting to read Stephen King.  I know this about myself so see no reason to put myself through it.  I'm sure Stephen King is an amazing novelist.  I've read plenty of articles that's he's written and quite admire his style and wit but I just can't read his books.  So yes, I cull certain genres and authors that I just can not read for whatever reason.

I also surrender to the fact that there are many wonderful books (already written and those yet to come) that i won't get around to in my lifetime.  If I think about that it's sad to me.  So I try not to think about it and simply enjoy the good books I am lucky enough to discover.

Happy 4th of July to those who are celebrating either in the United States or abroad.