Teaser Tuesday's - Judgment in Death by J.D. Robb

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 this week is from Nook page 47 of J.D. Robb's Judgment in Death:

"Do you know what it takes to put that kind of image inside your own head, Lieutenant? Courage. An amazing level of courage."

Teaser Tuesday's - Wife 22 by Melanie Gideon

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 this week is from page 26 of Melanie Gideon's Wife 22.

This is also my favorite time of day - when the empty house fills back up again and within an hour all of my decluttering is for naught.  For some reason this gives me pleasure.  The satisfying inevitability of it all.

Romance Junkies Read-a-Thon

I admit it, I am a sucker for a Read-a-Thon.  There are so very many to choose from that I just can't participate in all of them, though.  When I saw that Danielle from Romance Book Junkies is hosting her first one, I immediately signed up to be a part of it.  You can click on the link for her blog to sign up if you're interested.

Here are the details of the Read-a-Thon:

* The read-a-thon will be held from September 27th to the 29th. Within this time frame the challenge is to read for 24 hours. No matter how you do it for example you could read 8 hours per day, you could read 12 hours for 2 days or you could read 24 hours straight (for our hard core readers). Its up to you how you schedule your 24 hours.
* There will be 2 challenges throughout the read-a-thon with some great prizes. One challenge will be to read for the 24 hours of course throughout the 3 days and the other challenge will be a surprise. I will be sending out emails with more details closer to the read-a-thon.
* I will also be hosting a twitter party on the 28th from 8:00pm to 9:30pm were I will be giving away 3 huge swag packs. Again more details to come by email.
* We are all going to stay connected, update our status and have our twitter party at hashtag #RJreadathon.
* In order to qualify for the first challenge you need to make a post at the beginning and end of the read-a-thon with you schedule and your accomplishments then post the link to #RJreadathon.
* If you do not have a blog that's ok too you can post your schedule and accomplishments on twitter to enter the challenge. So all are welcome.
There are a few more details at Romance Book Junkies but this is the crux of it all.  I am so looking forward to this one.  And I already know what book I'll be kicking off this RAT with; J.K. Rowling's A Casual Vacancy.  It comes out on the 27th and I seriously can not wait to get my hands and eyes on the book and start reading it.

Discovering I Love a New Genre

I have discovered that I love western-themed books.  I realize this is in no way a new genre but it is new to me.  I'm reading a contemporary western by Lorelei James and I am loving it, especially the protective cowboys in the story.  Believe me, this has been quite a reading revelation.  Now I am super curious about this entire genre - the contemporaries and the historicals.  What about you? Have you ever discovered a love for an entirely new-to-you genre? And did you get a little obsessed with it? Oh, and if you like this genre, do you have any book recommendations for me?

In case you're curious, this new-found love is a result of my daughter's interest in country music.  We've found a lot of great country songs that we are enjoying together.  Then, of course, I got curious about the books and decided to dive in, imagination first.

Teaser Tuesday's - Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt

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 this week is from page 11 of Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt:

Going into the woods by yourself is the best way to pretend you're in another time.  It's a thing you can only do alone.

Teaser Tuesday's - To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

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 this week is from page 36 of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird:

 

"Make us up one, Jem," I said.

 

"I'm tired of makin' 'em up."

 

Our first days of freedom, and we were tired.  I wondered what the summer would bring.

A Quick Book Survey

There is a fun book survey over at The Broke and the Bookish.  So, here are the questions, followed by my answers:

1. The book I’m currently reading: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.  This is one of my favorite books but it's been quite a while since I've read it.  My very good friend Julia and I read The Help several months ago and she wanted a different take on the American South.  I suggested To Kill a Mockingbird and now we are reading it together.

2. The last book I finished: A Summer Seduction by Candace Camp.  It's the second book in a historical romance trilogy.  I liked it and it was a mostly light, definitely happy-ending book.  Perfect, as I've been super busy and a bit scattered with the summer coming to an end.

3. The next book I want to read: Paris in Love: A Memoir by Eloisa James.  Eloisa James and her husband packed up their family and went to live in Paris for a year.  Paris.  Need I say more?

4. The last book I bought: When It Happens to You by Molly Ringwald.  I ordered this book from Barnes and Noble today.  I am quite excited to get my hands on it.  I am truly a child of the 80's and like many who came-of-age at that time - I adored Molly Ringwald's films.  Seriously, Pretty in Pink had a huge impact on me at 14.  So, when I saw this book being advertised on GoodReads I did some browsing and know it'll be read in the very near future.

5. The last book I was given: My friend Julia (mentioned in answer number one) gave me two books for my birthday; Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre. 

If you wish to take the survey, click on the link above.  And if you do take it - let me know.  I'd love to read your answers to these fun questions.

Wordless Wednesday - A View From Home

Teaser Tuesday's - Dream Lake by Lisa Kleypas

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 this week is from Nook page 103 of Dream Lake by Lisa Kleypas:

I haven't been alone for months, he wanted to tell his brother.  I'm being haunted.

Musing Monday's - Snacking

Musing Monday's is hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading. This week’s musing, courtesy of http://collettaskitchensink.blogspot.com — asks…
Do you snack while you read? If so, what is your favorite reading snack?

I generally do not snack while I read.  The main reason for that is because the majority of my reading takes place at night, and usually in bed.  The idea of snacking in bed grosses me out.  That being said, there are times when I read during the day - usually during a readathon.  Then I will snack; my favorites are, plain M&M's, veggies and dip and chips and salsa.

Teaser Tuesday's - Real Men WIll by Victoria Dahl

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 this week is from Victoria Dahl's Real Men Will:

He flew under the radar.  He didn't rock the boat.  He put his head down and did his job and that was it. 

Musing Monday's - Book Blogs

Musing Monday's is hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading. This week’s musing, courtesy of http://readbookswritepoetry.blogspot.in, asks:
What attracts you to a book blog? What puts you off in a book blog? Do you share personal stuff on your book blog?

I like book blogs that are informative without being preachy.  I also tend to like the ones that are not cluttered, while still being nice to look at.  As for my own blog - I share a bit of personal stuff, like my writing aspirations or struggles.  If I share something personal, it's often rather general.  THis is just me being very protective of my family.

Vacation Reading

I have vacation on my mind and thankfully, on my family horizon.  Naturally, as a bonafide bookworm, I MUST have books to read while on vacation.  As a very happy Nook owner, I no longer have to lug books around with me on vacation.  Believe me, this is a really good thing.

What I'm wondering is - do you have certain criteria for your vacation reading? I do.  My criteria is that my reading be really good (hopefully anyway) and engaging (again hopefully).  It has to be something I want to come back to read while still being something that I can be interrupted from and not forget the overall plot.  In other words, wonderful but not mentally taxing.  I find that a good romance or mystery usually fall into this category.

Book Review - Good Girls Don't by Victoria Dahl

I LOVE discovering wonderful authors that are new to me! I finished Victoria Dahl's Good Girls Don't earlier today and I am still smiling over how much I liked this book.  In fact, I;'ve already gotten the second and third books in this family trilogy.

Good Girls Don't is the love story between Tessa Donovan and Luke Asher.  Tessa and her two brothers, Jamie and Eric, run a family brewery together.  When the brewery is broken into, Tessa meets, and is immediately attracted to Luke.  He happens to be one of the detectives in charge of their break-in.  He's also an old college party buddy of her brother Jamie's.

Both Tessa and Luke have serious abandonment issues but for radically different reasons.  Due to said issues, both are quite afraid to leave and practically unable to trust.  This doesn't stop the immediate attraction they both feel for one another, though.  They begin what they both assume will be casual dating and quite a bit of lust.  And almost immediately, these two stubborn and scared people begin to fall for one another.

Tessa and Luke's story is sweet, sexy and at times sad.  I completely fell for these characters and Tessa's brothers, too.  If you want wonderful story telling with heart and spice - pick up this book by Victoria Dahl.   Oh, and I've already begun Jamie's story, Bad Boys Do. 

When in a book rut --

-- do some crafting! It worked wonders for me and I am thankfully out of my rut.  I am really enjoying Good Girls Don't by Victoria Dahl.