Winner of The Circle of Friends Book III: James by L. Diane Wolfe

I want to thank L. Diane Wolfe for offering to give away a copy of The Circle of Friends Book III: James on Jo-Jo Loves to Read!!!

The winner is........

ChristyJan

I will be emailing you shortly to get your mailing information. If you happened to miss my review of this encouraging young adult fiction book you can still read it here.

Monday's Movie-New in Town

A Novel Menagerie asks us to post about a movie that you watched the week before. We usually watch quite a few movies over the weekend and it is sometimes difficult to only discuss one.

The movie that we really enjoyed this last weekend was New in Town.


Here are the details from the film:

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Starring: Renee Zellweger, Harry Connick Jr., Frances Conroy

Runtime: 1 hr, 36 mn

MPAA Rating: PG

Here is a summary of the movie from the MSN Movie website:

Renée Zellweger and Harry Connick Jr. headline this romantic comedy about an ambitious Miami executive who meets the man of her dreams and begins reassessing her big-city values after accepting a temporary transfer to the middle of nowhere. When it comes to climbing the corporate latter, Lucy Hill (Zellweger) is a good few rungs above her closest competitor; she's got ambition to spare, and she cares more about driving the latest model car and filling her closet with shoes than making friends around the office. Offered a temporary assignment restructuring a manufacturing plant in the snowbound town of New Ulm, Lucy accepts, knowing that a big promotion is just around the corner. But New Ulm and Miami couldn't be more different if they were each located on separate continents, and as Lucy warms to the locals she discovers that there's more to life than making top dollar and wearing the latest fashions. When handsome local Ted Mitchell (Harry Connick Jr.) takes an interest in Lucy, it isn't long before the whole town is abuzz with rumors of romance, and the girl from the city discovers that a bit of rural magic could work wonders for her outlook on life. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

My Movie Thoughts:

Lucy is on the fast track in the business world and climbing the ladder of success. The company that she works for has taken over a small food manufacturing plant in Minnesota and Lucy is charged with the task of going to the plant and overseeing operations and the restructuring process. After adjusting to the cold temperatures and trying to change the local's attitudes toward her, she develops a soft spot for the small community and starts to think that maybe what the corporation has in mind for this small plant is not the best idea. This was an enjoyable romantic comedy that kept both my husband and myself entertained, although parts of it were pretty predictable. I am going to rate this one 4 out of 5 bags of popcorn.

Current Giveaways!!!

Well even though I had limited blogging abilities this last week, I was still able to find some great contests to enter. Here are just a few of the giveaways that I found:

Bookin' With Bingo is giving away How it Ends by Laura Wiess--Contest ends 8/31.

Shhh I'm Reading... is giving away The White Queen by Philippa Gregory--Contest ends 8/31.

Book Blab is having her very first contest by giving away 360 Degrees Longitude by John Highams--Contest ends 9/1.

Luxury Reading is giving away The Divorce Party by Laura Dave--Contest ends 9/4.

Peeking Between the Pages is giving away Time of my Life by Allison Winn Scotch--Contest ends 9/12.

Book Blab is giving away The Way Home by George Pelecanos--Contest ends 9/15.

Cerebral Girl in a Redneck World is giving away Secrets to Happiness by Sarah Dunn--Contest ends 9/20.

Bloody Bad is giving away Cult Insanity by Irene Spencer--Contest ends 9/21.

J. Kaye's Book Blog is giving away Flowers for Elvis by Julia Schuster--Contest ends 9/26.

Bookin' With Bingo is actually giving away a bookcase! This contest ends 9/26.

You might want to check back here in a couple of days because I will also have a little surprise.
Good luck everyone!

Happy Birthday Ryan!

I can hardly believe that today my first born is 23 years old! I hope you have a most Happy Birthday Ryan--and you should let your professors know it's your birthday--maybe they will go easy on you!



This is a picture that was taken a year or so ago with some of his friends when they got together to have one of their LAN parties. My son Ryan is the one they are holding up, and Ryan is holding my youngest, Miss Scarlett.

How quickly the time goes...I can remember him going off to his first day of kindegarten with his little backpack and now he's starting his first year of law school. Sigh.

Just so everyone knows, you probably won't be hearing much from me over the next couple of days as we will be bringing my daughter to college today! Now I will officially have an empty nest, which I do admit I am a little nervous about. I am very proud of both of my kids--I've always known that after we raise them up we have to let them go, but does it have to be so hard? I know it will get easier with time, especially after watching them grow into courteous and responsible adults.

Wondrous Words Wednesday-Aug. 26

Bermudaonion asks you to share new words that you have learned during your reading adventures in the last week. Feel free to join in the fun!

Here are a couple of words that I found while reading The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan:

Elocution: [ěl'ə-kyōō'shən] The art of public speaking in which gesture, vocal production, and delivery are emphasized.

Here is how elocution was used on page 23:
I nod and smile and say, "She'll win the prize for elocution next year" or "She's off to Boston for a holiday," as Mother would expect me to.

Mahjongg: [mah-jawng] a game of Chinese origin usually played by four persons with 144 dominolike pieces or tiles marked in suits, counters, and dice, the object being to build a winning combination of pieces.

Here is how mahjongg was used on page 24:
Her marks were short of excellent, only because she could too often be found in the cozy little clubroom of Gamma Kappa, chattering over a game of mahjongg or sneaking off to short-sheet the bed of an unsuspecting dorm mate.

So did you learn any new words this week?

Teaser Tuesday-Aug. 25

Check out Teaser Tuesdays from Should Be Reading. TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

Grab your current read.

Let the book fall open to a random page.

Share with us two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.

You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!

This week my teaser is from The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan:
Mother eyes me warily, and I do not glance away until tears spill onto her cheeks. Father's arms are around her then, until she throws them off, saying, "For God's sake, call the police."

pg. 113

Guest Post by Sandra Dallas, author of Prayers for Sale

I feel very honored today to be able to welcome Sandra Dallas to Jo-Jo Loves to Read!!! Sandra Dallas is an award winning author that is taking the time today to share with us as to how she came up with the title her latest book, Prayers for Sale.

Here is what Sandra has to say:

I was delighted when I came up with the title Prayers for Sale about half-way through the first draft of the book. It struck me as quirky, and I hoped it would intrigue readers. The working title of the book had been The Quilter, which I didn’t like, because although Hennie, my main character, quilts and quilting runs through the book, Prayers for Sale is not about quilting, and I am not a quilt novelist.

The title came from something I read in one of the WPA slave narratives. During the 1930s, the federal government initiated a make-work program for unemployed writers called the Federal Writers Project. Each of the 48 states was to produce a guidebook. Colorado’s, for instance, was filled with history, folklore, promotional material, and driving tours, and was called Colorado: A Guide to the Highest State. In addition, states gathered material for other works—a ghost town book in Colorado, a history of nursing in Kansas, a history of Galena, Illinois (written by Nelson Algren, as I recall.)

In the South, in addition to the state guides, writer-researchers interviewed former slaves, who were then in their 80s and 90s. It was a shame that most of the interviewers were white, the notable exception being Zora Neale Hurston, the most famous black female writer of the first half of the 20^th century. That meant that the former slaves sometimes shaded their stories, telling what they thought the white researchers wanted to hear. Nonetheless, the recollections were often brutal, bitter, and filled with stories that bring you to tears.

I have this file that I call “Stuff,” in which I put clippings and ideas and odds and ends that have no other home, and for some reason, while I was writing The Quilter, I went through the file. I came across a story I’d photocopied from one of the slave narratives about an old African-American man who went about with his pockets stuffed with prayers for every occasion. He carried a big sign that read “Prayers for Sale.” I must have been tickled by the story and tucked it into the file.

When I reread the excerpt, I thought that Prayers for Sale would be a great title for a book one day. Then I realized that Prayers for Sale would be a wonderful title for the book I was writing right then.

Titles, of course, can make or break a book. Sometimes they pop into my mind when I start the book. New Mercies, which comes from the Bible, actually came to me before I wrote the novel. The Persian Pickle Club (originally The Interesting Hour Club) occurred to me when I read about a paisley print being called Persian pickle. Several bookstore buyers told me they first stocked that book just because of the title. Tallgrass, which is about a Japanese relocation camp during World War II, was originally A Vine Out of Egypt, another Biblical reference. But so many people told me, “I’ve never been to Egypt,” that I changed it to Tallgrass. Other titles, such as The Diary of Mattie Spenser and Buster Midnight’s Café were fall-back titles, chosen because I couldn’t come up with anything better.

I have to say that Prayers for Sale is my favorite of all my titles, and it influenced the book, making it more spiritual. That in turn, has prompted questions from readers about my own beliefs, something I’m not altogether comfortable with. You see, I’m a Presbyterian, and we are somewhat reticent to talk about religion. In fact, there is an old joke: What do Presbyterians bring to the evangelical movement. The answer: Restraint.

Of course, titles can be misleading. When I told my daughter Dana that I was writing a book called Prayers for Sale, she quipped, “What’s it about—selling indulgences?”

I truly appreciate you sharing your insight about how you think of titles for your books Sandra. Thanks so much for stopping by today! I just read a review last week of your book titled The Chili Queen over at Joyfully Retired. After reading the review, the title really made me laugh! But I do hope that everyone who reads Prayers for Sale finds Hennie to be just as special of a friend as I did.

I also want to give a special Thank You to Wiley from @uthors on the Web again for inviting me to participate in this tour. I encourage you to follow the remainder of this tour by checking out these other blogs:
August 24: http://www.fiveminutesforbooks.com
August 25: http://www.abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/
August 25: http://www.lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com
August 25: http://smallworldreads.blogspot.com/
August 26: http://www.lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com
August 27: http://www.rebelhousewife.com/
August 28: http://www.stephaniesbooks.blogspot.com/
September 9: http://blog.mawbooks.com/

Blog Tour and Review: Prayers for Sale by Sandra Dallas

Here is a summary of Prayers for Sale from Sandra Dallas' website:

Sandra’s eighth novel, is an unforgettable tale of a friendship between two women, one with surprising twists and turns, and one that is ultimately a revelation of the finest parts of the human spirit. In 1936, Hennie Comfort, eighty-six, meets Nit Spindle, seventeen, just as the old woman learns she must leave the Colorado mountains that have been her home for seventy years. Nit has lost her baby, and Hennie takes the girl under her wing, telling her stories about mountain life, stories that are as much about Hennie as they are about the historic people of the high country. The harsh conditions of life that Hennie and Nit have suffered create an instant bond, and an unlikely friendship is formed, one in which the deepest of hardships are endured and the darkest memories are confessed.

My Review:

Have you ever been lucky enough to be able to sit down with a few of the elderly folks in your family, and just sit back and let them reminisce about the good old days? I certainly have, and I have treasured every moment of it. That is what this book was like for me, sitting down at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee, a piece of freshly baked raspberry pie, just listening to Hennie tell her stories from her years of mountain life.

Hennie is about eighty six years old and lives in an old mining town in the mountains of Colorado. Hennie's husband died years before and her daughter is concerned that living alone is just too dangerous for Hennie. Mae, Hennie's daughter, finally persuades her that it is time for her to leave the mountains she loves to live with her in Iowa. Hennie doesn't develop hard feelings over this, but admits that it is the most sensible thing to do. Throughout this novel Hennie prepares herself for her departure of Middle Swan, the mining town that has become just as much a part of her, as she is a part of the town, not knowing if she will ever be able to return.

As Hennie is getting all of her affairs in order before she leaves Middle Swan, she realizes there are a few things that the Lord wants her to take care of before she goes. One is to share her precious stories that were obtained through years of living in that mining town and another was to help out her new neighbor Nit by introducing her to some of the ladies in the area. Her final task is to face a secret that she has been running away from her entire life.

Hennie decides to take Nit under her wing because she remembers herself what it was like to be a new gal in a mining town. It would get awful lonely if you waited around for one of those ladies to reach out to you. She finds that they both have a love of quilting, so Hennie uses that as an opportunity to spend time together and even share long forgotten stories. Hennie can tell that Nit honestly enjoys listening to her old tales and actually hungers to hear more. I loved this part of the book, because I think by sharing these stories with the new generation helps to keep the memories and legacy alive long after our loved ones are gone.

If you have been to the mountains in Colorado you know how beautiful the area actually is. Dallas conveys this beauty in her writing as she also paints a picture of how hard life must have been in the mining towns. To think that when women kissed their husbands good-bye in the mornings it could have been the last kiss they shared. It was a dangerous and hard life and women were grateful when they heard their husband walking through that front door in the evenings.

I appreciate the hard work and research that Sandra Dallas put into this novel. Before reading this book I had no idea that a dredge boat for gold mining actually existed. There are actually dredge boats used for excavating purposes today, but during the mining periods working on the dredge boats was one of the most dangerous professions available. If you want more information about the dredge boats you can click here to see a picture of the first gold dredge in the United States.

I really enjoyed this novel and I want to thank Wiley from @uthors on the Web for inviting me to participate in this tour. Be sure to stop back later today for a special post from Sandra Dallas and to find out the other stops on this tour.

My Rating: 4/5

Friday Finds-Aug. 21

Should Be Reading asks you to share what books you discovered this week that interest you!



The book that caught my eye this week was The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf that I found over at Fizzy Thoughts.

Here is a summary of The Weight of Silence from the ReadingGroupGuides.com website:

It happens quietly one August morning. As dawn’s shimmering light drenches the humid Iowa air, two families awaken to find their little girls have gone missing in the night.

Seven-year-old Calli Clark is sweet, gentle, a dreamer who suffers from selective mutism brought on by tragedy that pulled her deep into silence as a toddler. Calli’s mother, Antonia, tried to be the best mother she could within the confines of marriage to a mostly absent, often angry husband. Now, though she denies that her husband could be involved, she fears her decision to stay in her marriage has cost her more than her daughter’s voice.

Petra Gregory is Calli’s best friend, her soul mate and her voice. But neither Petra or Calli has been heard from since their disappearance was discovered. Desperate to find his child, Martin Gregory is forced to confront a side of himself he did not know existed beneath his intellectual, professorial demeanor.

Now these families are tied by the question of what happened to their children. And the answer is trapped in the silence of unspoken family secrets.

So did anything new catch your eye this week?

Random Reading Challenge

I know the last thing that I needed to do was sign up for another challenge, but why not? The Random Reading Challenge is hosted by Caribousmom and runs from August 1, 2009, to July 31, 2010. Here is what Caribousmom has to say about the challenge:

Are you stuck in a rut? Do you always find yourself reading from set lists or feeling committed to reading one book while another book screams at you from your TBR mountain? Has your reading become completely scheduled? If so, the Random Reading Challenge may be just the thing to put the spontaneity back into your reading.

For this challenge, readers will be choosing books randomly from their TBR stacks.

There are three different levels of participation for this challenge, and I have decided to sign up for Level 1, which is to read 6 books.

I am really looking forward to making a dent in my TBR pile. If you feel that you may like to join us you can sign up and review the complete rules here. I will update this post as I read books for this challenge.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

I am updating this post to let you know that I am officially withdrawing for this challenge.  I just do not have room for Random Reading in my life right now.

Current Giveaways!

Here are some of the giveaways that caught my eye this last week:

Pudgy Penguin Perusals is giving away Summer of Two Wishes by Julia London--Contest ends 8/23.

Savvy Verse and Wit is giving away Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji--Contest ends 8/24.

Jenn's Bookshelf is giving away A Disobedient Girl by Ru Freeman--Contest ends 8/24.

Cerebral Girl in a Redneck World is giving away Of Bees and Mist by Erick Setiawan--Contest ends 8/30.

Luxury Reading is giving away three books by Eva Etzioni-Halevy in her Women in the Bible Giveaway(Please let her know that Jo-Jo sent you!)--Contest ends 8/31.

Falling off the Shelf is giving away the audio version of The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand--Contest ends 8/31.

Booking Mama is giving away The White Queen by Philippa Gregory--Contest ends 9/1.

Bookin' With Bingo is giving away A Better View of Paradise by Randy Sue Coburn--Contest ends 9/2.

Booking Mama is giving away Labor Day by Joyce Maynard--Contest ends 9/4.

A Reader's Respite is giving away The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory--Contest ends 9/5.

Peeking Between the Pages is giving away The White Queen by Philippa Gregory--Contest ends 9/6.

And then of course there is my giveaway for A Circle of Friends Book III...James by L. Diane Wolfe that ends on 8/30.

Good luck everyone and thank you to all of you out there that host these wonderful contests!

Confessions of an NFL Drama Queen

Brett Favre, you're killing me! I want to retire, I want to play ball, I don't want to play ball...Oh wait, I really do want to play ball! That's it. I'm just not sure what to think of this whole situation.

Let me start by saying that I live in Wisconsin and I am a Packer loving Cheesehead. I've been a Brett Favre fan and even when he went to the Jets last year, I really did not have a problem with it. Sure, I would have rather had him play for the Pack, but so be it.

I've only been to a couple of Packer games and I'm sure I wouldn't be the first to tell you that the Lambeau Field experience is amazing! Here is a picture that we took of our beloved Brett Favre (No. 4 if you didn't know) at one of the games a few years ago. I should note that this was taken probably about 45 minutes before kick-off and that is why the stands are not full. I think there were about 70,000 fans at this game.
I have such conflicted feelings about this whole issue. He obviously is a darn good quarterback and I will admit that it will be fun to watch him play again this year. He has such a love of the game and you can just see the youthfulness in his stride when he is on the playing field. But as a loyal fan is too much to ask for some loyalty from the team players? I mean go start a football camp for underprivileged kids or coach a high school team, but play for the biggest division rivalry we have, the Minnesota Vikings? So as a Packer fan I reserve the right to post the following picture that I found here.

Please feel free to share any thoughts that you may have on this subject. My final thought is "Brett Favre, you have broken my little heart."

Teaser Tuesday-Aug. 18

Check out Teaser Tuesdays from Should Be Reading. TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

Grab your current read.

Let the book fall open to a random page.

Share with us two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.

You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!

This week my teaser is from The Last Bridge by Teri Coyne:

It never occurred to her that she could have brought something else, like a ham or a salad; she knew that Bundt was the tradition and she worked within her limits. Her chocolate mousse cake became so popular that we suspected some people looked forward to the next death just so they could have a piece.

pg. 30

Giveaway: The Circle of Friends Book III...James by L. Diane Wolfe

I am pleased to announce that L. Diane Wolfe has offered to give away one copy of The Circle of Friends Book III...James to one of my readers! I really enjoyed this book and if you missed my review you can see it here.

Now for the Giveaway!

To enter this contest you must be 18 or older and live in the US or Canada.

For one entry leave me a comment including your email address below.

For two additional entries, blog about this contest or add the link to your sidebar.

Please include your email so I will have a way to contact you if you win.

You will have until August 30th to enter and I will draw for a winner on August 31st.

Good Luck Everyone!

Be sure to check out the rest of her tour as you may have another chance to win this book:

Aug 11 Tour Dates, Guest Post, & Giveaway J. Kaye's Book Blog
Aug 13 Review & interview on TexasRed Books
Aug 14 Interview & review on Genevieve's Blog
Aug 15-31 Book giveaway on Jo-Jo Loves to Read
Aug 17 Guest post on Frenetic Reader
Aug 18-19-20 Interview & review on Always Something to Read
Aug 19 Book giveaway and guest post on Pudgy Penguin Perusals
Aug 21 Guest post & review on The Story Siren
Aug 24 Review & interview on Ultimate Book Hound
Aug 25 Guest post on Find Your Next Book Here
Aug 26 Guest post & review on Belle of the Books
Aug 27 Interview on Kathy Erskine’s Blog

Blog Tour and Review: The Circle of Friends Book III...James by L. Diane Wolfe

Here is a summary of The Circle of Friends Book III...James from L. Diane Wolfe's website:

The future appears bright for James Sheppard. Emerging from a troubled childhood, he is blessed with talent and a good work ethic. Excelling in his classes and at the campus newspaper, James’s goal of editor appears within his grasp.

However, years of abuse and loneliness have dampened his spirit. By the time Maria enters his world, James is nearing the breaking point. Her innocent love slowly fills the void in his life, boosting his confidence and giving him hope.

When a crisis abruptly forces him into adulthood, James is saddled with more responsibility than expected. Struggling to cope with the situation, the past returns to haunt him. Will James find peace before the mistakes of his father destroy him completely?

My Review:

As I have just started to read young adult fiction I really don't have a lot to compare this book to, but I can tell you that I really enjoyed it. Personally, this book hit a bit close to home for me as I married my husband when we were quite young, and just last month we celebrated our 23rd wedding anniversary!

James has always been a quality young man with good work ethics and strong morals. He persevered and defeated the odds by not continuing the path of emotional and physical abuse that he had endured as a child. James finally breaks away from that home life when he leaves for college to start working on his own future.

When James meets Maria his whole world changes as he finds himself falling deeply in love with her. Before you know it, one mistake changes the paths of both of their lives forever. Visions of carefree college days are no longer within grasp as they find themselves struggling to do what is right for themselves and each other.

During these difficult times, James is also trying to come to terms with the unstable relationship he has always had with his father. James finally realizes that he cannot lead a healthy life himself until he accepts what happened between the two of them as he was growing up, and actually forgives him. Once he can get past that obstacle, James gets a glimpse as to what provoked his father's abusive behavior all those years ago. I really enjoyed this part of the book, because although abuse is never acceptable, it is always helpful to realize what makes people act the way they do.

James and Maria's relationship weathered many storms through this book. Maria's parents greatly disliked James, but she stood up to them to show her support of the decisions that they made. Relationships do not come easy, they are hard work! It also was an excellent example that when you make mistakes there are consequences that you must live up to. This book showed that when times are tough, you can make things work out by supporting and loving each other. I want to give a special Thank You to L. Diane Wolfe for providing me with this review copy that I thoroughly enjoyed.

This book brought one of my favorite quotes to mind by Lewis B. Smedes: 'To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.'

My Rating: 4/5

If this book interests you, be sure to stop back in the next day or so for a chance to win a copy for yourself!

Be sure to check out the rest of her tour stops as you may have another chance to win this book:

Aug 11 Tour Kick-Off, Guest Post, & Giveaway J. Kaye's Book Blog
Aug 13 Review and Interview at TexasRed Books
Aug 14 Interview & Giveaway at Genevieve's Blog
Aug 15-31 Book giveaway at Jo-Jo Loves to Read
Aug 17 Guest post at Frenetic Reader
Aug 18-19-20 Interview & review at Always Something to Read
Aug 19 Book giveaway and guest post at Pudgy Penguin Perusals
Aug 21 Guest post & review at The Story Siren
Aug 24 Review & interview at Ultimate Book Hound
Aug 25 Guest post at Find Your Next Book Here
Aug 26 Guest post & review at Belle of the Books
Aug 27 Interview at Kathy Erskine’s Blog

You can see a couple other reviews at:
Missy’s Book Nook
Debbie’s World of Books

Winner of The Secret Life of Bees

Thank you everyone for helping me celebrate my 200th post! I decided to give away my copy of The Secret Life of Bees in honor of this special occasion!

I thought this picture was very appropriate since The Time Traveler's Wife is being released in theaters this weekend. But a special congratulations goes to:

Shawna
You Rock Girl!

I will be emailing you shortly to get your mailing information and hopefully mail it out to you Monday morning. Thanks to everyone that stops by with the encouraging comments and to all those that entered this contest. I plan on having another contest starting tomorrow so stay tuned!

Friday Finds-Aug. 14

Should Be Reading asks you to share what books you discovered this week that interest you!

I just read a review yesterday over at Bermudaonion's Weblog for The Seamstress by Frances de Pontes Peebles, that made me say to myself "Self, you really need to read this one."

Here is a summary of The Seamstress from the HarperCollins website:

As seamstresses, the young sisters Emília and Luzia dos Santos know how to cut, mend, and conceal—useful skills in the lawless backcountry of Brazil, where ruthless land barons feud with bands of outlaw cangaceiros, trapping innocent residents in the crossfire. Emília, a naive romantic, dreams of falling in love with a gentleman and escaping to a big city. Quick-tempered Luzia also longs for escape, finding it in her craft and secret prayers to the saints she believes once saved her life. But when Luzia is abducted by cangaceiros led by the infamous Hawk and Emília stumbles into a marriage with the son of a wealthy and politically powerful doctor, the sisters' quiet lives diverge in ways they never would have imagined.

So did anything new catch your eye this last week?

Current Giveaways!!!

Here are some great book giveaways that I found this last week:

Savvy Verse and Wit is giving away Mr. Darcy, Vampire by Amanda Grange--HURRY because this contest ends tomorrow, 8/14!

Historically Obsessed is giving away The White Queen by Philippa Gregory--Contest ends 8/15.

A Circle of Books is giving away The White Queen by Philippa Gregory--Contest ends 8/19.

A Novel Menagerie is giving away The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows--Contest ends 8/20.

Cerebral Girl in a Redneck World is giving away the audiobook Cemetery Dance by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child--Contest ends 8/23.

Peeking Between the Pages is giving away the audioversion of The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand--Contest ends 8/23.

The Review Broads is giving away The Lace Makers of Glenmara by Heather Barbieri--Contest ends 8/24.

Bookin' With Bingo is giving away Damas, Dramas and Ana Ruiz by Belinda Acosta--Contest ends 8/29.

Peeking Between the Pages is also giving away Damas, Dramas and Ana Ruiz by Belinda Acosta--Contest ends 8/30.

Enroute to Life is giving away Living Rich for Less by Ellie Kay--Contest ends 9/11.

And last, but not least, don't forget to enter my contest for The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd that ends tomorrow! You can enter that contest here. You should also check back later this weekend for another surprise. Good luck everyone!

Wondrous Words Wednesday-Aug. 12

Bermudaonion asks you to share new words that you have learned during your reading adventures in the last week. Feel free to join in the fun!

Here is a new word I found this week while reading Prayers for Sale by Sandra Dallas:

Sultana: [suhl-tan-uh]a small, seedless raisin.

Here is how sultana was used on page 74:
The lettering identified them as sultanas yet, but most everybody called them raisins now, and they no longer had to be stoned.

So did you learn any new words this last week?

Teaser Tuesday-Aug. 11

Check out Teaser Tuesdays from Should Be Reading. TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

Grab your current read.

Let the book fall open to a random page.

Share with us two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.

You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!

This week my teaser is from Prayers for Sale by Sandra Dallas:

She wouldn't wed a man, even one as decent as Roy Senior, just for a frame house and a lifetime supply of canned beans. She'd rather be alone with her quilting and her prayers than married to a man she didn't love with all her heart and soul.

pg 84

Monday's Movie-17 Again

A Novel Menagerie asks us to post about a movie that you watched the week before. We usually watch quite a few movies over the weekend and it is sometimes difficult to only discuss one.

The movie that I was pleasantly surprised with this weekend was 17 Again.

Here are the details from the film:

Genre: Comedy

Starring: Zac Efron, Leslie Mann, Matthew Perry

Runtime: 1 hr, 42 mn

MPAA Rating: PG13

Here is a summary of the movie from the MSN Movie website:

A former high school basketball star gets a second shot at life when he's miraculously transformed into a teenager and offered the opportunity to redefine his future. Back in 1989, Mike O' Donnell (Matthew Perry) had it all; not only was the 17-year-old senior the king of the basketball court, but college scouts were circling as well. But just as Mike's future began to glow brighter than ever before, he sacrificed everything in order to stay by his expectant girlfriend, Scarlet, and be a good father. Nearly 20 years later, Mike has just been passed over for a big promotion at work, his marriage is failing, and his teenage kids can't stand him. His dreams long gone and his family falling apart, Mike takes to staying with his best friend, Ned (Thomas Lennon), a former high school geek-turned-techno billionaire. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Mike is transported back into his teenage body and given the given the unique opportunity to relive his salad days. But while Mike may look 17 again, his thirtysomething outlook at life puts him hopelessly at odds with the class of 2009. When Mike discovers that by attempting to recapture his best years he could risk losing all the best things he ever experienced in life, the time comes to make a decision that could have a drastic impact on both his past and his future. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

My Movie Thoughts:

What a funny and enjoyable movie this turned out to be. Since I have an eighteen year old daughter in my household, Zac Efron is not a name that is new to me. But I must admit that I haven't really given this young man a second thought. As the movie begins, Mike is married with two kids at home and is starting to question the decisions that he made that originated during his senior year of high school. Mike is suddenly immersed back into his seventeen year old body, but the year is still 2009. He starts attending school with the class of 2009 and finds that he gets to learn a little more about what his kids are doing during their school days. He has an opportunity to help both his son and daughter, while they think of him as one of their peers, rather than a father. Things get a little intense when he finds himself trying to control his emotions when he is in the presence of his wife (but trying to act as just a friend to his son), and when his daughter (remember that she thinks he is just a new kid in school) starts to think a relationship could develop between them. During this time, Mike has time to re-evaluate his priorities in life and try to make things right again. This was a fun movie and was enjoyed by the entire family so I will give this 4 out of 5 bags of popcorn.

Current Giveaways!!!

Here are a few contests that I have found this last week in blogland:

Cerebral Girl in a Redneck World is giving away The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams and Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea--Contest ends 8/9.

Book Giveaways is giving away a $50 Barnes and Noble gift card--Contest ends 8/11.

Books 'n Border Collies is giving away The Devil's Queen by Jeanne Kalogridis--Contest ends 8/14.

Peeking Between the Pages is giving away Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk--Contest ends 8/15.

A Sea of Books is giving away The Moon Looked Down by Dorothy Garlock--Contest ends 8/15.

At Home With Books is giving away The White Queen by Philippa Gregory--Contest ends 8/17.

Peeking Between the Pages is giving away Twenties Girl by Sophia Kinsella--Contest ends 8/22.


Chocolate and Croissants is giving away Labor Day by Joyce Maynard--Contest ends 8/22.

Peeking Between the Pages is giving away Hugh and Bess by Susan Higginbotham--Contest ends 8/30.

There are amazing contests going on every week so good luck everyone!

Friday Finds-Aug. 7

Should Be Reading asks you to share what books you discovered this week that interest you!

The book that caught my eye most recently is Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran that I found over at the Queen of Happy Endings.

Here is a summary of Cleopatra's Daughter from Michelle Moran's website:

The marriage of Marc Antony and Cleopatra is one of the greatest love stories of all time, a tale of unbridled passion with earth-shaking political consequences. Feared and hunted by the powers in Rome, the lovers choose to die by their own hands as the triumphant armies of Antony’s vengeful rival, Octavian, sweep into Egypt. Their three orphaned children are taken in chains to Rome, but only two—the ten-year-old twins Selene and Alexander—survive the journey. Delivered to the household of Octavian’s sister, the siblings cling to each other and to the hope that they will return one day to their rightful place on the throne of Egypt. As they come of age, they are buffeted by the personal ambitions of Octavian’s family and court, by the ever-present threat of slave rebellion, and by the longings and desires deep within their own hearts.

The fateful tale of Selene and Alexander is brought brilliantly to life in Cleopatra’s Daughter. Recounted in Selene’s youthful and engaging voice, it introduces a compelling cast of historical characters:

Octavia: the emperor Octavian’s kind and compassionate sister, abandoned by Marc Antony for CleopatraLivia: Octavian’s bitter and jealous wife Marcellus: Octavian’s handsome, flirtatious nephew and heir-apparent Tiberius: Livia’s sardonic son and Marcellus’s great rival for powerJuba: Octavian’s ever-watchful aide, whose honored position at court has far-reaching effects on the lives of the young Egyptian royals

Selene’s narrative is animated by the concerns of a young girl in any time and place —the possibility of finding love, the pull of friendship and family, and the pursuit of her unique interests and talents. While coping with the loss of both her family and her ancestral kingdom, Selene must find a path around the dangers of a foreign land. Her accounts of life in Rome are filled with historical details that vividly capture both the glories and horrors of the time. She dines with the empire’s most illustrious poets and politicians, witnesses the creation of the Pantheon, and navigates the colorful, crowded marketplaces of the city where Roman-style justice is meted out with merciless authority.

Based on meticulous research, Cleopatra’s Daughter is a fascinating portrait of Imperial Rome and of the people and events of this glorious and tumultuous period in human history. Emerging from the shadows of history, Selene, a young woman of irresistible charm and preternatural intelligence, will capture your heart.

So did anything new catch your eye this week?

Happy Birthday to Me!

Yes, that dreaded day of the year has come along for me! Today I can no longer say that I am just 40, as I am now in the above 40 category! I am officially 41 years old today and I do not feel a bit dreadful at all about it! A very good and wise friend of mine says the following about birthdays "It's better than the alternative!" How right you are Cheryl, and thank you for those words of wisdom.

I must admit that I really no longer have that fear of "another birthday". I just want to share a little bit of how I seemed to be able to gain a better perception and acceptance of birthdays. Five years ago on my 36th birthday, I happened to realize that my mom was 36 when she passed away. The day my mom turned 36 years old, already a widow and two kids at home, she knew she didn't have much time left in this world. Just a couple of months later she passed away.

Many of you also remember that my 32 year old sister passed away earlier this year, also leaving two young children at home. Luckily they do have their father to take care of them. I didn't bring this up to sound depressing in any way, but more as a way to express my gratitude and praise God for being able to live the life that I have lived so far. I am sad to not be able to make more memories with my mom and sister, but I am so happy to reflect on the times that we did share together. Fortunately I do have my Grandma here with me yet, as she will be turning 87 years old next month. So I think I have inherited her genes and if I am lucky I will be able to live as long and colorful as a life as she has.

So to celebrate I am going out to lunch with my co-workers today, which I have deemed as a "lava lunch". If you are wondering what lava lunch is, it means that I will have maybe a small salad for a meal and indulge in a molten chocolate lava cake for dessert! Yummy. For dinner this evening my husband will be taking me to my favorite Mexican restaurant so I can consume my birthday margarita. More yummy!

Speaking of margarita's...I know that many of you read Beach Trip by Cathy Holton. I just loved this book and you can see my review here. The ladies in this book whipped together a drink that was called a Margarona. Although this recipe seemed a bit strong for my taste, my friend Miranda shared a similar recipe that I thoroughly enjoyed! I wanted to share it with you so here it is:

Miranda's Margarona's

1 bottle of Corona
1 can of sprite, 7Up whatever
6 oz of tequila
1 can of frozen Raspberry Lemonade, Lemonade, Limeade etc…

Mix and serve over ice

These are just amazing on a hot day--especially if you are relaxing at the lake with your girlfriends. My personal favorite is with the raspberry lemonade but they are all tasty! Thanks for revealing this recipe to me Miranda!

Every day that I receive with my friends and family is all the gifts that I need. But I still hope I get that squirrel-proof bird feeder! lol

If you feel like helping me celebrate this special day, feel free to indulge in one of Miranda's Margarona's!

Audiobook Reviw: Two for the Dough by Janet Evanovich

Here is a summary of Two for the Dough from Janet Evanovich's website:

Now Stephanie's back, armed with attitude -- not to mention stun guns, defense sprays, killer flashlights, and her trusty .38. Stephanie is after a new bail jumper, Kenny Mancuso, a boy from Trenton's burg. He's fresh out of the army, suspiciously wealthy, and he's just shot his best friend.

With her bounty hunter pal Ranger stepping in occasionally to advise her, Stephanie staggers knee deep in corpses and caskets as she traipses through back streets, dark alleys, and funeral parlors.
And nobody knows funeral parlors better than Stephanie's irrepressible Grandma Mazur, a lady whose favorite pastime is grabbing a front-row seat at a neighborhood wake. So Stephanie uses Grandma as a cover to follow leads, but loses control when Grandma warms to the action, packing a cool pistol. Much to the family's chagrin, Stephanie and Granny may soon have the elusive Kenny in their sights.

Fast-talking, slow-handed vice cop Joe Morelli joins in the case, since the prey happens to be his young cousin. And if the assignment calls for an automobile stakeout for two with the woman who puts his libido in overdrive, Morelli's not one to object.

Low on expertise but learning fast, high on resilience, and despite the help she gets from friends and relatives, Stephanie eventually must face the danger alone when embalmed body parts begin to arrive on her doorstep and she's targeted for a nasty death by the most loathsome adversary she's ever encountered. Another case like this and she'll be a real pro.

My Review:

This was another enjoyable installment of the Stephanie Plum mystery series. As I listen to these books in my car I often wonder what people think about me if they happen to catch me just laughing away all by myself! I know that a laugh has been provoked during every sitting.

The little jobs at the bonding agency just haven't been paying the bills for Stephanie, so she decides to try some bigger prey by tracking down Kenny Mancuso. While she is searching for Mancuso she also finds herself trying to track down twenty four missing caskets. What better place to start looking for caskets than funeral homes? Since Grandma Mazur enjoys attending wakes so much, especially afternoon viewings, Stephanie enlists Grandma's help by attending almost every funeral together in the burg.

Stephanie finds herself working quite closely with Joe Morelli again, and actually welcomes his company because of the non-existent love life that she leads. It so happens that Morelli is a cousin to Mancuso and Stephanie learns a lot about Mancuso's personality that is quite unnerving. Mancuso is mentally unstable and who knows what he is capable of if he were pushed too far. Old ladies like Grandma Mazur are not even off-limits as far as that psychopath is concerned.

Throughout the book, a few body parts happen to show up in unfortunate places. This definitely adds an element of surprise, and believe it or not-humor. The end of the book was quite suspenseful, as even my favorite character, Grandma Mazur, found herself in a life threatening situation. It was certainly interesting to find out what criminals were involved in this scheme besides Kenny Mancuso.

This was definitely a fun and engaging one to listen to and I can't wait until I get a chance to listen to the third audiobook. Things get quite close between Morelli and Stephanie once again, but it looks like we will have to wait for future installments to see if a relationship really develops at all.

My Rating: 5/5

Teaser Tuesday-Aug. 4

Check out Teaser Tuesdays from Should Be Reading. TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

Grab your current read.

Let the book fall open to a random page.

Share with us two “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.

You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!

This week my teaser is from Blue Shoes and Happiness by Alexander McCall Smith:
And that made me think for the first time: Is my brother the father of my son? I looked at the two of them when they were sitting together and I thought that too.

pg. 11

Monday's Movie-The Man in the Moon

A Novel Menagerie asks us to post about a movie that you watched the week before. We usually watch quite a few movies over the weekend and it is sometimes difficult to only discuss one.

The movie that we watched this weekend that really touched my heart was The Man in the Moon.


Here are some of the details from the film:

Genre: Drama, Romance

Starring: Sam Waterston, Tess Harper, Gail Strickland, Reese Witherspoon, Jason London

Runtime: PG13

MPAA Rating: 1hr, 45mn

Here is a summary of the movie from the MSN Movie website:

In its elegiac nostalgia for the days of childhood innocence, Robert Mulligan's The Man in the Moon recalls another of Mulligan's earlier films, To Kill A Mockingbird. Set in a Louisiana backwater town in the 1950s, the film chronicles the coming-of-age of a young teenage girl. Dani (Reese Witherspoon) is a fourteen-year-old girl who shares a room with her seventeen-year-old sister Maureen (Emily Warfield). During hot summer nights, they sleep on the screened-in back porch of their home, talking about romance, the future, and the meaning of life. Moving into the house next door is a handsome seventeen-year-old boy, Court Foster ( Jason London). Court meets Dani at the local swimming hole and they are immediately attracted to each other; through Court, Dani experiences her first true and perfect love. But when Court meets Maureen, the sparks really fly and Maureen falls in love with him too. Now Maureen is torn between holding back her love for Court or accepting his love and betraying her sister. A tragic event makes Maureen's mind up for her. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

My Movie Thoughts:
This is one of those movies that I said to myself "Where in the world was I when this was released in 1991?" Since my daughter was born in 1991 I was more than likely busy with a new baby in the home. This was such a sweet movie that not only looks into the dynamics of sisterly responsibility, but also first love. Dani is a tomboy in the beginning of the movie but quickly changes her habits once she runs into her new neighbor Court. Although Court feels a connection to Dani, he is also conflicted because he knows that their age difference is a problem. Once Court sets his eyes on Maureen there is an instant attraction between the two. Unfortunately, Dani feels betrayed by Maureen and their sisterly relationship suffers greatly. This movie has many twists and turns between all of the family members and Court, but this heart-wrenching story has a peaceful and forgiving ending. If you missed it like I did, I suggest that you watch it! This was one of Reese Witherspoon's first movies and at age 14 you could definitely tell that she was becoming an amazing and talented actress. I'm going to rate this one 5 out of 5 bags of popcorn.