2011 READING CHALLENGE

I was over at A Novel Challenge checking out the new listings for reading challenges. If you haven't been there, you should really check this out. All the reading challenges you could possibly want are there. I found one, it's the YA Historical Fiction Challenge, it's over at Stephanie's place Books Are A Girl's Best Friend. Here are the rules for the challenge.

You can choose any of the following levels to aim for. I have started it from just reading one YA historical fiction novel in 2011 for those who just want to get a small taste of the genre to start off with:

1) Inquisitive- read 1-3 YA HF novel in 2011
2) Fascinated- Read 5 YA HF novels in 2011
3) Captivated- Read 10 YA HF novels in 2011
4) Head over heels in love- Read 15 YA HF novels in 2011
5) Addicted- Read 15+ YA HF novels in 2011

Rules

* All books read for the challenge must be YA (or for slightly younger children.) For the purposes of this challenge, anything set in the past and centering around the historical period will count.
* The challenge is open to everyone
* It does not matter when the books were published or what time period they were set in but you may want to set yourself a small goal e.g. read 2 2011 releases
* The challenge starts on 1st January 2011 and ends on December 31st and you can sign up from now

I'm going for the Addicted Level, 15+ books. I love reading YA books, so this is a great reading challenge for me. Here is my list of books.

1. The Luxe - Anna Godbersen
2. Rumors - Anna Godbersen
3. Envy - Anna Godbersen
4. Splendor - Anna Godbersen
5. A Spy in the House - Y. S. Lee
6. The Body at the Tower - Y. S. Lee
7. The Great and Terrible Beauty - Libba Bray
8. Rebel Angel - Libba Bray
9. The Sweet Far Thing - Libba Bray
10. Catherine, called Birdy - Karen Cushman
11. The Crowfield Curse - Pat Walsh
12. Viking Warrior - Judson Roberts
13. Here Lies Arthur - Philip Reeve
14. The Hollow Kingdom - Clare B. Dunkle
15. Close Kin - Clare B. Dunkle
16. In The Cols of The Snake - Clare B. Dunkle

REVIEW - A VIRTUOUS WOMAN

This book is for 3 of my reading challenges.
Books to Read Before I Die
52 Books in 52 Weeks
Fill in the Gap Project

"A Virtuous Woman" by Kaye Gibbons
Product Description(Amazon.com)
When Blinking Jack Stokes met Ruby Pitt Woodrow, she was 20 and he was 40. She was the daughter of Carolina gentry. He was a skinny tenant farmer who had never owned anything in his life. They didn't fall in love so much as they simply found each other and held on for dear life.
# Paperback: 176 pages
# Publisher: Vintage (November 5, 1997)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 0375703063
# ISBN-13: 978-0375703065

MY THOUGHTS: I like the way this book is written. Each person, Jack and Ruby, are telling the story. You get different views of each of their lives. How they meet, their life together, and Ruby's illness. You see Ruby has Cancer. So they are telling the story of her life. I would really recommend this book, it's really easy to read. I got hooked as soon as I started reading it. Couldn't put it down.

MY RATING: 5

REVIEW - THE SUMMONING

This book is for 2 of my reading challenges.
Books to Read Before I Die
Fill in the Gaps Project



"The Summoning" by Kelley Armstrong

Product Description(Amazon.com)
My name is Chloe Saunders and my life will never be the same again.
All I wanted was to make friends, meet boys, and keep on being ordinary. I don't even know what that means anymore. It all started on the day that I saw my first ghost—and the ghost saw me.
Now there are ghosts everywhere and they won't leave me alone. To top it all off, I somehow got myself locked up in Lyle House, a "special home" for troubled teens. Yet the home isn't what it seems. Don't tell anyone, but I think there might be more to my housemates than meets the eye. The question is, whose side are they on? It's up to me to figure out the dangerous secrets behind Lyle House . . . before its skeletons come back to haunt me.
# Reading level: Young Adult
# Paperback: 416 pages
# Publisher: HarperCollins; Reprint edition (March 31, 2009)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 0061450545
# ISBN-13: 978-0061450549

MY THOUGHTS: This is a new author for me. I read about this book at someone's blog and it sounded really good, so I put it on my TBR list. It is really a good book. It's also a series of books. The Awakening, The Reckoning, The Gathering(2011) are the ones in the series. The Gathering is due out in 2011. Chloe starts seeing strange things and freaks out in school. They sent her to a house for disturbed teens. But something isn't right. Chloe finds out about all the different kids there and their "special" powers. Then all hell breaks loose. Chloe, Rae, Derek, and Simmon are on the run. And do they get caught? Does Chloe find her "special" power and how to use it? You'll have to read the book to find out the answers to these questions.

MY RATING: 5

REVIEW - COOKING WITH HEALTHY GIRL

"Cooking With Healthy Girl" by Mandy Potter

Product Description(Amazon.com)
I started revising recipes a couple of years ago when I decided it was time to be as healthy as possible without the loss of the foods that I love. I did a lot of research on foods, nutrition, and the body to discover everything I could to enhance the recipes. Every time I create the healthy version of a recipe, I would follow these 6 points: 1. Healthy - decreasing the bad nutrients and increasing the good nutrients 2. Tasty - the recipe needs to taste the same or better 3. Good Portion Size - enough to make you fell full 4. Easy to Make - with two kids I have to make this quickly!! 5. Common/ Everyday Ingredients - ingredients you can buy at the local store and use until they are gone 6. Complete Dinner - pairing a side with an entree makes things a lot easier when trying to feed the family As you will see with my recipes, I still use some of the staple ingredients that I used when I was cooking the unhealthy versions - I just change how much of those ingredients are used and how those ingredients are used. I also added many new staples to my kitchen that help change my recipes to the healthy version. These recipes have helped change my family to a new and healthy lifestyle and I hope they do the same for yours.
# Paperback: 252 pages
# Publisher: AuthorHouse (July 8, 2010)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 1449073425
# ISBN-13: 978-1449073428

MY THOUGHTS: I really enjoyed reading this book. Actually it's a recipe book. It has lots of recipes that are old favorites and lots of new ones to me. The thing that's different is they are made with healthy foods. They are not hard recipes, they simple and easy to make. This will definitely be on my kitchen shelf for references for cooking. Here is a recipe I tried and loved.

BROCCOLI RICE

1(12 oz. bag of frozen Broccoli
1 C. Brown Rice
1 C. reduced-sodium Chicken Broth
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Oregano

In a pot bring broth to a boil. Add rice and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and let simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir. Cover and let sit for 5 more minutes or until liquid has been absorbed. Add broccoli, salt, pepper, and oregano, and mix to combine. Makes 4 servings.

Easy and simple and oh so delicious. In the book with every recipe is the nutrition facts about this recipe. Comes in handy when your watching your salt intake. Love this book!

MY RATING: 5


I'm also linking this to Beth Fish Reads Weekend Cooking.




[This is a free review book.]

2011 READING CHALLENGE

I found another reading challenge over at A Novel Challenge. It's called Just For Fun and it's over at DollyCas's Thoughts. Here are the rules:

12 books in 12 months.
The Rules:
1. Sign up to participate. Fill out the form below. Sign-ups will close at 11:59 p.m. CST on January 31, 2011.
2. Bloggers, please grab the button and put it on your blog to show your participation and provide a link back so others can join. Also, please add your blog to the Linky List so everyone can see at a glance which blogs are participating and visit you if they wish.

3. Read 1, yes, just 1 book for fun each month. Bloggers if you feel compelled to review the book you can but it is not required. You may want to list what books you have read under the button on your blog.

MY BOOKS

1. The Christmas Train - David Baldacci
2. Two Old Women - Velma Wallis
3. The Reckoning - Kelley Armstrong
4. The Gathering - Kelley Armstrong
5. Talking To The Dead - Bonnie Grove
6. Thirteen Reason's Why - Jay Asher
7. Back Roads - Tawni O'Dell
8. The Reader - Bernhard Schlink
9. Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs - Judi Barrett
10. The Undomestic Goddess - Sophie Kinsella
11. Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
12. Now You See Him - Eli Gottleb

2011 READING CHALLENGE

I found another reading challenge I am joining. I did this one last year. It's really lots of fun trying to find the books that fit into the categories. I found it over at A Novel Challenge. The challenge, What's in a Name 4 is over at Beth Fish Reads. Here are the rules.

Between January 1 and December 31, 2011, read one book in each of the following categories:

1. A book with a number in the title: First to Die, Seven Up, Thirteen Reasons Why
2. A book with jewelry or a gem in the title: Diamond Ruby, Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Opal Deception
3. A book with a size in the title: Wide Sargasso Sea, Small Wars, Little Bee
4. A book with travel or movement in the title: Dead Witch Walking, Crawling with Zombies, Time Traveler's Wife
5. A book with evil in the title: Bad Marie, Fallen, Wicked Lovely
6. A book with a life stage in the title: No Country for Old Men, Brideshead Revisited, Bog Child.
The book titles are just suggestions, you can read whatever book you want to fit the category.

MY BOOKS

1. Number 8 - Anna Fienberg
2. Girl with a Pearl Earring - Tracy Chevalier
3. A Pizza the Size of The Sun - Jack Prelutsky
4. Every Move You Make - Carla Cassidy
5. Whisper of Evil - Kay Hooper
6. Two Old Women - Velma Wallis

JUST ME

I decided to post my weekly feature, Just Me now. It is Thursday, it's 12:20am November 25, Thanksgiving day. I've started my holiday cooking tonight. My potato salad and deviled eggs are done. Have to go to the store tomorrow before they close to get eggs. I need more eggs!!! I do that every year. Run out of something and have to make a last minute trip to the store. I thought I would share my recipe for Pumpkin Pie as it's a really yummy favorite around here. I usually make 4 pies and they are gone in a few days.

PUMPKIN PIE
Makes 4 pies

4 Eggs
1 – 29 oz. can Pumpkin
1 1/2 C. Sugar
1 teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Ginger
1/2 teaspoon Cloves
2 – 13 oz. cans Evaporated Milk
4 – 9 inch Pie Shells

In a large bowl, mix all the above ingredients. Pour into unbaked pie shells. Sprinkle tops with Cinnamon. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 and bake another 45 minutes.

When knife is inserted in center and comes out clean, remove pies and cool.

I also made a run to the library today before the rain, sleet and freezing rain set in. This is really some weird weather we've been having the this week. And about 15 minutes ago there was a loud clap of thunder!

The books I got are:

The Summoning - Kelley Armstrong
My name is Chloe Saunders and my life will never be the same again.
All I wanted was to make friends, meet boys, and keep on being ordinary. I don't even know what that means anymore. It all started on the day that I saw my first ghost—and the ghost saw me.
Now there are ghosts everywhere and they won't leave me alone. To top it all off, I somehow got myself locked up in Lyle House, a "special home" for troubled teens. Yet the home isn't what it seems. Don't tell anyone, but I think there might be more to my housemates than meets the eye. The question is, whose side are they on? It's up to me to figure out the dangerous secrets behind Lyle House . . . before its skeletons come back to haunt me.

A Virtuous Woman - Kaye Gibbons
When Blinking Jack Stokes met Ruby Pitt Woodrow, she was 20 and he was 40. She was the daughter of Carolina gentry. He was a skinny teen and farmer who had never owned anything in his life. They didn't fall in love so much as they simply found each other and held on for dear life.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends.

REVIEW - SUSAN B. ANTHONY

This book is for 2 of my reading challenges.
Women Unbound - Wrap Up
52 Books in 52 Weeks




"Susan B. Anthony: Activist" by Anne M. Todd
(from back cover)
Susan B. Anthony spent her life working to bring equality to women and African Americans. She wanted both groups to have the same educational opportunities, the same working options, and the same voting rights as white males. Anthony believed that all people were equal, and she wanted everyone to share the same rights under the U.S. Constitution. She organized campaigns, lecture tours, and petition drives, as well as spent months at a time traveling the country alone, using her own money to cover her expenses. At a time when it was illegal for a woman to vote in an election, file for divorce, or own property, Anthony spurred people to consider change with her clear voice, direct language, and powerful messages.
# Reading level: Young Adult
# Library Binding: 128 pages
# Publisher: Chelsea House Publications; 1 edition (January 30, 2009)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 1604130873
# ISBN-13: 978-1604130874

MY THOUGHTS: This is one historical figure I didn't really know a lot about. I of course knew she was woman's activist. But I didn't know about her work with slavery. She was involved in the Underground Railroad, as well as her parents. She had 4 sisters and a brother. Susan B. Anthony never married or had children. This quote is from the book. This is Anthony's thoughts about being married and having children.

"I thought it was much better for me to devote my life to amending the State law which denied mothers the right of guardianship of their own children, than for me to be the mother of a half-dozen children who were not legally my own."

MY RATING: 5




This is also my wrap up of this reading challenge.

1. Eva's Story - Eva Schloss
2. The Bride's Farewell - Meg Rosoff
3. I'll Pass for Your Comrade: women solider's in the Civil War - Anita Silvey
4. Susan B. Antony: Activist - Anne M. Todd
5. One Thousand White Women - Jim Fergus
6. Mary Todd Lincoln: tragic first lady of the Civil War - Mary Hull
7. Ladies of Liberty - Cokie Roberts

REVIEW - REUNION IN CARMEL

"Reunion in Carmel" by Tim Comstock

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION(Amazon.com)
In Reunion in Carmel, widowed Will Kempton, a former narcotics cop, flees the hard streets and rough memories of Jersey with his two young children to become police chief of the tiny tourist town of Carmel, California. His biggest headaches in Carmel are squeaky desk chairs, local blowhards, and parking tickets--until a series of murders and frightening intrusions wrecks the idyllic scene. It slowly becomes clear to Will and his outmatched police force that they are dealing with a madman who will stop at nothing for revenge. Will and his team race to stay one step ahead of the criminal, while keeping themselves safe and putting out fires in local politics. Tim Comstock's first novel is gripping, from its bone-chilling prologue to its heart-stopping conclusion.
# Paperback: 252 pages
# Publisher: AuthorHouse (June 9, 2010)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 1452014108
# ISBN-13: 978-1452014104

MY THOUGHTS: This is a review book and I really enjoyed reading it. It is full of mystery and suspense. Tim Comstock keeps you on the edge of your seat with his very descriptive details. As Will and hid tiny police force try to figure out who this person is, the killer is knocking off fellow officers and friends of Will's. He gets the feeling that this is personal. Will stashes his two kids at the mayor's high security home for safe keeping. Then Will calls in more help from the local Sheriff's office. The the mad rush to find the killer begins. Does Will find the killer? Who is this guy? You'll have to read the book to find out. I promise it's really good!

MY RATING: 5

[This is a free review book.]

IT'S MONDAY, WHAT ARE YOU READING?

Head over to Book Journey to participate in It's Monday, What Are You Reading? You might find your next book there.

At this moment I am reading a book that I'm reviewing. It's a murder mystery and it's getting really good. It actually grabbed me from about page 5.

(Amazon.com) In Reunion in Carmel, widowed Will Kempton, a former narcotics cop, flees the hard streets and rough memories of Jersey with his two young children to become police chief of the tiny tourist town of Carmel, California. His biggest headaches in Carmel are squeaky desk chairs, local blowhards, and parking tickets--until a series of murders and frightening intrusions wrecks the idyllic scene. It slowly becomes clear to Will and his outmatched police force that they are dealing with a madman who will stop at nothing for revenge. Will and his team race to stay one step ahead of the criminal, while keeping themselves safe and putting out fires in local politics.

REVIEW - MARY TODD LINCOLN

This book is for 1 of my reading challenges.
Women Unbound

"Mary Todd Lincoln: tragic first lady of the civil war" by Marey E. Hull

Product Description(Amazon.com)
A biography of the wife of the sixteenth president of the United States, discussing her upbringing, marriage, her role in Lincoln's political career, and the tragedies that marred her life.
# Reading level: Young Adult
# Library Binding: 128 pages
# Publisher: Enslow Publishers (January 2000)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 0766012522
# ISBN-13: 978-0766012523

MY THOUGHTS: I love reading about the Civil War. I love history. Of 4 children born to Mary and Abraham Lincoln, only one survived to adult hood, Robert. Mary Todd was a big influence in Abraham Lincoln's rise to the white house. She hosted parties, wrote letters and talked to people in politics to get him elected to his first political office. She also over spent her 20,000 dollar budget refurbishing the white house. After Lincoln was assassinated Mary was very much disliked for her outspoken behavior. Her son, Robert, had her committed to a mental institute. Lots of info in this book that I didn't know about. If you love history you would love this book.

MY RATING: 5

REVIEW - I'LL PASS FOR YOUR COMRADE

This book is for 1 of my reading challenges.
Women Unbound

"I'll Pass for Your Comrade: women soldiers in the civil war" by Anita Silvey

Product Description(Amazon.com)
The Civil War has been studied, written about, even sun about for generations. Most people know that it was a conflict between North and South, Unionists and rebels, blue and gray. We recognize the names of Jefferson Davis, Ulysses S. Grant, and Robert E. Lee. Many people know about Clara Barton, the nurse who did so much to save soldiers' lives. But few have heard of Sarah Emma Edmonds, Rosetta Wakeman, or Mary Galloway. They were among the hundreds of women who assumed male identities, put on uniforms, enlisted in the Union or Confederate Army, and went into battle alongside their male comrades. In this compelling book, Anita Silvey explores the fascinating secret world of women soldiers: who they were, why they went to war, how they managed their masquerade. A few left memoirs, diaries, or letters. Newspaper stories, pension records, and regimental accounts yielded additional information, as did the writings of male soldiers who became aware of the women in the ranks. Undoubtedly, there were women soldiers whose true identity was never discovered or revealed. Accessible, accurate, and engaging, I'll Pass for Your Comrade invites readers to view the Civil War from an uncommon perspective and explores an often overlooked aspect of our history.
# Reading level: Ages 9-12
# Hardcover: 128 pages
# Publisher: Clarion Books; 1 edition (December 29, 2008)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 0618574913
# ISBN-13: 978-0618574919

MY THOUGHTS: Even though this book is for ages 9-12, it was a very fascinating book to read. I really enjoyed reading about ladies in the war. This era is one of my favorite things to read. I never knew women actually enlisted in the army to serve their causes. For them to sacrifice everything to go to war was very heroic.

MY RATING: 5

2011 READING CHALLENGE

As usual I was over at A Novel Challenge looking at reading challenges. I need to quit going there. LOL There is one called The Romantic Suspense Reading Challenge over at Jamie's place, Nitty Gritty. Here is some info on the challenge.

1. Create a post for the challenge using the image above and link back to this post.
--Non-Bloggers: You are welcome to join too. Post your list of books in the comment section of the wrap-up post.
2. Sign up with the Mr. Linky.
--Link to your challenge post when you sign up please.
3. The goal of this challenge is to read AT LEAST 12 novels that are Romantic Suspense between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011. Books read before January 1, 2011 do NOT count towards the challenge.
4. Audio, eBooks, paper all count. Re-reads are ok but try to keep them to a minimum. Cross overs from other challenges are ok.
5. There is no need to create your list now. Please feel free to use your challenge post to keep track of your titles if you so desire.

I pesonally like to have my list of books handy so I know what I'm going to read, so I'm making a list.

1. Murder List - Julie Garwood
2. Witchcraft - Jayne Ann Krentz
3. Under the Knife - Tess Gerritsen
4. The Harbor - Carla Neggers
5. Seduced by a Roque - Connie Mason
6. Wild Rain - Christine Feehan
7. Bait - Karen Robards
8. White Hot - Sandra Brown
9. Phillipa - Bertrice Small
10. Wicked - Shannon Drake
11. The Prey - Allison Brennan
12. Half Past Dead - Meryl Sawyer

REVIEW - THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO

This book is for one of my reading challenges.
Fill in the Gaps 100 Project

"The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" by Stieg Larsson
Product Description(Amazon.com)
An international publishing sensation, Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo combines murder mystery, family saga, love story, and financial intrigue into one satisfyingly complex and entertainingly atmospheric novel.

Harriet Vanger, a scion of one of Sweden's wealthiest families disappeared over forty years ago. All these years later, her aged uncle continues to seek the truth. He hires Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently trapped by a libel conviction, to investigate. He is aided by the pierced and tattooed punk prodigy Lisbeth Salander. Together they tap into a vein of unfathomable iniquity and astonishing corruption.
# Paperback: 600 pages
# Publisher: Vintage Crime / Black Lizard (June 23, 2009)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 0307454541
# ISBN-13: 978-0307454546

MY THOUGHTS: This is my book clubs pick for November. It has also been on my TBR list for ages. So when the chit chat at book club came around to this book, I jumped on it. I must say I was a little disappointed when I started reading the book. It's really slow and filled with so much info I got lost at first. Then finally it got going. What was confusing was all the info about Wennerstrom. But I really enjoyed the book. It is written with every detail that could possibly have to do with the story line plus more. Now I've got to read the other 2 books in this series. They will go on my TBR list. The Girl Who Played With Fire - Stieg Larsson and The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest - Stieg Larsson

MY RATING: 5

JUST ME

Time for Just Me, my weekly feature about me and my family. So what's new with me this week. I have two new Great Nephews. My Niece, Megan, had her twin boys last week. Hunter and Hayden, they were born on Veterans Day.

Hayden - 5lb.12oz. born 3:13pm
Hunter - 4lb.14oz. born 3:21pm



This is the whole family together. Megan, David, Noah, Hunter and Hayden.



I'm still working on my Candy Stripe Afghan, it's almost done. And I'm planning on working on a new scrapbook page. I have a few ideas for one.

As for books. I'm still reading The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. It was kind of slow for awhile but it's starting to pick up. I also just finished The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. Wonderful book, I highly recommend this book. My review is here. Well that's it for this week. Have a wonderful weekend.

2011 READING CHALLENGE

I was reading through my comments and found one from a new person. So I popped over to check out their blog. What ya, Readin', Books: A Teacher/Learners Blog. She has lots of great stuff over there. You should check it out. I found a new reading challenge there that I just had to check out. It's over at Sarah Reads Too Much and it is Back to the Classics Challenge. Here is some info about it:

This challenge is open to anyone who would like to participate. You can join in at any point. If you do not have a blog of your own, please feel free to update using the Comments section of this post. I will start a separate page on this blog to track my own progress, and you can feel free to comment there as well. This is intended to be a stress-free challenge, and therefore I am giving a 6 month time frame for completion. The Challenge will be open from January - June 2011. You can list you book choices before the challenge starts, or as you go along.... whatever works best for you.

The goals to complete:

1. A Banned Book
2. A Book with a Wartime Setting (can be any war)
3. A Pulitzer Prize (Fiction) Winner or Runner Up: a list can be found here
4. A Children's/Young Adult Classic
5. 19th Century Classic
6. 20th Century Classic
7. A Book you think should be considered a 21st Century Classic
8. Re-Read a book from your High School/College Classes

This is my list of books.

1. Frankenstein - Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley(Banned Book)
2. Diamonds in the Shadow - Caroline B. Cooney(Civil War)
3. A Thousand Acres - Jane Smiley(Pulitzer Prize)
4. The Titan's Curse - Rick Riordan(Young Adult)
5. The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas(19th Century Classic)
6. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee(20th Century Classic)
7. Marley & Me - John Grogan(Should be 21st Century Classic)
8. 2001: A Space Odyssey - Arthur C. Clarke(High School)

REVIEW - THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN

This book is for 3 of my reading challenges.
Books to Read Before I Die
52 Books in 52 Weeks(Wk.47)
Fill in the Gaps

"The Five People You Meet in Heaven" by Mitch Albom
Product Description(Amazon.com)
Plot Eddie is a wounded war veteran, an old man who has lived, in his mind, an uninspired life. His job is fixing rides at a seaside amusement park. On his 83rd birthday, a tragic accident kills him, as he tries to save a little girl from a falling cart. He awakes in the afterlife, where he learns that heaven is not a destination. It's a place where your life is explained to you by five people, some of whom you knew, others who may have been strangers. One by one, from childhood to soldier to old age, Eddie's five people revisit their connections to him on earth, illuminating the mysteries of his "meaningless" life, and revealing the haunting secret behind the eternal question: "Why was I here?"
# Hardcover: 198 pages
# Publisher: Hyperion; 1 edition (September 23, 2003)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 1920798218
# ISBN-13: 978-1920798215

MY THOUGHTS: I have had this book on my TBR list for ages. I went to the library to return some books and forgot to take my list with me. I was trying to think of some of the books I wanted to read. And I could only think of one, this one. I'm so glad I got it. Wonderful book! Beautifully written by Mr. Albom. If you believe in heaven or if you don't, this book will make you believe. I didn't want it to end. If you haven't read this book, please do, it's wonderful.

MY RATING: 5

WWW WEDNESDAY

Over at Should Be Reading WWW Wednesday is going on. What it this? Here is some info:

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

My Answers

What are you currently reading? - I'm actually reading 4 books, but the ones I'm reading the most are:
The Five People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson

What did you recently finish reading? - I just finished reading a review book. My review it here.
The Goddess of Fried Okra - Jean Brashear

What do you think you'll read next? - I will be reading a book from one of my reading challenges.
Susan B. Anthony: Activist - Anne M. Todd

2011 READING CHALLENGE

I found another reading challenge over a A Novel Challenge. This one is called Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge over at The Book Vixen's place. Here is some info:

* Runs January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2011 (books read prior to 1/1/11 do not count towards the challenge). You can join at anytime. You can sign up on The Book Vixen’s blog.
* The goal is to outdo yourself by reading more books in 2011 than you did in 2010. See the different levels below and pick the one that works best for you. Nothing is set in stone; you can change levels at any time during the challenge.
* Books can be any format (bound, eBook, audio).
* Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are fine.
* You can list your books in advance or list them as you read them. It is not required that you review the books you read for this challenge but feel free to do so.
* Post this reading challenge on your blog so you can keep a list of the books you’ve read for this challenge. Please include a link back to this post so readers can join the challenge too.
* You do not have to be a book blogger to participate. You can keep tabs on books you’ve read for this challenge on Goodreads or LibraryThing if you’d like (maybe make a shelf for “Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge”). If you are not on either of those sites then you can list the books you read for this challenge in the comments on my wrap-up post, which will be up at the end of 2011. The sign up page is here.
LEVELS
Getting my heart rate up – Read 1–5 more books
Out of breath – Read 6–10 more books
Breaking a sweat – Read 11–15 more books
I’m on fire! – Read 16+ more books

Since I'm not sure how many books I've read this year I will make my own challenge to read 150 books for this challenge. I don't have a list, I'll be adding them as I go. I will add them here as I finish them.

2011 READING CHALLENGE

I've been over to A Novel Challenge looking at the new 2011 reading challenges. I've seen a few I want to join. This is one. It's Gothic Reading Challenge. Here is some info:

Anyone can join and you don't need a blog to participate. (Non-Bloggers: Sign up in the comments section of this post.) -

Audio, Re-reads, eBooks, YA, Young Reader – basically, anything goes as long as it has element(s) of the Gothic. I'm not going to police you. If you think it is a Gothic read, that's enough for me. Crossovers from other reading challenges are fine as well. -

List your books in advance on your blog, or choose your books as you go along.

Levels
A Little Madness - Read just 1 novel with Gothic elements.

The Darkness Within - Read 5 novels with Gothic elements.

A Maniacal Frenzy - Read 10 novels with Gothic elements.

Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know - Read 20 novels with Gothic elements.

I have always wanted to read some classics so most of my books are classics with a couple thrown in by authors I haven't read. I am going to try and read one book a month for the year. Which will put me a little over the A Maniacal Frenzy Level. The books I've chosen. I'm a little short so if you know of any more to suggest, let me know.

1. Dracula - Bram Stoker
2. Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
3. Rebecca - Daphne daMaurier
4. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow - Washington Irving
5. Shutter Island - Dennis Lehane
6. The Name of the Rose - Umberto Eco
7. Northanger Abby - Jane Austen
8. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
9. The Hound of the Baskervilles - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
10.
11.
12.

2011 READING CHALLENGE

I was over at A Novel Challenge checking out the new reading challenges. I found one I'm going to join. It's called the Hometown Challenge.

The idea behind this challenge is actually pretty simple, read at least one book that takes place in your hometown*.

The Rules:
1)You must read 1 non-fiction book, but the rest can be either fiction or non-fiction.
2) Anybody can join, you don't have to have a blog to participate.
3) The challenge runs September 1st, 2010 through August 31st, 2011.
4) You must sign-up for this challenge using the sign-up form below.
5) You can sign-up for this challenge anytime before August 1st, 2011.
6) You don't have to create a list of books you plan to read ahead of time, but if you do know what you plan to read, it would be fun if you did.

There are 4 levels to this challenge:
Level 1: Tourist - read 1-2 books
Level 2: Relocation - read 3-4 books
Level 3: Local - read 5-6 books
Level 4: Founder - read 7-8 books

I will be going for Level 3

1. Murder on Gallatin Street: the search for John Doe - David M. Payne
2. Going Over All The Hurdles: a life of Oatess Archey - John A. Beineke
3. Our Town: a heartland lynching, a haunted town and the hidden history of white 4. America - Cindy Carr
4. Quilts: their story and how to make them - Marie D. Webster
5. A Time of Terror - James Cameron

REVIEW - THE GODDESS OF FRIED OKRA

This book is for 1 of my reading challenges.
52 Books in 52 Weeks(Wk.46)

"The Goddess of Fried Okra" by Jean Brashear

Product Description(Amazon.com)
Grief. Hope. Love. Sword fights. And the crisp glory of fried okra. Ex-cocktail waitress and "convenience story professional" Eudora "Pea" O'Brien is filled with grief and regret, low on cash and all alone. Headed down the hot, dusty back roads of central Texas, Pea is convinced she'll find a sign leading her to the reincarnated soul of the sister who raised her. A sign that she's found her place in the world of the living again. At least that's what the psychic promised. In an unforgettably funny and poignant journey, Pea collects an unlikely family of strays-a starving kitten, a pregnant teenager, a sexy con man trying to go straight, and a ferocious gun dealer named Glory, who introduces Pea to the amazing, sword-wielding warrior goddesses of Texas author Robert E. Howard-creator of the Conan the Barbarian novels-and celebrated in festival every year. Six foot tall, red-headed Pea looks good with a sword in her hand. Glory, the goddesses, and a grandmotherly café owner become Pea's unlikely gurus as she struggles to learn swordplay and the art of perfect fried okra. She'll have to master both if she's going to find what matters most-her own lost soul.
# Paperback: 242 pages
# Publisher: Bell Bridge Books (March 17, 2010)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 0984125892
# ISBN-13: 978-0984125890

MY THOUGHTS: Really interesting book. I loved all the characters in this book. I really like "Pea's" name a lot. As Pea travels the back roads of Texas she meets some unlikely people to help her along her trip to find her place in the world. This book is very funny at times and other times it's very heart wrenching. But Pea doesn't give up. Does Pea find her lost soul? You'll have to read the book to find out.

MY RATING: 5

[This is a free review book.]

THE FRIDAY 56

Freda over at Freda's Voice is the host of The Friday 56. Want to join in on the fun? Here's how:

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Link it here.

It's that simple.

My Book
Cake Boss - Buddy Valastro


Page 56 5th sentence-this is about a trip Buddy took to his father's home town in Italy when Buddy was a boy. This is a free review book I am reading. Watch for a book give-a-way for this book.

One night, the family prepared an enormous feast for us: the centerpiece was capreto(baby goat), which Freddy's father, Mario, procured from the family farm, slaughtered, and cooked on a spit in a wood-burning oven.

JUST ME

Well, another Thursday has rolled around. It seems like the days just roll along faster as I'm getting older. This week was pretty much the same as last week. With one exception. I finished my orange and brown Afghan. It's now on the couch in the living room.



And I pulled one out of storage that I started a few years ago. It's a candy stripe Afghan. I really like that little stripe of candy stripe. And that's the name of the yarn too.



As for reading this week. I am working on 3 books. 2 are review books. The other is my book club pick for this month.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson- pretty good so far.
Cake Boss - Buddy Valastro - watch for a book give-a-way on this one. [review book]
The Goddess of Fried Okra - Jean Brashear - pretty interesting so far.[review book]

As for the babies, they were 4 months old yesterday. Growing like weeds and they go to the doctor next week for their 4 month check-up, which means they will be getting shots again. I hate that part!

REVIEW - ADVENTURES OF RUSTY & GINGER FOX

I got this book in the mail today. Read it and really enjoyed it.

"Adventures of Rusty & Ginger Fox" by Tim Ostermeyer

Product Description(Amazon.com)
When two young foxes set out to explore the forest, they encounter all kinds of creatures. Some of them are friendly, while others would like nothing more than to eat the two young explorers! Rusty and Ginger may be able to outfox bears, bobcats, cougars, and wolves, but can they unlock the mysterious box that awaits them on Treasure Island? And will the little girls they meet there turn out to be friends or foes?

Join Rusty and Ginger as they travel through the woods. Author Tim Ostermeyer's beautiful wildlife photography provides a fox's-eye view of the forest. With a charming story to guide the way, and a fact page of wildlife information for every animal introduced in the book, readers can explore nature alongside Rusty and Ginger.
# Reading level: Ages 4-8
# Hardcover: 48 pages
# Publisher: Synergy Books (November 23, 2010)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 0984504001
# ISBN-13: 978-0984504008

MY THOUGHTS: Really great children's book. The pictures are awesome! Any child would love having this book read to me and look at the great pictures.

MY RATING: 5

[This is a free review book.]

REVIEW - A LITTLE DEATH IN DIXIE

"A Little Death in Dixie" by Lisa Turner

Product Description(Amazon.com)
The Blues were born out of need, anger and pride. Murder comes from those same dark places. Memphis has both. One of Memphis' most seductive and notorious socialites has vanished. Either she's off on another drunken escapade or the disappearance is something much more frightening. What begins as an ordinary day's work for Detective Billy Able quickly grows into a complex spider's web of tragedy, mystery, suspicion, and sordid secrets including a few of Billy's own. With the help of Mercy Snow, the estranged sister of the missing socialite, Billy follows a twisted trail of human frailty and corruption to disturbing truths that undermine everything he thought he knew about himself and the people he loves. "Memphis, the Mississippi River, and the underbelly of human nature they're all exposed in the dark brew of this fast-paced Southern Gothic suspense.

MY THOUGHTS: This was a very good book. A page turner and on the edge of your seat book. Written very well it won't be the last book I read from Lisa Turner. If you like an old fashioned mystery with some twists and turns you will love this book. And does Billy find the missing Socialite? You'll have to read the book to find out.

MY RATING: 5

[This is a free review book.]

THE FRIDAY 56

We have a new host for The Friday 56. It's Freda over at Freda's Voice. You need to go visit her. She has lots of interesting "stuff" at her place.

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Link it here.

I have been wanting to read this book forever. My book club picked this book to read this month.



Page 56
-------
A case in which there may have been some sort of treat to the man Blomkvist, and if they took this on, Milton would risk colliding with Wennerstrom's regiment of lawyers. Armansky was not in the least comforted by the thought of turning Salander loose in such a situation, like a cruise missile out of control.