Mini Reviews-Jane, the fox & me, Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? And Drama

I don't remember where I heard about Jane, the Fox & Me, but I'm glad I did. This sweet story is about Hélenè, who is being bullied at school. She has no friends so she loses herself in Jane Eyre. Hélenè relates to Jane. But at sleepaway camp, Hélenè meets some people that help her see that her tormentors aren't the only people in this world.
I loved the graphics. But I especially enjoyed reading about Hélenè. I was sad when I finished this one and would have liked more about Hélenè.

I heard about Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? from my coworkers. Since I work in the aging field any book about growing older is always talked about. I could really relate to Roz. I too am an only child and have old fogey parents. I want to give this book to everyone who doesn't believe their parents will get old or need help. Roz doesn't pull any punches. She discussed cost of her parent's care, the guilt she feels about seeing them, not seeing them, and what it's like to watch someone die. Brutally honest but so beautiful. Not an uplifting book but one that will stick with me. 

I'm so glad I picked up Drama. Callie is a 7th grader and she loves being involved with her school's drama department. Callie excels at making sets. Drama is the story of Callie putting on a play and the drama that surrounds her. It reminded me of 7th grade when she liked him but he liked someone else and that gross boy liked her. It was cute and fun. I would love to hear more about Callie in the future. 

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and me that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.

Full Steam Ahead

I don't remember where I heard about Full Steam Ahead but the cover caught my eye. Although the more I look at it, the creepier the girl looks. 

The Secret Service

This is the graphic novel that Kingsman is based on. I've liked Millar's others graphic novels and I'm looking forward to the movie. 

My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Holiday Stories

I was looking forward to this anthology. Rainbow Rowell! David Levithan! Stephanie Perkins! Gayle Forman! When I added it to my library queue, I suspected I wouldn't get it until next year. I was pretty surprised when it showed up this week. Really looking forward to this one.  

What did you get this week? Add your link below.

Teaser Tuesday-Bridget Jones Mad About The Boy by Helen Fielding

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “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 Lists if they like your teasers!

"Typically, in his cheerful manner, Roxster seemed unworried by the nits, though we both agreed that in order to have Responsible Sex, we must nit-comb each other first. Roxster was so funny, combing my hair, pretending to find and eat the nits, whilst intermittently kissing the back of my neck."
pg 17 Bridget Jones Mad About The Boy by Helen Fielding

The Devil Wears Kilts by Suzanne Enoch

When I spotted The Devil Wears Kilts on the library shelf, I took a chance. A new romance series with sexy Scots? Sure, why not? Not a bad first book but a little slow.

Ranulf heads to London to fetch his runaway sister. Ranulf hates London and isn't happy about having to spend a moment there. But when he sees Lady Charlotte Hanover, he decides that London might be worth checking out. Charlotte is firmly on the shelf. After her fiancée dies in a duel, Charlotte has no use for hot headed men. But Ranulf is mighty sexy in his kilt.

I have two complaints about The Devil Wears Kilts. First it was slow. There was a lot of back and forth between Ranulf and Charlotte. I liked that their attraction was quick but that they took a lot of time to get to know each other. In fact the sexy times were a lot later than in many other romance novels. But so slow! Too slow for me. I started to get bored. Second, I get confused with their Scottish accents (this happened to me in Outlander too). I think I got tired of trying to figure out what they were saying sometimes. But Charlotte was smart and genuine. Ranulf was a little harder to like but I liked him in the end. I'll try the rest of the series. Others who shared their thoughts on The Devil Wears Kilts: All About Romance, Smexy Books, My Book Addiction Reviews, and Addicted To Romance.
This is my twenty-third read for the Romance Reading Challenge.

And this is my fourteenth read for the Historical Reading Challenge.

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and me that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.

The Girl With All The Gifts

All the buzz around this one caused me to add it to my library queue. We'll see how it goes. 

The Night Bookmobile

I've been wanting to read this one for a while. Something during the Read-a-thon made me think of it so I added it to my queue.

Howl's Moving Castle

I've never seen the movie. My plan is to read the book and see the movie.

What did you get this week? Claire's got the linky this week.

Teaser Tuesday-It's Not That I'm Bitter by Gina Barreca

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “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 Lists if they like your teasers!

"Many of us decided that, unlike our mothers and grandmothers, we would not shove and stuff our flesh inside girdles and corsets as if we were made of Play-Doh and could be molded at will. We felt just fine wearing T-shirts, thank you, with nothing between us and our front pockets (pockets that were strategically placed because of The Fear of Visible Nipples sill lurked)."

pg 47 It's Not That I'm Bitter by Gina Barreca

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

I picked up Big Little Lies because I enjoyed Moriarty's other book, The Husband's Secret. While The Husband's Secret was good, Big Little Lies was phenomenal.

Celeste, Jane, and Madeline all have kids in kindergarden. Madeline and Celeste have been friends since their kids met in swim class. Jane has just moved to town. Quickly the three of them become fast friends and start spending a lot of time with each other. Madeline also has a fourteen year old daughter from previous marriage which causes her lots of problems. Jane is a single mom. Celeste is beautiful and appears to have it all. I really enjoyed getting to know these characters. I also enjoyed the little bits of mystery that Moriarty brings in. Something has happened at Trivia night. And the majority of the book is about what happens before Trivia night. So I spent most of the book trying to figure out what happens. I have to say I was wrong but I'm not very good at guessing who dunnits.

Big Little Lies was so engrossing. I hated putting down. I loved Moriarty's writing and her characters. I felt she wrapped this one up well but I wouldn't mind reading about them again. Others who shared their thoughts on Big Little Lies: As The Crowe Flies (And Reads!), Booking Mama, and The Reading Date.

The Readathon: The End of The Event

This was such a weird Read-a-thon for me. I woke up at 6am, only an hour after my start time. I read one book, cheerleaded for a bit, then went back to bed til 9am. Then I woke up made breakfast and read. Then I hung out wih Tai until he left for volleyball. Then Dad and I went out for lunch and a drive. Then I came home and cleaned while listening to an audiobook. I tried to read more after Tai came home but I was unsuccessful. We went out to dinner and saw Fury. I came home cheerleaded for a bit on twitter and went to be around 2am. I completed 3 books and started 2 more. Sucessful but just odd for me. 

1. Which hour was most daunting for you? Proably after I first woke up. I felt like it was too early for me and probably why I headed back to bed.
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? As always, graphic novels and novellas. But I've found a good audiobook can help too. 
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? The read-a-thon hosts and volunteers are amazing. No suggestions, keep up the great work.
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? For me, I didn't make a plan so I didn't really have the same experience as I had in April. Now the October read-a-thon is usually like this for me so perhaps that's ok.
5. How many books did you read? 3
6. What were the names of the books you read? Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (audiobook), This Night So Dark by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (ebook), and The Spectral Engine by Ray Fawkes (graphic novel).
7. Which book did you enjoy most? All three were good.
8. Which did you enjoy least? N/A
9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders? I love cheerleading for Team Rogue. I cheerleaded mostly on Twitter so I missed a lot of people's blog posts.
10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? Hell yeah I'll be joining again in April. 

The Start (Readathon)

I'm up earlier than usual even for a Read-a-thon. 

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?
A suburb of Seattle, WA
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
This One Summer. I've had it for ages and it's due back to the library. Must read today!3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?
Popcorn. We're planning on seeing Fury later tonight. 4) Tell us a little something about yourself!
Besides reading, food is my passion. I love to cook and eat. 5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to?
No goals. Just going to read or cheerlead as much as I want. 

The Dark Wife by Sarah Diemer

I don't remember where I read about The Dark Wife. I'm thankful to whoever it was because I don't think I would have heard about this otherwise. The Dark Wife is a beautifully told retelling of the Persephone myth that I enjoyed.

Ok, so the story we know is that Persephone was hanging out in Olympus when Hades arrived and kidnapped her to the Underworld. There Hades convinced her to eat three pomegranate seeds, one for each month Persephone must spend in the Underworld. During those three months, Persephone's mother, Demeter, blankets the world in Winter. In The Dark Wife, the story is similar but told through Persephone's point of view. Persephone loves her mother but isn't a fan of Zeus, her father. Persephone doesn't want to live with Zeus or on Mt Olympus. When she meets Hades, Persephone discovers she might have an alternative. Especially since Persephone finds herself attracted to the beautiful Hades, another woman.

Besides retelling the Persephone story, Diemer also tells us about Zeus and the other deities. I found her writing to be lyrically and loved reading The Dark Wife. I'll be looking for more of Diemer's books. Others who shared their thoughts on The Dark Wife: Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, Vicariously, The Rainbow Reader, and Bookish.

Challenge Completed: 2014 Book Bingo Challenge

I'm done! I reread Ready Player One to complete the card. Woo Hoo! I knew that reread was going to be the toughest space on this challenge. But I still enjoyed this challenge and would do it again next year!

Here's my completed card:

TBR Pile:
One Book: The Absolutely True Diary of A Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Two Books: Joyland by Stephen King and Goliath by Scott Westerfeld
Three Books: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel by Deborah Moggach, Sense and Sensibility by Joanne Trollope, and Paris Was The Place by Susan Conley.
Four Books: The Ocean at The End of The Lane by Neil Gaiman, Victorian Secrets by Sarah Chrisman, Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg, and Constance by Rosie Thomas.
Five Books: The Husband's Secret by Laine Moriaty, Legion by Brandon Sanderson, Isla and The Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins, Wildthorn by Jane Eagland, and The Girl With The Wind-Up Heart by Kady Cross.

Mix It Up:
Nonfiction: Caffeinated by Murray Carpenter
Classic: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Reread: Ready Player One by Ernie Cline
Free Square: These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Contemporary: Just One Day by Gayle Forman,

Series:
One Book: Cornerstone by Kelly Walker
Two Books: Wild Heart and Wild Desire by Lori Brighton
Three Books: A Darkness Strange and Lovely by Susan Dennard, Enchanting The Beast by Kathryne Kennedy, and The Winter Rose by Jennifer Donnelly.
Four Books: Everlasting Enchantment by Kathryne Kennedy, Double Enchantment by Kathryn Kennedy, Silk is For Seduction by Loretta Chase, and A Night To Surrender by Tessa Dare.
Five Books: Shattered by Kevin Hearne, A Week To Be Wicked by Tessa Dare, Once Upon A Kiss by Jayne Fresina, Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott, and Just One Year by Gayle Forman.

Genres:
Fantasy: Dust Girl by Sarah Zettel
Free Square: Boy21 by Matthew Quick
Historical Fiction: Trapped At The Alter by Jane Feather
Mystery: A Study In Silks by Emma Jane Holloway
Romance: Enchanting The Lady by Kathryne Kennedy

New Releases:
One Book: Tsarina by J. Nellie Patrick
Two Books: I Shall Be Near To You by Erin Lindsay McCabe and A Mad, Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller
Three Books: Cress by Marissa Meyer, The Divorce Papers by Susan Rieger, and Infinite by Jodi Meadows.
Four Books: What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick,  The One by Kiera Cass, The Selcetion Stories by Kiera Cass, and Odin's Ravens by KL Armstrong and MA Marr.
Five Books: Everything Leads to You by Nina Lacour, We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, Goodnight June by Sarah Jio, Royally Lost by Angie Stanton, and Strange and Ever After by Susan Dennard.

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and me that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.

Lies We Tell Ourselves

All the buzz about this one got me to add it to my library queue. 

The Last Summer (of You & Me)

Working my way through Ann Brashares' books.

Jellicoe Road

I've heard nothing but great things about Jellicoe Road. I know I have to give it a while for it to get good. I look forward to finally reading it. 

What did you get this week? Share below!

Teaser Tuesday-Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “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 Lists if they like your teasers!

"The woman had shoulder-length, well-cut dark hair and the faintest sprinkle of freckles across her nose. There was something aesthetically pleasing about those freckles, like a childhood memory of summer, and they were very nicely complemented by the fine lines around her eyes and the absurd swinging earrings."
pg 16 Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

Rites of Passage by Joy N. Hensley

I added Rites of Passage to my library queue because I had heard good things. The buzz surrounding Rites of Passage isn't for nothing. This is the real deal.

Samantha comes from a military family. Her dad and both of her brothers are in the military. Sam decided to join the military a long time ago but was recently dared to go to Denmark Military Academy (DMA), a rigorous all-male high school for future military. So Sam and four other young women join DMA. Sam knows it won't be easy but she's determined to graduate.

Lately, I've been struggling to read anything that wasn't light. I had concerns that now might not be the best time for me to read Rites of Passage but after the first couple of pages, my concerns disappeared. I really enjoyed reading about Sam and I thought Hensley did an awesome job of making her real and believable. Sam is already hurting when she walks through DMA's gates and some of the young men at DMA hurt her more. I admired her strength and perseverance. Rites of Passage was tough to read at times especially toward the end when things got really tough for Sam.

I don't read too many military based books but I really enjoyed Rites of Passage. I'll be looking for more books by Hensley. Others who shared their thoughts on Rites of Passage: Good Books & Good Wine, The YA Kitten, The Perpetual Page-Turner, and Blue Sky Bookshelf.

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and me that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.

It's getting toward the end of the year which means it's time to finish up some challenges. I'm doing really good on most of them. But I need to read a few more books for the What's In A Name Challenge. Some of my loot reflects that.

The Scent of Rain and Lightning

This would satisfy the element or type of weather category for the What's In A Name Challenge.

Perfect Chemistry

This would satisfy the school subject category for the What's In A Name Challenge.

What did you get this week? Claire's got the linky this week!

Teaser Tuesday-Rites of Passage by Joy N. Hensley

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “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 Lists if they like your teasers!

"i grit my teeth and lift my legs, moving them up and down to Drill's count. every inch of me hurts but i do it-no way am I giving Matthews a reason to yell at me for holding everyone back or not pulling my weight."

pg 54 Rites of Passage by Joy N Hensley

Getting Ready for The 24 hour Read-a-thon

On October 18th, I'll be reading for the 24 hour read-a-thon. I love the read-a-thon and look forward to both the April and October dates. Here are the five reasons I love the 24 hour read-a-thon.

1. There are hundreds of people participating all over the world. I love knowing that while I'm reading at my house, people are reading at their houses, with friends, at coffee shops, in their yards. Even though we all aren't reading the same thing (although it is super cool when you find someone reading the same book you are reading), it's fun to know we're all doing it together. Reading can be a lonely hobby but the read-a-thon makes it more social.

2. It give me time to read more books from tbr pile, my mountain of library loot, books that are just fun, or make a dent in a longer book.

3. Sometimes I can convince Tai to read with me. Sometimes.

4. I have so much fun pulling together a stack of books to read. I'll post my reading plans closer to Oct 18th.

5. Seriously, a day to read? How can you not like that?

Are you joining in on the fun on Oct 18th?

What To Eat This Week

We did really good last week. We ate at home most of the week. When the weather cools off, it's so much easier to cook at home. I'm looking forward to some great meals this month. I made this Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Skillet and it was so yummy. I served it over quinoa and everyone loved it.

Breakfasts: Cereal for Tai. Paleo Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies for me.

Lunches: Sandwiches and Sweet Potato, Chicken and Quinoa Soup.

Dinners:

Monday:One Pot Taco Casserole

Tuesday: Chicken, Mushroom, and Spinach Curry

Wednesday: Happy Hour with coworkers

Thursday: Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

Friday: Dinner with friends

Saturday: Slow Cooker 13 Bean Soup

Sunday: Roasted Chicken with salad

What's on your menu this week?

Book Bingo Reading Challenge Update

Here are my last 2 (one and two) updates. I'm so close. Just need that reread to complete the board!

TBR Pile:
One Book: The Absolutely True Diary of A Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Two Books: Joyland by Stephen King and Goliath by Scott Westerfeld
Three Books: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel by Deborah Moggach, Sense and Sensibility by Joanne Trollope, and Paris Was The Place by Susan Conley.
Four Books: The Ocean at The End of The Lane by Neil Gaiman, Victorian Secrets by Sarah Chrisman, Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg, and Constance by Rosie Thomas.
Five Books: The Husband's Secret by Laine Moriaty, Legion by Brandon Sanderson, Isla and The Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins, Wildthorn by Jane Eagland, and The Girl With The Wind-Up Heart by Kady Cross.

Mix It Up:
Nonfiction: Caffeinated by Murray Carpenter
Classic: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Reread:
Free Square: These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Contemporary: Just One Day by Gayle Forman,

Series:
One Book: Cornerstone by Kelly Walker
Two Books: Wild Heart and Wild Desire by Lori Brighton
Three Books: A Darkness Strange and Lovely by Susan Dennard, Enchanting The Beast by Kathryne Kennedy, and The Winter Rose by Jennifer Donnelly.
Four Books: Everlasting Enchantment by Kathryne Kennedy, Double Enchantment by Kathryn Kennedy, Silk is For Seduction by Loretta Chase, and A Night To Surrender by Tessa Dare.
Five Books: Shattered by Kevin Hearne, A Week To Be Wicked by Tessa Dare, Once Upon A Kiss by Jayne Fresina, Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott, and Just One Year by Gayle Forman.

Genres:
Fantasy: Dust Girl by Sarah Zettel
Free Square: Boy21 by Matthew Quick
Historical Fiction: Trapped At The Alter by Jane Feather
Mystery: A Study In Silks by Emma Jane Holloway
Romance: Enchanting The Lady by Kathryne Kennedy

New Releases:
One Book: Tsarina by J. Nellie Patrick
Two Books: I Shall Be Near To You by Erin Lindsay McCabe and A Mad, Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller
Three Books: Cress by Marissa Meyer, The Divorce Papers by Susan Rieger, and Infinite by Jodi Meadows.
Four Books: What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick,  The One by Kiera Cass, The Selcetion Stories by Kiera Cass, and Odin's Ravens by KL Armstrong and MA Marr.
Five Books: Everything Leads to You by Nina Lacour, We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, Goodnight June by Sarah Jio, Royally Lost by Angie Stanton, and Strange and Ever After by Susan Dennard.

September Book Tally

Once Upon A Kiss by Jayne Fresina
Strange And Ever After by Susan Dennard
Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott
Isla and The Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins
Journey by Aaron Becker
Wildthorn by Jane Eagland
The Supernaturalist: The Graphic Novel by Eoin Colfer
Will & Whit by Laura Lee Gulledge
Jane, The Fox, and Me by Fanny Britt
Supercrooks by Mark Millar
Just One Year by Gayle Forman
Just One Night by Gayle Forman
A Lady By Midnight by Tessa Dare

Not a bad month but I started a lot of books that I didn't finish. Once I get to a 100 books I seem to lose interested in reading. I've decided to look for more light fun books. Perhaps a lot more graphic novels?

Stats:

Romance Reading Challenge This month: 6 (Once Upon A Kiss, Isla and The Happily Ever After, Wildthorn, Just One Year, Just One Night, A Lady By Midnight ) YTD: 22

Historical Reading Challenge  This month: 2 ( A Lady By Midnight and Once Upon A Kiss) YTD: 13

What's In A Name Challenge This month: 0 (none this month) YTD: 4

Yearly Total: 110

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and me that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.

I've been slumping hard. I said I was only going to get happy books from now to the end of the year. But look what came in? Books with heavier subject matter :)

Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?

I work in the aging field and a few of my coworkers have mentioned this graphic novel. I've been wanting to read it for several months.

Rites of Passage

Girl goes to all male military academy, get hazed. Again a little more intense that I originally wanted but I heard this one was good. 

What did you get this week? Share below!