Teaser Tuesday

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!

"Flight was sort of the last straw., in a good way. Maybe I'd read too many comic books as a kid or watched too many superhero movies as an adult. I don't know. Could be I was just stupid enough to think this had happened to someone like me, in a city like this, for a reason. That one man could change things."
pg 7 Ex-heroes by Peter Clines

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

I picked up Me Before You because I kept hearing everyone rave about it. Every once of hype was right. Me Before You was amazing.

Louise Clark is in her last twenties and hasn't strayed far from the boundaries of the English town she was born in. Lou lives with her parents and has been dating the same guy, Patrick, for the last 7 years. Lou isn't sure what she wants but she feels this is the best life for her. When the cafe she's been working at abruptly closes, Lou is forced to find another job.

Two years ago, Will was living the high life. A high paying job, a great flat, a beautiful girlfriend. But one rainy day changes all that and Will now lives life as a quadriplegic. Rather than riding a motorcycle, Will's conveyance of choice is a power wheelchair.

Since Lou doesn't have many skills, her employment counselor points her in the direction of Will whose family is looking for companion/aide. Lou has no medical training nor any experience working with the disabled. Will's mother thinks Lou might be the change that Will needs. At first Lou and Will tolerate each other but soon they find they have more in common than they thought.

Moyes made me laugh, cry, and want to hurl Me Before You out the window. Very quickly I was absorbed into Lou and Will's lives. I also thought Moyes did an excellent job of portraying Will who lived a big life but is now confined to his wheelchair. Most people don't think about what life is like for someone who is disabled. How people treat those with disabilities can be cruel even when people think they aren't being mean. Will's character was complex and engaging. I will remember him for a very long time.

One of the best reads of the year for me. I'm looking forward to reading more of Moyes' work. Others who shared their thoughts on Me Before You: Love, Laughter, and A Touch of Insanity,  Beth Fish Reads, BermudaOnion, Lakeside Musing, and Rhapsody in Books.

Weekend Cooking: Crock Pot Corn Chowder with Bacon

I had seen this corn chowder on Mavis' blog a while ago. I made it once and Tai said "Needs more bacon and roasted garlic". So the next time I made it, I added our changes. All of us really enjoyed it. I made it for Thanksgiving lunch. But it's perfect for any cold day.

Crock Pot Corn Chowder with Bacon
(adapted from Mavis' Corn Chowder with Potatoes, Bacon, and Chives)

16 oz frozen corn
8 oz of diced potatoes
1 lb of bacon, cooked and diced
1/2 onion, diced
8 cloves of roasted garlic, smashed
4 cups of chicken broth

3 cups of milk

1/4 cup butter

4 tbs cornstarch

Put corn, potatoes, bacon, onion, and garlic in crock pot. To smash garlic, take roasted garlic in a bowl. With the back of a spoon, mash the garlic. Just to make sure you don't get a mouthful of garlic. Pour 3 1/2 cups of chicken broth into crock pot. Cook on low for 3-5 hours, basically til the potatoes are fork tender. 
When potatoes are fork tender, add milk and butter, cook on low for another hour. My soup wasn't as creamy as I wanted so I took the remaining broth, put in a mixing bowl, added cornstarch to create a slurry. I turned the crock pot up to high and added the cornstarch/broth mixture. I stirred it to get that great creamy look. 
Serve with some buttered bread. Made 6 generous bowls.

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

I've been wanting to read Dash & Lily's Book of Dares for sometime. I was waiting for the holiday season to be upon since the book takes place around Christmastime. I'm glad I finally read it. It was everything I hoped.

One day Dash is browsing The Strand, a famous New York bookstore, when he finds a red Moleskine journal tucked on a shelf. Intrigued he opens the book and finds a set of dares waiting for him. Dash decides to take up the dares. Meanwhile, the book's owner, Lily, waits to see what will happen. The book wasn't Lily's idea but her brother, Langston's. Langston wants to find Lily a boyfriend so he can spend with his and Lily will leave the two of them alone. But Dash not only will follow the dares but dole some out of his own.

I really enjoy Cohn and Levithan's collaborations. I loved Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. While the back and forth POV was the same. Dash and Lily aren't Nick and Norah which was perfect. Everyone describes Dash as snarly. But I think he was rather a fine young man. He spends his time reading and exploring bookstores. He's a bit of a loner but has a hysterical friend, Boomer, who provides a lot of comic relief. Lily's an outsider. She gets along with everyone but has no true friends. She can sometimes overreact so her family shelters her. The book of dares was an excellent way for both of them to get over those things that were holding them back.

Overall, I enjoyed my time with Dash & Lily. I wouldn't mind spending more time in their world. It was the perfect lighthearted holiday story. Others who reviewed Dash & Lily's Book of Dares: The Diary of A Bookworm, Reading Until I Fall Asleep, Moonlight Book Reviews, YA Book Nerd, and Pink Fluffy Hearts.

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader 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.

Marble Season

I spotted Marble Season on one of those best of 2013 lists. I decided to check it out.

Stumptown vol 2

I really enjoyed the first volume of Stumptown. Been looking forward to the second for a while now.

 This Is How You Lose Her

I liked parts of Diaz's other book, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. But this looks like short stories. It was sitting on the library shelf so I decided to try it.

Solo: The Deluxe Edition

More Batman comics. 

What did you get this week?

Teaser Tuesday

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 like the fuggy bacon-scented warmth of the cafe, the little cool bursts of air as the door opened and closed, the low murmur of conversation, and when quiet, Frank's singing tinnily to itself in the corner. It wasn't a fashionable place-its walls covered in scenes from the castle up on the hill, the tables still sported Formica tops, and the menu hadn't altered since the day I started, apart from the addition of the chocolate brownies to the iced bun tray."

pg 8 Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld

After reading Leviathan, I wasn't sure about continuing the series. There were parts of Levithan I had to push myself through. I decided to give Behemoth a shot. I'm so glad I did. Behemoth was so much fun to read.

Behemoth picks up after Leviathan ends. All the world building that Westerfeld's did in Leviathan pays off in Behemoth. Behemoth was fast paced and engaging. I enjoyed catching up with Alek and Deryn. I loved how the story progressed and the how the characters reacted to the new challenges. I liked how Alek began to change and grow into the young man he will become. I liked how Deryn stepped up to the challenges that she faced. At one point, I thought Alek and Deryn would be separated but Westerfeld deftly kept them together. And Keith Thompson's illustrations really help sell the world Westerfeld created.

A great second book in the series. Can't wait to get my hands on Goliath, the third in the series. Others who shared their thoughts on Behemoth: Dear Author, The Overflowing Library, The Ranting Dragon, The Misadventures of A Teenage Bookworm, and Books For Ears.

This was my twelfth read for the Mammoth Book Challenge.

November Book Tally

Spirit and Dust by Rosemary Clement-Moore (387)
Paying For It by Chester Brown (292)
Almost Like Being In Love by Steve Kluger (354)
The Prince by Kiera Cass (64)
The Transfer by Veronica Roth (34)
The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin (448)
Keepsake by Kristina Riggle (368)
Forever In Blue by Ann Brashares (384)
Obsidian by Jennifer Armentrout (355)
Amethyst by Lauren Royal (416)
Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie (416)
Hawkeye vol 2 by Matt Fraction (136)
Chimes at Midnight by Seanan McGuire (346)
Dollhouse by Anya Allyn (291)
A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel by Hope Larson (392)
The Mighty Thor vol 1 by Matt Fraction (144)
The Mighty Thor vol 2 by Matt Fraction (136)
The Mighty Thor vol 3 by Matt Fraction (160)

Eighteen books read this month. Ok a lot of them were graphic novels and two were novellas. But I still read a lot. My Thanksgiving weekend was nice and relaxing with plenty of time to read.

Stats:

Fill In The Gaps YTD: 0 (None this month)

Historical Reading Challenge YTD: 14 (The Orchardist and Amethyst)

Mammoth Book Challenge YTD: 11 (None this month)

Let Me Count The Ways Book Challenge: Pages read this month (5123), Pages read this year (37355)
Total books to date: 121

Dollhouse by Anya Allyn

Dollhouse was recommended to me by my horror loving hairdresser. She never tells me these books are horror but every books she recommends is. She knows I won't check them out if she does. I'm such a scaredy cat. Dollhouse is straight up creepy. While Dollhouse was outside of the normal books I read, I still found it enjoyable.

Cassie and her mom moved from Miami to Australia. Cassie still feels very much like an outsider at her school. She's really only made one friend, Aisha. But she hangs out with Aisha's friend, Lacey, and Aisha's boyfriend, Ethan. One day while on a school project related hike, Aisha disappears. All fingers point to Ethan even though Lacey and Cassie were there too. Ethan keeps searching for Aisha even after the cops give up. Cassie and Lacey decide to join the search. Off into the creepy, cold woods they all go.

Parts of Dollhouse reminded me of hundreds of horror movies. Pretty girl disappears in the woods. A few months after her disappearance, her friends head off to find her. There's a creepy guy who lives in a creepy remote house with a lot of dogs. And a ton of weird strange secrets even amongst the friends. Even as the reader, I felt left of out what was going on. I wanted more back story on the characters. Maybe there's more in the rest of the series, but I felt I needed a little more at the front end. And because it's set in Australia, Allyn uses some Australian slang that kept confusing me. I wasn't sure if it was a typo or Australian slang. I went with slang more often that not. But I thought it was a solid start to creepy YA series. I will be continuing. Others who shared their thoughts on Dollhouse: I am A Reader, Not A Writer, Book Worm Brandy, and The Fiction Diaries.

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader 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 Inexplicables

I saw that the last book in The Clockwork Century was released (Fiddlehead). Obviously I need to read The Inexplicables before I can read the last one.

Agnes and the Hitman

After I read Welcome to Temptation, a friend recommended Agnes and The Hitman. 

What did you get this week? 

Teaser Tuesday

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!

"So she stood there glaring at him, perfectly still. As the minutes stretched out, her body stiffened, her muscles beginning to throb. And it was worse inside her brain, boredom twisting into anger and frustration, the rumble of the airship's Clanker engines turning her head into beehive."

Pg 6 Scott Westerfeld's Behemoth

Amethyst by Lauren Royal

I love my iPad and have been using the Kindle app a lot. The world of free books is so alluring! That's how I found Amethyst. It had good reviews so I decided to give it a try. I was not disappointed. Amethyst was a great historical romance.

Amethyst lives in London and the book opens with the return of Charles II. Amy (Amethyst) meets a dashing green eyed stranger. Years go by and the green eyed man still lingers in Amy's mind even though she's betrothed to her father's apprentice. One day the green eyed man comes in her father's jewelry shop and Amy still feels an intense attraction to him. The green eyed man, Colin, is intrigued by Amy. But since he's a lord and she's a commoner, he tries to put her from his mind. During the London Fire, Colin rescues her from the fire and takes her home. Once Colin's family mets her, Colin and Amy find it hard to resist each other.

I liked both Amy and Colin. Amy is stubborn and devoted to doing things her own. Colin's family had been exiled with the King. Colin is determined to keep his family safe and is looking to marry a titled woman. Despite their attraction, both believe there is no future for them. I liked the fact that Colin and Amy care for each other deeply. Neither of them wants the other to be hurt. I also really liked Colin's family especially his sister, Kendra. They were a fun, lively bunch.  

I'll be continuing the series. I've already downloaded the next in the series, Emerald. I was unable to find others who shared their thoughts on Amethyst on a blog :( If you read Amethyst, let me know!
This is my fourteenth read for the Historical Fiction Challenge.

Keepsake by Kristina Riggle

I added Keepsake to my library hold list after reading Sandra's teaser. Since Keepsake had kept her up until the wee hours of the morning, I figured Keepsake was a good read. I wasn't wrong. There were a few nights I stayed up a little later than I intended reading Keepsake.

Trish is a single mom of two boys. She tries her best but "Mommy's not perfect". When her youngest falls and injuries his shoulder, Trish gets a visit from Child Welfare. Since her son fell and buried under a pile of Trish's hoarded belongings, the state isn't sure Trish is a fit mother. Trish's oldest son seeks out his aunt, Mary, who he hasn't seen in years for help.

Both women grew up with a mother who hoarded. Trish seems to following in her mother's footsteps and Mary is fastidiously clean. As a social worker, I talk to a lot of people about hoarding issues. More the family members of hoarders. I don't treat hoarders but I sometimes need to find resources to help people. Everyone wants to do what Mary and the rest of Trish's family wants to do: toss everything. In Keepsake, their family had done that to their mother. When they talk about the way that her mother grieved her lost belongings, I understood that many people don't see hoarding as a mental illness. As like depression and schizophrenia, hoarding requires counseling and sometimes medication.

I really enjoyed Keepsake. I loved how Riggle showed each of their sisters and how their lives had shaped them to who they were. I also liked Trish's ex-husband, Ron and Mary's college friend, Seth. Both Mary and Trish were so focused on what they lost, they didn't see what they had in front of them. I enjoyed watching the characters grow and develop. I'd recommend Keepsake. Others who shared their thoughts on Keepsake: S.Krishna's Books, Memphis Reads, and Devourer of Books.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm going to be cooking the whole meal today. Turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, lima beans, biscuits, gravy, and cranberry sauce. Yum!

Hope you are surrounded by friends, family, and love today!

And happy Hanukkah too!

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader 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.

Joyland

I was talking to some coworkers about Stephen King books. I decided I need to read a little more of King's books. I chose Joyland cause it's short. Probably will still give me nightmares.

Out of The Easy

Recently someone was raving about Out of The Easy. It sounded like something I would like so I put it on hold.

What did you get this week?

Teaser Tuesday

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!

"Filth like what Trish was living in, or more to the point, little Jack. Filth bad enough to cause my teenage nephew to scrounge up my address from somewhere, drive himself all the way here, and lie in wait for me."
pg 21Keepsake by Kristina Riggle

The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin

I added The Orchardist after seeing it on someone's blog. Since it was set in Washington State, I was intrigued. While The Orchardist was not like most books I normally read, it was a great read.

Talmadge lives alone in a cabin in his orchard. He's lived most of his life in this cabin. He's outlived his mother and perhaps his sister. It's a lonely life. One day while selling apples in town, he meets two young pregnant sisters, Jane and Della. Jane and Della steal apples from Talmadge. Since he does not chase them or send the law after, the girls decide to follow Talmadge to his home. The girls distrust Talmadge at first but slowly grow to see him as a friend. The book follows Talmadge, Jane, and Della for several years.

The Orchardist was one of those slow books. Very little happened quickly. But that's what made it so enjoyable to me. Coplin was very deliberate in her actions and pacing. The writing was so beautiful. Even though it moved slowly, The Orchardist kept me engaged. 

I'd recommend The Orchardist. It was a beautiful story. I look forward to Coplin's other books. Thoughts from others who read The Orchardist: Caribousmom, Between The Covers, That's What She Read, The Betty and Boo Chronicles, and Write Meg!.
This was my thirteenth read for the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge.

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader 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.

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

I've wanted to read Dash & Lily's Book of Dares for a while but wanted to wait for winter. Well it's pretty chilly so I am ready to read it.

Sisterhood Everlasting

I will finish the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series this year!

Ex-Heroes

Zombies? Fallen superheroes? Sounds good to me. 

What did you get this week?

Teaser Tuesday

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!

"Like Bond, my father is partial to Gordon's, mainly because it has less alcohol than most other gins, enabling him to drink more of it. When I was in grade school he taught me to make his martini a little on the wet side and garnished with an onion, which technically makes it a Gibson, and paid me ten cents per drink."

Pg 121 But Mama Always Put Vodka in her Sangria! By Julia Reed

Almost Like Being In Love by Steve Kluger

Sometimes it pays to pick up random bookmarks at the library and read the suggestions. My library prints several different bookmarks with different suggestions by genre on them. I've seen a few listing authors in certain genres. It's a great way to find new books and authors. Almost Like Being In Love was listed on the LGBTQ bookmark. I'm always on the lookout for LGTBQ fiction and I was very glad I picked up Almost Like Being In Love.

Travis is a drama geek. He loves Broadway and sings showtunes. Craig is a football player and isn't the type to hang out in the theatre for fun. But one day, Travis falls off a ladder and Craig catches him. Totally a meet cute. Travis and Craig then spend their senior year of high school and the summer after, falling and being in love. College separates them to 2 different coasts. Twenty years go by and Travis realizes that Craig was the love of his life.

I absolutely loved Craig and Travis. Both of them are so sweet and real. I could see being friends with Travis. And Travis' friend/roommate/ATM, Gordo reminded me of a guy I knew in college right down to his website. Craig's also got some wonderful friends. Craig and Charleen's emails reminded me of Jennifer and Beth's emails in Attachments. Sweet, witty, and just like two best friends. Kevin, Craig and Charleen's hunky assistant just adds to the fun. I enjoyed every moment of Almost Like Being In Love.

I highly recommend Almost Like Being In Love to those who enjoy lost and found love, quirky romances, and Broadway and baseball. Others who shared their thoughts on Almost Like Being In Love: For The Love Of Books!, In Midnights, Books, Books, and More Books, and Penelope's Romance Reviews.

Spirit and Dust by Rosemary Clement-Moore

I didn't know it when I picked up Spirit and Dust but it's the sequel to Texas Gothic. That put a damper on my enthusiasm since I didn't enjoy Texas Gothic. But I liked Spirit and Dust a lot more than Texas Gothic and it reminded me of Clement-Moore's other book, The Splendor Falls.

Daisy Goodnight is clairvoyant and she works with the FBI to solve murders, help find missing people. Daisy has a lovely, flirty relationship with her FBI handler, Taylor. So adorable. I loved their back and forth. I even loved that they had codes for are you ok and do you need help. Great, fun relationship. Daisy is pulled into an investigation about a missing college student. Quickly she realizes that the kiddnappers are into some serious magic and she teams up with Carson who's on the payroll of the missing girl's father's payroll. And Daisy and Carson have some serious chemistry. Who did I want to win? The hunky FBI handler or the bad boy with some magic up his own sleeve? I was team Carson the whole time.

Spirit and Dust was full of fast paced action, witty conversations, and some steamy verbal exchanges. I enjoyed every minute of Spirit and Dust. Others who shared their thoughts on Spirit and Dust: Clear Eyes, Full Shelves, Page Turners, Be Awesome Be A Book Nut, and A Dream Within A Dream.

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader 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.

Me Before You

I've heard a lot of good things about Me Before You. I saw it on the library shelf and decided to grab it.

Chimes At Midnight

The next in the October Daye series. 

What did you get this week?

Teaser Tuesday

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 sorrow came from those two feelings-the happiness of company, the anxiety of interrupted solitude. That was what he had felt, he thought, and what to some extent he still felt."
pg 250 The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin

Thank you to All Veterans

A big thank you to all those who have served (including my dad, my mother's brothers, and my father's uncles) as well as those still serving. And a huge thank you to those families of those serving.

October Book Tally

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter (337)
Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple (330)
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (433)
Love Minus Eighty by Will McIntosh (432)
The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater (439)
Days Missing vol 1 by Phil Hester (144)
The Arrival by Shaun Tan (128)
Stuck Rubber Baby by Howard Cruse (216)
Wolverine: Get Mystique by Jason Aaron (96)
Batman Black and White vol 1 by Mark Chiarello (222)
Batwoman: Elegy by Greg Rucka (192)
Allegiant by Veronica Roth (526)
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed (315)

Thirteen books. A banner month! I have a lot of graphic novels and the Readathon to thank for that.

I couldn't write a review for Allegiant that wasn't spoilerific. Suffice to say that I enjoyed it.

Stats:

Fill In The Gaps YTD: 0 (None this month)

Historical Reading Challenge YTD: 12 (none this month)

Mammoth Book Challenge YTD: 11 (None this month)

Let Me Count The Ways Book Challenge: Pages read this month (3810), Pages read this year (32232)
Total books to date: 103

Awesome and Awkward Thursday

Awkward:

-My addiction to Kazoozles. Tai got them on a lark and I love them. 

-The amount of bread I've been making recently. A like a loaf a day. Insane. 

-My closet is getting ridiculous. I actually pulled a lot of "summer" clothing and it's still too crowded!

-And my pile of boots. Does anyone have a good way to keep their boots from falling over into a pile? 

Awesome:

-Tai gave me my Christmas present early! A iPad mini. I love it. 

-I've read over a 100 books so far this year. Now trying to get to that 40,000 page goal. About 8000 pages shy at this point.

-I've been on a good cook at home streak. Trying new recipes and making some tasty dishes.

-Adding pizza back into our lives. Papa Murphy's DeLite crust has less than 20 carbs per slice. Dad loved it!

What's been awkward and awesome this week for you?

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader 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.

Obsidian (Lux #1)

After hearing Lisa rave about this series, I decided to check it out. 

What did you get this week?

Teaser Tuesday

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 perceive the spirit world through the five senses already wired into my brain, plus the emotions we all have. I've learned to dial down the volume up or down on the psychic impressions-the visit to the Alamo taught me the importance of that skill-but mostly it's like seeing color. I just do it."

pg 9 Spirit and Dust by Rosemary Clement-Moore

Wild: From Lost To Found On The Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

I picked up Wild off the library shelf because I had heard so much about it, mostly good. And since the Pacific Crest Trail winds through my neck of the woods, Wild had all the ear markings of a must read for me. I'm glad I read it but I failed to connect to Ms Strayed.

Cheryl Strayed decided to hike part of the Pacific Crest Trail alone. She hiked from the Mohave Desert in California to Oregon. She set aside a month of her life to make the journey. Cheryl had a lot of reasons to make the journey-her divorce, the grief of her mother's passing, the affairs that led to her divorce, and flirtation with heroin. She felt lost and saw her time on the trail as time to heal and start over. I couldn't connect with why Cheryl would set out on this journey. She had little backpacking and hiking experience. I'm surprised she didn't die numerous times due to her own inexperience. I know why she did most of her hiking alone but I found it unbelievable that she did little research about the journey.

I was completely in awe of Cheryl's strength and resilience. The physical toll that the journey took on her was astounding. I admired her for doing something I couldn't do. I would love to check out parts of the Pacific Crest Trail but would never hike more than a few miles of it.

While I didn't connect to Ms Strayed, I did enjoy reading about her journey. I've heard good things about Tiny Beautiful Things which I'll check out as well. Others who shared their thoughts on Wild: My Fab Fifties Life,  Write Meg!, and An Armchair by The Sea.

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

I'd heard so many good things about Beautiful Ruins, I couldn't help but snatch it off the library shelf. Walter did get great job of blending past and present. It reminded me of Sarah Jio but with a lot more characters. At first I thought there were too many characters but I quickly got accustom to everyone and enjoyed Beautiful Ruins.

The book opens with Pasquale, attempting in vain to make a beach out of the rocks that sit in front of his hotel. Pasquale desperately wants to make his hotel an American tourist attraction. While he's lifting rocks, a boat pulls up to the rocks and an attractive American woman deboards. Dee has come to this remote Italian village to spend her last days. Pasquale is overjoyed. The Americans are finally coming. The story takes Dee and Pasquale from Italy to Hollywood to London to Sandpoint, Idaho and over  nearly fifty years.

For me the characters that kept me reading were Claire and Shane. Claire wants to make films. But her boss wants to make money so she decides she's going to quit and find a way to make the films she wants. Shane has come to Hollywood to pitch his movie idea-a movie about the Donner Party. Both Shane and Claire want more than what's in front of them. When we first meet them, each thinks they know what they want but by the story's conclusion they have a clear focus of what they want and it's within their grasp.

The scenes in Italy were breathtaking. I felt like I was on the Ligurian Sea. I could smell the ocean air. I could see the small, desperate town. I could see the cliffs that Pasquale lived under. Those scenes alone made the book. I would recommend Beautiful Ruins especially to those who like Sarah Jio's books. I love the different time periods and seeing how these characters lives intersect. Others who shared their thoughts on Beautiful Ruins: It's All About Books, That's What She Read, Read. Write. Repeat, Confessions of A Book Addict,  and Write Meg!