Awkward family photo

Happy Friday y'all!! 

One of these Fridays I'm going to post before 10pm...

How was everyone's Christmas?!

I got tons of goodies! Including a barnes and noble gift card AND The Book of Totally Useless Information :) yea yea I know. My brother, Parker, and I took an extremely awkward photo. That's our only picture from Christmas lol. The dogs got a TON of stuff. Sophie was super excited to open her presents! I had a great time relaxing with the fam on Christmas Day. Can't believe it's already over :( 

~~~~~~~~

I finished reading The Lost Wife by Alyson Richamn and WOW. This was so heartfelt and romantic. This is another WWII/Holocaust book and it was so touching. I cried through the last 30 pages. Lenka, an art student, and Josef, studying medicine, fall in love and marry in prewar Prague (which I learned is in Czechoslovakia). Their dreams are shattered by the Nazi invasion. Josef becomes a successful obstetrician in American but has never forgotten the wife he believes died in the war. But in the Nazi ghetto of Terezin, Lenka survived. Then decades later, an unexpected encounter in New York leads to once more chance for Lenka and Josef. I can't give anything away but this was such a wonderful story. It does go into the details of the Holocaust, which is still so horrifying and we go through Lenka's struggles. She becomes such a strong character. It's a love story wrapped in tragedy and survival. A must read! 

Up next, possibly Michael Connelly? :)

Check out more H54f posts on Lauren's blog!

4 days till Christmas!

Happy Friday, y'all!! 

It's the Friday before Christmas and shoppers are getting crazy! 

1. There will be a BIG change for me starting in 2013...I got a new job as a labor and delivery nurse at Woman's in Baton Rouge! I'm super nervous but beyond excited! 

2. My best friend Katee is home all the way from London with her hubby! Tomorrow we're having a big barn party at her house. It's a much needed quality drinking time for all of us! 

3. My friends. I hate to brag but I really do have the best friends in the whole. Throughout the whole job interview, getting the new job and resigning from my current job extravaganza, my friends have supported me and stood by my side, especially when I panic and overreact. Jenny and Danielle have been my rock and kept me sane. I wouldn't know what to do without their love and support! Thanks y'all!! 

4. If you can't take the heat, get out the kitchen... I finished Agnes and the Hitman by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer. If you don't read anything else, READ THIS ONE NOW. I laughed out loud throughout the whole book. Basically it's about southern Italian mobsters and a food columnist who is trying to throw a wedding at her house. The wedding turns into a fiasco but with the help of mobsters and a hitman, they'll get through it...with a slight body count. It's a witty, page-turner you don't want to miss! 

5. PITCH PERFECT IS THE GREATEST MOVIE! I bought it Tuesday and watched it twice before I had to go to work Wednesday night. It's hilarious and heartfelt with singing and dancing...who doesn't love that??! PLUS it has Rebel Wilson... "excuse me bitch, you don't have to shout"... funniest part of the whole movie! 

Hope everyone has a fabulous Christmas! 

Check out more H54F posts at Lauren's blog! 

Happy Friday!

It's Friday!!...and I'm off for the weekend :)

1. First off, I have to mention my new obsession interest, The Walking Dead on AMC. This show is phenomenal! It's an edge of your seat thriller and I never know what's going to happen. The writers do a lot of unpredictable/non- traditional things, which is CRAZY and mind-blowing Just adding this to my long list of shows, which include The Vampire Diaries, Parks and Recreation, Supernatural and of course Pretty Little Liars...just to name a few.

2. My apartment is a Winter Wonderland! All my decorations are out and starting wrapping presents. I love the holiday season! 

3. Fixed this little treat last night dinner for dinner and it was delicious. Thanks again Pinterest :)

4. My first Kardashian Kollection purchase. I love this shirt! Saw Kourtney wearing it on Twitter and HAD to have it. Check out their collection here.

5. Almost done with this one! I've been on the edge of my seat. Michael Connelly never fails. I'll be sad to see Harry Bosch come to an end :(. As a side note, In the Woods by Tana French will be a Dublin Murder Detective series. Her other 3 books focus on murder detectives but not the main characters from the first book, except for the second book. The Likeness follows up Detective Cassie Maddox. This one is definitely on my list. 

Check out more H54F post on Lauren's blog

How was y'alls week?? 

Hit or Miss

I started Pulse and Prejudice by Colette Saucier (who also wrote All My Tomorrow's) but couldn't finished it :(. This is a vampire adaption of Pride and Prejudice BUT Saucier used Jane Austen's language and I had a hard time following it. I was really disappointed because I had high hopes for this one. I couldn't understand what they were trying to say and got bored. Don't let this discourage you from her other books. I loved the first one I read. If you like Jane Austen, I'd recommend this. 

Instead...

I read In the Woods by Tana French. I discovered this little gem in the new authors section and Barnes and Noble during one of my hour long loner trips. I love this section because I usually find an new awesome author! This is her first of three books. In a small Dublin town, mothers call in their children from playing in the woods but they do not return. When the police arrive, they find only one of the children hugging a tree trunk in terror, blood filled sneakers and unable to remember anything that happened. Twenty years later, Rob Ryan, the found boy is a detective on the Murder Squad and keeps his past a secret. But when a twelve year old girl was found in the same woods, he and his partner and closest friend, Detective Cassie Maddox begin investigating a familiar case to the previously unsolved case. Ryan has a chance to uncover the mystery of the case and his past. I loved this book and French's writing style. It reminded me a lot of Michael Connelly and a Harry Bosch case. One of my favorite things about this book is the setting- Dublin, Ireland. This wasn't your typical big city in the United States. French uses a lot of Irish slang, which is cool. As Ryan and Maddox begin investigating this case, it begins to take a toll on Ryan. You'll love their relationship; it's very brother/sister. But this book does not have a happy ending. This is another thing I liked about the book because it was unpredictable. Throughout the whole book I wasn't sure how it would end. It was beautifully written about past returning to haunt, murder, cops and Ireland. Definitely an outstanding first novel for French. Check out her other stuff here. 

Up next...

Michael Connelly of course! I have to read one of his books every few books. In City of Bones, a doctor's dog finds a bone in the woods. Bosch is called to the case on New Year's Day to identify the bones, which belong to a child murdered twenty years before. This investigation takes Bosch into his past as an orphan but a beautiful rookie cop keeps him alive in the present. No official warning can break them apart or prepare Bosch for the explosions when the case takes a few hard turns. Bosch is fighting to keep control and is driven to the brink of an unimaginable decision. Very excited for this one! 

I was reading on my Connelly app that he signed partnerships with a production company and the writer has written the first episode of the Harry Bosch TV series!! Imagine my excitement :). The first season will focus on City of Bones so I have to finish this one quickly but also Concrete Blond. It'll most likely be on Netflix also, which is awesome. I'm a big Netflix junkie fan. This is very exciting and can't wait to start watching this! It'll be adding to my VERY long list of shows. Thank God for DVR, Netflix and Hulu plus. You can read more here.

Happy Turkey Day!

I just wanted to mention a few things I'm thankful for and couldn't live without! 

1. My Family. They're my rock and are always there when I need ANYTHING. They even put up with my terrible moods (which I blame on working nights!). I couldn't find a pic of my mawmaw but...I don't know what I would do without that woman! She's my best friend. 

2. The best friends a girl could ask for. This pic is cira 2006. We went to New York for our senior Spring Break, which was 6 1/2 years ago (yikes!). I wish we could do this again SOON. How many of  you are still friends with your best friends from high school AND middle school??! This girl right here :)

3. My puppy dogs, Sophie (left) and Benny (right). They keep me entertained! 

4. My favorite place for vacations. So wish I was on the beach right now...reading :) 

5. I am SO thankful for books and reading. I couldn't imagine not being able to read. I'd be so bored! I finished All My Tomorrows by Colette L. Saucier in one night! and absolutely LOVED it! I was hesitant on reading this for whatever reason but it exceeded by expectations by 100%. The book begins with you reading from The Edge of Darkness, which is what Alice is reading for inspiration for her show. The Edge of Darkness itself was so good! I found myself more interested in that than the actual story at first. This was such an easy read with a good story line. Peter, who Alice can't get along with, is the type of guy that's an ass but you like him away like Damon on The Vampire Diaries. Why do we always root for the bad guys??! If you're look for a good read by a local author, I'd pick this one up first. I am very impressed! 

6. Almost forgot...pumpkin pie! This is my FAVORITE part of Thanksgiving!! :)

Hope everyone has a great holiday! What are you thankful for? 

Wild Ride has ended!

Last night I finished Wild Ride by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer and it was so good! I think what I loved most about this book is the dry sense of humor; I laughed throughout the book. From my previous posts, you know that Mab is hired to restore Dreamland, an amusement park that holds 5 of the most dangerous demons, The Untouchables. Mab doesn't believe in demons or the supernatural; she's career driven and focused on her project. Meanwhile, Ethan comes home from the Army. He has had a near death experience in Afghanistan that's left him depressed and drunk, for lack of a better word. Ethan begins doing security detail for the park until he is called to be apart of the Guardia, those who fight the demons. His mother Glenda, works at Dreamland and is apart of the Guardia also. Ethan fights his calling until he gets a taste of a demon. He meets and falls in love with Weaver, a government agent studying Dreamland and demons and Ethan.  Mab is then called to the Guardia, which of course she wants nothing to do with but then starts helping out for Glenda. I can't give too much away but Ethan and Mab begin fighting the demons together with the rest of the Guardia, while their personal lives also get a little more interesting. This was an easy read and so funny. I'd definitely recommend it. I'd like to check out more by Jennifer Crusie. Anyone read any of her other books? 

Up next.. 

All My Tomorrows by Colette L. Saucier. This is one of the books I bought from the Louisiana Book Festival last month. I was trying to go with a less supernatural read while fighting the urge to read the next Harry Bosch book. Alice McGillicutty has had a drama filled year, with the death of her mother, her relationship ended in disaster and now poor ratings for her long-running soap opera. She begins reading The Edge of Darkness, an old melodramatic paperback she found among her mother's things for creative inspiration. When scandal rips Hollywood bad boy Peter Walsingham off the tabloids and into her studio, Alice doubts the small screen is big enough for his ego. Peter's vanity and arrogance compel Alice to write him out of her script or can she find a role for him in All My Tomorrows? 

My copy is autographed :)

High Five for Friday!

Linking up with Lauren at From My Grey Desk blog to share highlights from this past week! 

1. This was a our third game night with the girls. It was very successful! Taboo is ALWAYS a blast and Pinterest gave us tons of recipes to try :)

2. I finished and dropped off my Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes for those children that need a little help during the Christmas season. I've been doing this since I was in nursing school and love it. Check it out here! 

3. My brother and I ordered a popcorn maker for free from my mom's credit rewards! We've tested it out every night this week and it's pretty awesome. 

4. The apartment has transformed from Halloween to Thanksgiving decor for November! I have my Pilgrims and Indians out on display. Getting excited for Thanksgiving, even though I have to work...

5. Still working on Wild Ride by Jennifer Cruise and Bob Mayer. This work week has been terrible stressful so I haven't had a lot of time to read. But so far I really like the main character, Mab. She's introverted, keeps to herself and focuses all of her time on restoring Dreamland. She has just learned that Dreamland holds the most dangerous demons of the world and she has been called to be the Seer in the Guardia, which she does not want to do. Really liking the story line, can't wait to see where it goes! 

H54F! 

Have a great weekend...I'll be working :( 

President or Vampire hunter??

I really enjoyed Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Graham- Smith! I've been on a vampire kick lately ever since I started watching The Vampire Diaries on Netflix so my post may be a little biased (I'm obsessed addicted!).  I love historical fiction and this had a little twist. I love the idea of a president as a vampire hunter...that's cool! The book begins with Abe as a small child losing his mother. Come to find out, his mother was poisoned with vampire blood, which resulted in her death. Lincoln ends up killing the vampire that killed his mother and decides to kill all the vampires in America. He begins "training" and hunting vampires throughout the North. The book goes through his whole life including his presidency. Grahame- Smith links slavery with vampires. I don't want to give anything away but it's really interesting. I loved the history part of the book and the vampire part. Now, I want to do some research on Lincoln. It's been a long time since I learned about his life/presidency. But I wonder if he really believed in vampires..if there's documentation of his fear from which this book is based. When I come up with something I'll definitely blog it. I would recommend this as a good read. Lots of history, humor and the new fad: vampires! 

Up next... 

Wild Ride by Jennifer Cruise and Bob Mayer. I found this on sale at Barnes and Noble and was intrigued. More supernatural fiction (told you I was obsessed addicted!). Mary Alice Brannigan doesn't believe in anything supernatural. Nor does she expect Dreamland, a amusement park she's restoring, to be a prison for the five Untouchables, the most powerful demons in the world. Plus she's falling for a guy but something isn't quite right with him. But that's not all, Brannigan is also coping with a crooked politician, supernatural raven, a secret government agency, an inexperienced sorceress, an unsettling inheritance and mind-blogging revelations from her past. Personal demons wreck her relationship and real demons wreck the park, Brannigan faces evil and what everyone who's been to the amusement park knows: the last ride is the wildest. I like the idea of demons for this book because I watch Supernatural on the CW and have since I was a freshman in college. It's based on ALL things that go bump in the night, but mostly evil demons. I'm sure you'll be surprised to know that I was a HUGE fan of Charmed also. Don't worry I do like other shows besides the supernatural ones but I find these the most addicting :)

Louisiana Book Festival 

It was a success! I had so much fun! There were tons of vendors and authors and so much to do. The State Capitol and LSU museum were open and held some events. There were tents from Barnes and Noble and BN Jr. They had pumpkin painting and tons of food. I bought Pulse and Prejudice and All My Tomorrows by Colette L. Saucier and had them autographed by the author herself! Pretty cool. Pulse and Prejudice is based on Pride and Prejudice with a vampire twist (I know what you're thinking). All My Tomorrows is about a screenwriter who's had a horrible year and begun reading a terrible book. As a scandal breaks lose, she has to decide whether or not to write the actor out of the part. For some reason, I love reading books about people who love ready. Like The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown, the whole family loved reading. Saucier is a local author and is working on a sequel to Pulse and Prejudice based in antebellum New Orleans. She was really cool and wrote sweet things in both books. John Corey Whaley, author of Where Things Come Back, was there and had a book signing in the BN Jr. tent but I missed it because it was later in the day :(. I was disappointed, it would have been cool to meet him! I can't wait for it again next year! 

Connelly...A++

Now that I finished A Darkness More Than Night by Michael Connelly, I can't remember why I even hesitated reading this one! I think this was one of my favorites and I think it's because it wasn't in Harry Bosch's POV. We finally see that Bosch actually has a heart! He's usual just a hard ass putting away the bad guys but we get to see other people's opinions of him. As Terry McCaleb investigates Bosch as a murder suspect of a case, we get to see the good side of Harry and his emotions. I really like Terry McCaleb's character. This is the first book I've read with him and he's a strong character. His profiling skills are equivalent to Bosch's detective skills. McCaleb begins unravelling clues that all lead to Bosch for murder. We not only see the softer side of Bosch but we the potential of his dark side. Once McCaleb approaches Bosch, things start to get intense. In the middle of this, Bosch is at trial for investigation of a Hollywood producer suspected of murdering a young woman. This was a case that Bosch and his partners were called to a year before and the trial just begins. As Bosch testifies as a the lead investigator of the case, he is also having to defend himself out the courtroom. Every few chapters were in Bosch's POV and we learn about the trial. So it was 2 stories in one in 2 different characters POV. Definitely one of Connelly's best. He's one of my favorite authors and Harry is one of my favorite heros. I needed a break from WWII/Holocaust fiction so I chose Connelly as a distraction...worked like a charm! Connelly can't write anything bad. Check out any book by him and you won't be able to stop! 

Up next...

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith. This is historical fiction with a little bit of a twist. Abe's mother dies of a fatal wound which he later learns is the result of a vampire. Young Lincoln sets out to avenge his mother's death and is led to the White House. Smith stumbles upon the Secret Journal of Abraham Lincoln. He uses this as a guide to reconstruct the true life story of Lincoln. He reveals the history behind the Civil War and the role vampires played. I think this is such a cool story line! I'm really excited to start this one! I've heard good things from a few different people so we shall see :)

Ps. ...

The Lousiana Book Festival is tomorrow (10/27) from 10-5 downtown Baton Rouge. Everyone should check it out! There's going to be over 100 authors, book signings, promotions, food and music. There's fun stuff for kids like a creative writing booth. I'm so excited, I've never been! I'll write a follow up and let yall know how awesome it was. Spread the word! 

Teaser Tuesday!

Teaser Tuesday is a meme hosted by Should be Reading. Want to participate? It's super easy:

1. Grab your current read. 

2. Open to a random page. 

3. Select 2 non-spoiler sentences. 

"He was setting up  an outpost for the Behavioral Sciences Unit and Violent Criminal Apprehension Program. The Little Girl Lost case was the first on submitted to him. 

p. 133

I'm currently reading A Darkness More Than Night by Michael Connelly (Harry Bosch #7, Terry McCaleb #2). I was a little hesitant at first on this one because it's told in Terry McCaleb's POV and not Bosch's. But so far I'm enjoying McCaleb, more than I thought I would. 

Terry McCaleb, former criminal profiler, is asked by an investigator to help out on a case of man that was tortured and killed. As McCaleb begins to decipher messages, he finds a suspect: LAPD Detective Harry Bosch. While Bosch may have a good reason to murder someone in West Hollywood, he has a better one for staying alive. 

A few chapters have been in Bosch's POV, which I like. I think it's safe to say we all know Harry Bosch didn't murder anyone. But why does the evidence point to him? Connelly won't disappoint!

Last week for my birthday, my brother gave me a gift to BN (he knows me to well.). Last night I went and spent an hour in there by myself...I probably should find a few other social hobbies. Anyway, I ended up getting 2 books (big surprise!). These will be my Halloween books! 

1. Wild Ride by Jennifer Cruise and Bob Mayer

2. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame Smith 

I can't  wait to start Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter! I don't know why I find this book so intriguing but I've heard many good things so we shall see!

FINALLY!

I finally finished The Last Time I Saw Paris by Lynn Sheene. Work has a been slamming us so I haven't read as much as usual. I feel like it's taken me 2 months to finish this but I was finally able to finish it up this weekend. It's set in 1940 when Claire Harris flees her glamourous life in Manhattan to start over in Paris. What she didn't plan on was Nazi soldiers marching in France. She takes a job at local flower shop under a sophisticated Parisian florist. Claire begins to aid the French Resistance in exchange for false identity papers to kept her in France. While things begin to unravel in Paris, Claire shows bravery and intelligence and above all loyalty to the French Resistance. But deception and betrayal force her to flee once more and fight for the man she loves. 

I really enjoyed this book. At first I thought it started off slow and was wondering where exactly it was heading. Claire begins a naive journey to Paris to follow a lover and ends up getting mixed up in WWII. She starts off as a silly tourist girl wanting romance in Paris but ends as a head-strong brave woman. Her charactered is developed so well; you can really see her grow through her struggles. The focus of this book was the Germans in France. It barely touches on the Jews/Holocaust (which is my favorite topic). I've really enjoyed reading about France during WWII. I honestly didn't know it was THAT bad in France. This put America into prospective. You come to fall in love with Madame Palain, the florist that takes her in. Claire goes to Paris illegally with no money or plans with a dream of love. It definitely does not turn out like you would expect. Once she begins aiding the French Resistance, the story starts to unfold. It wasn't until the end that I realized the seriousness of going against the German army in Paris. It's so scary to think what was actually going on and how many people were killed during the war. This is probably one of my favorite WWII books. But I have to wonder why Claire was so loyal to France and didn't go back to America where it was safe when the war began. 

While we're on the topic...

I watched Sarah's Key, which was a book by Tatiana de Rosnay. It's been in my instant queue on Netflix for a while and I couldn't decide if I wanted to watch it or not because I loved the book so much. This is another book about WWII but focuses on the roundup of Jews in Paris by the French police. This book was mind blowing and the movie was just as good. As a warning, it is a foreign film so a lot of it was in French with subtitles but it wasn't hard to follow. What actually surprised me was that the movie was exactly like the book. Everything was in the same order and no details were changed. I absolutely LOVED that because it NEVER happens. I'm so glad I finally decided to watch it. The actresses who played Sarah's mother and older Sarah were downright beautiful, I was amazed! Young Sarah was an amazing actress for her age. I was blown away by her performance. This was my first foreign film I've watched and it was awesome. I would recommend everyone watch it. It should be shown in school for history class along with Schinlder's List (that's what we watched when we learned about WWII). Another warning: the book AND movie were extremely sad and depressing, not that WWII is a joyous subject anyway. I cried through both :/. The Last Time I saw Paris was not sad, more dramatic/thrilling. Tell me your thoughts! 

The Secret Life of Bees..movie

Even though I read The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd in high school, I'm just now getting around to watching the movie. It's been on my DVR since July and I finally watched it last night. This movie was amazing!!! Now I did cry through the whole entire 2 and a half hours but still. If you loved the book, you'll love this movie. The cast was awesome. I love Dakota Fanning, she's an mature, amazing actress who started off at such a young age. Queen Latifah is awesome as usual but I really liked Alicia Keys. She's so gorgeous and plays her character with a hard heart so well. Now I don't remember details of the book since I read it so long ago so I cant compare how close the movie was to the book. But both book and movie were so heart felt and inspiring. You can't not enjoy this movie. The acting was so real that you really relate and feel close to all the characters.

I've never read anything else by Sue Monk Kidd. She has a new book out that she wrote with her daughter about their travels and relationship. And she writes a lot of inspirational books. Not really my style but if its yours, I'm sure she won't disappoint.

Anyone else enjoy the movie as much as I did?

Sunday Confessions

I got the idea to do a blogger confession from a new blog I just started following, DeLibrarie. Check it out, you won't be disappointed! 

Sunday Confessions of a book blogger! 

1. I HAVE WAY TO MANY BOOKS. 

I've just come to realize this after moving 4 boxes of books to our new apartment. Then we didn't have room for 3 bookshelves so I have to get rid of one. Now I've been sticking books in random place. Fail. 

2. My best friend Katee FINALLY likes to read. 

After Katee got married, she and her husband moved to London last November, which is where he is from. Of course now that she's an ocean away she's been reading and we've been on What's App discussing books we like. I've waited for this day for 23 years! It definitely beats reading the bible to her for our senior year religion class ha! 

3. I LOVE Barnes and Noble. 

It's so my comfort zone. If I'm having a bad day, I like to just roam around there, not looking for anything in particular just smelling the books (yes that's weird). And what makes it all the better is Starbucks has their pumpkin spice latte out for the fall!! Best combo :)

4. October is my favorite month! 

Not only is my birthday in October but I love Halloween! I really want to find a good scary book for Halloween to read. BN has a huge halloween section out that I've been browsing through but haven't picked anything out. Any suggestions? 

5. I read reviews on BN.com before I buy a book. 

I like reading reviews of a book/author I'd never heard of. I like getting an idea of what to expect and if it's my type of book before buying it. I've only written one review of a book and it was on Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay because it was so amazing I had to tell everyone!  

Ten books every girl should read in her twenties..

Thanks to Pinterest, there was a pin about good reads for your twenties. I love inspiring books I should be reading! and I'm also obsessed in love with Pinterest. 

1. Confessions of a Shopoholic by Sophie Kinsella - I've read and it's so good. Every girl loves to shop but also needs to learn how to manage her addiction money. 

2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - might have to catch the movie on this one. I find it hard to get into Jane Austen :/

3. Girl's in White Dresses by Jennifer Close

4. The Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank- this seems interesting 

5. Bitches on a Budget: Sage Advice for Surviving Tough Times in Style by Rosalyn Hoffman

6. What I Know Now: Letters to My Younger Self by Ellyn Spragins

7. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan- Read. Thanks to high school summer reading :). This is a good mother-daughter-relationship book

8. What Did I Do Wrong? LIz Pryor

9. 20-Something, 20-Everything: A Quarter-life Woman’s Guide to Balance and Direction by Christine Hassler

10. Single: The Art of Being Satisfied, Fulfilled and Independent by Judy Ford- Being single is for sure an art!

This is from Love Twenty, which is an online magazine for twenty-somethings. They have lots of great tips and ideas! I thought this was a great idea for a website/magazine...because I could use all the help I can get!

http://www.lovetwenty.com/

Check it out! 

Recap: 

I finished The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom. At first I didn't think I was going to like it because the sentences were real short and choppy and it seemed more like thoughts than a story line. It picked up after the first few chapters of background info. It ended up being a cute story but I can't say it was one of my favorites by Mitch Albom. If you read it, what'd you think? 

Up next: 

I started The Last Time I saw Paris by Lynn Sheene. So far so good! This woman leaves her husband for a man she loves in Paris during WWII. I keep thinking..."don't go to Paris during WWII!!" but she doesn't know the outcome of that just yet. Can't wait to see what happens! 

Teaser Tuesday!

Teaser Tuesday is a meme hosted by Should be Reading. Want to participate? It's super easy:

1. Grab your current read. 

2. Open to a random page. 

3. Select 2 non-spoiler sentences. 

Right now I'm reading The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom 

"And, so, there, alone, high above the city, Father Time held the only possession he cared about, the hourglass with his story. And, once again, out loud, he recited his life."

pg. 123 

The Family Fang

Last night I finished The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson. This book reminded me a lot of The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown. It's basically about the dynamic of a family. Sometimes I love to read just a good story without crazy drama or suspense. Wilson really paints a picture of this family and goes back into the past before the Fangs were married and when their children were little too. There's an unexpected event that happens in the middle, which effects the whole family that I didn't see coming. I love how weird and eccentric this family was. The book was so funny and the characters were quirky. At first I didn't think I was going to like the ending but Wilson really shows how passionate the Fangs are about performing art. In my personal opinion, I wouldn't call their performances "art", it's more of a game that they playing to get reactions from bystanders. For example (not giving anything away!), the Fangs go to the mall and Mrs. Fang steals candy at the store and the "art" of it is the reactions of the people in the store. Some of the stuff they came up with was CRAZY! which made it all the more interesting! If you're looking for an easy, funny read, this would be perfect. I'd definitely recommend it! 

Up next...

Next on my list is The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom. This is his newest book out and saw it in Cosmo! (gotta love Cosmo!). The inventor of the world's first clock is punished for trying to measuring God's gift. He's banished to a cave where he listens to people asking for more days and years. Father Time is then released but with a mission: teaching two earthly people the true meaning of time. He returns to our world to help a teenager girl who wants to give up on life and a wealthy businessman who wants to live forever.  I love Mitch Albom's books. I read Tuesday's with Morrie in high school, which was based on his life, and LOVED it! He also wrote The Five People You Meet in Heaven, which was awesome. He hasn't written a book I haven't liked. This is such a different story line, not just a regular story with regular "human" characters. I can't wait to start it! Plus, it has such a pretty hardback cover and fancy paper :)

Have you read any of Mitch Albom's book? If so, which ones were your favs??

On a side note...

I'm moving apts and started boxing up my books. Three bookshelves is a lot to pack :/

Mostly books with some DVDs. Those boxes are going to be heavy! Thinking about investing in a 5- shelf book shelf. Don't think I'll have room for 3 different bookshelves. Maybe I should invest in a Nook?...nah...