Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Rafflecopter $20 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway
You know those forms many bloggers are using now, well Rafflecopter is the genius who makes it all possible! I am sharing this so that more people have the opportunity to win this wonderful giveaway! To enter just fill out the Rafflecopter form below!
Top Ten Tuesday: Books That Should Be Required Reading For Teens
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. Each week, a different topic is selected and then you create your own top ten list!
This week's topic is: Books That Should Be Required Reading For Teens.
Here's my list:
by
Robin Jones Gunn
by
Robin Jones Gunn
by
Robin Jones Gunn & Tricia Goyer
by
Lisa Samson
by
Sarah Mally
by
Eric & Leslie Ludy
by
Eric & Leslie Ludy
by
Joshua Harris
by
Ted Dekker
by
Jane Austen
Teaser Tuesday (July 19)
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
- 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!
MY TEASERS:
He made a quick move toward her, but Charlotte was faster, ducking under his arm before he could catch her. "Do control yourself," she told told him, her back to the door. (page 56)
Monday, July 18, 2011
What Would Mr. Darcy Do? by Abigail Reynolds
There's only one gentleman to turn to when a lady is in desperate need of answers...
With scandal descending on the Bennet family (again!), Elizabeth absolutely refuses to drag Mr. Darcy's name into this shocking situation. But how on earth is she going to get her family out of trouble this time without his involvement? Hiding things from Mr. Darcy is getting more and more impossible, especially since he's started letting his feelings show...
I Give This Book: 4 Stars
My Thoughts:
The story begins directly after Elizabeth receives the news that Lydia has run off with Mr. Wickham. Almost immediately there are subtle changes in the story and towards the end there are drastic changes.
Every time when Darcy and Elizabeth are left alone in this book, they end up in each other's arms. Here is an example of this:
Darcy & Elizabeth and Bingley & Jane are taking a walk. When Darcy & Elizabeth get too far ahead of them, to the point where the couples lose sight of each other, they go into the forest and begin to passionately kiss. They only stop when they are discovered by Bingley & Jane.
I don't like reading about Darcy & Elizabeth like that and personally didn't feel that this is how they would act prior to being married. Especially Darcy, because of his high sense of morality and he would know how scandalous that kind of behavior would be. I also would think Darcy would want to avoid any similarities to Wickham - not behave just like him.
Overall, 'What Would Mr. Darcy Do?' is enjoyable and kept me entertained almost throughout the whole book. Were it not for Darcy & Elizabeth's behavior throughout this book, I would have given it a five-star rating, but because of that, I don't think this is a book that I will read again. I would recommend this book for those who can't get enough Pride & Prejudice retelling/sequels/spin-offs - I am sure they will enjoy this book.
Monday Mingle (July 18)
It's Monday! What Are You Reading?
It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme, hosted by Sheila over at bookjourney.wordpress.com, where you post about what you read this past week, what you hope to read this week...and anything in between. This is a great way to find new books to add to your TBR list.
What I read last week:
When an aspiring reporter and
a Pinkerton detective get tangled in Doc Holliday’s story—
and each other—sparks can’t help but fly.
Despite her father’s attempts to marry her off, Anna Finch dreams of becoming a reporter. A chance encounter with legendary gunslinger Doc Holliday gives her the opportunity of a lifetime, but Pinkerton agent Jeb Sanders is about to ruin everything.
Though her father hired Jeb to keep her out of mischief, Anna’s inconvenient attraction to her hired gun only multiplies her troubles. She doesn’t realize Jeb has a score to settle with Doc Holliday, or that her association with the famous outlaw will affect more than just her marriage prospects. Between her father’s desperation to see her wed and Jeb shadowing her every move, getting the story and fulfilling her journalistic ambition just got far more complicated than she ever imagined.
But what if Darcy hadn't immediately left the inn? What if Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy had chosen to speak their feelings rather than to assume the worst about the other? Jane Austen's beloved characters are given the opportunity to reach out one last time before they part. While their path forward is still filled with misadventures and misunderstandings it is rich with humor, romance, and sensuality as they learn about each other and the meaning of love. But there's still a scandal threatening to engulf the Bennet family, and Elizabeth can't be sure that Darcy's love for her could withstand such a blow. Determined to give Darcy up rather than drag his name through the mud, Elizabeth will have to choose for herself between what she believes is right, and what she wants more than anything...
What I am currently reading:
The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck: A Novel
by Kathleen Y'Barbo
Unlikely romance is sometimes just an inconvenient marriage away
Charlotte Beck may be entering adulthood, but she can’t seem to keep to her stubborn, independent spirit from bucking social protocol. Fed up with her behavior, Charlotte’s father Daniel pressures her to settle into a nice marriage despite knowing she is set on going to college. Then Daniel sees Charlotte with the handsome but annoying English astronomer Alex Hambly, and everything changes.
Though Alex and Charlotte can barely stand one another, Daniel offers them a deal they can’t refuse: if they agree to marry, he will save Alex’s family from financial ruin and grant Charlotte the freedom to go to college. Reluctantly the couple agrees, but in private they plot to annul the marriage as soon as possible.
But when Alex’s feelings change and he refuses to dissolve their contract, will Charlotte find a way out of her vows? Or will she discover that maybe this marriage isn’t so inconvenient after all?
What I want to read this week:
Inside Threat
by Jason Elam & Steve Yohn
After taking two football seasons off, Riley Covington is attempting to make a comeback in the league while trying to forget Khadi Faroughi, now on security detail for a prominent senator.
But a new attack turns both of their lives upside down yet again. During a state funeral, terrorists overrun the National Cathedral and take senators, congressmen, and their entourages hostage, including Khadi. This new generation of The Cause is made up of homegrown terrorists—an inside threat to the security of the nation. They release most of the hostages, but not all. Several, including Khadi, are kept behind as significant bargaining chips.
The Cause pledges to behead one member of Congress each day throughout the month of Ramadan as a punishment for their own country’s rejection of Islam. Despite the protests of Counter-Terrorism Division director Scott Ross, Riley races to CTD armed with a plan and a fierce determination to rescue Khadi at all costs.
What I am currently reading:
by Kathleen Y'Barbo
Unlikely romance is sometimes just an inconvenient marriage away
Charlotte Beck may be entering adulthood, but she can’t seem to keep to her stubborn, independent spirit from bucking social protocol. Fed up with her behavior, Charlotte’s father Daniel pressures her to settle into a nice marriage despite knowing she is set on going to college. Then Daniel sees Charlotte with the handsome but annoying English astronomer Alex Hambly, and everything changes.
Though Alex and Charlotte can barely stand one another, Daniel offers them a deal they can’t refuse: if they agree to marry, he will save Alex’s family from financial ruin and grant Charlotte the freedom to go to college. Reluctantly the couple agrees, but in private they plot to annul the marriage as soon as possible.
But when Alex’s feelings change and he refuses to dissolve their contract, will Charlotte find a way out of her vows? Or will she discover that maybe this marriage isn’t so inconvenient after all?
What I want to read this week:
by Jason Elam & Steve Yohn
After taking two football seasons off, Riley Covington is attempting to make a comeback in the league while trying to forget Khadi Faroughi, now on security detail for a prominent senator.
But a new attack turns both of their lives upside down yet again. During a state funeral, terrorists overrun the National Cathedral and take senators, congressmen, and their entourages hostage, including Khadi. This new generation of The Cause is made up of homegrown terrorists—an inside threat to the security of the nation. They release most of the hostages, but not all. Several, including Khadi, are kept behind as significant bargaining chips.
The Cause pledges to behead one member of Congress each day throughout the month of Ramadan as a punishment for their own country’s rejection of Islam. Despite the protests of Counter-Terrorism Division director Scott Ross, Riley races to CTD armed with a plan and a fierce determination to rescue Khadi at all costs.
Eight-year-old Garrett Morrow disappears from a class field trip in New Bern, North Carolina. Within days, his body is found and seven-year-old Tyler Sullivan vanishes from Beaufort, South Carolina. Journalist Abby Weaver is at first puzzled by the striking resemblance between the two boys. But when she realizes that both boys could be carbon copies of her son, Chris, Abby’s world is rocked right down to its core. Is this merely coincidence or could Chris be next?
In a race against time, Abby’s frantic search for the missing child leads her to piece together clues that point to a monster in their midst. The evil she uncovers threatens to destroy her family and even the community she loves. Every parent’s nightmare comes to life in this terrifyingly-real follow-up to Sweet Dreams and Flying Machines.
English professor Emma Grant has always done everything just the way her minister father told her she should -- a respectable marriage, a teaching job at a good college, and plans for the requisite two children. Life was prodigiously good, as her favorite author Jane Austen might say, until the day Emma finds her husband in bed with another woman. Suddenly, all her romantic notions a la Austen are exposed for the foolish dreams they are.
Denied tenure in the wake of the scandal and left penniless by the ensuing divorce, Emma packs up what few worldly possessions she has left and heads to England on a quest to find the missing letters of Jane Austen. Locating the elusive letters, however, isn't as straightforward as Emma hoped. The owner of the letters proves coy about her prize possessions, sending Emma on a series of Austen-related tasks that bring her closer and closer to the truth, but the sudden reappearance of Emma's first love makes everything more complicated.
In the end, Emma learns that doing the right thing has very little to do with other people's expectations and everything to do with her own beliefs. Laced with fictional excerpts from the missing letters, Jane Austen Ruined My Life is the story of a woman betrayed who uncovers the deeper meaning of loyalty.
by Leonard Sweet & Lori Wagner
An epic tale of good and evil based on the four horsemen of the Apocalypse found in the book of Revelation.
Using the four horsemen of the Apocalypse to symbolize the four Gospels, four transcendentals, and four forces of the universe (air, water, earth, and fire), Sweet and Wagner weave a fast-paced, end-times tale of good vs. evil and the promise of a new dawn for humanity.
Set in 2048, when planet Earth is suffering from the damaging effects of years of misuse and abuse, cultural history professor Paul Binder receives a mysterious letter that leads him to examine a lost 2nd-century Diatessaron manuscript. Ancient prophecies, cryptic letters, and strange events set him on a course to uncover the missing clues that could lead humanity into a new age. Each character embodies elements of the four horsemen in a race to save the world from total destruction. Layered with forgotten symbolism from the ancient, Jewish, and Christian traditions, the novel is a type of engaged fiction in which the main character's lost journal serves as a guide to the reader in interpreting clues and understanding the novel's conclusion.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Friday Firsts: 'The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck' by Kathleen Y'Barbo
- Grab the book you are currently reading and open to the first page.
- Write down the first sentence in the first paragraph. (If you want to use 2-3 sentences, that is okay but limit it to the very beginning.)
- Create a blog post with this information. (Make sure to include the title & author of the book you are using. Even an ISBN helps!)
- Did this first sentence help draw you into the story? Why or why not?
Here is my Friday Firsts:
What Charlotte Beck wanted, Charlotte Beck generally got.I am not very far into this one, but after reading the firsts two books in this series this first sentence sounds just like Charlotte. I look forward to complete this book!
Synopsis:
Unlikely romance is sometimes just an inconvenient marriage away
Charlotte Beck may be entering adulthood, but she can’t seem to keep to her stubborn, independent spirit from bucking social protocol. Fed up with her behavior, Charlotte’s father Daniel pressures her to settle into a nice marriage despite knowing she is set on going to college. Then Daniel sees Charlotte with the handsome but annoying English astronomer Alex Hambly, and everything changes. Though Alex and Charlotte can barely stand one another, Daniel offers them a deal they can’t refuse: if they agree to marry, he will save Alex’s family from financial ruin and grant Charlotte the freedom to go to college. Reluctantly the couple agrees, but in private they plot to annul the marriage as soon as possible. But when Alex’s feelings change and he refuses to dissolve their contract, will Charlotte find a way out of her vows? Or will she discover that maybe this marriage isn’t so inconvenient after all?
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Themed Thursday (Body Parts)
- A theme will be posted each week (on Thursday’s)
- Select a conversation/snippet/sentence from the current book you are reading
- Mention the author and the title of the book along with your post
- It is important that the theme is conveyed in the sentence (you don’t necessarily need to have the word)
Ex: If the theme is KISS; your sentence can have “They kissed so gently” or “Their lips touched each other” or “The smooch was so passionate”
This will give us a wonderful opportunity to explore and understand different writing styles and descriptive approaches adopted by authors.
This week's theme is
Here is mine:
When Elizabeth finally entered, he wanted nothing so much as to fling himself on his knees before her and beg her to marry him. Her loveliness took his breath away.
- From 'What Would Mr. Darcy Do?' by Abigail Reynolds, page 26
- From 'What Would Mr. Darcy Do?' by Abigail Reynolds, page 26
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
"Waiting On" Wednesday: The Colonel's Lady
"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at breakingthespine.blogspot.com, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:
Publication Date: August 1, 2011
Synopsis (from Goodreads.com):
In 1779, when genteel Virginia spinster Roxanna Rowan arrives at the Kentucky fort commanded by Colonel Cassius McLinn, she finds that her officer father has died. Penniless and destitute, Roxanna is forced to take her father's place as scrivener. Before long, it's clear that the colonel himself is attracted to her. But she soon realizes the colonel has grave secrets of his own—some of which have to do with her father's sudden death. Can she ever truly love him?
Readers will be enchanted by this powerful story of love, faith, and forgiveness from reader favorite Laura Frantz. Her solid research and deft writing immerse readers in the world of the early frontier while her realistic characters become intimate friends.
Book Details:
- Paperback: 416 pages
- Publisher: Revell (August 1, 2011)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10:
- ISBN-13:
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Top Ten Tuesday: Authors You'd Die to Meet
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. Each week, a different topic is selected and then you create your own top ten list!
Here's my list:
1. Julie Lessman: I absolutely LOVE her books and always look forward to her next book. I absolutely love O'Connor family and am going to miss them greatly when I finish this series. I know the final book isn't going to be released until September of 2012, but I hope she will write more about them - even if it is just a quick update to tell us what is going on in their lives.
2. Robin Jones Gunn: I would love to meet and tell her how much 'The Christy Miller'series, 'The Sierra Jensen' series, 'Christy and Todd: College Years' & 'The Katie Weldon' series meant to me. These books changed my life. I would love to read more about them.
3. Tracie Peterson: I always enjoy reading her books! I like that most of her books are in a series, usually a trilogy, which means more time with her characters that always seem to find a place in my heart.
4. T. L. Higley: She has visited places where I would love to go for her research and all her research shows in her books. Every one I have read is so interesting and I always seem to lose myself in her stories!
5. MaryLu Tyndall: I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED reading her 'Legacy of the King's Pirates' series. I would love to talk with her about that series!
6. Robert Liparulo: I love reading his 'Dreamhouse Kings' series and would love to know if he is going to write more about them.
7. Ted Dekker: I would love to learn how he gets his ideas. I'd also love to know what he thinking about writing next. Dekker's writing, in my experience, has always kept me glued to the book and I can't stop reading until I reach the end. I am really looking forward to reading 'Forbidden'!!!
8. Deeanne Gist: I think it would be so much fun to meet Deeanne! I remember seeing somewhere a picture of a party she had, where everyone (I think) dressed in full period outfits - from the 1860's if I'm not mistaken. I would love to have the opportunity to try on one of those dresses - even though I'm sure that they can be uncomfortable.
9. Julie Klassen: Her stories are very detailed and they are never boring - unlike some books where the details are just overwhelming. I have read all of Julie's books and everyone is a book that you'll want to read again! These are her books (in the order they were published) 'Lady of Milkweed Manor', 'The Apothecary's Daughter', 'The Silent Governess', and 'The Girl in the Gatehouse'. 'The Maid of Fairbourne Hall' is set to be released January 1, 2012, I can hardly wait!
10. Jane Austen: I know this may shock some people, but the only one of Jane Austen's books that I have read is 'Pride & Prejudice'. I keep meaning to read her other books, but I never seem to make the time to do it. I would love to meet her - though I know it isn't possible. I sometimes wonder if she knew how much people would come to cherish her characters.
Teaser Tuesday (July 12)
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
- 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!
MY TEASERS:
He lives like a mole with them blinds shut tight day and night. From what I can see he doesn't have any friends, least none that ever come to his home and he doesn't have any women over there either. That is odd.
Follow Me Back Tuesday
It’s everyone’s favorite day of the week again, Tuesday..
So that means it’s time to link up & follow for
Follow Me Back Tuesday
Hosted By:
With Guest Hosts:
Tiffany from Fabulous Finds by NimblerGrove
&
Carla from Mrs. No No Knows
How it Works
- Follow all 3 Hosts & Guest Host’s - Spots 1-5 leave a comment w/ a link to your blog so we can follow you back ( only leave a comment that you follow if you actually follow )
- Snag our button & make a F.M.B.T. post.
- After you post use that link to add your blog to the hop along with your blog name
( NO BLOG HOPs & GIVEAWAYS PLEASE ) These entries will be deleted.
- Follow the blogs you like & Follow Back who follows you ( Remember to leave a comment so you can be followed back )
- And most importantly – Have Fun and Come back and see us every Tuesday !!
Link up every Tuesday at 12:00 am est!
Monday, July 11, 2011
It's Monday! What Are You Reading?
It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme, hosted by Sheila over at bookjourney.wordpress.com, where you post about what you read this past week, what you hope to read this week...and anything in between. This is a great way to find new books to add to your TBR list.
What I read last week:
This Wild West adventure just might be the life she was meant to live.
The future is clearly mapped out for New York socialite Eugenia “Gennie” Cooper, but she secretly longs to slip into the boots of her favorite dime-novel heroine and experience just one adventure before settling down. When the opportunity arises, Gennie jumps at the chance to experience the Wild West, but her plans go awry when she is drawn into the lives of silver baron Daniel Beck and his daughter and finds herself caring for them more than is prudent–especially as she’s supposed to go back to New York and marry another man. As Gennie adapts to the rough-and-tumble world of 1880s Colorado, she must decide whether her future lies with the enigmatic Daniel Beck or back home with the life planned for her since birth. The question is whether Daniel’s past–and disgruntled miners bent on revenge–will take that choice away from her.
This prequel to 'Pride and Prejudice' begins with George Wickham at age 12, handsome and charming but also acutely aware that his friend, Fitzwilliam Darcy, is rich, whilst he is poor. His mother encourages him to exercise his charm on the young Georgiana Darcy and Anne de Bourgh in the hopes of establishing a stable of wealthy social connections.
At university, Darcy and Wickham grow apart. Wickham is always drinking and wenching, whilst Darcy, who apparently has everything, is looking for something he cannot find. Wickham runs through the money Darcy gives him and then takes up with the scandalous Belle, a woman after Wickham's own greedy, black heart.
What I am currently reading:
by Kathleen Y'Barbo
I am on page 130! The story is great story far!
I am on page 130! The story is great story far!
When an aspiring reporter and
a Pinkerton detective get tangled in Doc Holliday’s story—and each other—sparks can’t help but fly. Despite her father’s attempts to marry her off, Anna Finch dreams of becoming a reporter. A chance encounter with legendary gunslinger Doc Holliday gives her the opportunity of a lifetime, but Pinkerton agent Jeb Sanders is about to ruin everything. Though her father hired Jeb to keep her out of mischief, Anna’s inconvenient attraction to her hired gun only multiplies her troubles. She doesn’t realize Jeb has a score to settle with Doc Holliday, or that her association with the famous outlaw will affect more than just her marriage prospects. Between her father’s desperation to see her wed and Jeb shadowing her every move, getting the story and fulfilling her journalistic ambition just got far more complicated than she ever imagined.
What I want to read/finish this week:
Unlikely romance is sometimes just an inconvenient marriage away
Charlotte Beck may be entering adulthood, but she can’t seem to keep to her stubborn, independent spirit from bucking social protocol. Fed up with her behavior, Charlotte’s father Daniel pressures her to settle into a nice marriage despite knowing she is set on going to college. Then Daniel sees Charlotte with the handsome but annoying English astronomer Alex Hambly, and everything changes. Though Alex and Charlotte can barely stand one another, Daniel offers them a deal they can’t refuse: if they agree to marry, he will save Alex’s family from financial ruin and grant Charlotte the freedom to go to college. Reluctantly the couple agrees, but in private they plot to annul the marriage as soon as possible. But when Alex’s feelings change and he refuses to dissolve their contract, will Charlotte find a way out of her vows? Or will she discover that maybe this marriage isn’t so inconvenient after all?
But what if Darcy hadn't immediately left the inn? What if Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy had chosen to speak their feelings rather than to assume the worst about the other? Jane Austen's beloved characters are given the opportunity to reach out one last time before they part. While their path forward is still filled with misadventures and misunderstandings it is rich with humor, romance, and sensuality as they learn about each other and the meaning of love. But there's still a scandal threatening to engulf the Bennet family, and Elizabeth can't be sure that Darcy's love for her could withstand such a blow. Determined to give Darcy up rather than drag his name through the mud, Elizabeth will have to choose for herself between what she believes is right, and what she wants more than anything...
I am on page 49, but I have set this book aside because I have a few other books that I want to read first - though I really hope to finish it this week.
An epic tale of good and evil based on the four horsemen of the Apocalypse found in the book of Revelation.
Using the four horsemen of the Apocalypse to symbolize the four Gospels, four transcendentals, and four forces of the universe (air, water, earth, and fire), Sweet and Wagner weave a fast-paced, end-times tale of good vs. evil and the promise of a new dawn for humanity.
Set in 2048, when planet Earth is suffering from the damaging effects of years of misuse and abuse, cultural history professor Paul Binder receives a mysterious letter that leads him to examine a lost 2nd-century Diatessaron manuscript. Ancient prophecies, cryptic letters, and strange events set him on a course to uncover the missing clues that could lead humanity into a new age. Each character embodies elements of the four horsemen in a race to save the world from total destruction. Layered with forgotten symbolism from the ancient, Jewish, and Christian traditions, the novel is a type of engaged fiction in which the main character's lost journal serves as a guide to the reader in interpreting clues and understanding the novel's conclusion.
Eight-year-old Garrett Morrow disappears from a class field trip in New Bern, North Carolina. Within days, his body is found and seven-year-old Tyler Sullivan vanishes from Beaufort, South Carolina. Journalist Abby Weaver is at first puzzled by the striking resemblance between the two boys. But when she realizes that both boys could be carbon copies of her son, Chris, Abby’s world is rocked right down to its core. Is this merely coincidence or could Chris be next?
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