Bloggiesta 2012 (and a Request)

All week long I've been spotting Bloggiesta posts filled with plans and goals for this weekend.  But honestly since my blogging has been so spotty lately, I didn't think that I would find the time to participate.  One sparkling clean house later (which will last approximately 2 hours) and I've decided to dive in for a few hours.  And not feel guilty about the parts of my house that are most definitely not clean.  (cough...laundry...cough)

Anyways, I've already completed one task that I've been meaning to complete for awhile now.  I've finally updated my blog list links that are in my sidebar!  I am SO EXCITED about this!!!  There were so many inactive blogs on there that it was just kind of sad.  Especially because a few bloggers that I considered friends no longer blog anymore :/  But what can you do?? 

Now here is where the request comes in.  I know that I am missing some of my favorite blogs on this list.  There is just no way for me to remember them all.  This bothers me like you wouldn't believe.  So....if I ever comment on your blog or you are one of those people reading this that isn't on my list, won't you please tell me??  I love to connect with book bloggers and the easiest way for me to do that is visit other blogs.  Considering that I hadn't updated my blog roll for over two years tells me that I'm missing quite a lot of my favorite blogs.  But if you add to the fact that I have a crazy bad memory...well, you should be getting the picture.  Please, please, please tell me if you aren't on there!  And if it feels awkward to do so just know that I'm pretty much begging you right now to do it.  So that should make it all better :) 

I'm not setting any other Bloggiestsa goals for this weekend.  I'm just going to see where the weekend takes me but hopefully it will mean some sprucing up of the old blog.  Because posting once a week just isn't quite working for me..happy blogging to all of you!

Ole!

The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart (thoughts)

How had I never heard of the awesomeness that is Mary Roberts Rinehart??  The Circular Staircase was one of the first books I downloaded for free onto my Kindle, and I only grabbed it because the author was compared to Anna Katherine Green whom wrote The Leavenworth Case (a book that I enjoyed when I read it last year).  After reading The Circular Staircase I've downloaded every single book by this author that I can get my hands on.  I want more! 


The Circular Staircase begins with Rachel Innes deciding to spend the summer in the country with her nephew and niece.  Little does she know that renting Sunnyside for the summer will mean murder, mystery, and intrigue.  For mysterious happenings are going on at Sunnyside and Rachel instantly finds herself a part of them.  Rachel is a great main character to be narrating the story because of her dry sense of humor.  I found myself laughing out loud at various points in the story thanks to her opinions and musings on everything that was happening.  In fact, being able to laugh at the story while still being intrigued by the mystery was one of my favorite parts of the book!  I find more and more that I love classic mysteries like this because the authors know how to spin a good tale without lots of blood and gore.  Instead Rinehart created a mystery filled with atmosphere and tension as the reader wondered what could possibly be going on at the house.  It made for a great read that left me wanting more!  My only issue with this book is something that goes more along with the time period that the book was written.  The book does have some racial undertones in it but if you take in consideration when it was written then it makes more sense as to why the author included these viewpoint into the story.  I didn't care for it but obviously I wasn't born in this time period either.  Anyways....

Overall a really, really good read and a book that I enjoyed WAY more than I expected to.  Just writing up my thoughts on this book makes me want to try more by her or grab up something by Agatha Christie.  If you are ever looking for a gothic mystery novel then I think you should give this one a try.  Just don't expect to be surprised by the ending.  That part I could see coming from a mile away but luckily it didn't matter because I was enjoying the book too much.  Highly recommended especially to mystery fans!

Bottom Line:  One of those books that instantly makes you add the author to your must read list!

Disclosure:  This was a book I downloaded for free onto my Kindle thru Amazon. 

Wordless Wednesday (Football)

This is what I've been doing with my time lately.  Lots of football practice and tonight the 1st game of the season.  It was fun to watch and he did great.  I just look at him and wonder how he got so big so fast...

This Rough Magic by Mary Stewart (thoughts)

This Rough Magic is my first read by Mary Stewart but it definitely won't be my last! Lucy Waring is visiting her sister on the island of Corfu while also taking a break from her acting career. She believes that she is relaxing in paradise until strange events begin to occur. And when two young men both mysteriously drown while fishing, Lucy finds herself impossibly caught up in the mystery of what is happening on this island.

This Rough Magic started off slowly for me but I'm really glad that I stuck with it. The author had me thoroughly entranced by the end of the novel as I couldn't wait to see how it would all play out. Just trying to collect all of my thoughts on this book is amusing for me as I feel like I shouldn't have enjoyed it as much as I did. Without giving too much away, there were many moments of unbelievability in this book that usually would have bothered me. Instead, I found myself both charmed with this book and the storyline that the author had created. For instance, the love angle between Lucy and another (sorry too spoiler-ey if I say who) happens within a matter of pages. One moment they hate each other and the next they are practically ready to exchange vows. I couldn't help but shake my head and smile though. None of the improbable (and there were a lot of them upon consideration) events took away from the story. Instead, it made it all a bit more magical which was how the island was portrayed itself. The ending of the book tied everything up quite nicely and left me ready to read more by Stewart.

All in all, quite an enjoyable read despite the slow start and improbability of it all. I am excited to have found a new author with a nice sized backlist of books for me to peruse. I'm definitely going to be reading more by this author! And this was also the perfect way for me to begin Carl's R.I.P. VII event as this book definitely fits! Recommended!

Bottom Line: A solid romantic suspense with magical qualities!

Disclosure: Checked out from my local library. I need to get on their catalog and see what other books they have by this author for me to read!

R.I.P. VII (It's Here!!!)

There is just something about this time of year that puts me in a good mood. I love the gloomy rainy days and the beginnings of fall. I always say that I love all of the seasons (and I do) but fall is definitely my favorite. And what better way to celebrate the beginnings of fall then my favorite event of the year???

I've been putting books on hold at the library all week for this event, and that is not to mention all of the books I already have sitting on my shelves. My latest trips to the used bookstore were mainly filled with books from these genres as these were the types of books that I've been in the mood for. So I'm definitely ready to get started! This is my 4th time participating in this challenge and my favorite part of it is the community feeling that it creates. All over our love of the spooky! You can't get better than that :)


I'm signing up for Peril the First but of course I'm hoping to fit way more than four books in for this. And because one of my favorite things is looking at all of your lists of possibilities I thought that I would share mine.














Quite the list, isn't it? I also have my holds that I'm waiting for at the library so I'm definitely not going to be wanting when it comes to books for this! And I might have a few downloaded on my Kindle that will fit as well. And somewhere in there I will add something by Agatha Christie because she is a must this time of year! Fun to be had and lots of spooky reading to be done :)

I've already posted about these but I'm also signed up for the IT-a-long (It by Stephen King) which has already started but you can still join in on the fun. It is quite spooky so far and I have a tendency to shut it in a drawer at bedtime. I'm also planning on reading The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters which I have had on my shelves for too long. So two group reads that will be fit in around all of these other lovely books. Now let's see how many I can really get finished. Happy reading!

The Stranger You Seek by Amanda Kyle Williams (thoughts)

The Stranger You Seek was a book that caught my interest at page one and didn't let go until the very last page. Keye Street is a woman with many of her own demons, but she soon finds herself getting drawn deep into a murder investigation where the killer is taunting the police. Her past as a FBI profiler begins to come back to haunt her as she attempts to help with the ongoing investigation while unknowingly becoming one of the killer's targets. Of course, the question is if she can find the killer before he finds her.

I enjoyed each and every page of this book due to the underlying suspense that was constant throughout the book. From the very beginning, the author pulled me into the story with a creepy and horrifying murder that ratcheted up the suspense level right away. The novel continually kept me turning the pages as I tried to figure out who the killer could possibly be. I loved Keye Street as the main character for a variety of reasons but mainly because she was so scarred and troubled. The author did a great job of realistically portraying Keye's demons which made me want Keye to succeed all the more. I find that I love a good main character that has a few rough edges. That maybe isn't perfect but is working towards getting his or her life back on track. Keye was one of those main characters and I liked her all the more for it. I really appreciated that she wasn't apologetic for her darker past and I felt that the author did a good job of incorporating it into the novel.

The mystery itself was quite good. I didn't see the ending coming from a mile away. And I really liked that because I felt like the author wasn't afraid to pull any punches. I didn't expect that last page but I was presently surprised when it happened (those of you that have already read the book will understand). A good mystery will always suck me in and that is exactly what this book did. It had atmosphere in spades, solid characters with depth, and a killer ending! I couldn't ask for more. Except for there to be another book featuring Keye which apparently there is. How exciting!! I went into this book thinking it was a standalone to find out that it will be the beginning to a mystery series. I cannot wait to grab the second book and see what happens next! This was an awesome read that I highly recommend! And can I just say how much I love when I find a new author that I enjoy this much? So exciting (hence all of the exclamation points)!

Bottom Line: One of my favorite thrillers that I have read so far this year!

Disclosure: Checked out from my local library. I wish I had a bought a copy though because I will be recommending it a lot!

The Sunday Salon: Read-a-longs

Good morning everyone! It is nice and gloomy outside this morning which means that it will be perfect laundry weather. Yeah, I said it. Laundry weather. How fun do you think my Sunday is going to be?? LOL! A few weeks back I posted about blogging changes that I wanted to make. And then I just started back to posting a bit more regularly but didn't really mention those changes again. But folks, I HAVE been changing. And doing it by going overboard, Sam style, as usual.

First, I joined in officially for the IT-a-long. Yep, I'm gearing up to read IT by Stephen King. And since it has already started I'm sure that I'm a bit behind. But the book is waiting for me at the library now. I just need to gather up my wits and go grab it. It can't be THAT bad, right??? Now normally that would be enough for just about anyone but I never do anything without overdoing it so I kept my eyes open for other read-a-longs and challenges as I waited impatiently for Carl's RIP Challenge to be announced. (C'mon September 1st already) And guess what I found.....

A read-a-long for The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters!!! I adored Affinity when I read it last year and have been chomping at the bit to read this book. But I have been saving it for the RIP Challenge and now this. How perfect! I already have this one on my shelves and cannot wait to read it. And I'm even more excited because I will be able to discuss this one with other readers as I read it. I'm SO COMPLETELY EXCITED about reading this book and participating in the read-a-long that it is a bit ridiculous but there you have it.

In the midst of all of these read-a-longs I have been more active than usual in some of the Goodreads book groups that I belong to. And through these I have signed up for 3 (yes, I just said three) TBR list reads. For two of them, my partner will pick a book off of my TBR list for me to read. One of the books that has already been chosen for me is Looking For Alaska by John Green. I haven't found out who my partner is for the other challenge like that. For the other group, I'm doing a buddy read on Dark Places by Gillian Flynn. Both books are ones that have been on my TBR list forever so I'm excited to finally get the push to read them. Then add to this all of the books that I want to read for the RIP Challenge and I am already shaking my head. I just may have overdone it this time. But so many good books and fun to be had in my future.

Alright, I'm off to get that laundry done. Hope you all have a wonderful Sunday!

Book Recommendations: Cookbook Style

I LOL every time I look at this picture (an older pic of my youngest). Obviously, he loved and devoured that spaghetti but I can't honestly say that I made it. Because truth is I'm a lousy cook. If I can burn it, I probably do. If I can undercook it, then there is a possibility that I might do that as well. I also have a tendency to forget key ingredients. Embarrassing but true :) But now all of that is going to change. It's time for Sam to learn how to cook! I don't want to my family to cringe when I say that I'm cooking dinner. I would also prefer that they didn't expect something frozen when I cook as well :) So I'm here asking for your help. Send me your best cookbook recommendations. For a beginner. A very, very, very, easily intimated beginner cook. In return, I promise to share a few of my attempts at new dinners and what my family thinks of them. It's going to be my own project. I'm sure it will be lots of fun (and maybe not so much on some of it) But there it is....can you help a girl out???

Still Life by Louise Penny (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Surêté du Québec and his team of investigators are called in to the scene of a suspicious death in a rural village south of Montreal. Jane Neal, a local fixture in the tiny hamlet of Three Pines, just north of the U.S. border, has been found dead in the woods. The locals are certain it’s a tragic hunting accident and nothing more, but Gamache smells something foul in these remote woods, and is soon certain that Jane Neal died at the hands of someone much more sinister than a careless bowhunter."

My Thoughts:

I'm so glad that I finally gave this mystery series a try! I found Still Life to be a quiet, easy read that pulled me in to the small town atmosphere where the book was set. In this book I found characters that I want to revisit again and again. I loved the setting that the author created so vividly. It all came across so realistically, and I instantly connected with the characters. The mystery was important to the story but not in the typical whodunnit way. It was more a study of the characters and the reasons behind their interactions with one another. I appreciated that the characters weren't portrayed without their own flaws. These flaws and differences added layers to both the mystery and the story. The ending of the book didn't surprise me completely but I was okay with that. It didn't bother me because for me what made the book was the experience of reading it. Allowing myself to get sucked down into the town that the author created while getting to know each character. I can't wait to go back and visit Three Pines in future books!

Overall, I found this book to be a very solid beginning to this mystery series. It isn't your typical edge of the seat, suspenseful mystery but rather a quiet, endearing book that still pulls the reader along. I loved it and can't wait for more! And I'll admit that I was super excited to see that I have a lot more books to look forward to :)

Bottom Line: A quiet but enjoyable read!

Disclosure: Checked out from my local library. I need to find more mystery authors like this!

Wordless Wednesday (on Thursday)

Because I love this picture so much....my beautiful kiddos :)