The Sunday Salon- 2011 Goals and Changes

I just realized that I haven't posted a single book review in December. Where did the time go....this year has literally flown by! I already posted (in my completely overboard challenge post) that I was participating in Bloggiesta this year for the first time. And I am so excited as I feel that my blog needs some change. To be revamped, a fresh outlook, or something along those lines. I've got ideas floating around in my head but I'm not exactly sure which direction I'll go in. I do think that I'll start my Bloggiesta participation a bit early as the likelihood that I'll get everything I want to accomplished in 3 days decreases when you have little ones. I'm guessing that the entire month of January/the rest of this year will be blog renovation. Please be patient with me as I try to find something that works while matching it to me and my personality :)

I love reading everyone's goals for 2011 and top ten lists from 2010. Or most anticipated reads for 2011. Heck, I just like reading lists. I thought I would wait to do my top reads from this year but here are some of my goals for this blog in 2011. Or maybe I should say here are some changes that will be occurring.

1. I'm changing my reviews to thoughts on books. Small change really but for me I think it will be a huge difference. Maybe it is just the idea of a "review"....I don't know but I sometimes struggles with writing down my thoughts on a book. Which is silly because really all I am sharing or should be sharing is my reading experience, my thoughts, my feelings on what I read. This may be a small change but I'm hoping for big things :)

2. This leads into a goal which is sharing my thoughts after I finish a book. Like right after and not 3 months down the road. I have so many books from 2010 and even 2009 that I never posted about.

3. I'm going to continue and try to read a variety of books. I love reading books that are from a variety of genres as it keeps reading interesting for me. I'm going to continue and try expand my reading even more across the genres. And my goal is to continue making sure that I read "older" books as well or in other words books that weren't published in 2010 and 2011. I like to read new releases but I want a mixture of older titles as well.

4. I want to post even more pictures and posts related to my kids. Obviously I love to read but my family plays an even more important part in my life. I should be sharing that with all of you more often. (Did I ever share this one with you?? It is from last year so expect a new updated one soon)

5. My final goal/plan (because 5 is definitely plenty) is to post more often. I have a tendency to post maybe once a week and sometimes even less. I would like to post at least twice a week but I'm not going to put pressure on myself either. Because pressure will end up with me posting even less. I blog for the enjoyment of it and don't want this to feel like work. Or like I have to read. Or I have to do anything that I don't really want to do. I really just want to share my love of reading and my thoughts on the books I read.

What I'm going to continue to do is share my love of books with all of you. I would like to continue and share my library loot (which is always out of control). I love posting about books that are on my wishlist even though this usually ends with me requesting even more books from the library. I would like to be even more active in the blogging community and I ideally read from my google reader once in awhile. And comment...I do love to comment so I would like to continue to find the time to do that. But mainly just have fun with both this blog and my reading.

The basic summary of this post is that I have a ton on my plate for 2011. But with 3 kids, a full-time job and everything else...when don't I??? I like to be busy! Here is to hoping that whatever changes around here, that it all changes for the best and that 2011 is a year filled with good books!

2011 Challenges - Overboard Edition

Every year I join a ton of challenges because I have no willpower and can't resist. We all know I have willpower issues just by looking at my library loot posts so it shouldn't come as a suprise that I am the same way with challenges. I don't usually finish half of the challenges I join but the fun for me is all in trying. And I feel like challenges help to expand my reading a bit...at least that is the plan of action. But 2011 may be the year that I overdo myself as I have a list of challenges that I want to participate in that is epic in proportion. Seriously, I didn't even know how to create a post for all of the challenges that I wanted to join. I ended up coming up with a list format/type thingy so I hope this works for all of you challenge hosts out there :) I am officially signing up for all of these challenges:

• Graphic Novels Challenge- Last year I only read 1 so I definitely need to stretch a bit..going with Beginner level.


• New Author Challenge- I've done this the past 2 years and always enjoy finding new authors..I'm hoping to find 25 new authors but I'll add to my list as I go.


• Suspense/Thriller Challenge- I actually completed this one last year and can't wait to give it a go again. 12 suspense/thrillers minimum should be quite doable.


• Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge- Umm...I'm pretty sure that this challenge is taylor made for me and the reading I have been doing this year. 24 books is the requirement and I'm not worried about meeting that goal :)


• Gothic Reading Challenge- I love creepy gothic novels so I was SO excited to find this challenge. I'm going for The Darkness Within level which is 5 books with gothic elements.


• Vintage Mystery Reading Challenge- Love the idea of this one and I'm going with the In a Murderous Mood level which is 4-6 books.


• Memorable Memoirs Challenge- This challenge the number of books to read is up to us so
  
  I'm going with 3...I only read 1 this year so this will definitely push me a bit.
  
• Cruisin' Thru the Cozies- Joining at the Snoop level which requires 1-6 books.
  
• Complete Booker Challenge- I love to try and read from award lists although I'm not very good at it. Going with the Pick a Mix of 6 level...I think I can do that.
  
• First in a Series Challenge- I'm great at starting new series so this is a challenge for me. Going with Series Expert level which is 12 new series....


• Seconds Challenge- This is a challenge that pushes me to read authors more than once...I'm going with A Few More Bites level which is 6 books.


• 100+ Reading Challenge- I have yet to meet this goal but I am trying...


• Edgar Awards Challenge- Love this type of book so I am going with the Sergeant level whichis 4-6 books.
  

Oh boy. And this isn't necessarily it as I've hoping to find a good historical fiction challenge, there are a few other challenges that I am on the fence on, and of course new challenges will be popping up every day. I also wanted to mention my perpetual challenges that I've got going including the Printz award books, Orange Prize Projest, Notables list, and my personal goal to read everything Agatha Christie has written.

And last but certainly not least I am joining in on Bloggiesta this year which is on January 21, 22, and 23rd of 2011. Can't wait as my blog needs a fresh look and a bit of a jump start. Thanks to everyone that hosts all of these wonderful challenges and let me know in the comment section if there is another challenge that I need to check out.


Edited to Add:

I'm joining in on a few more challenges including the YA Challenge (Mini YA level-12 books), Support Your Local Library Challenge (Jumbo Size- 50 books) and the Paranormal Romance/Fantasy Reading Challenge (12 books). Aack...I need to stop!!

The Sunday Salon - Overwhelmed??

With the holidays fast approaching (and I do mean fast), I find myself a tad bit overwhelmed. I know I'm not alone when I say that I just want to do a bit of everything. Read, blog, comment, actually read my google reader, and more....I feel like I am continuously behind on all of these things. And challenges. This time of the year I get challenge fever and join a ton of fun challenges for the next year. So what's a girl to do when there isn't enough time in the day for all of these things plus regular life stuff???

Here is what I've decided so far. First, I cleared out my Google reader just this morning. Yikes! But it had to be done if I wanted a chance of ever reading any of your posts in the near future. And I'm guessing that this will allow me to comment more. I've decided to set aside the time and join in on Bloggiesta which is coming up at some point next month (might help if I knew the exact dates..lol). This will allow for me to work around the blog and do all of those things I've been meaning to do. I really should make a list. As for challenges, I'm going to do one long post in the near future joining a bunch. Feel free to ignore it :) I probably won't finish half of them as usual but I do love to try.

Reading wise, I'm currently about half way through Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde. I feel like I've been reading this book forever but actually I just keep setting it aside for a Nora Robert's trilogy that I've been rereading. Seriously, it has been years since I read these and I flew through each book in about two days. The first book is titled Dance Upon the Air. Nora Roberts is definitely comfort reading for me! Now I'm back to Fforde's novel and quite liking what I've read so far and hopefully I'll finish it soon. I have a ton of books waiting for me but that is just what they are going to have to do. Wait. Maybe 2011 will be my best year of reading yet! And hopefully I'll be out visiting all of your blogs soon!

Library Loot - Winter Reading

I can't seem to stop requesting books from the library...I am on a library book splurge!!! How I am going to possibly read all of these before the end of the year is beyond me but I can't even describe how badly I want to. And here is something that I am going to say very quietly...this isn't all of my loot. LOL! I have even more but figured I didn't want to overwhelm you all since I'm kinda overwhelmed myself :) But I still just requested two more books from the library today. Oh my. Yeah. I told you I can't stop. I think it is all of this winter weather...I'm ready to curl up under blankets and cozy down with some good books. And hot chocolate of course! Here is what I checked out from top to bottom:

• Night Shift by Lilith Saintcrow
• The Reapers are the Angels by Alden Bell
• The Birth of Love by Joanna Kavenna (Thanks to Andi!)
• The Leavenworth Case by Anna Katharine Green (Thanks to Eva!)
• Black and White by Jackie Kessler and Caitlin Kittredge
• The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey
• Dreadnought by Cherie Priest (Loved Boneshaker earlier this year)
• Indigo Springs by A.M. Dellamonica
• The Agency: A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee

I picked up Dreadnought from the library only to realize that there is a 2nd book in the Clockwork series. So I had to request Clementine as well and am just waiting for it to come in. (I'm nuts I tell you :) I feel like I say this for every season but I just love the winter! And I love winter reading!!

Blindsighted by Karin Slaughter

Blindsighted begins with the grisly death of a blind college professor named Sibyl Adams who was brutalized before her death. The chief of police, Jeffrey Tolliver, begins to investigate the murder with little evidence to go on. His ex-wife, Sara Linton, is the small town's coroner and it is up to her to provide any clues that she can find from the victim's body. But soon after a new victim is found and both Jeffrey and Sara realize that they may have a serial killer on their hands.

I ended up with mixed feelings on this book. On one hand, I was easily caught within the story from the very beginning. I had a hard time putting the book down. But...and this is a big but for me....the book was too graphic for me at times. I usually don't mind details and all but the murders and what was done to the bodies was a bit much even for me. And it caused me to step back from the book a couple of times. The characters were good and I liked that they weren't perfect nor were their relationships with each other perfect. I especially liked the interaction between Sara and Jeffrey which was interesting to read about. It made me want to see what is going to happen in future books as this is the beginning of a series. I did kind of have an idea as to who the killer was but there were questions left open at the end of the book that showed me I didn't guess everything. And I'm hoping that as I read the next book that maybe I'll get some more answers.

Bottom Line: A good/okay read but one I would recommend with hesitation or at least a warning and I will be continuing with the 2nd book at some point :)

Disclosure: I got this book from the library based on a recommendation from Staci at Life in the Thumb.

*I read this book for the following challenges:

100+ Reading Challenge

Suspense/Thriller Challenge

New Author Challenge

Support Your Library Challenge

Married With Zombies by Jesse Petersen

So let's start this review off with the fact that I don't care for zombies all that much. Or maybe at all. So I can't say that I was expecting to like this book all that much. I cannot even begin to tell you how pleasantly surprised I was to find that Married With Zombies was a fast, fun read!

It all begins when Sarah and David head to couple's counseling. Sarah and David are having major relationship issues when the book begins but their entire life changes when they walk in on their counselor attempting to eat one of her clients. Now they are not only working on their relationship problems but also fighting zombies and attempting to stay alive and away from the undead.

I was instantly drawn into this book from the very beginning. Sarah and David's relationship isn't perfect and comes across as very real. I loved how we got to see from the very beginning how their lives changed from the outbreak of zombies, as well as how they learned to cope with all of the changes. It made me wonder at times what I would do and how I would react if placed in similar circumstances. The book itself was very fast-paced and I found myself turning the pages with ease. One of my favorite parts of the book was the zombie/relationship advice found at the beginning of each chapter. These were both quirky and clever and definitely fun to read. The book doesn't take itself too seriously which made for a few laughs at times. But there were also some more somber moments which realistically would be the case all things considered. And of course there has to be the warning fact that parts of the book are slightly gory (if I can handle it though, I'm sure anyone could). But all in all a fun, easy read and I'm definitely looking forward to reading book 2 in this series!

Bottom Line: A fun, fast read that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to zombie lovers!

Disclosure: I received this book from the lovely people at Orbit Books. Thanks for helping to me to stretch my reading comfort zone and fine a new author!!
*I read this book for the following challenge:
New Author Challenge
Speculative Fiction Challenge
100+ Book Challenge
RIP V Challenge

P.S.- And if I didn't convince you to read this based on my review, I handed this one off to my sister when I finished and she enjoyed it as much as I did ;)

On My Wishlist (Radar) or a Book Coveting Post

This is one of those posts that just makes me a bit crazy with lust...book lust that is. Here are a few of the books that I am currently coveting and planning on getting my hands on in the near future (and all summaries are from Goodreads)

"Raylene Pendle (aka Chesire Red), a vampire and world-renowned thief, doesn't usually hang with her own kind. She's too busy stealing priceless art and rare jewels. But when the infuriatingly charming Ian Stott asks for help, Raylene finds him impossible to resist-even though Ian doesn't want precious artifacts."


I'm pretty sure that I will read anything Cherie Priest writes at this point so as soon as I saw this book I wanted to read it. Sounds awesome!!!








"What if a woman sold her soul to a demon and 300 years later wanted it back?

In the 17th century, a woman is ripped from her husband's arms, thrown in jail, and then set on fire as a witch. Saved from the flames by an ancient Sumerian demon, she becomes the Black Ghost, his Ageless assassin gifted with otherworldly skills and superbly trained in martial arts. Centuries pass before Maliha Crayne finds a way out of the life she hates. If she saves as many lives as she has taken, she'll break the demon's hold on her. If she fails, she will suffer the demon's torment...forever."

Love, love, love the sound of this one! Will be requesting it from the library as soon as possible :)

"In the city of Lovecraft, the Proctors rule and a great Engine turns below the streets, grinding any resistance to their order to dust. The necrovirus is blamed for Lovecraft's epidemic of madness, for the strange and eldritch creatures that roam the streets after dark, and for everything that the city leaders deem Heretical-born of the belief in magic and witchcraft. And for Aoife Grayson, her time is getting shorter by the day."

Umm...I was pretty much sold by the cover but then the summary added in magic and witchcraft. I HAVE to read this one and I don't want to wait!!!!

I want all of these now!!! And that is just the tip of the iceberg....I was browsing and found tons of new (to me anyways) books that I am now dying to read. Looks like my book drought is over. And I'll be letting you know as soon as I get my hands on any of these puppies :)

Green Books Campaign: Life in the Hothouse by Melanie Lenart

This review is part of the Green Books Campaign. Today (or yesterday actually) 200 bloggers take a stand to support books printed in a eco-friendly manner by simultaneously publishing reviews of 200 books printed on recycled or FSC-certified paper. By turning a spotlight on books printed using eco-friendly paper, we hope to raise the awareness of book buyers and encourage everyone to take the environment into consideration when purchasing books.

I've got to apologize because I am way behind these days so not only is my review late (I had my days mixed up) but I'm also not quite finished with the book. So I still thought I would share some of my thoughts and a summary and then of course I'll review it when I'm finished :) I chose to read Life in the Hothouse: How a Living Planet Survives Climate Change for a couple of different reasons. First of all, it deals with global warming. I must admit that every since I took a certain science course in college I've been interested in the topic of global warming. I want to know more and figured that this book would do just that for me. Besides that this book is about weather and I find hurricanes, tornados, storms, and the like fascinating. I even like to watch Storm Chasers but that's a different subject. Suffice it to say that this book is all about the weather and how global warming and weather affect us.

My thoughts so far are mixed. The subject matter itself is interesting. I love reading about reasons why some hurricanes are stronger than others and how global warming is affecting this. But (and this is a big but) the book is slow reading for me. It is a little dry at times as the author goes on into details and research explaining her ideas. So for me I have to be in the mood to read this book which is why it is taking me longer to read than normal. I'll leave you with my mixed feelings and hopefully a final review will be posted soon!

Thanks to Eco Libris for hosting this and for sending me my review copy! My apologies for always being behind schedule!

Arcadia Falls by Carol Goodman

Arcadia Falls is one of those books that I instantly found myself immersed in. The story begins with Meg and her daughter moving to a small cottage as she begins a new teaching job in Arcadia Falls. Her relationship with her daughter is strained and Meg is working hard to deal with all of the things that come with being a single mother. But soon after they arrive, Meg begins to see a darker undertone to both the school and its' history. It is almost as if the fairy tales written by one of the founders of the school have a semblance of truth to them.

This book isn't just Meg's story, but it is also the story of the two women who started the school years ago. I loved that it was a book within a book and felt that both stories were intriguing and wrapped up together in a way that worked perfectly for this book. The history of the school was interesting and I thought that the way the author set it up helped to add to the story. I loved the fairy tale aspects of this novel and felt that it gave an extra layer of atmosphere to this book. And this book had atmosphere in abundance. I mean there was the private school, the creepy fairy tales, a mysterious death...I was instantly pulled within this book's pages. I also felt that this was a book that I didn't want to put down. The mysterious aspects to the story had me hooked and I was invested in the characters. I thought the characters were written realistically especially the relationship between Meg and her daughter. This was just a good read for me. Plain and simple. This is definitely an author that I wouldn't hesitate to read more of!

Bottom Line: A must read for those who enjoy slightly creepy, atmospheric books!

Disclosure: I received this book from Library Thing Early Reviewers program for an honest review of course :)

*I read this book for the following challenges:

New Author Challenge

100+ Book Challenge

Blogging Blahs??

Blogging blahs....reading blahs...I'm just behind these days. And I can't honestly say that I've got either of these issues as I do want to read and blog but can't seem to find the time. This is just a short note to say that I am reading and I will be back around shortly (but between computer troubles and sick kids it has been hard) and all it will hopefully take is a nice trip to the library to get me started back into the swing of things. And maybe then I'll be able to read some of your posts as well. And comment if I'm lucky :)