livin' it up: sunday salon style :)

Oh, what a nice sunny Sunday day for Sunday salon
How is your reading going?
Mine is going just dandy, thank you!!

Here is what I have read and reviewed this last week:
(click to take you to my review)

Immortal by Traci L. Slatton
Watership Down by Richard Adams
March by Geraldine Brooks
Drinking Coffee Elsewhere by ZZ Packer
Half A Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Out of the above reads my faves were Watership Down and Half A Yellow Sun, no question!

In case you are like so many of us book bloggers, and The God of Small things has been on your TBR for an eternity...YOU should read it this month!!!

I am doing a book club thingy over at Book Blogs, you should really check it out!
Click on the link below and let me know you are interested. It will be loads of fun.
Travel the World (form a comfy chair) The God of Small Things
(you will have to register, it only takes 2 seconds! if you want to be a part of the book club commenting fun.)

What am I reading now you ask?? I am just starting this:

I have been wanting to read Janeology by Karen Harrington ever since I saw a review a while back. Well, FINALLY I get to I will be sure to tell you how I like it. So far I am really enjoying it. I will have my review up this week fo sho.

What are you reading? What were your faves this week?

Sunday Salon:books. reviews. GIVEAWAYS.

Happy sUnDAy SaLoN to you all!!

Okay, so first off I am having two giveaways right now, that you should enter One is for The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff and the other for Matrimony the novel by Joshua Henkin (Joshua is who graciously is sending the book out....but not without his siggie!!!! Joshua Henkin has to be the best book promoter in the universe!!)

Since the last time I stopped in to chat, I have read and reviewed some great reads. Here are the links to my reviews:

Run by Ann Patchett
The River, By Moonlight Camille Marchetta
Eating for Energy by Yuri Elkaim
The American Boy's Handy Book by Daniel C. Beard
From A Distance by Tamara Alexander
Surviving Ben's Suicide by C.Comfort Shields
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
and Annie Barrows
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Deep in the Heart of Trouble byDeeanne Gist

Oh, and one that try as I promise I did I could not read one more page of its horror:

here is my non-review: What's wrong with me, help!?

I have also just finished The Inheritance of Loss, and am currently finishing up What if...? by Steve Lee. I'll be writing these up soon.

That is all for me, happy sunday folks!!! Enjoy the beginning of fall!

SuNdAY sALon- books I loved that I never thought I'd even like.

I am currently reading "The Glass Castle" By Jeannette Walls. Oh, goodness I never even thought I 'd like this book and I can't stop with it. The voice is so strong. Many times memoirs are not exciting enough, and I tend to enjoy fiction because of it...this book has rocked my boat as far as non-fiction. I LOVE the kids in this book, they are strong, true, honest, and try to never give up hope in the parents that always let them down. For sure this is one of my best reads of the year. What are some books that you thought you just would have to plug through, but once you opened the cover you had never been so wrong? I know for sure that The Glass Castle for sure fits into that category. Have you read it?

Other reads this week:

my reviews:
Jackie Ormes: The First African American Woman Cartoonist

SunDaY saLON- giveaway,reviews and what I am reading:

Hey all you Sunday Saloners,
I am pretty sad. I am sick. I was going to use this weekend to catch up on all your super-special wonderful-thoughtful comments, and there is no such hope....I am currently treading water. so sorry.

I have read some things, and want to let you know about my giveaway, so I had to join in here today. (no worries, it is just a cold, and it is lingering because I am pushing myself...I know that is stupid.)

Here is what I have read since I last posted for SS:

Mrs. Lieutenant by Phillys Zimbler Miller
The Septembers of Shiraz by Dalia Sofer
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Skunk: A Love Story by Justin Courter
The Vanishing Moon by Joseph Coulson

I am currently reading:

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
The Glass Castle By Jannette Walls

Both are incredible books...I can't wait to share my thoughts on them with you.

Oh, and be sure to enter my GIVEAWAY!!!!

sunday salon- who are you? does it show in your reading?

hey again all you reader peeps!
I have been reading today, and it has been good. I am almost done with Vanishing Moon, and it is really very good. The character development is divine, and life does not stop in the book, it is almost like there is a whole mid western world going on inside the cover that allows me to pick up where I left off when I closed the book last.The writing is so incredible, it turns me upside down. I'll finish that tonight:)

My goal is to read 12 books this month, and usually even in a good month I only get 8 books read....but so far it is looking good. This is my 5th book, so I am pretty much exactly where I need to be to do this craziness... I love it!

I just had a thought today, as I am finishing up this book and I want to know if other readers share it. Do you ever feel like you would rather not meet any more characters? I am a little bit of an introvert with new people, with people I know I have no problem, and I believe I take longer than some to warm up. This character trait carries through to my reading. I don't trust as easily, or let go so much...if the character seems unpredictable then I hold my breath for something to happen. I am pretty sure it is because I don't like surprises. I almost hate them, even good ones. When I was very little I would unwrap all my presents and wrap them back up and put them back under the tree....I didn't want to be surprised in front of my whole family on Christmas day. If they didn't get me what I had hoped for, that was alright, but I wanted to prepare for it and not be caught off guard in front of them like a deer in the headlights.

Another thing that I do is I cannot not finish a book. I have tried, and tried, and tried. It does not work. I have to give thanks to the relentless years of long distance running and cross country that I trained in. Relentless doesn't even describe it. I think it is just a sickly stubborn thing. It surely has helped me later on though. Here goes a YEEEEEHAWWW for stickin' with it, for stubbornness!

Do your character traits follow through in your reading? tell me about it.
What are you reading? are you enjoying it?

sunday salon and last day for my GIVEAWAY!

since our last chatty-chat I have read and reviewed a couple of books and am working on my third, here are the links to my reviews:
The Society of S by Susan Hubbard
Did I Expect Angels? by Kathryn Maughan
Both books were very good, I breezed right through them and the fully kept my undivided attention (which many times takes some doing!)
I am currently about 90 pages from finishing Vanishing Moon by Joseph Coulson which is so well written I could scream! I will write a review later on this week, you have to be sure to check that one out.

Other stuff has gone on this week, I got two blog awards, and I finished up a giveaway...oh, but I have another one!!
You have to be sure to head over to the Did I Expect Angels?GIVEAWAY and comment to be entered in the giveaway!! The book blew me away, you are sure to want a chance to win it!! Today is the last day, so do it now!!! (I will select a winner tomorrow)

I will write another post later on today...but just wanted to get word out about the giveaway!

sunday salon-reviews and heads up (giveaway!)

Well, oh well...this has been a good reading week, and I have completed several reviews as well. I joined in on the book blowout fun, and my goal is to read 12 books this month. I am doing well so far as I have read 3 and will probably finish my 4th soon. Great fun!
I have several interesting posts this week you'll want to check out:

my reviews:

The Heartbreak Diet by Thorina Rose
BELONGING:New Poetry by Iranians Around the World by Niloufar Talebi
Shopaholic Takes Manhattan by Sophie Kinsella
A Bottle in the Gaza Sea by Valerie Zenatti
The Wishing Year by Noelle Oxenhandler

I am going to interview the author of BELONGING, so be sure to check back for that too!!!
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I just finished The Society of S by Susan Hubbard that I will try to review today, I LOVED IT!!
I am currently reading Did I Expect Angels by Kathryn Maughan which is incredible as well, not finished with it yet....I will have a giveaway for that next week....so be sure to check back!
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the giveaway this week:

want a book?! here is my giveaway of The Heartbreak Diet by Thorina Rose, leave comment on that post get an entry!!!