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Showing posts from May, 2014

Armchair BEA Day 5: Middle Grade/Young Adult

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Happy Friday! Today's topic of choice for Armchair BEA is Middle Grade/Young adult books. Here's the prompt from their website:

Our final genre of discussion is one that we know is a popular one these days: books for the younger crowd, from middle grade to young adult. If you do not normally talk about this genre on your site, maybe you want to feature books that you remember impacting you during this stage in your life. If this is where you tend to gravitate, maybe you want to list your favorites, make recommendations based on genres, or feature some titles that you are excited to read coming later this year.

I absolutely LOVE Young Adult fiction. I love it because young adults are at such an impressionable age--it's the perfect time to get them hooked on reading and become lifelong readers. Also, young adults are going through so many changes in their lives, and I feel like there are so many fantastic YA books out their that they can relate to that will help them to…
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The One & Only

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Title: The One & Only
Author: Emily Giffin
432 pages, published May 20, 2014
Genre: Women's Fiction
Source: Borrowed from Library

I have been impatiently waiting for this book to come out for weeks! Was thrilled to get my hands on it and start reading! I'm a big fan of all her books and was thrilled to discover that Giffin's latest novel revolved around one of my favorite things: football.

Shea Rigsby has lived in Walker, Texas her whole life--and shares the town's passion for college football. Her best friend Lucy is the daughter of legendary (and hunky) Walker Coach Clive Carr, Shea attended Walker University, and stayed at Walker in the sports information department after graduation. Then, Coach Carr's wife dies and Shea's comfortable world is shaken. She begins to question everything in her life and makes some big changes. Shea confronts her desires, her fears and her beliefs head on in this page turning novel.

This book got lots of mixed reviews--but I total…
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Armchair BEA: Beyond the Borders

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Welcome to Thursday, fellow Armchair BEA friends! Today's topic is Beyond the Borders--here's the guidelines from Armchair BEA:

It’s time to step outside your comfort zone, outside your borders, or outside of your own country or culture. Tell us about the books that transported you to a different world, taught you about a different culture, and/or helped you step into the shoes of someone different from you. What impacted you the most about this book? What books would you recommend to others who are ready or not ready to step over the line? In essence, let’s start the conversation about diversity and keep it going! 

As I said in my Intro post, one of the things I love about reading is that I get to learn about other places, cultures, and "travel" just by reading! It's so important  to celebrate and embrace diversity in our culture, and reading is an excellent way to learn more about the world and become more open minded and tolerant. Here are a few books th…
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Waiting on Wednesday: A Wedding In Provence

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Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine.  The event spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

This week, I am excited for the release of:

A Wedding in Provence
by Ellen Sussman
Release Date: July 15, 2014 (pre-order on Amazon)
288 pages
Genre: Women's Fiction

From GoodReads:

What could be more idyllic than a wedding in Provence? That's what Olivia and Brody think when they invite their closest friends and family to spend their wedding weekend with them. But when Olivia's older daughter from her first marriage invites a man she met on the plane to join her, the delicate balance of the entire weekend is upset. Soon Olivia's best friend, the owner of the inn who is hosting the wedding, discovers that her husband has cheated on her. Then Brody's mother shows up without his father, who has gone into hiding. How can one choose love in the midst of chaos? Told from the point of view of Olivia and her two daughters, A Wedd…
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More Than Just Words: Audiobook Review: The Perks of Being A Wallflower

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Title: The Perks of Being A Wallflower
Author: Stephen Chbosky
213 pages, published February 1999
Audiobook version: 6 hours, 21 minutes. Narrated by: Noah Galvin
Genre: Young Adult

I received this audiobook for free from Audiobooks.com and World Book Night as a thank you for being a Book Giver for World Book Night 2014. I was so honored to be a Book Giver, and receiving these audiobooks was icing on the cake! I listened to this audiobook as part of the Bout of Books challenge. I am posting this review today because the topic for ArmchairBEA today is "More Than Just Words." I feel this book was fantastic to listen to as an audiobook.

The book is written in a series of letters from Charlie, in his freshman year of high school. The book spans the entire school year. Charlie is quiet, introspective, and extremely intelligent, even if he is socially awkward. Then seniors Patrick and his stepsister Sam take Charlie under their wing and help him navigate the social world called hi…
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Armchair BEA: My Introduction

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Since I'm not able to go to New York this week to attend Book Expo America (BEA) I've signed up to participate in the next best thing-- Armchair BEA! It's a way to virtually "attend" the conference without leaving the comfort of home! Today's topic is an introduction of myself to other bloggers!
Please tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging? Where in the world are you blogging from?
My name is Lori, and I'm from a small town in the beautiful state of Oregon! Ever since I can remember, I've loved reading and anything to do with books. I was fortunate to have parents who read to me, took me to the library, and encouraged reading and learning. When I was little, if I received a book as a gift, my mom said I would stop everything I was doing  and sit and read the book immediately (that hasn't changed lol)!   I've been married to my wonderful husband since 2006 and live with…
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Fangirl

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Title: Fangirl
Author: Rainbow Rowell
445 pages, published 2013
Genre: Young Adult
Source: Borrowed from Library

After reading Eleanor and Park, I knew I had to read the rest of Rainbow Rowell's books as soon as possible.  The next book I got my hands on was Fangirl!

Cath is a big fan of the fictional character Simon Snow--so much so that she obsessively writes fan fiction revolving around Simon and the other characters in the widely popular series.  The novel beings as Cath and her twin sister Wren are beginning college, and Cath is completely out of her comfort zone. Wren doesn't want to live with her (so they can meet new people) and Cath has to get used to life with a new roommate, a new school,  and a new schedule, all while trying to continue writing her fan fiction.  Can Cath make it through freshmen year without having Wren to lean on? Is she ready to start living her own life and writing her own stories that aren't fan fiction?

This book was another excellent YA …
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Summer Library Reading Challenge

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Thanks again to Mel at Double Stacked Bookshelves for telling me about another awesome challenge this summer! Similar to the Library Books Read-A-Thon, this challenge is the Summer Library Challenge, and it's hosted by The Book Monsters. 

The challenge  runs from June 1-July 31. TWO. WHOLE. MONTHS! :) There will be a week-long reading challenge June 16-22 (right after the Library Books Read-A-Thon! yay!) and Twitter chats! The goal of the two months is to visit the library, borrow materials from the library, and learn more about what your local library hast o offer.  I couldn't resist another reading challenge, especially yet another one that focuses on my favorite place--the library!

Who's excited for a fun summer of reading??

Happy Reading!
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Library Books Read-A-Thon!

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Thanks to my friend and fellow book blogger Mel at Double Stacked Bookshelves, I just learned about yet another great reading challenge! I absolutely loved Bout of Books and am excited for another reading challenge!!

This Library Books Read-A-Thon is hosted by Rachael at Rachael Turns Pages. According to her post, the goal is simple: read as many library books as you can that week. It's OK to read your own personal books too, but the main idea of the week is to promote how awesome libraries are!!

Of course, I absolutely LOVE my local library.  The library in my hometown is part of a network of libraries, and my library card allows me access to books at other libraries in that network.  I am so lucky to have access to this library system!

I'm looking forward to stocking up on library books for the week! As the week gets closer, I will post my reading selections and goals for the week!

There's still plenty of time to sign up, and the link is here!

Happy Reading!
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Waiting on Wednesday: The Matchmaker

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Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine.  The event spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

This week, I'm eagerly awaiting the release of:



The Matchmaker
By Elin Hilderbrand
Release Date: June 10, 2014 (pre-order on Amazon)
368 pages
Genre: Women's Fiction

From GoodReads:

Dabney Kimball Beech, the 48-year-old fifth generation Nantucketer, has had a lifelong gift of matchmaking (52 couples still together to her credit). But when Dabney discovers she is dying of pancreatic cancer, she sets out to find matches for a few people very close to home: her husband, celebrated economist John Boxmiller Beech; her lover journalist Clendenin Hughes; and her daughter, Agnes, who is engaged to be married to the wrong man.

As time slips away from Dabney, she is determined to find matches for those she loves most - but at what cost to her own relationships? THE MATCHMAKER is the heartbreaking new novel from Elin Hilderbrand about losing a…
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My Bookish Bucket List!

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Two great book blogs, Love at First Book and The Book Wheel created the idea of a "bookish bucket list"--book related things you want to do or accomplish before you die. I couldn't resist the idea of creating my own! Here's my list:  Items in pink have been completed since originally publishing this list!
1. Write a book: probably a novel.  I don't have an idea bursting out of me yet, but this is one of my life goals!! 2. Meet authors! As many as I have the opportunity to meet! I got to meet author Cathy Lamb at Powell's Books on 9/9/2014!! 3.  Have a Library in my home with a full, wall to wall bookshelves...and a library ladder! What book nerd DOESN'T want a library ladder?! My library will be full of comfy seating areas, blankets, and a great window view :) 4. Learn as much about blogging as I can. I'm still new to book blogging, and I must say I'm LOVING it so far.  But I know I still have a lot to learn! I'm lucky to have connected with …
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Bout of Books 10: Wrap-up

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I've completed my first Bout of Books reading challenge! Now it's time to report on my reading success!!  I met almost all my Goals! Goals: 1. Read every day of the readathon: DID IT! Wasn't too worried about this one :) 2. Finish 2-3 books: DID IT! I read 4 books:  Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell, Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn, finished The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield, and listened to The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky 3. Write reviews for all books I finish: WORKING ON IT! Posted my review of Sharp Objects today, posted Eleanor and Park last week, and working on my reviews of Wallflower and Thirteenth Tale--just finished them over the weekend so I haven't had time to write them yet!

4. Listen to an audiobook: DID IT! Listened all week to The Perks of Being a Wallflower! Listened in the car on the way to work, and in the evenings while making dinner, and while working around the house. Really enjoyed this audiobook--will post a review in…
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Mini Review Monday: Sharp Objects and Gone Girl

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I finished Gillian Flynn's Sharp Objects last week for Bout of Books. It was the third of Flynn's novels I'd read--I read them in the reverse order they were written--Gone Girl, Dark Places, and Sharp Objects.  Since I've already reviewed Dark Places but haven't reviewed Gone Girl, I thought her remaining two books would make a perfect Mini Review Monday.

Flynn's books are like a train wreck or a car accident. As much as you don't want to look, you can't tear your eyes away from them. Flynn's novels suck you in--each in a different, twisted way.

Title: Sharp Objects
Author: Gillian Flynn
272 pages, published September 2006
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Source: Borrowed from Library

Sharp Objects is Flynn's debut novel and tells the story of Camille, a reporter who was recently release from a brief stay at a psychiatric hospital because of episodes of cutting herself--she has scars from words "written" al lover her body. Sent out by her paper for a …
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Bout of Books Day 6 Update

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Happy Sunday Bout of Books friends! What a great week it has been!
On Saturday I had to work, as well as a few other commitments, so I didn't get as much reading done as I'd like. However, I still made some great progress!! I finished my audiobook (which was a goal for the week!). I absolutely LOVED  The Perks of Being A Wallflower!
So here's the stats for Saturday/Day 6:
Pages Read today: 62 in The Thirteenth Tale
Total pages read this week: 696
Time spent listening to audio book today: approximately 2 hours
Books completed this week: 3! Eleanor and Park, and Sharp Objects, and The Perks of Being A Wallflower (audiobook)
Happy Reading, friends! Enjoy this last day of Bout of Books!!
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Bout of Books Day 5 Update

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Another day, another Bout of Books update! I'm actually a bit sad the week is almost over! I didn't get as much reading done on Friday --I read during my lunch break of course, and listened to my audiobook to and from work in the car. But that's OK--Friday is always "Date Night" with my husband, and that weekly connection is very important to both of us. Friday night's date was super fun--we went to the Oregon Symphony Association in Salem's concert featuring concert violinist Joshua Bell.  It was a treat to see a musician of that caliber in Salem, Oregon! The concert was absolutely fantastic!! My mom got us season tickets for my birthday last year and we have really enjoyed attending these great concerts! So here's the stats for Friday/Day 5:
Pages Read today: 36 in The Thirteenth Tale
Total pages read this week: 634
Time spent listening to audio book today: 30 minutes
Books completed this week: 2! Eleanor and Park, and Sharp Objects
Happy Reading!!
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Bout of Books Day 4 Update!

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Is it really almost the end of the week? Bout of Books has been flying by and I've been having a fantastic time!

Last night (Thursday) I finished Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn, the book I started Tuesday night.  I got a lot of reading time in today between lunch break, and my free evening (since the hubby had to work late).  All I can say is, what a crazy intense book!  I'm planning a review for both Sharp Objects and Gone Girl (read last December but haven't reviewed) to be posted next Monday. First I have to wrap my mind around another one of Flynn's addicting novels!

After finishing Sharp Objects (and giving my brain a bit to calm down) I continued reading a book I'd started last week before Bout of Books began--The Thirteenth Tale.  I'm about halfway through and really enjoying it so far.

So here's the stats for Thursday/Day 4:
Pages Read today: 110 pages in Sharp Objects, 20 in The Thirteenth Tale
Total pages read this week: 598
Time spent listening to …
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Eleanor and Park

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Title: Eleanor and Park
Author: Rainbow Rowell
325 pages, published February 2013
Genre: Young Adult
Source: Borrowed from Library

I read this book as part of Bout of Books 10 (It FINALLY was my turn on the library hold list!). The book world has been buzzing about this book and after reading countless excellent reviews, I knew I had to read it. I am sure glad I did!

Eleanor and Park is about two misfit 16 year olds who fall in love.  Set in 1986, the book takes place over the course of one school year.  Eleanor is the new girl in school--and a little different. She dresses differently, has fire red hair, and is a bit overweight. She has a tough family situation and gets made fun of excessively at school. Park is half Asian and has dealt with an embraced being different his whole life--and loves comic books and music. When Eleanor gets on the bus that first day and has nowhere to sit, Park offers up the seat next to him on the bus. During their daily bus rides, he gets to know her bet…
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Bout of Books Day 3 Update!

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Another day, another Bout of Books update! I didn't get quite as much reading done Wednesday as I'd hoped, but I did listen a lot to my audio book, The Perks of Being a Wallflower! I participated in the Twitter chat last night, and multi tasked by listening to my audio book at the same time :) I really enjoyed the Twitter chat--definitely participate in the last one on Saturday if you have the opportunity! They're so fun and a great way to connect with other book nerds and bloggers! So here's the stats for Wednesday/ Day 3:
Pages Read today: 73 pages in Sharp Objects
Total pages read this week: 468
Time spent listening to audio book today: just under 2 hours of listening time
Books completed this week: 1--Eleanor and Park Day 3 Challenge! Today's challenge is Spell It Out and hosted by Kimberly Faye Reads.  The rules are to use the first letter in any book you've read to spell out a word--using your name, initials, birthday month, or zodiac sign.  These are all bo…
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Bout of Books: Day 2 Update!

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Happy Wednesday, readers!! Once again, another productive day of reading!! I followed the same pattern as Day 1 (read at breakfast and lunch, and after dinner; listen to audio book on the way to and from work, and while making dinner). The good news--I finished my first book of the week! Eleanor and Park! I started my second book of the week, Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn! This is my third Flynn read--I've read Gone Girl and Dark Places. I love her writing style and think the fast pace is perfect for a Bout of Books read! So here's the stats for Tuesday/Day 2:
Pages Read: 172 total. 102 in Eleanor and Park, and 70 in Sharp Objects
Time spent listening to audio book: 45 minutes (still listening to Perks of Being a Wallflower)
Books read so far: 1--Eleanor and Park Happy Reading! 
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B of B Day 2 Challenge: Books I'm Looking Forward To!

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Today's Bout of Books challenge is hosted by Shannon at River City Reading (definitely check out her blog, it's a great one!). My task is to make a list of books I'm looking forward to reading--they can be books that are coming out this year, books I already have on my shelves, basically anything I haven't read yet that I'm excited about! What a fun challenge!

 Here's my list (all books already available unless a release date is listed). Most are recent releases or soon to be released, but there are a couple that have been out for awhile that I haven't gotten to yet :)

1. The One & Only, by Emily Giffin (release date May 20, 2014)

2. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

3. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

4. Honolulu by Alan Brennert

5. The House We Grew Up in by Lisa Jewell (release date August 12, 2014)

6. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

7. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

8. Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand

9. Mastering the Art of F…
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Bout of Books: Day 1 Report!

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Happy Tuesday, fellow Bout of Books participants! We've completed Day 1! I had a very productive day of reading!

I read during breakfast.

I listened to an audiobook on the way to work.

Took part in the Twitter chat! So fun!

I read during my lunch break.

I listened to the audiobook on my way home and while making dinner.

I read from about 7pm-10:30pm, with a few short breaks.

What was I reading? Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell. I am hooked. I'm loving this novel.  A review will be posted this week, because I can almost guarantee I will finish it during Day 2.




What book am I listening to? The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.  The fun thing with these two books is that they are set in similar time periods--late 80s for E & P and early 90s for Wallflower.




So here's the stats for Monday/Day 1:

Pages Read: 223
Time spent listening to audiobook: 51 minutes
Books read so far: 0

Happy Reading!!
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The Corporeal Pull

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Title: The Corporeal Pull
Author: Sara B Gauldin
288 pages, published November 2013
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

Note: I was given a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Fantasy is not a genre I've really gotten into, but I love paranormal romance, so I was excited when the author gave me her book to review!I'm really glad she did--this was an exciting, page turning novel that really made me think--a lot deeper than your usual paranormal romance.

Terra is a spiritual guide of the Tweens (I came to think of her as a guardian angel), and her job is to guide entities to their mortal bodies on Earth and throughout their life as mortals to fulfill their divine purpose. Terra has been doing this successfully for centuries. Then she meets Liam, her newest charge--and everything changes. Her love for Liam forces her to reevaluate everything she knows about her world as she realizes Liam is her soul mate. She knows Liam's mortal existence will b…
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Throwback Thursday: The Baby-Sitters Club!

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My mom was cleaning out the closet in her spare bedroom and found the best thing ever: a box of my old books! And not just any books--part of my collection of The Baby-Sitters Club! I had quite the large collection, and I'm sure the rest of them are somewhere at Mom's house, along with my collection of Silver Blades books--I was a figure skater when I was younger and LOVED those books :) I thought these lovely books would be a great Throwback Thursday--I'm sure many of you loved these books too!

My collection of BSC books The classic first four in the series--Kristy's Great Idea, Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls, The Truth About Stacey, and Mary Anne Saves The Day! Though I rarely baby sat when I was younger, I loved this series.  My friends and I were always thinking of things to sell or little businesses when we were that age (lemonade, sunflower seeds, pet sitting, to name a few of our enterprises) so I could totally relate.  I sympathized with Mary Anne's se…
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Bout of Books 10: Goals

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I'm participating in this year's Bout of Books for the first time, and I am super excited! Love to have another excuse to spend extra time reading :) This year is Bout of Books 10, and it begins next Monday, May 12! Consider signing up if you'd like to join me!
Time Devoted to Reading I work full time and read on nearly every lunch break (my favorite time of day!). For this readathon I intend to read not only at lunch but for a few hours each evening (my evenings are wide open next week!). Currently I will end up spending some time reading in the evenings at some point during the week but for the readathon I intend to make a conscious effort to read each night of the challenge. On Saturday the 17th I have some obligations to my full time job but will be reading every chance I get otherwise!
My Goals 1. Read every day of the readathon
2. Finish 2-3 books
3. Write reviews of all books I finish
4. Listen to one audiobook
5. Track number of pages I've read.

(Since I hav…
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Mini Review Monday

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Happy Monday, friends! I wanted to share some short reviews of some books I've read in the last few months that I've really enjoyed!

Title: My Name is Memory 
Author: Ann Brashares
336 pages, published June 2011
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal Fiction
Source: Purchased for myself

This was my first time reading Ann Brashares (I reviewed her latest book here) and I loved every moment of this book. Daniel has spent centuries falling in love with the same girl, who he calls Sophia, over and over again in each of his lifetimes throughout history--and each time she slips out of reach.  Daniel has "the memory"--ability to recall past lives and recognize souls from lifetime to lifetime. Will this be the lifetime he finally gets to spend with her? This novel is beautifully written, the story is creative and unique, and you'll fall in love with the characters. One not to miss!
Overall rating: A

Title: Beautiful Ruins
Author: Jess Walters
337 pages, published June 2012
Genre: Contemp…
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For All Their Lives

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Title: For All Their Lives
Author: Fern Michaels
480 pages, published July 1992
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance
Source: Borrowed from my Mom

Though I've heard of Fern Michaels, I've never read any of her books until my mom shared this one with me.  I started reading it at the end of the readathon last weekend, when I was looking for a lighter, easier read after spending some time reading Winter's Tale.

The book is set during the Vietnam War, and follows two main characters--Captain Mac Carlin and half French, half American Army nurse Casey Adams. They meet  in San Francisco before being sent to Vietnam, and fall in love. Both are sent off to war and continue their romance.  Then, Casey is badly injured during the Tet Offensive, and is believed to be dead.  The story then follows both their struggles to move on from the war--each leading separate lives but never stop thinking about each other.  Will their paths cross again?

What  I liked  most about this book was the hi…
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