Today’s question:
If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop and look it up right away?

My answer:
It depends on the edition I am reading.  If I am reading from my Kindle and/or Sony, then yes, I will look up the definition right away.  If it is a print copy, I may look it up at a later time.  What I try to do is read the sentence/paragraph and try to figure out the meaning from the context.   Sometimes there isn’t the opportunity of having a dictionary at hand, for example if I am reading at a doctor’s office or waiting in the car waiting for my husband to “run in, I’ll only be a second” at one of his favorite stops like Home Depot/Lowe’s because I know that his second gives me at least 30 min of reading time.

May is being hosted by Martha’s Bookshelf

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia of A girl and her books and is now on tour.

According to Marcia, “Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.”

           Author (PICT)       Hachette Book Group    Author (PICT)

         

Happy Mother’s Day !!  

Facebook link

Hello Sunday Saloners.  If this is your first time visiting, welcome!!  Glad you stopped by!!  I haven’t posted in 2 weeks due to my husband and I were on vacation in Aruba!!!  It is our favorite destination for many reasons but more of that later.  Let’s get started with the bookish news.

Reading:
I did get a bit of reading done.  Between the plane flights to and from and being on the beach every day, I managed to finish 3 books and start another one.

             PrePub Galley

The resort’s beach and pools were a book paradise!!  Everywhere you looked, people were reading print versions or reading from their Kindle, Kindle Fires and/or Ipads.  Being newsy as to what people were reading, I did start conversations on the beach with those who had palapas (huts) near us.  One thing I don’t like about the digital books is you can’t sneak a peek as to what someone is reading so I just asked.  I even invited some to check out the book blogging community.  I received quite a few books while away and will share those for Monday’s Mailbox.

I do have some shocking news to report, you may want to sit down lol.  I have mentioned that my husband is not a reader, matter of fact, in 31 years, I have never seen him get past the 1st page of a book.  Last year when we went to Aruba, I downloaded a book for him, about a local politician, that he had said “I wouldn’t mind reading that”.   Well…..a year later and the book has never been opened.  When we were getting ready for our flight home, I was going to pack the Kindle because I had started a print review copy but my husband said “don’t, I might want to read it on the plane.”  LOL  As soon as we reached altitude, he got up, grabbed the Kindle in our duffle bag above and started reading!!!  Not only did he read, he read for the entire flight (4 1/2 hours) and if I started talking to him, he was quite annoyed because I was interuptting him…Wellllll Excuse Me…lol.  I thought for sure our plane was doomed  lol.

Blogging:
My laptop did come with us but only for checking emails.  However, since we have been home, I have been trying to catch up with posts for showcases, giveaways and Partners In Crime Tours to-dos.  

Aruba:
Glorious!!  We had such a great and relaxing week.  The weather beautiful, except for one full day of rain, which is quite unusual for Aruba.  Temps in the low 90s with a tropical breeze.  Our room’s balcony overlooked the over sized resort and had an ocean view.  We were on the beach everyday around 9:30a, would have breakfast at an outside restaurant not far from our palapa and then have lunch around 2-3p right on the beach under our thatched hut, leaving the beach around 6pm and getting ready for dinner.  The first few days, I sampled different frozen drinks, pina coladas, banana or honeydew melon daiquiris, until I found the right one lol,  the frozen mudslide.  Let me tell you, they go down verrrry easy lol.

Saturday, which was when it rained all day, we were already on the beach.  Usually it will rain for 10-15 minutes, stop and then it is back to sunshine.  However, it was a bit scary.  Everyone stayed under their palapas waiting for it to pass, but then, there was a bolt of lightening right on the beach at the same time with thunder.  Everyone let out a gasp and the whole beach packed up and took cover.   It was quite scary because you actually could feel it, that’s how close it hit..  My husband did get to take a picture of the sky at that time:

This is what Aruba usually looks like.  Some of the following pictures were taken from the balcony of our room.

As with every vacation, the eight days flew by.  And since we decided last year, that now that are sons are are adults and on their own, it’s our time for us.  Life is too short,  goes by way too fast and we don’t know what tomorrow will bring, that we will be taking this trip every year.  We are already talking about when we will be going back!!

How was your week?  What bookish  and/or other news would you like to share.  Would love to hear.

Happy Easter from our house to your’s.

 I hope you all have a very Blessed Easter!!

Today’s Sunday Salon will be taking a hiatus due to the holiday.   

I just received Michelle from The True Book Addict’s newletter.  One of the items was about this Staples App that determines how fast you read.  She also mentioned how some people feel that they read faster with EReaders than with print versions.  I am one of those people, at least it seems to me that I finish an EBook quicker.  According to the little tool I read 291 words per minute.  However, that was with no distractions.  I am quite sure it would be a lot less when I am actually reading a book.

Link:   Staples eReader Department

Click on the link to see your averages.  And if you would like to share, come on back and tell us how you did.  Good Luck!!!

Happy New Year everyone!!  How did you ring in the New Year?

It’s a really exciting day here at the CMash blog, especially if you are reading this.  It means you found me at my new home!!!  And to those that did, I say:

Thanks to my computer angel, Gina from Hott Books, I would not be here nor would I be in one piece.  This blog is put together solely by her.  I have said many times that I am computer challenged, and she will agree that I am, but she has been so patient with me, answering every question, teaching me this new platform and I think, at least I hope, she is still sane lol.  I am still trying to navigate and learn my way around here at WordPress, so you may see some bumps in the road, but eventually I hope to figure it all out.  What year that will be….I’m not sure  lol.

And another day I have been waiting for for months, days of stalking A Novel Challenge, days of looking at a page that is all set up with cute little buttons waiting to be filled in wih titles.  YES!!!  May the 2012 Challenges begin!!!!