Hosted by An Island Life

From An Island Life:
In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.
If you’d like to participate, visit An Island Life answer the question and then post your own question on your blog and leave your link below. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!

MY QUESTION:
Do you have a favorite card game that
you enjoy playing with friends?

MY ANSWER:
We like to play HiLoJack with friends,
wives against the husbands.
And, of course, we always win lol.

http://btt2.wordpress.com

Today’s question:
A while ago, I interviewed my readers for a change, and my final question was, “What question have I NOT asked at BTT that you’d love me to ask?” I got some great responses and will be picking out some of the questions from time to time to ask the rest of you. Like now.
Cathy De Los Santos asks:
If you could write a book, what would it be about, and why? (Though, of course, some of you already HAVE.)

My answer:
Great question from Cathy!!  However, for me, the idea of writing a book is quite a stretch for a couple of reasons.  First, there are some days that I can’t even come up with a great idea to write a blog post lol.  Another reason is that when I read a mystery/suspense, I usually don’t figure out the ending, never mind, being able to outline a detailed plot from start to finish.

But if I was approached, with a huge advance lol, it would be a memoir.  I have had several people, that know me well and know my history, say that I should write about my life and what I have been through, experienced and witnessed.   They have also told me that some of the incidents and adventures sound as if it was fictional but it was my reality.

I think I will stick to reading and let the talents and gift that authors possess do the writing for my entertainment and pleasure.

What about you?  What genre would you write?  Have you considered and/or tried your hand at writing?

Hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

Hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
*Grab your current read
*Open to a random page
*Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
*BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
*Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

“Never! Never! Never! I will not marry him. He is my father. I must get another husband. I must get away from here. I don’t want him. Never! Never! Never…” she kept screaming through the shower of slaps her mother dealt out to stop her daughter’s unbridled ranting.

Kindle 1%

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)

         

Facebook link

Hello Sunday Saloners.  Hope you are enjoying your long weekend and please remember those  heroes that serve and give of themselves for our freedom and safety.  Any big plans for this Memorial Day?

This past week flew by, at least for me.  But then I think as I get older they seem to fly by even faster.  It was a bit of a slow bookish week for me.  Let’s see what I did accomplish.

Reading:   I finished only one book and started another that is a “can’t put down read”.

                        ARC (pub 06/26/12)                 Riveting

I did receive some new books this past week but will be sharing that tomorrow with Mailbox Monday.

Blogging:  I wrote some reviews (that will be posted at a later date), drafted up some posts for author showcases and future giveaways.  I’m the type that has to write my review as soon as I finish a book so as not to forget details, even though I do take notes.   Another reason is that I want to convey the emotions and thoughts that I feel while the book is still fresh in my mind.  What is your SOP when writing reviews?

How was your bookish week?

Hi Everyone!  Wishing you a very Happy and Safe Memorial Day Weekend!!

Saturday Snippet Soapbox

I saw something this morning as I was visiting my daily routine stops and it really bothered me.  I have talked about it briefly in the past but thought I would get on my soapbox and discuss it today with y’all.  Hoping we can have a discussion and/or you will share your thoughts on the subject.

What was it?  This:

‘Seeking a reviewer
Hi, I offer professional reviews on Amazon.com. I have review other books on religion and Christianity. I do this for a fee. I also offer… more »(source LinkedIn)

My Thoughts:
I understand the majority of us, in the book blogging community, are not “professional” reviewers but ordinary every day consumers who share our opinions of books we have read.  Some do or do not have degrees in English Literature and/or writing, but we do have opinions.  A great number of book bloggers write great reviews, another one of my opinions.

I came on the scene a bit late so maybe I shouldn’t be taking on this subject, but then it has been 2+ years so I think I can speak a little about the neighborhood.  My TBR list has tripled because of your reviews and I thank you, I think lol, for that.  I value your honesty and respect your opinions or my TBR list wouldn’t be the size it is.

Over the past 2+ years, I feel and sense that we are taken more seriously as to our feelings on books.  If not, I don’t think authors, publishers, publicists, etc would contact us for reviews.  We no longer are “just mommy blogs” or people who just blog as a hobby.  I think, again my opinion, that the majority of us take reviewing seriously.  Most bloggers conduct and maintain their blogs in a professional, credible, with integrity, serious and more as a job than a hobby fashion.

My questions regarding paid reviews:  Are they really going to be honest?  If one is writing a review that has received payment, are they REALLY going to write a soso review or worse?  How can that be an honest and credible review?  Some of us post our reviews on Amazon, B&N, and other sites and now our reviews are going to be lumped together with “paid for reviews”.  I will be honest, I do read reviews on those sites, however, I won’t be taking any of them seriously now.  I will stick to those bloggers that I know are credible and  who I have to thank for my TBR list.  But what about the average consumer that don’t know about the book blogging community and honest reviews?  Is that fair to the reading public and to those that decide on a purchase due to paid reviews?

I will now step off my soap box, refill my coffee cup and move on to my next stop, my google reader to see who has written reviews on books that I am interested in and to see if they get added to my TBR list.  What are your feelings, thoughts and opinions on this?   Am I wrong in my thinking on this matter?  If I am misunderstanding this, then would greatly appreciate your comments to better understand.  Criticism accepted lol.

Disclaimer
I have not paid for any comments left. If there are responses, they are the honest opinions of those who took the time to leave their opinion.

Hosted by An Island Life

With Memorial Day this weekend and that means BBQs and cookouts.

My question is:
Do you eat outdoors during the summer, when it’s
not a holiday, just for an everyday supper?