Booking Through Thursday

CMash December 29, 2011 8 Comments

http://btt2.wordpress.com

Today’s question:

What were your favorite books of 2011?

My response:

I always get palpitations when a question asks for “a favorite”, maybe because I’m a parent and I would never be able to answer the question “who is my favorite child”. And since moving into this neighborhood of book blogging and reviewing, I have a total new outlook about books. I used to purchase them, read for enjoyment and either they would go on my shelf or be passed on. Now I know the hard work, the heart and soul the author puts into writing a particular book for my pleasure of reading. That book IS “their child”

This year I had the opportunity to read many outstanding books that I would recommend, many more than I am going to list, but I narrowed it down to these 10 that really stood out:

Spinning by Michael Baron

Night Road by Kristin Hannah

Midwife’s Confession by Diane Chamberlain

Concrete Pearl by Vincent Zandri

Dead of Wynter by Spencer Seidel

Scream Catcher by Vincent Zandri

Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens

Lethal by Sandra Brown

Megan’s Way by Melissa Foster

Voices of the Dead by Peter Leonard

(review to be posted 01/19/12)

What were your favorites of 2011?

W.W.W. Wednesdays

W.W.W. Wednesday

CMash December 28, 2011 4 Comments

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?

This book will be touring with Partners In Crime Tours from February through April. We still have some spots opened for review. If you think you might be interested in reading and reviewing this novel, please contact me at CMash@Partnersincrimetours.net and I will get back to you with more details.

Synopsis:

Matt DeMarco is an accomplished Manhattan attorney with more than his share of emotional baggage. His marriage ended disastrously, his ex-wife has pulled their son away from him, and her remarriage to a hugely successful Arab businessman has created complications for Matt on multiple levels. However, his life shifts from troubled to imperiled when two cops – men he’s known for a long time – come into his home and arrest his son as the prime suspect in the murder of the boy’s girlfriend.

Suddenly, the enmity between Matt and his only child is no longer relevant. Matt must do everything he can to clear his son, who he fully believes is innocent. Doing so will require him to quit his job and make enemies of former friends – and it will throw him up against forces he barely knew existed and can only begin to comprehend how to battle.

GODS AND FATHERS is at once a powerful mystery and a provocative international thriller, all of it presented with LePore’s signature fascinating characters placed in dire circumstances where every choice poses new and potentially fatal challenges.

Monday Memes

CMash December 26, 2011 9 Comments

WARNING: LENGTHY POST

And how is everyone today? Exhausted? Feeling guilty that you had that extra piece of pie lol. I know I am. Did you have a wonderful day with family and friends? Did Santa bring you any book related presents, would love to hear if you want to share. Would love to hear about anything that Santa brought if you want to tell us about.

This weekend was bittersweet for me. It was very hard for me with my Mom not being here and I have to be honest, there were some tears, for different emotions throughout the day. However, I realized as we sat around my mother-in-law’s table, how much I had to be thankful for. My husband and I did the blessing before we started eating, which is another story because today I start a HUGE diet after what I ate lol.

I am blessed. The fact that my husband was sitting there and did the first part of the blessing after what happened 2 months ago, his chair could have been empty too. Both my sons were there from out of state and one of their gfs, who I consider my daughter, my other son’s gf, who I also consider my daughter, didn’t fly in with him and spent Christmas with her parents. And to see the relationship my sons have with each other, I am blessed. Some of you know, but I only have one sibling who is 9 1/2 years older than me and is severely handicapped. My Mom and her were joined at the hip for all of her life and now lives in an assisted living facility and loves it. She was having a very difficult time this weekend but I was so proud of her. She came out to eat with us Saturday night and was at my mil’s yesterday. I picked her up and brought her to my house because she wanted me to style her hair and put make up on her to go out. And she had a wonderful time!! So even though it was hard, I know my Mom was looking down and smiling. And then my husband, both boys and Heather (Paul’s gf) gave me gifts from the heart that the tears continued until we were done opening presents. My boys tease each other constantly and Mark said to Paul….”Oh great…You had to give her your present first…you knew that she would do this”. And I didn’t stop having eyes filled with tears until we left the house to go and eat. I am sharing one that was book related below.

So how was your day?

Hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading

Today’s question:

Did you get any books for Christmas? If so, what were they?
If you didn’t, what books are you most looking forward to reading (and/or buying) in the new year?

My response:

I didn’t get any books and/or even an Amazon GC this year, which did and didn’t surprise me. My family knows and sees the big 5 shelf bookcase, and shake their heads in disbelief, when I tell them that those are my TBR books, plus the books in my Kindle and Sony EReaders. So this year, I think they realize too, that the big bookcase in my reading room/office (now called “hopefully in my lifetime TBR bookcase) and the little book case that holds my finished reads, that I don’t need any more books. But I love it, since they have started to read again, when they come home, they now go to both bookcases to see what they can take.

However, one of the gifts my Paul (the oldest) and the first gift he said I had to open was this:

The picture doesn’t do it justice. It is a silver plated bookmark.The heart is raised with pearl in the center and rhinestones around the sides of the heart. There is filigree down both sides and engraved with this saying:

A mother understands what a child does not say.

OK..how many Moms out there are getting that warm and fuzzy feeling? lol

And as to what books I am looking forward to, lol all the ones that sound like I would enjoy!!! lol

December is being hosted by Lady Q from Let Them Read Books

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.”

The Story Plant (PICT) Author Meryl L. Moss Media

Aloha Friday

CMash December 23, 2011 13 Comments

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:

Any blog changes for 2012?

MY ANSWER:

I will be moving to wordpress because of all the problems with blogger.

Booking Thru Thursday

Booking Through Thursday

CMash December 22, 2011 3 Comments

http://btt2.wordpress.com

Today’s question:

Any books you’re hoping to get for the holidays this year?
How about giving? Are you giving any good ones?

My answer:

My family knows my addiction to books, however, they have also seen my tbr bookcase. So I am sure that I will not be getting one specific book. I assume that they will do and say what they do for the past couple of years and that is “you have so many books, I have no clue which ones you have already one so I got you an Amazon GC instead”. Which, is fine by me. Because they are right. I do have too many books already waiting tbr (a 5 shelf bookcase full of just tbr books). And this way I can either save the GC(s) for something big to purchase like the Kindle Fire (I need to do some more research on that) or purchase books that I really NEED and HAVE to read during the year, or book accessories that I want.

As far as giving books this year…YAY!! YES!!! I am. Haven’t done that in years. My years of reading to my “boys” when they were small as finally paid off. Once they hit HS, they stopped reading for pleasure. Never picking up a book. I wondered where did I go wrong? I read to them from when they were young, went to “library school” as toddlers, whenever we went to the mall, we always stopped in a book store and they were allowed to pick out 1-2 books each to add to their personal book library and took weekly walks to the library. Now that they are men, on their own, working (as I tell them) in their “big boy jobs”, they have taken up reading again. So this will be the first Christmas in many years that I have bought them each a book. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you which ones, in case they are reading this post, but I was so excited that it was the 1st Christmas presents I purchased.

What about you? What are you hoping Santa brings in the form of books? Are books on your list for those that have been good?

W.W.W. Wednesdays

W.W.W. Wednesday

CMash December 21, 2011 2 Comments

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?

Teaser Tuesday

CMash December 20, 2011 6 Comments

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!

“I haven’t heard from Beau. Is something wrong?’ Mrs. Fulan dropped her gaze, her eyes damp and red, tissues clutched in her hands. Mr Fulan cleared his throat, “May we come in, please?”

Kindle page 19–6%

Monday Memes

CMash December 19, 2011 2 Comments

Hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading

Today’s question:

What’s one book you always recommend to just about anyone?

My answer:

Questions that ask for “one” answer is always hard for me, it’s like answering what child do you love more. With that being said, I will have to bend the rules a bit.

This past year I have read books by authors that I definitely would recommend. Beachcombers by Nancy Thayer, Author Chevy Stevens’ books, Megan’s Way by Melissa Foster, and of course, any book by Vincent Zandri.

There are many more but it would depend on who I would be recommending a book to, what their likes are, the genre they are interested in.

What book would you recommend me to read?

December is being hosted by Lady Q from Let Them Read Books

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.”