Review: Since You're Leaving Anyway, Take Out the Trash

I just finished this book and boy was it good. It encompassed everything that I look for in a book. It had mystery, romance, humor, and drama.

Debbie Sue Overstreet is the stereotypical west Texas girl, born and raised in a small town called Salt Lick. She once was married to what she still finds the sexiest man in texas, and happens to be the Sherriff of this small town. Debbie Sue owns a small hair salon and therefore is the center of the gossip line there. 

When a muder happens to someone they know they whole town stops by to see what the latest scoop is. With all this going on Debbie Sue has to figure out what she wants in her life and also who. She has to get rid of the demons from the past as she is dealing with everything else under the sun going on in this small town.

A great story, I can't wait to read the next in the series. I rated it a 4/5.

Review: The Good Daughter by Wendi Lee

Another great find by my bff Amy!!!!

This was kind of a weird book. It started out really fast and with no wait on the suspense so I was sure that it was going to stall out in the end. I am glad to report that I was totally wrong. It kept me turning the pages all the way through to the end. Lee even had the side storylines well worked out. 

I can kind of compare it to a subdued Stephanie Plum series. Lee definitely is going to get Janet Evanovich a run for her money. A must read for all mystery fans.

I rated this book a 4/5

New List of Books to Look at

As I was reading through my blogs that I follow regularly I hit upon Literary License and they had posted a link to a list of the top 75 books every women should read. I have read 11 of them. Guess I better get to reading more of these lol. How many have you read??

Also they have a list of top 75 books every man should read. I have read 6 of these. But my husband has only read 4 lol. What about you?? 

How did you do with these lists??? 

This also makes me wonder where the list came from. I know a lot of books that women should read and men to read as well. Maybe one day I can get a list going of the ones that I think that people should read lol. One day one day lol. 

Review: We Bought a Zoo by Benjamin Mee

I got this as a Advanced Readers Copy and was very pleased with it. Benjamin Mee and Weinstein Books has a sure fire hit on their hands with this book!

Some parts of the book were emotionally tough to get through, however by the time you get to that part you already feel that you are part of the family. You also begin to feel as you are part of the team at the zoo.

Benjamin (not to be confused with his father Ben) goes looking for a better place to live with his family and ends up buying a delapitated zoo. In this memoir, you follow his entire family through the trials and triumph of owning this zoo and trying to get it up and running while knowing nothing about running a zoo. He is used to being a journalist but takes this task to hand as if he is a old soul in the zoo business.

I felt that I was there with them because of the great flowing writing style of Mee. I wish we would have learned more about the animals as well as the rest of the family in the book but overall it was a great book

I rated it a 4 out of 5. A definate recommendation from me.

Review: Crimes of the Sarahs by Kristen Tracy

First of all I want to say that I normally read through a book whether I like it or not. It's got to be a very stressful book if I don't finish it.

I saw this book in the young adult section of my local library and thought it looked cute and I love the idea. I believe there once was a movie with the same plot.

However, as I started to read the book it got too confusing I couldn't follow the story line being that I was trying to keep the Sarah's straight. Let me tell you that there are 4 Sarahs obviously and they all have different last initials. So I tried and made it about halfway through the book and had to put it down. I read other reviews that said they liked it so I am guessing that this book and I just didn't click together well.

But a cute idea and story. I just found it a bit confusing. I rated it a 1/5 being that I couldnt pull myself to finish it.

Buddy Reads

I have updated my reading plan for the next books on Mount TBR.

If you want to read any of these with me just let me know.

My great friend Amy read books together all the time and I just love it.

It's like an online book club really, we are always up to chatting about books, either email me or leave a comment here.

While you are at it check out her blog too, we both have a very eclectic taste in our book choices.

Review: Sweet Revenge by Diane Mott Davidson

Well this was an ok book, it took a long time to pick up unlike the rest of the books. However, when it picked up I didn't want to put it down. Goldie gets caught in the worst situations ever in this book. Julian, Marla, Tom, Arch were there of course to offer the support but it makes you think how much are these guys going to be able to handle.

Davidson has a total hit with the series even if this wasnt the best one in the series. I love the family dynamics in this series as funny and convoluted as they are. 

The surprise twist had a previous character come back into the story all though I'm not completley sure why. I of course thought I had the murderer picked out but was totally wrong, however I'm still baffled by the ending lol.

This one ranked a 4 out of 5. I would like to recommend this one to anyone who is reading the series already lol. 

Calling all mommy's who read to their kids

May be the best giveaway I have seen latley. This book just looks to cute go to The Friendly Book Nook's review of the book Hold Your Horses by Sandra Tayler and look below for the chance to win it.

good luck

Another great contest

While blog surfing today I found this great contest! It's for all 3 Lori Andrews Books. Go check it out :) good luck :):):)

Reading Questionaire found on LibraryThing

Ok i found this one on LibraryThing but it was originally published in the Shelf Awareness publication. I saw a lot of people have filled it out so Ill fill it out too lol

Thanks to the Kittling blog for the idea!!

On your nightstand now:
On my nightstand now is Sweet Revenge by Diane Mott Davidson and also The Good Daughter of W. Lee. I am about halfway through Sweet Revenge and am enjoying it however it seemed to take longer to get good then the others in the series. I can't wait to finish it tho I'm really baffled about the outcome of this one. The Good Daughter is the next for me to read. It's a buddy read with my Best Bud Amy. We do a lot of reads together and this is the next on the master plan lol.

Book you've "faked" reading:
No, I have never "faked" it as far as a can remember, with all i do in a day if i have the book in my hand and it's open then i am reading it as i dont get much time to read so i dont have time to fake it.

Book you've bought for the cover:
I don't buy very many books really, but I am horrible about picking books at the library just because of the covers. The latest was the Sarah Mylnowski series, All about Rachel. Great series if I do say so myself.

Favorite book when you were a child:
I had 2 favorites when I was younger and they were Dear Mr. Henshaw and Are You There God, It's me Margaret. I read these so much that I owned no less then 3 copies each lol they just kept falling apart. I have recently gotten them again from the library to reread. I also found out that Are You There God is part of the most challenged books I just can't believe that lol.

Book that changed your life:
The best life changing book?? I guess I have 2 of them, Catcher in the Rye and A Child called It.  Of course for different reasons. Catcher in the Rye was an eye opening expierce in the general life situation and  A Child Called It really touched me because I am a parent. I recommend both of these books to everyone.

Favorite line from a book:
I can't remember what book but it's one of my life philosophies: When you think your life is as bad as it gets just turn the next corner and you will change your mind for ever.

Top five favorite authors:
Oh another hard one lol. This changes constantly I am always on the lookout for new authors. but here goes with the list right now

1. VC Andrews

2. Diane Mott Davidson

3. James Patterson

4. Sarah Mlynowski

5. Nora Roberts

Books you recommend as regeneration when people say, "I'm bored by almost all contemporary American writers"

I would have to recommend Catch in the Rye for a classic type book. Or for something newer the Alex Cross series or the Goldie Bear series by Diane Mott Davidson.

Book you can't believe that everyone has not read and loved:
I hate to say it but it would have to be the Harry Potter series

Book you are an "evangelist" for:
The Goldie Bear Series by Diane Mott Davidson and The Stephanie Plum Series by Janet Evanovich

Book you most want to read again for the first time:
Catcher in the Rye would be a good one to read again for the first time. However I would like to read the Harry Potter Series and the Stephanie Plum Series for the first time again too lol.

Frogs and French Kisses Review

Frogs and French Kisses by Sarah Mlynowski is the second book in a young adult series called All About Rachel. This is a very cute series, I love the family aspect that is bestowed in these books. The mother is a hoot in this book with the different parent philosophies that she has with her two daughters. The girls have been through a lot with the divorce and also with school things going on.

Miri is a witch and is just learning to use her magic but is only supposed to be using it for good purposes. However, her big sister, Rachel (who is not a witch) tries to get Miri to use the powers to help her with things that are going on at school. This entire series so far has made you ask the question, when will they all learn.

I rated this book 4 out a 5. A very light read for anyone who needs a good giggle.

Sunday Salon

This is my first Sunday Salon. It is a weekly blog on what I am reading today. Please check it out. And comment here to let me know you were here, I appreciate all of you stopping by and would love to check out your blogs.

Ok so on to the Salon stuff lol. Well with church and all today, (sunday school kickoff and picnic and things like that) I didn't get much reading done only a couple of hours. I'm reading Sweet Revenge by Diane Mott Davidson. The last book in the series. I like this series but this book its taking forever to pickup like the others in the set. I am about halfway through the book now so anything can happen.

thanks for stopping by. i look forward to reading your blogs

Awesome East Contest

Another great find today on one of the blogs that i follow

Here is the link go here and read about it, it's prolly about the easiest contest I have seen.

The Plot Thickens by Various Authors

This is an anthology by several authors including Mary Higgins Clark, Lawrence Block, Edna Buchanan, Carol Higgins Clark, Lauren Demille and Janet Evanovich. These authors came together to benefit a literacy group.

Each author wrote a short story that had to include a thick fog, a thick steak, and a think book. This idea was a great one and half the entertainment came from seeing how each author encompassed all three elements into one story.

My favorite story in the book though had to be the Janet Evanovich one. It was a short story with Stephanie, Lula, and Grandma Mazur in it. The placement in the books was a great idea. It was right in the middle of the heavier stories. Gave you a good laugh and then you go on to the deeper ones.

I give it a 4 out of 5. It's a great idea for a great cause, a good book for a rainy day or day at the park with the kids.

Have you hugged your favorite blogger this week?

September 15-19 is book blogger appreciation week!!!!
Make sure you hug your favorite book blogger!!!!!!!!

Booking through Thursday

This is today's Booking through Thursday's question for thought:

I was looking through books yesterday at the shops and saw all the Twilight books, which I know basically nothing about. What I do know is that I’m beginning to feel like I’m the *only* person who knows nothing about them.

Despite being almost broke and trying to save money, I almost bought the expensive book (Australian book prices are often completely nutty) just because I felt the need to be ‘up’ on what everyone else was reading.

Have you ever felt pressured to read something because ‘everyone else’ was reading it? Have you ever given in and read the book(s) in question or do you resist? If you are a reviewer, etc, do you feel it’s your duty to keep up on current trends?

I feel pressured all the time to read certain books because everyone else does. I try to get the books to read when i can. I try to keep up with the current trends as a blog reviewer however i only give in to the book if I think i will actually enjoy it. I did this with the Harry Potter series, I was working at a book store and just had to know what all the hype was. That's my noseyness coming out lol. But yes I do tend to get pressured into at least checking out those books and some have been a good find and some not so good.

Found a Great contest on another book blog

Have found a great book giveaway/contest on another blog that i read. Its for a book called First Daughter. Here is the review.

Here is the contest link.

Go ahead and enter this book sounds great! Good Luck

Teaser Tuesday from Should be reading blog

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

Grab your current read.

Let the book fall open to a random page.

Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.

You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!

My teaser for today is from: The Plot Thickens

1. "Squirrel wasn't peeping in Myra's windows", Lula finally said. "Nothing to see in Myra's windows. Lot's to see in Lucille's."
2. We are here, working for adulterers, far from anywhere, with no friends and no money, at least not until our first payday.