Double-Stacked Bookshelves

The End of the Year Book Survey This is my second time participating in Jamie's End of the Year Book Survey and I'm so excited to wrap a great year of reading up!  If you're interesting in participating, simply pop over to Jamie's site, The Perpetual Page Turner , and check out the categories. 2015 Reading Stats Number of Books Read :  84 Number of Re-Reads :  2...I am not a big fan of re-reading books Genre Read the Most :  Literary Fiction Best in Books Best Book You Read Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell...because it made my heart so warm and fuzzy :) Book You Were Most Excited About, Thought You'd Love, But Didn't Carry On by Rainbow Rowell.  I had such high hopes and I was very disappointed... Most Surprising Read Golden Boy by Tara Sullivan.  I love this book so much! Book You "Pushed" People To Read Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson.  Really, I push people to read either of Lawson's books...

Bout of Books 14 It's just around the corner (August 17th-23rd) and I'm so excited to participate once again.  The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 17th and runs through Sunday, August 23rd in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional.  For all Bout of Books 14 information and updates, be sure to visit the  Bout of Books  blog.  - From the Bout of Books team Goals for this round of the challenge: Read, read, read!  (Duh) Post a review (an actual review) of all the books I finish Participate in mini-challenges and Twitter parties Connect with fellow bloggers Keep up on my normal blogging activities (of which I have been slacking) Whew...that's probably more than I can do, but I'm gung-ho this ...

I have been a product reviewer for about a year with Influenster and have been able to offer my opinions on a variety of things.  This time around, I was sent the newly designed Hellmann's Mayonnaise to test out.  While I am not the hugest fan of mayo in general, I find the new packaging to offer many positive attributes! First, the shape of the bottle allows for the mayo to settle near the opening, unlike traditional containers.  In addition, the improved plastic spout allows for better stabilization of the bottle.  It's great because it has less of a tendency to fall over in the fridge than the old design with the smaller top.  Genius!  I did put mayo on my sandwich this time around, but it's just not one of my favorite condiments in general.  I'm a mustard girl.  Regardless, the product tastes great and the bottle design is pretty awesome.  I definitely recommend purchasing this newly improved packaging for your mayo needs :) I...

Bram Stoker's Dracula Logistics Title:  Dracula Author:  Bram Stoker Published:  1897 Publishing Company:  WW Norton & Company (1986 edition) Page Count:  488 Summary via Goodreads Jonathan Harker, incarcerated in a Transylvanian castle, has an alluring but terrifying dream of three women, eager to prey upon him. His host and jailer is none other than Count Dracula, or Nosferatu, the Un-Dead, controller of the wolves. My Thoughts A short and very vague summary, but this book (the 1986 edition especially) has so much to offer the reader.  Nearly everyone knows the base story of Dracula, but what is discovered when finally reading the book is the strength (to a certain extent) of the female characters, especially Mina, the madness of Seward, the hell-bent determination of Van Helsing and Jonathan, the humor of Quincey, and so much more.  And, of course, the fear that Count Dracula inspires in everyone.  There is mystery,...

R.L. Stine's Red Rain Logistics Title:  Red Rain Author:  R.L. Stine Published:  October 9, 2012 Publishing Company:  Touchstone Page Count:  371 Summary via Goodreads In Red Rain, Stine uses his unerring knack for creating terror to tap into some very grownup fears. Travel writer Lea Sutter finds herself on a small island off the coast of South Carolina, the wrong place at the wrong time. A merciless, unanticipated hurricane cuts a path of destruction through the island and Lea barely escapes with her life. In the storm’s aftermath, she discovers two orphaned boys – twins. Filled with a desire to do something to help, to make something good of all she witnessed, Lea impulsively decides to adopt them. The boys, Samuel and Daniel, seem amiable and immensely grateful; Lea’s family back on Long Island – husband Mark, a child psychologist, and their two children, Ira and Elena – aren’t quite so pleased. But even they can’t anticipate the tw...

Steven Galloway's The Cellist of Sarajevo Logistics Title:  The Cellist of Sarajevo Author:   Steven Galloway Published:  May 15, 2008 Publishing Company:  Riverhead Hardcover Page Count:  235 Summary via Goodreads In a city under siege, four people whose lives have been upended are ultimately reminded of what it is to be human. From his window, a musician sees twenty-two of his friends and neighbors waiting in a breadline. Then, in a flash, they are killed by a mortar attack. In an act of defiance, the man picks up his cello and decides to play at the site of the shelling for twenty-two days, honoring their memory. Elsewhere, a young man leaves home to collect drinking water for his family and, in the face of danger, must weigh the value of generosity against selfish survivalism. A third man, older, sets off in search of bread and distraction and instead runs into a long-ago friend who reminds him of the city he thought he had lost, and ...

Brooke Parkhurst's Belle in the Big Apple Logistics Title:  Belle in the Big Apple Author:  Brooke Parkhurst Published:  September 16, 2008 Publishing Company:  Scribner Page Count:  224 Summary via Goodreads When Belle Lee, a vivacious, tart-tongued daughter of Mobile, Alabama, decides that the only way she'll ever make a name for herself as a journalist is to leave the family paper and head to New York,she soon realizes just how daunting life in the big city can be. An outsider desperate to carve a place for herself in the cutthroat world of New York journalism, Belle marches all over town in her kitten heels and her single Chloe suit to hand-deliver resumes and smiles, and to beg for a job from the indifferent or downright hostile office drones.She refuses to give up. With heroic persistence,a wicked sense of humor and a taste for the gourmet, Belle sees what it takes to become a New Yorker. She flirts with a gorgeous young man on the ...

John Boyne's The House of Special Purpose Logistics Title:  The House of  Special Purpose Author:  John Boyne Published:  May 7, 2009 Publishing Company:  Other Press Page Count:  469 Summary via Goodreads Part love story, part historical epic, part tragedy, The House of Special Purpose illuminates an empire at the end of its reign. Eighty-year-old Georgy Jachmenev is haunted by his past—a past of death, suffering, and scandal that will stay with him until the end of his days. Living in England with his beloved wife, Zoya, Georgy prepares to make one final journey back to the Russia he once knew and loved, the Russia that both destroyed and defined him. As Georgy remembers days gone by, we are transported to St. Petersburg, to the Winter Palace of the czar, in the early twentieth century—a time of change, threat, and bloody revolution. As Georgy overturns the most painful stone of all, we uncover the story of the house of special purp...

Nora Roberts' The Witness Logistics Title:  The Witness Author:  Nora Roberts Published:  January 1, 2012 Publishing Company:  Putnam Adult Page Count:  757 Summary via Goodreads Daughter of a controlling mother, Elizabeth finally let loose one night, drinking at a nightclub and allowing a strange man's seductive Russian accent lure her to a house on Lake Shore Drive. The events that followed changed her life forever. Twelve years later, the woman known as Abigail Lowery lives on the outskirts of a small town in the Ozarks. A freelance programmer, she designs sophisticated security systems -- and supplements her own security with a fierce dog and an assortment of firearms. She keeps to herself, saying little, revealing nothing. But Abigail's reserve only intrigues police chief Brooks Gleason. Her logical mind, her secretive nature, and her unromantic viewpoints leave him fascinated but frustrated. He suspects that Abigail needs protection...

Cecelia Ahern's The Book of Tomorrow Logistics Title:  The Book of Tomorrow Author:  Cecelia Ahern Published:  January 1, 2009 Publishing Company:  Harper/Collins Page Count:  320 Summary via Goodreads Tamara Goodwin has everything she ever wanted and she never has to think about tomorrow. But suddenly her world is turned upside down and she has to leave her glamorous city life for a new one in the country. However, Tamara is soon lonely and longing to return home. Then a travelling library arrives in the village, bringing with it a mysterious leather-bound book locked with a gold clasp and padlock. What Tamara discovers within its pages takes her breath away and everything starts to change in the most unexpected of ways... My Thoughts This was, by far, my least favorite of Ahern's books.  Tamara is unlikable, spoiled, and a brat to boot.  The story is unbelievable (not because of the magical aspect, as is present in nearly all ...

Nora Roberts' The Last Boyfriend Logistics Title:  The Last Boyfriend Author:  Nora Roberts Published:  May 1, 2012 Publishing Company:  Berkley Trade Page Count:  319 Summary via Goodreads Owen is the organizer of the Montgomery clan, running the family's construction business with an iron fist - and an even less flexible spreadsheet. And though his brothers bust on his compulsive list-making, the Inn BoonsBoro is about to open right on schedule. The only thing Owen didn't plan for was Avery McTavish... Avery's popular pizza place is right across the street from the inn, giving her a first-hand look at its amazing renovation - and a newfound appreciation for Owen. Since he was her first boyfriend when they were kids, Owen has never been far from Avery's thoughts. But the attraction she's feeling for him now is far from innocent. As Avery and Owen cautiously take their relationship to another level, the opening of the inn gives the whol...

John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men Logistics Title:  Of Mice and Men Author:  John Steinbeck Published:  1937 Publishing Company:  Penguin Books Page Count:  103 Summary via Goodreads The tragic story of the complex bond between two migrant laborers in Central California. They are George Milton and Lennie Small, itinerant ranch hands who dream of one day owning a small farm. George acts as a father figure to Lennie, who is a very large, simple-minded man, calming him and helping to rein in his immense physical strength. My Thoughts I have to be honest...I did not love this book...or particularly like it all that much.  Yeah, it's good.  But kind of boring.  Don't get me wrong, I get why Steinbeck is considered one of the greatest American writers (and I'm not a huge fan of American writers), but this was such a letdown.  So many people have raved about this book and I just don't get it.  I did feel for the characters, ...

S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders Logistics Title:  The Outsiders Author:  S.E. Hinton Published:  1967 Publishing Company:  Speak Page Count:  192 Summary via Goodreads According to Ponyboy, there are two kinds of people in the world: greasers and socs. A soc (short for "social") has money, can get away with just about anything, and has an attitude longer than a limousine. A greaser, on the other hand, always lives on the outside and needs to watch his back. Ponyboy is a greaser, and he's always been proud of it, even willing to rumble against a gang of socs for the sake of his fellow greasers--until one terrible night when his friend Johnny kills a soc. The murder gets under Ponyboy's skin, causing his bifurcated world to crumble and teaching him that pain feels the same whether a soc or a greaser. My Thoughts This is a really fantastic book.  The message and rivalries transcend time and place when it comes to The Outsiders and the inf...

Junot Diaz's The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao Logistics Title:  The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao Author:  Junot Diaz Published:  September 6, 2007 Publishing Company:  Riverhead Books Page Count:  335 Summary via Goodreads Things have never been easy for Oscar, a sweet but disastrously overweight ghetto nerd, a New Jersey romantic who dreams of becoming the Dominican J.R.R. Tolkien and, most of all, of finding love. But he may never get what he wants, thanks to the fukú — the ancient curse that has haunted Oscar's family for generations, dooming them to prison, torture, tragic accidents, and, above all, ill-starred love. Oscar, still dreaming of his first kiss, is only its most recent victim - until the fateful summer that he decides to be its last. My Thoughts I absolutely loved this book to the moon and back!  I read this while vacationing in San Francisco two years ago and couldn't put it down.  Even thought it...

Cecelia Ahern's PS, I Love You Logistics Title:  P.S. I Love You Author:  Cecilia Ahern Published:  January 5, 2005 Publishing Company:  Hyperion Page Count:  470 Summary via Goodreads Holly couldn't live without her husband Gerry, until the day she had to. They were the kind of young couple who could finish each other's sentences. When Gerry succumbs to a terminal illness and dies, 30-year-old Holly is set adrift, unable to pick up the pieces. But with the help of a series of letters her husband left her before he died and a little nudging from an eccentric assortment of family and friends, she learns to laugh, overcome her fears, and discover a world she never knew existed. My Thoughts I love just about everything Cecelia Ahern has written, aside from one book (more on that in an upcoming post), but I put off reading PS for ages for one simple reason...Hilary Swank.  Yes, the book came out prior to the film, but her casting in the ...

Tanya Egan Gibson's How to Buy a Love of Reading Logistics Title:  How to Buy a Love of Reading Author:  Tanya Egan Gibson Published:  May 14, 2009 Publishing Company:  Dutton Adult Page Count:  400 Summary via Goodreads To Carley Wells, words are the enemy. Her tutor's innumerable SAT flashcards. Her personal trainer's "fifty-seven pounds overweight" assessment. And the endless reading assignments from her English teacher, Mr. Nagel. When Nagel reports to her parents that she has answered "What is your favorite book" with "Never met one I liked," they decide to fix what he calls her "intellectual impoverishment." They will commission a book to be written just for her-one she'll have to love-that will impress her teacher and the whole town of Fox Glen with their family's devotion to the arts. They will be patrons- the Medicis of Long Island. They will buy their daughter The Love Of Reading. Impossible...

Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns Logistics Title:  A Thousand Splendid Suns Author:  Kahled Hosseini Published:  May 22, 2007 Publishing Company:  Riverhead Hardcover Page Count:  372 Summary via Goodreads A moving story about two women set in Afghanistan. The book's story illustrates both the second class, serf-like treatment of two women and their subjection to physical and emotional brutality that was allowed, enabled and endorsed. We also get to see the bravery, kindness and self-resilience of these same two women. Despite the harsh reality of the story, the humanness and compassion shown by both women while trying to survive in such a brutal and oppressive environment is very uplifting. My Thoughts I absolutely loved this book!  Lent to me by a friend, I put off reading it for a bit.  But boy am I glad that I finally caved and read it.  It's a beautiful, heart-wrenching, tragic, and redeeming novel that deserv...

Steig Larsson's The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest Logistics Title:  The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest Author:  Stieg Larsson Published:  May 25th, 2010 Publising Company:  Knopf Page Count:  563 Summary via Goodreads Lisbeth Salander — the heart of Larsson’s two previous novels — lies in critical condition, a bullet wound to her head, in the intensive care unit of a Swedish city hospital. She’s fighting for her life in more ways than one: if and when she recovers, she’ll be taken back to Stockholm to stand trial for three murders. With the help of her friend, journalist Mikael Blomkvist, she will not only have to prove her innocence, but also identify and denounce those in authority who have allowed the vulnerable, like herself, to suffer abuse and violence. And, on her own, she will plot revenge—against the man who tried to kill her, and the corrupt government institutions that very nearly destroyed her life. Once upon a time, she...

Stieg Larsson's The Girl Who Played With Fire Logistics Title:  The Girl Who Play With Fire Author:  Stieg Larsson Published:  July 28, 2009 Publishing Company:  Alfred A Knopf Page Count:  503 Summary via Goodreads The girl with the dragon tattoo is back. Stieg Larsson's seething heroine, Lisbeth Salander, once again finds herself paired with journalist Mikael Blomkvist on the trail of a sinister criminal enterprise. Only this time, Lisbeth must return to the darkness of her own past (more specifically, an event coldly known as "All the Evil") if she is to stay one step ahead--and alive. The Girl Who Played with Fire is a break-out-in-a-cold-sweat thriller that crackles with stunning twists and dismisses any talk of a sophomore slump. Fans of Larsson's prior work will find even more to love here, and readers who do not find their hearts racing within the first five pages may want to confirm they still have a pulse. Expect healthy doses of...

I realize that I have been virtually non-existent in my posting this past month.  Honestly, I have no excuses; I had plenty of downtime.  However, I chose to do something else (or nothing else) instead of catching my lovely readers up on my reviews, Why I Loves, and Teaser Tuesdays.  It's tragic and I apologize.  I feel like a failure in the blog-o-sphere, but I'm going to remedy this and soon!  Regardless of my tired excuses, here's a quick update on what's been going on with me in the PNW and what's going to be going on with the blog: What's up with me:  Summer term came to an end with excellent results.   I reread the Harry Potter books and fell in love with Hogwarts all over again :)  I had an interview at my Alma Mater for a position in administration.  I was offered the position.  I informed the community college I work for that I would be unavailable to teach courses in the Fall because of the new position I had a...