Mailbox Monday and It's Monday...What Are You Reading?

Mailbox Monday 

is a gathering place for readers to share the books that

came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. 

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

October Host is Marcia from Mailbox Monday

The Lost Art of Mixing- egalley courtesy of TLC Book Tours, publisher and NetGalley. I just started reading this one...hope I like it because I LOVED The School of Essential Ingredients.

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Hosted by

 Sheila @ One Person's Journey Through a World of Books

We discuss the books that we've read 

and what we're planning to read for the week.

Read and reviewed last week:

Virgins- time could've been spent reading something much better!

Princess Elizabeth's Spy- have found a new series to love, can't get enough of Maggie Hope!

A Light in the Window- another great gentle read by a favorite author

Reviews and Bookish Thoughts this week:

Wednesday- Mr. Churchill's Secretary (Book 1 in the Maggie Hope series)

Friday- The Lost Art of Mixing (TLC Tour book)

In my Book Box:

Saturday Snapshot- Book Delights

Saturday Snapshot

is hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books

It's easy to participate- just post a picture that was taken by

you, a friend, or a family member, and add your link

on Alyce's site. (no pictures from the internet!)

During the summer Matt and I would run up to Traverse City just to explore and see what cool shops were in the Historic Downtown District. Imagine my delight when I noticed this used bookstore, Bookie Joint!! It was a readers paradise and I need to visit again...can never have enough books!!

Posted with Blogsy

Virgins- TLC Book Tour Review

What Virgins is about:
For the seniors at Immaculate Heart High, hormones jousted with the quest for the State of Grace, and the hormones usually won.  The Map of Forbidden Sexual Delights extended its boundaries nightly in the back seats of tail-finned cars. But the girls of Virgins also wanted more. Who could they grow up to be in a word where women were supposed to be seen, but not heard?  They were rebels with a cause, before their time.

When I read the premise of this book I have to admit that I thought it would be a great read because I generally like coming of age stories, note that I stated "generally." This story just did not grab me and even though I did like the main character, Peg, I realized that I'm just not the target market for this book. Now if my eighteen-year-old self had read this one then I think you would be reading an entirely different review! My younger self would have gobbled this book right up and loved every sex-thought filled moment.

Recommend? Um, not really. I had a hard time staying with this story and really caring about anything that was going on with the characters. I'm sure a younger reader, say ages 16-28, would appreciate this much more than I did.

Disclaimer: Thank you to TLC Book Tours for sending me a review copy. I was not compensated for my review. My thoughts on this book were in no way influenced by the author or publicist.They are my personal reflections based solely on MY experience while reading this novel.

Review Book #33
© 2012, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Princess Elizabeth's Spy- TLC Book Tour + Giveaway

What Princess Elizabeth's Spy is about:
Maggie Hope, former secretary to Prime Minister Winston Churchill, completes her training to become a spy for MI-5. Spirited, strong-willed, and possessing one of the sharpest minds in government for mathematics and code-breaking, she fully expects to be sent abroad to gather intelligence for the British front. Instead, to her great disappointment, she is dispatched to go undercover at Windsor Castle, where she will tutor the young Princess Elizabeth in math. Yet castle life quickly proves more dangerous—and deadly—than Maggie ever expected. The upstairs-downstairs world at Windsor is thrown into disarray by a shocking murder, which draws Maggie into a vast conspiracy that places the entire royal family in peril. And as she races to save England from a most disturbing fate, Maggie realizes that a quick wit is her best defense, and that the smallest clues can unravel the biggest secrets, even within her own family.

I am once again hooked on historical fiction and it's all Susan Elia Macneal's fault! I absolutely loved everything about this book. The characters, the setting, and the entire story was so much fun and it felt so realistic that I have conjured up actual images for each person in this book. Susan does a fantastic job of transporting the reader back in time to World War II. I enjoyed roaming around Windsor Castle and meeting the young Princess Elizabeth. So many of the books that I've read regarding WWII have taken place in Germany and centered upon the atrocities committed against the Jewish people. This book (series) gives the reader a peek into what life may have been like for the English, and an interesting view of Winston Churchill's office and the man himself. I am very intrigued by the spies from this era and the work that they did without the use of computers!! Susan's books have piqued my interest into Churchill, MI5, spies, Princess (now Queen) Elizabeth and life in England during the war.

Recommend? YES! I can't get enough of Maggie Hope and can't wait for book three to be released in 2013. For those that love a good mystery, smart and feisty heroines, and historical fiction, this is a winning series to pick up!

Giveaway

If you're from the US or Canada and would like the chance to win a copy of Princess Elizabeth's Spy, please leave a comment with your email address. Winner will be chosen Wednesday, October 31st. All entries due by 10/30/12 11:59 EST.

Disclaimer: Thank you to TLC Book Tours for sending me a review copy. I was not compensated for my review. My thoughts on this book were in no way influenced by the author or publicist.They are my personal reflections based solely on MY experience while reading this novel.

Review Book #32
© 2012, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

A Light in the Window- review and contest giveaway

What A Light in the Window is about:
Marceline Murphy is a gentle beauty with a well-founded aversion to rogues. But when two of Boston's most notorious purse her, attraction, dreams and faith only muddle her mind. Can the light in the window illuminate the path of true love?

I have read the first two books in Julie Lessman's, Winds of Change series, and loved each one. So when Julie emailed me to see if I would consider reading her recent creation and spotlight it on my blog, I never once hesitated!! Julie's books are what I like to call 'gentle reads' and what she describes as inspirational romance. Yes, she writes about faith, God, and the Bible, but never in that preachy or over-the-top manner. She writes realistic characters who face dilemmas that normal people encounter every day. I loved Marcy and Patrick's story. I truly enjoy stories about second chances and the power of forgiveness!  It made me smile and laugh, and when I finished the last page I immediately wanted to read The Daughters of Boston series!

Recommend? Absolutely! And if you've never read any of Julie's books this one would be a perfect place to start!! She writes from the heart and you can't help but fall in love with her characters!

Bonus to my readers- Julie is hosting a fantastic giveaway so click on the link below!!

Contest Link

Disclaimer: Thank you to Julie  for sending me a review copy. I was not compensated for my review. My thoughts on this book were in no way influenced by the author or publicist.They are my personal reflections based solely on MY experience while reading this novel.

Review Book #31
© 2012, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Mailbox Monday and It's Monday...What Are You Reading?

Mailbox Monday 

is a gathering place for readers to share the books that

came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. 

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

October Host is Marcia from Mailbox Monday

The Girl on the Cliff- review copy courtesy of Atria

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Hosted by

 Sheila @ One Person's Journey Through a World of Books

We discuss the books that we've read 

and what we're planning to read for the week.

Read and reviewed last week:

Broken Harbor- OMG! Loved it and must read all of her books!

Reviews for this week:

A Light in the Window- author review request

Mr. Churchill's Secretary- Bookish Thoughts

Princess Elizabeth's Spy- TLC Tour Book (Wednesday)

Virgins- TLC Tour Book (Thursday)

In my Book Box:

Saturday Snapshot- Book Box!

Saturday Snapshot

is hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books

It's easy to participate- just post a picture that was taken by

you, a friend, or a family member, and add your link

on Alyce's site. (no pictures from the internet!)

I was getting groceries last Sunday and was leaving the parking lot when I noticed this amazing box in the corner of the lot!! How cool is this?? I will be dropping off quite a few books here in the weeks to come. I love this idea of sharing books with others and also the ease of getting them into United Way's hands!!!

Broken Harbor- Review Book

What Broken Harbor is about:

Broken Harbor opens with  Scorcher and his newly assigned rookie partner, Richie Curran, being called to a gruesome triple homicide of the Spain family in Brianstown, a seaside town outside of Dublin, locally known as Broken Harbor. At the crime scene the father, Pat, is found fatally stabbed, the mother, Jenny, is barely alive, and the two young children, Emma and Jack, have been smothered to death. Early investigation points directly to the suspect and voyeur, Conor Brennan, who is obsessed with Jenny and has been stalking her. As is always true in Tana French novels, the most obvious suspect isn’t necessarily the culprit. 

Can I just say that I was totally blown away by French's book??? I don't understand why I've waited so long to read one of her stories, but I am here to tell you that I will be reading all of her other books in 2013! This is the book that pulled me out of my reading slump. It had everything that I wanted and needed in a great story: intricately woven plot, great main character who was so human that I felt his pain, and a story that had me second-guessing myself all the way through to the very end. In fact, I'm still thinking about the ending and was the killer really the killer????


Recommend? Absolutely and without hesitation! I was enraptured with this story and loved the sinister atmosphere that French created. She's made me a believer in her skills and this is an author to read!!

Source:  Penguin Group

Disclaimer: Thank you to Angela@Penguin for sending me a review copy. I was not compensated for my review. My thoughts on this book were in no way influenced by the author or publicist.They are my personal reflections based solely on MY experience while reading this novel.

Review Book #30
© 2012, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Tuesday Intros: Mr. Churchill's Secretary

Every Tuesday, Diane @ Bibliophile by the Sea

 posts the opening paragraph (maybe two) of a book

 she decided to read based on the opening paragraph (s).

 Feel free to grab the banner and play along!

My pick this week is Mr. Churchill's Secretary. I'm participating in the TLC Book Tour of the second book in Maggie Hope series, Princess Elizabeth's Spy, and TLC and the publisher were kind enough to send the first book. I hate reading out-of-order so it was very nice of them to send me two books!! I'm in love with the cover art and can't wait to get to this story!

  Prologue

    Half an hour before Diana Snyder died, she tidied up her desk in the typists' office of the Cabinet War Rooms.

   She looked up at the heavy black hands of the clock on the wall and sighed. There were no windows in the War Rooms, the underground lair used by the Prime Minister's staff, reinforced by concrete slabs and considered to be bombproof. The ceilings were low; signs warned Mind Your Head. The once-white walls had faded to dull yellow, and the floors were covered in worn brown linoleum. Overhead were lines of drainage pipes from the Treasury. While the air was filtered by a special ventilation system, there were still lingering odors of floor wax, chemical toilets, and cigarette smoke.

Would you continue reading this one

 based on the opening paragraph?

Mailbox Monday and It's Monday...What Are You Reading?

Mailbox Monday 

is a gathering place for readers to share the books that

came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. 

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

October Host is Marcia from Mailbox Monday

The Aviator's Wife- courtesy of publisher/NetGalley

Last Wool and Testament- won this cozy from Kaye@Pudgy Penguin Perusals!

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Hosted by

 Sheila @ One Person's Journey Through a World of Books

We discuss the books that we've read 

and what we're planning to read for the week.

Read and reviewed last week:

Gods in Alabama (audio version)- loved the narrator's voice and the story

Glory in Death (JD Robb series)- another hit for me!! 

Movie Watch-a-Thon on Saturday:

Water for Elephants

Let Me In

Tale of Despereaux

The Shunning

The Lincoln Lawyer

Bookish Thoughts for this week:

Broken Harbor

In my book box:

24 Hour Read-a-Thon: Movie Version

I'm watching movies based on books once again this year. That doesn't mean I don't like to read because I LOVE to read, but I had so much fun the last time I did this, that I wanted to watch movies again!!

Let's start today off with the Introductory Meme shall we??

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? 
   I'm reading from the Thumb area of Michigan! The weather is a bit dreary today but that's perfectly fine because it makes me feel better about staying inside and watching movies.

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
I'm really looking forward to watching the movie Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. This book broke my heart.

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?
Nachos!

4) Tell us a little something about yourself!
I love to read, blog, and share my thoughts with fellow bibliophiles!

5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to?
I've been participating for a while now and the only thing I've done different is watch movies instead of reading!


I'm 4 hours into this fall's 24 Hour RAT: Movie Version.

Here's what I've watched so far:

Water for Elephants (read the book)- I absolutely loved this book and the cruelty to the elephants nearly killed me. I have to admit that I liked this movie for the most part. It's been quite some time since I read the story and maybe that was a good thing?? Overall, not a bad way to start off my movie-a-thon.

Rating: a good movie, not stellar but not terrible either.

Let Me In (want to read the book)- I recorded this one over a year ago on my DVR and was just waiting for a good time to watch it.  In my opinion viewing in full sunlight it best for those that scare easy (like myself!). This was creepy, gruesome, and now I must read the book!!!!

Rating: Worth watching but there's lots of blood!!! The two kids in the movie absolutely gave me the willies!!!

Tale of Despereaux (read the book)- I thought this movie was completely adorable and it had me wanting a little pet mouse that looked just like Despereaux!! The only thing that I really didn't care for what how the humans were drawn. It was hard to really like their faces because they were either too slim and sharp, or too round and fat. I understand that Miggery Sow needed to look a little pig-like but come on! Overall this was a cute movie that made me laugh!

Rating: Great book to read with the kiddies and then follow up with family movie night!

The Shunning (read the book by Beverly Lewis)- I really enjoyed this movie adaptation of Lewis' novel, The Shunning. The Amish characters really came to life and I loved that they even had the actors using the right accents of the Lancaster area Amish. This was a gentle movie and I wanted to know how Katie's story would end!!

Rating: A good movie that shows a side of the Amish they would rather keep hidden.

The Lincoln Lawyer (want to read the book)- Matthew McConaughey was simply wonderful in this movie! This movie had all sorts of twists and turns, the characters were incredibly well-drawn and executed by the actors, and the pacing was wonderful! I loved this movie and hope that we see Matthew reprising the role of Mick Haller very very soon!

Rating: Awesome movie that has made me want to run out and get this book!!

24 Hour Read-a-Thon is here!! My plans.....

Hello Friends!

Can you believe it's that time again? Time for Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon!! I have decided once again to do a movie watch-a-thon instead of reading. It really worked well for me last time and I have a list of movies (based on books that I've read or want to read) to watch on Saturday.

Here is the list of the movies that I will be viewing:

• Water for Elephants - read the book and loved it. Wondering what I will think of the movie version???
• Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close- thought the book was amazing. Hope the movie is too!
• Let Me In- I have the book and want to read it. Will watch this one while it's light out!!
• The Lincoln Lawyer- want to read the book and Matthew is easy on the eyes!
• The Shunning- Amish fiction by Beverly Lewis. I loved the book!
• Miss Marple- haven't met her yet in my Agatha Christie journey but think the shows would be a fun way to get acquainted!
• The Tale of Despereaux- I LOVED this book and think the animated movie looks adorable.

I hope everyone who participates has a great time !!

Read on!

Staci

Glory in Death- Bookish Thoughts #50

What Glory in Death is about:
Even in the mid-twenty-first century, during a time when genetic testing usually weeds out any violent hereditary traits before they can take over, murder still happens. The first victim is found lying on a sidewalk in the rain. The second is murdered in her own apartment building. Police Lieutenant Eve Dallas has no problem finding connections between the two crimes. Both victims were beautiful and highly successful women. Their glamorous lives and loves were the talk of the city. And their intimate relations with men of great power and wealth provide Eve with a long list of suspects-including her own lover, Roarke.


I am truly amazed that Nora Roberts is JD Robb! Her Death series is tougher, smarter, sexier, and grittier than anything she writes as Roberts and I'm truly hooked!! She delivers another scorching book in the series that starts out with a gruesome death and never loses steam until the very last page. I have a MAD crush on Roarke (Eve's Lover) and I can't seem to get enough of him. He loves Eve with every fiber in his being and will go to any extreme to keep her safe, even when it totally pisses her off. I love that about him...he's very Alpha Male!! Eve's character is still evolving and very slowly is she letting her guard down when it comes to trusting others. She's a complex woman and I like her!

Recommend? Absolutely. I'm very excited about the fact that I have a ton of these to read. When my reading slump was in full gear, this book helped lift me out of my funk and actually made me want to keep my head in a book. 

Source: Public Library

Bookish Thoughts #50
© 2012, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Gods in Alabama (audio)- Bookish Thoughts #49

What Gods in Alabama is about:
When Arlene Fleet heads up north for college, she makes three promises to God: She will stop fornicating with every boy who crosses her path; never tell another lie; and never, ever go back to the "fourth rack of hell," her hometown of Possett, Alabama. All she wants from Him is one little miracle: make sure the body is never found. Ten years later, God has broken His end of the deal. Alabama has landed on Arlene's Chicago doorstep in the form of her high school archenemy, a young woman who wants to find the golden-haired football hero who disappeared during their senior year.


I absolutely love Jackson's voice and it even shined through on this audio version of her book. She has this unique way of creating characters that you can just envision and sometimes even embrace. Arlene is a girl that had a mother who was never really present and who viewed herself as worthless most of her teen years. She flees to Chicago hoping to leave everything behind, even the ones who love her, until one day her past catches up to her!! Jackson takes the reader on a journey inside Arlene's mind and heart. She's finally brave enough to face her demons and ends up with more than she ever dreamed possible!

Recommend? I really enjoyed listening to this one on audio. The narrator had a terrific voice and it literally oozed southern charm to me. The narrator kept me very engaged in the story and I couldn't wait to get back into the car so that I could listen to what was going to happen next in Arlene's crazy life! The only drawback to the audio was the music that they interjected throughout the story. I hated it and thought it was silly. It really didn't help to heighten the suspense.

Source: Purchased from audible.com
Narrator: Catherine Taber
Length of audio: 8 hours and 6 minutes

Bookish Thoughts #49

© 2012, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Tuesday Intro- A Light in the Window

Every Tuesday, Diane @ Bibliophile by the Sea

 posts the opening paragraph (maybe two) of a book

 she decided to read based on the opening paragraph (s).

 Feel free to grab the banner and play along!

My pick this week is from Julie Lessman's newest book which will be released in November. I have loved her Winds of Change series and am enjoying this one so far.

Boston, Massachusetts, Summer 1895

  I will not throw up...I will not throw up...
  Eighteen-year-old Marceline Murphy set her overnight case on the O'Rourke's wraparound porch and pressed a quivering finger to the brass doorbell, a battalion of butterflies barnstorming her stomach. The last time she'd been this nervous was at the age of eleven when she'd frozen on the top limb of a massive pine tree in the backyard of her best friend Julie O'Rourke. The memory of Julie's older brother Sam climbing up to rescue her made her hands sweat even now, his body close behind as he helped her down, limb by limb. At the bottom he tugged on her pigtail with that dimpled grin that had always fluttered her pulse. "Best keep your feet on the ground and your nose in a book, Marceline," he'd whispered in her ear. "You'll want to stay far away from danger."
      Danger, yes. Marcy swallowed hard.
      Heights and Sam O'Rourke--two things that made her dizzy.

Would you continue reading this one

 based on the opening paragraph?

Mailbox Monday and It's Monday...What Are You Reading?

Mailbox Monday 

is a gathering place for readers to share the books that

came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. 

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

October Host is Marcia from Mailbox Monday

Virgins by Caryl Rivers- e-book review copy courtesy of TLC Tours and the author.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hosted by

 Sheila @ One Person's Journey Through a World of Books

We discuss the books that we've read 

and what we're planning to read for the week.

Read and reviewed last week: 

The Salt God's Daughter- just wasn't feeling it.
Instant Temptation- really enjoyed this one.

Bookish Thoughts I will be sharing this week: Yes, I really will post a few bookish thoughts!!

Gods in Alabama- audio version
Glory in Death- JD Robb Series

In my Book Box:

Virgins (TLC Tour Book)

Light in the Window- Tour Book

Princess Elizabeth's Spy- TLC Tour Book

Lost Art of Mixing- TLC Tour Book

Saturday Snapshot- Rainbow

Saturday Snapshot

is hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books

It's easy to participate- just post a picture that was taken by

you, a friend, or a family member, and add your link

on Alyce's site. (no pictures from the internet!)

Last week I was driving into town when I noticed this rainbow over a field. I had to stop and get a photo because the sky all around me was dark except for this little pocket of light which gave me the gift of the rainbow. The picture was taken with my phone camera. The only editing that I did was to use a focal color brush to highlight the rainbow and leave the rest black and white.