Saturday Snapshot- Walking with the dogs

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!)

 

Here's Lily waiting patiently for me to catch up with her so that we can continue on with our daily walk. She was in a frisky mood that day and ran through the muddy ditches. When we got home she promptly went into the tub for her bubble bath!!

 

Photo taken with iPhone 4. Filters/frame via Instagram

 

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Thinking of You - Six Sentence Bookish Thoughts #89

Cover image courtesy of NetGalley/Sourcebooks

What Thinking of You is about:
Ginny Holland’s daughter Jem has headed off to university, leaving single mum Ginny with a severe case of empty-nest syndrome. To make matters worse, the first gorgeous man she's clapped eyes on in years has just accused Ginny of shoplifting. So Ginny decides to advertise for a lodger but what she gets is lovelorn Laurel, who can only talk about her ex-boyfriend. However Laurel has a dangerously charming brother, Perry, and add to that the offer of a great new job, and things are looking up…until Ginny realises that her potential boss is all too familiar.

Jill Mansell has never let me down and she delivers once again with a light and entertaining read that had me laughing and smiling from beginning to end. There were many things that I connected with Ginny about, one being home alone and the kiddies all grown. In a few short months my oldest will be over four hours away from me and it will be ever so hard to cut the cord (for me, not for him!). I loved how brave Ginny became and took control of her life.

Recommend? If you have read and enjoyed Mansell's books in the past then I am sure you will like this one. It's not my favorite, but I still had a good time reading it. I thought the twist at the end was great!!!

Source: NetGalley/Sourcebooks

Six Sentence Bookish Thoughts #89
© 2013, 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.

The Best Man - Six Sentence Bookish Thoughts #88

cover image courtesy of www.kristanhiggins.com

What The Best Man is about:
Faith Holland left her hometown after being jilted at the altar. Now a little older and wiser, she's ready to return to the Blue Heron Winery, her family's vineyard, to confront the ghosts of her past, and maybe enjoy a glass of red. After all, there's some great scenery there..Like Levi Cooper, the local police chief--and best friend of her former fiance. There's a lot about Levi that Faith never notice, and it's not just those deep green eyes. The only catch is she's having a hard time forgetting the helped ruin her wedding all those years ago.

Kristan Higgins knows how to write a great contemporary romance with a plausible, yet heartwarming HEA. I thought this one was the best of her books that I've read to date. I absolutely loved the whole falling for your ex-husband's best man from the wedding but not really wanting to. I also laughed my way through some of the crazy situations that Faith stumbled into!!

Recommend? Absolutely! This book gave me everything that I wanted..great story, awesome location, characters that I came to love, and a romance that tickled me pink!!! I'm so excited to learn that this is the first of the Blue Heron series..can't wait to return!

Source: NetGalley/Harlequin HQN

Six Sentence Bookish Thoughts #88
© 2013, 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- Heart Like Mine

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 Tuesday Pick comes from Amy Hatvany's newest release, Heart Like Mine. I just started it last night and I think it's going to be good!

cover image via NetGalley

Grace-Later, I would look back and wonder what I was doing the exact moment Kelli died.
  When I left the house for work that morning, nothing was different. There was no sense of impending doom, no ominous soundtrack playing in the back of my mind warning me that my world was about to change. There was only Victor asleep in our bed, and me, as usual, trying my best not to wak him as I kissed him good-bye.

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.

March Host is: Caitlin @ chaotic compendiums

cover images courtesy of NetGalley

I requested both of these titles on NetGalley last week and each day I checked my email to see if I was approved to download them. I was anxious and worried that I wouldn't be able to get my hands on these glorious titles, but three days later I had the green light!! Susanna Kearsley just happens to be one of my favorite authors ever, and I can't tell you how excited I am to read The Firebird. I contemplated having a copy sent to me from Australia...that's how much I wanted to read it!! His Majesty's Hope is the third book in the Maggie Hope series which I completely adore and also look forward to reading!

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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 talked about last week:

The Guardian by Beverly Lewis- first time I've been disappointed by this author.

Conversation about a comic that actually played out in my life a long time ago.....

Bookish Thoughts this week:

The Best Man by Kristan Higgins

Thinking of You by Jill Mansell

While We Were Watching Downton Abbey by Wendy Wax

April's Book Box: I actually read every book that I put in my March Book Box photo so I'm feeling good about that accomplishment. I really need to get through some book from NetGalley, so these are the ones that called to me for April. Have you read any of them? If so, what did you think?

Saturday Snapshot- Sunday Family Time

 

Taylor and Shelby

Last week, my husband, son, his girlfriend, and I met up with my niece Taylor who lives south of us. We checked out her new apartment and her Uncle Matt had to pronounce her microwave DOA! We then went to Famous Dave's for great food, lots of laughs, and quality family time!! I got into trouble (by my family) for wanting to take pictures of the food so I was only allowed to take a picture of two of my favorite girls...Taylor and Shelby!!

 

Photo Info: taken on iPhone 4/used filters from Instagram

 

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A Comic that reflected a real-life situation!

Sometimes spending time on Facebook can actually bring a real smile to your face. This happened to me the other day when I found this comic that actually portrayed almost to the T exactly what I said to my husband and what he said to me. Please take a moment and take a look at this awesome cartoon!!

Used with permission from Debbie Ridpath Ohi at Inkygirl.com

Inkygirl.com

I laughed so hard when I read this and immediately posted it on my husband's timeline with a "remember when" sentence. Here's my story.......

 A very long time ago, I was eagerly anticipating book three in the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. At the time with no internet and easy access to information, I thought this was going to be a trilogy...keep that in mind. Christmas came and I received a gift card to Borders. I couldn't wait to use that gift card. I knew exactly what I wanted to buy. I wasted no time going after Christmas, rushed right to Voyager and with a BIG ASS SMILE on my face, skipped to the register to buy my beloved book. I carried the package close to my heart and when I got home, lovingly removed it from the bag and put it on my nightstand. And there it sat for almost a year!! Matt would ask me every once in a while, "Hey, are you going to read that book or what?" And I would reply, "Yes, eventually." To which he would shake his head and proceed to tell me that I was a bit off my rocker. I then had to explain to him that if I read it then it would all be over. No more Claire and Jamie, no more time travel, no more epic love story.....no more best friends! He just looked at me and said, "I just don't get you!" But you do, my book loving friends...you do!!

Does this comic resonate with you? If so, which book was it that you waited and waited for, only to not want to read it because then it would be over???? Please share in the comments!!!

The Guardian by Beverly Lewis- Six Sentence Bookish Thoughts

What The Guardian (Hickory Hollow #3) is about:
When schoolteacher Jodi Winfield goes for a morning run, the last thing she expects is to find a disheveled little girl all alone on the side of the Pennsylvania road, clad only in her undergarments, her chubby cheeks streaked with tears. Jodi takes the preschooler home with her, intending to find out where she belongs. But Jodi is mystified when no one seems to know of a missing child, and the girl herself is no help, since she can't speak a word of English. It's as if the child appeared out of nowhere. As the days pass, Jodi becomes increasingly attached to the mysterious girl, yet she is no closer to learning her identity. Then an unexpected opportunity brings Jodi to Hickory Hollow--and into the cloistered world of the Lancaster Old Order Amish. Might the answers lie there?

I've been reading Beverly Lewis' books for what seems like forever and I've never been disappointed with any of her stories. This is book three in the Hickory Hollow series and I had no problem enjoying it without reading one and two. With all of that being said, I did find this one lacking in any type of excitement (if that is a word that could be used to describe the Amish...probably not!). I like how Lewis usually takes something taboo or unacceptable in the Amish world and puts her characters smack dab in the middle of controversy. There wasn't any of that in this story and I just felt that it was drawn out and painfully slow.

Recommend? I'm on the fence. If you love Beverly's books then you would probably enjoy this one. I will still read The Fiddler and The Bridesmaid because I do love peeking into the Amish world. Beverly's written a ton of books that I've enjoyed so I won't quit reading her books because I have faith that the next one will be what I'm looking for!

Source: NetGalley/Bethany House Publishers

Six Sentence Bookish Thoughts #87
© 2013, 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 French Affair

My Tuesday Intro pick is A French Affair by Katie Fforde. I am in the middle of a torrid love affair with British Chick Lit and have read some UK blogs that featured many of Katie's books. I was able to get a copy of this one from NetGalley. I can't wait to read it!

cover image courtesy of Goodreads

'I'm saying this more in horror than in anger, sweets, but are you really going like that?
  Gina shot her sister a look that combined irritation, amusement and a touch of exasperation. They were in the car on the main road to Cranmore-on-the-Green and turning back to revamp her outfit was not an option.

Would you continue reading this one

 based on the opening paragraph?

Mailbox Monday- Better late than never!

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.

March Host is: Caitlin @ chaotic compendiums

I've heard great things about The Sisters Montclair from a few of my close book friends and when it was offered as a free Kindle book I had to have it. I noticed Stealing the Preacher at NetGalley. It just looked cute and sounded like a fun read so I requested it immediately!!

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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 talked about last week:

Catch of the Day

Walking Back to Happiness

Bookish Thoughts this week:

The Best Man by Kristan Higgins

The Guardian by Beverly Lewis

March Book (Kindle) Box:

Completed: The Guardian, The Best Man, almost done with Thinking of You......making great progress!

Saturday Snapshot: Drama night!

 

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!)

photo credit: Dana Down

 

Last night was the opening performance of, Fairy Tale: The Ever After. It was pretty amazing and the actors did a great job!! Marcus is Peter Pan in this play and was fun to watch. I'm glad he can be so confident in tights!!!

 

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Walking Back to Happiness- Six Sentence Bookish Thoughts #86

What Walking Back to Happiness is about:
Juliet's hiding from her feelings about the recent loss of Ben, the love of her life. If it weren't for having to walk Ben's loyal dog, Minton, she'd never leave their half-finished house. Then her mother asks her to take her elderly lab, Coco, along. One dog leads to another, and soon Juliet's the unofficial town pet-sitter. And when she takes on a lonely spaniel, and gets to know its attractive owner, she realizes that her emotions aren't as easy to handle as her canine charges.

I'm a sucker for books that feature dogs on the covers and as integral pieces to the the overall storyline. Lucy Dillon has once again written a book that touched my heart and has proven to me that animals really can help heal a broken heart. This was a great story about grief, loneliness, family, and the quest to be happy. I became really invested in Juliet's story and even though I've never lost a spouse to death, I felt a connection to her grief and inability to move on with her life without her husband.

Recommend? Yes! This book was a solid read for me. I look forward to Lucy Dillon's next release.

Source: Public Library

Six Sentence Bookish Thoughts #86
© 2013, 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.

Catch of the Day- Six Sentence Bookish Thoughts #85

What Catch of the Day is about:
First date à la Maggie: Take one lovelorn diner owner (me), a generous helping of nosy local gossips, a dollop of envy at married sister's perfect life, a splash of divine intervention (my matchmaking priest). Combine ingredients with one adorable puppy, add a strong but silent lobsterman with a hidden heart of gold and watch the sparks fly.

Catch of the Day was the perfect book for me a few weeks ago. I was feeling a bit down but once I settled into Maggie's story I was swept away from my blues and totally involved in her own ups and downs. I loved this story because it just felt so real to me. I could absolutely envision Malone being a stoic, hard working, and drop dead gorgeous fisherman. There were times in the story that I laughed and a few where I cried (involves dogs and the human/pet connection).

Recommend? Yes, this was a winner for me! I'm quickly becoming addicted to Kristan's writing!

Source: Public Library

Book Friends who influenced me to read this:
Karen- her wonderful reviews of Kristan's books have been showcased on Sheree's blog.

Six Sentence Bookish Thoughts #85
© 2013, 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: Downton Abbey style

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 Tuesday Intro pick is Wendy Wax's newest release, While We Were Watching Downton Abbey. Having loved her previous books and acknowledging my addiction to all things Downton, I knew that I had to read this one!! Hope it's great!!

cover image courtesy of www.authorwendywax.com

As a child Samantha jackson Davis loved fairy tales as much as the next girl. She just hadn't expected to end up in one. Every morning when her eyes fluttered open and every night before she closed them to go to sleep, Samantha marveled at her good fortune. 

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.

March Host is: Caitlin @ chaotic compendiums

A few years ago I tried listening to The Whistling Season on audio and made a note that I would rather read it. When it was offered for .99 cents on Amazon I couldn't resist buying it! Sam @ Sam's Book Blog wrote such a fantastic review of A Conspiracy of Alchemists that I had to get it immediately from NetGalley. I'm a happy camper right now!!

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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 talked about last week:

Divergent- loved it and can't wait to read Insurgent!

Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts- this one got to my heart!!

Bookish Thoughts this week:

Catch of the Day by Kristan Higgins

Walking Back to Happiness by Lucy Dillon

March Book (Kindle) Box:

Just finished, The Best Man and now I'm reading The Guardian.

Saturday Snapshot- Humor in the workplace

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 work in the library at my middle school but I also work in the front office too. After coming back to my desk the other day from lunch I found this awesome homemade screensaver on my computer!! My co-worker has a great sense of humor and I laughed so hard that tears were streaming down my face. I liked this so much that I have left it on my computer. I just flip it over the back when I have to use the screen and when I'm done for the day flip it back to her pictures!!! Without her that job would really be no fun.

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Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts- Six Sentence Bookish Thoughts #84

What Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts is about:
Thirty-nine year old Rachel is having a really bad year. After losing her job and breaking up with her boyfriend, Rachel has inherited her late aunt's house, her beloved border collie, and a crowded rescue kennel, despite the fact that she knows almost nothing about dogs. Still, considering her limited options, she gamely takes up the challenge of running the kennel. And as Rachel starts finding new homes for the abandoned strays, it turns out that it might not just be the dogs that need rescuing.

Dogs and broken hearts go together like chocolate and peanut butter! This story was such a heartfelt read and I really adored the premise of how the unconditional love from a dog can help heal a wounded human. You all know that I love stories that take place in England and once again I was not disappointed by the quaint town and lovely people that the author created. Of course as I was reading this story, I could picture myself volunteering at the rescue kennel and being friends with everyone I met within the pages.

Recommend? If you enjoy reading British "Chick" Lit that revolves around dogs, broken hearts, and new beginnings, then I think you should give Lucy Dillon's book a try!

Six Sentence Bookish Thoughts #84
© 2013, 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.

Divergent- Six Sentence Bookish Thoughts #83

What Divergent is about:
In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

Divergent, Divergent, Divergent! I couldn't escape this title and all of my book friends who read it loved it, recommending it left and right. I didn't want to get caught up in the hype, so I put off reading it for over a year!  Let it show for the record that it LIVED up to all of the HYPE and then some! This book was fascinating and I loved, absolutely loved, the world and the characters that Roth created. Tris and Four have captured my heart and had me rooting for them throughout the entire story.

Recommend? READ IT!! Roth included a playlist for Divergent in the back of the book. Do yourself a favor and listen to it BEFORE you read it, because it certainly helps set the tone of the whole story. I could feel the emotion, the darkness, and the hope in those songs. I already have Insurgent on hold from my library to be the first book I read in April!!!

Source: Public Library

Book Friends who influenced me to read this:
Samantha@Booked On a Feeling
Sheree@The Eclectic Reader
Ti@Book Chatter
Jill@Rhapsody in Books

Six Sentence Bookish Thoughts #83
© 2013, 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: The Best Man

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 Tuesday Intro pick is The Best Man by Kristan Higgins. I have really enjoyed the three books that I've read by Kristan and couldn't resist getting this title from NetGalley. Can't wait to read this one!

Prologue
On a beautiful day in June, in front of literally half the town, wearing a wedding dress that made her look like Cinderella and holding a bouquet of perfect pink roses, Faith Elizabeth Holland was left at the alter.
  We sure didn't see that one coming.

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.

March Host is: Caitlin @ chaotic compendiums

Cover images courtesy of NetGalley

Once again, NetGalley got the best of me! I need to step away from that site for a while and honestly concentrate on reading some of the books that I've downloaded from them! One Step Too Far sounded too good to pass up and The House At the End of Hope Street really spoke to me. I'm going to try my best to refrain from NetGalley for the month of March. Wish me luck!

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

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 talked about last week:

Not a thing. My body succumbed to the flu/head cold/crapola that has been going around at school where I work. I'm honestly surprised that I was able to stay healthy for this long!!! I'm feeling a lot better but still have a little bit of a raspy voice and a strange hankering for DayQuil.  Not really! 

* If I haven't visited your blog lately please forgive me as I try to catch up with my book friends!!!

Bookish Thoughts this week:

Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts

Divergent

March Book Box: These books are titles from NetGalley that I want to read and clear off my dashboard. Anyone else reading any of these?

Saturday Snapshot- Awesome Aussie Friends and Kristan Higgins!!!

 

 

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!)

 

From left to right: Karen, Kristan, and Sheree (photo courtesy of Sheree)

Blogging has brought some wonderful people into my life and one of my favorite friends ever is Sheree from Australia. She mentioned to me that she was going to be meeting Kristan Higgins with her friend Karen and on a whim I told her to get a picture with Kristan holding a sign that said hi to me! And here it is!!!!

As soon as I saw it this morning of Facebook, I screamed, laughed, and then teared-up!! Thanks Sheree, Karen, and Kristan for making my day!!! Love this Book World!!!!!

****BTW....It is Karen's fault that I started reading Jill Shalvis and then Kristan Higgins. Thanks Karen!!!!!

 

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