College Bound

 

 

 

This week is all about getting Marc packed up and ready to go to college. Life has been very busy with my oldest home from Okinawa, spending a few days with him, working a second job, and now getting my youngest ready for his next chapter in life. I will not be posting on my blog for the rest of August. I hope at some point to visit some of your blogs but it's looking pretty dicey right now. My days are filled with things that need to be done and by the time I do get some down time, being on the computer is the last activity I feel like doing!!

 

Don't forget about me!! I promise to visit soon!!!

 

Love you all!

Staci

 

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My Extraordinary Ordinary Life by Sissy Spacek

What My Extraordinary Ordinary Life is about:
In her delightful and moving memoir, Sissy Spacek writes about her idyllic, barefoot childhood in a small East Texas town, with the clarity and wisdom that comes from never losing sight of her roots. Descended from industrious Czech immigrants and threadbare southern gentility, she grew up a tomboy, tagging along with two older brothers and absorbing grace and grit from her remarkable parents, who taught her that she could do anything. She also learned fearlessness in the wake of a family tragedy, the grief propelling her "like rocket fuel" to follow her dreams of becoming a performer.

Listening to Sissy Spacek tell her story was like taking a walk with a good friend and hearing about her life. I loved the tales of her early childhood, the complete love and support she always received from her parents, and the journey her life became as she chased her dream of being a country artist and her surprise in becoming a movie actress. I always find it fascinating to hear about the people upcoming stars meet in their life and who end up becoming just as or even more famous than the person telling the story. Sissy certainly met a lot of wonderful people in the business and many of them became treasured and real friends.  Sissy's voice was easy to listen to and I still think she could be Loretta Lynn's twin!!

Recommend? If you have enjoyed Sissy's work in the past and are curious about her life growing up and the simple way she lives today, then this is one to add to your audio list for sure!!

Source:  Purchased from Audible.com
Narrator: Sissy Spacek
Length: 9 hrs an 49 mins

Six Sentence Bookish Thoughts #123
© 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.

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.

August Host: Penelope @ The Reading Fever!

cover image via goodreads.com

Uh, yeah, no one will be  surprised that I nabbed this one on NetGalley!! Always on My Mind, Lucky Harbor #8- can't wait to read it!!

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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 Glass Wives- debut novel that would make a good summer read

Orphan Train- blew me away and touched my heart...fantastic historical book!

One Day in Apple Grove- loved the characters and would continue on with this series

Bookish Thoughts to share this week:

My Extraordinary Ordinary Life (audio) by Sissy Spacek

Upcoming Reads:

Not sure what will be in store for me because on Saturday, my oldest son, Mitch will finally be back on American soil!!! I will be spending three days with him and reading is NOT on the agenda. Once again I will be making choices based on whims and what makes me smile!!

One Day in Apple Grove by C.H. Admirand

cover image www.goodreads.com

What One Day in Apple Grove (Small Town USA #2) is about:
Caitlin Mulchahy doesn't have much time for socializing now that her sisters' handyman business is thriving. For Dr. Jack Gannon--former Marine medic--keeping the residents of Apple Grove healthy is a welcome distraction from the haunting memories of his time served in Iraq. Although the two have lived in the same small town their whole lives, Cait and Jack barely know each other. That is until a stray puppy leads them to the same place at the same time. But it will take more than one adorable canine to get these two together--it'll take a whole town

I requested One Day in Apple Grove because I thought the cover was cute!! Lucky for me it turned out to be a really enjoyable summer read! I thought the Mulchahy family was pretty special in regards to how they looked out for each other, worked together, and how fiercely their dad loved them. The romance in this story was really fun and as an animal lover I found it wonderful that their chance meeting occurred because of a lost puppy!! For me, having Jack as a veteran of the Iraq War who suffered from PTSD was a bonus. I thought the author wrote his character with so much honesty, pain, and humility, my heart hurt for him and all that he experienced.

Recommend? For those that enjoy books that revolve around small home towns, sweet romance, and real characters then yes, I think you just might enjoy spending a day in Apple Grove.

Source: Sourcebooks Casablanca via NetGalley

Kindle Edition, 320 pages

Published June 4th 2013 by Sourcebooks Casablanca

Small Town USA #2

Six Sentence Bookish Thoughts #122
© 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.

Orphan Train- TLC Tour Review Book

cover image via Goodreads.com

What Orphan Train is about:
A captivating story of two very different women who build an unexpected friendship: a 91-year-old woman with a hidden past as an orphan-train rider and the teenage girl whose own troubled adolescence leads her to seek answers to questions no one has ever thought to ask.

As I finished  Orphan Train I was wiping tears from my eyes and marveling at the ending of this beautifully written and moving story. I've read a few books about the orphan trains, but none moved me quite like this one. The author was able to move seamlessly between Vivian and Molly's stories and blended them together to create a tale that was not only totally believable, but also gut-wrenching. The historical aspect alone is worthy of reading, but when you add Vivian and Molly's traumatic young lives to the mix the reader gets a story that allows them to feel the characters pain, hopelessness, and towards the end, joy.

Recommend? Without hesitation. For readers who love historical fiction, authentically written characters, and a great story, then you NEED to add this book to your reading list for 2013! The story within this book will stay with me for some time and I'm sure it will be on my list of favorites for the year!!

Source: William Morrow Publishers and TLC Book Tours

For more information about this book and the author, Christina Baker Kline please use the following links: Author's website, Facebook page, and Twitter page.

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.

© 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.