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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I Guess I don't have Super Powers after all.......

 

I've been sick since Monday. Haven't felt good enough to blog or read blogs. But I'm getting better, even though I swear Kleenex and Dayquil have been my best buddies all week. After day one I stopped using the little cup that came with the Dayquil and just started chugging it like a drunk. I sound like a man today, but I do feel a bit better. So, I'm staying quiet for a while. Wish me luck!!

 

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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.

February Host: Audra @ Unabridged Chick

Covers courtesy of Goodreads

Well, can I just say that I'm blaming all of these new books on Mary, Ti, and JoAnn? Let me explain why. Early Sunday morning I turn on my iPad just to do some browsing and came across Mary's Sunday post and I notice the Ciji Ware title right away. So, of course I have to then go to Amazon to see what the price is for my Kindle.  $4.99!!! I bought it immediately. Then I also remembered Ti posting about The Painted Girls being today's special value...which led me to buying that one for $2.99. And while I was browsing through the titles I couldn't resist The Bucolic Plauge because of JoAnn's love for this book and actually getting to meet the authors earlier this year!! I lost control...but all three of these titles cost me $10.00.....how can you resist that??

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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 Long Way Home (TLC Tour Book) - loved this sweet book!

Joy for Beginners- fantastic narrator and a solid read.

Bookish Thoughts this week:

Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts

Divergent

February Book Box:

Finished: Almost Home, India Black, Divergent...hopefully I will till get to Every Day before the month ends!

Saturday Snapshot- Beauty of Michigan

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!)

No filters, taken with HTC Inspire phone by Matt T.

My husband has been enjoying the snow in Michigan!! This is a photo that he took with his cell phone as he rode along the Pine River in the northern part of Lower Michigan.

Joy for Beginners (audio)- Six Sentence Bookish Thoughts #82

Cover image courtesy of Goodreads

What Joy for Beginners is about:
At an intimate, festive dinner party in Seattle, six women gather to celebrate their friend Kate's recovery from cancer. Wineglass in hand, Kate strikes a bargain with them. To celebrate her new lease on life, she'll do the one thing that's always terrified her: white-water rafting. But if she goes, all of them will also do something they always swore they'd never do-and Kate is going to choose their adventures.

Bauermeister has been gifted with the talent of being an amazing writer. Once again she has pulled me into the lives of these characters and made me care what happened to them. I loved being able to get a glimpse into each woman's life and personality. Erica is able to make the reader use all of their senses when reading, or in my case listening to one of her stories. I found myself identifying with Marion on so many levels, so many in fact that it was a bit eerie!!

Recommend? Absolutely, especially if you're already a fan of Erica's work, then you would really appreciate this one. The narrator did a fantastic job on this audio and made it very, very enjoyable to listen to!!

Narrator: Cassandra Campbell
Length: 7 hours 55 minutes
Source: Purchased from audible.com

Book Friends who influenced me to read (listen) to this one:
Margot@Joyfully Retired
Jill@Rhapsody in Books
Diane@Bibliophile By the Sea (audio)
Les@Prairie Horizons
Linda@Silly Little Mischief

Six Sentence Bookish Thoughts #82
© 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 Long Way Home- TLC Book Tour Review

Cover image courtesy of TLC Book Tours

What The Long Way Home is about: (in my own sorry words!)
Ellie loses everything due to her father's ponzi scheme and finds that all she has left to her name is a house in St. Dennis that her mother left her in her will. The only catch is that she has to live in the home for six months before she can sell it. Thinking that she would flip the house quickly, Ellie isn't prepared for the attention and love that comes her way in the form of hunky contractor Cameron, and also the acceptance from the townspeople of St. Dennis. What will she decide to do when her six months is up?
click here for the synopsis from TLC

Reading Stewart's book felt like being home with close friends and family. I loved the characters and how real they all became in my mind. One of the biggest things I noted was the author didn't create unnecessary conflict and really allowed the two main characters to fall in love with each other. This was so refreshing for me and left me wanting to know more about St. Dennis and those that call it home.

Recommend? If you love books that center around a town with believable and flawed characters then I truly feel you would love this book and Mariah Stewart's series, The Chesapeake Diaries. I know I will be back for more!!

Source: TLC Book Tours, Ballatine, and NetGalley

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.

Six Sentence Bookish Thoughts #81
© 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: Divergent

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 Divergent. I finally got to this one and already I'm finding myself very intrigued!!

photo image www.veronicarothbooks.blogspot.com

There is one mirror in my house. It is behind a sliding panel in the hallway upstairs. Our faction allows me to stand in front of it on the second day of every third month, the day my mother cuts my hair.

Would you continue reading this one

 based on the opening paragraph?