Friday Finds (Jan.27)
What great books did you hear about or discover this past week? Share with us your FRIDAY FINDS! 
My Finds:
“Beyond Nostalgia” by Tom Winton
“Beg For Mercy” by Shannon Dermott
“Breathless” by Scott Prussing
“Enchantment” by Charlotte Abel
“Flat-Out Love” by Jessica Park
“The Necessity of an Enemy” by Ron Carpenter, JR.
“Inescapable” by Amy A. Bartol (Premonition, #1)
“Intuition” by Amy A. Bartol (Premonition, #2)
“Kissing Snowflakes” by Abby Sher
“Ignite” by Kaitlyn Davis
PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Friday Finds post, or share your ‘finds’ in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!
WWW Wednesdays (Jan.25)
To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?
My answers:
What are you currently reading? I got caught up in “Creativity” by Mihaly Csikzentmihalyi, and it’s very interesting! Heady reading, mind you, so it’ll take me a bit to finish it, but I still am really enjoying it!
What did you recently finish reading? Last I finished is still “Kiss Crush Collide” by Christina Meredith.
What do you think you’ll read next? Probably “Matched” by Ally Condie, as it’s a library book that will be due back soon.
PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own WWW Wednesdays post, or share your answers in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks! 
Musing Mondays (Jan.23)
This week’s musing asks…
Why do you think that the Young Adult genre is so popular with even the adult readers? Do you read YA books, yourself?
I definitely read YA books! I love them! And, I’m in my thirties, so they’re not necessarily written for me (though, that could be argued, too — there’s probably a good chance that the authors know their books are going to be read by more than just teens, nowadays). 
I read this genre mainly for the following reasons:
First off, I like that the storylines are always so varied, as opposed to what you find in “adult” fiction. Meaning, in the YA books, the stories are always so different; you don’t always find the same underlying plot. In adult fiction, the same plot is used over and over, so you can get a slightly different story with the characters, but the storyline itself has been done to death. Sure, it “works”, but I get bored with it.
Second, I love the adrenaline rush of those teenage relationships. It’s new, there’s flirting, and there’s the possibility that things will either heat up, or fall apart. There’s more excitement, I guess.
Third, I like that the books are usually fairly easy reading — I can breeze through them without having to think too much.
Lastly –and this is probably the biggest reason why I love YA fiction- the storylines don’t remind me much of my current life problems, so therefore they’re more of a true “escape” for me … which is what I’m looking for when I read fiction. I don’t want to be reminded of the stuff I’m dealing with in everyday life — jobs, kids, marriage, etc. Instead, YA books take me back to a time when life was more carefree, and didn’t involve so many headaches!
PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Musing Mondays post, or share your answer in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!
The Sunday Salon (Jan.22)
I started off this past week by finishing a book, and then not really knowing what else I wanted to read. I’d picked up “Kiss Crush Collide” by Christina Meredith, and it was so good that I read it in one afternoon! But then, you know how it can be when you’ve read a book you so enjoyed… it’s hard to just jump into something else right away. Sometimes it has to “simmer” for a bit before you can dig into something new.
Anyhoo. So, I didn’t get around to starting anything else until Wednesday. I was going to skim through a few choices to make up my mind, but I had started with “Creativity” by Mihaly Csikzentmihalyi, and then decided to just keep on with it, as it’s interesting. So, that’s what I”m reading right now. And yeah, I’m enjoying it, so far.
I’ve got several library books that are here, waiting to be read, and they’re calling to me. I own “Creativity“, so I feel like I should be setting it aside and reading the library books, first. But, I’ve decided to try and finish this one, first, and then I’ll get around to the library books… which include: “Matched” by Ally Condie, “Go Put Your Strengths to Work” by Marcus Buckingham, and “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Graphic Design” by Marjorie Crum & Marcia Layton Turner.
Bible study has started back up, this past week, so we’re just getting into Beth Moore’s new book, “James: Mercy Triumphs“. I love Beth’s studies, as I always learn so much from them! I’m looking forward to seeing where this one takes us. I’m hoping, too, that I’ll be actually willing to do the homework, this time, as I fell away during the last study. I didn’t get past the third week, as I just couldn’t pull off doing the homework and going to work, and making it out to the studies. Mind you, now that I’ve been at this job a bit longer, I feel like I’m settling into the routines a bit more, so I think I’ll be able to stick with it, this time — the study, that is. I sure hope so, as I miss going to the weekly meetings, and I miss staying in the Word. Bible study keeps me accountable.
Just for fun…
My sister is currently in process of starting up her own Chocolate business… and, because I love to brag about her, I thought I’d share the link to her blog, today:
Please pop on over and check it out! Sis writes extremely well, and your mouth will be watering by the time you’re done reading.
Friday Finds (Jan.20)
What great books did you hear about/discover this past week? Share with us your FRIDAY FINDS!
My Finds:
“The King’s Agent” by Donna Russo Martin
“Foreign Bodies” by Cynthia Ozick
“Bridge of Scarlet Leaves” by Kristina McMorris
“Sunset Park: A Novel” by Paul Auster
“Promise Me This” by Cathy Gohlke
“Water” by Terra Harmony
“The Rebel Wife” by Taylor M. Polites
“The House at Tyneford” by Natasha Solomons
PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Friday Finds post, or share your ‘finds’ in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!
WWW Wednesdays (Jan.18)
To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?
My answers:
What are you currently reading? I’m between books, again. Haven’t picked up anything else, ’cause I’m not yet sure what I’m in the mood for. But, I have the day off, so I’m going to dig into a couple and see which one holds my interest longer.
What did you recently finish reading? I finished “Kiss Crush Collide” by Christina Meredith on Sunday night. I’d picked it up late on Sunday afternoon, and just couldn’t put it down! Even rushed through my dinner so I could get back to it! LOL. But, I had it finished before bedtime. Hee hee…
What do you think you’ll read next? Goodness knows! Choices stand at: “Stay With Me” by Paul Griffin (owned) | “Creativity” by Mihaly Csikzentmihaly (owned) | “Matched” by Ally Condie (library) | or “Go Put Your Strengths to Work” by Marcus Buckingham (library). Like I said, I will have to give several a try, today, and see what catches me.
PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own WWW Wednesdays post, or share your answers in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!
REVIEW: “Kiss Crush Collide” by Christina Meredith
Leah has always had the perfect life: her grades have been A’s without her having to study, her boyfriend is perfect, and she will follow her sisters as valedictorian.
But, then Leah meets Porter, and everything starts to get shaken up. She has fallen hard, and yet her family won’t approve. So, what’s a girl to do? Well, spend the summer livin’ it up, of course!
I loved this book! I read it in one afternoon, as I just couldn’t stop flipping the pages. The teasing and flirting was awesome, and there was just enough of it to be sweet without feeling fake. The underlying storyline of Leah and her sisters, and how she’s supposed to fit into her family, was really done well, too, and you could really relate to her situation, despite the fact that the family was well-to-do.
Definitely recommended.
Musing Mondays (Jan.16)
This week’s musing asks…
What devices –if any– do you read books on? Do you find it enjoyable, or still somewhat bothersome? Or: If you only read the print books, why haven’t you chosen to read on any devices?
I have a Kobo eReader, and occasionally read books on there. But, I still prefer my print books over the eBooks. I just don’t like that you can’t easily find a passage that had jumped out at you, or anything like that. And the lag between page-turns is somewhat annoying, too.
I have tried reading on my computer, but that gives me a headache. So, I usually try to avoid this.
And, I’m thinking of getting an iPod Touch, and have put several eBooks on my wishlist for that device. But, I’m not sure if I’d enjoy reading books on there — the screen seems awfully small. I might put a few books on it, just to have something with me if ever I found myself stuck waiting, somewhere, and hadn’t brought my (print) book.
PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Musing Mondays post, or share your answer in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!
The Sunday Salon (Jan.15)
I am quite happy with the number of books I’ve read, so far, this year. We’re only going into the third week, and I’ve tucked 5 books under my belt! Whoo! I finished three of those this week! 
Of course, they were easy reading, for the most part. Two were young adult titles (“Shiver” and “Pretty Little Liars“), and the other was a short book of only just over 200 pages. All were decent reads, though. I enjoyed them.
I find it really interesting how my reading tastes can swing so wildly. Back in 2002, when my kids were pretty little, I read a lot of fiction. Then I went through several years where I leaned very heavily toward nonfiction; it’s almost all I read. Now, though — with working full time — I’m swinging back the other way, it seems. While I still enjoy nonfiction a lot, I tend to not really have the concentration for it. My brain doesn’t want the “work” involved. So, I’m picking up more fiction, again. Nothing wrong with this, of course. But, I’m not sure how I feel about it.
I had gotten to the point where I was using notebooks for taking notes from the nonfiction books I read. Now, though, I’m (ack!) finding it easier to underline the passages that stand out to me (I know, I know — sacriledge, right?!). Mind you, I’m using pencil, they’re my own books, and I have every intention of going back and copying all of those passages into notebooks, and then erasing the underlining so that I can enjoy the book again (afresh) when I reread it… or, someone else can enjoy it, without seeing only my underlining, if I choose to pass the book(s) on. In case you don’t believe me, I’ve already done this with one book: “The Resolution for Women” by Priscilla Shirer. It’s time-consuming, sure, but it saves my brainpower during the reading process.
In leaning more towards fiction, the upside is that I’m finally getting to some of the books I’ve long been curious about! The Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge is inspiring me to finally try some of those books that other bloggers have been raving about… ones that looked interesting to me, but I just never picked up. That’s why I finally read “Shiver” by Maggie Stiefvater, and “Pretty Little Liars” by Sara Shepard. Next up, I’m debating between some of my newly purchased fiction titles: “Starcrossed” by Josephine Angelini, “Graceling” by Kristin Cashore, “Kiss Crush Collide” by Christina Meredith, “Perfect Chemistry” by Simone Elkeles, or “Stay With Me” by Paul Griffin.
Of course, my new nonfiction books are still calling to me, too. They’re on my 2012 “TBR Pile Reading Challenge” list… “Evolving in Monkey Town” by Rachel Held Evans, “Creativity” by Mihaly Csikzentmihaly, or “Web Design for Dummies” by Lisa Lopuck.
And then, there are the library books. I’ve borrowed some books on graphic design, recently, and the one — “Field Guide: How to Be a Graphic Designer” by Ana Labudovic & Nanad Vukusic — looks somewhat interesting. It’s got some helpful information in it… I was skimming through, yesterday, and it reminded me of some things I hadn’t yet thought of.
Since just before Christmas, I’ve had it in my head that I want to save up and buy myself a laptop. I’m going to use it for my graphic design work. I got some money for Christmas, so I’m already well on my way toward my goal. But then, this week, I also got it into my head that now I’d like to finally break down and buy an iPod Touch. LOL. I’ve fought and fought against this — I didn’t like that Apple was so “big”… and that they’re very proprietary. But, now that I know so many people who have one of these iPods, and since I’ve had a chance to play with them myself… and since I’ve seen the way-cool Apps you can get for them… I’m thinking that maybe I want one, too. LOL.
So, the original thought was to save up and buy the laptop, and then start saving up to buy the iPod. But, the dilemma is that, right now, I have almost enough to buy the iPod… and I could play with it more than the laptop. So, I could get the iPod first, and then just save for the laptop… since it’ll take a while for that, anyway. Either way, one of them I won’t be able to get until October, given all goes well.
But see, that right there is the catch: “given all goes well“. What if I get the iPod first, and then lose my job in the summer? (the gal I took over for is on maternity leave, and may be back in September… meaning I may, or may not, still have a job come then; it was never said whether I’m just there ’til she gets back, or if I’ll be kept on even afterward). I want the laptop more. So, it almost makes sense to just wait and get the laptop first, then save up for the iPod. Besides… the iPod is cheaper, so if I don’t end up being able to save for it, myself, I could always maybe ask for it for Christmas, next year — or, ask people for money so I can buy it, then.
((LOL. Like how I’m using this post to make up my mind? LOL))
Anyhoo. I will probably still get the laptop first. Playing on iTunes hasn’t helped my decision any, though — I’ve found some really cool Apps that I’d like to get when I get my iPod, and found some books to download, too! LOL.
Off to go try and decide which book I want to read next. Happy Reading, everyone!
REVIEW: “Pretty Little Liars” by Sara Shepard
Aria, Hanna, Spencer, and Emily were friends in the 6th grade. Ali united them. But, when disaster strikes, the friends go their separate ways.
Now, several years later, they’re all being pulled back together by a mystery.
Meanwhile, they’ve each got their own share of troubles: Aria has the hots for her English teacher, Spencer is having parental issues, Emily is trying to figure out who she really is, and Hanna is worried that she’ll revert back to her old ways of coping with things.
At first, I wasn’t sure I’d like this book. Each chapter focuses on a different girl, and at first this was confusing, because it would take me a minute to remember what was going on with each one — who was who. But, after about half the book, I really was drawn in by the little flirtations each girl was going through with their respective guys, and I wanted to know if this mystery would be solved (who is sending them messages?).
I may look into reading the second book in the series. I’d bought book 3 at the library book sale last year (not knowing which book it was in the series), and am thinking I might read both books and then decide whether/not to continue with the series. We’ll see. I probably won’t continue with it right away. This was an interesting story, but not fantastic. Easy reading, mind you — I read it in a day.
REVIEW: “Every Body Matters” by Gary Thomas
Back in November, I was really excited to have found the book, “Lifestyle Choices…Up to You!” by Ginger Woods O’Shea, as I’d thought it was going to talk about the link between our spiritual lives and how we treat our physical bodies. And, while that book started off well, it ended up being a rant against the FDA and it was a huge disappointment to me.
This book, on the other hand, is exactly what I’d been looking for! Its byline reads, “Strengthening your body to strengthen your soul“. And inside, Gary talks about the need for discipline in our eating and exercise habits, and a focus on obedience to God instead of on our appearance.
I really liked that Gary kept mentioning the importance of waiting for true, physiological hunger before eating. I’m a big fan of that method myself! I also liked that he’s a runner, and so he talks about that a bit, too, and the endurance it takes.
Throughout the book, we’re reminded that, in order to be “holy, useful to [God], and prepared to do any good work” (2 Timothy 2:21), we need to be physically ready in addition to being spiritually ready. In other words, we can’t be lazy and indulgent. Instead, we are to be disciplined and strong. Gary uses the examples of the prophet Jeremiah, and of the apostle Paul, stating how these men must’ve been in great physical condition in order to have withstood the stuff that life threw at them!
The same goes for us. If we’re weak and lazy, we’ll be unprepared to meet the challenges of life, and we certainly won’t be able to fulfill our callings (not well, anyway). We won’t be living the abundant life that God has promised us.
Overall, this is a great book, and I’d highly recommend it to anyone seeking to have a greater purpose in their efforts to get healthier.
