And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

Title: And the Mountains Echoed

Author: Khaled Hosseini

Publisher: Riverhead 2013

Genre: Literary Fiction

Pages: 416

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: T4MC - Set in 1900s; ebook; Eclectic - 2013 book; Book Bingo - 2 from 2013

How I Got It: iPad Read

Khaled Hosseini, the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, has written a new novel about how we love, how we take care of one another, and how the choices we make resonate through generations. In this tale revolving around not just parents and children but brothers and sisters, cousins and caretakers, Hosseini explores the many ways in which families nurture, wound, betray, honor, and sacrifice for one another; and how often we are surprised by the actions of those closest to us, at the times that matter most. Following its characters and the ramifications of their lives and choices and loves around the globe—from Kabul to Paris to San Francisco to the Greek island of Tinos—the story expands gradually outward, becoming more emotionally complex and powerful with each turning page.

Years ago I read The Kite Runner and I was absolutely devastated by that novel. It tugged at every heart string I had. While this novel doesn't live up to The Kite Runner, it still is a beautiful piece of work. Immediately I connected with Abdullah, his pain and joys. It took me awhile, but in time I came to also love Parwana. Really, all of the characters had something to offer. I never felt like there was a villain and a hero. Instead Hosseini gives us a group of real people, people with flaws. The writing has this lyrical quality that I just can't get over. Each sentence flows seamlessly to the next one (even the not so pretty sentences). I found myself lost in the world, yet there is something that held me back from being completely immersed. Still... a beautiful novel.

Thursday Thanks Returns

I haven't done one of these posts in so long... casualty of a very busy summer. But it's back, so here are my current thanks. Picture: awesome chocolate caramel torte we had last week

1. Work confusion gone -- While I'm not super happy about the outcomes, I am thankful that all the confusion and craziness around my job has settled. I have so much peace of mind from this.

2. Reading time -- I'm really enjoying getting back into reading for pleasure. Loving it!

3. Great South Bay weather -- I love love love the weather around here. I'm constantly hot because of the pregnancy, but the cooler temperatures let me live in relative comfort.

4. Sleep -- Having my mom and the boys around last week was so much fun. But it's nice to get back to a regular sleep schedule in my own bed.

5. Lastly, a sad but hopeful thanks. A friend and family was in a very bad car accident last week. One involved died, another is in very serious condition, and another is recovering. I am thankful for the light injuries of one and the continual improvement of another. Keep fighting!

Quote Wednesday -- Fraggle Rock

Yes, it's one of the basic truths of the physical universe, Sprocket. Things don't disappear. They just change, and change, and change again. -- Doc from Fraggle Rock

Seems appropriate as I was working on a project involving physical science curriculum... Plus, who doesn't love Fraggle Rock? I really want the 30th Anniversary box set, but it's a bit steep in price.

When Twilight Burns by Colleen Gleason

Title: When Twilight Burns (Gardella Vampire Chronicles #4)

Author: Colleen Gleason

Publisher: Signet Eclipse 2008

Genre: Vampires

Pages: 346

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; Seriously Series; Dusty Bookshelf; 52 Books - W32

How I Got It: I own it

After narrowly escaping Rome with her mortality, vampire hunter Lady Victoria Gardella Grantworth de Lacey returns to London—where not even sunrise can stop a vampire’s carnage. Not only is Victoria unable to detect the vampire with her heightened senses, but she’s being framed as the prime suspect behind the killings.
Meanwhile, the legacy of a vampire’s touch has left his blood boiling in her veins and forces her to fight evil on two fronts—against the new breed of undead threatening London and the darkness within herself….

Holy crap! Finally! This volume moved the characters forward so much. I've been waiting for some of the developments in this book. I am still in love with Victoria. She's such a great heroine. She has her faults, but all of those make her a real person. And Sebastian and Max are such amazing male characters, but so different. I can't make up my mind as to which I like better. Plus, we get some great scenes with Lilith. I can't wait to read the next volume, but I have it scheduled September.

Gardella Vampire Chronicles:

#1 The Rest Falls Away
#1.5 Victoria Gardella
#2 Rises the Night
#3 The Bleeding Dusk
#4 When Twilight Burns
#5 As Shadows Fade
#5.1 Max Stops the Presses
#6 Roaring Midnight
#7 Raging Dawn
#8 Roaring Shadows

Sunday Sunset #26

Book finished: The Mark of Athena; A Storm of Swords; The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor; The Bleeding Dusk

Reading: When Twilight Burns by Colleen Gleason

On the Nightstand: And the Mountains Echoed; The Peach Keeper

MakingLists: Lots and lots of pre-baby projects. With the changes in my job (see below), I have a lot more time on my hands. I spent yesterday making a very long list of projects (large and small) that I want to tackle before little Arthur comes in October. I've got about 30 total projects. I'm starting on them tomorrow. We'll start with the small easy ones and work into the larger ones. Hopefully, hopefully I can knock out multiple this coming week.

On the Job: Big changes this last week... resulting in a change in position. I am now a part time work at home contractor. I'm a bit confused on what exactly is happening with the project, but I guess it's not really my call. We'll see how it goes. At least this change makes my decision when it comes to maternity leave in October.

Farmer's Market Finds: J and I walked down to grab some yummy sausages for lunch. J surprised me with a slaw dog comprised of a spicy sausage, cole slaw, and barbeque sauce. Very good! I may have found a new favorite. We also grabbed some kettle corn and nectarines. Next week, I plan on having a meal plan worked out to pick up vegetables and fruit for specific recipes.

Crafting: On Saturday, I got in the mood for some scrapping and dove back in. The family album is now up to April 2013. My plan is to get completely up to date before Arthur arrives. In fact, that project is one my giant list.

Watching: We finished series 7 of Doctor Who and started in on Warehouse 13 with the boys. They love both those shows now. We'll have to watch more Warehouse during school breaks. On their last weekend here, we saw Pacific Rim in theaters. Very fun monster movie. The boys loved the fight scenes.

J and I have started catching up on our recently or currently airing shows. We're caught up with Warehouse 13. We dove back into Wilfred (US version). That show is dark and twisted, but I love it. Also, we started Continuum S2. We've heard a lot of good things. I'm waiting to see what happens. Starting on Suits next and hopefully Game of Thrones.

Pregnancy Update: Basically I am uncomfortable 100& of the time. But that's normal. I'm starting to feel the fatigue creeping back in with the onset of the third trimester. Other than that, I think everything's going well. I have another doctor's appointment and ultrasound next week. Hopefully another good update.

Shopping Scores: Randomly Amazon had a sale on a crib mattress. I snapped it up even though we don't have a crib yet. I have to jump on the deals when I see them instead of waiting and buying everything later a more expensive price. I also picked up the next volume of A Song of Fire and Ice to be ready when I want to dive back into Westeros.

Project: Organizing my life... Okay, that just sounds like a crazy plan, but I really want to get some things organized and ready before the baby comes. He could technically make an appearance at any time so it's becoming time sensitive to get some of things taken care of. And I'm feeling the urge to get the big nursery objects in place. Really I just want a rocker, crib, and stroller/car seat system in place within the next month. Then I can think about the little things.

Bout of Books 8.0 is Coming!

It's that time again... my favorite readathon of the year (or multiple times a year). I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to commit to the readathon this season, but with big changes in my job, I have the time. I want to keep my perfect attendance! No, really! I've been a participant since the beginning and I'm not ready to stop now. Now I just need to figure out my TBR pile (and my choices for book club). If you want to join us, click on the pic to link to the Bout of Books blog.

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 19th and runs through Sunday, August 25th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 8.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

FF #24: The Rainbow: Indigo

I love, love, love this outfit! The dress is plain, but made gorgeous with the addition of the belt. The shoes are a nice compliment to the dress. And of course, I needed some fun accessories. The bag is classy yet unexpected. The jacket adds a bit of sophistication. I want this entire outfit. If only I had somewhere to where it.

H m dress

$12 - hm.com

Jacques Vert bolero jacket

$135 - johnlewis.com

Alice + Olivia high heel pumps

bergdorfgoodman.com

Evening clutch etsy.com

New Look metal belt

$15 - asos.com

July 2013 Wrap-Up and Monthly TBR

Hop on over to Booksessed to participate.

July's TBR Pile Recap:

Books Read and Reviewed (10/15 books)

The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins (iPad)
Reached by Ally Condie
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
The Rest Falls Away by Colleen Gleason
Rises the Night by Colleen Gleason
Lost by Gregory Maguire (iPad)
The Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond
Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne (iPad)
Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman (iPad)
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin
The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor by Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga
Vampire for Christmas by Felicity Heaton (iPad)
The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan (iPad)

1,000,000 Page Goal

Monthly Total: 4576 pages
Pages Remaining: 856,714 pages

Current Read - The Bleeding Dusk by Colleen Gleason

Books Won (0)

Books I Gave Up On (0)

Challenges Completed - I finished the Library reading challenge. Woo hoo! And I'm getting really close on some other ones.

Comments - Despite being super busy with work, vacation, and family, I read a ton this month. I think my determination to finish A Storm of Swords put me over the edge. Super excited to keep my momentum up next month...

August's TBR Pile:

The Bleeding Dusk by Colleen Gleason
Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond
The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen
Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne (iPad)
And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini (iPad)
Wedding of the Century
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (iPad)
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
Selected Short Stories of O. Henry
When Twilight Burns by Colleen Gleason

The Bleeding Dusk by Colleen Gleason

Title: The Bleeding Dusk (Gardella Vampire Chronicles #3)

Author: Colleen Gleason

Publisher: Signet Eclipse 2008

Genre: Vampires

Pages: 346

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Paranormal - Demon; Women Authors; Mount TBR; Seriously Series

How I Got It: I own it

As Rome prepares for its Carnivale, vampire hunter Lady Victoria Gardella is in no mood for festivities. But her personal grief must be set aside for there is a sinister plot underway. In yet another play for power, vampires have formed an unholy alliance with the demon Akvan in order to gain access to an ancient alchemist's secrets. As their combined bloodthirsty army ravages the city streets, Victoria races to solve the age-old mystery - if she fails, the world is lost for ever.

Another exciting volume of the Gardella Vampire Chronicles. I like this series way too much. It's got everything I want: interesting characters, action, romance, vampires. I was scared of where Victoria would go after the death of Aunt Eustacia, but I was very happy about the direction of the series. Plus, we get a ton of new revelations between other characters. And we get heart pounding action and romance scenes. Ready to jump into the next one.

Gardella Vampire Chronicles:

#1 The Rest Falls Away
#1.5 Victoria Gardella
#2 Rises the Night
#3 The Bleeding Dusk
#4 When Twilight Burns
#5 As Shadows Fade
#5.1 Max Stops the Presses
#6 Roaring Midnight
#7 Raging Dawn
#8 Roaring Shadows