BTT: Rut

All things being equal (money, space, etc), would you rather own copies of the books you read? Or borrow them?

I would definitely buy them. I have a book buying addiction. I love just looking at them all lined up on a shelf. Surounded by a nice reading chair, a soft glow lamp, a cup of tea, and a comfy pillow, I would reveal in the beauty of the books. Rarely, I would give away a very special book to a friend, but most would stay pretty on my shelf until I reread them.

Alas, I have neither money or space to buy books. I borrow, and borrow, and borrow some more.

Departure from Normal

I like routines. I liked knowing the basic schedule of my day when I wake up. I like having a general idea of the week to come. I'm not one oto plan out every day all day, but I do like routines. Have you ever had one of those weeks where everything gets so jumbled up? Yeah, that's my week... and I don't like it. It's thrown off my whole week. This is the last full week of school (they have to go back for Monday) for the boys. We were already going to be pretty busy and then everything went crazy.

Monday: The entire second grade went on their year end field trip to the zoo. I went along as a chaperone. Why do I do these things? I enjoy being the parent volunteer. I like spending time with the boys. I don't like all the whining, complaining, and sticky heat. I was in charge of three 8-year-old boys. Not my ideal situation, but whatever I could do it. So we began our zoo trip. It started out nice and cool and then the temperature skyrocketed. It ended up being int he 90s. And you know what that means... whiny, hot, sticky 8-year-olds and a lost patience parent chaperone. We got home and I immediately took a shower and changed clothes. Blech! While it was still not unbearably hot, we did have a lot of fun.

So that meant that Monday I didn't get any blogging, packing, writing, or other errands done. I had high hopes for Tuesday. No volunteering time, no specific appointments. I was going to go to the coffee house and blog.

Tuesday: I woke up to a kid with a fever. Great! There goes my day. So I took the other one to school and can back to cajole the sick one into taking some medicine. He was really upset that he couldn't play Wii all day. It's in the four season room where I think the temperature got above 100 degrees. So he spent most of the day curled up in the chair playing the iPad.

I got a lot done, but kept getting distracted by the sick kid. So my work seems very disjointed at best. I was due to start working on my Quote Wednesday post or at least picking it. And I didn't get around to it. I did catch up on my Hulu queque and finished my Disney notes. But i really should have been writing grad cards and blog posts.

Today: Another sick day for the boy. We finally got a prescription called in for antibiotics, but the pick-up had it's own obstacles. By the time I got back home, his fever had broke, but he was still coughing. Another day at the house. Another day trying to finished my weekly tasks, but not doing so great. I still have a long list to do.

Tomorrow?: Hopefully the kid will be good enough to go to school. The 2nd grade is having their hot dog cookout for lunch and I volunteered to help. I can't if the boy is still too sick for school. And the other one will be upset that I didn't come see him. Argh! Hopefully I can at least get half of the grad cards done and some Disney packing done.

Wish me luck! And Hopefully I can get back to my normal routine, cause next week is Disney vacation. Definitely won't be normal, but hopefully lots of fun.

Faeries Gone Wild

Title: Faeries Gone Wild

Author: MaryJanice Davidson, Lois Greiman, Michele Hauf, Leandra Logan

Publisher: St. Martin's Press 2009

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Pages: 389

Rating: 5 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Support Your Local Library; Summer Romance - Paranormal

So much fun. A great collection of faery stories.

Stories:

1. "Tall, Dark, and Not So Faery" by MaryJanice Davidson -- A continuation of "The Magicka" from No Rest from Witches. I absolutely loved the characters in the first story and the second one did not disappoint. In addition to the old characters, we also met a 6'4" faery and a half-giant mechanic. A great little romance story. And we even got a twist ending dealing with two of the other characters. A great addition.

2. "Pixie Lust" by Lois Greiman -- Probably my least favorite of the stories, but still a good one. Full of imagery, sex, confusion. I didn't love it, but it was good.

3. "Dust Me, Baby, One More Time" by Michele Hauf -- A tooth fairy and a sand man... unlikely pairing. But such a fun romance!. I especially loved the descriptions of Sidney's wardrobe, white orthopedic shoes and a huge amount of polka dots.

4. "A Little Bit Faery" by Leandra Logan -- A half human, half faery moves to NYC to find her father. A fun romance and then a mystery complete with arson. Tia was a fun character if a bit "flighty." Hee hee!

Top Ten Tuesday: Settings in Books

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten listsEach week we will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of our bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND post a comment on our post with a link to your Top Ten Tuesday post to share with us and all those who are participating. If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. If you can't come up with ten, don't worry about it---post as many as you can!

This week the topic is "Top Ten Settings in Books." I am a big believer in the power of a good setting. I tend to be drawn to fictional settings, mostly those found in fantasy/scifi books. But I do enjoy the beauty of a real setting artfully described by the author.

1. Hogwarts from the Harry Potter Series -- My absolute favorite setting! The place I really wish I could go. I love Hogwarts. I love how Rowling describes all the places. I love how the movies interpreted the settings. I even love seeing Hogwart's turned into a Lego game. Just awesome.

2. The Forest of Hands and Teeth -- Carrie Ryan has created another character in the Forest. It has it's own personality. It's an obstacle. It's hope. It's despair. I was as scared of the Forest as Cassie. I can't believe Mary would not be afraid to venture forward. However, the Forest makes it a much more layered book. (I was tempted to put the city of Vista from The Dead-Tossed Waves, but I found other choices.)

3. Wonderland -- How could I not put Wonderland on the this list? The topsy-turvy world of crazy creatures and challenging puzzles is definitely one of my favorites. As much as I have issues with every movie version of Alice in Wonderland, I like the Tim Burton version for the colors. My vision of Wonderland is full of bright, psychedelic colors.

4. Jane Austen's England -- All the little villages and estates described in her books are beautiful. I want to visit England and see her inspiration. But I especially love her descriptions of Bath in the Regency era. Bath was the place to be and be seen. You can tell that Austen didn't like Bath and all the pretensions, but I still love the description. I imagine the Pump Rooms and the gardens and would love to visit.

5. Camp Half-Blood from Percy Jackson series -- This is the camp to be at. The strawberry fields, the cabins, the big house, the practice area, the ever-changing woods. I would love to wander around, with a demigod bodyguard of course.

6. Scotland from Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series -- A great historical novel. I want to go to Scotland and see the old ruins, the glens, the glades, the mystery. I would love to follow in Claire's footsteps.

7. NYC from Fables series -- There's something magical about the real NYC. Throw in some fairy tale characters and it becomes even more interesting. I adore this series. It's not completely out of the realm of possibility to run into Prince Charming or Snow White in an all night diner in Manhattan.

8. The House from Neil Gaiman's Coraline -- A huge house split into four apartments with a garden out back complete with old well. I love how Gaiman makes the house another character in the story. I saw the movie before reading the book, so my image of the house is based more on the movie. But I also liked the descriptions in the book and the pictures from the graphic novel. They all give me different but somehow the same views of the house. I love creepy old houses and Coraline's comes complete with an Other Mother!

9. Templeton, NY from The Monsters of Templeton -- One of my favorite books from this year, Templeton is a real town in New York. Somehow Groff took a real setting and inserted magic into the story. I would love to visit and see if the real life Templeton has those whispers that complete the book. And maybe, just maybe, I could see the monster of Lake Glimmerglass!

10. Wonderland from Frank Beddor's The Looking Glass Trilogy -- Just as I love the original Wonderland, I also love Beddor's version of Wonderland. Specifically his description of the plains where the Jabberwocky live. A real barren wasteland complete with lava flows and geysers. Priceless!

Music Monday - Burlap to Cashmere "Eileen's Song"

I feel like I haven't visisted my Music Monday for forever. In reality, it was only a week suspension because of Memorial Day. I'm back now and I though I would share an old favorite song of mine. Not really a well-known band, but definitely a good one. I can't even remember when I found Burlap to Cashmere, probably around 1998 when their cd Anybody Out There? was released. They remineded me of one of my favorite bands, Jars of Clay, yet they are very different. I love the Greek influence in their music. It adds another layer to the music. Supposedly they have a new cd coming out in July. I will have to pick it up!

They're big song was "Basic Instructions" which I do love. But my favorite song from the cd has to be "Eileen's Song." It is just so lovely. I feel like I'm reading someone else's love letter while listening. That's what makes this song so beautiful.

Lyrics:

You have one wing and I have another Seeking shelter like sister and brother Through the winter and through the summer Like one angel we'll Fly far away

Hold my hand and we'll make it all right From this hell that we live in Cross the road until the light Comes inside and lives within It's a long and lonesome ride When your friends have all gone home But the roses in your eyes They pull me in so I don't feel alone You have one wing and I have another Seeking shelter like sister and brother Through the winter and through the summer Like one angel we'll

Fly far away Sometimes I just can't help but cry When I think of what we've become Like a soldier lost in the night Forgetting all where he has come from But the mud will soon become dry And the sun will rise again And the shadows in our eyes Will fade away down to lower plains Cause' You have one wing and I have another Seeking shelter like sister and brother Through the winter and through the summer Like one angel we'll

Fly far away You have one wing and I have another Seeking shelter like sister and brother Through the winter and through the summer Like one angel we'll

Fly far away So my friend now this I say I won't leave you hangin' on Hold on tight now and don't fly away Till one angel we have become

Steampunk edited by Ann and Jeff Vandemeer

Title: Steampunk

Edited by: Ann and Jeff Vandermeer

Publisher: Tachyon Publications 2008

Genre: Steampunk

Pages: 373

Rating: 4 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Support Your Local Library; Steampunk; A to Z: Author V

A good collection of steampunk stories from the later days of the 20th century. A lot of authors that I recognize, but none that I've actually read. I don't have a huge amount to say about this anthology. It was enjoyable. It was fun. It gave me a nice history of the Steampunk genre. It was nice to read something a bit more modern after Steampunk Prime. I have the second volume from the same editors, but have decided to read some others first. A good introduction to the genre. My favorite story: "Lord Kelvin's Machine" by James Blaylock. A good combination of intrigue, exploration, and machines. I definite must read!

Reading Challenge Mid-Year Check-up

Happy June! Summer's Here and It's Time for Reflection! As part of this month's craziness, I wanted to do a mid-year check-up on my reading challenges. I am so excited about the progress I've made in these five months, but I have a long way to go. So what progress did I make? And what still needs to be done? Any changes? Here we go... stay with me.

Progress Made:

I've made some great progress so far. Finished one big challenge. Close to finishing many others. Here's the breakdown:

Young adult 11/12
Steampunk 3/12
Outlander 0/7
Zombies 10/10 <--- COMPLETED!
Georgette Heyer 1/5
Science Fiction 0/10
Contemporary Romance 9/10
Fantasy 9/12
2011 8/20
Amazon Best of 2010 2/20
Page to Screen 3/10
Support Your Local Library 71/100
Historical Fiction 3/10
Vampires 16/20
A to Z: Titles 17/26
A to Z: Authors 13/26

Total entries made (not separate books) -- 176 (56.8% done)

Progress to Make:

Obviously there are a few areas that I need to work on. Specifically science fiction. I've tried I swear, I just keep getting distracted by pretty library books. J is going to kill me. I promise to do better. Really I will! And I haven't made at all a dent in the Amazon list. Those books really don't crossover much to other lists. There's a lot of nonfiction which I'm excited about. I have just been on a fiction kick lately. I have a few of these at home. I should bump them up on the TBR list.

Total entries to make (obviously not separate books, but slots to be filled) -- 134 (43.2% to go)

Changes:

I decided to drop the Year of Reading Challenges. They just weren't unique enough to keep track of. Sorry but they have to go. So my last of those monthly challenges will be May. I finished May. I'm done.
I was wondering if I should increase my zombie challenge (basically double it to 20) but decided to keep it as a finished challenge and try to focus on other genres. I'll still read zombie books, I just won't be counting them for a separate zombie challenge.
Overall, I updated some of the books to be read.
I decided to not allow a book to be listed in more than 3 reading challenges if one of those challenges is Support Your Local Library. And only 2 challenges otherwise. On top of that, they are 9 challenges that a book can't be crosslisted in each other. Confusing? Sorry. I have my own new method of listing and I think it will work better overall and specifically for crosslisting to get a variety.
I decided to create my own Fables series challenge. Basically I read the first volume, Legends in Exile, and loved it so much I want to read the entire series, plus the Jack of Hearts series. So I am creating my own challenge for it. Look for the sign-up post coming soon.

I decided to join Book Chick City's2011 Summer Romance Reading Challenge I read romance right? And I've found myself buying some romance, so I thought a summer romance reading challenge was just the ticket! Here's my initial post and tentative reading list. I think I'll focus on Historical Romance, Contemporary Romance, and Paranormal Romance and I've decided to do 8 of each! What do I get myself into?

Timeline: 1st June 2011 ~ 30th Sept 2011. Only books started on June 1st count towards this challenge.

Details:

Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.
4 months, 8 books - that's doable, right? Or if you want to push yourself further, double it to 16!!
Any book format counts except audiobooks.
The books you choose can crossover into other challenges you have on the go.
If you decide to participate in this challenge with me, please use the link I have set up below with the button to post on your sidebar, this way others can find their way back to this post and join in the fun. Also, be sure to create a post telling others with a link back to this post so others can join in.

BTT: Reviews

Do you read book reviews? Whose do you trust? Do they affect your reading habits? Your buying habits?

I have a strict rule on reading book reviews... I don't. I don't want to color my view of a book by seeing it through another's eyes. However, I do have a ton of book bloggers on my Google Reader. I have found some people who have similar tastes as myself. So, I often use their reading lists as a guide for new books. If they give a book high marks (I try to only look at the rating), I'll add it to my list.

After reading a book, I often go back to certain book bloggers to read the details of their reviews. It's interesting to read what they thought versus my thoughts. Sometimes I comment on their reviews and sometimes I don't.

Can You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse? by Max Brallier

Title: Can You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse?

Author: Max Brallier

Publisher: Gallery Books 2011

Genre: Zombie

Pages: 384

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Support Your Local Library

Inside these pages lies unspeakable horror. Bloodsplattering, brain-impaling, flesh-devouring horror. You’ve probably read your fair share of zombie stories. But this time it’s different. No longer can you sit idle as a bunch of fools make all the wrong moves. All hell is about to break loose—and YOU have a say in humanity’s survival. You have choices to make. Moral dilemmas. Strategic decisions. Weapons. Vehicles. Will you be a hero? Or will you cover your own ass at all costs? Can you withstand the coming hours, days, weeks, and months? Or will you die amidst the chaos and violence of a zombie uprising? Or, worst of all, will you become one of them?

A zombie choose your own adventure book? I am so there! And I'm glad I picked this one up. It was a fun romp through the classic zombie movie premise. A outbreak has occurred. You don't know how or why, but it's happening. You find out while at work in Manhattan. Now you have choices to make. The first one, take a taxi, run, or go back to your apartment. How are you going to survive?

I read through an adventure once and ended up stuck on Liberty Island. I read through it again and was killed fairly early on. Turns out I'm not this great at surviving in the book. But hopefully I could survive the zombie apocalypse better in real life. A definite pick for the zombie fans out there! I won't give away any more spoilers, but go and read it!

Summer Romance Reading Challenge

Timeline: 1st June 2011 ~ 30th Sept 2011. Only books started on June 1st count towards this challenge.

Details:

1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.

2. 4 months, 8 books - that's doable, right? Or if you want to push yourself further, double it to 16!!

3. Any book format counts except audiobooks.

5. The books you choose can crossover into other challenges you have on the go.

6. If you decide to participate in this challenge with me, please use the link I have set up below with the button to post on your sidebar, this way others can find their way back to this post and join in the fun. Also, be sure to create a post telling others with a link back to this post so others can join in.

Romance Sub-Genres:

• Historical Romance

• Paranormal Romance

• Science Fiction Romance

• Contemporary Romance

• Romantic Suspense

• Western Romance

• Fantasy Romance

• GLBT Romance

Why not? I like romance and was feeling a bit stale with my reading challenges. This one is shorter and something I read, but don't really have another place to put it. (yeah I know I have a Contemporary Romance challenge, but I only have one book left. And that challenge is "Contemporary" with no paranormal elements). I decided that I was going to try for 8 books in three genres. 24 books total!

Historical Romance:

1. The Lightkeeper's Ball - Colleen Coble

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Paranormal Romance:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Contemporary Romance

1. Lady X's Cowboy - zoe Archer

2. Greece - Melanie Panagiotopoulos

3. Passionate Pleasures - Beatrice Small

4. Forbidden Pleasures - Beatrice Small

5. Love Finds You in Holiday, FL - Sandra Bricker

6. Love Finds You in Snowball, Arkansas - Sandra Bricker

7. Love Finds You in North Pole, Alaska - Loree Lough

8. Washington - Wanda Brunstetter and Lauraine Snelling

Wish me luck! and join in the challenge!

May 2011 Wrap-Up

Books Read and Reviewed (books)

The Living Dead 2 edited by John Joseph Adams
Buffy Omnibus Vol. 1
Mr. Darcy's Decision by Juliette Shapiro
Buffy Omnibus Vol. 2
Buffy Omnibus Vol. 3
Once Bitten, Twice Dead by Bianca D'Arc
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Pale Reflections
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
Tales of the Greek Heroes by Roger Lancelyn Green
The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: False Memories
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Haunted
I am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert
Today in History: Disney by Eve Zibart
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
Steampunk Prime edited by Mike Ashley
The Ultimate Disney Trivia Book by Kevin Neary and Dave Smith
Watchmen: The Film Companion
Watchmen: The Art of the Film
Zombie High Yearbook by Jeff Busch
The Mental Floss History of the World by Erik Sass and Steve Wiegand
The Demigod Files by Rick Riordan

1,000,000 Page Goal

Monthly Total: 4273 pages Pages Remaining: 976,234 pages

Current Read

The Maverick's Bride by Catherine Palmer (back to my silly Christian historical romance)

Books I Won!!!

Rex Riders

Books I Gave Up On (1 books)

Love Finds You in Treasure Island, Florida by Debby Mayne -- Just couldn't connect to the 39 year old lead female. Didn't catch me enough to finish the book. Not a horrible book, but not great.

Books Bought (14 books)

Borders closing sale (I can't resist) $30:

The Betrayal of the Blood Lily by Lauren Willig
The Temptation of the Night Jasmine by Lauren Willig
The Kingdom of Ohio by Matthew Flaming
A Matter of Class by Mary Balogh
Star of the Morning by Lynn Kurland
Queen of Swords by Sara Donati
Dawn on a Distant Shore by Sara Donati
Lake in the Clouds by Sara Donati

Village Books closing sale:

The Deception of the Emerald Ring by Lauren Willig
Niccolo Rising by Dorothy Dunnett
Race of Scorpions by Dorothy Dunnett
Dark Angel / Lord Carew's Bride by Mary Balogh
Seduced by a Highlander by Paula Quinn
Ravished by a Highlander by Paula Quinn

Comments

Okay so I read lot of books read in May, but to be completely honest, some of those were more "flip through" types of books. Still, I am happy with my progress this month. I read some and put a huge dent in my library pile. My favorite for the month has to be The Forest of Hands and Teeth. That one is going to stay with me for a while. And I'm still waiting on the third book, The Dark and Hollow places to come off hold at the library.

I have put myself on a library ban (except specific holds) until I move. Yep that's right, I'm moving. If all goes well, I'll be leaving Indiana for Omaha, Nebraska in June. It's been almost a year in the making. I predict that my June reading is going to be very light with all the changes. In addition to moving, it's the end of the school year (always busy with kids) and my mom, the boys, and I am going to Disney World. We are going to be very busy for the next couple of weeks.

The Maverick's Bride by Catherine Palmer

Title: The Maverick's Bride

Author: Catherine Palmer

Publisher: Steeple Hill 1988

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Pages: 272

Rating: 4 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Support Your Local Library

I don't usually pick up these series romances. But for some reason, I grabbed this one. It intrigued me. And I found that I liked it!

The basic setting, Africa during the 1880s, fulfilled my exotic locations desire. I like far-flung locations. Africa during the 1880s was a time of colonization and exploration. Fittingly the main female character, Emmaline, was a proper British loyalist espousing pro-colonist sentiment. Until her views were changed by the American cowboy Adam King and his friends, mostly African natives. As a part of the story, they touched on the man-eater lions of Tsavo, an actual event. So right there I liked the setting and atmosphere of the book.

As to the plot, it was predictable, as they mostly are, but I was okay with it. The predictable plot was tolerable because of the strength of the characters. While Emmaline was whiny at times, I understood why she was whiny. Adam was secretive, but understandably so based on his history. And Nicholas was a thoroughly despicable character from the beginning without being a cartoon version of himself. I found them likable. And the side characters of Soapy, Linde, and Tolito added to the overall atmosphere.

One of the big problems I usually have with Christian historical romance is the sermonizing. This book had a nice balance of witnessing and general conversation. I didn't feel like the entire book was centered around "saving" someone. It was a good balance that didn't upset me.

Overall, I think an enjoyable quick read. I read it in a day. I think I'll be adding Catherine Palmer to my interesting authors list.

Quote Wednesday -- Kostova

"When you handle books all day long, every new one is a friend and a temptation."Elizabeth Kostova- The Historian

Last week, I had a question about the definition of a friend. Patrick gave me some really great things to think about, but overall I am still struggling with this idea.

This week, I turned back to my books for comfort. Things are progressing, but I have so much on my plate right now. I am overwhelmed. I need a good friend to turn to. Unfortunately, many of the people I know are also crazy busy. SO I turn back to books. I've always found a friend in books. They come into my world, give me comfort, share their struggles, sometimes have happy endings, and generally fill my life. I was an only child, often found somewhere curled up with a book. I filled my days, especially during winter, with reading. I read and read and read some more. Every week my dad would take me to the bookstore and we'd pick out something new. We went the library constantly. I loved skimming the covers and grabbing something that caught my eye. Sure, I had human friends. But there's just something so wonderful in a book. They talk back, but don't put you down. They cry with you instead of at you. They laugh along with your funnies. They are the perfect friends in many ways.

Resolution of the week: Until my life calms down a bit. Until I can figure out who my real friends are. Until I meet new people. Until I can feel comfortable in my own skin. I am going to rely on books. Sounds like a great plan. And I've got some new ones just waiting to make my acquaintance.