Saturday Snapshot - February 26th

Saturday Snapshot is a weekly meme hosted by Alyce, from At Home With Books.  All we have to do is post a favorite photo we've snapped, or one captured by family or friends. (No internet poaching.)

I recently bought the new Nikon D7000. It finally arrived and I've been trying to get as much "play" time with it as possible. We had a dusting of snow yesterday. Snow pictures are some of my favorites to play with.

The Nostalgic Librarian: Elixir Giveaway - Signed Copy!

The Nostalgic Librarian: Elixir Giveaway - Signed Copy!: "Photo from Goodreads.com Here is another giveaway, this time for a signed copy of Elixir by Hilary Duff, with Elise Allen. I will be..."

Check out this great giveaway. Take a look around the blog as well. You'll end up adding to your to be read list.

I Scream You Scream by Wendy Lyn Watson

Goodreads Summary:  Recently divorced Tallulah Jones is mortified when she's stuck scooping sundaes for her two-timing ex-husband-and his bodacious new girlfriend, Brittanie-at his company luau.

But when Brittanie drops dead, Tally is suddenly the prime suspect in her murder investigation. To catch the killer, Tally will have to dip deep into her small Texan town's darkest secrets and churn up stories some would prefer to keep in the past. But can she uncover the real culprit before a murder charge puts her dreams on ice for good?

I really enjoyed this book. It had been on my to read list for a while.  Then in October 2010 a friend picked up an autographed copy for me, but I didn't want to run the risk of messing up my signed copy, so I waited to read it until I could get a copy from the library.  I recently had surgery and chose this as my get me through the ordeal read.  It was a good choice.

There were a couple of things about this book that were a good indicator that this would be a series I would enjoy: ice-cream and Texas. I'm a transplanted Texan living in Colorado (love both states by the way) and for me ice cream is second only to chocolate.   These are the two reasons I picked up the book.  Watson's creative and humorous storytelling are why I kept reading.

This is truly a cozy. Yes, there's a death, but there's not a lot of "danger."  In several cozy mysteries I read, our intrepid sleuth manages to find themselves in danger of some sort or another at least once during the story. Tally is a straight forward, no-nonsense character, though she does seem to have a hard time picking the right man.

Watson has created well developed characters (along with Tally we meet her cousin Bree and Bree's daughter Alice and a love interest from Tally's past - Finn) that the reader will want to learn more about.  Even though the murder plays a big part in this book, Watson does take the time to give us a clear picture of Tally and the other residents of Dalliance, Texas.

If you are looking for a well paced, light hearted read and love mysteries and ice cream, this is the series for you. Check back soon for my review of Book Two: A Scoop to Kill.  Book Three: A Parfait Murder will be released in June.

Booklady's Rating:  5 of 5

Teaser Tuesdays (Feb 22nd)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

~Grab your current read
~Open to a random page
~Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
~~~BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
~Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 


I Am Jay by Cris Beam


"I'd live on the water, too, be a water bird. J took his camera from his backpack that was stuffed with clothes, some comics, and the gold necklace he had gotten for his First Communion, which he'd sell if he got desperate."

It was hard to find two sentences that wouldn't provide spoilers. Check back soon for my review on this book. I plan to have finished reading it by the weekend.

Saturday Snapshot - February 19th

Saturday Snapshot is a weekly meme hosted by Alyce, from At Home With Books.  All we have to do is post a favorite photo we've snapped, or one captured by family or friends. (No internet poaching.)

For today's photo, I thought I'd share one from a Valentine's Photo Scavenger Hunt I did with some friends on Facebook. It's very much like Saturday Snapshot, in that I ask my friends to only use pictures they or a friend took. But the difference is there is usually a theme and you have to find approximately 10 photos or so.  I don't know about my friends, but I have fun doing it.   So, which photo to share today?

Well, I couldn't decide between these two, so I decided to share both.  One of the things we were supposed to find in the hunt was something heart shaped. I figured at school, there would be lots of hearts. I just didn't expect to find on in my lunch. I just happened to notice that my sliced strawberries were heart shaped.  And so pulled out my camera for a quick snap.

The second picture wasn't part of the scavenger hunt, but it was the dessert I shared with my husband during a romantic dinner at The Craftwood Inn - one of my favorite places to go for dinner in Colorado Springs.

The Nostalgic Librarian: Elixir Giveaway - Signed Copy!

The Nostalgic Librarian: Elixir Giveaway - Signed Copy!: "Photo from Goodreads.com Here is another giveaway, this time for a signed copy of Elixir by Hilary Duff, with Elise Allen. I will be..."

Check it out for a great give away!

A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park

Goodreads Summary:  A Long Walk to Water begins as two stories, told in alternating sections, about a girl in Sudan in 2008 and a boy in Sudan in 1985. The girl, Nya, is fetching water from a pond that is two hours’ walk from her home: she makes two trips to the pond every day. The boy, Salva, becomes one of the "lost boys" of Sudan, refugees who cover the African continent on foot as they search for their families and for a safe place to stay. Enduring every hardship from loneliness to attack by armed rebels to contact with killer lions and crocodiles, Salva is a survivor, and his story goes on to intersect with Nya’s in an astonishing and moving way.


Park has woven an inspiring tale based on a true story.  A Long Walk to Water will help young adults understand the conflict in a far away country. The story also emphasizes the importance of clean water and how one person's struggles can inspire them to help others.  Alternating between Nya's and Salva's stories, Park  skillfully weaves the past with the present.  It's a very powerful story. One that I couldn't put down. It's a quick read, easily read in one sitting. This is a great book to generate a discussion about world issues.


Though shelved in the teen section at the library, Amazon lists the reading level as ages 9 to 12.  I recommend it for  5th grade and up, but parents and teachers should be aware that there is some mild violence.  It does after all take place in a war torn country. 

I Love Cozy Mysteries Winner

Thank you to everyone who entered my I Love Cozy Mysteries Give Away.  The winner selected from a random drawing is Erika.  I have sent her an email notification.

Again thank you for entering. I have some new mystery suggestions for my to read list.

Teaser Tuesdays (Feb 15)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

~Grab your current read
~Open to a random page
~Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
~~~BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
~Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 




Scoop to Kill by Wendy Lyn Watson

"Everyone knows Brian had a thing for pretty girls.  He was always chatting them up in class and promising them extra credit if they'd help him with filing and stuff in his office."

It's Monday What Are You Reading (3)

It's Monday! What are you reading is hosted by One Persons Journey through a world of Books. Each week we spotlight the books we are reading, planning on reading or just finished reading.

Over the weekend, I finished several books:

A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park

Warped by Melissa Guibord - Library ebook on my iPad

Body Work by Sara Paretsky - audio book

I'm currently reading:

BOOBS: A Bunch Of Outrageous Breast Cancer Survivors compiled by Ann Kempner Fisher

The Secret Life of Mrs. Finkleman by Ben H. Winters

All Just Glass by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes (library e-book)

The Tender Bar by J. R. Moehringer (Kindle e-book for my book club - Pikes Peak Bookworms)

Scoop to Kill by Wendy Lyn Watson

WHAT ARE YOU READING?

 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Next to my wonderful husband, children (including my four furry ones - well three furry and one prickly one), and my parents by choice, my two biggest loves are books and photos.  I'm fortunate enough that  my job allows me to be surrounded by what I love (what better than to spend your work days in a room full of books/) and requires me to talk to others about what I love.  I'm also fortunate that my husband supports both my big loves (he doesn't complain about the money I spend on books) and he's even helping me make the transition from hobby photographer to semi-profressional photographer.  The above collage has a picture of my local public library, a chocolate "book" cake, and a picture of me performing one of my favorite tasks at school.

If you love cozy mysteries or know someone who does, don't forget to enter my I Love Cozy Mysteries give away.  You must be a follower of this blog and leave a comment on the I Love Cozy Mysteries post by midnight tonight for a chance to win a prize pack of cozy mysteries - a couple of them are autographed.

So what do you love?

Saturday Snapshot - February 12th

Saturday Snapshot is a weekly meme hosted by Alyce, from At Home With Books.  All we have to do is post a favorite photo we've snapped, or one captured by family or friends. (No internet poaching.)

For today's snapshot, I went back to my undergrad days - back in the time of the dinosaurs when we didn't have digital cameras.  I took several photography classes.  When it came to developing color slides, I stunk at it. (And I hated it. You would spend 45 minutes in total darkness only to discover that you had placed the paper in the easel crooked and had to start over.) When my professor offered me the opportunity to hand color my black and white photos and let that count as my "color" work. I jumped on it. It is one of the things I miss about the old days.    This a picture of my cousin, who was more like my little brother than a cousin.  He and his sister would were used to my snapping their pictures all the time.

You Better Knot Die by Betty Hechtman

I love to crochet. So when I first discovered this series that featured crocheting I was ecstatic. It's a pretty darn good mystery series as well. And I'm pleased to see that the series has broken into hardback fairly quickly. Of course since this is a series I collect, that means my book expenses have gone up, but that's OK.

Book Summary:

Her crochet group, The Tarzana Hookers, is working overtime for the holidays-but Molly Pink is having trouble finding time to crochet so much as a snowflake. The bookstore where she works is adding a yarn department, and planning a huge launch party where the mysterious author of a popular series will reveal his or her true identity.

But before the author appears, another person disappears. The husband of Molly's neighbor is missing. When a suicide note arrives, it appears the husband has jumped off the Catalina Ferry- but Molly smells something fishy. Despite the protestations of her detective boyfriend, Molly's soon hooked on unraveling another mystery. She better watch out-or her sleuthing may get her on someone's naughty list...

 I find Pink to be a fairly grounded character considering all the crazy things that happen to her. She's caught between two love interests. Her two adult sons treat her with a great deal of condescension. Craziest of all is that she has to put up with Adelle, a knitting hating, over confident co-worker who horns in on everything. (I guess we all have an Adelle in our lives and that's just one of the aspects of this series that makes it easy for the reader to connect.)

In this latest installment, Hechtman taps into the vampire craze by featuring a secretive author who writes books about a vampire who controls his blood lust by crocheting.  I'm not sure you would find a real series about a crocheting vampire, but it makes this book a fun read. Hechtman has even included a crochet pattern for a "vampire" scarf.

There were a few twists and turns in this installment that makes this my favorite of the series so far. If you enjoy cozy mysteries with a dash of comedy, this is a series for you.

The Things A Brother Knows

Good Reads Summary: 

The story of a young marine’s return from war in the Middle East and the psychological effects it has on his family.
Finally, Levi Katznelson’s older brother, Boaz, has returned. Boaz was a high school star who had it all and gave it up to serve in a war Levi can’t understand. Things have been on hold since Boaz left. With the help of his two best friends Levi has fumbled his way through high school, weary of his role as little brother to the hero.
But when Boaz walks through the front door after his tour of duty is over, Levi knows there’s something wrong. Boaz is home, safe. But Levi knows that his brother is not the same.
Maybe things will never return to normal. Then Boaz leaves again, and this time Levi follows him, determined to understand who his brother was, who he has become, and how to bring him home again.
Award-winning author Dana Reinhardt introduces readers to Levi, who has never known what he believes, and whose journey reveals truths only a brother knows.

I am generally skeptical when reading books that have to do with the military and the current on-going conflicts. As an Army wife, I'm usually appalled by the lack of understanding that seems to be rampant in many of the books or I'm put off by the fact the many of the books on this theme seem to be written for the single purpose of protesting the war without any thought to actually writing a good story.  So, I was a little wary of reading The Things A Brother Knows.

I'm happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised. Reinhardt tells a compelling story that highlights the impact of military service on the family as well as the soldier. While Boaz' military service sets the background for this story, it's also very much about the relationship between a younger brother and his older brother. It is also about a journey: Levi's journey to understand his brother. Boaz's journey to find himself - though in truth Boaz's journey does not truly begin until the book ends. 

Reinhardt has created well developed characters with a great deal of depth. You can't help but feel for each of them as they struggle with trying to return to the way things were, finally realizing that will never happen. This was an engaging read that I did not want to put down.  It was not a statement about the war, but a wonderfully painted picture about how experiences change not only the person who has those experiences, but also changes those around them.

I consider this one of my best reads in 2011 so far.

 

Teaser Tuesdays (Feb 8th)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

~Grab your current read
~Open to a random page
~Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
~~~BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
~Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

Things A Brother Knows by Dana Reinhardt
Page 46:


"But I also want to say something about this protest Eddie organized. Something about people who sit around all day getting high, and then have the nerve to complain about the people who put their own lives at risk every time they swing their feet out of bed and drop them on the floor."


What are you reading?

Between the Covers: We Heart Nook Giveaway

Between the Covers: We Heart Nook Giveaway: "Nook Giveaway Rules: This is a multiple blog giveaway. Each blog is giving away a prize pack that will include an entry into the Grand Pr..."

This would be a great way to jump into digital reading. Plus they have some great book prizes as well. Best of all, you should follow their reviews. It's a great way to keep up on the world of books.

Saturday Snapshopt - February 5th

Saturday Snapshot is a weekly meme hosted by Alyce, from At Home With Books.  All we have to do is post a favorite photo we've snapped, or one captured by family or friends. (No internet poaching.)

This is a photo I took last Sunday at in Black Forest before my surgery and the following snow falls.  I love taking snow photos and missed several opportunities this past week during my recovery.  But all in all this is not a bad photo. (In addition to snow photos, I like photos with a patriotic touch.)

A Catered Thanksgiving by Isis Crawford

I received this just last week as part of Librarything's Early Review.

Goodreads Summary:
Sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons have handled plenty of catering challenges with grace and aplomb. But this Thanksgiving, they're cooking a feast for felons. . .

Whipping up Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings can be stressful for anyone, but that goes double for the Field family. They know that every family get-together has to be picture perfect, or they risk getting cut out of dominating patriarch Monty's extremely lucrative will.

That's where A Little Taste of Heaven, Bernie and Libby's catering company, comes in. Surely with their lumpless mashed potatoes and to-die-for gravy on the table, even the super-dysfunctional Fields can pretend to get along for one meal. But no one can dress up the disaster when the cover-worthy turkey goes boom right in Monty Field's scowling face, sending him to that great dining room in the sky.

With every member of the Field family harboring their own cornucopia of secrets, figuring out who wanted to carve up Monty isn't going to be easy. And to make matters worse, the Field Mansion is draped under a freak November snowstorm, making any hope of escape--or getting outside help--vanish faster than the Simmons' famous stuffing.

Now, trapped with a killer determined to get more than his fair share of the pumpkin pie, Bernie and Libby are going to have to convince the Fields that they aren't to blame--and find out who really is, fast. Because it won't be long before the leftovers--and the Simmons sisters' chances of surviving this real turkey of a day--run out for good

This is the first book I have read by Crawford. Though it is books seven in her culinary mystery series, Crawford has created a story that can easily stand on it's own. Though I hope to go back and read the other six books, I did not feel lost in this story by not having read the previous books.

I have to be honest and say that I hated the Field family. I think that was Crawford's intent. None of them were likable characters, making it easy to suspect them all of murder.  At times the banter between Bernie and Libby was a little irritating - sort of like being on the outside looking in - which is how it sometimes is with really close siblings.  I found the plot to be rather like an Agatha Christie novel. (I love Agatha Christie) and I'm pleased to say that I was caught off guard by who turned out to be the killer.  It was a quick read, one that I finished in a day.

Culinary mysteries are very popular right now. While I would not rate A Catered Thanksgiving among the top culinary mysteries, I did find it an enjoyable enough read that I will read other books in the series.

My rating: 3 of 5.

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

Cross Posting from Mrs. Archer's Book Notes

Goodreads Description:

Eleven-year-old Delphine has it together. Even though her mother, Cecile, abandoned her and her younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern, seven years ago. Even though her father and Big Ma will send them from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to stay with Cecile for the summer. And even though Delphine will have to take care of her sisters, as usual, and learn the truth about the missing pieces of the past.
When the girls arrive in Oakland in the summer of 1968, Cecile wants nothing to do with them. She makes them eat Chinese takeout dinners, forbids them to enter her kitchen, and never explains the strange visitors with Afros and black berets who knock on her door. Rather than spend time with them, Cecile sends Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern to a summer camp sponsored by a revolutionary group, the Black Panthers, where the girls get a radical new education.
Set during one of the most tumultuous years in recent American history, one crazy summer is the heartbreaking, funny tale of three girls in search of the mother who abandoned them—an unforgettable story told by a distinguished author of books for children and teens, Rita Williams-Garcia.

This is not a fast paced book, but the story moves along at pace that keeps the reader engaged.  Eleven-year-old Delphine is wise beyond her years. Through her eyes young readers can experience 1960s Oakland at the height of the Black  Panthers.  The reader also experiences the disappointment of a mother who seemingly has no feelings for her own children.  Williams-Garcia’s beautifully written story not only allows us experience Delphine’s growth over the summer, but also experience her beginning understanding of her mother.  Cecile is not a lovable character at all, but (slight spoiler here) does show the potential for redeeming herself.

This is a perfect read for 5^th graders and up.

Mrs. Archer’s rating 5 of 5.

January Reading Summary

I really jumped on the Reading Challenge Bandwagon this year. Many of the challenges overlap. Officially I signed up for

1.  Off The Shelf Challenge - my goal is to read a minimum of 30 books I purchased prior to January 1, 2011
2. Mystery and Suspense Challenge (sponsored by Book Chick City): goal 12 mysteries
3. 2011 Young Adult Historical Challenge: goal 15 YAHF books
4. 2011 Young Adult Book Challenge: goal 50 YA books
5. Youth Media Award Challenge (sponsored by me) 12 ALA Youth Media Award Winners
6. 350 Page Challenge: On this one, I'm just tracking how many books I read that are 350 pages or more
7. Support Your Library Challenge: Again, I'm tracking how many library books I read. The majority of my reads are library books.
8. 111 in 2011 (the goal is to read 111 books in 2011 - I read 291 books in 2010 so this should be easy.

I also challenged myself to become more familiar with the picture book collection in my library at Chinook. So you will see that I'm ready quite a few picture books this year. This will also greatly increase my number of books read. I happen to think picture books are important and everyone (including teens and adults) should read them more often.

In January I read a total of  65 books. 48 of them were library books. 4 were 350 or more pages long. 9 were young adult books (one of those was YA Historical Fiction). Four were mysteries. 7 were ALA Youth Media Award winners. 6 were non-fiction. 38 were picture books. One was an audio book. Four were e-books. Seven were Juvenile Fiction Chapter Books and two were general fiction books.

How was your January reading?

Confessions of a Bookaholic: Interview & Giveaway: The Demon Trapper's Daughter...

Confessions of a Bookaholic: Interview & Giveaway: The Demon Trapper's Daughter...: "I'm thrilled to have Jana Oliver, author of The Demon Trapper's Daughter, on my blog today. She has answered some questions and offer..."

Check out this great author interview. You should check out the blog as well. You'll end up adding lots of great titles to your to be read list.

Between the Covers: Author Interview & Giveaway: Kindred Blood Trilog...

Between the Covers: Author Interview & Giveaway: Kindred Blood Trilog...: "Trying to put his past behind him, Kaden moves to New York City where he creates a new life for himself. And that isn't easy, considering th..."

Click above and check out this great author interview with Amber Riley. And you have a chance to win free books, too!

I Love Cozy Mysteries Give Away

Today marks the release of a new book by one of my favorite cozy mystery authors: A Crafty Killing by Lorraine Bartlett. You can read my review here. To help celebrate that release and to celebrate my love cozy mysteries I am offering a special Valentine give away. 

I have loved cozy mysteries ever since I read my first Agatha Christie novel when I was a kid. To share my love of cozy mysteries I am giving away the following prize pack of 9 cozy mysteries (3 of which are autographed) to one winner:

An autographed copy of A Crafty Killing by Lorraine Bartlett (not pictured)
An autographed copy of Bookmarked for Death by Lorna Barrett (not pictured)
An autographed copy of Knit One, Kill Two by Maggie Sefton
The Long Quiche Goodbye by Avery Aames
Sprinkle With Murder by Jenn McKinlay
Murder on the Menu by Miranda Bliss
Hooked on Murder by Betty Hechtman
A Bone to Pick by Charlaine Harris
The Diva Cooks A Goose by Krista Davis (not pictured)

They are all new paperbacks. To enter you just need to follow my blog and leave a comment telling me the name of your favorite cozy mystery. Be sure to leave a way for me to contact you. You have until midnight on February 14th to enter. Good luck!

Tuesday Teaser - Feb 2nd

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

~Grab your current read
~Open to a random page
~Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
~~~BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
~Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

I Scream You Scream by Wendy Lyn Watson has been on my to read list for a while. A dear friend picked me up a an autographed copy of this and Scoop to Kill. I started I Scream yesterday while waiting for my surgery. I'd have finished it by now if I hadn't been so drugged up after the surgery.  It's a great read.

Page: 184
"I make really good ice cream," I snapped. "That ought to count for more than all that marketing mumbo-jumbo."