Little Thoughts About Books and Stuff

This book just won the 2013 Newbery Medal Reading the description and then watching the book trailer has me already choked up. It seems like such a heart breaking story, but I'm so very curious about it now. When I was younger I used to seek out books that had the Newbery seal on them, those were the book I had wanted to read.  I'm debating this one...I'll probably risk breaking my heart.       Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all. Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he’s seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line. Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and sh...

In honor of Amelia Bedelia's 50th Birthday I put up a book display featuring my five favorite books.

The Lady and The Duke by Olivia Kelly My rating: 5 of 5 stars Description from Goodreads: Miss Audrey Ellis has failed to catch a wealthy, titled husband in her two London Seasons,and merely wishes to return to her quiet country life, leaving high society behind her for good. But when an unexpected encounter brings the Duke of Halford into her life, she will have to decide if she has the courage to change her prudent, unadventurous plans and reach for something more. William Langston, the Duke of Halford, wasn't looking for love. He came to Town to track down his sister's blackmailer, hoping  to head off a scandal in the making. But the Viscount Claremont is more elusive than the duke was prepared for, and leads him on a chase through society's drawing rooms and balls. Will soon finds himself distracted from his mission by Audrey's fresh beauty and lack of pretension, something scarce in his rarefied world. The pair are drawn together despite their differences, b...

The Facebook Diet: 50 Funny Signs of Facebook Addiction and Ways to Unplug with a Tech-Detox by Gemini Adams My rating: 4 of 5 stars Book Discription from Goodreads: There are now 1 billion people on Facebook. That's 1 in every 7 people on the planet. And 34% of all users check their account before brushing their teeth or hair in the mornings!   Everyone can confess to an addictive Facebook habit, whether it's stalking an ex, faking bathroom breaks to read news, checking-in wherever they go, or art-directing photo's for the perfect profile pic.   The Facebook Diet (the first in The Unplug Series) takes a tongue-in-cheek look at this love for social media, featuring 50 hilarious cartoons that pinpoint the more idiotic, embarrassing and cringe-worthy behaviors of this modern approach to communication.   It’s the ideal gift for Facebook junkies everywhere. Helping them find light-relief and the ability to laugh at this tech-takeover, which may inspire them to occ...

Hello! Lola here, my mommy has nothing to post today so I was allowed to take over the blog! First here I would like to share with you a video to help you understand your pug better, my mommy and grandmom have a pretty good understand of me already, but sometimes even they need help understanding my demands. Source: youtube.com via Brenda on Pinterest Now that you know how to understand me, know that you are not providing for me up to my standards.  There is one man who knows how to provide for his pugs, his name is Valentino.   Watch this and then you will understand the kind of care I deserve.

Gun Machine By Warren Ellis : Wil Wheaton narrates the trailer for writer Warren Ellis' new novel 'Gun Machine,' drawn by Ben Templesmith. Get More:  MTV Shows Saw this last week and just loved the visuals...it doesn't hurt that Wil Wheaton is narrating!

Well the semester has started and I didn't get it all finished. Half way through the break I realized I had over did it and cut out all the Jane Austen themed books I had listed. Too much holiday socializing and not enough alone time to read. Highlighted titles have been read! Play by Play Series by Jaci Burton #3 Taking a Shot #4 Playing to Win Highlander Series by Janet Chapman (this is one I started a long time ago and just recently realized there are 2 more books) Secrets of the Highlander A Highlander Christmas Highlander for the Holidays Puffin Harbor Series by Janet Chapman (again read the first book forever ago) The Dangerous Protector The Windham Series by Grace Burrowes Lady Maggie's Secret Scandal Lady Louisa's Christmas Knight The Courtship Color Coded Reading Challenge Black City by Elizabeth Richards Other Novels A Seal at Heart by Anne Elizabeth Shadow Ops: Control Point by Myke Cole Orleans by Sherri L. Sm...

I set myself a goal of tracking 100 books on Goodreads in 2012...I tracked 150.  For 2013 I set myself a goal of tracking 200 books. I say tracking and not reading because I read way more than I track.  There's short little romance novel I'll grab out of the free bin at work to read at lunch or the children's picture book that just came in.  I don't track those.  There are the books that I forget to track because I read it in one afternoon laying on the couch.  There are also the books I reread.  The books I turn to at 2 am when I know there is no way I'll be getting back to sleep.  So I set goals to track the new books I read. I did the Color Coded Reading Challenge in 2012 and just barely completed that task.  The Global Lit class bogged me down towards the end of the year and I just wasn't reading as much as a I normally do. For 2031 I'm going to be trying the TBR Pile Challenge .  I dug through my numerous bins/bags/boxes...

Adam over at RoofBeamReader is hosting the 2013 TBR Pile Challenge . The Goal is to read 12 books from your "to be read" pile before the end of 2013. Here is my list: Wolf Hall by Hillary Mantle Geektastic edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci How to Be Single by Liz Tuccillo American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld The Smart One and The Pretty One by  Claire LaZebnik Jack's Widow by Eve Pollard The Dead Beat by Mailyn Johnson Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen by Syrie James Casting About by Terri Dulong Needles and Pearls by Gil McNeil The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club by Gil McNeil Alternates This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel  People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks You can track my progress here .  I'll be posting (mini) reviews of the books as I finish them.