Sunday Drabble- I saw this picture and the drabble attacked me. Enjoy!
Promise, the Kitten
Indie Books Giveaways and Sale! Thanks @attackofthebook! September 3, 2011
Saw this and had to share 🙂
Go check out Indie Books this weekend!
This Labor Day weekend is an ebook lover’s dream come true!
Over 100 authors, over 130 titles, all priced to 99 cents as part of a Labor Day weekend sale to remember.
It is the first annual Indie Book Blowout!Â
Book Review: Ransome’s Honor by Kay Dacas @kayedacus A fun period story that leaves you wanting more. August 27, 2011
What a fun read.
It was a great period fic. Lots of gloves and manners and protocol. It was nearly twenty chapters before there was even a chaste kiss and it was perfect. I really enjoyed all of the characters. I wish we had seen more of William during the beginning of the book, but overall he was a good male protag.
I think Dacus does the era a great justice, keeping historically accurate with the women’s rights at that time as well as the culture of post-war England.
I’m actually very much looking forward to reading the next in the series. 🙂 I was disappointed that the book ended so quickly. I really wanted to see more of William and Julia. We spent the entire book waiting for them to get it all figured out and when they finally do and you can see how happy they are…. we’re done. So now, I must go in search of the sequel!
I would recommend this to my historical fiction/romance girls. Excellently written and fun too!
Have you seen @mstiefvater’s animated book trailer for Scorpio Races? August 21, 2011
I can’t wait to read this!
Maggie’s giving away doodled ARCs on her site also, go check out Words on Words to see how you can grab one!
My Wish. August 12, 2011
Last year at this time I was sick and worn down and I tried to be happy to turn 30 but when I woke up with Strep throat, that party deflated quickly. It took me months to come back from not only Strep, but Bronchitis, Pneumonia, and Coxsakie virus all right after my birthday. 29 wasn’t much better since I had been in and out of the hospital because of a Crohn’s like illness that hadn’t been diagnosed. Most of my 29th year was spent in fear of dying by starvation.
Two rough birthdays in a row has brought me to the realization that I am so very happy I am alive to see 31. I know it’s hard being a year older, but I am lucky to BE here. I have a good job, a supportive husband, three adorable fur-babies, I’m writing and will be published, and I can do as I wish when I wish. Nothing is truly in my way but me it seems.
My wish is that this year is a healthier year with lots of love and laughter. I wish this for myself, but for everyone else. We could all use good health, lovely people, and belly laughs.
Here’s to being 31.
Book Reviews: TLC by @barbaradelinsky & A Perfect Stranger by Danielle Steele ~ Campin’ Reads! July 31, 2011
TLC by Barbara Delinsky was an impulse buy when I bought The Stud. One of the best impulse buys ever. I really liked it a lot!
Yes it’s a romance novel, but I loved the underlying story. The dynamic, the love-hate relationship between Karen and the male protag, Brice, is quite fun. It has it’s emotional parts along with the fun snark and witty banter. You guys know how I love my snark and wit!
TLC is a story about a girl named Karen who is a grad student. We begin the story with her visiting an elderly woman in an assisted living home. At first the assumption is it’s a family member but we soon find out that Karen is a woman riddled with guilt and taxing herself so much she falls very, very ill. In walks Dr. Brice… he’s cocky, rude, self-righteous, and anti-social.
And it’s on! 🙂
A Perfect Stranger is another Danielle Steele novel. I say it that way because… well, it’s just another novel. I didn’t fall in love with either of the characters. I felt awfully for Alex the entire length of the story. Raphaella is beaatiful and kind and practically perfect in every way… there are times when your heart jerks for her and you wanna take her home and keep her safe, but then again, there are some times when you just wanna smack the crap out of her! Who at 32 years old would let their father say those things to them? Or let their mother boss them atround in that way??? It’s just insane.
The premise was good… lovely girl trapped in a marriage that her family wanted her in, she was swept away at 18 years old, and you just can’t handle things when you’re super young and overly sheltered. It makes sense she’d go off and marry the guy even if he was 44 years older, I can buy that.
But I was overwhelmed by the first 20 pages of Alex complaining that his wife of two years left him and then we hear more of Raphaela has been practically imprisoned her entire life by the life of luxury and riches and body guards and chauffeurs. It was kind of disconcerting to say the least! Their romance is a lovely one even if it’s fraught with drama and angst… although, by the third or fourth ( I lost count ) reconciliation, I was a little over it.Also, there was entirely too much clothing description. It was hard to believe that Alex, a 30-something lawyer would care that his girlfriend is wearing snake skin shoes from Gucci. Even if he lives in San Fran! 🙂
The ending was sweet, but again, it was lacking. I really wanted more. It was just kind of like, “Okay, and now we’re done.” And after the huge intro of angsty stuff in the beginning, I really wanted more to go on at the end.
It wasn’t a bad story, but it was a little long for the amount of story you get. I gave it 2.5 stars.
Book Review: The Stud by @BarbaraDelinsky Super fun with super swimmers! :) July 29, 2011
So I picked this book up out of guilt. Strange, right? You’re curious, yes? You think, “But Becca, you never read books out of pressure!? (see Harry Potter) What on Earth are you speaking of?!”
Okay, see what happend was that a twit on a fic site that I frequent decided to take The Stud and rearrange some things and add new names and call it her original idea. (Insert appalled face here.)
I bought into it. Not okay. Fanfiction is okay because you give credit to the author for being made of awesomesauce and then you play in their wake. You don’t take something from someone else and say, “Look at how wicked original and awesome I am!” Like I said, twit. (Insert foot tapping and scowl face here.)
So, chagrinned, I went out in search of this book when I found out that this happened. I looked high and low and come to find out, it was out of print!
Thankfully, my Shangri La, Bookman’s, a book reseller, happened to have one very old copy of it.
I read this bad boy in one sitting. This story grabbed me by the uterus and kept me entertained. That’s fairly impressive, I’d say. Yes, this is your typical romance with the heaving bosoms and panting breaths…. but she’s an independent businesswoman and he’s an Indiana Jones wanna-be!
Here’s the summary from GoodReads: Jenna McCue wants a baby and chooses an ideal man to be her sperm donor–but he wants the whole package: sex, love and forever.
How could that NOT be entertaining!? No, seriously, this was a very fun, light read. Great locations, lovely descriptions, some angst, lots of lemon, and witty snark (always a must with me) and overall, it didn’t drag or make me wish it would hurry-the-hell-up! I actually enjoyed Jenna and Spencer a lot.
It’s nice to see a romance “girl book” that didn’t have a wilting laurel kind of girl as the lead. Jenna can take care of her own… she just needs some good swimmers! And I must admit, Spencer is a fun character.
He reminded me of Michael Douglas’ character in Romancing the Stone.
And I think Jenna is a touch of Diane Keaton from Baby Boom. 
Yes, I’m a child of the Eighties… don’t judge me!
Overall, this was a great fluffy beach/lake read. I would recommend to anyone who is looking for something a lil’ smutty and squishy with just the right amount of “Awww!”
A drabble challenge from @kfwritesbooks I hope I did it justice, K! July 28, 2011
My online writing/crit group has started doing weekend 100 word “drabble” challenges. One of us gives another a picture, word, quote, something to stir the Muses and then see what happens.
Kerry sent me this beautifully sweet picture and below is what came to mind. I hope you enjoy! PS- I’m sorry this is late!
Drabble Challenge
Everyday she sits in the grass across from the field.
Everyday I watch her rather than work. Coach’s screams and yells toward thirty disgusting running footballers irritates me. Rarely needed as the trainer, the smell of fresh cut grass soothes me as I try to focus on the task at hand, but I keep being drawn to her.
So curious about the girl I would like to know. Never looking up, sitting with her book. Her bid to leave is always the setting sun.
Today, not unlike any other afternoon she is there with her book. Today though, today I’ll will join her under her tree.
Also, if you get the chance. Go check out our new site The Book Bunnies. We’ve worked hard on getting it set up and it’s now a real, live site!
Great giveaway for @naturallysteph’s Lola and Anna! July 21, 2011
Go check it out and tell thenerdswife I send you! 😀
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1RGHbj/thenerdswife.com/2011/07/stephanie-perkins-signing-and-giveaway.html
You could win this:
or this:
😀
booknerdbecca 