If You Give A Blogger a Book...Club

Connie's Summer Reading List 2013

2013-05-17T15:15:00.001-07:00

The kids are out of school in less than two weeks and that means....Mommy gets a break! I love summer. We don't plan a ton of stuff, instead we take it easy and do fun things around the house and swim a lot.

My favorite thing to do in the summer is read. The patio is my favorite spot, with an icy cold beverage and a book. This year, I won't have quite as much time, because I'll be planning for the next school year and we're going on an 11 day vacation to California.

There are 11 weeks of summer vacation! I'm picking 8 books to read....I'm confident that I can accomplish this, and it will encourage my kids to read too.

I created the Summer Reading Program at my kids' school this year so I'd really like them to make me look good and read as much as they can.

What are you reading this summer?

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender

The Summer Book by Tove Jansson

The Elite by Kiera Cass

The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin

Bread and Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table by Shauna Niequist

A Room with a View by E.M. Forster

The Tao of Martha: My Year of LIVING; Or, Why I'm Never Getting All That Glitter Off of the Dog by Jen Lancaster

Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld

April Book Club: The Kitchen House

2013-04-07T05:36:00.002-07:00

I've made this announcement on facebook and twitter but if you missed it......

Congratulations to Christina and Jen for winning a copy of The Kitchen House!

Thank you to everyone that entered and tweeted our giveaway. I have good news for you.

The Kitchen House is available on Kindle right now for $5.83! Please consider purchasing the book and joining the book club this month.

You can find it here.

We will begin discussing the book on May 1st! Don't forget to join our facebook group.

April Book Club Selection

2013-03-29T17:31:00.001-07:00

Hey Y'all!

I've been to Texas recently and now I'm craving Bar Bee Q and talking with a drawl. My kids got stick horses and cowboy hats and they are calling everyone partner!

Thank you to everyone that voted for our next book club selection! The book that had the most books was....The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom.

I will be giving away TWO copies of this book so please leave a message telling me what you did for Spring Break this year. Contest ends on Friday, April 5th. Entry today!

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A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

2013-03-15T09:04:00.003-07:00

“Dear God," she prayed, "let me be something every minute of every hour of my life. Let me be gay; let me be sad. Let me be cold; let me be warm. Let me be hungry...have too much to eat. Let me be ragged or well dressed. Let me be sincere - be deceitful. Let me be truthful; let me be a liar. Let me be honorable and let me sin. Only let me be something every blessed minute. And when I sleep, let me dream all the time so that not one little piece of living is ever lost.”
― Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Books like this are why I love historical fiction. I love the story telling of a time so long ago, the hardships and fears that made our ancestors so strong and resilient.

Francie broke my heart and made me yearn for something more for her. I wanted so desperately for her to get a break. No matter what came her way, she found a way to make her circumstances better. I love that her most prized possession was her education and the lengths she went to to make it successful. She excelled at everything she tried and put all of her heart into it.

Now that the book is over, I miss her and wonder what she's doing. Is there a sequel to this book? I wish there was.....

“From that time on, the world was hers for the reading. She would never be lonely again, never miss the lack of intimate friends. Books became her friends and there was one for every mood. There was poetry for quiet companionship. There was adventure when she tired of quiet hours. There would be love stories when she came into adolescence and when she wanted to feel a closeness to someone she could read a biography. On that day when she first knew she could read, she made a vow to read one book a day as long as she lived.”
― Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Must Read List

2013-03-12T11:58:00.000-07:00

So many books.....so little time!

My must read book list continues to grow and picking one for the book club is becoming harder and harder for me and Mimi.

Which means we need YOUR help picking our next book. We need YOU to give us recommendations. What books are on your must read list? Is there a classic that you haven't tackled yet? A new best seller that everyone is reading? Tell us!

We'll pick a couple from the comments and we'll each pick one from our list and then we need YOU to vote for our next book.

Let's hear it? What are you excited to read?

Literary Friday: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

2013-03-08T12:46:00.003-08:00

I'm linking up with Ricki from Art @ Home to tell you what I'm reading this weekend. I started this book a few days ago and I'm so excited to curl up with this book and a blanket and a half a dozen cups of hot coffee because the news folks are saying we're getting 14 inches of snow tomorrow.

I'm stocked up with food and k-cups so I say....BRING IT!

This book came highly recommend by my partner in reading crime, Mimi. We do have similar tastes in books (and politics) so I generally always like what she likes.

I read a passage from the book this morning that made me so happy. I love her ritual of reading.

Home at last and now it was the time she had been looking forward to all week: fire-escape-sitting time. She put a small rug on the fire-escape and got the pillow from her bed and propped it against the bars. Luckily there was ice in the icebox. She chipped off a small piece and put it in a glass of water. The pink-and-white peppermint wafers bought that morning were arranged in a little bowl, cracked, but of a pretty blue color. She arranged glass, bowl and book on the window sill and climbed out on the fire-escape. Once out there, she was living in a tree.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is the story of Francie and her early life in Brooklyn. She loves to read and buy penny candy. Her family is very poor but they find ways to make some things special. I can't wait to devour this book and learn more about Francie and her family.

This work of fiction by Betty Smith was first published in 1943 and was an immediate best seller and was later made into a movie. Stay tuned for a full review!

What are you reading this weekend?

FREE Magazines

2013-03-02T06:15:00.001-08:00

I love to read.

I'll read anything I can get my hands on really.

In addition to my 'book love'. I also have a pretty healthy magazine obsession. I say it's healthy because my love of magazines hasn't put me in the poor house (yet), my kids haven't gone hungry because of it and I don't hide them around the house.

You know how sometimes you stumble upon something when you were looking at something else on the internet. Let me tell you how my latest discovery went down.

I woke up early this morning and decided to make some notes for a PTA meeting I'm having this afternoon but first I checked facebook (you do this too, I know you do). I saw a posting from Read Across America asking me if I saw the live event this morning.

I didn't see it. I didn't know about it so I googled NEW YORK CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY. First of all, the NYCPL has the best website I have ever seen. So much information and a great kids section with book lists and games. I'm going to explore it further....probably in 6 months because OH MY GOSH...I am just not going to have time.

I then googled DENVER PUBLIC LIBRARY to see what I could see and low and behold, I found something amazing and I squealed with delight.

FREE Digital Magazine Subscriptions.

So then I went to my local library website which...frankly, is very much lacking and I searched all over the place (I'm an excellent researcher) and I found that MY library is offering them too! And then I signed up and put in my library card number and 100 magazine were available to me with the touch of a mouse.

I'm going to have quit blogging and PTA to read all of these!

What are you waiting for? Go see if YOUR library has this offer. Unless of course you don't like magazines. Then go back to whatever it is you were doing.

OH and you don't have to have an eDevice to read them. You can read them on your computer.

The End of Your Life Book Club ~ Connie's Thoughts

2013-02-27T06:12:00.002-08:00

I just finished The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe a few hours ago. I struggled to get through this book because I had so little in common with the author and his mother. Please read Mimi's review before reading my thoughts. She does an excellent job of explaining the book and we feel the same way about many aspects of it.

There are things that I did like about the book. As a book lover, I loved that this was a way for Will and Mary Anne to become closer in the final years of her life. While I was reading this book, I discovered that my daughter could read much more than I realized. I started fantasizing about the book club that we could have together for years to come!

Like Mary Anne, I love to share my favorite books with friends and recommend books when I think they can benefit from them. I hope that my friends remember my love of reading when I'm gone.

I'm looking forward to reading many of the books that were mentioned in the book and was thrilled to find a list of them in the back of the book.

Even though I didn't love this book, I still recommend it. It was a touching story and it made me want to be a better daughter to my Mom. I have a difficult relationship with her but we both love to read! This could be the link that brings us closer. I'm going to ask her to be in a book club with me.

Have you read The End of Your Life Book Club? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

The End of Your Life Book Club - MiMi's Review

2013-02-23T17:53:00.000-08:00

Time to review our January pick, The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe.

When reading the jacket flap on this book it seems to be a sweet memoir of a mother and son and their life together as seen through the scope of all the many books they had read throughout their lives and especially the ones they choose to read near the end of the mother's life.

And for all intents and purposes it really is a love story from a son to his mother.

Here's a review from someone who, for whatever reason, kept getting sidetracked by the issues in the book other than what it seems to be about on the surface.

Mary Anne Schwalbe, Bill's mother, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2007. They have always shared a love of books and reading and often times they traded and passed books to each other and then discussed ideas and themes and characters they read about. The books they would read after her diagnosis were much the same...read, pass, discuss.

I think it's beautiful how they were able to come together and have this memorable time discussing important issues.

A lot of the stories in the books they read were seen through the scope of their lives and Mary Anne's work with Women's organizations and also in Afghanistan.

I think it's safe to say that the Schwalbe family is a wealthy family from the North East. Cerebral, academic and very involved in their community.

They definitely see the world differently than a woman like myself who neither comes from wealth nor has traveled much.

The book was very much about books they read and how they brought them together to discuss important issues.

However, I kept getting side tracked by things that I thought were out of place in the book. Of course I am aware that I don't have an insiders point of view and who am I to say what was appropriate in someone else's memoir?? I take full responsibility for my opinions and digression here.

It's almost as if because they are wealthy that Mary Anne felt guilty about it. She felt guilty that she had such wonderful health care that let her take advantage of the best treatments in the world and gave her 2 years of life with her family that she may not have had without it.

She felt guilty about getting blood transfusions. Although Schwalbe was quick to point out that she had donated many pints of blood over her lifetime so that did assuage her guilt some...she had taken but she had given so that evened it out. She also had guilt over the prescriptions she was able to take.

The author felt as though the election of Barack Obama was tied to whether or not his mother would would do well in treatment and with her current scans of the tumors at the time. It was a superstition thing, in a way.

He was very keen on telling about Mary Anne's desire to let everyone know that Obama MUST be elected so that health care reform could take place. Then everyone would have the same kind of care that she was able to have.

Mary Anne was a Christian woman who wanted her son to come to Christianity, or "religion" as Schwalbe refers to it. The one book that she had chosen for part of their impromptu book club that was "religious", Schwalbe never did read. He doesn't believe and at the end of the book I was sad that he didn't become at least more open to the idea of God.

This review is all over the place, I can't seem to get it all out in a succinct post.

Maybe I'll close it up with some bullet points:

* The book was more political than I would have liked.
* The constant need to reiterate the guilt associated with the kind of lifestyle they lead was annoying.
* Mary Anne Schwalbe was a strong woman who loved her family and the organizations she founded and managed.
* The way the author sort of poo-poohed her Christian philosophy irritated me.
* They read a LOT of books and there is a bibliography in the back that I'm taking full advantage of.
* I don't think they ever read a fluff book. No Stephanie Plum there.
* I am not smart enough to be in their book club.
* I would have liked to meet Mary Anne.
* I wouldn't like to meet Schwalbe.
* The book almost had to be political in a way because of the life they lead and where Mary Anne's focus lay with Women's organizations, Afghanistan, etc. Every book they read was obviously going to be discussed with whatever experiences they had that they brought with them.
* You should read it if for no other reason than to see how the "other side" live and to get an idea of why they think they way they do. I found that very telling.
* That's the end of my review.

You are welcome! No more rambling.

What did everyone else think? Maybe I should read it again to see if I can get past the rabbit trails that my brain kept taking?

Logophiles Unite

2013-02-19T13:56:00.003-08:00

I was hanging out in the book store the other day just soaking up the books. Sometimes, I like to wander around and let books pick me. This is the book that picked me.

I didn't know I was a logophile until I read it inside the front cover. P.S. A Logophile is a word lover!

See! A brand new word for the word journal!

I had just told my husband a few days before that I used to read the dictionary for fun. He called me crazy but that's okay. I kind of am.

Within the pages of this journal, you'll find questions that are posed to spark creative thinking by drawing upon words, expressions, quotes and ideas. Each entry is designed to pique your curiosity, point out new words and prompt you to write.

So pick up your pen, and document your love of language--one word at a time!

Winner Winner!! Is it you??

2013-02-13T08:24:00.004-08:00

The contest for the Heather McDonald book, My Inappropriate Life is over and the results are in!

Our winner for this hilarious book is....**drum roll please**...

Angie!!!

Thank you so much to everyone who has helped us get the word out and who entered!

Congrats Angie, I will pass your info to my contact!

Also, are any of you reading our pick for this month?

If you don't have your copy yet it's available at Amazon.

Have a great day, everyone!

Connie's Winter Reading List

2013-02-07T12:55:00.001-08:00

I'm feeling the urge to make a list. A reading list for winter because girl needs to have goals. I'm going to limit myself to just a few books because I want to make sure I cross all of these off.

1.) A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. This book was recommended by Mimi and if she thinks it's good then it must be.

2.) I Never Promised You a Goodie Bag by Jennifer Gilbert. My kids birthdays are coming up and you know I'm the queen of goodie bags. But this year, no parties and no goodie bags.

3.) A Good American by Alex George. I'm reading this for BlogHer's book club and it sounds really interesting!

4.) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I've always wanted to read this book and now is the time!

What is on your winter reading list?

WINNER and Heather McDonald: My Inappropriate Life Giveaway

2013-02-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

Last week was the last giveaway for our Blogiversary! The winner of the ruffle tote book bag is....

**drumroll please**

Emmy!

Thanks everyone who helped us get the word out. Our stats more than doubled!

On to some more fabulous stuff! It happens to be another giveaway!

A couple weeks ago a friend of mine who happens to know Heather McDonald (of Chelsea Lately fame) asked if I might like to read her new book.

She also knows we have this here blog and some pages on Facebook so she figured it would be a great way to promote the book and possibly promote our little operation here.

And the idea for me to review said book and giveaway a second book was born. Isn't my friend smart? Yes. Yes, she is.

A few days ago I received this book in the mail, signed by Heather.

If you don't win this book you can go to Amazon to order on Feb. 5th.

I have an entire list of books that I need to read either for friends (to review), book club (to keep up with one and start another) and to finish.

So I did what any normal person would do: I squealed at the pretty cover, ditched the other books and holed up on my couch with a blanky and read this one instead.

Let me first say that it is a fun, light, entertaining, and easy read. On top of that, it's a super quick read.

I started it and then got sidetracked but Friday night when we were having our weekly "slumber party" night with the boys, I got back to it.

This was my first mistake. I'm lying in bed trying to read and be quiet so the boys can sleep. When I got to the part about her Hershey's Kiss moment on Chelsea's private plane, I died. THEN. Came the torpedo moment and I lost it.

The bed was literally shaking, y'all. I tried to keep it quiet and inch my fat butt out of bed without making too much noise to escape where I could let loose with a loud guffaw noise. Donkey's got nothin' on me and my braying, guys.

You might think by the title of this book that Heather is totally irresponsible and X rated and taboo. Really? She's not.

In fact, I would venture out there enough to say that it's not that she's inappropriate. She's got some inappropriate friends, though! She ends up in situations that are seriously priceless.

She's a working mother to 2 boys and 1 step daughter and she's a normal gal...with an extraordinary job and friends that put her in the most entertaining situations.

The way she can take the ordinary story of taking her children on one of her trips for work to the ending where she's quoting Amy Winehouse song lyrics? Awesome.

And all the stuff in between (which is the good stuff that I'm not going to spoil for you) that gets you to the end where she's quoting those lyrics make total sense. As a mom, you're going to totally understand why and how this happened. In the end? It was probably a lil inappropriate that her kids were in that situation. Did she know before hand? Not at all.

Which is part of her charm. Heather is funny, self deprecating, loving and irreverent. It's an interesting and delightful combo, really. And, yes, I totally just said "delightful."

Somehow, I think Heather would smack the crap out of me for using that word in her book review.

I apologize. I need to rephrase it...perhaps something more along the lines of..."I'd trade my left nipple to live a day in her life." (read the book and you'll get that.)

Now. Here's the best part.

You can win your very own copy of Heather McDonald's book!! Autographed by the funny lady, herself!

Rafflecopter's in charge of this giveaway, so follow these rules and you're on your way to some serious laughter. If you ask me, it's perfect for this time of year....dreary, gray, cold, wet...you need some sunshine and funny!
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Giveaway #4 and 3 Winners!!

2013-01-27T23:00:00.000-08:00

Have you all been enjoying our Blogiversary celebration?? I know we sure have!

Last week Angie from Chaotic Creations offered up 3 handmade Reader Girl bookmarks and Connie added a gift card to Starbucks for each winner.

Congratulations to our 3 winners!

Emmy

Rachel

Myya

We love to read and we also love our readers and it's been so fun to interact with you all and get everyone excited for our giveaways.

That being said, we have one last giveaway. And then it's back to boring! I kid, I kid! We're not boring. Just go to our GoodReads account and read our bio. We're fabulous.

If you like our page on facebook we have all the links to other places you can find us. We're everywhere!

On to the last giveaway! This one's a REAL LOSER. Hahaha. Just joshin' ya. (remember that saying? yikes, no wonder it went extinct.)

I can joke like that because it's from my shop and I can make fun of my own stuff. So there.

But...in all honesty...it is pretty cute. It's one of my ruffle totes and I thought it would be a perfect book bag for the reader.

I actually use one for a library bag. Yes. I still go to the library. Whatever.

Anyway, you can go to my Cursing Crafter (that's my shop's name) fan page on FB to see some of the things that I make. I have an etsy but until I get it sort of back up and in order after taking the last 6 months or so to do some craft fairs and boutiques it is in vacation mode. It's not mandatory but I would love if you'd please like my page!

Here's the link for Cursing Crafter's Etsy. Feel free to add me to your circle or favorites if you like.

Anyway, here's the tote that is up for someone to win!

Wanna win??

Here's how with Rafflecopter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

Giveaway #3 and another WINNER

2013-01-21T00:00:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Jen Pace! You have won the adorable Book Nerd Necklace!

Thank you again to Happy Whimsy for donating the jewelry to us. Please take a moment and visit her shop again in case you missed it the first time. I found several things I couldn't live without and placed an order of my own!

Have you noticed how beautiful our website looks? That is the handi-work of Miss Angie. She did fantastic, didn't she??

And guess what. She's responsible for this week's awesome giveaway, too! What a generous soul, Miss Angie is! Go visit her cute blog, here.

It's from her shop Chaotic Creations by My So Called Chaos. This girl is busy. She works, she volunteers, she has a blog, an etsy filled with beautiful things AND she designs blogs. I'm tired just typing all that out!

Visit her fan page on Facebook for her Chaotic Creations shop here. And check out the section where she offers up her blog designs. Then go look at some of her actual designs here!! She's so creative...she can do a little bit of everything!

Anyway, this week, Angie has generously offered 3 things for 3 winners!!

Here is what we have...

3 people will randomly be selected to win one of these 3 hand made, paper bookmarks!! Here's the description from etsy.

This bookmark is heavy duty, made from repurposed book pages, and colored with spray ink and a corresponding ribbon to help keep your place. It's a pretty 4-color rainbow effect and features a stamped girl with a cute little bob.

Beautiful, right??

Each winner will also win a Starbucks Gift Card from us! Woot!

Here's the Rafflecopter to take your entries!

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Congrats to last week's winner. Please send us your info so that we can get your necklace to you!

Thank you, Angie, for the awesome new layout and design and sponsoring our lovely giveaway! You rock, more than you know!!

Giveaway #2 and a WINNER!

2013-01-11T14:47:00.002-08:00

Congratulations to Myya for winning this months book selection, The End of Your Life Book Club. We're so excited to get started reading this book and look forward to discussing it in our facebook group.

Thank you so much for answering our question in the comments. We know it's hard to narrow down your favorite genre but we did have a reason for it. We want to expand our book club horizons and pick books from all kind of genres.

We told you we have a month of giveaways lined up and you are going to love this next one!

Happy Whimsy has the cutest necklace for any book lovin' lady out there. When I saw it I knew I had to ask, beg, grovel, whatever I had to do to see if the sweet shop owner would sponsor this giveaway.

Thank you, Sue, for saying yes!!

How. Cute. Is. That?!

Here's the official description:

Book Nerd 1x2" Silver Resin Pendant
18" ball chain...approx. size of pendant 1x2"...."book Nerd" for Book Lover, Indy Reader, Book Club Gift...anyone who loves books and loves to read.

Sue also has another Etsy shop called Little Goodie 2 Shoes. Such fun stuff!! Iron ons, stickers, thank you cards, pillows and magnets are just a few of the items you will find in this ah-dor-able little shop.

I know some momma's about ready to have some babehs that are going to need some of this stuff!

What I love most about her shops are that the things she has available are cute and a great price!!

So enter to win this cute necklace, go browse her shops and tweet, tweet, tweet! to get the word out to help showcase this lovely woman and her adorable shops!

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January Book Selection and Blogiversary!

2013-01-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

Mimi and I are excited!

Not only are we announcing the next book club selection, but it is our one year blogiversary and we've got a fun month of giveaways planned!

I want to thank Mimi for agreeing to host this blog with me. When I had the idea for If You Give a Blogger a Book....Club, I knew Mimi would be the perfect partner because she loves reading and books as much (if not more) as I do and we get along so well!

I also want to thank all of our readers and facebook group friends that have made this year so fun. Thank you for reading the books, participating in the discussions on the facebook group and for all of your thoughtful comments.

Without further ado.....the book club selection for January 2013 is:

From Amazon:

“What are you reading?”

That’s the question Will Schwalbe asks his mother, Mary Anne, as they sit in the waiting room of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. In 2007, Mary Anne returned from a humanitarian trip to Pakistan and Afghanistan suffering from what her doctors believed was a rare type of hepatitis. Months later she was diagnosed with a form of advanced pancreatic cancer, which is almost always fatal, often in six months or less.

This is the inspiring true story of a son and his mother, who start a “book club” that brings them together as her life comes to a close. Over the next two years, Will and Mary Anne carry on conversations that are both wide-ranging and deeply personal, prompted by an eclectic array of books and a shared passion for reading. Their list jumps from classic to popular, from poetry to mysteries, from fantastic to spiritual. The issues they discuss include questions of faith and courage as well as everyday topics such as expressing gratitude and learning to listen. Throughout, they are constantly reminded of the power of books to comfort us, astonish us, teach us, and tell us what we need to do with our lives and in the world.

Reading isn’t the opposite of doing; it’s the opposite of dying.

Will and Mary Anne share their hopes and concerns with each other—and rediscover their lives—through their favorite books. When they read, they aren’t a sick person and a well person, but a mother and a son taking a journey together. The result is a profoundly moving tale of loss that is also a joyful, and often humorous, celebration of life: Will’s love letter to his mother, and theirs to the printed page.

The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe

Contest ends on Thursday night. We'll announce the winner AND another giveaway on Friday!

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2013 Reading Challenge

2013-01-01T12:54:00.001-08:00

Do you set a goal for number of books to read each year?

Apparently, I love a good challenge because I pledged to read 28 books in 2012 and I read 35!

This year I'm pledging to read 40 books!

I think I can do it, how about you?

New Years Help

2012-12-30T19:00:00.001-08:00

If we are friends on GoodReads....you're well aware of my love of self-help books. I feel like I'm always a work in progress and love learning about more ways to be awesome.

I do think I'm pretty awesome. Wouldn't you like to be awesome too?

I just downloaded a couple ebooks from Amazon that I intend to read tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow. The new year is acoming friends!

These are two books will help me to manage my time better. I'm anxious to make the most of every minute....because you never know how many minutes you have left.

Do you have any self-help recommendations for me?

Happy New Year!!

Book Love

2012-12-14T07:12:00.000-08:00

As a kid, I remember spending my weekends curled up on the couch with a good book. It's still one of my favorite ways to spend time and I hope someday my kids love it too.

I started reading this book last week and I can't wait to put all of the ideas into motion in my home.

I'm excited to tell you that this book is available for FREE from Amazon for Kindle through Sunday!

Download Book Love: Help Your Child Grow from Reluctant to Enthusiastic Reader 1st Edition today.

Perfect Gift for the Zombie Lover

2012-12-12T09:58:00.002-08:00

Does your husband love The Walking Dead TV show? Do you watch the show with him...while covering your eyes because you love him and want to have an activity that you do together? No? That's just me? Okay.

I just found the perfect Christmas present for my husband and it's a book, which I love. I love reading books, receiving books and I really love giving books!

Zombigami: Paper Folding for the Living Dead is a great gift because my husband is always folding paper for the kids! However, I'm going to encourage him to do this new hobby at work because our daughter is afraid of Zombies.

This could be a stress reliever for him!! And then he can decorate his desk with little zombigami people.

10 Great Gifts for Readers

2012-12-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

With Christmas coming Connie and I thought we'd share our top 10 gift choices for the reader in your life!

I'm going to do a list of 5 and Connie will provide the other 5. Whether you are an E-Reader resistant reader or a two timer like me, I have a great list of 5 that I'm sure you will love to give or receive this Christmas!

Mimi's Five Gifts for Readers

1. Book Bag

2. Literary Necklace

3. E-Reader Cover

4. Bookends

5. Journal

Connie's Five Gifts for Readers!

1. Lightweight Reading Headlamp

2. Literary Charm Bracelet

3. Stationary

4. A book mark

5. A Book Purse

Have you seen our new facebook fan page? Like us!

24 Christmas Books for Children

2012-11-30T05:22:00.001-08:00

It's that time of year again!

Less than a month before Christmas and time to plan activities to do with your kids. We have Magic Elves that come to our house and they like to bring books. They bring at least one new book every year but there is also a day when they bring a basket of books from Christmas past.

Here is a list to get you started!

1. How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
2. A Wish to Be a Christmas Tree
3. A Charlie Brown Christmas (Running Press Miniatures)
4. Merry Christmas, Curious George
5. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer) (Little Golden Book)
6. The Little Christmas Elf (Little Golden Book)
7. Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas
8. Charlie and the Christmas Kitty
9. The Very Fairy Princess: A Fairy Merry Christmas (Passport to Reading Level 1)
10. The Mitten 20th Anniversary Edition
11. Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree
12. Olivia Helps with Christmas
13. Pete the Cat Saves Christmas
14. Room for a Little One: A Christmas Tale
15. Llama Llama Holiday Drama
16. The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree: An Appalachian Story
17. The Nutcracker
18. The Christmas Story
19. The Polar Express
20. The Sweet Smell of Christmas (Scented Storybook)
21. What Is Christmas?
22. A Bad Kitty Christmas
23. Flight of the Reindeer: The True Story of Santa Claus and His Christmas Mission (15th Anniversary Edition)
24. The Night Before Christmas

COME BACK MONDAY for Connie and Mimi's Gift List!

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Holidays Are For Reading

2012-11-21T06:09:00.000-08:00

My kids are out of school for Thanksgiving break and we love to sit around reading and drawing during school breaks. Okay...one of us is making LEGO creations.

All of these books had been on hold and became available at the same time! I'm going to be really busy reading this week.

And I love it!

What are you reading this week?

Daring Greatly

2012-10-26T06:01:00.001-07:00

I've been a fan of Brene Brown for almost two years now. I wish I knew the exact date that I discovered her TED talk on you tube and who directed me to it because I'd like to think that is the day that I really became a better mother and wife.

Brene Brown is a shame researcher and has written a couple amazing books. Books that I devoured once I found her and her message. Her latest book, Daring Greatly, is the icing on the cake.

Reading Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead is going to make me a better mom, wife, friend and daughter. I honestly believe that Brene's books came into my life for a reason. If I hadn't read about shame and embracing who I am and who my children are, then I would not have been able to make the hard choices for my son.

I would not have been able to face my fear and be vulnerable. I would not have been able to teach my son that being vulnerable but also being proud of himself, would bring him great joy. I've learned that being all in and not looking back, is an amazing feeling. Some things are worth doing, even if there is a chance that you'll fail.

I found the chapter on the workplace to be interesting because I know that my husband appreciates when he gets feedback at work and that it greatly contributes to his feelings of being valued as an employee.

Everyone can benefit from this book and it's message. I'm betting that you'll read it and think of a friend that could use it too. I know I did.

I know you'll want to learn more about Brene Brown and her research. You can read her blog, Ordinary Courage. You can tweet her @brenebrown. She's on Facebook. AND she's going on a book tour. OH MY LORD...she's coming to Denver!

She is currently doing a weekly podcast where she discusses each chapter of the book. She's on week four so if you hurry and catch up you can listen to them each week. I have to say...I'm anxious every week to hear what she has to say! If you have an iPhone/iPad you can download the Podcast App and the podcast will automatically appear each week.