Thrillers and What Role Do You Play ??????

"Only a good story has a character in the end different than it was in the beginning" I love this phrase that I borrowed froma blogging friend "Vickie" over at Victory Road Blog.... How true it is...I love reading a good book and won where the character's goals and personna actually changes in the the end tends to make it the best...

Think of a great thriller, wasn't your perception of the killer completely changed by the end of the book? Think of the greats...Stephen King... Mary Higgins Clark....Dean Koontz...James Patterson.. to name a few don't they write about the main character that turns out to be the killer in the end??? And did we guess it? Not always... One of my favorite thrillers was "Whispers" by Koontz....it is a real thriller that made me a bit afraid of the dark after I read it...and Mary Higgens Clark's "Loves Music Loves to Dance" another favorite of mine....that one really stumped me...and who cannot forget Stephen King's "Misery" Kathy Bates did a wonderful protrayal of the main insane character in that thriller...

Yes, thrillers are my thing, mainly I think, because of the "rush" I get from the heart pounding suspense and thoughts I have to put into the "who done it" guessing game. It's a complex mind that thinks up the novels of thrillers and sometimes I wonder if all of us who love them so much, just needs that type of fiction rush to make it through our daily lives.

I sit on the edge of my chair when I read my thrillers with anticipation and excitment itching to turn the pages or click I should say click the pages for most, but I can't seem to put the books down! I crave more and more and the more challenging the more I love it....hmmmm ... I wonder????? Does this put me on the same level with the killers or am I working with the detectives who solve the crimes????? Which one are you realtine to???? Scary thoughts aren't they???? Just food for thought.....................................

And of all the videos "Thriller" witht the late Michael Jackson was an all time favorite of mine!!! What role do you play in a good thriller? Care to share?????


take a thriller home and enjoy





Off On Vacation Book in Hand

WOW~~~~ it's been a little bit since I posted last...I have been hearing so much about Harry Potter's new movie but I don't want to see it till I read the book...so I am off to get it onto my IPod so I can listen to it while I am on vacation...

One of my favorite reading books are the mystery ones with cats!!! They are mysterious creatures and fasinate me with their uncanny ability to do what ever they want and be so independent cats are a true mystery themselves.....

I am also taking one of Lillian Bran's books, " The Cat Who Talked to Ghosts"

I love love the Lillian Braun's books...she writes with such a flare of realistic characters making them appear real and appealing to all her readers...sadly she died this past June of natural causes at the young age of 97. She had lived in Tryon, North Carolina, for the past 23 years. Lillian wrote 31 books over her lifetime, including two short story collections, and worked 30 years at "The Detroit Free Press."

Braun's books were popular because her characters weren't mean and the cats didn't do anything that a cat wouldn't do in real life. Readers could relate to her stories and felt like the characters were so real that they sometimes wanted to meet them. She actually wrote all her books in longhand and then typed them out herself. Now that is a task and one not heard of these days with the computer age..

The truth was that the woman who wrote about cats didn't even own any in the last years of her life. She was losing her sight, and a kitten kept getting underfoot, Bettinger said. She nearly fell three times so the kitten was sent back to the woman in Atlanta who had given the cat to Braun; the older cat had to be euthanized. The couple had about five cats over the years, all Siamese and all named Koko and Yum Yum.

I also  brought with me a few I had started and laid down since I had been so busy these past two months with other obligations and summer... also taking "The Chocolate Cat Capers" by Joann Carl...

I'd like to read "The Chocolate Puppy Puzzle" next.. what fun these two cat books will be to read...I have not read any by this author so it will be interesting to see how they differ in writing styles. :))' I know that this series takes place where she summers in Michigan...

           I joined in on the Handmade Wednesday Hop!!

   Join in the fun!!!

Hosted by Crocheted Little Things, Bebe Chat , and Blue Eyed Blessings

What's New on teh Reading Scene?

Oh my goodness it has been quite awhile since I posted last and I do apologize. I have been swarmed with other obligations and family matters, so back to reading. I have so many books that I want to read and there are so many in my library now that I am not sure when I will have time.

So I have decided, since I joined a gym and I am now exercising daily that I will get a lot of them on audio.com, which by the way is wonderful. Have you all been there and bought audio books? Well if you have not go there and check it out. Its a great way to get your reading in with our busy lives. Especially if you have a communte daily to your jobs. :) They have a monthly fee of $14.95 with the 1st 3 months at $7.95 a month.

But there is one that is the KING of FREE audio books! What you say free? Yes FREE....its Librivox check them out it is wonderful!!! Pick Your Brain did some research on this and came up with these ideas. I love that place...

AudioBooksForFree also has a big catalog to sort through, with an emphasis on classic works, but a decent amount of mystery, sci-fi, and thriller as well. The only catch here is that you’ll have to pay for quality: the lowest quality downloads are free but anything better than 8 Kbps costs $5-8.

If you’re looking specifically for classics, FreeClassicAudioBooks is a nice little resource. Although the library isn’t huge, there are a lot of big names. They also offer the convenience of downloading in an iPod-ready format.



And who knew that on top of all that print content, ProjectGutenberg also has a huge audio section? They’ve got everything from A to Z, including a decent number of works in French, German, and other languages.

LearnOutLoud has over 500 educational titles and offers a lot of video as well.

If you don't mind older classics you can probably find them for free online all over just "Google" it. But if you want some new ones then you will have to pay a little. But there are a ton of Podcasts out there now too that are free.


Now here is another great source its called Simply Audio Books What I like about this place is that you can rent your books at a lower rate and gain credits towards purchasing books too! A subscription gives you download credits which you can redeem towards books on the site. Audio book prices can vary greatly, but with the download club, you get access to more than 6,000 for one flat subscription rate. One credit = one audio book (Note: a small number of titles, approximately 5%, will require 2 credits to download).

This a place that is sort of like NetFlex. They ship the audio books to you, there are no due dates and no late fees. You listen at your leisure and then return it back to them to get another. Plus they have two ways to use your audio books available in MP3 or M4B format.  They charge $14.95 a month too.

Well what am I reading....????? I started Beach Road by James Patterson. I love it so far.. :) lots of suspense and thrills when a triple murder starts the book off....and it moves into a legal battle of evil and innocense to be proven in the courtroom. His books never disappoint me. :)
My next book is the Nortorious Mrs Winston by Mary Macey.  This is a bit on the history side but Mackey makes it a suberb story with immagination and crsip style. :) Lots of historial detail that sparks the interest  and aset of vibrant chacters. A love story to bring tears and rememberence forever.

So read on gals and let me know which place that you get your books from, whether it is audio, e-books or just plain old paperbacks.....till the next paragraph...

Happy Easter

Happy Easter To All!!!

To Buy or Not Buy a Kindle??? And My 2011 Reads Wish List!!

Its 2011 and I am not off to a very good start on my reading agenda...so I thought I would list a few of my projected reads and some that I wish to read and some that I hope to read and some that I want to buy so I can read...phew.....April and Easter month of the egg....it is also my "B" day month and I have asked for a Kindle ....I do hope I get one.
I have done some research on the Kindle: 

The Amazon Kindle is a portable e-book reader. More precisely, it is a software, hardware and network platform developed by Amazon.com and uses wireless connectivity to enable users to shop for, download, browse, and read e-books, newspapers, magazines, blogs, and other digital media.
 I have also asked for an IPod to listen to some books off Audio.com. Has anyone used that?? It is a wonderful place to get those books you want to read but just don't have the time.
For its basic function, reading, after purchasing a book it should be a very pleasant and comfortable experience. It's compact, lightweight, and easy to use at a moment's notice. You should be able to take it with you anywhere. :)


There are some flaws. As many people have reported, it's extremely easy to accidentally push the "next page" bar, which runs nearly the length of the right side of the device. You may also accidentally hit the "Previous" and "Next" page bars on the left as well.
Buying books will be easy and they upload within seconds. In fact, in a stroke of marketing genius, buying books is almost too easy. To be fair, Amazon does a good job of not only presenting detailed information prior to purchase, but you can download the first chapter of most books for free. This is a great way to quickly and easily either get hooked on a book or decide it's not for you. I love that feature... :)


Amazon is smart: your Kindle will come pre-programmed with your name and and your Amazon account. In other words when it arrives you won't need to do anything like configure or "log in" to the device or the Amazon store. It will be set-up ready to go! How cool is that?  Some might also argue that its a bit of a security risk, as anyone who can lay hands on your Kindle can start spending your money??? The good news here is that your Kindle's relationship to your Amazon account can be managed via the web without the device. In other words, if you lose your Kindle, you can disassociate it from your account quickly.

Kindle offers subscriptions to major magazines and newspapers. For people who are religious readers of publications like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and others, this could be a very lucrative way of having the latest issues with you automatically and at all times
Remember, there's no monthly fee. Once you have a Kindle, you have a basic web browser that you can use for free. While at the airport, at the coffee shop, at your friends house, at the park or just about anywhere for FREE. did I mention that already? WOW!!!


A big fear is that "Experimental" means that Amazon may take it away some day. Another fear is that they'll start charging a subscription fee for access. With a v2 browser, though, it might well be worth it.

Kindle also has the ability to play music while you are reading so you can use as an MP3 too, but there are a lot of limitations so don't throw your MP3 away just yet... my consensus is A+ buy it.....

For April:  Scrambled Eggs by Doris Riskin

Jake Wanderman's life is spinning out of control. The retired, Shakespeare-loving English teacher's wife leaves him without an explanation. Then his best friend asks him to help an attractive widow whose late husband was a member of the Russian Mafia. It seems there are stolen Faberge eggs hidden in the widow's home, and various people want them. Jake suddenly finds himself dealing with the New York police, the FBI, the KGB, and assorted mobsters. This fast-moving caper takes Jake from Sag Harbor to Moscow and back again. With a colorful cast of characters and enough action to keep readers on their toes, Riskin has all the ingredients for a very entertaining series.

For May:  Black Flowers by E. F. Watkins

When a former employee of her husband's genetic engineering firm, Genesis, dies of a drug overdose on her front lawn, Allison Constantine is horrified. She can't forget the young man's final threats that "people like her" will soon "get what's coming to them."


In the days to come, Allie suspects she's being followed, and fears someone might try to kidnap her or her two small children. But who? A rival firm, hoping to extort technical secrets from her husband, David? A protest group that has accused Genesis of reckless experiments? Or a former Genesis president who supposedly killed himself two years earlier?

Probing the company's activities, Allie discovers a pattern of mysterious deaths by electrocution. She begins to fear that the greatest threat to her family may be Genesis, itself, if she dares to interfere with its terrifying secret plans for its executives, for society...and even for Allie's own children...

For June:  Twilight Eyes...by Dean Koontz

I already have this book and I want to get this one read before the summer months....it is about Carl Stanfeuss who was born with "Twilight Eyes," a color his grandmother said foretold of psychic abilities. After murdering his uncle Denton at the tender age of seventeen, Carl flees Oregon, shedding his name to become Slim MacKenzie, and join up with the Sombra Brothers Carnival. Of course, it wasn't bad that he murdered his uncle ... because his uncle was one of Them. The goblins.


From his psychic abilities, Slim can see the piggish, doggish faces of the goblins hiding underneath the façade of normal humans. They live off the pain and suffering of others, gathering with glee at fires, accidents, shootings, and disasters.

The book has an explosive culmination that is suppose to keep you on the edge of your set??? We shall see. Koontz is one of my favorite authors alongside of King... One of the scarriest books I have read was "Whispers"

Since Koontz doesn't usually write in first person, which makes this a unique novel among all the others he's done. Its also an earlier novel of his, written before he developed a 'Stephen King' plot theme line. I am told that 'Twilight Eyes' is an adventuresome novel with a unique storyline and is well written enough to keep you up all night long. It came highly recommend. so if you are reading along with me..... Enjoy, but be sure to keep the lights on!

I'm Reading Debbie Macomber's "Summer on Blossom Street"

I love Debbie Macomber's books!! She writes in a style that I can relate to and also enjoy any time of the year. I get so involved in her stories that I feel let down when they end, which is why I love her Cedar Cove series the best as it keeps on going!! :)

Summer on Blossom Street, is back at the yarn shop with Lydia and her sister Margaret and some of the other characters from Back on Blossom Street, I so enjoy the characters and each of their side stories and can't wait to see what happens next as this one has a man joining in on the yarn group's meetings should be interesting. The meetings are called, "Knit to Quit" geared for people who want to quit something, like smoking, a boyfriend, any bad habit...

A Review of Darkness Falls

 Don Summers gave a review of Darkness Falls and I thought I would add my "two cents" too!! Since I am a big fan of scary and thriller type movies this one "takes the cake" as mom always used to say....It's a real scary one and one that will leave you questioning the Tooth Fairy and maybe convince you to keep that closet door closed all night long!!!
Release: 2003
Directed by: Jonathan Liebesman
Starring:
Chaney Kley as Kyle Walsh
Emma Caulfield as Caitlin 'Cat' Greene
Lee Cormie as Michael Greene
Grant Piro as Larry Fleishman

Remember when you were a kid? Alone, in bed at night. Can’t sleep (because your mom probably made you go to bed at 8:00 PM) and so you peer around your room in the dark. What’s that shadow on the floor from moonlight spilling in from the window? A scarecrow? And what IS that I see through the closet door that’s open a crack? An eye? Oh no…under the bed…what’s that noise?!?

Once in a while there is a movie that captures the fears constructed in a child’s vivid imagination that never completely leave us even into adulthood. Darkness Falls is such a movie.

Darkness Falls begins with a boy, Kyle Walsh (Chaney Kley), who has lost his last tooth. He puts it under his pillow as any good lad should. He knows, however, that the town lore in (the cheerily named) Darkness Falls reports that the tooth fairy is actually the spirit of a woman that was persecuted and generally treated badly by those that lived 150 years ago, and that this “fairy” will do her job correctly and replace the tooth with silver unless…you have the NERVE to see her face while she’s replacing your tooth for money.

If you do see her, it is told, you will be killed horribly. (She is, it would seem, a bit sensitive about her burned up mess of a face) Talk about having trouble sleeping…who could sleep knowing that some frightful frauen is going to come in your room and dare you to take a peek…..

So, of course he can’t sleep, and of course he does see her…and because of that his poor mother is killed when she comes in his bedroom to and checks out his closet to prove to him that everything is alright.

Then Kyle is sent to a mental institution  because of rumors that he brutally murdered his mother…only he is  wrought with terror of the dark. It seems that the tooth fairy will not rest until she punishes Kyle for peeking, but she can only attack in the dark.

12 years later Kyle is still living in fear and trying to keep his world brightly lit, always holding a flashlight to fend off the attacker of the darkness. He comes back to town when his childhood sweetheart is concerned that her little brother is afraid of the dark and is apparently being stalked by the same spooky specter. I know why would he? But remember its a movie and you have to have the dumb decisions to make it more scary...

Is Darkness Falls a "B" movie? Sure. Does it use a lot of the horror tactics we have seen before to startle and scare the audience? Definitely. Does this mean that you should not see this flick? Absolutely not!

Sometimes I want to see a scary movie simply because I want to sit on the edge of my seat and feel that sensation in my stomach that makes me want to to hold my breath in anticipation. The tooth fairy monster is a  scary movie. She comes out at dark time to snatch people up and carry them away – and she is very creepy and very well done through the special effects. The monster herself is original and very believable. The scenes are interestingly constructed and promote the "throwing of popcorn in the air" when the music and the tooth fairy jumps out. The one thing that I did like was that Darkness Falls was extremely light on the gore. I peronally do not care for a lot of gore as others might, I just want to be scared! Which is why I always read thrillers...

If your looking for an excellent Acadamy award movie, then don't watch this one, but if you want some scary, hands over your eyes, movie then rent this one and enjoy. You'll be sure to be checking your closet all night long.....Be sure to put this on your "must see" lists but be sure that you have someone with you when you watch it!!!

I am Reading Again

So Sorry I have been aay for so long, such is life!!! You know what they say.... "Fill what's empty. Empty what's full. Scratch where it itches."  So to scratch my itch....I am reading a real THRILLER....ohhh...and I am thinking that is why my BP rises...really, I read that when you watch happy-funny-laugh out loud flicks your BP actually lowers, but when you watch horror-scary-thriller flicks it rises, and since that is all I watch, wellllllll????????????????? Get the drift?

Anywho....on with this books' little critique......... I love it ....

John Saul's ....."Perfect Nightmare"

This is about a girl that vanishes from her bedroom and how her mom and the next store neighbor collaborate to try and draw out the monster that is taking people and doing unspeakable things to them....it is a book to make one's skin crawl, and one of suspense and chills to make you want to sleep with the light on at night! The Prologue sets the pace of thrills and the story keeps you on the edge of your seat. Not a book to read when you're home alone but one to read on a cold winter evening with a nice hot cup of tea!! You won't want to put this one down, or will you? It may scare you so much that you will want to put it in the freezer. ??? {Remember that episode with Friends, when Joey and Rachel read scary books and Joey kept it in the freezer?}

Whiter Than Snow Book Review author Sandra Dallas

Whiter Than Snow was a really great read. It has an intriging feel of historical fiction put into the story about a tiny town in Colorado and it's townsfolks. It starts out with a tragic Avalanche that destroys not only some of its residents lives, but it also begins to mend relationships and reveal some hidden secrets.

I found it to be interesting and a hard to put down read.  I kept wanting to read more to know what was going to happen next with the town. I especially wanted to know about two of it's main characters, who were sisters, and how their lives from high school age through adulthood would end.

Set back in 1920, the reader is thrown into a whirlwind drama of the towns reactions and emotions from this tragic occurance, and how it effects the people that there. I liked the stories twists and turns of how fate and chance are reveled through the Avalanche's aftermath and how no one's life is without sin nor is it "whiter than snow." A wonderful play on words!

Sandra Dallas has nine other novels and lives in Denver.

Guest House by Barbara K Richardson, Discussion

I finished reading "Guest House " by Barbara K. Richardson. I found this novel to be fast paced and have very true to life characters. Ricahardson depics the thoughts and actions of one of the main characters, an eleven year old boy, with great detail and precise adolescence behavior. It kept me onthe edge of my seat in anticipation of his next experience. I liked how the scenes were not so over indulged on, bringing the main focus of the characters feelings and demeanor as the life line of the stories plot.

The people who lodged at "Guest House" are brought to the reader's attention by their strange and "unfantasized" relationships, which is so true in any real life scenario. Stepping into the minds of these characters and learning about their desires and sorrows is invigorating and makes you want to jump in and help them out or tell them to shut-up? Not sure which I felt at times?

It begins when Melba, one of the best real estate agents in Oregon, witnesses a tragic accident involving a large truck and a bicyclist. It ends in the cyclist's death. Melba, so torn up inside by this experience, swears off her vehicle, leaving it right there on the side of the road, quits her job, and declares to never drive again for fear of killing somone with her car and also to help stop air polution. She finds "Guest House in major need of repair and purchases the place in hopes of gaining peace in a more simpler life.

The "guest" that ends up living with her, Jolee, has her own twisted agenda, which does not always coincide with Melbas. Between that, and Jolees visitors, Melba gets entangled on a long roller coaster ride of daring lifestyle choices, which has her facing her own maternal instincts, and more than she had bargained for. I liked this novel and if you get a chance to read it you won't be disappointed.

This is Barbara K. Richardson's debut novel. She comes from a background of part comedian, part landscape designer, and zen master. She has portrayed her characters to accentuate their despair and ambition allowing the reader to experience hope and salvation through the natural nuturing of a woman who meshes with a child in need of love. She entangles family obligations with her character's actual magnetic inclinations and depicts it all in the landscaping of the country and a sparce little "blink of the eye" town in the desert. An excellent read!! :)

A New Guest Reader Book by Barbara Richarson

   I just received today a copy of this book, "Guest House" by Barbara Richardson, to read for them. I can't wait to get started and see what it is all about...I just wanted to post that I am starting it and will be posting what I think soon...What a fun sounding book.... 

Ugly Sweater Party Prize Books

I recently hosted an "Ugly Sweater" parter for my LYG Spring Fling party and the prizes for the 3 best sweaters were books. I did some research and found some pretty interesting books about sweaters that I felt were appropriate for the winners.

The 1st prize was for the "Ugliest Sweater"....and the prize book was called "The Sweater Book" and it is a really cool book about how people's personalities relate to their sweaters. They had all the subjects put on the same sweater and then watching how they wore it, the author Mosher, was able to capture on film a really remarkable phenomenon - when given a common item with which to express themselves, each person's distinctive personality came shining through, and the sweater becomes a symbol of what each considers to be most unique about themselves.

The resulting collection of over 500 stunning black-and-white photographs proves to be a touching and exhilarating ride from New York to Dallas, from Hollywood to London, as Mosher explores the creativity of celebrities and humbles alike - in their homes and workplaces, with their families and pets, in any way they chose. The people featured includes top names from the world of theater, film, TV, fashion, music, dance, and literature, such as Michael Bolton, Dominick Dunne, Matthew Broderick, Ted Danson, Tim Allen, Noah Wyle, Quentin Crisp, Josh Hartnett, Ryan Phillipe, and many more. I loved the book and want to order one just for myself now!!
 

The 2nd prize was for the "weirdest, funniest, strangest" sweater and the book given was none other than the "king" of sweater wearing himself, Bill Cosby's book...called "Cosbyology" it consists of essays and observations from Bill Cosby himself... and a little trivia "Awhile back it seems his daughter was going through a closet can came across a ton of his famous  "sweaters" he wore on all his TV shows and they ended up donated them to an auction to help out needy children and they raised over $5000 from them." wow...
 

Our 3rd prize was for the sweater "that would never see the light of day again" and it was a funny book by Debbie Macomber called, "The Truly Terrible, Horrible Sweater ...that Grandma knit..."
It is a fun little story of how this little boy was knit a sweater by his grandma that he felt was awful and the book even comes with the pattern!!! There’s probably not a knitter alive who hasn’t presented a handmade gift and wondered whether the recipient would use it or throw it in the closet. Cameron’s sweater from Grandma Susan gets the closet treatment—and worse. But there's a twist when she tells him why she chose the special colors she knit it with..... another must have book for any knitter or child's library....
 
 
 

Reading When it Rains Outside

Do you like to read when it rains outside? I do...I especially like to get my favorite "lapghan" and curl up next to the fireplace and grab a good book and read. The only problem is making sure DH stays away long enough to get me through more than a few chapters. LOL.....

I am just starting A Veiled Deception  by Annette Blair, and love it...If you love cozies, get this first-person paranormal mystery. This is a new series and this being the 1st one is one not to be missexd. The main character is a dress designer/vintage clothes collector with paranormal gifts inherited from her late mother. New York designer Madeira Cutler who returns to Connecticut for the wedding of her younger sister Sherry, who she virtually raised when their mother died.  Their father can't deal with the details of the wedding and the hostility of the groom's wealthy mother. Then the groom's former flame shows up, obviously planning to replace Sherry as bride.

When she's strangled at the shower with her antique bridal veil, Maddie has to not only redesign the dress but also make sure neither bride nor groom is jailed for the murder. Helping her -- and vying for her affections -- are her hot FBI sometimes-boyfriend and a local police detective she's fought with since high school. yummy....be sure to grab a copy of this short paperback and curl up by your fireplace to enjoy another wonderful read like I am doing, opps here comes more rain...ta ta for now I am off to read some more.. :)
 

               

Dogs and the Miricles they Create for Us and Mitford Series

Hello 2010...I just found out that Jan Karon's "Mitford" series has like 9 books in it... WOW I thought there were only 4....so I am back to excitingly reading the 3 I have and the Bedside Companion one too!






I wanted to share this video I found on A Knitting Junkie blog with you. It is so inspiring that I had to add it here. :)

Back From a Long Break

I have been away from blogging here for some time. But I am back, had the flu and just "life" got in the way of my visits here.

So what am I reading? Well....I am on book #3 of Debbie Macomber's "Cedar Cove" series. I just love them and in this one we are talking about 311 Pelican Court where Rosie lives. Will her and hubby be divorced forever, or will they get back together? And what is happening with the dead guy in the B&B? Who was he?

I cannot wait to read more to find out what's going on in Cedar Cove...I think the next thing should be some good recipes and knitting patterns, will have to get the companion crafting book next. :)

Too Funny Animals

Another Type of Reading???

I went to the library last week and was amazed at the improvements of library borrowing... you can now borrow books on CD's and books on MP3...wow....for $1 I got "Twenty Wishes" by Debbie Macomber, I am listening to it now...I put the CDs in my computer CD drive and listen while I surf the net.. :) and next week I will rent a MP3 of James Patterson's "Beach" now I do not have to try and get the time to sit and read a book I really want to read, all I have to do is stick an ear piece in my ear and do or go where I have to go and "voila" I am getting to finish a book along with my chores or crocheting too!! What a wonderful concept!!!.. I am hooked....And since I have run out of room on my bookshelves, I don't have to purchase the book, the library is free...what a great way to save in these "tight" economical times! Now DH is happy too!!

Advise and a Weird New Kind of Bookshelf

Some good advise? Take it or leave it, but remember that most of it is quite true and could make you a happier person from this day forward!

• Your career is not nearly as important as your life. Don't sacrifice the latter for the former.
• Hug your Mom. Someday she'll be very old, very loving, very concerned, 1200 miles away, and too frail to travel. And someday after that, she'll be gone.
• I think the best advice I have heard was to try to never let someone ruin your day by their actions.
• Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. (Mark Twain)
• Enjoy your kids now, but remember that your job is to make yourself unnecessary to them eventually so they can live their own life happily and independently.

An unusual bookshelf design and is one that you can "roll" up with a good book. Here’s a circular bookshelf by designer Zhdanova Irina. Her design also comes with a set of sofas that can be stored as a matching ring: Link - via Cribcandy and Yanko Design

What's Happening to the Novel's Future?

The news is saying that the novel is DEAD!!

I read reports that say the novel is dead. What? How can that be? I am still buying them and racking up the $$ on my Visa; aren't you? I mean any "readoholic" is doing the same. And who doesn't love book stores? It just is not the same to use a cell phone to read a book or download it onto the computer. I need that warm and fuzzy feeling I get in a book store. I also need the scones they have there!!

It's no secret that the number of independent bookstores is on the wane. And even big chain stores like Borders are having trouble. Scott Karp, who writes the Publishing 2.0 blog, predicted bookstores would be obsolete in 10 years. That was last year, so we apparently have just nine years left.

Is it time to write the novel's obituary?
More recently, author Richard Laermer wrote that book publishing is dead because editors are too young (oh, please), books are too expensive (maybe), and the publishing industry publishes too many books and spends too much marketing books that don't need it, and not enough on books that do (I'm inclined to agree). Also, the industry generally moves too slowly (I'd second that).

With dying bookstores and publishers, what future is there for the novel?

I predict it will be around for a long time, although maybe not necessarily in the form we're used to.

Though publishers might have to find new ways to make money and structure deals, people have loved novels far too long for them to vanish.A Scholastic project called "The 39 Clues" is already out. This is a 10-book mystery series about the powerful Cahill family; each book is said to unlock one clue (I'm a little worried about the math, given that there aren't 39 books in the series). "Book 1: The Maze of Bones" was written by Rick Riordan, the author of the wildly popular Percy Jackson series. It's likely this will be big with kids. I sure want to read them.

In the most important ways, the future of the novel looks great. People still love writing them, even if they're doing it in their spare time on cell phones, as did the best-selling Japanese novelist. People also still love reading them, as evidenced by the bake sales they'll hold to buy more.

If publishers can't figure out how to make a profit on the novel, that's their problem -- and another story entirely.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

What's in a Bookstore?

I went to my local Barnes and Nobles today to get a gift certificate for a family member and I spent most of the time leafing thru the new arrivals. I love the Christmas themed books put out for the holiday season and the cutesy ones for the whole family. One was about a cat and why they feel the way they do, another was a whole list of favorite YouTube links to the best of the best videos. I mean who wouldn't be interested in checking that out? And Donna VanLiere has a new one out that is suppose to be another book turned into holiday classic....I wanted to purchase so many of the books that I almost forgot why I went in there....sheesh.....I love book stores, theres no doubt about it...I just cannot wait to see if anyone bought me any of the ones I was googling over....but of course we all know unless we list them on our "wish list" that the ones chosen for us may not be the ones we wanted, but then that could be a good thing, as we may find a new author just that way....

As you all know I am a Mary Higgins Clark fan and absolutely love her books and she has not disappointed us and has come out with a new one for the holidays that I sure hope I find under my tree...and it is written with her daughter Carol Higgins...

It is about a group of employees who go in together to purchase a lotto ticket that wins, but them find out the person who was suppose to but it never did..or did he? Mary Higgins Clark's favorite characters Alvirah Meehan, the amateur sleuth, and private investigator Regan Reilly are visiting the town where the mystery is at....its a fast-paced holiday caper that will keep you glued to your chair in front of the fireplace on these cold winter nights....I sure plan on doing that as soon as I get the book! :)

Now back to what's in a book store? Well books of course.......now you already knew that one didn't you???