Favorite Spotlight: Pride And Prejudice, by Jane Austen

Well, it's been a while since I've put a spotlight on a favorite book of mine.  Might as well do one now on one of my all-time favorite classics!

Pride And Prejudice
By Jane Austen

Genre: Classic Literature, Romance

Words To Describe This Book: Witty, romantic, satirical, feminist, informative, thought-provoking

OMG It's July already! My Goals For This Month

I can't believe we're already halfway through the year, it's gone by so fast!

Happy Monday! How I'm Doing With My Reading Schedule

It's Monday again!

Well, the 25th has come and gone and I've managed to accomplish my goal of finishing books according to schedule!

Yeah, remember?  My obsessive-compulsive reading schedule that only proves that I'm a crazy person?  The one that I made to get me out of my reading slump?

Well, it's working!  Slump is now a distant memory, and I'm only two books away from finishing my 12-book goal!  Yippee!

Here's what I've read this past week (click on the covers for a link to the review):







This is one of my favorites in this series (#5), along with the first book.  You gotta love Temeraire in this one!


















This was a re-read (book 6 is in the series), and, once again, it read better the second time around.  There were still some slow parts, but there were enough interesting bits scattered around to make it fun.














I admit, King has thoroughly confused me with this one.  I'm hoping the subsequent installments in the series will clear things up a little.

















This was a book club BOTM, and I enjoyed it quite a bit.  I think I'll read it again later it on; it seems like one of those books that will improve on the re-read.













Okay, I've got only two books left this month.  Two.  That's it.  That's all I'm planning so far.  I need to figure out what next month's books are, but in the meantime, I've got my next two books to read, and here they are (click on the cover to find out more):

This is BOTM read for a book group that has a monthly tag, where you read as many books as you like that fit that tag.  This month's tag is coming-of-age, and this book is considered to fit that tag, so there you go!

This is the next book in the Temeraire series.  I've read it before and I remember vaguely what happens (apparently I only gave it 3 stars last time.  Huh.), but I'm looking forward to reading it again. 

Anyway, I need to get back to reading!  I'm feeling super confident and happy about my goals this month, and I can't wait to finish it!

Happy reading everyone!

It's Monday! Time To Brag A Little

Happy Monday folks!

Well, I'm feeling a little smug.  I've been keeping up with my (slightly crazy) reading schedule, and I'm loving it!  I'm finally finding myself able to actually sit down and read, and enjoy myself on top of it.  It's so depressing when you find yourself unable to do what you love most because there isn't time.  It's even worse when you do have time, and you don't feel in the mood to read, because you're stuck in a rut and you have no momentum to get out of it.

But now I'm officially out of my rut, and back in the swing of things!

For those of you who are wondering what my reading schedule is, let me catch you up:

For the month of June, I want to complete four books every 10 days.  That's 12 books total.

So far, I've completed six books, with two more soon to be finished. Whoohoo!

My upcoming deadline is June 20th, this Tuesday.  I'm pretty confident that I'll be able to finish my current reads by Tuesday evening, despite having just started one of them.  We shall see!

Anyway, here are the books I've finished thus far: (click on the book cover to see the review)

Just finished this one yesterday on audiobook!  This is yet another good continuation in the Temeraire series.  Seriously, if you like books about dragons, this is a good one to read.

This one was a BOTM for a book group and a surprisingly quick read.  I wouldn't say it's the best thriller I've ever read, but it was still fairly decent.

















I finished this earlier in the week.  Empire Of Ivory was book #4 in the series, this one was book #3.  I liked book #4 better, but this was still pretty good.














So, doing well so far!  Here are my upcoming reads for this week: (click on the cover to find out more)

This is a BOTM read for a book club whose meeting is coming up this Tuesday.  So far I'm finding this book to be rather sad...and maybe a little confusing.  I'm definitely looking forward to the upcoming discussion.

This is the audiobook read, and book #5 in the Temeraire series.  This will be a bit of a sprint for me to finish by Tuesday night, but I'm looking forward to reading it.  It's already off to a great start!

The next book-book I'm planning on reading.  It's short, so it'll be a good one to read after all the heavy books I've been working on.

The next installment in the Temeraire series, this one I'm hoping to start listening to on Wednesday.














Anyway, as usual, all this talking about books to read is making me want to read some more, so off I go!  It's going to be a rainy day, so perfect for cozy-ing up with a book.

Happy reading everyone!

Today's Topic: I'm A Book Geek And I'm Loving It

I'm feeling pretty good about myself today!

This month I set a reading goal of 12 books.  So far, I've finished five with a sixth book not too far behind.  It's making me feel pretty mighty!

I think it's helping that I set up a reading schedule with deadlines for myself: every 10 days I'm trying to finish four books.  It's forcing me to set aside time every day to read, or to do some chores so I can listen to my audiobook, and preventing me from doing my all-time weakness of TV-bingeing.  I'm loving how productive my days feel now!

I'm also loving how I'm feeling more like the book geek I know I am.

It's great being a book geek.  People know that a bookstore is your first choice to hang out, and they learn to leave you alone when you're in the middle of reading.  The only people who still give me funny looks are the strangers at restaurants and in the streets (why is not weird for people to check out their cell phones while eating their lunch, but it's strange if someone reads a book?  I don't get it).

Because I don't blog enough about things other than book reviews, I've decided to make this list of ten signs that you are a book geek.  If you feel like you can relate to at least 3/4 of this list, then be proud, because you're a book geek too!

10 Signs That You Are A Book Geek:

1) You watch a movie adaptation of a film, and you feel the need to point out why the book was better

(Let's face it: the book is always better)

2) When you visit someone's house, the first thing you gravitate towards is their bookshelf

(You just want to see if they've read the same books you've read)

3) Instead of a fitness schedule, you have a reading schedule

(Your brain needs a good workout after all)

4) You spend more time on Goodreads than you do on Facebook

(Facebook has the cute animal videos, but Goodreads has the awesome stories)

5) You know what a "book hangover" is

(A book hangover definition: physically, you've finished a book, but emotionally, you're still not done with the story)

6) You have to check out any place with a sign overhead that says "books"

(And then spend a minimum of an hour there)

7) Spending $100 on clothing is ridiculous, but spending $100 for over 20 books at a used bookstore is an awesome deal and must be repeated.

(I swear I needed those 20 books.  Oh and btw, we need more bookshelves)

8) Your favorite places to visit are fictional

(I'm a regular visitor to Hogwarts, thankyouverymuch)

9) You've memorized your library card number, and the librarians know you by face, if not by name

(When I was a kid and mom needed to reach me, she would always call the library first)

10) The first thing you pack for a trip is at least two books 

(it has to be more than two, because you're going to finish at least one while traveling)

Okay, enough computer stuff.  I feel the need to read some more.

Happy Monday! A Recap Of What I've Read, And My Goals For Next Week

Happy Monday folks!

It's gorgeous outside!  A perfect day to sit and read on the porch.  I can't wait to go out there!

I'm feeling pretty good about myself today.  I set a goal to finish 12 books this month, and so far I'm doing pretty well!  I finally finished two books I had been working since May, and while I didn't finish the audiobook I had planned to complete last Saturday, I only have a couple of hours left.

And in other good news, the poison ivy rash that has been plaguing me for the past couple of weeks is finally dying down!  I've been using Benadryl to keep the itch away (surprisingly, it doesn't make me drowsy), and it's looking much better.  I definitely learned my lesson the hard way: I'm super allergic and I need to be extra careful when handling the plant.

To top it off, I'm doing well financially!  Summer is always a good time for dance lessons, which means I'll be expecting a lot of extra cash by the end of this month.  Always a good thing, especially since I have some plans for our garden that I want to put into action.

Anyway, back to reading!  Here are the books I finished this past week.  Click on the book cover to see my full review.

I'm so proud of myself for finishing this book.  I didn't finish this book when I was a kid, and I had been meaning to try again for years.  It was a marathon to read, but I'm glad I'm finally done.  I'm also really heartbroken.  This book was so upsetting to read, but the annotated edition I read was really helpful.

This is the second Russo book I've ever read, and I'm beginning to really like this author.
This book was surprisingly dense, but also pretty darn good.  It has a nice rambling quality, with characters that you can like, although you might get a little exasperated by some of their antics.

This is book 2 in the audiobook series I'm currently working on.  I've read this before, and I did enjoy this book better the second time around.  I don't think I can really declare this series a favorite, though, just a really good series.














Okay, so my next deadline is June 20th.  I know, I know, I'm a little crazy to have a reading schedule, but I feel like I've been in a bit of a slump and I want to get myself back on track.  It's also keeping me away from the TV and bingeing on my favorite shows (like Doctor Who, already approaching the end of Season 4).

Here are the books I hope to finish by the 20th (click on the cover for book details):



This will be the first book to finish.  I was supposed to finish this on the 10th, but I fell behind.  I'm almost done though, with only a couple hours left on the audiobook.

This is the last BOTM for my library book club, before the club takes a break for the summer.  It's not too long, so I feel I can finish this pretty quickly.

Another BOTM for an online book club that I've been neglecting.  This is clearly going to be a fast read.  It didn't take long to finish 10% of the book.  I'll probably finish this in 3 days.

The next installment in the audiobook series I'm listening to.  Definitely will finish this by the 20th.  Easily.

Book 5 of the audiobook series.  This might be a bit of stretch to expect myself to finish this by the 20th, but I'm going to try.  It'll give me a good excuse to go outside and work in the yard, at the very least.













Anyway, it's way too gorgeous to stay inside any longer.  I'm going to finish watching the news and then go out there with a book. Have a great day every one!

A New Summer Reading Challenge!!!

The Bibliophile Reading Group's Summer Reading Challenge is finally here!

BRG's 2017 Road Trip Summer Reading Challenge

I've been eagerly anticipating this challenge for months.  Months!

I first joined this online group years ago because it had been doing a summer reading challenge at the time.  Every year (except last year) there's a summer reading challenge and a winter reading challenge.  Sometimes it's categorical, and sometimes it's point-based.

This summer it seems to be mileage-based!

Here are the rules:

• The books have to take place 100% in the United States.
• You have to read at least one BOTM throughout the months of June, July, and August, and participate in the discussion questions
• A book can take place in more than one state, but the state only counts if at least one whole chapter takes place in that state.
• The number of pages= the number of miles traveled.  For an audiobook, 2 minutes= 1 mile.
• The book has to be a minimum of 50 pages (100 minutes on audio).  Graphic novels and picture books do not count.
• There will be random "detours" along the way; mini challenges that are optional to take, where you would be awarded extra raffle entries.

There will be 3 winners (only one prize for winner):

• the person who read the most miles
• the person who visited the most number of states
• the person who was chosen by raffle (must have read at least 600 miles)

The challenge runs from June 1st to August 31st and I am raring to go!  The books I'm currently reading can't count because I began them before the challenge started (damn), but some of the other books I'm planning on reading this month should definitely count.

Are you interested?  Do you want to play to?  Join the club!  Here are some of the links you can check out:

The Bibliophile Reading Group Home Page

The Road Trip Summer Reading Challenge Thread

Whoo-hoo!  Of to do some reading!

Happy June! A Recap Of Last Month, And My Goals For This Month

Yay!  It's June!  It's my favorite month of the year!

It's starting off a little itchy, thanks to the poison ivy incident, but I've had the rash for about a week now, so the itch is finally going down (thank God for meds and calamine lotion!), and I'm feeling optimistic.

My reading didn't pan out so well last month.  I binge-watched a lot of TV, and I focused on the house more than I did reading.  The good news is that my house is slowly looking the way I want it to look, and I have finally figured out a really good cleaning schedule.  Also good is the fact that I made a lot of money teaching dance lessons last month, so I have more than enough to cover the bills (yay!).  The bad news is that I only finished five books, most of them on audio in the car.

Here's what I read.  Click on the book cover to read the review.

May's Books:

A Whole New World, by Liz Braswell
Date Finished: May 9
My Thoughts: An interested retelling of Disney's Aladdin.  It took an unexpected turn at the end, making it a bittersweet story, but I enjoyed it.  Not a masterpiece, but certainly something quick.

Side Jobs: Stories From The Dresden Files, by Jim Butcher
Date Finished: May 10
My Thoughts: This is a re-read.  I had just finished the Dresden Files series, and I didn't want to leave that world just yet, so I listened to this one on audio.  As always it didn't disappoint.  If you read this, I recommend reading it at least after book #12 of the series (Changes).

Someone, by Ann McDermott
Date Finished: May 17
My Thoughts: This was a BOTM read for the library book club I'm a part of.  It was an interesting story of the life of a woman living in New York.  The time jumping was a little disorienting at first, but it worked.  Overall I really enjoyed it, especially after the book club discussion.  Great for your next BOTM read.

Cybele's Secret (Wildwood Dancing #2), by Juliet Marillier
Date Finished: May 19
My Thoughts: I read this on a whim.  I didn't realize it was a sequel until I had already started it, but it didn't really detract from the story.  It was an okay YA novel, with the usual love triangle and it's miscommunicating lovers.  The quest was also a little weird, but it was nevertheless an interesting story.  Not Marillier's best work, but still good.










His Majesty's Dragon (Temeraire #1), by Naomi Novik
Date Finished: May 27
My Thoughts:  Another re-read that has now officially become a favorite.  Who can not love Temeraire the dragon?!  It's a fun and fascinating story that explores what our history would have been like if dragons existed.  I found it extremely entertaining from an anthropological point of view.  Definitely continuing the series over the next month.










So, not as bad as it could have been, but I still want to read more this month.  I have an ambitious reading schedule for June: Twelve books.  Yup, twelve.

I'm hoping to complete four books every ten days.  It's a little extreme, especially since at least one book is going to be tough, but I'm ready to try.

June Reading Schedule:

June 1-10

Books #2 and 3 of the Temeraire series.  My audiobook reads.

I'm still working on it from last month.  I'm enjoying it, but it's small print with no real chapter stops, so it's a little hard to read in short sittings.  But I'm determine to finish quickly.

Okay, this one is taking forever.  At this point, I feel like I'm in a marathon.  It's going to be hard to finish in ten days time, but I really want to finish this soon.  It's just so darn depressing!

June 11-20

The next two books in the Temeraire series.  Should be fairly quick audiobooks.

This is a BOTM read.  I feel bad because I haven't read a BOTM for this book group in a while, so I going to read this one, especially since there's a summer reading challenge involved.

Another BOTM read, this time for the library book club.  It's the last meeting before it takes a two-month summer hiatus, so I don't want to miss out.

June 21-30

The next two audiobooks in the series.  I'll be almost done before the month is out.

This is for a BOTM tag for another book club.  A short read, so it should be fairly easy to accomplish.

Another BOTM for yet another book club (yeah, I'm all about the book clubs this month).   I'm hoping my husband will read it with me.  We've been meaning to read this together for a little while.

Okay, enough talk, time for action!  If I want to read all of these books before my birthday (June 30), I'd better get started.  Happy reading everyone!

Happy Monday! My Weekly Recap Of The Lawn Mower Nightmare

Happy Monday folks!

It's been a busy week for sure.  I spent days raking the back yard and clearing out 2 years worth of debris.  I still have to work on the front yard and the flower beds, but at least the back yard is done!

We've also had a nightmare of a time with new lawn mowers. . . . .

The Story Of The Lawn Mower Nightmare

So we needed a lawn mower last Sunday.  My dad was around and he offered to help Dave pick out a good lawn mower.  They went to Lowe's and found a nice Troy Bilt with a Honda engine.  Sounds good right?  Everyone says a Honda engine is a great engine.  Cool.

My dad and Dave follow the instructions and assembled the lawn mower.  They put in gas and oil and my dad pulled the starter cord.  After an initial burp of power, the engine stalls.  Dad pulls the cord again. . . .Nothing.  And again. . . . Nothing.

After half an hour of trying to start it, my dad called it quits and said he might have flooded it.  So we store it overnight and planned on trying again in the morning.

The next morning, zip. Nada.  The lawn mower stubbornly refuses to start.  After calling the service people, the recommended option was to go exchange it.  So we go back to Lowe's and exchanged for the exact same model.  We bring it home, we assemble it, we gas it up, and Dave pulls the start cord.

It starts up! We are joyous!  Dave makes a pass through the back yard.....but wait, it doesn't sound right.  It keeps on sounding like the engine is revving.  We stop it and smoke comes billowing out of the engine.  Ooookaaaay.  After backing away and waiting to see if the engine was going to burst into flames, we decide we're not going to die and we try to start it again.  Nothing.  Tried again.  Still nothing.  Dave and I sigh deeply and let the mower sit overnight.

The next morning lawn mower #2 still won't start, so we go back to Lowe's to either exchange it or get someone else to start it.  Friendly Lowe's employee checks it out.  He says we overfilled it with oil.  Huh. Weird.  He tries starting it.  It won't start for him either.  He says there's something wrong with the carburetor.  Ah. We see.  So we exchange for yet another Troy Bilt with a Honda engine.  Friendly Lowe's employee tries starting what will be lawn mower #3.  It starts!  Yay!  We go home with the new lawn mower and some cash back from Lowe's because we had so much trouble.  What friendly people!

The next day, we re-assemble our third lawn mower (we're getting good at this).  We're careful with applying the oil this time, just in case, and Dave pulls the cord.  Yay!  It's working! We jump for joy like Rocky.  Dave gets to work mowing the lawn.  After a couple of passes, he stops the engine so he can raise the blades a little higher; the grass was getting cut a little too short.  He starts it up again. . . 

Huh.  It's only running at what sounds like half-power.  Dave gets it moving to give it more juice.  5 seconds later it stalls. Gah!  We try again.  It's barely running and then it stalls again.  I'm now holding down the drive bar, while Dave pulls the starter cord with the strength of Thor.  I'm yelling to the sky "Life! Give my creation liiiiffe!". . . . . 

. . . . Lawn mower #3 is dead.  We curse the air and stomp the ground like crazy people.

That was strike 3 for Troy Bilt lawn mowers with their stupid Honda engines, so we bring it back to Lowe's, expecting helpful friendly employees again.  Instead we get a condescending lady at the returns counter who misinterpreted the nice cash-back gesture from the other day and isn't giving us the full refund.  Dave is getting worked up (he rarely gets worked up--he's a clinician), the lady is thinking Dave is an idiot and responds with even more condescension, and I'm just sitting there waiting for the manager to get involved (I figure I'd just let my husband handle it--I'm such a feminist).  

After the manager gets involved and straightens everything out, we go pick out a different lawn mower to be our lawn mower #4, and choose a Husqvarna mower with a Briggs and Stratton engine.  We make the exchange with a considerably friendlier woman and go home with lawn mower #4.

We assemble it, following the instructions to the letter, and Dave pulls the starter cord with trepidation.....

.....And it works! It works beautifully!  It'll even start up again after being turned off!  We cry out in triumph, we dance in celebration, Dave finally gets to mow our overgrown lawn. . . 

. . . . and that is the end of the story of The Lawn Mower Nightmare.

Soooo, it's been a long week and I didn't get much reading done.  However, I'm going to a wedding in California this week, so I'm planning on catching up on my reading on the plane, and at the beach.

Here's the reading list for this week (click on the image for more):

Okay, I'm done writing.  I am ready to go outside and read!