Friday Firsts #5

The first line can make or break a reader’s interest. Just how well did the author pull you in to the story with their first sentence? To participate in this weekly book meme is extremely easy.

Grab the book you are currently reading and open to the first page.
Write down the first sentence in the first paragraph.
Create a blog post with this information. (Make sure to include the title & author of the book you are using. Even an ISBN helps!)
Did this first sentence help draw you into the story? Why or why not?
Link back to Well-Read Reviews in your blog entry.
Come back to this blog post, hosted on WellReadReviews.com and add your direct link to Mr. Linky! ** Very important!

“She’d never had a vision like it before.” Scandals Bride by Stephanie Laurens

Well I have been looking foward to reading this book for a while, I have enjoyed the series thus far. The first sentance while a little bit short does draw me in. I want to know what the vision is.

Book Review: In her Shoes by Jennifer Weiner

Meet Rose Feller. She’s thirty years old and a high-powered attorney with a secret passion for romance novels. She has an exercise regime she’s going to start next week, and she dreams of a man who will slide off her glasses, gaze into her eyes, and tell her that she’s beautiful. She also dreams of getting her fantastically screwed-up little sister to get her life together.

Meet Rose’s sister, Maggie. Twenty-eight years old, drop-dead gorgeous and only occasionally employed, Maggie sings backup in a band called Whiskered Biscuit. Although her dreams of big-screen stardom haven’t progressed past her left hip’s appearance in a Will Smith video, Maggie dreams of fame and fortune — and of getting her dowdy big sister to stick to a skin-care regime.

These two women with nothing in common but a childhood tragedy, shared DNA, and the same size feet, are about to learn that their family is more different than they ever imagined, and that they’re more alike than they’d ever believe. In Her Shoes — Jennifer Weiner’s follow-up to her critically acclaimed debut, Good in Bed — observes Rose and Maggie, the brain and the beauty, as they make journeys of discovery that take them from the streets of Philadelphia to Ivy League libraries to a “retirement community for active seniors” in Boca Raton. Along the way, they’ll encounter a wild cast of characters — from a stepmother who’s into recreational Botox to a small, disdainful pug with no name. They’ll borrow shoes and clothes and boyfriends, and make peace with their most intimate enemies — each other.

Funny and poignant, richly detailed and wrenchingly real, In Her Shoes will speak to anyone who has endured the bonds of big — or little — sisterhood, or longed for a life different from the one the world has dictated, and dreamed of trying something else on for size.

I totally forgot this was also made into a movie in 2005 so I am going to cheat just a little bit and use this for my 2010 Challenge for read the book see the movie. And I will watch the movie in 2010 so it counts and it is the end of the year close enough.

This is my first Jennifer Weiner book and I had high hopes. My friend Sara said it was a good one…

The book started on a risqué and yet high note. It made me chuckle a little bit and than at the same time as I read on a little sad. Maggie defiantly has some issues to have herself used the way she does. Reading further the relationship between Maggie and Rose touched a little bit close to the relationship I share with my sibling. It is not exact and we are not set fully like the pair but I could defiantly relate and that does make the book a little closer to home for myself and probably others.

While I found the book enjoyable it wasn’t one that I couldn’t put down. It was just okay. Not bad not good, just there. I got a little lost at some of the chapter switches but that could have been my own personal lack of focus. And while I did not think the book was fantastic I will be giving the author another shot and I will defiantly read some more of her books and see where they go.

Happy New Year! Good bye 2009!

A tingling of a plan…

I was reading the fantastic J.Kaye’s book blog this morning (can’t sleep again of course) and I was struck with an idea. Firs of all I have to note J.Kaye is much more organized than me. And secondly she is doing a wonderful novel writing project. 365 Day’s of Novel writing.

Most of you who read the blog here know I am a voracious reader. What you might not know is I am a writer too. And not just the little trying to make ends meat because I am sick articles and advertisements either. Stories, oh nothing novel length yet, (not for lack of ideas honestly I just can’t seem to sort them into novel form yet.). But I used to write Fan Fiction and Short Stories. Mostly now however when I do write I am doing so nightly (every night just about without fail) partner writing Role Play. Me and my writing buddy (who’s name I shall not out) have been doing so for several years now on a variety of topics! I wouldn’t miss doing it with her for the world. I enjoy it immensely. I am thinking I should get my writing chops out again (thank you J.Kaye for the inspiration!) and start doing some short stories.

What do you my readers think? Do you think it is a good idea? Or a Bad idea? There will of course have to be a blog (I am a blog writing addict and I can fully admit it! I also like doing new designs for myself Gluttonous of me I know.). I am thinking of perhaps having myself write one short story a week, or bi-weekly. I will blog about the progress and than post the story in the blog. It may not be a fully final copy more like a rough (depending on if I go weekly or bi-weekly) but it will be a story. My biggest sticking point for the blog right now is what I should name it. I was thinking something to go with my Pen Name of Ambrosia Jefferson (didn’t you know that’s not my real name. *hehe*). I am drawing a blank currently, so I ask you my readers (if you are still reading this LONG post by now) what are your suggestions? Give me some good ones! If I get some good name ideas today I might even toss out a book as a present/giveaway/ reward. Goodness knows I have enough sitting around (see here for that comment on all the little book piles sitting around.)

And just for fun here is the Wikipedia opening statement on Ambrosia:

In ancient Greek mythology, ambrosia (Greek: ἀμβροσία) is sometimes the food, sometimes the drink, of the gods, often depicted as conferring ageless immortality upon whoever consumes it. It was brought to the gods in Olympus by doves (Odyssey xii.62), so may have been thought of in the Homeric tradition as a kind of divine exhalation of the Earth.
Ambrosia is very closely related to the gods’ other form of sustenance, nectar. The two terms may not have originally been distinguished;[1] though in Homer’s poems nectar is usually the drink and ambrosia the food of the gods; it was with ambrosia Hera “cleansed all defilement from her lovely flesh” (Iliad xiv.170), and with ambrosia Athena prepared Penelope in her sleep (Odyssey xviii.188ff) so that when she appeared for the final time before her suitors, the effect of the years had been stripped away and they were inflamed at the sight of her. On the other hand, in Alcman, nectar is the food, and in Sappho (fragment 45) and Anaxandrides, ambrosia is the drink.[2] When a character in Aristophanes’ Knights says, “I dreamed the goddess poured ambrosia over your head— out of a ladle”, the homely and realistic ladle brings the ineffable moment to ground with a thump.
Both nectar and ambrosia are fragrant, and may be used as perfume: in the Odyssey (iv.444-46) Menelaus and his men are disguised as seals in untanned seal skins, “and the deadly smell of the seal skins vexed us sore; but the goddess saved us; she brought ambrosia and put it under our nostrils.” Homer speaks of ambrosial raiment, ambrosial locks of hair, even the gods’ ambrosial sandals.
Among later writers, ambrosia has been so often used with generic meanings of “delightful liquid” that such late writers as Athenaeus, Paulus and Dioscurides employ it as a technical terms in contexts of cookery,[3] medicine[4] and botany.[5]Additionally, some modern ethnomycologists, such as Danny Staples, identify ambrosia with the untameable hallucinogenic mushroom Amanita muscaria: “it was the food of the gods, their ambrosia, and nectar was the pressed sap of its juices”, Staples asserts.

Awesome New Year Giveaway..

If you like software stuff you really have to check out this give away listedhere at Software Critics .

Below is a full list of what you will win by visiting the site and entering the contest pulled from the site itself! Check it out!

One Snap-A-Bug Pro Account for one (1) year valued at $228US courtesy of SnapABug.com, a Visual Customer Support provider. More about this service will be discussed in the upcoming days or you may visit them at www.snapabug.com for more details.

One of VisualCron business/commercial license plus 1 year maintenance support worth $197US courtesy of VisualCron. You may read Automate Windows tasks with few clicks for more information.

One of two (2) SyncMate Personal licenses worth $39.95US each courtesy of SyncMate. Read SyncMate Helps You Sync Your Mac to Multiple Devices to know more about this tool.

One of five (5) Laptop Alarm software usable for both personal and commercial use courtesy of LAlarm worth $50US each. Read Software to Protect Laptops from Being Stolen for more info.

One Email Marketing Software (Mailer) standard license worth $110US, one (1) Clyton Email client standard license worth $25US and one (1) Televiewer, PC TV license worth $8US all courtesy of Gammadyne.com. To know more about Televiewer, read Watch Live TV Channel on Your PC Free. For the other software, visit www.gammadyne.com.

One of three (3) Windows Automation software Professional licenses worth $199US each courtesy of WinAutomation.com. Read more about it via this post, No More Repetitive Tasks with WinAutomation.

One of two (2) IP Privacy software licenses (one year subscription license) worth $39.95US each courtesy of IP Privacy Pro. Learn more by reading Online Anonymity and Privacy Protection Offered by IP Privacy.


Booking Through Thursday – Year in Review

It’s the last day of the year, and you know what that means … nostalgia and looking back.

What were your favorite books of the year? (Books that were new to you in 2009, if not necessarily published this year.)

It has been a year of many books. I have one more review to write and I am going to be putting it up tonight as I am making the book count for 2009 and 2010, I know a little odd but you will see when I make the review post why. It is hard to believe that it is already going to be 2010. A year has come and gone. I completed 94 books this year. This falls short of my 125 goal, but over all I am pleased. I have reviewed every book I have read and completed 6 other challenges. Since this was my first year of doing challenges I think that is a pretty good accomplishment.

I read a lot of new to me books this year; I did not do any re-reads at all. Some of the books had been in my TBR pile for over a year, but not all of them. Some of my favorites were My Sisters keeper, Shoot the Moon, Good Grief, Devil’s Bride, The Secret History of the Pink Carnation series…and well just a lot more. I really enjoyed most of my books this year. Some were horrible, but most were good.

My TBR pile has been reduced some, I have not taken in as many books as I have finished reading. My only issue is due to finances I have not been able to mail out as many as I want to. But I will be gathering everything that isn’t wish listed on PBS after new years and they will see their way up to the thrift store and cleared out to make room for 2010’s reads. My husband will be happy with that as I currently have several little piles of books around the house. Oppsy!

Happy New Year everyone!

Wicked Wednesday #20


Wicked Wednesday a place to be wicked to other book readers and make them get those TBR piles growing. The concept is simple. Pick a book or two and tell s about them. If its one you read tell us what you liked. If its one you found tell us about that to. Than leave a comment to let us know where to find your Wicked Wednesday titles. Make sure to link back in your posts for other people to follow Wicked Wednesday.

When Catriona Hennessey’s uncle’s cleverly crafted will offers her the choice of either marrying the scandalous Richard Cynster or leaving her innocent cousins penniless, Catriona is appalled. If she marries at all, she wants a consort who would allow her to continue to act as healer and serve “The Lady,” as the women in her family have always done. She knows Cynster is far too overbearing to be that person. The Lady, however, has other ideas. Laurens takes full advantage of the current New Age interest in ancient Goddess worship to weave a steamy story with strong, well-matched protagonists, lively action, and love scenes that melt the pages. Although the novel is set during the British Regency, the period has little influence on this patricular story; readers who want a bit more Regency flavor might enjoy earlier books in the Cynster series.

Teaser Tuesday #33

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to: Grab your current read.Let the book fall open to a random page.Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!Please avoid spoilers!

“She hung up the phone and sank into the chair outside the lounge, feeling exhilarated and terrified at the same time. She’d taken the first step, and what was the corny thing that Ira, of all people used to say? ” ~ Pg. 277 In her Shoes by Jennifer Weiner

The Sunday Salon #13

The Sunday Salon.com

So I missed the actual Sunday Salon. I also missed my Saturday Sanctuary which I will post soon but I will start with Sunday Salon, as it is the last one of the year. Wow 2009 is almost over I can hardly believe it. This year has been a hard one in life, but sometimes that is just what you have to deal with. Life is not always easy. We simply carry on and move through the tough times. I plan to do so.

Now on the reading front however this year has been a fairly good one. I have accomplished most of my reading goals and my brain is a happy camper for all my reading again. Even my husband is happy because I am getting some of my TBR pile out, and for the most part I have not added a whole lot to it. So he is happy for that. I do have several books that have been read and are just sitting around that have not been requested yet from my PBS shelf so I think what I am going to do is after the new year is donate them. And than I will restart my list and post as I read. Good theory I think.

Have a Fantastic Week everyone!

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