Thursday Daily Meme

Today's meme asks us: What is the oddest thing you've ever read? (You know, something not a book, magazine, poem, short story or article).

My answer: I had to think about this question for a few minutes! My mom, sister and I took a trip to Paris a few years ago and I'd have to say that some of the signs around the city were hard to decipher :). I do know a tad bit of French, thanks to the foreign language requirement in highschool, but not really enough to get by in France on my own! What about all of you? :)

Happy last day of March, hello April and Easter!

Another weekly meme! To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions...

• What are you currently reading?


• What did you recently finish reading?


• What do you think you'll read next?

My answers:

I am currently reading The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. It is a pretty short book, but a very interesting adventure story. It also surprisingly has a really cute love story!

I recently finished Nordie's at Noon by various authors. This was an inspirational memoir about four women who meet once a month at the store Nordstrom's to discuss their journey to overcome breast cancer.

Life of Pi by Yann Martel. I remember my sister reading this book years ago, but I never asked to borrow it. I'm interested to see what happens when a tiger and a boy are stranded in a lifeboat together! :)

Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read.


• Open to a random page


• Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.


• Be careful not to include spoilers!


• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like your teasers!

My Teaser: "The other man remarked that tea was always more delicious when it was served in crystal, because the aroma was retained. The third said that it was a tradition in the Orient to use crystal glasses for tea because it had magical powers."

p. 59 from The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

MizB of Should Be Reading hosts the weekly meme, Musing Mondays. This week's Musing asks...Do you read books while you...eat? bathe? watch movies or tv? listen to music? While you're on the computer?

I wish I was a good multi-tasker, but I'm not! I like to concentrate on only one thing at a time, otherwise I get overwhelmed. Hubby and I watch tv a lot while we're eating, but the tv being on while I'm trying to get absorbed in a good book is too distracting. And I love movies too much to not give them my full attention as well! :) Enya seems like a very soothing vocalist, so maybe sometime I will put her on in the background when I'm reading or writing. Sometimes I do read while I'm in the bath, but I always end up getting my book wet! One time, I had to pay a $20 fine for accidentally dropping my library book into the bathtub. Lesson learned :). What about all of you?

Nordie's at Noon by Various

Synopsis in a Sentence: This memoir gives us a peek into the lives of four women who fought a courageous battle against breast cancer at young ages.

My Thoughts: The stories of Patti, Kim, Jennifer and Jana really hit home for me as my own mother fought (and won) her own battle with breast cancer at only 40 years of age. This book was recommended on a list that I found at my local library about books which every woman should read. Nordie's is unique from other books on cancer in that it actually kind of reads like chick lit! The women do describe the treatments and procedures that they go through, but they also write about their love lives, day to day victories, defeats and friendships. It's definitely not a dry, scientific view of cancer, but one that shows how deeply cancer can touch and affect every aspect of our lives.

The four women are diagnosed with breast cancer all at age 30 or under. Patti is incredibly, only 26 years old when she is diagnosed! Being 27 years old myself, my heart pretty much broke when I read that. I tried to picture myself in her situation, and try as I might, I couldn't imagine enduring what she went through. She was so courageous and graceful in her battle, and was perhaps my favorite story in this book. Jennifer's story also amazed and inspired me deeply as well. She was 27 years old when she was diagnosed and was pregnant while she went through chemotherapy! My sister just gave birth to her first child, and the thought of her having to endure painful procedures and take powerful medicine during such an already emotional time, kind of makes me shake my head in wonder at the trials women go through. I would definitely recommend this book to you, dear followers, and would encourage you to stay up to date on your mammograms and current on breast health topics. My husband is a doctor and tells me that this is a disease which can be survived with early detection! Enjoy and be inspired by this book of women who fought their battles with humor, grace and bravery. Yay, sisterhood! :)

What I liked least: When the stories ended, I wanted to know more about the women and how they are doing today!

What I liked most: This is not a book written about these women...Patti, Jennifer, Jana and Kim wrote these stories themselves, which makes your reading experience more powerful. At the end of the book, you feel like you've made four new best friends!

Dear Readers: have you or anyone else you know been affected by breast cancer?

Friday Feature

Hello, dear followers! :) First of all, I wanted to say thank you SO much for the incredibly warm and kind welcome that you have given me! I also received so many sweet compliments about the look of my blog...I love it too! :) I have a passion for interior decorating and I worked closely with my blog designer to pick out the pictures, colors, images etc...One follower said that my blog is like "walking through Wonderland" and I couldn't agree more! Emily from Blogaholic Designs went above and beyond in creating this for me. I would recommend her to anyone. I'm so excited to start sharing and delving into the magic of books with you :). Look for a review of Nordie's at Noon coming tomorrow!

I'm also excited to announce that my blog will be spotlighted tomorrow on Parajunkee's amazing blog as the Friday Feature. I would like to go ahead and give an advance welcome to everyone who will be here visiting tomorrow! So welcome and hope you stick around! :) Hope everyone has time to snuggle up with a good book this weekend...have a great one.

Greetings fellow book lovers!

I'm a brand new book blogger and I would love to have your participation on this site...not because I want to become the biggest book blogger out there ;), but because I love sharing and hearing what others (YOU!) have to say about literature. I had no idea that there was this amazing book blogging community out there until a few months ago...and I'm soo excited about it. You'll notice that the reviews I've done so far are spaced a little far apart...it took me awhile to figure out this whole blogging thing and how it works. Up till now, I've usually had my nose stuck in a book instead of learning about things such as computers hehe! Yes, I'm a member of the Grandma Club on facebook. Anyways, after meeting two wonderful ladies who helped me set up this blog, I definitely have the hang of things now...so look for consistent (and I hope, interesting!) reviews and other tidbits. I love books of every kind, so I think there will be a little something for everyone on here! :)

Happy Reading!

2011 Fantasy Reading Challenge

I decided to join my first ever reading challenge...the 2011 Fantasy Reading Challenge hosted by Darlyn and Books! I absolutely adore reading fantasy novels. My love of fantasy began when my dad read The Hobbit out loud to my sister and I when we were little. I love all types of fiction, but fantasy books will always have a special place in my heart! This challenge will be a good opportunity to check out all of those epic fantasy series I've been meaning to get around to! Click on the image below to join.

A little more info on this exciting challenge:

A. The challenge is open to everyone.
B. There are four levels:

• Curious-Read 3 Fantasy Fiction novels
• Fascinated-Read 6 Fantasy Fiction novels
• Addicted-Read 12 Fantasy Fiction novels
• Obsessed-Read 20 Fantasy Fiction novels

C. Challenge runs until December 31, 2011.

Have Fun!

Resilience by Elizabeth Edwards

Synopsis in a Sentence: Elizabeth Edwards chronicles the tragedies and joys of her life in this inspiring and emotion filled memoir.

My Thoughts: After Elizabeth Edward's recent passing, I decided to pull this book from my bookshelf and give it a deeper look. The first time I read it, I simply enjoyed reading about a popular "celebrity" type person in our society. However, this time, I really delved deeply into the emotions which are so raw and alive in this book. As a woman, I love the feelings of sisterhood and connection that you get when reading about other women such as this admirable lady. In some ways, the life of a woman is the life of us all. We go through so many of the same things...making friends, losing friends, creating a family, being a mother, daughter, sister, significant other. We have health problems, we go through ups and downs in our romantic relationships, we build careers or are stay at home moms etc...Elizabeth Edwards was an Everywoman. She demonstrated, much like Princess Diana in my opinion, that it is possible to go through these joys and sorrows with grace and dignity. It is comforting to know that even wealthy and famous women encounter the same problems as the rest of us. It is how we deal with what happens to us, which sets us apart. I encourage you to read this book and let Elizabeth's optimism and zest for life soak into you and perhaps give you hope in navigating the storms in your own life.


What I liked least: Reading about John Edward's excuses and lies to Elizabeth are painful to hear. They make you want to throw the book across the room in anger on her behalf!


What I liked most: Elizabeth's description and rememberances of her son, Wade are touching and beautiful. They shine on the page and give you a true sense of her deep love for him.