DreamFever ... UGH!!!

OK so after finally finding the thing at Target on Tuesday, it was really frustrating to not have time to read it! Somehow I did manage to grab very small windows throughout the day and night. Same thing on Wednesday - Cari and I shopped all day for last minute loot she needed for her dorm. Still, I managed to grab a bit of time that evening and before bed to get a few more pages read. Thursday greeted us with more shopping and killing time since we had to put her car in the shop for an alignment before taking it to JMU. At least we got home earlier though, around 2:30pm. I think I had the book finished by 6pm!

Let me tell you I was one frustrated reader!! Obviously the book was just as awesome as the other three (if not more so) for me to have devoured it in a span of three incredibly hectic days. But, and that's a BIG but ... it left me hanging from the cliff by fingernails ... AGAIN! AND after reading the author's note in the back I discovered we still have to wait for the fifth and final book in the series! OMG! This sucks. If I had only known, I would've collected the books and waited until the fifth one was released to read them all. I HATE waiting! LOL I know, I know. I need to have a little patience ... well I don't have a choice do I? Still don't have to like it.

If you'd like to read a bit about this book (or any of the "Fever" books) check out Karen Marie Moning's website.

A pouting QB signing off, for now ...

PS - on a happy note, I'm going to see my gorgeous grand baby tomorrow! :D

Books, books and more books ...

I just finished "Knitting Under the Influence" by Claire LaZebnik. I'm not really sure where the book came from or who loaned it to me, but I discovered it while digging through one of my stashes. I'd never read anything by the author before and have not enjoyed several of the last off the wall authors I'd picked up lately. Anyway, on a whim I decided to pick this up and see how far I could get with it. I was delighted and surprised to find myself looking forward to having the time to get back to the story. Even though the author incorporated the girls' knitting group into the story, it was really the story about three girlfriends sticking together through thick and thin while learning various life lessons.

Another recent book I was really excited about picking up was "The Time Traveler's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger. Boy was I disappointed. Apparently my standards are just way different than the majority of the entire reading population. I managed to make it through 162 pages. At that point I decided I simply couldn't take any more. UGH! What didn't I like about it? I would be easier and quicker to say what I did like about it - no wait, there wouldn't be anything to write. I know quite a few people who have read it and liked it. That's why I say it must be me - it can't be everyone else! Sometimes when I read a book I can't get into, I know it's my mood or frame of mind and not because the book isn't good. This book, I can honestly say, just wasn't for me. For me, it was about 70% fluff and maybe 30% meat. I'm a meat girl, not a fluff girl. I don't need to know every tiny detail about each particular situation - especially when the situation isn't pertinent to the story!

Since it is a time travel book, I did expect the story to go back and forth between past and current situations - and it was a LOT, sometimes every couple of pages. But that combined with the constant going back and forth between Henry's point of view and Claire's point of view and all the bloody details that had nothing to contribute to the story ... ??? AAAAHHHH I had had all I could take by page 162 and I closed the book. I hate to give up on books once I've started them, but this one was a complete waste of time in my opinion.

Before I picked up "The Time Traveler's Wife" I tried to read "The Girl Who Stopped Swimming" by Joshilyn Jackson. Again I am in the minority of readers (on amazon.com anyway) reviews on this book. This one, too, failed to capture and keep my attention because of too many details that did absolutely nothing to contribute to the main story. I made it to about page 150 in this book before giving up. So much for trying new authors. From now on I will stick to my tried and true authors who never fail to keep me interested and turning pages.

On the other hand, I did find a new author I like. After discovering I had the first and third books in the "Fever" series by Karen Marie Moning, I went on a mission to get the second one and excitedly started the first one, "Dark Fever," on Friday, Aug 7. By Tuesday, yes four days later, I had finished the third one and was dying to get my hands on the fourth one, "Dream Fever" to be released tomorrow! Each book leaves you wanting more and is like the ending of a chapter, not a book. I'm glad I just recently discovered this series and didn't have to wait long in between each of the three I just read. So I'll be off tomorrow to pick up the new one and fly through my chores just to have time to read a bit.

Life has been a bit crazy this summer and will be even crazier this week. We're doing last minute shopping and getting everything together to move Cari back into her dorm on Saturday. It's going to be bittersweet leaving her again. We've had a lot of time together this summer. I'm going to miss her. She's off tonight seeing her beautiful niece and sister one more time before leaving. I know it's going to be hard for her to let Morgan go tomorrow night before heading home again.

Until next time,
QB

"Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince"

Cari and I have been going to the midnight madness celebrations since "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" was released in 2003. There is something special about being there sharing the excitement with everyone else. There is never a question as to whether or not we're going - it's a given. Yeah, we're tired the next day but it's so worth it. The closer the day and time got, the more excited I was. I re-read the book, so I'd remember more of the details I knew would be left out. And all in all, I really liked the movie. I was, however, disappointed in some of the changes that didn't seem to have a purpose. There were quite a few scenes I simply could not understand why they made the changes they did. And the major scene I had issues with is the one where the Burrow was burned down by Death Eaters - it does not exist in the book. ??? And I couldn't see the value of the scene. Was it supposed to tell the viewers who had not read the book something? I don't know. I couldn't figure it out. And how are they going to fix that for the beginning of the next book where there is a wedding at the Burrow? Magic I guess.

As always, the movie was awesome but it can't hold a candle to the book.

Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince

I finished HP & the Half Blood Prince yet again yesterday. :) This was the third time I've read it; first, when it came out; again before HP and the Deathly Hallows; lastly, in preparation for the movie. We have made it a tradition to go to the midnight showing of the movie and it's so much fun! I love the story of Harry, his friends and their adventures! So, of course, I've got to read book seven simply because I don't want the story to end. I've only read the Deathly Hallows once (when it came out last year) so this will be a special treat.

We're off to Charlottesville today for a Pig Roast and wine tasting event at Horton Vineyards. Two other couple are going as well. I think we're all looking forward to an adult, fun weekend. Photos and stories (I'm sure) will follow!

"Wicked Game" by Lisa Jackson

After having lunch with a dear friend (Panera's Tomato and Mozzarella salad) this afternoon, I came home and finally finished another book - about time. It wasn't the book's fault it took me so long to get through this one - just life getting in the way of my hobbies yet again. I hate it when that happens. You'd think I'd be used to it by now though. Oh well, lots of stuff going on. Anyway, LOVED the book. I haven't read a Lisa Jackson I didn't like yet. Wicked Game kept me turning the pages rather quickly on those occasions I made the time to sit down and read. Each time I had to quit or turn out the light because my eyes were closing, it was accompanied with some grumbling. And no, I didn't figure it out on my own either. I had to read until the very end. I love it when that happens. I hate, though, that the book ends wide open leading you to a sequel. I don't even know if there will be a sequel, but the ending left me with more questions than answers. I'll be researching her book list for related characters and places that flow from one to the other. Iris Johansen has quite a few books that continue characters and story lines. Makes it easier to get into the book for me when I have at least a little of the background on someone.

So, this one gets 4-1/2 stars out of 5 for me. Have no clue what's next. With so much going on this weekend, I probably won't pick up a book until next week. For now, I'm off to see Kenny tonight!

Magic & the Modern Girl

I finished the third and, so far, final book in Mindy Klasky's "Magic and the Modern Girl" last night at 12:45am. Even though this type of book is not typically my preferred genre, I really did enjoy reading something different. I must've enjoyed them to read all three books and try to research when the next one comes out. I will definitely keep my eyes open for more of Mindy's books in the future.

For now I will most likely go back to one of my staple authors (Iris Johansen, Nora Roberts, Karen Robards, Lisa Jackson, Karen Harper, Linda Howard, Sandra Brown, etc.) for my next book.

Cari and I fixed our treasured tomato and mozarella salad for lunch - with fresh basil picked from my new basil plant. Yummmm. Life is good. Remember, it's the little things.

Until next time ...

QB

I am not a painter ...

We have been our remodeling our third bedroom into a craft room for over a year now. It's been a very slow process - but when we take on a challenge of that magnitude it usually takes a while to complete it. That four letter word called L-I-F-E seems to constantly get in our way. Anyway, it's almost completely finished. We just have some cosmetic painting left and I worked on my closet doors yesterday. They're going to take a while. I put the first coat of primer on them. Looks like they're going to need another coat of primer. UGH! Painting is so not one of the things I'm good at. Oh well, I'm sure the end result will be worth it.

On another note, I did manage to finish the second book in the Jane Madison series my Mindy Klasky, "Sorcery and the Single Girl." It was really good. Had a bit more substance to the story than the first book. I'm looking forward to starting the third one, "Magic and the Modern Girl." Hopefully, I'll get a chapter or two under my belt today. Between painting, lunch with a friend and some much needed grocery shopping I probably won't get much reading in.

I also have some knitting I need to finish as well. I'm working on a set of beach themed dishcloths for my neighbor before she moves out to Dallas in a couple of weeks. AND I need to finish my Omega Wrap before our S&B meeting on Friday or my peeps will shame me terribly! LOL I had planned to finish it while on vacation but that didn't happen. All I have left is the band on one end, sewing the ends together and weaving in all those ends ... not my favorite thing to do, but oh so necessary.

Until next time ...

QB

Books I read while on vacation ...

I was in the middle of Sandra Brown's new book, "Smoke Screen" before we got on the road. I finished it before we arrived in Myrtle Beach. Needless to say, it was a page turner. I can usually count on one of her books keeping my attention and not disappointing me. "Smoke Screen" was no exception. It was wonderful!!

Deciding to venture into unknown waters, I picked up "A Girl's Guide to Witchcraft" by Mindy Klasky. I enjoyed the light-hearted, easy to read book. In fact, I enjoyed it so much I had to go buy the next two in the series. I didn't even know they existed until the end of the book. I read the first half of the next book, "Sorcery and the Single Girl" on the way home. Unfortunately, I haven't had the time to finish it yet.

The next book I picked up was a new author for me: John Sandford's "Silent Prey." I muddled through almost 100 pages before finally giving up. It wasn't so much the style of his writing, but more the substance of the storyline. The villan in this book was a demented doctor who gets his rocks off on draining people of their blood through the carotid artery and documenting all the mental and physical symptoms until they died. I just don't need all those details, thank you very much. I've heard lots of people like this series so I'll find another "Prey" book and give John Sandford another try sometime down the road.

The last book I completed while on vacation was Lisa Jackson's new book, "Malice." I loved it! Couldn't finish it fast enough. If you're looking for a fast action, page turner, pick it up.

TaTa for now ...

QB