What I'm Reading Monday - Blue and Green Eyed Girl

This week I have not been as successful as last week, but I still managed to finish one book!

Again the Alibi in High Heels was on the back burner.  Didn't get much of any reading done.  Ah well, maybe next week.

 I had some chapters assigned in this book.  I have to say it was really interesting.  I think we have a few more chapters to read in this book, but I really am interested in reading the whole thing!  It discussed how McDonald's entered Japan and what was tried and failed.

I finished up Black Heart and I loved it.  I could see how the author could keep writing books about these characters.  There are so many things they could do.  I actually enjoyed the ending even though I felt it did the 'not all of the stories are tied up' thing.  I think I will have to suggest this book to my sister.  She is going to be doing a lot of driving for the new job she got!  Oh my only complaint is that they cut the CD's at horrible times!  Each one was a cliff hanging in itself!  Gaw!

So that left me with my next book, Graceling.  I was not sure about it, but Kellee said it was really good so I was going to give it a try.  It was made by Full Cast Audio and that made me excited.  As much as I enjoyed Jesse Eisenburg reading all of the characters in the White Cat series I really really like when each character has its own reader.  Anyway, it started right in the action (I know that is how young adult books are written but it throws me every time) and it took me a while to get into the flow of the story.  I am two CDs in and I am enjoying the story.  I like the interplay between the characters - most of them appear to really care about each other.

I have a few more hard back books that I want to start reading but with all of the school reading and the coming house repairs I am not sure how much I will be able to read.

Don't worry I will probably post the second that it is official.  It still seems unreal... soon there will be no denying it!

What I'm Reading Monday: Black Heart

I have been reading a bit this week.  Some for fun, some for class.  I felt very successful when I logged onto Goodreads twice to mark books as completed!

 

Nope, this was not one of the books I was able to finish.  I did read about a chapter or so while I was waiting for appointments and what not during the week.  All I know is that after this book I have two or three more in the series to read.  I think it is going to take me forever!

For my class I actually had one of the readings for the week from this book!  Of course the reading was Chapter 5 or something ridiculous.  I very much like to read and do things in order, and this was very out of order for me.

I finished Fables 14!  I enjoyed it up until the last two sections.  I felt like they had come out of no where and didn't really tie into the rest of the Witches part of the book.  It lead me to wonder if it is going to tie in with the next book (which I have pulled and waiting for me but not started yet) or if it truely was just a look inside another part of the Fables world.

I finished this book up and I was guessing who the killer was until the end.  I loved it.  Kellee was right that I would want to start the final book right away.  It stopped at such a cliff hanger that I almost thought I had one more chapter to go on the CD.

 

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So the next day I started Black Heart.  I have gotten about an hour into it and Cassel's troubles are starting up again.  This poor kid can't catch a break.

I will be able to meet my Goodreads goal this year.  I can not remember what my original goal was last year but I had to lower it as I would have never reached it.  This year I wanted to read 50 books and I am about 6-8 books away from reaching my goal.  I still have three months to keep reading to exceed my goal!!  Since I have started listening to audiobooks my reading has increased 10 fold.  I no longer feel like I am wasting time driving to work and back everyday.  It still takes just as long but I don't feel like it takes as long as it does.

Happy Monday and hope this is the last full week before Jon owns a house!  I have to keep telling myself that so it will start to feel real.

What I'm Reading Monday: Out of the Sky and back on Land

I know I am beginning to sound like a broken record and that I keep ignoring my blog.  And I continue to say that I think I have a new plan to get it under control.  Well I am not going to make any promises, but I am all moved into the new office so maybe I can start working on the blog during lunch time again.

Anyhoo, on to what you really came here for today.  Books!

I have managed to read about 1/2 a chapter over the last two weeks!  Go me?  I have been much distracted by the other articles that I have had to read for the class I am sitting in on (that has been so much fun btw) that I haven't taken the time to read this book much.  Of course Maddie is trying to solve the murder herself, even though her cop bf is now with her, and I am sure will wind up in jail or with a gun pointed at her sometime soon.

I have this book for the class that I am taking, but we haven't had any assigned reading in it yet.  I do plan to read the whole book even though we are only going to be using part of it.  I have to say that the articles we have been reading for the class are really making me think how much fast food principles have engulfed all of our lives... and I am slightly scared.

I actually finished this book about two weeks ago.  I know, that is what I get for not posting in time.... or at all... Just like the other two books in this series I really enjoyed it.  I liked how it kept hinting at how they might not make it or find life in outer space.  I was just as worried as the characters when their lifeline home was destroyed.  I couldn't fathom how they would make it without damaging their craft or themselves.  I loved how Kate always managed to turn the situation in her favor - no matter what was going on.  I think that Jon even enjoyed this last book too.  I would really love a final book to share how each of the different characters from each of the books was getting on.  Not necessarily an adventure for Matt but more of a "where are they now" situation.

Jon got on me about not reading my birthday gift, so I finally got back into Fables.  I have all of the books now (up through 17) and even thought I am about a 1/3 of the way through 14, I am already worrying about catching up and then having to wait forever for 18 to come out.  I know silly since I have the Cinderella books and the Fairest issues to hopefully keep me busy for a little longer.  This book starts after the defeat of yet another threat to the Fables and the continued threat of the Dark Man.  The Dark Man really freaking creeps me out.  Not only does he look weird, he eats peoples teeth so that he can make them do things!  GROSS.  There are dangerous Fables loose in the Business Office and seeking revenge for time spent locked up.  Oh My!

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After finishing Starclimber I started on White Cat by Holly Black.  It took me a while to get used to having only one reader again since the last three books had a full cast.  It was read by Jesse  Eisenberg.  At first I was not sure about him since his reading style was completely different than StarClimber.  Eventually I acclimated to the fact that he didn't really make voices for the characters, he just read the book.  Every once and a while I would have to rewind because I wasn't sure who was saying what.  This book series is about people who are able to make people feel, think, die, or dream things just by touching them with a bare finger.  These people are called Workers and they are looked upon as bad, evil human beings unfit to sensor themselves from hurting or stealing from others.  The book focuses on Cassel who is the only non-worker in a worker family.  It follows him as he discovers things about himself and his past.  I managed to finish this up rather quickly since the length was only 6 hours or so.

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Which means I started on the second book in the series, Red Glove, again read by Jesse Eisenberg.  It continues the story of Cassel.  He is back in school and hopefully going to have a quiet senior year.  That plan is cut short when he learns of his brothers death - by murder.  The FBI and the Mob both want him to work for them... which will he choose?  I am enjoying this book as much as the first.  I am trying to put the clues together with Cassel and his friends and can't wait if my ideas line up with what happens.

Today I realized that I have only three more audio books left in my stack before I run out!  I'll have to beg Kellee to check out a few more for me. :)

Also, Jon is officially an uncle (shhhhh don't tell him I told you).  His nephew, William Reed, was born this morning at 12:01 am.  I think we might try to plan a trip this weekend to meet him. :)

I am so happy to have had the day off today.  I got some normal "Sunday" cleaning, laundry, dishes, and prepping for class accomplished.  Hopefully I will manage to prep a few blog posts for the week.  All I  know is that it is our girls night to go socialize, eat, and watch Project Runway.  I can't wait!!

Happy Labor Day to all, enjoy every minute of it especially since we have to go back to work tomorrow.

What I'm Reading Monday: Off to the Moon!!

I am a little late on this one, but I still managed to get it done!!  I have had a busy week.  I hopefully will find time to catch you up and post about the things I have made!!

Another week has gone by with me completely leaving this book alone.  I mean I carry it everywhere with me because it is on my phone, but it just isn't my first choice.  I might have to schedule some one on one time with this book this week.

I finished Mysterious Skin.  And I am very glad I did because it was very disturbing to read about what happened.  I dont' want to give too much away for those that might actually want to read it.  The remainder of the molestation and hustling references were just too much for me.  I am curious about how people get to that point in their life but I don't really want to know the play by play after the fact.

Jon and I finished Skybreaker and I loved it just as much as the first.  I did manage to enjoy the new Kate's voice by the end of the book (still not as good as the first reader though).  The adventure was going on so long that I was worried that it would end in the middle of it.  Don't worry it doesn't.  I did feel as though a bit more explaining about what happened to each character was needed.  You don't learn what they do once the expedition is over.

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I, of course, immediately started the final book in the series Starclimber.  I really don't like this Kate's voice.  I am loving the training that Matt has to go through to see if he is space worthy.  They, of course, don't know exactly what space is like since this would be the first group of people to go that high.  I can't wait to get to the point where they head out.  I am curious how similar it would be to how space is in real life.

I have made no progress on this book either.  Mostly due to the fact that for a few days I was not sure if I would even be able to take the class with my sister... stupid re-applying to school.  But the professor teaching the class is awesome and allowing me to sit in!!!  I will be updating you on this book and the other one we are to read in class shortly I am sure.

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I also am planning to start reading the next Fables book this week.  We shall see if I am able to finish it too... :)

Hope everyone has a great week back at school!!

What I'm Reading Monday - Who needs a man?

I have slacked on posting again (mostly because my computer at work can't handle all of my multitasking during lunch time).  I hopefully will have a better go at it this week.  I may start having to just post random life happenings just to get me back into the groove of posting everyday again.

Anyway on to the good stuff.

I have been a busy reader.  Mostly because I have a lot of different things started.

Jon and I finished Airborn.  I really enjoyed it and was glad that it tied everything up very nicely.  I liked that each character had a different reader.

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Of course I had the second one ready to go.  It is Skybreaker by Kenneth Oppel.  It continues Matt and Kate's story by hunting after a ship that most people had thought smashed into the ocean years and years before.  I really disliked how they got a different person to read for Kate's character.  It was driving me crazy on the way to work the first morning.  I am starting to get used to it now that the book is well into the 10th chapter, but I think I would have enjoyed the first reader more.

I am still working on Mysterious Skin.  I am about 1/3 of the way through and I am beginning to see how all of their lives are starting to come together.  I am still a little weirded out by some of the stuff happening in the story - all of the molestation of kids is a little off-putting.  I am thinking how all of this would translate to the big screen and I don't think I want to watch the movie... the book is descriptive enough.

I have made absolutely no progress on Alibi In High Heels.  I have to say that Mysterious Skin has me completely distracted from it.

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Kellee let me borrow a graphic novel from her and she asked if I could get it back to her before school started.  Well her school starts with kids next week so I decided I better start reading it today.  I managed to start and finish it today.  It is Princeless Book One: Save Yourself by Jeremy Whitley.  I really liked the idea of the princess saving herself from the tower and the "horrible fire breathing dragon".  The images were very well thought out and organized.  Easy to follow.  I actually am a little curious how the story proceeds from where it left off in the first book.  Maybe Kellee can get me on the waiting list. :)

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Lastly I started a book that I have to read for my class I will be taking with Staci.  I didn't get far enough to even really review it yet.  But from the preface I think it will be very interesting.  I will have to fill you in more on it later.

Not to mention that I have many many hours of recorded Olympics to contend with my books.  I have to say that I think I did a fair job balancing them all out.  Which means that Olympics for me aren't over!!

Hope everyones week is great!

What I'm Reading Monday- Emerald Atlas

It is very obvious I have been very busy these last few weeks.  I promise I will share that soon.

But for today's event!

I have been busy listening to books this past week (mostly due to a trip to Key West).  I managed to almost listen to two whole audiobooks!

First, I finished The Emerald Atlas.  I had mentioned how it was much different than the books I had been listening to prior and it took a little while to adjust and get into it.  I must say that I really enjoyed it.  I fell in love with the three children (Kate, Emma, and Michael).  I don't want to give too much away, but I was on the edge of my seat the whole second half of the book.  Their adventure at times looked as though it would not be successful.  I was relieved to know that there are two more books, the only bad thing is that I have no idea how long I will have to wait to hear them!  I think Jon even got into it slightly albeit at the very last disk and a half.

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We immediately started the next audiobook that I had brought with us for the long drive down to the Keys.  It was Airborn by Kenneth Oppel.  I had picked it because of the audiobooks I had it seemed the most Jon friendly.  I was excited because this is my first full cast audiobook!  I have mentioned how some readers aren't able to keep all of the voices sounding different and I knew that a full cast would solve that no problem.  But it did have music at the beginning and that is just something I don't think is necessary.  Jon and I made it to the 8th disk and sadly we arrived home and couldn't sit around and listen to the rest of it.  I think he really got into it because each time I turned it off to ask a question or take a little break he was itching to turn it back on.  :)  Now the only problem is how am  I going to get him to listen to the rest of it...  Oh, yea.  You might want to actually  hear about the book huh?  It is about a boy who works on an airship.  He loves his job and wants to become a sailsman.  A kink is thrown into his plans and he meets a very demanding young girl.  She turns him upside-down in her pursuit of a creature her grandfather claimed to have seen.  I have to say that I thought we had gotten to the part where they would be all clear to go, but nope!  And that is unfortunately where we had to stop. :(

I am still chugging along on this one.  I didn't have much time for reading this weekend since we spent so much time driving around in the car.  She has gotten herself into trouble- big time.  Luckily her cop boyfriend has just showed up and will hopefully set things straight... or handcuff her so she can't go off and get into more trouble.

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Silly me, since I finished Tricks last week I decided to start another book.  Yes, I already have one started (see above) and I insist that I must have a hardback book in addition to my audio and iphone books.  Crazy I know.  I have not gotten very far in Mysterious Skin but so far I am intrigued.  It seems to focus on a few different kids that may or may not be living in the same town.  There is molestation, playgirl magazines, and strippers.  I am not exactly sure the point of the story yet (since I can't remember reading the synopsis).  I'll let you  know more when I learn more.

As for reading, that is all for the week.  As for everything else, that will come later.

Hoping everyone a good week.

What I'm Reading Monday - Tricks

I know that I have been MIA these past days, but I am here today!

I have been busy reading due to a lack of going to do anything else.

I finished up Bite Me.  Again I love love loved it.  I have talked about how many times books don't have a true ending and I am extremely critical of how books end.  Keeping that in mind, I felt as though an additional book could have been written with how the book ended.  However, I was satisfied with how this book ended.  I do not feel cheated or anything.

I have gotten a few more chapters into Alibi in High Heels.  Almost all of the main characters are in Paris now and I can't wait for it to heat up.

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I started and finished Tricks by Ellen Hopkins because to be honest you can't start one of her books without having to finish it immediately.  Now I have read quite a few of her books now and each of them have this ability to completely suck you in.  To the point where you truly feel that you are the characters in the book!  I can't recall many other authors that are able to do that with such intensity.  Okay to Tricks.  The book focuses on a group of kids (teenagers of various ages) who don't know each other.  They all manage to find themselves having to pull tricks (of variying degrees) to survive.  Now I would never ever do something like that to earn money, but in reading the book I felt as though I was pulling each trick being described!  It was such a relief to finish the book and give closure to the characters and feelings.  I have to say it was not as good as Crank, but what can you do.

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I started listening to The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens.  It took a little while to get into it.  First, because the reader is an older male and I had just listened to three books with a female.  Second, it felt like there was a lot of stuff to get through before the story really started.  I talked with Kellee about it and she said that it was because it is the first book in the series.  So I am about 4 discs in now and the story has picked up and I am enjoying it.

I hope to read more this week - and I might since I will be driving a bit this weekend.

I am also hoping that my tummy will finally level out and stop being annoying.

What I'm Reading Monday - Comics Crazy!

I managed to get some reading done this weekend.  You know, in between helping move my sister, visiting with Kellee, and cleaning.  So I did a lot this week.

So I finished You Suck in the middle of last week.  I loved it and immediately started the next one.  :)  But back to You Suck.  I still could not believe that the reader was able to have so many different characters voices that actually sounded individual!  The story kept moving and I just couldn't decide which way I thought it would go!  I also didn't see coming how the story would keep going because the city was saved, but....

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I am finding out how!  I am even almost all of the way through the third and final book in the series, Bite Me.  This one focuses on the newest vampire terrorizing the city.  I hate to ruin it for those that have not read it so I won't.  Tommy, Jody, the Emperor, the Animals, Rivera, Cavudo, Abby, and Fu, are all still in this story.  And the reader is still freaking amazing!  There are even more characters than the last book and her voices are still consistent and different from each other!!!  I have decided that I have to listen to the other books she has narrated because she is just that good.

Anyway.

I am still reading Alibi in High Heels.  I am actually past chapter 3!  I am reading this one faster than the other one.  There is a killer on the loose who is copycatting a past attack with Maddie's brand new line of shoes!!  Her man Ramirez knows about it and is on his way to Paris!  I can't wait to see what happens next.

BTW, these are out of order.  I took a shot from here and edited it in PicMonkey.

Then Sunday I went comic reading crazy.  Jon had laid out (mind you a year ago) some comics that he thought I would enjoy.  A set about Spider-Man and another set about the X-Men.  Well it took me this long to read them, but I liked the ones I read.   I read issues 1-3 of Ultimate Fallout: Spider-Man No More.  Basically it picks up after Spider-Man has been killed.  It is focusing on who was involved and how people are dealing with the loss.  And since I have been watching all of the Marvel movies I know how pretty much all the characters are!

Missed out on seeing a friend this weekend.  I'm really bummed about that.

Regardless, have a great Monday!!