TSS: Running on Fumes

Mommy News

Being a mom is hard. I am so tired and sleep deprived these days. The little girl is having some sleep issues that are keeping all of us up at night. Time for some sleep training which means tears for both baby and mommy. Current book about infant sleep that I am seeking guidance from: Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Baby by Marc Weissbluth, MD
What other resources should I look into, moms? 
Current ReadsMost books I am reading these days are on my iPhone Kindle app. I can use one hand, read in the dark, etc. Much easier right now than reading from an actual book. Not good, since I have a a huge pile of review books to read. Little girl needs to start sleeping!

Besides the baby sleep resource book, I am also reading Dreamwalk by Sarah MacManus. Look for a review soon.


Next books TBR and reviewed:
Gone With A Handsomer Man by Michael Lee WestThe Tapestry of Love by Rosy Thornton
On The Blog
Mailbox Monday Blog TourThis month, Mailbox Monday will be hosted by yours truly. Be sure to stop by starting tomorrow and share what you got in your mailbox! We all love seeing what everyone is reading, right?
GiveawayI also have a giveaway going on right now. To celebrate its release, I have a copy of Gone With a Handsomer Man by Michael Lee West just for you. If you are in the US or Canada you can leave me a comment here and enter to win. You have until Wednesday, May 4th to enter. 
April Reviews-YA Quick review of  Wings by Aprilynne Pike and Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson (review). -My Jane Austen Summer: A Season in Mansfield Park by Cindy Jones (review)-Top 100 Baby Purees: 100 Quick and Easy Meals for a Healthy and Happy Baby by Annabel Karmel (review)
On the NeedlesAs you can imagine, I am also having a hard time getting some knitting done. I have, however, gotten some hats knit for the little girl.

 I am currently working on Miss Dashwood by Heather Ramsey from knitty.com. It is mostly done, just needs the loose ends tucked in, earflaps attached and ties knit. One of these days.
Happy Sunday!_________________________________________

FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

YA Quick Review- Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson and Wings by Aprilynne Pike

Wings by Aprilynne Pike
High school biology class=budding romance once again, but this time the girl is budding, as well. Literally. Laurel discovers a growing bump on her back that she thinks is back acne at first, then a tumor. Boy is she surprised when it turns out to be neither. And it is not wings, as the title suggests. 
Wings is an interesting new take on fairies. Definitely a quick read, but the characters weren't all that likable.
3/5
Source: Amazon free ebook
Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson
Scarlett and her family live in and run an old hotel in NYC, trying to make ends meet. A new guest and some live theatre brings drama, a boy and a chance to save the hotel. 
An original concept, fun characters and a quick read. I enjoyed it.
3.5/5
Source: Amazon free ebook_________________________________________

FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Book Review: My Jane Austen Summer by Cindy Jones

My Jane Austen Summer: A Season in Mansfield Parkby Cindy Jones
Do you consider yourself a Janeite? Have you read every Jane Austen novel so many times that you know Lizzy, Emma and Maryanne almost as well as your real life friends? Perhaps you feel more connected to the author than her characters?
Well, for Lily Berry, Jane Austen is more of an imaginary friend who offers advice about life and romance. Lily is guided by her friend as she gets to spend a summer in England re-enacting Mansfield Park, a great opportunity to escape the reality of her recent losses- mom, boyfriend and job. 
I admit to being a bit of a Janeite- I have read all her novels and have also enjoyed reading a couple of the new Austen inspired books. Surprisingly, My Jane Austen Summer seems to share some similarities with the two . In According to Jane by Marilyn Brandt, the protagonist hears Jane speaking to her in her head giving her advice and warnings about the men in her life. The protagonist in Shannon Hale's Austenland spends her vacation in an estate where guests get to live out their Austen fantasies. 
Yes, there are similarities but there also differences that sets it apart and makes it a very different read from the two novels I mentioned. I enjoyed the drama of setting up the re-enactment and imagining how much fun it would be to experience that. I also have to admit to really liking Fanny Price as does Lily. She doesn't get as much love as the other Austen heroines. 
3/5Source: Sent for review for TLC Book Tour. Thanks, Trish.

Links for more information about Cindy Jones and My Jane Austen Summer:
CindyJones.com (official website)First Draft (her blog)Facebook

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FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Ratings System

I am considering abandoning my ratings system. What do you all think?
 I am finding it hard to give each book a numerical value these days and I find the stress of it is probably unnecessary. I am hoping that my reviews alone will be enough to give readers a good sense of my feelings and opinions about the books I read and review. 
A couple years ago I was thinking about this exact same thing when it was asked on a 3/09 Tuesday Thingers meme. Here is what I said:

I do use a rating system but have been wondering whether or not it is useful or necessary. I know when I look for info on a new book I read the synopsis and reviews first before looking at the ratings. Same as with movies. You can't always trust them. However, sometimes ratings are good for quick reference or for when a review is not clear.

My rating system:

5/5 Amazing!
4/5 Really liked it
3/5 Liked it
2/5 Okay
1/5 Didn't like it
So, considering this has been on my mind for awhile, I think I will give no ratings a try. Let me know what you all think. I want to do what is most useful to my readers. Thanks.
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FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Giveaway: Gone With a Handsomer Man by Michael Lee West

Gone With a Handsomer Man by Michael Lee West
comes out today!

Take one out-of-work pastry chef . . .
Teeny Templeton believes that her life is finally on track. She’s getting married, she’s baking her own wedding cake, and she’s leaving her troubled past behind. And then? She finds her fiancé playing naked badminton with a couple of gorgeous, skanky chicks.
Add a whole lot of trouble . . .
Needless to say, the wedding is off. Adding insult to injury, her fiancé slaps a restraining order on her. When he’s found dead a few days later, all fingers point to Teeny.
And stir like crazy!
Her only hope is through an old boyfriend-turned-lawyer, the guy who broke her heart a decade ago. But dredging up the past brings more than skeletons out of the closet, and Teeny doesn’t know who she can trust. With evidence mounting and the heat turning up, Teeny must also figure out where to live, how to support herself, how to clear her name, and how to protect her heart.

To celebrate its release, I have a copy provided by Anne of Authors on the Web, just for you. If you are in the US or Canada you can leave me a comment and enter to win. *You have until Wednesday, May 4th to enter. *Extra week to enter._________________________________________

FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

New E-Books

This week I had no books in the mail but I did have some come electronically onto my phone. There were many Kindle e-books on Amazon available for free and/or greatly reduced in price that I couldn't resist. Plus, reading on my iPhone is much easier these days than reading an actual book. Much easier to hold my phone than a book while feeding or rocking the little girl to sleep in the dark. 
So here is what I got, all in e-book format:

Wings by Aprilynne Pike
Mr. Darcy, Vampire by Amanda Grange
and for review
Dreamwalk by Sarah MacManus
This month, the Mailbox Monday Blog Tour is hosted by Amy of Passages To The Past . Next month, you will find it here, at MariReads._________________________________________

FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Book Review: Top 100 Baby Purees: 100 Quick and Easy Meals for a Healthy and Happy Baby

Top 100 Baby Purees: 100 Quick and Easy Meals for a Healthy and Happy Baby by Annabel Karmel
When I first got pregnant I wasn't sure on what I was going to do regarding food for the baby. I have nothing against bought baby food. In fact, that was the route I thought I would most likely go considering how little I cook for myself and the hubby. But since I am staying home these days I saw no reason to not try and make some food for Emma as long as it wasn't too labor intensive. I saw this book and thought it looked perfect for me. 

The recipes are simple and require very little time and prep. So far I have only made a couple of the purees- carrot and sweet potato. The carrots were a hit. Little girl can't get enough of them. The sweet potatoes came out a little sticky but that was my fault. I forgot to lower the burner to simmer. Oops. I just added a little breast milk and Emma ate them just fine. 
After I introduce pears and apples, I really want to make her the apple and pear puree with cinnamon. Looks and sounds yummy. I will have to make a little extra for myself.
5/5
Source: Purchased

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FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Current Read and a Teaser: My Jane Austen Summer

Wow! It has been a while since I last participated in Teaser Tuesday. Thought I would start it up again now that I have some books to share with you all. 
I am currently reading My Jane Austen Summer: A Season in Mansfield Park by Cindy Jones which I will be posting a review of on April 21st, the last stop on the TLC Book Tour. I am enjoying it so far. Very different than my previous read. 
Anyway, here's a bit to tease you with:

"I sensed a gothic villain on my trail and quickened my pace, passing Tolstoy, Wharton, and Zola. Frida Kahlo's eyebrow glared at me from a poster on the end of the stack." page 14, paperback.

My Jane Austen Summer was released April 1st. 

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 (I am usually not so random)
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

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FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

April brings books!

Another book for the little girl and two for her mommy to review. Hopefully she gives me some time to read them! 

Moo Cow Book by Sandra Boynton
This cute little book was picked up by yours truly for the little girl yesterday on her first trip to Kepler's in Menlo Park. She loves it. Those horns are perfect for gnawing.




Gone with A Handsomer Man by Michael Lee West
From the publisher for review. Look for my review later this month. Release date is April 12, 2011.





Ghellow Road By T H Waters
From the author for review.






This month, the Mailbox Monday Blog Tour is hosted by Amy of Passages To The Past . Next month, you will find it here, at MariReads.
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FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Book Review: Horns by Joe Hill

Horns by Joe Hill

The author of Heart-Shaped Box and son of Stephen King has just released a new novel. I went in expecting thrills and chills but instead got something a little different. Horns is more of a dark comedy and a sort of study on good and evil.

Ig Perrish wakes up one morning after a night of hard drinking and finds that he has grown a set of horns and instead of the reaction he thought they would get from people, they instead cause others to confess their sins and share their deepest desires. No one seems immune and Ig uses this new found power to help discover who murdered his girlfriend a year prior to the day the horns protruded from his head.

We then get to see, through flashbacks, Ig's life from a teen to adulthood. How he met and fell for his girlfriend, their relationship with the murderer and the affect of her death on the community and Ig's family. At the beginning of the novel you learn that they all suspect Ig of her death despite the lack of evidence, the flashbacks make it much more obvious as to who was actually the murderer. Perhaps it's the teacher in me. Seeing the signs early on that will evolve into more when kids grow up.

A truly original and imaginative plot, interesting characters and some hilarious situations make this a great, fun read. Instead of being scared, I found myself laughing at the crazy thoughts and secrets people share with Ig. Not what I expected, but very enjoyable.

4/5
Source: Review book for TLC Book Tour. Thanks, Trish.

The first 1000 people to preorder Joe’s latest novel and then email joehill@harpercollins.com with proof of purchase will receive a specialized bookplate from Joe – he’s been signing and doodling all sorts of creations on bookplates for days now! For more information on this giveaway and the rest of Joe’s books, visit www.joehillfiction.com and follow Joe on Twitter @joe_hill.

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FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.