Winner of The Christmas Secret by Donna VanLiere

 Congrats, Toni!

You have won yourself a copy of  The Christmas Secret by Donna VanLiere! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Since I only had 11 entries I put all your names in a cup and pulled one out the old fashion way. :) Toni- please email me your mailing information to marireadsATyahooDOTcom.

 Thanks to everyone who entered and those of you who are new followers. 2 more to go and I will reach 100 Followers. When that happens I am planning on a big giveaway.  Be sure to check back soon!

Also, if you would like to buy yourself a copy of The Christmas Secret, click on the link above. I recently started an Amazon store. Thought I would try it out and see how it goes. :)




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Everything Austen Challenge Completed

I have had a great time participating in The Everything Austen Challenge hosted by Stephanie of The Written Word. I am a big fan of all things Austen so this was an absolutely perfect challenge for me to take part in. Thanks Stephanie for hosting!
Heres my Completed List:
1. Read Northanger Abbey2. Visit the Jane Austen Center in Bath! (lots of pics)3. Watch Lost in Austen4. Read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies5. Watch Sense and Sensibility6. Went to play of Pride & Prejudice
I really wanted to knit the Mrs. Darcy Cardigan for the challenge but I just don't have the time with all my Christmas knitting that needs to get done. Perhaps next year will see me knitting this great sweater.
The Challenge began on the 1st of July and ends on the 1st of January.
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What is it about the name David?

So, I am reading Julie & Julia by Julie Powell and come to a part where Julie is explaining her friend Sally's weird obsession with Davids. She dates a lot of guys named David, and this little tidbit just got me laughing. 
Do you remember the episode of Friends when they discuss their "freebie lists"? The one with Isabella Rossillini? Well, my "list", if I made one, would include all Davids! No kidding. I hadn't realized my like of so many David's until the hubby pointed it out a couple days ago. My absolute favorite male celebrities:
David Borreanaz (Angel/Bones)David Duchovny (X Files)David Tennant (Doctor Who)Dave Gahan (Depeche Mode)
Okay, back to enjoying my book. :)
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Holiday Books in the mail

It has been quiet around here. Not many books showing up, which is actually a good thing. I have a stack of books here all waiting and needing to be read. I have been going through them, trying to decide which ones will be accompanying me to CA over the holidays. There are a lot to choose from.

There were a couple new books in the mail in the last couple weeks that I can share with all of you and both are perfect reads for the holidays.

The Christmas Secret by Donna VanLiere arrived last weekend for review. I have already read and reviewed this one and am having a giveaway for an extra copy. Go and enter before next Sunday!

Also in the mail, Knit the Season by Kate Jacobs. A win during Dewey's 24hr Read-a-Thon in October. Thanks to the lovely folks who hosted and to Lydia at Putnam Books for sending it my way.

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas...

Are there any holiday books you can recommend? I am feeling more and more in the mood for the holidays.






Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia of The Printed Page







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Book Giveaway: The Christmas Secret by Donna VanLiere

When a struggling young single mother saves the life of an elderly woman, she sets into motion a series of events that will test her strength, loyalty, and determination, all the while setting her on the path to finding true love. Christine Eisley is the mother of seven-year-old Zach and five-year-old Haley. Her ex-husband provides little, if any, child support and makes life difficult for Christine by using the children as pawns. She works long hours as a waitress to make ends meet, but her job is in jeopardy because she’s often late to work due to the unreliable teenaged sitters she’s forced to use. When Christine saves the life of a woman who works in Wilson’s department store, the owner of Wilson’s wants to find her, to thank her, but Christine has disappeared, losing another job once again. He sets his grandson, Jason, to the task of finding the mysterious “Christy.” Jason, an accountant by trade who has lost his job to downsizing, thinks he is “above” working at Wilson’s. Soon, he discovers that this new task gives him more than he bargains for. The Christmas Secret is a novel for anyone who wants to see how love is a gift that keeps giving back; that hope is a treasure that never runs dry, and that faith is a miracle that is reborn with each new day.

I have a copy of The Christmas Secret by Donna VanLiere to giveaway thanks to Anne and St. Martin's Press. You can check out my review here. A wonderful read for the holidays.

To enter, leave a comment on this post and an email address where you can be contacted. You have until midnight CST on Sunday, November 29th. Giveaway is open internationally.




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Book Review- The Christmas Secret by Donna VanLiere

The Christmas Secret by Donna VanLiere

What a sweet, warm-hearted story for this time of the year. This is the first book I have read by Donna VanLiere and quite different from the books I usually read.The Christmas Secret was a pleasant surprise.

It is the story of Christine, a single mother struggling to keep her head above water enough to give her kids a nice Christmas. Things just don't seen to be going her way until an unexpected emergency changes everything. And it is also about Jason, who has decided to work at his grandfather's store over the holidays to make some much needed money since being laid of from his accounting job. He feels the job is beneath him but with the influence of his grandfather's goodness and the people he meets he finds something better than making lots of money.

The way the lives of these two characters and the others intertwine was believable and completely engaging. This was a hard book to put down. It was a quick, light read that made for perfect weekend reading.

4/5


Source: Publisher (St. Martin's Press) and Anne (Thanks)






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Play Review- Pride & Prejudice (UT Drama Department)

On Thursday, I went to see the student production of James Maxwell's Pride & Prejudice at the B. Iden Payne Theatre on the University of Texas campus. A friend of mine has been reading and seeing all things Jane Austen lately and invited me to go along with her. It was the perfect way to end my Everything Austen Challenge with.

The students did an amazing job. First, the set design and the costumes were quite good. The creative use of the set pieces and costumes during scene changes was really fun to see. I can't tell you how many times I saw Lizzy put on and take off her bonnet and coat but that one simple change of costume during her monologues worked well to set up the next scene.

The play itself was also quite enjoyable. Austen's words and wit were all present and the actors did a great job of portraying these very familiar characters. I wasn't a fan of the monologues between scenes but I understand why they were needed. The play would have been much longer than the two hours had they not been there to move the story along. The actors who played Bingley, Mr. Bennett, and Mr. Collins were very memorable- very funny and completely in character. We felt the actor that played Mr. Darcy wasn't serious enough. There was some interesting silliness and faces made with Mr. Bingley during one of the dances. Cute, but not in the true character of Mr. Darcy.

All in all, I was quite impressed and was thoroughly entertained. I would be interested in seeing more of the productions put on by UT.



Eveything Austen Challenge






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Classics Challenge 2009 Wrap Up Post

Well, here it is. My first failed challenge. I began the Classics Challenge for 2009 with high hopes and came to the end of the challenge with only two books read. I really enjoyed this challenge last year and hoped to finish as I did. Unfortunately, this was not my year for Classics.

Here is what I did read:

Persuasion by Jane Austen

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Congrats to all of you who finished and thanks to Trish for hosting. I had some good books on my reading list. I hope to get to them soon.

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Book Review- The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver

The Lacuna: A Novel by Barbara Kingsolver

I have not read all of Barbara Kingsolver's books but the ones I have read have all been amazing. The Lacuna is no exception. I enjoyed picking it up every night for my daily reading before bed these past couple weeks and it has been the perfect read for me here in Lajitas, TX down near Big Bend National Park. This was a book I enjoyed reading slowly, being sure to take it all in and not miss anything by trying to get it finished quickly.

The Lacuna is a novel written as journal entries by Harrison Shepherd from the time he was a young teenager into adulthood. They recount his adventures through Mexico in the 30's and 40's and into his adult life in America. I felt like I was there experiencing his encounter with Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera and the life he led working for them in Mexico City. Harrison and everyone he meets throughout the book are so fleshed out and real that I kept forgetting that this was a novel and not a memoir.

Beautiful prose, epic storytelling, and intriguing characters. I couldn't ask for anything more. Loved it. It has become a new favorite.

5/5

AtoZ Challenge



Source: Publisher (Harper Collins), Palley Promotes (Thanks, Lisa!)

Barbara Kingsolver is one of the many great authors taking part in the Miami Book Fair this week. It comes to an end this Sunday so get out there while you still can.






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YA Quick Reviews- Artemis Fowl #5 and Morganville Vampires #4

Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony by Eoin Colfer

Another really great book in this series. I love the character arc that Artemis has had throughout the books. He has gone from a ruthless, criminal mastermind to a trustworthy ally of the People. In this installment, Artemis is on the hunt of some time skipping demons that need help. Working with Section 8 of the LEPrecon, Artemis, Holly, Foaly and Mulch are reunited to save the demons. One surprise- another young human genius is trying to get a hold of the demon, and it just so happens to be a very attractive young lady.

4/5

Serial Readers Challenge

Source: purchased




Feast of Fools by Rachel Caine

Claire is finally acting a bit more grown up. She is finally using her intelligence, or rather it is being used for the greater good of the vampires. I actually really like this part of the story. Claire graduating from high school early and being sent to a JC instead of Harvard never really made sense to me. So, her smarts being used to help the vamps made up for it. I enjoyed the story, the characters and the pace of Feast of Fools. One little thing I didn't understand... why the need to move Claire's parents to Morganville? Seemed an unneeded addition to the plot. Perhaps it will make more sense in the next book.

3/5

Serial Readers Challenge
eBook Challenge

Source: purchased




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