Saturday Snapshot: Elmo taking in the view

Elmo had a great day at the playground on Wednesday. He rode a rooster on the carousel. He was pushed on the swing by the Little Girl. He then took a rest atop this climbing wave. 
Saturday Snapshot is a weekly meme hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books. 
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Mailbox Monday: Catch Up

I haven't done a MM post in awhile. Since the last time I have had quite a few books come into my home.
The Stand by Stephen King for the #standalongDead End Deal by Allen Wyler for reviewWe Bury The Landscape by Kristine Ong Muslin for reviewInto the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes for Blog TourFifty Shades of Grey by E.L. JamesFifty Shades Darker by E.L. JamesFifty Shades Freed by E.L. JamesNinepins by Rosy Thornton for review
Mailbox Monday is hosted this month by Marie of Burton Book Review. 

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Books to giveaway

These are some books that have been sent to me over the years and now must find a new home. We will be moving soon and it is time for some purging.

If you are interested in any of these books, let me know.

Thanks!

Book Review: The Car Thief by Theodore Weesner

The Car Thief by Theodore Weesner was first released in 1973 to critical acclaim. It is the coming of age story of Alex Houseman, a troubled teen who finds himself in Juvenile Detention for stealing cars. Despite the alcoholic father, absent mother and stint in Juvie, there seems to be a little light within him that will get him through it all.

Weesner, I read, had a very similar childhood, growing up in Flint, Michigan which influenced this novel. It makes it feel very real, almost like a memoir, but with the narrative of a novel. It is a quiet story, a look into the life of a young boy and the people who influence him. This is what I feel YA books today are striving for. A character to cheer on, that reflects the kids that are reading it and a good piece of literature that can garner discussions. 
The beginning of the book had me a little worried. It was a bit confusing and slow moving but just as I thought I might give up on it, I couldn't put it down (or turn it off). The rerelease of The Car Thief is in eBook form exclusively, published by Astor + Blue. What a great way to get this book into the hands of new readers! It is well worth the read.
Source: Publisher for review

For more information about the book and author visit the publishers site here.

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Out of Town

I am in NY, but not at BEA. I am guessing that all the hoopla will be over by Sunday when we get into NYC, right? 
The entire family has flown out for the wedding of my brother in law. Lots of hubby family members to introduce the little girl to. Should be a lot of fun. And to continue the fun, we are spending a couple days in NYC with my sister in laws and their SOs doing some touristy things. :)
Packing for this trip was a nightmare. So much stuff for one little girl! And on top of all that, we have to bring wedding clothes which includes a flower girl dress and a tux for the hubby. At least it is summer and the rest of the clothes pack small. 
Anyway, the reason for my post was just to let you all know that the blog will be a bit quiet this weekend and that I wasn't able to get my reviews written and posted before leaving. I have a few that will be posted  once I get back. _________________________________________

Wednesday Knitting Update

Knitting is happening here! It is great to actually have a little time to get some done during the day. I have really missed knitting regularly. Still not as easy to do when the little girl is awake but getting better. She just needs some yarn of her own to play with. :)
One is a sweet little dress for a friend's new baby. The pattern is only for 6mos, 12mos, 2T and 3T, though, and I wanted to make something that would fit a little sooner than that. So I adjusted a bit to make for about a 3 month old. So far, my calculations have worked. :)

The other project is a Mystery shawl. Fun! Love mystery KAL's. Have only received the first clue which I finished in about an hour. Waiting patiently for the next one. Hoping to get before leaving to NYC tomorrow. Maybe I can get some knitting in while out there. There will be lots of family around to keep the little girl entertained. :)

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Saturday Snapshot

Saturday Snapshot Meme by Alyce of At Home with Books.

Today's Snapshot is of Levi Leipheimer flying down Highway 1 in San Francisco during the Second Stage of the Amgen Tour of California. This was from a few weeks ago. Always fun to watch these professional riders. One day I hope to see them in the mountains of France. 
May Photo A Day Challenge by Fat Mum Slim.26. 12 0'clock 27. sweet 28. the weather today 29. a number 30. my personality31. something beautiful
Here's the list for June:

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

Pin It and Do It: Activity Wallet

Here is another idea to keep the little ones entertained while out and about. The little girl has always enjoyed going through my wallet but I am always scared to let her when we are out in case she drops a credit card or gets into my change and swallows a coin.This wallet is just for her. The coin purse is filled with scrapbook embellishments that are made from card stock. Flowers, animals, etc. Fun little pictures to sort. Instead of credit cards, I put some old UNO cards, some pretty scrapbook papers and stickers into the slots. I added a pen and we are now set for our next outing. Wish I'd had it yesterday when we were at the realtors!
Here is my Pin. It was originally posted by Grace of The Acts of Grace.
Thanks for the Challenge, Trish! Can't wait for the next Pin It and Do It Challenge! :) That make three Pins completed! Here are the links to my other two:Crayon StorageMexican Martini_________________________________________ 

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

The Stand-along

I just couldn't resist this read-along. It's a big one, too. Hope I can get through it. Anyone else joining in on the fun? If you want to, just click the button and sign up!
1. What makes you want to read The Stand?I have  always wanted to read it. I am a big fan of Stephen Kin.
2. Describe your preconceived notions of The Stand.It's a BIG book. It's classic King!
3. What was the last scary(ish) book you read or movie you saw?Funny enough, we read The Shining for Book Group back in October.
4. Which version of the book will you be reading from?The unabridged, extra long version.
5. What are you previous experiences with Stephen King?I have actually read quite a bit of King's books and seen many movies based on his books. I am a fan and can't believe I haven't read this one before.
6. Anything else you'd like to add (bonus points for being extra random).My brother-in-law lives in Maine. King is from Maine. Lots of his books are set there. That is my connection to King. :) Hehe.
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FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Current Read and teaser: The Car Thief by Theodore Weesner

It took awhile to get into this book, but now that I am 90 pages in I am really liking it. It's different than what I usually read but good.

"The fear, and then the excitement, and then the calm he had felt since being locked up, were gone now, replaced by a small sickness of self-pity in his stomach. He pulled his knees up closer to relieve the pressure." The Car Thief by Theodore Weesner.

 
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!