With my love of vampire books - how could I not post this link. Michele Hauf has created the 
I can't believe that today is my 3 year Blogoversary!!! Three years ago today, I was sitting in my recliner reading some other blogs (I had just come across "Blogs" a few days earlier), and I thought, "Hey, I can do this!!" Earlier in the month, I discovered eBooks along with rediscovering my love of reading. I decided that it was such a great idea to track what I read, as well as, write about my feelings about the books. So, I investigated some blog sites and decided to use Blogger.
I am so very thankful that I started reading again. I had been without books for years and didn't realize how much I missed them. Searching the web one night, I came across eReader.com and the idea of eBooks. I had no clue how that random search would change my life. The first eBook that I read was Christine Feehan's Dark Prince. That was also my first step into the paranormal world!! I couldn't get enough of them. While looking for books to read...that is how I discovered book blogs. People actually got online and discussed their love of books!!!
The first book I blogged about was Nicholas Sparks' The Notebook. It was a brief, quick..."I loved this book" post, but it was my first book post. As I read over my earlier posts...I have to laugh at how inexperienced I was at this new endeavor.
Over the years, I have learned a great deal. How to add items to my sidebar, how to change my background, adding links and pictures, and am continually learning new things as I participate in different events. I have also learned a few things about posting my thoughts on my reading material. I have revamped these posts several times and am happy now with the way that I write these types of posts. I know I still have a lot to learn, but the fun and enjoyment I have experienced, as well as the friends I have made, and the challenges that I have participated in throughout the years has been a phenomenal ride!!
I would also like to take a few minutes and thank all of you followers and commenters of my blog. Never in a million years would I have imagined that people would actually follow my blog let alone comment on it. I really do appreciate each and every one of you. I get so excited when I get an email saying that there is a comment on my blog!!! Thank you all so very much!!
I won't be hosting a giveaway this year...because I am participating in BlogFest 2010 where I will have several contests going for some great books. The BlogFest is September 10th - 12th...I hope everyone will stop by...it is going to be a lot of fun and a great way to learn about new blogs out there!!!
Friday, July 30, 2010
BLOGOVERSARY!!!
Saturday, July 24, 2010
True Blue - Luanne Rice
Author: Luanne Rice
Publisher: Bantam
Published: 2002
Pages: 476
Genre: Women's Fiction
While not my favorite book by Luanne Rice (that honor would go to Summer Light), it was still a pretty good read. However, those that have the "ick factor" when it comes to marrying siblings...then you better stay clear. Set in a Connecticut beach town, Hubbard's Point, we are exposed to the lives of the inhabitants, as well as, legends of seafaring spirits and lost treasures.
The heroine in this story is veterinarian, Rumer Larkin. Never having been married, she lives with her aging father, Sixtus. The reason for her marital status is Zeb Mayhew...18 years ago he broke her heart. They grew up together on the island; their friendship turning into love during their teenage years. But due to a misunderstanding and a jealous sibling, Zeb turns away from Rumer and marries her sister. Discovering that he made the biggest mistake of his life, they soon divorce, but not before they have a son. I didn't connect all that well with Rumer. She is a little obsessive about the care of the wildlife in the area. She tries to move on with her life by getting involved with someone else...but she isn't successful. Her relationship with her sister is strained due to the sister's deception, alcoholism, and jealousy of Rumer.
Zeb is a successful astronaut...but after a near death experience...he decides it is time to reconnect with his 18 year old son and ask forgiveness from Rumer. Taking some time off, he rents a cottage at Hubbard's Point and drags his son across the country for the summer. I like Zeb a little more than Rumer. I could sympathize with his plight and wanted him to get his heart's desire which is to recapture his bond with Rumer. He was your typical nerdy guy, and I enjoy reading about those types of heroes.
Even though there was great tension and angst between the two main characters, I was more invested in the secondary characters' stories. Michael, the son, develops a relationship with one of the local girls, Quinn. And the father, Sixtus, decides to embark on one last sailing adventure, planning on residing in Ireland to keep Rumer from having to take care of him in his declining years. The one side story I didn't like, was the one about the new neighbors moving into Zeb's old house next door to Rumer. They wanted to make changes to the landscaping and build a bigger, fancier house...shocking and appalling Rumer to the point of her making a stand against the reconstruction.
I thought the ending was good, all wrapped up in a nice neat little package.
Rating: 3/5
Pages: 476
Completed: 5/3/10
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
FictFact
However, I have found a
site to play on!!! I belong to the Harlequin/Silhouette message board, and a poster on that board, Gail, mentioned this new site where you can keep track of your series. With Shelfari, you add your books in the series and then have to create a tag to keep the series together. Then you still don't know which book comes next...you have to investigate that either on the authors' websites or other sites that track series. BUT...there is a new site out there where you can track your series...the books you've read and which book comes next!!! It even lets you know what is Coming Soon.
FictFact is my new playground. Another great feature is you can follow other people and see what series they are reading. If you can't find your series on the site...just email them and they will add it. Gail tried that out, and her request was added the next day. So far I have added 26 series, and it has calculated that I have read 45 books out of those series. I know what book I need to read next and that is a big plus for me!! You can search by author, series, book name, and most popular series. You can recommend books, search their book calendar for new releases, and set up your own profile. I could go on and on about the features of this site...but I won't...you have to see it for yourself.
So, head on over to FictFact and try it out...you won't be disappointed.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
The Girl on Legare Street - Karen White
Author: Karen White
Publisher: NAL
Published: 2009
Pages: 335
Genre: Paranormal - Ghost
Series: Tradd Street - Book #2
Continuing the story of Melanie and Jack, Karen White pens another winner with me. Once again, her rich descriptions and colorful characters captivated my attention and held me spellbound till the end. The Girl on Legare Street is the second in, what I hope will be, a continuing series. You are left with somewhat of a cliffhanger at the end which makes me think there are more books in the works. The first book is The House on Tradd Street and was just as entertaining as this one. Not only does it have ghosts, and not your typical ghosts either, but the mystery behind the storyline is exquisite. Karen White has a way of telling a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat at times, guessing what will happen next, and will definitely keep you entertained.
Melanie is a loner being the product of a dysfunctional family. Her father is an alcoholic, and her mother deserted her more than thirty years ago. Growing up under those circumstances...she is just not relationship material...hence the reason why she keeps pushing Jack away. Sometimes, I just wish she would give him a chance...I think that would be my only complaint with the book. But then the whole undertone of the books would change and that would be a bad thing...LOL! I love Karen White's writing, and I wouldn't want to change a thing...it is just the romantic in me that wants everyone paired together. The character of Melanie is realistic...she can be make me frustrated, laugh, angry...I run the whole range of emotions with her.
Melanie's mother returns to Charleston after having a deadly premonition that Melanie's life was in danger. Jack brings the two of them together against Melanie's wishes...all she is reminded of is how little they have in common and the desertion she felt when her mother walked out of her life. Now, her mother is moving into her ancestral home and wants Melanie to help her restore it, and use her sixth sense to talk to the ghosts that are inhabiting the house. But her mother's return has "awakened a dark spirit, whose strength has been growing for decades - and who is read for revenge."
I just love Jack!! He is an accomplished writer who is trying to restore his good name after a disastrous book. He is so unassuming and really tries to get through to Melanie. He can be irritating at times...but that just adds to his charm. He really tries to be the good guy...but sometimes he can't catch a break...lol. I love the dialogue between him and Melanie. At times it is filled with sexual tension and other times it is witty and sarcastic.
Even though you don't necessarily need to read The House on Tradd Street first (Karen White does a great job of telling readers what happened in the first book without it being distracting for those of us who have read it already), I recommend that you do. I think you will enjoy Melanie's and Jack's relationship more and get a feel for what drives Melanie.
Rating: 5/5
Pages: 335
Completed: 5/17/10
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Changes and Branding
Changing things around a bit on the blog...not a major overhaul...but getting some new icons for my signature and my ratings. Going to switch from Koalas to Frogs...I know major change in animals, but frogs reminded me of summer. I also want to see if I can make my own background. That ought to be interesting!!! LOL.
During the #bblog twitter event...everyone talked about branding. I am still not sure what "branding" is, but bloggers seem to take it seriously. I don't know if it is the header, avatar, gravitar, background, etc. that you use...or the content of your blog. Either way, I guess my "brand" would be "the world" for World According to Books, or if it were content...it would be romance. Even though my tastes are somewhat eclectic, I seem to be reading and reviewing a lot of romance novels.
However, one of the main points that I got out of the discussion is to be consistent throughout the Internet...blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc. That would be kind of hard for me to do...as I started using a "wolf" picture as my avatar both on my blog, and when I comment on other blogs. I also have a Twitter account with my name instead of my blog name as so many others do...@momof4Kara. My Facebook account is my personal account...I guess I could always make a page for my blog, but not sure what I would say everyday to make it interesting. Maybe I'll investigate what others do on their pages.
All in all, it was an interesting event, and I look forward to the next discussion.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Library Book Sale
This picture does not do the book sale justice...this is only about 1/10th of the tables and window ledges of books they had. Also, this is definitely not bag day...it was so crowded that day...people were lined up outside the library starting about an hour before they opened. Yes, I was one of the early birds...you meet such interesting people when you are standing in line...lol. However, when those doors open...watch out or you will be run over!! See all those boxes on the floor? Not only did we search the tables, but we also stooped, bent over, or kneeled to go through the boxes. And boy did I find treasures at the bottom of some of those boxes. I do have to say that for the most part...people were polite, saying "excuse me" and helping each other find books.
One story to tell...there was an older woman I met while looking through the romance section who said that she was 78 years old. She had one bag filled to the rim and was working on another. I did not know how she was going to carry those bags to her car. I didn't want to leave the sale, but I couldn't imagine her struggling with those bags. Just as I was about to offer to help her when she was finished, a distinguished, very tall gentleman walked up to her and asked her how she was doing. He asked if her could take her bag to the car and proceeded to do so. Come to find out he was her husband and was just there to assist her with her treasures. Not there for himself, but for her. He does it every year. I just had to tell him what a great husband he was to do that for her, and what a great testament to their marriage.
For the rest of the post...I will be listing the treasures that I found...and there are a lot. I filled my bags (two) to near bursting and had the best time doing it. I can't wait for the warehouse sale in August...LOL.
First Bag:
- Demon Rumm by Sandra Brown
- Finger Prints by Barbara Delinsky
- Three Wishes by Barbara Delinsky
- A Woman's Place by Barbara Delinsky
- Taken by Barbara Freethy
- "I" is for Innocent by Sue Grafton
- "N" is for Noose by Sue Grafton
- Summer Island by Kristin Hannah
- Dawn in Eclipse Bay by Jayne Ann Krentz (completed my set)
- Blue Smoke & Mirrors by Elizabeth Lowell (New to me author)
- Twenty Wishes by Debbie Macomber
- Mrs. Miracle by Debbie Macomber
- Right Next Door by Debbie Macomber
- Someday Soon by Debbie Macomber
- Dead Right by Brenda Novak
- 2nd Chance by James Patterson
- When the Wind Blows by James Patterson
- Blue Moon by Luanne Rice
- The Geometry of Sisters by Luanne Rice (Hardback)
- Key of Knowledge by Nora Roberts (completed my set)
- Night Tales: Nightshade & Night Smoke by Nora Roberts
- The Stanislaski Brothers: Mikhail & Alex by Nora Roberts
- The MacKade Brothers: Rafe & Jared by Nora Roberts
- McNally's Luck by Lawrence Sanders
- McNally's Risk by Lawrence Sanders
- Fireside by Susan Wiggs
- The Devil's Love by Lane Harris (one of the first romances I ever read)
- White Mountain by Dinah McCall (Sharon Sala)
- Dark Water by Sharon Sala
- Swimming Lessons by Mary Alice Monroe (New to me author)
- Harlequin
- Comanche Heart by Catherine Anderson
- Texas! Lucky by Sandra Brown
- The Alibi by Sandra Brown
- You Belong to Me by Mary Higgins Clark
- Unnatural Exposure by Patricia Cornwell
- Blow Fly by Patricia Cornwell
- The Body Farm by Patricia Cornwell
- Isle of Dogs by Patricia Cornwell
- A Lawman for Christmas by Marie Ferrarella
- Sullivan's Island by Dorothea Benton Frank
- Stealing Lumby by Gail Fraser
- The Saving Graces by Patricia Gaffney
- "A" is for Alibi by Sue Grafton
- "H" is for Homicide by Sue Grafton
- "M" is for Malice by Sue Grafton
- Bleachers by John Grisham
- Dark Paradise by Tami Hoag
- Cover of Night by Linda Howard
- Killer Dreams by Iris Johansen
- Deadly Promise by Brenda Joyce
- Dreams of Stardust by Lynn Kurland
- The Man from Stone Creek by Linda Lael Miller
- 1st to Die by James Patterson
- Beach Girls by Luanne Rice
- Reunion by Nora Roberts (I accidentally bought two of these)
- Worth the Risk by Nora Roberts
- Missing by Sharon Sala
- The Third Deadly Sin by Lawrence Sanders
- The Charm School by Susan Wiggs
- Orchid Beach by Stuart Woods
- Hot Target by Suzanne Brockmann
- Ride the Fire by Pamela Clare
- The Smoke Jumper by Nicholas Evans
- Fool's Puzzle by Earline Fowler
- Arkansas Traveler by Earline Fowler
- Circle of Three by Patricia Gaffney
- Mercy by Julie Garwood
- "Q" is for Quarry by Sue Grafton
- "L" is for Lawless by Sue Grafton
- "G" is for Gumshoe by Sue Grafton
- "K" is for Killer by Sue Grafton
- Haunted by Heather Graham
- Still Waters by Tami Hoag
- McKettrick's Luck by Linda Lael Miller (Hardbound)
- Renegade by Diana Palmer
- The River Knows by Amanda Quick (Hardbound)
- Second Sight by Amanda Quick (Hardbound)
- Lie by Moonlight by Amanda Quick (Hardbound)
- Dance of the Gods by Nora Roberts
- Bloodlines by Dinah McCall (Sharon Sala)
- Mimosa Grove by Dinah McCall (Sharon Sala)
- Colony by Anne Rivers Siddons
- Reversible Errors by Scott Turow
- Harlequin
Friday, July 2, 2010
Book Blogger Hop
This is an event that happens every week...and I thought this week that I would participate. It sounds like a great way to connect with other bloggers, find some new ones to add to my Google Read (yeah, like I need to add more...LOL), and see what books people are suggesting (as if I need to add more to my TBR pile too)!!
What is Book Blogger Hop you ask?
In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and find new book-related blogs that we may be missing out on! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books!Head on over to Crazy for Books to read more about the Hop...a couple of rules that need to be followed, and start connecting with other book bloggers.
This week Jennifer is changing things up a bit by asking a question for each hopper to answer...this week the question is:
Tell us your NAME and WHY YOU STARTED BLOGGING
My name is Kara and I started blogging back in 2007. I didn't know the first thing about blogging...my reviews were so simplistic just stating whether I liked or didn't like the book. At that time in my life, I had recently discovered books again after years of not picking one up. I was suffering from depression, feeling lonely, not interested in anything. Then one night I was surfing the Internet and discovered eBooks. The first eBook I read was Christine Feehan's Dark Prince.
That's all it took...I was hooked on books. I couldn't get enough of them. So I started searching for books to read and discovered Book Blogs. I thought what a great way to keep a record of what I was reading and my thoughts on the books (I had never kept track before). I didn't have a clue what I was doing...didn't think I could do it...thought it was to complicated...but I forged ahead. I decided on Blogger because I thought that was the easiest to use. I started with a very simple design and wrote my first post...knew nothing about sidebars, inserting pictures, linking...but through the help of other bloggers out there, I soon learned and am still learning the tricks of the trade.
I love my blog...it is an outlet for me to discuss the books I love, connect with other people, find out what is happening in the world of books, and make some acquaintances with other bookish people. I so want to go to a book blog convention one of these days...maybe when the kids are older I will find the funds and time to accomplish that goal.
Well, there it is in a nutshell...why I started blogging. What made you start up a blog??
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
