A Reading Life: Another month almost in the books

This feature was inspired by It's Monday! What are you reading? hosted by Sheila at Book Journey and also by The Sunday Salon.

Listening To:  The Tudor Secret by C.W. Gortner. I'm really enjoying it (if my CD player in the car would stop rejecting my burned CDs, that is).

Book finished (since 5/6): 

Roses Have Thorns by Sandra Byrd (REVIEW)

Reading: 

Of Fathers and Sons by Evan Ostryzniuk (for review on Wednesday)
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (If you are reading along with me on this book, I apologize for not posting the midway check-in. I'm so swamped right now with work and all. I will have a final post up this weekend)
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe (for TuesBookTalk)
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle (read-a-long at Unputdownables)
The Arrow Chest by Robert Parry 
The Waste Lands by Stephen King
Silk Road by Colin Falconer
Archaeological Study Bible

Coming Up:  

Under the Dome by Stephen King (read-a-long)
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (my Classics Spin book)
Wildish by Robert Parry
Wicked by Gregory Maguire (maybe???)
Watership Down by Richard Adams (for TuesBookTalk)

Watching:  A show I really enjoy started its second season tonight. That's Longmire on A&E. You should definitely check it out. The Voice is winding down and my contestant is definitely Michelle Chamuel. She is SO talented (and it has nothing to do with her having the same name...LOL)! Shows I'm looking forward to this summer are The Killing (AMC), True Blood (HBO), Dexter (Showtime), The Bridge (FX), Falling Skies (TNT), In the Flesh and Copper (BBC American), Primeval: New World and Sinbad (SyFy Channel) and the Under the Dome (CBS) miniseries. I also have to mention that I finished watching all the episodes of Hemlock Grove Friday and Saturday on Netflix. It was SO AWESOME! I really hope they are going to make another season.

Making:  Still cooking, of course. I have perfected my from-scratch sugar cookies so I think I will be ready to make the dough good for rolling Christmas cookies this year. I made a really good Hearty Hamburger Stew last week and some beef enchiladas. This week I'm making a variation on lasagna and some chicken enchiladas in the crock pot. Oh, and I made some fritters with frozen hash brown potatoes. I used my zucchini fritters recipe and just substituted the hash browns. Delicious!

Grateful for: Summer vacation! Because that means I won't be doing three hours of driving every day. If you lived in Nashville, you would need a break too. Whew!

Looking forward to:  having an extra three hours each day to work on my novel. I just hope I use the time wisely and don't fall into my procrastination trap.

Picture(s): this isn't really a pic, but I love the saying so I have to share...

****************

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia and is being hosted by 4 the Love of Books this month. (You can click the book covers in the BookBox to read book descriptions on Amazon)

FOR REVIEW/BOOK TOURS:

from HFVBT--book tours--
Of Fathers and Sons by Evan Ostryzniuk

WON:
Equal of the Sun by Anita Amirrezvani...from Man of La Book

BETTER WORLD BOOKS:
The Magic of Believing by Claude M. Bristol

LIBRARY SALE:
The Ptolemies by Duncan Sprott
The Iron Lance by Stephen R. Lawhead
The Devil's Queen by Jeanne Kalogridis
The Secret Life of Josephine by Carolly Erickson
The Queen of Palmyra by Minrose Gwin
The Wasps, The Poet and the Women, The Frogs by Aristophanes

A Reading Life--May is here!

This feature was inspired by It's Monday! What are you reading? hosted by Sheila at Book Journey and also by The Sunday Salon.

Listening To:  Only six more discs to go of The Stand. What a great book! Next up is (hopefully--if I have enough blank discs to burn it off Downpour) The Tudor Secret by C.W. Gortner. I'm hoping I can finish it before school lets out on the 24th because I really only listen to audio in the car.

Book finished (since 4/15): 

Lifetime of Achievement by Jordan Maylea Ramirez (REVIEW)
The Chalice by Nancy Bilyeau (REVIEW)
Blood Between Queens by Barbara Kyle (REVIEW)
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier (not reviewed yet)
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (not reviewed yet)
Night Demon by Lisa Kessler (REVIEW)
The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty (not reviewed yet)

Reading: 

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (Classics Club read-a-long HERE on this blog)
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe (for TuesBookTalk)
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle (read-a-long at Unputdownables)
The Arrow Chest by Robert Parry 
The Waste Lands by Stephen King
Silk Road by Colin Falconer

Coming Up:  

Wildish by Robert Parry
Wicked by Gregory Maguire
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (for Towel Day on May 25)

Watching:  Whether you like Tom Cruise or not, Oblivion is definitely a must see. I loved it! On TV, the new show on Sundance Channel, Rectify. It's a terrific show. Still loving Bates Motel, Game of Thrones, Doctor Who...really too many to list. Another stand out on BBC America is Orphan Black. Oh, and The Borgias and DaVinci's Demons, of course. Is anyone else looking forward to Dexter and True Blood. I know I am!

Making:  I'm doing most of my cooking in the crock pot now. Since it's starting to get warmer outside (and mom won't turn the air on until it gets really sweltering) it's much too hot to run the oven. I made a lasagna recipe in it the other day and it was really good. I'm going to try cooking my Mexican Meatloaf in it and see how that turns out.

Grateful for: my job! I was so lucky, after years of looking, to find a legitimate work from home job as a virtual assistant. I just got my first client and I know now things are going to look up for me and my boys.

Looking forward to:  Mother's Day. This will be my first one out of my marriage and at least now I know it won't be ruined like it was almost every year. Looking forward to spending it with my boys.

Picture(s):  Dickens kitty...gotta love it!

*****************



Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia and is being hosted by 4 the Love of Books this month. (You can click the book covers in the BookBox to read book descriptions on Amazon)

FOR REVIEW/BOOK TOURS:
from HFVBT--book tours--
The Secret History: A Novel of the Empress Theodora by Stephanie Thornton
Royal Mistress by Anne Easter Smith

WON:
Last Days by Brian Evenson...from Fantasy Literature

DOLLAR GENERAL:
The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge

GOODWILL:
Byron: Complete Poetical Works
Devil Water by Anya Seton
Five Complete Novels Of Murder And Detection - Peril At End House; Murder At Hazelmoor; Easy To Kill; Ten Little Indians; Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie

A Reading Life--Busy week...read-a-thons galore!

I'm going to forego my normal A Reading Life post because 1) I'm hosting a read-a-thon this week and 2) I'm coming down with a cold...or something...again. Third time this year. Give me a break, please!

So, to see what I'm reading this week, you can take a look at the sticky post at the top of the post section. I have some good ones on my plate this week.

I wanted to mention that there is a poll up in the top of the right sidebar to vote for the Post-2000 "Modern Classic" we will be reading for my Classics Club read-a-long in May. Please vote if you think you would like to participate. This will be my first time to host a Classics Club inspired event so I'd love it to be a success.

You can still join us for the read-a-thon this week. Just click the links in the sticky post above. Also, next week starts my third write-a-thon, Sit Down and Write 3. You can find out about it and sign up HERE.

Hope everyone has a great week! You can see my Mailbox Monday goodies below.

***********

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia and is being hosted by MariReads this month. (You can click the book covers in the BookBox to read book descriptions on Amazon)

FOR REVIEW/BOOK TOURS:

Confessions of Marie Antoinette by Juliet Grey....from HFVBT for book tour

LIBRARY SALE:
Island Beneath the Sea by Isabel Allende
The Sixth Wife by Suzannah Dunn
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Bonnie by Iris Johansen
Robocopalypse by Daniel H. Wilson
Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris

A Reading Life--Home is where the library is, or IS the library

This feature was inspired by It's Monday! What are you reading? hosted by Sheila at Book Journey and also by The Sunday Salon.

Listening To:  Yup, still The Stand. I am SO loving this book! Stephen King creates some of the most interesting characters. My favorite in this book is Nick Androse. Whether you've read it or not, it won't be a spoiler to say that he's a deaf mute, but even though he can't talk, he's the most interesting and sweet character. And his companion, the developmentally impaired Tom Cullen, is a hoot and also a sweetie. 

Book finished: Unfortunately, nothing.

Reading: Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier, The Chalice by Nancy Bilyeau, The Arrow Chest by Robert Parry, The Waste Lands by Stephen King, Silk Road by Colin Falconer. I'm really beginning to wonder if I'm going to be able to finish all these.

Coming Up:  Wildish by Robert Parry, Night Demon by Lisa Kessler...was hoping to start Wicked by Gregory Maguire this month, but that may not happen. I'm still planning on reading The Exorcist for my Spring into Horror Read-a-Thon at the end of the month. And coming on April 26, my review of Lifetime of Achievement: 7 Goal Setting Strategies that Work by Jordan Maylea Ramirez.

Watching:  Tonight is the premiere of Defiance on the SyFy Channel. I have really been looking forward to it. Hope it's as good as it looks. Of course, still loving Doctor Who, but the new show over on BBC America, Orphan Black, is off the hook! I recommend it. Tonight is the series finale of Top of the Lake on Sundance Channel. I wish I would have known it was only one season. It's so good...I can't believe that's it. Game of Thrones is terrific. I'm really loving this season so far. Stand outs for me so far this season are Daenerys and Brienne of Tarth.

Making:  The Bacon Cheeseburger casserole I talked about making last week was okay. It was kind of a novelty dish and so we were all kind of 'meh' about leftovers. The Mexican Pizza in a Pan was outstanding. I will definitely be making it again. Still have yet to make the Crab and Spinach Casserole. These recipes are from the book 35 Family Favorite Casserole Recipes - The Quick and Easy Casseroles Collection.

I got this delicious looking recipe off Facebook last night...
Lazy Cake Cookies -1 box of yellow or white cake mix, 2 eggs beaten, 1 stick melted butter, 2C chocolate chips. Mix together and bake in 9X13 pan on 350 for 20 min. When cooled, cut into squares. **Edit Spray the pan with cooking spray for easy cutting and clean up. I used Butter Flavored Pam. (image and recipe credit)

Grateful for: Really just grateful to be alive. Grateful for my sons. Grateful for my new life. I'm feeling like the possibilities are endless.

Looking forward to:  

Spring into Horror Read-a-Thon is coming the week of April 22 - 28. Have you signed up? You can do so HERE.

Join me for two weeks of writing our hearts out. Whether it's to work on your novel or other creative writing, or to catch up on reviews, this is the write-a-thon for you. Sit Down and Write 3 is coming May 1 - 14. You can find out more and sign up HERE.

Picture(s):  My room at my mom's is finally done! I took pictures today (they're not very good because it's a cell phone camera...sorry). It's my own private book nook! We opened the window today (fresh air) and the cats are both sitting in it, of course. I so wish these pictures were better. Oh well.

The view from the doorway. You can see Alice
in the window, Arya is blending in.

My desk

Non-Fiction shelves and Videos and DVDs on closet door.
There are books on the tops of the shelves too.

The start of the fiction books, just the top portion.

Fiction continued and Alice in the window

Fiction continues on...

The rest of the fiction (pretty much) with some
large edition non-fiction books. (terrible pic!)
These shelves literally are from floor to ceiling!

Behind my chair--in the small case, my journals
Other shelves--top shelf, self help, poetry, cat books--lower shelf, my Christmas books.

**************

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia and is being hosted by MariReads this month. (You can click the book covers in the BookBox to read book descriptions on Amazon)




WON:
The Map of the Sky by Felix J. Parma...from the Chunkster Reading Challenge blog

LIBRARY SALE:
The Vampire Diaries: The Return #2--Shadow Souls by L.J. Smith
Conspirata by Robert Harris
I, Victoria by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (no image, but link is there)
Little Bird of Heaven by Joyce Carol Oates
A Fair Maiden by Joyce Carol Oates
The Dressmaker by Posie Graeme-Evans
The Second Mrs. Darcy by Elizabeth Aston

A Reading Life--Big Plans for Reading and Writing

This feature was inspired by It's Monday! What are you reading? hosted by Sheila at Book Journey and also by The Sunday Salon.

Listening To:  The Stand...let's just stay that this will be it for a while now. I'm on disc 7 so I still have 30 more discs to go. But I sure am enjoying it! We're in full out Stephen King mode now and I'm enjoying the ride! 

Book finished: Flesh by Khanh Ha (review). Yes, only one. =O(

Reading: Crime and Punishment by Feodor Dostoyevsky, Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier, The Arrow Chest by Robert Parry, The Waste Lands by Stephen King, Silk Road by Colin Falconer.

Coming Up:  Wildish by Robert Parry, Night Demon by Lisa Kessler, The Chalice by Nancy Bilyeau. I'm also hoping to read Wicked by Gregory Maguire soon and I'll be reading The Exorcist for my Spring into Horror Read-a-Thon at the end of the month (more on that later).

Watching:  The question is...what am I not watching!? I caught up on the excellent Sundance Channel original show, Top of the Lake, yesterday. If you haven't watched it, you simply must! I recorded Doctor Who and Orphan Black and still haven't watched them. I know! Scandalous! Game of Thrones is SO enthralling this season. Who knew that the skinny little boy from Nanny McPhee and Love Actually could turn out to be so handsome. I can tell there is a lot in store for us this season. And, of course, Vikings continues to impress. As my good friend, Marie, said on Facebook, "What's on your mind? - Travis Fimmel. Google image search him and he'll be on yours too." I summarily agree! I also have recorded both episodes of Mr. Selfridge from Masterpiece Classic and I've missed both episodes of Call the Midwife. I hope I can watch them online. Should I even bother to mention my catching up on Warehouse 13? Yeah, that's also recorded. Oh me!

Making:  My attempts at a from-scratch cake continue to fall short of the mark. Not sure if it's me, or the recipes I'm using. They're just not turning out moist enough and then, of course, I over baked the last one. Mom's oven is temperamental. This week, I'm making a Bacon Cheeseburger casserole, Mexican Pizza in a Pan, and Crab and Spinach Casserole. These recipes are from a book I nabbed for free on Amazon for my Kindle, 35 Family Favorite Casserole Recipes - The Quick and Easy Casseroles Collection. Can't wait to try them out!

Grateful for: For some extra help I was able to receive last week that is going to significantly ease my financial burdens.

Looking forward to:  Spring into Horror Read-a-Thon is coming the week of April 22 - 28. You can join me...I know you want to...HERE. Same goes for my Sit Down and Write 3 write-a-thon coming May 1 - 14. More information on that HERE. I'm excited because I'm planning on getting a good chunk of my novel written between now and the middle of May. I'm participating in Camp NaNoWriMo this month and then my write-a-thon in May. I'm really optimistic that I'm going to get some words down...finally! Below is a great quote I found for inspiration...

Picture(s):  

****************

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia and is being hosted by MariReads this month. (You can click the book covers in the BookBox to read book descriptions on Amazon)

WON:
City of Dark Magic by Magnus Flyte...from Penguin's #10Kgiveaway

GOODWILL:
The Oresteia: Agamemnon / The Libation Bearers / The Eumenides by Aeschylus

Stealing Athena by Karen Essex

Five Complete Murder Mysteries (Secret Adversary/Murder of Roger Ackroyd/Boomerang Clue/Moving Finger/Death Comes as the End) by Agatha Christie (cover not shown)

Agatha Christie: An Autobiography

A Reading Life--It's a new month...where does the time go?

This feature was inspired by It's Monday! What are you reading? hosted by Sheila at Book Journey and also by The Sunday Salon.

Listening To:  The Stand...still. In fact, I'm only on disc 2. Now that the kids are back in school and I'm doing more driving, I should be able to get through it faster. However, I'm not so sure how I feel about the narrator of the book, Grover Gardner. His voice is a little grating, or maybe it's just me.  

Book finished: The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro and Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons. I have not reviewed either yet. Mini-reviews will probably be utilized.

Reading: Crime and Punishment by Feodor Dostoyevsky, Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier, Flesh by Khanh Ha, The Arrow Chest by Robert Parry and I simply must pick up The Waste Lands again.

Coming Up:  Wildish by Robert Parry, Silk Road by Colin Falconer, Night Demon by Lisa Kessler

Watching:  I took the boys to see Wreck It Ralph on Friday at the discount theater. What a cute movie! It really was a good one. Mom and I saw The Host on Saturday and I liked it too. It was fairly close to the book and I think they did a great job with it. On TV, what an epic Sunday it was! The Walking Dead season finale (sob) and the start of season three of Game of Thrones. Now that was definitely worth waiting for! I had just rewatched season two so I was way ready. The finale of the mini-series The Bible was probably the best of the series. Jesus's trial and crucifixion always gets me, especially when he speaks to his mother as he's making that horrible journey to be executed. Heart wrenching and for a mother, even more so. Vikings continues to impress. I recorded Red Widow and Mr. Selfridge (on PBS) and will catch the encore of Call the Midwife tonight. Oh, and we mustn't forget Doctor Who and Orphan Black on Saturday. I'm getting ready to watch Bates Motel in a few. Revolution is on right now and I'm not sure how I'm feeling about it. I want to love it because Billy Burke is in it, but...I'll give it a few more watches to decide.

Making:  We made Easter cookies with some cute cookie cutters mom bought last year on clearance. The boys enjoyed it. It kind of took the place of coloring eggs. They're starting to outgrow some things now. Easter has never been a favorite holiday so not sure if I'm that upset about it, to be honest.

Grateful for: School being back in session. I like the kids to have a break, but now it's time for mine again. LOL!

Looking forward to:  My Spring into Horror Read-a-Thon coming the week of April 22 - 28. If you want to sign up, you can do so HERE. I hope you will. =O)

Picture(s):  Happiness is...a friend downsizing their home library and sharing the wealth. Thank you, Arleigh (Historical-Fiction.com)! See the details of what she sent me in Mailbox Monday below.

*******************

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia and is being hosted by MariReads this month. (You can click the book covers in the BookBox to read book descriptions on Amazon)

WON:
The Tale of Raw Head & Bloody Bones by Jack Wolf...from Arleigh @ Historical-Fiction.com

FOR REVIEW/BOOK TOURS:
from HFVBT--book tours--
Roses Have Thorns by Sandra Byrd
The Queen's Rival by Brandy Purdy

BOX OF BOOKS FROM ARLEIGH:
Race of Scorpions by Dorothy Dunnett
The Disorderly Knights by Dorothy Dunnett
The Dorothy Dunnett Companion--Elspeth Morrison
Immortal by Traci L. Slatton
The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sundaresan
Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan
Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
The Physician by Noah Gordon
The Spiritualist by Megan Chance
Beneath a Marble Sky by John Shors
The Huntress by Susan Carroll

DOLLAR TREE:
Ilustrado by Miguel Syjuco
Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong

A Reading Life--Reading, Movies and More!

This feature was inspired by It's Monday! What are you reading? hosted by Sheila at Book Journey and also by The Sunday Salon.

Listening To:  I started to listen to The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater last week while I waited for The Stand to come available at the library. That wasn't supposed to be until around the 21st so I figured I'd have to wait a few days after that, but it ended up coming in early so I had to start listening to it in case someone else puts a hold on it. Fingers crossed that they don't because the boys are on spring break for two weeks so I won't be driving as much.

Book finished: None, unfortunately.

Reading: Crime and Punishment by Feodor Dostoyevsky,  The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro, Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons, Little Women

What I have left to read this month...Still have not got back into Les Mis or The Waste Lands yet, but Waste Lands will definitely be first. The Arrow Chest by Robert Parry will be read by the end of the month.

Coming Up Next:  Wildish by Robert Parry, Flesh by Khanh Ha for a book tour/review in early April.

Watching:  Over the weekend, Mom and I saw three movies at the $2 discount theater here in Nashville. We saw Zero Dark Thirty, Lincoln and The Master. Zero Dark Thirty...wow! The measures the CIA goes through to find these people. It was no small feat to find Bin Laden. Amazing! Lincoln...Daniel Day-Lewis WAS Lincoln. A truly fantastic performance and an outstanding film. And I really felt such parallels with our times now. There was such division in the House of Representatives over the 13th amendment. It really was remarkable that they were able to get it passed given the times. The Master...strange movie. And if it is supposed to be (loosely) based on Scientology, well, they can have it. Weirdos! The bright spot in the film was Joaquin Phoenix's performance. He deserved the Oscar nomination. I just wish he would have been more gracious about it. On TV, I watched the season finale of Ripper Street. What an amazing show! Can't wait for the new season. Tonight, the new season of Dancing with the Stars and...woot...Bates Motel!

Making:  I made a cake from scratch last week, but I think the canister in the fridge had some slightly outdated baking mix in it (which I didn't know at the time), instead of flour so the cake was less than stellar. The homemade vanilla frosting I made though was really good. I'm going to try it again soon and make sure I use flour this time. LOL!

Grateful for:  The two week spring break which will allow me to have a break from all the driving. Yay!

Looking forward to:  Getting the boys to start walking with me this week. Need to get this exercise routine in gear!

Picture(s):  The boys posing with my new ride! I finally have my own car again. A relief for me and mom that we're not sharing a car anymore.

*****************

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia and is being hosted by Chaotic Compendiums this month.  

Nothing in the mail, but I did pick up the 40th Anniversary Edition of The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty for Anne (my Kindle) last week when it was on sale for $2.99. I think I will be reading it for my Spring into Horror read-a-thon in April. It's still on sale so if you don't have it, you might want to grab it! Click the cover above to check it out on Amazon (if you end up purchasing, as an affiliate, I will get a small percentage which is used toward my book blogs and to buy more books, of course).