Books for Vacation

On Monday my husband and I are going on our honeymoon! So I went to the bookstore and the library and got a few books for the trip. Check out what I'm bringing. It is a little bit of everything.

At first I thought that maybe I'm bringing too many books, this is my honeymoon after all, but we will be gone for quite some time and I am a fast reader so I think the amount of books I am bringing is legitimate.

The Casual Vacancy by: J.K. Rowling

I started this book a week ago and still need to finish it. I still haven't had a lot of time to read so I'm hoping to finish it up on our trip. It is totally different from Harry Potter, very dark, but very addictive.






The Mark of Athena by: Rick Riordan

I am a huge Rick Riordan fan and I can't wait to dig into this one. I figured it is the perfect fantasy novel to bring on a fantasy honeymoon.








Reflected in You by: Sylvia Day

This is not even close to a great novel. It is however a very steamy trashy romance novel that seems to fit the honeymoon atmosphere.







Commencement by: J. Courtney Sullivan

I got this from the library. It sounded like a perfect summer read. I know it isn't summer, but it will feel like summer where I am going.







What are some of your favorite vacation books? Do you have any beach read recommendations?

Review: Red, White, and Blood by: Christopher Farnsworth

Red, White, and Blood (A Nathaniel Cade Novel) by: Christopher Farnsworth

Publisher: Ballantine Books

400 pages

Genre: Fiction, Vampires

Summary: Nathaniel Cade is the President’s vampire and Zach is his handler, they are the only ones that can keep the United States unaware of the supernatural beings that are roaming the earth. In this Nathaniel Cade novel they go up against the boogeyman. This monster comes back and never seems to be able to be defeated. This time the boogeyman goes after the one person that Nathaniel Cade has to protect, the President, during the very important 2012 presidential race.

Review: This is the best Nathaniel Cade novel yet. If you have yet to read this series you should give it a try. It is a different kind of vampire novel and one that shouldn't be passed up if you like books with supernatural aspects in it. Don’t expect a lot of romance, but there are a lot of awesome fight scenes.

This novel does have some typical vampire quirks in it, but there is more to it than what meets the eye. I think that the core of this novel is the relationship between Nathaniel and Zach. Their back and forth conversation is entertaining and always lightens the mood in this dark series. Nathaniel barely talks and Zach always has a sarcastic comment to make. They make a really good team, one worth reading about.

At times this book gets a little crazy and hard to believe. On the other hand, sometimes I truly believe that there is a vampire protecting the President, and when a book can get you to believe it could actually happen in real life, even though it can’t, I believe that makes it a pretty good book. This book did a lot better at this than the last one. The last one got a little too crazy at times. I know what you may be thinking, that this book is about the boogeyman, a non-scary monster that children are afraid of. Well, this boogeyman is totally different. He will make you cringe. There are some very heart-stopping plot twisting moments that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

For some reason I can’t find any more words to explain/review this book. Just take a chance and enjoy. Who wouldn't want to read about a vampire that will do anything to protect the President?

Rating: 4.5/5

My Love/Hate Relationship with my E-Reader

I have owned an e-reader now for two years and I both love it and hate it. I figured it was time that I make a post to give you my take on e-readers. I know many avid readers that either love their e-reader or hate it. So if you are trying to decide which group you belong to then take a look at my post and hopefully it will help you make a decision. Or just read my post and leave some comments sharing your opinion of e-readers. I would love to hear what other book junkies out there think of this topic.

My E-Reader
I have the Sony e-reader. It is a very basic one that doesn't work like an ipad like many of the others. It is basically used to just read books, not surf the internet or watch movies. Although, it does have wi-fi on it so I can purchase books or get free ones from my library whenever I want. It is a very simple e-reader. I like that it is so simple because I just use it for books, which is what it is meant to be used for anyway, right?

Love

• It is light and easy to carry with me wherever I go, especially on trips. 
• When I go somewhere I have the option of reading many different books all on one device. I no longer have to pack two books in my bag in case I finish one. Instead my e-reader has multiple books on it. I think it holds like 1,000 books.
• I can purchase a new book the second it comes out. I don't have to wait until the book store opens the next morning.
• The books are cheaper to buy, although not always much cheaper.
• I can rent books from the library even when they are closed.

Hate

• It doesn't have that new and old book smell.
• Sometimes I really miss holding an actual book in my hand. That is why that even though I have the e-reader I still buy old school hardcover and paperback books.
• I can't display my e-books on a shelf.
• Always having access to buy books in the palm of my hand can get expensive.

As you can see, sometimes I love my e-reader and sometimes I don't. All in all, I'm glad I have the e-reader for trips and instant new-release purchases, but it doesn't keep me from still buying actual books.

Feedback

What do you think? Do you have an e-reader and if so do you love it? If you don't have one would you ever consider buying one? Please leave your comments below. I can't wait to see what other readers have to say on this topic, plus I'm sure I've forgotten to touch on some things in this post.

October New Releases

Although I still have not read all the new books that have come out this month, I figured I would do another post with some new releases coming out in October that I would like to get my hands on.

October 2, 2012
The Mark of Athena by: Rick Riordan

I love mythology and I have enjoyed Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series and the Kane Chronicles. I can't wait for the next book in the Heroes of Olympus series. This is one I will probably read as soon as it comes out.









October 16, 2012
Hidden by: P.C. Cast, Kristin Cast

This isn't the best vampire series I have ever read because I feel like it has kind of been dragged out longer than necessary, but I just keep on reading it. I have faith that it will be totally worth my time in the end. I do love the character Stark.









October 23, 2012 (Reissue)
The Waterfall by: Carla Neggers

I know this book originally came out in 2006 but it came up on the coming soon list and I think it sounds interesting. I have never read a book by this author so I'm going to take my chances and hope for the best. I always like a good mystery.









October 30, 2012
The Lands of Ice and Fire by: George R. R. Martin

I put this book on here for my husband. He is a big Game of Thrones fan. It isn't the next book in the series, but it's a companion book that will probably be a fan favorite.

Which Wedding Books and Magazines to "Take a Look" or "Don't Bother"

I can officially say that I am a happily married woman. Okay, I have only been married since Sept. 8, 2012, but I'm pretty happy. I know how stressful it can be to plan a wedding, been there done that. Therefore I came up with the idea to give some reading material advice to other brides out there. I went through a lot of good and not so good wedding books and magazines during my time as a bride-to-be. Here is a list of the ones I recommend and the ones that I don't think are worth your time.

Take a Look

Martha Stewart Weddings Magazine

I really enjoyed this magazine. It wasn't just filled with pictures of wedding dresses but with craft ideas and advice. Although, if you just got engaged and that is all you want to look at right now then check out The Knot magazine.

101 Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding by: Barbara Cameron

Although some of the suggestions in these book seem like obvious tips, there are a few things in here that I found pretty helpful. Also, it is a quick and easy read so it didn't take up much of my very important wedding planning time.

The DIY Bride Crafty Countdown: 40 Fabulous Projects to Make in the Months, Weeks & Hours before Your Special Day by: Khris Cochran

You don't have to be super crafty to follow the easy instructions in this book. Trust me when I say that if I can do it then you should have no problem. You also don't have to have a completely all DIY wedding to find this book helpful. There are some interesting suggestions for all parts of your wedding, from invitations to favors.

Don't Bother

The Knot Magazine

Don't bother purchasing this magazine. Just check out theknot.com. Their website is better than their magazine. They have an awesome checklist and lots of great pictures, tips, and advice. The only time I would suggest you to get this is if you are trying to pick out wedding dresses because that is pretty much all this magazine is good for.

Where to Seat Aunt Edna? And 500 Other Great Wedding Tips

This book was filled with things most brides will know already. A lot of the tips seemed to be common sense to me and I didn't have a lot of wedding planning experience before.

Any pre-printed wedding planner binder/book

Trust me when I say it would be a waste of your money to buy one of these gigantic unnecessary things. Make your own binder, or like many birdes now, do it all online. I made my own binder for really cheap and it worked great, and my friends gave me all kinds of compliments. Or perhaps they were making fun of my over the top organization but whatever.

One more thing, just check out your local library for some good wedding books. They are free and even in my smaller town, there were plenty of options to check out. A wedding is expensive enough on its own, you might as well save a few dollars where you can.

Review: MWF seeking BFF by: Rachel Bertsche

MWF seeking BFF by: Rachel Bertsche

Publisher: Ballantine Books

340 pages

Genre: Biography

Summary: Rachel moved to Chicago a few years ago and is missing her life-long friends that no longer live nearby. She decides to go on 52 friend dates in a year in search of a new best friend forever. Rachel invites us into her personal life and shares every friend date, some friendship research, and most importantly, the interesting and sometimes crazy ways in which she finds these women she tries to befriend.

Review: I heard of this book from a magazine. For the life of me I can’t remember which magazine insisted this was a must read, but I figured I would take the chance and check it out. It turns out that I wasn’t disappointed.

I’m not a huge fan of biographies although I do read them from time to time. If you are the same way, have no fear, this reads nothing like a biography. Rachel is witty and entertaining to say the least. She does a fantastic job at giving the reader the inside scoop of what it feels like to be a woman just trying for make friends in a new city. When reading the book I would nod along in agreement when Rachel describes how stressful/nervous one can feel when trying to make a new friend. This book will make you feel all warm and gooey inside and let you know that you are not alone if you too are in need of some new friends. 

There was one thing in this book that I found a little annoying. Rachel shares a lot of the research she has done on friendships, surveys she has read and articles she has encountered, and although sometimes this information is informative in a good way and sometimes rather funny, it can also drag on just a little too much. I almost felt that sometimes she just brought up the research and statistics she found to add length to the book.

Although I don’t agree with everything Rachel has to say about friendships, although I do agree with most of it, I still take her words to heart. She is slightly older than me and unlike myself has had some more experience being married and on the hunt for some new friends. So you never know, I may agree with her more in the future. It was nice to encounter a book that made me think but also kept me entertained.

For a smart, thought provoking book, it is also a fun light read. My advice is to just dive in and give it a chance. You may laugh, nod along with the author, find out some new friendship finding techniques, or at the very least, learn some interesting statistics about friendships and their connection to your health.

Rating: 4/5

My Wedding

Hey everyone!

I just want to say a quick sorry for not posting in the last two weeks. I got married on Saturday so I have just been a tad bit busy! It is safe to say however that I will now have more time to focus on my blog. I will also finally have time to read more. So keep a look out for some new book reviews, writing tips, and much more. Thanks again for reading my blog!