New Feature: Virginia is for...Book Lovers!

Virginia is known for many things, our great wine, historic locations like Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Manassas. Virginia is also known for it's amazing writers! Thanks to Michelle at Galleysmith, I've decided to start a new feature highlighting authors from my state, the Commonwealth of Virginia, by doing a review of one of their books. This feature will be called "Virginia is for Lovers...of Books!" When I was doing my research on authors from VA, I came up with a pretty amazing list:

Geraldine Brooks
Willa Cather
John Grisham
Barbara Kingsolver
Adriana Trigiani
Elizabeth Massie
David Baldacci
Patricia Cornwell
Sharyn McCrumb
Tom Wolfe
....and many many more!

Authors/Publicists-If you have a book written by a VA author (born in, or currently residing in) that you would like featured, please use the Contact Me Page to tell me about it!

Thank you to Heather from A High and Hidden Place for designing the amazing button you see above!

Check back in the coming weeks to find out more about all the amazing authors that have come out of Virginia!
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Book Review, Blog Tour & Giveway: The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand

In Nantucket, six couples are very close friends. They name their close little clique The Castaways. The vacation together, their children have been raised together. They share everything...and sometimes a little too much.

The story opens with the friends discovering that Greg and Tess have mysteriously drowned. They leave behind two small children and a lot of unanswered questions. They were out on a sailboat celebrating their anniversary when disaster hit. Greg and Tess had experienced marital problems in the past few months. Greg was accused of having a relationship with one of his high school students. He was aching for something more in his life. Tess had a secret of her own, a relationship with one of the other Castaways. So the other Castaways are left wondering what happened. Did Greg kill Tess, or was it truly an accident. Was killing Tess his way to get out of the life that was holding him back like an anchor?

The deaths of Greg and Tess isn't the only mystery surrounding the Castaways. Each of the couples in the group seem to be experiencing some type of infidelity (both physical and emotional) or drama.

The Castaways is a stunning tale of passion, suspense and intrigue. Just how far can friendship be tested before it is destroyed?

I was immediately pulled in to the many mysteries this book held. Looking at the book, and reading the title, I automatically and mistakenly assumed this would be a light, easy beach read. It's much much more than that. The characters are very developed, the reader learns intricate details of their life and relationships. The many characters at first was a bit difficult, at times it was difficult to keep them all straight. But once I got into the story each character had their own discernable characteristics. The story is told by each of the Castaways, so the reader gets to see all sides of the story. I have to say, it was difficult for me to like any of the Castaways. They each had their own faults and were downright annoying at times. The one redeeming character was the Chief. He seemed to be the only one with a level head. I felt sorry for him for being the one that had to deal with the brunt of the drama because he was the one everyone could count on.

Nevertheless, I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a "meaty" beach read. It will take a bit of concentration to get into the story and the characters at first, but it will be well worth it!

This blog tour will run all this week. Check out the other blogs participating in this tour:

July6
http://bookingmama.blogspot.com/
http://www.writeforareader.blogspot.com
http://cafeofdreams.blogspot.com/
http://thetometraveller.blogspot.com/

July 7
http://www.sheistoofondofbooks.com/
http://peekingbetweenthepages.blogspot.com
http://bfishreads.blogspot.com/
http://hiddenplace.wordpress.com/
http://www.bellasnovella.com/
http://www.acircleofbooks.blogspot.com/
http://booksandneedlepoint.blogspot.com/
http://bridget3420.blogspot.com/
http://abookishmom.blogspot.com/
http://bermudaonion.wordpress.com/

July 8
http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com/
http://cindyloveofbooks.blogspot.com/
http://books-movies-chinesefood.blogspot.com/

July 9
http://thisbookforfree.com/
http://redladysreadingroom-redlady.blogspot.com/
http://www.linussblanket.com/
http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/
http://brainlair.blogspot.com/
http://www.myfriendamysblog.com/

July 10
http://www.myspace.com/darbyscloset
http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/
http://imbookingit.wordpress.com/
http://booksoulmates.blogspot.com/
http://www.morbid-romantic.net/
http://nisefunpages.blogspot.com/
http://tvandbookaddict.blogspot.com/
http://allisonsatticblog.blogspot.com/
http://wrightysreads.blogspot.com/
http://frugalplus.com/
http://www.mgpblog.com/

Now for the giveway: Hachette books sent me a nice finished copy of the book, so I have my gently read review copy to give away!

  • To be entered, please answer the following question: What is your favorite beach read?
  • To get extra entries, blog or tweet about it. Please include a link to your post or tweet for the entry to count.
  • An email address must be included in every comment or that comment will be disqualified.
  • Contest ends Friday, July 17th. Winner will be announced Saturday the 18th.
  • Contest open to residents of US and Canada only.

Thank you, and good luck!


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Review: The Poet by Michael Connelly




Jack McEnvoy is a crime reporter for a local Denver newspaper. His twin brother, Sean, a homicide detective, is found dead in his car. The cause of death is ruled as a suicide. Jack knows his twin would never commit suicide. He begins to investigate more into the crime scene. A quote was found written on the windshield. The first responders assume it was a suicide note. Afterall, Sean was upset about an emotional case he was unable to close.

Jack takes on his toughest assignment ever and choses to write a story about his brother's death. But with every bit of research he does, the information he uncovers points to homicide instead of suicide. He does a search for homicide detective deaths around the countryand comes up with a handful. Futher research indicates that they all had quotes written somewhere at the crime scene. Jack discovers that the quotes are all from the writings of Edgar Allen Poe. Jack takes his information to the FBI, and soon a search begins for a serial killer/pedophile referred to by the FBI as The Poet. In exchange for the information he's given to the FBI, Jack is allowed to participate in the case. He joins up with the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit and an attractive Agent Rachel Walling. The case quickly picks up speed and Jack becomes closer to the case, the killer, and Agent Walling, than he had intended.

I have to confess..The Poet is my first Connelly book. Shocking, yes? However, I received a copy of THE SCARECROW thanks to Hachette books and wanted to get my hands on the prequel before I started reading it. All I can say is...WOW! I can't believe I waited so long to read this! Connelly does a stellar job of keeping the reader guessing. I was drawn in from the very beginning. About halfway through the book I thought I knew who The Poet was, but Connelly threw me not once, but twice! It's a book that will grab you and won't let you go. I really liked Jack. He's an average sort of guy, yes, he's a reporter but not one of those that will stop at nothing to get a story. By the end of the book he gained my respect and admiration.

Connelly is now one of my new favorite authors. If you haven't read any of his work, I suggest you do it now!

Note to the squeamish: some of the crimes and crime scenes are described in vivid detail.
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Teaser Tuesday-July 7


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

  • 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!

My teaser this week comes from The Spare Room by Helen Garner:


"I was afraid I would slide off the bench and measure my length among the cut roses. At the same time, a chain of metallic thoughts went clanking through my mind, like the first dropping of an anchor: death would not be denied."




Share your teaser by commenting below, or by visiting MizB of Should Be Reading.



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Game On Diet Weekly Update
Week One Update!

I'm happy to say I survived week one!
The toughest part at first was drinking the 3 liters of water. But by the third day, I was able to do it easily (and without my kidneys yelling at me!). I also had problems the first few days planning out meals since I didn't have the book yet. But I received it last Wednesday, and basically just planned meals based using the F.Y.T. (Flatten Your Tummy) list and avoided those on the F.L.A.B.B. (Fat-Loading and Belly-Bloating) list.

My "meal off" was last Tuesday. It's tradition at our house to have pizza on Tuesday, so I wanted to share in that tradition. Even though it was my "meal off" I still kept my portions small and only had one slice.

Saturday, the 4th of July, was my "off" day. I did this for two reasons: I wanted to enjoy all the wonderful food my husband was planning to make and I also wanted to be able to enjoy a nice burrito from Chipotle. Well, I was able to enjoy the BBQ, but found out Chipotle was closed on the 4th :(. Oh well..I'll just hold out until this weekend!


I'm really happy with the way I've been feeling. The exercise is giving me more energy. The water has made my skin glow and keeps my appetite surpressed. I've noticed my pants feel more lose than they did just a week ago. I'm happy to announce that in week one, I lost 6 lbs!! Now, I know my weight loss won't continue to be this fast/easy, but I'm willing to work for it!



Ok, from now on, if you want to see an update on how I'm doing with the Game On Diet, just click the Game On button in my sidebar.
Thanks for all the great support. Go Twinkies!!
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It's Monday! What Are You Reading This Week?




It's Monday! What Are You Reading This Week? This is a weekly event to list the books completed last week, the books currently being reading, and the books to be finish this week. It was created by J.Kaye's Book Blog, so stop by and join in!

Last week was a rough week for me as far as reading goes. I started the Game On Diet and I feel most of my free time last week was spent preparing meals. Then the 4th of July rolled around, and my son's 4th birthday, and all my free time was zapped! So, while I only completed one book, I'm close to completing a few more.


Completed Last Week

Darling Jim: A Novel by Christian Moerk (audiobook)

Currently Reading

The Poet by Michael Connelly (about 20 pages from the end. GREAT book)

Books to Read this Week

A Short History of Women: A Novel by Kate Walbert
How Perfect Is That by Sarah Bird
The Castaways by Erin Hilderbrand
The Crying Tree by Naseem Rakha
Jennifer Johnson Is Sick of Being Single by Heather McElhatton

So, what will you be reading this week?
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Happy 4th of July!!
I hope everyone is having a wonderful 4th of July! We're having a wonderful time. Here are a few pictures from our day.


Ribs cooking on the smoker grill




The boys can't wait to dig in!



The complete meal: homemade macaroni and cheese, ribs, potato salad, asparagus, corn bread & apple pie. It was delicious!

And those that know I am participating in the GAME ON diet may be asking how I ate all this delicious food. I've opted to take today as my "off" day, meaning I don't have to abide by the Game On rules. It feels good to be able to eat what I want, but I have learned to keep my portions small.

Ok, I hope everyone is having a wonderful 4th! Tomorrow is my youngest son's birthday and we'll be spending it at the National Zoo!
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Jane Austen Challenge

Ok, I love everything Jane Austen, so when Stephanie at Stephanie's Written Word announced that she was starting an Austen Challenge, I had to sign up!

Here are the rules:

The Everything Austen Challenge will run for six months (July 1, 2009 – January 1, 2010)! All you need to do is pick out what six Austen-themed things you want to finish to complete the challenge.

I LOVE the flexibility of this challenge! You can read Austen's books, Austen-themed books, or watch Austen movies! How easy is this!?

Since I've read all of Austen's books, and viewed most of the movies, I'm picking Austen-ish books to read, and more recent Austen-ish movies.


Here's my list:


I'm really excited about this one! Talk about easy-peasy! Interested, head over to Stephanie's Written Word and sign up...go on...do it!
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Teaser Tuesday-June 30

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
  • 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!

My teaser this week comes from The Poet by Michael Connelly:

"All I saw was the hand and the slender arm, reaching up from the black water. I knew the hand was death. I woke up."


Spooky, eh!? So, what's your teaser for the week?

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I'm Getting My Game On!
Beginning today, I'm joining three teams of bloggers in The Game On Diet Challenge. We learned about this Challenge from Jennifer (aka Book Club Girl) when she embarked upon this challenge a few weeks ago. I haven't received my copy of the book yet, so I'm pulling information from Jennifer's blog:


The Game On! Diet is the brainchild of Krista Vernoff, head writer and executive producer of tv's Grey's Anatomy and Az Ferguson, winner of the Body-for-Life Challenge. When Krista returned to work after having her baby, she called on Az to help her lose the baby weight. He made her a workout regimen and eating plan that she, well, didn't follow at all. So Az went back to the drawing board. Knowing that Krista had a VERY competitive nature, he decided to present her with a healthy lifestyle plan in the form of a game, that she could play with a team, and that she could play to win. This appealed to her very much. Rather than the focus being on losing weight, the focus is on winning points, a far more tantalizing prospect.



So how do you earn points? You can earn a maximum of 100 points a day for doing the following:

1) Eating 5 balanced meals a day, every 2-4 hours -- 6 points per meal
2) Exercising for at least 20 minutes a day -- 20 points
3) Sleeping for a minimum of 7 hours per night -- 15 points
4) Drinking 3 liters of water a day -- 10 points
5) Adopting a healthy new habit that you practice every day -- 10 points
6) Dropping one unhealthy habit -- 10 points
7) Communicating with your team members every day -- 5 points


You earn penalties (points lost!) for:

1) stepping on the scale more than once a day
2) unsanctioned snacking (you can have as much celery and cucumber as you want throughout the day, plus 100 free calories of whatever once a day, no other snacking)
3) Colluding with the opposing team to get them to break a rule
4) Drinking alcohol (see exception below)
5) changing the healthy or unhealthy habit during the course of the game (you have to pick those and stick to them).


It's not about total deprivation as you get:

1) One day off a week, when you don't have to follow any of the rules
2) One meal off a week when you can eat what you want and have one unit of alcohol
3) each day you can have 100 calories of anything as a bonus treat


My habit I'm going to break is logging on to email/twitter as soon as I get home from work, even before we've had dinner. I will now wait until we've had dinner and enjoyed some time with my family before getting on my computer.


My new habit will be...gasp...reducing the size of my library. It really has become quite overwhelming. In addition to the 4 overflowing bookshelves I have, I have stacks of books all over the house. So, my new habit--with every new book that comes in, I have to get rid of one. By getting rid of, I mean giving away, swapping, etc. A manageable goal that will make my dear husband happy!


Ok, back to the challenge. Here is the line up of the three teams:

The Ding-Dongs:
Julie from Booking Mama
softdrink from Fizzy Thoughts
Amy from My Friend Amy
Jill from Rhapsody in Books
Ti from Book Chatter and Other Stuff


The Twinkies:
Beth F from Beth Fish Reads
Jenners from Find Your Next Book Here
ME!
Denise from M. Denise C.
Dawn from She is Too Fond of Books


The HoHos:
Kathy from The Brain Lair
two of Kathy’s IRL friends who will be updating their progress on Facebook


I will be posting a few times a week about this challenge. I don't want to inundate those that aren't interesting in this challenge, so after I post my first update, all you will need to do is click on the "Game On" button on my sidebar to view my progress.
Thanks for all the support...and wish me good luck!
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