Literary Friday ya’ll…..

Friday, Bloggiesta, and lots of reading! What’s your Friday plans?

1. Deep South Magazine and their #literaryfriday: News of James Franco as Faulkner, SoFest of Books in Nashville, 11 scariest mothers in books, upcoming book signings, what Erin is reading now (some good looking books that *may* be on the upcoming Fall Reading list!) and much more!

2. Bloggiesta is happening this weekend! Basically, it’s a 3 day weekend to work on your blog, make connections and visit the other blogs hosting the mini-challenges. It’s blog love, baby! I don’t always participate in Bloggiesta- but I try to do some work when I can during these 3 day blog-love weekends! This time, I’m REALLY trying because 2 of my fav blog buddies- Rebecca @ Love At First Book and Allison @ The Book Wheel are both hosting mini-challenges (Whoo, Rebecca and Allison! Proud of you girls!)

Here are some interesting Bloggiesta-related things I’ve found today:

Love At First Book: How To Host (and participate) in a Digital Book Club & Giveaway!

The Book Wheel: 50 Bookish Things

Always With a Book: Bloggiesta.. My To Do List and Updates

Books Speak Volumes: Ten Things Every Book Blog Needs

3. Did you know that I’ll be co-hosting the Hank Phillippi Ryan chat with Literary New England on September 25th at 8pmEST? You didn’t?! Well, I am! Be there as we talk about THE WRONG GIRL and giveaway some books! Use hashtag #LNEChat to join I the fun! This will be the first of 2 scheduled Literary New England/She Reads chats- and everyone is very excited!

My blogger friend, Always With a Book, got to meet Hank Phillippi Ryan this week (and was kind enough to pick me up a signed book!) Read about K meeting HPR- Author Meet and Greet: Hank Phillippi Ryan

4. This isn’t Bloggiesta related, but Ivory Owl Reviews blogged this week about what she learned in her first year of blogging- and it’s worth a read!

5. #giveaway: Have you heard of The Returned by Jason Mott? The blog-osphere is all a-twitter about this book! And you are in luck! Luxury Reading is giving away a copy! Need more of The Returned? The Book Wheel was lucky enough to get an interview with Jason Mott (that girl is a mover and shaker- folks!)

6. 2 reviews posted this week on Traveling With T: Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand and What A Mother Knows by Leslie Lehr.

7. Holly Goddard Jones, author of The Next Time You See Me, stopped by Traveling With T this week for an Interview and Author Spotlight.

8. Book Lovers Unite September read Astor Place Vintage is still going on at Book-alicious Mama and October’s book has been announced for when it returns to Traveling With T: The Life List by Lori Nelson Spielman I’m very excited for this discussion- and I hope you will join in the fun! Reading schedule to be posted next week!

9. Catching up on posting about 2 fab authors I met over the summer: Meeting Anton DiSclafani and Meeting Susan Crandall

10. Another Blogger Made of AWESOME: Drey @ Drey’s Library!

11. My #fridayreads: Astor Place Vintage, Wedding Belles by Beth Albright, and maybe 212 by Alafair Burke! What are you reading for #fridayreads?

Happy Reading and good luck with Bloggiesta if you are participating!

Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand

Wedding day- arguably one of the happiest day of a woman’s life. Beginning your life with your love, creating a new family, and basking in the love of your mom and dad as they watch their little girl take the steps into her new life as a married woman.

However, when your mother has already passed away- this day can be bittersweet. Beth Carmichael knew her days were numbered- so instead of focusing on what she was going to miss about Jenna, her youngest child’s life, she channeled her energy into making a notebook, a plan for Jenna’s future wedding. Jenna, armed with The Notebook, feels her wedding day will be in fact, a beautiful day.

While Beth may have given Jenna a game plan for her wedding day, several of the other family members need a game plan as well. There’s a maid of honor who does not believe in love, a bridesmaid who is turning into a bridesmaid-zilla, and a marriage that is falling apart. The Carmichael children are having hard times knowing that Beth would have loved to be at the wedding, and that each problem they are facing- she would have advice or at least be able to listen.

As the wedding day approaches, tensions arise. People are reminded of past betrayals. One person finds out what love truly means. Another begins to question everything they thought they knew about love. And new families and relationships begin.

A wedding- happiness, sadness, beginnings and endings. Elin Hilderbrand covers it all.

Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

Enjoyable. Fun. Heartwarming at times. Sad- especially how some of the characters are treated. Overall, if you enjoy Elin Hilderbrand books- this will be right up your alley!

*Beautiful Day was a book I checked out from the library!

Literary Friday ya’ll……

Happy Labor Day weekend!

1. Deep South Magazine #literaryfriday is filled with mentions of Donna Tart, literary Iphone cases, and news about Southern Festival of Books. Plus many other things!

2. Next week on Traveling With T, I have a pretty awesome giveaway: book and nail polish 🙂 What more could a girl want?! Check back on Monday for more details!

3. THE PERFUME COLLECTOR discussion is still going on strong at She Reads. Come. Discuss. Talk to me about the book.

4. In more She Reads news: I’m soaking up and announcing my 15 minutes of fame to EVERYONE! Guess who is one of the people featured in The Blog Network Recommends? Come on guess! Oh you’ll never guess, so I’ll tell you: It’s ME! I recommended Erika Marks THE GUEST HOUSE (which if you remember I raved about it here first!) Pssst…. Even more good news: Get over to She Reads and comment for a chance to win ALL 3 BOOKS! Naturally, you’ll want to read the 1 I recommended first, right? 😉

5. My #fridayreads While We Watching Downton Abbey by Wendy Wax, The Sassy Belles by Beth Albright, Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand and I’m considering adding another book to the rotation- suggestions? What are your #fridayreads?

6. Today is August 30th which means that #ctbs is almost over. For the unfamiliar, #ctbs is Conquering The Book Stacks. So far, August was not kind in my mission- but I’m hoping to knock another book out before August ends. However, I stood tall and strong and did not buy any books this August. I looked temptation in the eye and walked away. My bookshelves thank me.

7. Book Lovers Unite- Jen @ Booka-licious Mama has announced the September read in Ashtor Place Vintage. Before I hand the reigns over to her, though, I have 1 more surprise cooked up from our August Book Club Selection, The Comfort of Lies by Randy Susan Meyers. Check the blog later today for the surprise! In related news, I’m hard at work for the October pick- and trying to decide if October should be spooky or not in our selection!

Happy Reading!

Literary Friday ya’ll……

Can you believe that next week is Labor Day Weekend? Where, oh where did my summer go?!

1. Deep South Magazine and their #literaryfriday is hot, hot, hot: Giveaway of Lookaway, Lookaway By Wilton Barnhardt, Decatur Book Festival news, Southern Festival of Books, and much more!

PS: Plus a mention of an interview I did with Katherine Center, author of The Lost Husband, that just happened to make Deep South Mag’s Summer Reading List 2013!

2. Several #giveaways to list this week:

Linus’s Blanket is giving away a copy of The Girl You Left Behind by JoJo Moyes! (this giveaway ends TODAY!)

Always With A Book is giving away Three Little Words by Susan Mallery!

Traveling With T is giving away The Outcast by Jolina Petersheim!

Traveling With T is giving away The Lost Husband by Katherine Center!

**Just added: The Book Wheel is giving away Etched in Sand by Regina Calcaterra. This giveaway ends in 2 days!

3. Another Blogger Made Of AWESOME was featured this week on Traveling With T! Katherine @ Story Matters has quite a story and a nostalgic #literaryconfession!

4. #ctbs is still going on- so far, I’ve read 4 books from my shelf (a far less admirable goal than I’d hoped- but this last week of August might turn things around!)

5. My #fridayreads Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand- what are you reading for #fridayreads?

6. Author Spotlights this week on Traveling With T: Jolina Petersheim, Katherine Center, and Shannon Polson (plus a Shannon Polson Interview!)

7. I reviewed Whistling Past The Graveyard by Susan Crandall this week on Traveling With T!

Happy Reading!

Beach Bag Reads…

I’ve got the beach on my mind- playing in the sand and water, soaking up the sun, wearing the baseball cap, swimming, beachy hair, smell of coconut lotion in the air, and just the relaxed feeling of summer.

So that lead to the thought process of what books I’d put in my beach bag. I made a list! Will I read all this summer? Probably not. I like to save some of the magic of summer for the cold, dreary winter months 🙂

Traveling With T’s Beach Bag Book List:

1. Time Flies by Claire Cook- June 11

2. While We Were Watching Downton Abbey by Wendy Wax- April 2

3. All the Summer Girls by Meg Donohue- May 21

4. Finding Colin Firth by Mia March- July 9

5. The Guest House by Erika Marks- June 4

6. The Last Original Wife by Dorothea Benton Frank- June 11

7. Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns by Lauren Weisberger- June 4

8. Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella- April 23

9. Chose the Wrong Guy, Gave Him the Wrong Finger by Beth Harbison- July 9

10. Island Girls by Nancy Thayer- June 18

11. Ladies’ Night by Mary Kay Andrews- June 4