Current Mood: Feeling all sparkly and like a Queen because I am at the Sweet Potato Queen weekend in Jackson, MS. Reuniting with my friends for a big ole weekend of fun makes me extra happy! Continue reading
book reviews
Literary Friday ya’ll….
I bet ya’ll thought I just decided to quit Literary Friday postings, right? I’ll be honest, I’ve felt a struggle over the past few weeks as blog life, real life, and all the things I want to do in both lives have been tugging at me. So, Literary Friday has gotten the short end of the stick 😦 SIGH.
Meanwhile…. in other news- it’s been a hashtag blessed week as my new niece is now here! She’s got ten yummy fingers and toes that I cannot wait to play “This little piggy” with. Seeing her big sister, Miss A, loving on Little A made my heart SO SO SO SO full this week. Miss A will be spending the weekend with me and we have a big weekend planned- supper at Longhorns (that gal loves her some steak and salad!), Sleeping Beauty and Lilo and Stitch, and plenty of time for arts and crafts as I found a whole tub of foam paper, animals, glitter glue and more to play with. Continue reading
Starter House by Sonja Condit
This book was sent to Traveling With T in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Starter House
Lacey and Eric, a young married couple, are looking for a house. Their 2 will becoming 3 in a short few months and both Lacey and Eric desire a place of their own to raise their child, in a neighborhood that has good schools and a nice look. Lacey, though, wants a house with character- not a square cookie-cutter house- a house with character. When Lacey sees this 1 house and finds out that it is for sale- she falls in love with the house. Eric is happy because it’s in the neighborhood they want, is in their price range, and makes Lacey happy. Too bad neither of them really listened to the real estate agent when she tried to discourage them from buying the house.
Shortly after moving in, Lacey begins having difficulty with her pregnancy- and is concerned. She and Eric begin making alternative arrangements- Lacey sleeping downstairs, her mother moving in temporarily and Lacey trying to keep stress to a minimum. Still, Lacey feels uneasy. The house, at times, has a different feel to it- not warm and welcoming; but dark and mysterious. There is a little boy who Lacey keeps seeing… in her house. This boy, Drew, appeals to Lacey and her teacher/maternal instincts. But, slowly, she begins to pick up on things- that Drew is not what he seems. That Drew is a jealous child and quick to anger- which Lacey finds out the hard way.
Determined to get to the bottom of what has happened in this house and the story of Drew- Lacey begins to look for clues. What she finds is dark and chilling. Will Lacey be able to put an end to evil in the house- before she and her baby pay the ultimate price?
Traveling With T’s Thoughts:
This is Sonja Condit’s first book and while I enjoyed it- I was a bit conflicted at times. Sonja’s characters- Lacey and Eric, I did not completely connect with either. Lacey, at times, seemed like she was cracking up and Eric, was an obsessive workaholic.
The story is compared to The Thirteenth Tale and since I have not read that book, I can’t accurately say if Starter House is like that book. I was a bit worried that it would be too scary- similar to the movie, The Conjuring, but it was not super-scary. Starter House has more of a creepy vibe- and Sonja Condit does that very well.
Would I recommend? Yes. Was it perfect? No. But, Starter House kept me flipping pages because I had to know what happened in that house- and if or when it would ever end.
*Thanks to William-Morrow for sending Traveling With T STARTER HOUSE. Above thoughts and opinions are mine alone.
The Ghosts of Manhattan by Douglas Brunt
Douglas Brunt’s debut novel is about Wall Street and what the life entails (and can cost you).
Meet Nick Farmer. 35 years old. Bond trader at Bear Stearns- a job he tells you he got partly because he played lacrosse in college. Nick’s a good looking man-and appears to have a good life. Clearing 7 figures a year, married, a job that requires him to party, close the deal with trades, and a unlimited access to drugs and alcohol. It’s the ultimate lifestyle for a young man. But Nick’s beginning to realize that the lifestyle is costing him- the partying, the drugs, alcohol- it’s not as easy to bounce back as it was in his 20’s. And it’s costing him in his marriage, as well.
Nick still likes the money- even if it doesn’t like the job or the extra-curricular aspects about the job. As the book progresses, the reader sees that Nick is changing- the hypocrisy is getting to him. Then, an analyst for Bear Stearns tries to tell the management that life is going to get ugly- the financial market is changing and awful things will happen if serious changes do not happen at Bear Stearns. Because Wall Street is about excess and being the life of the party- no one wants to listen. But does Nick? Does Nick leave while the party is still happening or does he wait till the party is way over?
Ghosts of Manhattan is a voyeuristic look into the life of Wall Street and the men of Wall Street. It’s a good book, with a solid storyline.
Recommended.
*Thanks to Touchstone Books for providing a copy of Ghosts of Manhattan by Douglas Brunt for review. The thoughts expressed above are my opinions and review of the book.
Guest Blogging for Man VS Books Club- The Hunger Games Trilogy
The True GAMEMAKERS: The Hunger Games! Catching Fire! Mockingjay!
A few weeks ago, one of the Man VS Book Clubs members asked me to contribute a piece as a guest blogger. We discussed a few different options on which books, and decided The Hunger Games would be a good choice.
In the above link is my post as a guest blogger for Man VS Books Club- which I hope you will take time to read through- whether you are a fan of the trilogy or not.
But, because I believe in a spirit of “paying it forward” for good deeds- this post is mainly about why readers should visit the Man VS Books Club blog. I came across the blog because I’m Twitter friends with Deidre (@Yankeefan2975). Deidre is a huge fan of books, and with help from others- decided to create a blog to generate interest in reading for men and to discuss books. Along with the other 7 contributors- Man VS Books Club blog was born. Between the 8 of them- a wide and varied interest in reading is covered (as well as physical location!) Each person brings a necessary ingredient to making this blog a “must-see”.
Stop by their blog, spread the word to other friends, and most importantly- tell the men in your life to look over the books they review and discuss. Reading books is not just for women- it’s great for both genders. Reading is cool- let the people of Man VS Books Club show exactly how great reading can be!
Books…
I made a new page- called Books I’m Reading. Under that, each book I’ve been reading lately will be discussed. Some spoilers possibly, but mainly just thoughts about the book. The first 2 I discussed are :So Pretty it Hurts by Kate White and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
Feel free to read my thoughts and let me know your thoughts. While I may not agree, I do enjoy hearing other takes on books.
Side note: I will be posting about Zippity Doo Dah 2012 in Fondren soon. Trying to get my thoughts together to describe a wonderfully fun weekend!