Summer Giveaway Hop - TWO BOOKS!

Welcome to Everyday Is An Adventure...I hope you enjoy hopping through, and thanks for putting your name in the hat to win! The summer giveaway hop is hosted by I am a Reader, Not a Writer and Bookhounds.

I am giving away TWO books in my giveaway:

I am giving away the audiobook version of Burned by P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast. Here is a book summary:

Zoey Redbird is the youngest High Priestess in House of Night history and is the only person – vamp or fledgling – that can stop the evil Neferet from raising all kinds of immortal trouble. And she might just have a chance if she wasn’t so busy being dead.

Well, dead is too strong a word. Stevie Rae knows she can bring her BFF back from her unscheduled va-cay in the Otherworld. But it’s going to take a lot more than hoping to bring Zoey back. Stevie Rae will have to give up a few secrets of her own . . .

I am also giving away a paperback copy of Burn the Night by Jocelynn Drake. Here is the summary:

The Great Awakening approaches . . .

After eons in exile, the naturi have broken their chains and now roam the Earth bent on revenge. It is the sworn duty of Mira, the Fire Starter, to protect the nightwalker race—though even she may be powerless to withstand the horrific onslaught. As Mira and her brave lover, the vampire slayer Danaus, stand ready to do battle, thousands of winged shapeshifters darken the skies. The war of ultimate extermination has begun, and the battleground is Mira's home turf.

The humans don't yet recognize the doom descending upon them. And the nightwalkers will surely perish unless they unite with outcast naturi who claim to want peace. But these unexpected "allies" are the same demons who have long worked for Mira's destruction—and in these darkest of days the lines between friend and foe will blur treacherously before the bloody end of all things.

To enter (US ONLY):

Please leave a comment with your favorite memory from this summer so far - can be book related, or not!

You MUST BE A FOLLOWER OF MY BLOG TO WIN!

EXTRA ENTRIES - let me know in your comment and add a link if you:

-shared this giveaway on your own blog
-shared this giveaway on Facebook

*GIVEAWAY ENDS ON August 7th! Click HERE to find all blogs participating in the giveaway!

Thanks so much for entering - GOOD LUCK!

Friday Follow - 7/29

Friday's are Follow Friday over at parajunkee.com and while I am not that into paranormal young adult lit, her blog is awesome :) This week's question is:

What t-shirt slogan best describes you?

Yeah, political, I know...but different points of view is what makes the world go round, right?

Have a great weekend, and HAPPY READING!

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke - REVIEW

This story was nothing short of captivating! All 548 pages of it...

Book Summary:

Twelve-year-old Meggie learns that her father, who repairs and binds books for a living, can "read" fictional characters to life when one of those characters abducts them and tries to force him into service.

Characters from books literally leap off the page in this engrossing fantasy. Meggie has had her father to herself since her mother went away when she was young. Mo taught her to read when she was five, and the two share a mutual love of books. He can "read" characters out of books. When she was three, he read aloud from a book called Inkheart and released characters into the real world. At the same time, Meggie's mother disappeared into the story. This "story within a story" will delight not just fantasy fans, but all readers who like an exciting plot with larger-than-life characters.

My Thoughts:

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, even though I was skeptical at first. I am not usually a fan of fantasy, but being that the characters all turned out to be PEOPLE, I bought into it. A book entirely about other books...what more can you ask for?

I think all of us avid readers have once or twice imagined what would happen if the characters that we read about came out of the book and into real life. What was terribly interesting to me was the idea that the character would be frightened, and have no idea where they were. As a reader I have always thought that since I was so immersed in the character's lives, they MUST feel the same way about me! Geez...

I thought Elinor was a terribly fascinating character - and as a friend put it, " Elinor is a very self-centered woman who lives for her possessions - people matter less to her than her books. She has kept herself in a comfortable cage to avoid the "inconvenient" emotions of others" and "Elinor is more courageous than she seems at first - like many of us "old folks" she has "been there, done that" and seeks peace above all. but when the threat gets too big, she creaks her way to her feet and takes a stand!" Couldn't have said it better myself!

Meggie's name irritated me, and I know that is trivial but I kept thinking "Maggie" and it was a little distracting. I am sure that no one else would worry with such a minor detail!

This novel was a great start to what promises to be a fascinating trilogy...I can't wait to read #2!

Favorite Passages:

One of my favorite passages in this book is on the first two pages...I did a blog post about that passage because it really was that great - read that HERE.

"Some books should be tasted...some devoured, but only a few should be chewed and thoroughly digested."

"It's a good idea to have your own books with you in a strange place," Mo always said.

"You're the one who says that books have to be heavy because the whole world's inside them," Meggie said.

"My darling," she said at last, "are you sure you don't mind being a mouse for the rest of your life?" "I don't mind at all," I said. "It doesn't matter who you are or what you look like so long as somebody loves you." - Roald Dahl, The Witches

"Because fear kills everything," Mo had once told her. "Your mind, your heart, your imagination."

"You know, it's a funny thing about writers. Most people don't stop to think of books being written by people much like themselves. They think that writers are all deal long ago - they don't expect to meet them in the street or out shopping. They knew their stories, but not their names, and certainly not their faces. And most writers like it that way."

No IMM, But on My Radar...

I just don't foresee time to sit down and do an IMM (maybe I will surprise us both), but I did want to spotlight a book that is on my radar, and will hopefully be IMM soon!

James Patterson, a favorite among many people, has a new book out about middle school...and being that I am a middle school teacher, I am interested. And then I heard the title Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life. Now I wasn't just interested, I could relate! Not because I hated my own middle school years (I really can't remember what they were like) but because I see students everyday try to make it through one of the toughest times for kids.

My immediate thought was to start out reading this book to my class at the beginning of the year since I teach 6th grade, so it would be a great introduction to the year to read something humorous, and something that would make students realize they aren't alone.

Patterson has offered the first twenty chapters of this book for free, and I highly recommend it...better yet, pick yourself up a copy so you can read the whole thing! There is even an iPhone app for this book, check it out!

Book Summary:

Rafe Khatchadorian has enough problems at home without throwing his first year of middle school into the mix. Luckily, he's got an ace plan for the best year ever, if only he can pull it off: With his best friend Leonardo the Silent awarding him points, Rafe tries to break every rule in his school's oppressive Code of Conduct. Chewing gum in class-5,000 points! Running in the hallway-10,000 points! Pulling the fire alarm-50,000 points! But when Rafe's game starts to catch up with him, he'll have to decide if winning is all that matters, or if he's finally ready to face the rules, bullies, and truths he's been avoiding.

Blockbuster author James Patterson delivers a genuinely hilarious-and surprisingly poignant-story of a wildly imaginative, one-of-kind kid that you won't soon forget.

Visit James Patterson's website HERE
Read the first twenty chapters FREE HERE

Blog Hop & Follow Friday - July 22

Happy Happy Friday! I am participating in two different blog "hops/follows" this week - so welcome :)

First, there is the Book Blogger Hop hosted by crazy-for-books.com, another great book blog to check out...her question this week is:

What's the one genre that you wish you could get into, but just can't?

I am just getting into the paranormal romance stuff, and while I find it to be better than I thought, I would like to try to get a little more into it. I wish I could do sci/fi, but it just isn't my thing...or fantasy. BOO!

Friday's are also Follow Friday over at parajunkee.com and while I am not that into paranormal young adult lit, her blog is awesome :) This week's question is:

Name 3 authors that you would love to sit down and spend an hour or a meal with just talking about either their books or get advice about writing from?

I would most definitely want to sit down with Roald Dahl to get all his pointers on storytelling...he tells one amazing story! I would want to sit down with Nancy E. Turner to get her pointers on writing historical fiction, I am not sure anyone does it better than her. And I would want to sit down with T.J. Koll to learn the ins and outs of the writing process.

If I could have private tutoring sessions with all three of them, I could create some amazing writing!

Have a great weekend, and HAPPY READING!

First Chapter - How Does It Speak To You?

The opening chapter of a book is always huge for a reader...it really is your first introduction into the world you will be immersing yourself in for the duration of the book. I started Inkheart by Cornelia Funke yesterday (the trilogy is our August book club selection) and I was completely taken with it right away...so taken, that I wanted to share. I think all of us readers will identify with it!

Rain fell that night, a fine, whispering rain. Many years later, Meggie had only to close her eyes and she could still hear it, like tiny fingers tapping on the windowpane. A dog barked somewhere in the darkness, and however often she tossed and turned Meggie couldn't get to sleep.

The book she had been reading was under her pillow, pressing its cover against her ear as if to lure her back into its printed pages. "I'm sure it must be very comfortable sleeping with a hard, rectangular thing like that under your head," her father had teased the first time he found a book under her pillow. "Go on, admit it, the book whispers its story to you at night."

"Sometimes, yes," Meggie had said. "But it only works for children." Which made Mo tweak her nose. Mo. Meggie had never called her father anything else.

That night - when so much began and so many things changed forever - Meggie had one of her favorite books under her pillows, and since the rain wouldn't let her sleep she sat up, rubbed the drowsiness from her eyes, and took it out. Its pages rustled promisingly when she opened it. Meggie thought this first whisper sounded a little different from one book to another, depending on whether or not she already knew the story it was going to tell her.

Isn't that awesome?

FREE DOWNLOAD - Nikolas & Co: A Creature Most Foul by Kevin McGill - Coming Sept. 15th

Catch this preview of an amazing new read coming out September 15th:

Book Summary:

"The Rones lie about their true intent. They enter the city of Huron at the peril of us all." - Voice of Huron

Every steward has a city and every steward hears the voice of the city. Fourteen-year-old Nikolas Lyons has heard the voice of Huron and she will change his life forever. Nikolas and company are transported to a time when Earth is tethered to the fantastic world of Mon – or as we have come to call her, the Moon. He learns that Mon is filled with fire-breathing winged lions and volcano born nymphs and magic so thick you can breathe it. But not all things are grand and beautiful. While aboard the Mottled Craw and in route to Mon, Xanthus is poisoned by a mysterious creature. It is not long after Nikolas understands that his friend's poisioning and the evil brought on by the Rones are one and the same. Never one for responsibility, Nikolas finds himself tasked with finding a cure for a dying Xanthus, while protecting the city of Huron from the mysterious creature most foul.

Here is the trailer:



Click HERE to download the first 100 pages for FREE!
Click HERE for the author's website

Review: The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

I was finally able to finish this novel, and I must admit that it took me longer than I expected. I am not sure what the hang-up was, because this novel had all my favorites: historical fiction, girl protaganist, great setting...but for whatever reason, I really struggled with it. And it was Newberry, so this was sort of shocking since generally I tend to like their historical fiction picks!

Book Summary: (from Goodreads)

The summer of 1899 is hot in Calpurnia Virginia Tate's sleepy Texas town, and there aren't a lot of good ways to stay cool. Her mother has a new wind machine from town, but Callie might just have to resort to stealthily cutting off her hair, one sneaky inch at a time. She also spends a lot time at the river with her notoriously cantankerous grandfather, an avid naturalist. It turns out that every drop of river water is teeming with life - all you have to do is look through a microscope!

As Callie explores the natural world around her, she develops a close relationship with her grandfather, navigates the dangers of living with six brothers, and comes up against just what it means to be a girl at the turn of the century.

My Thoughts:

Like I mentioned before, I am completely shocked that I struggled with this book so much - judging by the cover, which I loved, it was going to be a quick read because it was about a time period that I really love reading about, and it seemed very similar to another novel that I read earlier this year, Deadly by Julie Chibbaro - and I LOVED that book! The only real difference between the two novels is the setting and the age of the main character.

The back of the novel says "this will be the most exciting summer of Calpurnia's life." Well, I don't know how she felt about it, but I just didn't jive with that assessment. This was no cliff-hanger, no on the edge of your seat suspense, and really not much to want to keep reading for (except to find out whether or not they actually had discovered a new plant species.) Let me also say that I am an avid reader of nonfiction, so I don't expect EVERY novel to be a cliffhanger, but I do need something to make me want to keep reading. It just drug on too long, and there wasn't enough there to keep me from getting tired of reading.

There was a lot of science in this book, and that much I enjoyed. I also liked the Grandfather, and found his character to be the most interesting part of this novel. I always enjoy when literature includes new inventions that would have been introduced during the time the novel was set, and this one was no exception. Kelly did do a great job establishing the "norms" of society in the later 1800s.

I am interested in reading more by this author to see if it was just this book that was hard for me - I always want to allow myself a second opinion :)

Favorite Passages:

"So I devised a plan: Every week I would cut off an inch of hair - just one stealthy inch - so that Mother wouldn't notice. She wouldn't notice because I would camouflage myself with good manners."

"One day I would have all the books in the world, shelves and shelves of them. I would live my life in a tower of books. I would read all day long and eat peaches. And if any young knights in armor dared to come calling on their white chargers and plead with me to let my hair down, I would pelt them with peach pits until they went home."

"Granddaddy, nobody calls me Calpurnia except Mother, and then only when I am in lots of trouble." "Why on earth not? It's a lovely name. Pliny the Younger's fourth wife, the one he married for love, was named Calpurnia, and we have been left by him some of the great love letters of all time. There's also the natal acacia tree, genus Calpurnia, a useful laburnum mainly confined to the African continent. Then there's Julius Caesar's wife, mentioned in Shakespeare. I could go on."

"Seedlings from the same fruit, and the young of the same litter, sometimes differ considerably from each other, though both the young and the parent...have apparently been exposed to exactly the same conditions of life..."

"The use of slang is an indicator of a weak intellect and an impoverished vocabulary."

"Neither do I. We have to learn sewing and knitting and smocking. In Deportment, they make us walk around the room with a book on our heads." Grandaddy said, "I find that actually reading the book is a much more effective way of absorbing it."

"The lesson for today is this: It is better to travel with hope in one's heart than to arrive in safety."

When You Just Can't Get Through a Book...

For years, I have picked up a book, and then finished the book (usually in about 1-3 days). I don't know what it is, I just start reading and then I finish and there usually isn't a problem.

There have been times in my life (namely the birth of my children) that have deterred my reading a little bit, and I will pick something back up that I started earlier, but I feel like that is pretty normal.

I have been reading The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kerry, and while this book is something that I just knew I would be interested in (historical fiction, turn-of-the-century, girl protagonist) I just CAN'T GET THROUGH THIS NOVEL! The back says, "this will be the most exciting summer of Calpurnia's life) and if that is truly the case, I feel sorry for this girl - because it just doesn't seem so exciting.

What is bothering more than anything is that I have a stack of review requests that I need to get to, but this book is holding me up! Because I refuse to just "not finish," that's just not how I roll!

So, I am headed off to put in another day of hard reading, and for the love of whoever cares, PLEASE let me finish this book today!

Feel free to leave a comment with your experiences with this same problem...

Author Spotlight - T.J. Koll

I had the pleasure of recently reading a great book called Shadows of Wormwood. You can find my review of that HERE.

In my correspondence with the author, he agreed to do an interview for my blog and I am so happy to be able to feature him and his work! He is a tremendous writer, and I highly recommend his novel. I think after reading this interview you will agree that Koll has a way with words, and his personality really does come through in his writing!

From the author's website, here is a little background on T.J.:

T.J. Koll is an award-winning author and college writing instructor currently living in eastern Kentucky. When not penning novels like Shadows of Wormwood or The Sultan, he can usually be found spending time with his lovely wife or chasing after his spirited two-year-old son.

In addition to his writing credits, T.J. also holds both a B.A. and M.A. in English, enjoys the outdoors and bad zombie movies (not really at the same time), and is passionate about helping others improve their writing skills.

For T.J., writing isn't merely a form of communication; rather, it is a method for exploring the inner and outer world, for participating in one's community, and for intimately connecting with other human beings. With this philosophy in mind, he attempts to craft fiction and non-fiction that is both entertaining and thought-provoking.

And now on to the interview:

1. Describe what it’s like to be an author in three words.

Read. Write. Repeat.

2. What is your favorite genre of literature?

That’s a tough one. I love the works of many contemporary authors, including several outside the U.S. During graduate school, however, I studied a great deal of Victorian literature, and I suppose it really got into my soul. My favorites are Thomas Hardy and Charles Dickens, though George Eliot definitely has a place in my heart as well. While Victorian authors were usually rather long-winded, I appreciate the big questions they attempt to tackle in their fiction—questions about humanity’s purpose, the ills of so-called “western” society, the nature of our universe, etc. If literature is the best way to study the “soul” of humanity—and I believe it is—then Victorian literature is a fine representative of that purpose and tradition.

3. At what point in your life did you realize you wanted to be a writer?

I really don’t remember a specific point when I made that decision. I’d always enjoyed writing stories, even back into elementary school. After I got married in my early twenties, I at last took a crack at putting some serious focus on my writing. The learning curve was steep, and I spent several years practicing and facing rejection and practicing yet more. That experience, while not always pleasant, taught me a great deal about persistence and discipline, and it helped me develop my personal writing style.

4. What would you consider to be the best book you have ever read?

Do you mean besides my own?? Just kidding. I can’t really think of an absolute favorite piece of fiction, as there are so many that mean a great deal to me in different ways. I can, however, say that Stephen King’s On Writing is the best writing book I’ve read. While I can’t claim to be a huge fan of his fiction, I devoured this non-fiction text, reading it several times over. King has a way of capturing his reader that is simply awesome—probably why he’s been so successful—and I find his advice in the book genuine and straightforward, devoid of pretense or pontification.

5. Describe the process of getting a book self-published.

I’ve been fortunate enough to explore several publication avenues in my career, from self-publishing to small house presses to major traditional publishers; and they all have their advantages and disadvantages. Early in my career, I was absolutely against self-publishing, as it was incredibly expensive, too closely associated with “vanity” publishing (yes, I consider them quite different now), and weren’t widely accepted by audiences. Now, however, technology has vastly changed the game. Self-publishing is very inexpensive--if done right—quite easy, and can reach enormous audiences. While it’s true that many poorly written and edited pieces can be found in this publishing category, there are also many wonderful and serious authors who use it to reach niche markets that may be too small for traditional publishers.
6. What message do you want readers to take away from Shadows of Wormwood?

There are a few messages that gradually developed as I wrote the book. First, I wanted people to recognize the very real dangers of modern bullying. Such harassment can and does destroy young lives, and it needs to be taken seriously. Secondly, and perhaps more ambitiously, I want people to take a good look at how our society twists nearly every event into a crisis. Every virus seems ready to become an epidemic, every negative economic report equals a national financial meltdown, and every war sends us closer to the brink of worldwide destruction. Sure, sometimes disasters do occur and they are horrific, but usually the media’s sensationalism proves to be just that—sensationalism. Instead, we need to focus on living fully, showing compassion and understanding to others, and taking care of those we love.

7. In the novel your main character is Bitsy – explain why you chose her and how you developed her character.

For me, Bitsy represents modern youth—rebellious, intelligent, and far too ready for grow up and be independent without realizing what comes with such independence. I initially based her on the stories my mother-in-law told me about her at that age, but slowly the character grew and evolved into her own person. She actually struggled against me quite a bit during the rough draft, as I had a vision of what she should be and do, but Bitsy and those wonderful conflicts in her personality always won the argument.

8. What are you working on now, and what are your future writing plans?

I’m currently taking a break from fiction and have just completed a composition textbook under contract with a major educational publisher. The project is still in the early editing stages, so I don’t have a firm release date, but I’m sincerely hoping it will help high school and college students improve their writing skills without overwhelming them. Rather than trying to show students what to do in any and every writing situation they may encounter—which is what most composition textbooks do—this piece helps students learn a fresh approach to writing so they can make good writing decisions on their own.

Click HERE to visit T.J. Koll's website
Click HERE for an excerpt from Shadows of Wormwood

IMM - OVERLOAD!

Well, I had a bang-up week for sure...but much of that was due to books that I had pre-ordered or purchased along the way! But I did get my hands on some amazing reads via giveaways from Goodreads and a few friends that wanted to pass a great read along :)

With no further adieu...


GIVEAWAY WINNERS:

Pao by Kerry Young (I wanted to include the book summary since this is her first novel and it sounds really good!)

As a young boy, Pao comes to Jamaica in the wake of the Chinese Civil War and rises to become the Godfather of Kingston's bustling Chinatown. Pao needs to take care of some dirty business, but he is no Don Corleone. The rackets he runs are small-time, and the protection he provides necessary, given the minority status of the Chinese in Jamaica. Pao, in fact, is a sensitive guy in a wise guy role that doesn't quite fit. Often mystified by all that he must take care of, Pao invariably turns to Sun Tzu's Art of War. The juxtaposition of the weighty, aphoristic words of the ancient Chinese sage, with the tricky criminal and romantic predicaments Pao must negotiate builds the basis of the novel's great charm.

A tale of post-colonial Jamaica from a unique and politically potent perspective, Pao moves from the last days of British rule through periods of unrest at social and economic inequality, through tides of change that will bring about Rastafarianism and the Back to Africa Movement. Pao is an utterly beguiling, unforgettable novel of race, class and creed, love and ambition, and a country in the throes of tumultuous change.

Kerry Young was born in Kingston, Jamaica, to a Chinese-African mother and a Chinese father-a businessman in Kingston's shadow economy who provided inspiration for Pao. Young moved to England in 1965 at the age of ten. She earned her MA in creative writing at Nottingham Trent University. This is her first novel.

I won When Sparrows Fall by Meg Moseley, Coming Up For Air by Patti Callahan Henry, In Bed With a Highlander (Highlander #1) by Maya Banks, and Independence: The Struggle to Set America Free by John Ferling. Keep in mind, these were over the period of a couple of weeks - I just received them all this week!

BORROWED BOOKS:

I borrowed two books from friends this week: The Education of Little Tree by Forrest Carter. I asked for this book because I read it as required reading before 8th grade and I am dying to re-read and see how much I remember and forgot!
I borrowed Tears of a Tiger by Sharon M. Draper this week too - a friend at book club had just finished reading it and highly recommended it so I snagged it to read :)

BOOKCLUB BOOKS:

Super excited to receive these in the mail, I ordered them all because they are the Virginia Reader's Choice books for 2011-2012 and my 6th grade book club will be reading them:

1. Bystander. James Preller, Felwel & Friends, 2009.
2. Chasing Lincoln’s Killer. James Swanson, Scholastic, 2009.
3. The Leanin’ Dog. K.A. Nuzum, HarperCollins, 2008.
4. Mockingbird. Kathryn Erskine, Penguin Young Readers Group, 2010.
5. Out of My Mind. Sharon Draper, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing,
2010.
6. Pop. Gordon Korman, HarperCollins, 2009.
7. The Rock and the River. Kekla Magoon, Simon & Schuster Children’s
Publishing,, 2009.
8. The Strange Case of Origami Yoda. Tom Angleberger, Abrams, Harry N.,
Inc., 2010.
9. Ways to Live Forever. Sally Nicholls, Scholastic Inc., 2011.
10. When the Whistle Blows. Fran Cannon Slayton, Penguin Group, 2009.

BARGAIN BOOKS:

I was able to really snag some great reads from the bargain bin from Barnes and Noble - can you believe that I got 9 books for $27.00? AWESOME!

HIGHLY ANTICIPATED ORDERED AND PRE-ORDERED:

And finally, I saved the best for last...I had some titles that I really wanted and finally got.

So that's my haul for the week...what was in your mailbox?

Steadily Reading Saturday...

Steadily Reading Saturday is a weekly meme hosted here to highlight what it is that we are spending our weekends steadily reading.

Currently, I am steadily reading The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly. This has not been a "quick" read for me, but it is a great book. I have had a lot going on outside of my "reading" time, so I haven't had a lot of time but I anticipate finishing it soon!

The summer of 1899 is hot in Calpurnia Virginia Tate's sleepy Texas town, and there aren't a lot of good ways to stay cool. Her mother has a new wind machine from town, but Callie might just have to resort to stealthily cutting off her hair, one sneaky inch at a time. She also spends a lot time at the river with her notoriously cantankerous grandfather, an avid naturalist. It turns out that every drop of river water is teeming with life - all you have to do is look through a microscope!

As Callie explores the natural world around her, she develops a close relationship with her grandfather, navigates the dangers of living with six brothers, and comes up against just what it means to be a girl at the turn of the century.

Historical fiction is my favorite genre, so this book is right up my alley...it kind of reminds me of another title that I read this year, Deadly by Julie Chibbaro. Love them both!

What are you steadily reading this Saturday?

The Beauty of a Bookclub

I am a member of an amazing book club...we are a group of teachers and we read young adult literature that we can use in our classrooms and then throw in an adult book every now and then because we enjoy it!

As for meeting places, we rotate it around - sometimes it is a nearby winery (which is where these pictures were taken), sometimes it is a restaurant, it just depends on what the group decides. For this meeting, we met at the winery and people all brought snacks to enjoy with the wine.

Our book this month was Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus - it is a historical fiction piece about John Mung, who is the first person from Japan to leave and be accepted back. He went on to forge relations between the United States and Japan. Here is "C" holding our selection:


We had a "battle of the e-readers!" Not really, but it was funny to see everyone pulling theirs out - "T" has a Kindle, "D" has a Nook Color, and "J" has a Literati. I think almost everyone in the group has one of these!

In addition to the books we shared some great wine...and caught up on what everyone was doing over the summer. Being teachers, we are off for about 2 1/2 months so it is great to be able to see great friends over the summer!


We read The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown (everyone LOVED IT!) and Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpoole earlier this summer...both amazing reads!


Our August selection is the Inkheart Trilogy by Cornelia Funke. Yes, we are attempting to read the whole trilogy in one month - shouldn't be too hard except most of us have about 300+ books in our TBR piles right now! Our next meeting will be at a local restaurant that features quotes all over the walls - quotes from novels maybe!


We are pretty informal...if you want to read that month's selection, great! If not, come to book club anyway! Anyone can throw out a book recommendation, or a recommendation on where our meeting takes place. We talk books but we also chat about our lives. Some bring quotes to share from the book, others speak from their heart and mind. It's not hard, because we all have one thing in common: we love books...and we love to talk about books!


If you're not a part of a book club, you are missing out! Book clubs are a great way to network and share great books. For those that don't like the face-to-face, there are some great online book clubs too!

Happy Reading!