Giveaway: Cozy Up With A Book On Christmas Eve (5 Winners! INT.)

Hello everyone, it's time for a giveaway!

This giveaway is inspired by a tradition I read about recently, that I think is very neat. In Iceland, books are exchanged on Christmas Eve, and people spend the rest of the night, tucked into bed, with chocolate, reading! Awesome, right?

So, I wanted to host my own giveaway with that tradition in mind.

The giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY. You can enter as long as you are able to accept an ebook gifted to you via Amazon.com.

Don't have a Kindle? You can still enter! You read the book on your computer, or download the free Kindle app to use on your phone or other device.

There will be 5 winners total. Each winner can select one  (1) ebook of their choice, valued up to 5 USD. Winners will be chose on December 19th.

Winners will have 48 hours to reply to their notification email, letting me know their book of choice. If they don't respond in time, a new winner will be chosen. The ebook delivery will be scheduled to be delivered via Amazon.com on December 24th.

There are other terms and conditions in the rafflecopter, so be sure to read those carefully.

Now, lets get to the giveaway!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday Post Hiatus This Week

Hello everyone!

I just wanted to write a quick post to say that there will be no Sunday Post this week. It's been a bit of a hectic week with lots of things going on so I just haven't had the chance to get my post set up and scheduled. I'll be sure to have one next week though, I'm sure I'll get some book related goodies that I'll want to share.

That being said, I'm not sure which posts will be up this week. I'm going to try and finish the Christmas book that I'm reading right now, and get that review up, but then I think that'll be it for the holiday themed books and the rest will have to wait for next year. Beyond that, the only post I know will be up for sure is Behind the Blog. The specifics for the prompt questions are still being written but I'll post them to the blog FB page and Twitter as soon as they're ready.

In case I don't get the chance to do an individual post, I want to say that I hope each and every one of my awesome readers has wonderful holidays.

Behind the Blog 32: A Day at the Movies

Behind The Blog is a meme to help bloggers connect their life and interests to the content showcased on their blog. The co-hosts Faye Kathe and Melissa will provide a different topic, idea, or question every week that bloggers can relate to themselves and the books, films, or media they find interesting!

Holiday Traditions

Holiday traditions are wonderful. They are unique from family to family and they can build some of the happiest memories of one’s life. What are some of your favorite Christmas/holiday traditions? Or, what are traditions that you hope to start in the future?

In relation to books: Are there any books or movies that you absolutely must see or re-read during the holiday season? Are there any books or movies that you’ve seen/read that have some unique or unusual traditions?

When I was younger, one tradition that I really enjoyed was going to the movies on holidays. I don't remember when we started going, but we used to go on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Some days the theater was really packed, other times, it was completely empty. The only movie that I actually remember seeing on a holiday is The World is Not Enough.

Another tradition that we have is that on Christmas Eve, we open one present. Usually, it's new PJ's. No matter how many pairs I have, I always love getting new pajamas.

I haven't thought about it too much, but I do know that I want to start Christmas traditions in the future. I'm not sure what kind of traditions, but I know that I want to start some, because I like the familiarity of them. I like the comfort of knowing that it'll be something that gets done and looking forward to it, because traditions bring a lot of joy and comfort. One thing that I always do already, though this doesn't really count as a tradition is I always write Christmas cards. In the age of technology the written holiday card or holiday newsletter is like a dying art. So that's something that I always want to do because writing them gives me as much joy as receiving them.

Books and Movies:

The only book that I can think of of the top of my head that has a Christmas tradition in it would be Harry Potter and the Christmas sweaters made by Mrs. Weasley. Getting handmade things is always wonderful, because you know that person put their time, love and care into making it.

I don't really have any books that I have to re-read during the holidays, but if I can catch it, I always like to watch It's a Wonderful Life. The first time my dad tried to get me to watch it I remember whining that I didn't want to because it's in black and white. I can't believe I ever protested, because I really love it now.

We'd love to have you join us for Behind the Blog!

If you're choosing to join us for Behind the Blog don't forget to link up your post by using the Linky list below!
Are you joining us? Here are our rules:

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• Read, write, and connect! The Linky is there for you. Make use of it!
• Last but not least, have fun! 

Mini Review: Silver Bells

Title: Silver Bells

Author: Sadie Hart

Publisher: Self Published

Published: October 31, 2011

Format: Kindle

Pages: 24

Source: Downloaded when free on Amazon

Read: December 11, 2012

In A Few Words: Sweet

My Rating: 3 Stars

Goodreads:Add to your TBR Shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:

Every year, the Christmas Carousel in South Howle takes a beating, and every year, Dash Bartholomew tenderly brings it back to life. It’s a job he started fifteen years ago, when Dash became Dasher, one of Santa’s reindeer, and accepted the worn leather harness now hanging on the hooks at the back of the carousel barn. The one with its beautiful, silver bells that once made the most wondrous sound in the world, and now lay quiet.

That is, until Merry, a young, homeless woman wanders in looking for a place out of the cold. Unlike Dash, she can hear the sweet chimes of the bells, proving to him that it’s not the harness that’s broken. As Christmas draws near, Dash finds himself drawn to Merry and her quiet, stubborn pride. However, unable to hear the sleigh bells Dash isn’t sure what Christmas this year will bring, only that the magic in that harness is far less important than the woman he’s come to love.

Melissa's Musings:

This story is very short and sweet. We meet Dash, a seemingly lonely park caretaker who lovingly restores carousel animals by night. One night, Merry, stumbles in to the barn where he's working looking for somewhere out of the cold to stay. Dash lets her stay and tries to help her, but she's too proud, and demands to work. So they each work together on the animals, and over time a bond develops between them and they begin to care for each other.

Since the story is so short, we don't really get to see the full development of this, but what we do get to see is nicely done. There's also a bit of magic as Dash and Merry both meet "Nicholas" and he grants them each one wish. There's a cute little twist in this that Dash is one of Santa's reindeer, and Merry's father used to be before that. I'd never really thought of a twist like this before, the reindeer being normal people, and only having a limited time to be the reindeer, not hearing the call of their harness bells after they don't need them anymore. I suppose it's the same way with the tradition of Santa. After a certain point in our childhood, we're let in on the secret that he isn't real, so this runs along similar lines.

A short, sweet, holiday read.

Christmas in Wine Country *Contains Mild Spoilers* *Edited To Add...*

Title: Christmas In Wine Country

Author: Addison Westlake

Publisher: Self Published

Published: November 18, 2012

Format: Kindle

Pages: 390

Source: Received from the author

in exchange for an honest review

Read: December 10-11, 2012

In  A Few Words: Sweet, Romantic,

My Rating: 4 Stars

Goodreads:  Add This To Your TBR Shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:

It's Lila's big debut as an event planner and the company holiday party is going to be her chance to shine. At a Tuscan-style vineyard near the Northern California coast in the perfect little black dress she's sure to impress commitment-phobe Phillip. What could go wrong?

Seventy-two hours later with no job and no boyfriend, Lila finds herself with all kinds of answers to that question. Like mistaking the glowering Jake Endicott of Endicott Vineyards for the groundskeeper. Or a new video on YouTube featuring Lila pawing her way through drunken karaoke of "Hungry Like the Wolf."

Solo on the romantic holiday getaway she'd booked for her and Phillip near the vineyard, Lila at least gets to visit with her old friend Annie who lives nearby in the coastal town of Redwood Cove. Drawn into the local bookstore with gleaming wooden floors and welcoming armchairs, Lila chats with the owner and impulsively accepts a job offer.

Sleepy, misty Redwood Cove is the perfect place for Lila to take a break from her horrible track record with guys. The only one she finds even remotely attractive knows her as the holiday party crazy lady. Ranked in Bay Area magazine's 10 hottest bachelors, Jake Endicott is just the type Old Lila would have wasted years pining after.

Join Lila on her year of comedy, adventure and self-discovery on the Northern California coast, with all kinds of ups, downs and misadventures and a full cast of small-town wine country characters. Thankfully, even the greatest misunderstandings can all be worked out with a little Frank Sinatra and mistletoe.

Melissa's Musings:

*EDITED: All profits for Addison Westlake's book sales this month will go to charity to help the victims of the CT school shooting**

Christmas in Wine Country is wonderfully funny, sweet, always brimming with one kind of adventure or another.

Lila is a 28 year old woman who is stuck in a job that she doesn't like, dating a man that barely even acknowledges her presence,  and barely living life outside of her job. Then in one drunken, karoke filled evening, she loses her job, her semi-relationship and is forced to finally make some real choices about what she wants to do with herself and her life.

She drags herself to a B&B that she had reserved for her and her boyfriend's holiday getaway. While there she wanders into a charming book shop named Cover to Cover. After talking with the owner, she is hired on the spot, and with that she leaves big city life for small town life.

I admired Lila's guts in making the move to Redwood Cove. I think everyone wishes they could make moves like this, completely transform themselves, start over somewhere new. It has to be fun to do, and Lila really seems to enjoy herself.

She embraces being single for a while, giving herself time to get over Phillip. He's a huge jerk, and easily the least likeable character in the story. He tells Lila that they were never really dating and that he and a woman named Axcell are ready to take things to a new level. I laughed every time I read the name because I kept thinking about the computer program.

The surrounding characters in this story are so much fun. There's Lila's loving, patient, wise Gram, who always knows just what to say. Then there's Annie, Lila's college roomate, who supports her, but also gives her healthy doses of reality when she needs it. There's also Zoe, whose a lot of fun. She's a yoga teacher in Red Cove, who's very into naturalistic thought and ways of life.  And there's also Godfrey, a somewhat dramatic, (but well meaning) co-worker from the bookstore.

I think Zoe is actually my favorite of the characters because she's got this double persona. You mainly read about her as hippie-ish, vegan, yoga teacher Zoe. But about halfway through you learn that she grew up in the privileged lifestyle and used to be a debutante. It just goes to to show that not everyone is what they seem and they don't always keep the same path that they start life out on.

The same is true for Lila's love interest in the story, Jake. She assumes that he grew up in the hills of wine country, when in reality he grew up with a single mother who died of breast cancer when he was a teenager and a father who sent him to boarding school.

The romance between he and Lila is perfect. Definitely not insta-love, (their first meeting definitely does not go smoothly) the tension throughout their relationship is the perfect balance of nice moments and awkward ones, as they start the complicated dance of trying to figure out just what they are to each other. They definitely have their work cut out for them with interfering presences like Vanessa (I'll just let you discover her for yourselves) and some serious misunderstandings.

In addition to the great characters, there's also great food. Lila learns to cook and goes through periods of making soups and desserts, most of which sound delicious. I'm always a sucker for books with food. A book about food and a bookstore? Even better.

The overall message of the book is about embracing life, and doing what makes you happy. It's also about following your dreams, sticking up for yourself, and letting yourself be comfortable with who you are and what you want out of life. It teaches the reader that you don't have to let other people's perception of you or what you do for a living make you feel any less worthy. As long as you love what you're doing (and isn't that what we all really want anyway) then the title really doesn't matter, and who cares if you don't fit in to the cookie cutter world of fancy job titles or marketing?

I'd rather be passionate about what I do than a person who's only in their job for the money any day and Lila becomes just that. Passionate, happy, and sure of herself.

This is the perfect holiday comfort read.

Review: Broken Christmas by David S. Henderson

Title: Broken Christmas:  Three Stories of Christmas

Author: David S. Henderson

Publisher: Pope, Harrington. & Castro Press

Published: October 7 2012

Format: E-book

Pages: 52

Source: Received from the author

in exchange for an honest review

Read: December 4, 2012

In A Few Words:  Short, Heartwarming

My Rating: 4 stars

Goodreads:Add This Book To Your TBR Pile

Goodreads Synopsis:

Broken Christmas is a compilation of three short stories about Christmas.

In the first, “Fourth Wish,” a skid row resident finds himself leading a trio of privileged but neglected youths on Christmas Eve. Through their journey the homeless man fulfills their Christmas wishes, showing that sometimes those who need help the most are the ones who help others the greatest.

The second; “Best Christmas Ever,” is an eight year old's “glass half full” remembrance of a Christmas Eve his parents would rather forget.

The third story, “Broken Christmas” tells of a soldier who leaves the frozen battlefield behind and goes home for Christmas via his dreams.

Melissa's Musings:

All of these stories are sweet and to the point. The first story, the Fourth wish shows the power of helping out, when three boys help out a man down on his luck and in return he gives them things and adventures that all the money they are surrounded with can't buy.

"Best Christmas Ever" is the funniest of all the stories by far being that it has the most odd things going on in it. The 8 year old's uncle comes back to visit...after having escaped lockup. The rest of the family has told the boy that his Uncle has been away working in Australia, so there are all these references to a job in Australia. Then the familys' lost dog comes home pregnant and proceeds to have ten puppies in a box in the garage. The boy's sister  also comes home pregnant. And then, there's a fireworks explosion. An eventful Christmas story, to say the least.

All I'll say about "Broken Christmas" is that the ending will tug at your heartstrings just a little.

Overall, this is a nice collection of stories. The overall message goes well with the title in that even though holidays and families may sometimes be dysfunctional or "broken" you can always try to make the best of what you've got.

The only negative about the collection of stories is that they felt just a bit wordy.  A bit of paring down of some repeated phrases and tightening up language in other spots would make this perfect.

Have any of you ever had any "broken" Christmases where things didn't go quite as planned but you made the best of it anyway?

Review: The How and What of Gift Giving by Antonio Hajden

Title: The How and What of Gift Giving

The Ultimate Guide to Presenting Your Gifts Meaningfully

Author: Antonio Hajden

Publisher:  Self Published

Published: September 14, 2012

Format: Kindle

Pages: 47

Source: Author let me know the book was

free to download on Amazon during

a promotional period

Read: December 3, 2012 

In A Few Words: Full of good resources

My Rating: 4 Stars

Goodreads:  Add This To Your TBR Shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:

Every once in a while we get stumped by an approaching gift-giving occasion. Don't know what to get and how to present it - it creates a sort of emotional crisis. This book aims to help you generate new, fresh ideas for gifting occasions, focusing You on creating a fun and memorable experience; rather than just guiding you on what to buy.

Inside this book you'll discover:

What are the general gifting occasions and common/acceptable gifts for each of them.

How to approach gift giving to maximize fun (both your own, and your recipient's) and minimize frustration.

How to design a good experience for the recipient, even when giving something as simple and impersonal as money.

A number of ways and how-to tips on creating the experience if you just want a quick solution without over-thinking. Supplemented with links to tutorials, guides and sites that can help you out.

Types of gifts to avoid, and more..

Melissa's Musings:

Have you ever thought about the fact that we seem to give gifts for almost every holiday and or occasion? It's surprising once you look at the list in this books just how often we give gifts. We give for holidays like Easter, Christmas, Birthdays. Then there are weddings, graduations, gifts just because, goodbye gifts, the list goes on and on.

If you get stuck when thinking about what  to get for someone this book has solutions for just about every holiday or occasion. The great thing about this book is that there are a lot of websites sprinkled throughout so if you need to do some last minute shopping and are short on time, you can definitely check these out and they're listed all in one spot.

There are also a lot of fun and creative ideas for just when and how to give your gifts.

Some of the gift ideas didn't really seem to fit, like giving your mother a velvet nightgown for Mother's day as a luxurious gift. I don't quite see that as being luxurious but rather itchy, but that's just me.

If you're stuck on creative gifts to give or you need an idea of just what kind of gift to give for a certain holiday or occasion, or you just need some quick last minute ideas for Christmas, this is a great book.

Have you finished your holiday shopping yet, or are you still looking for the perfect gift for someone?

Behind the Blog 31: New Year's Eve

Behind The Blog is a meme to help bloggers connect their life and interests to the content showcased on their blog. The co-hosts Faye Kathe and Melissa will provide a different topic, idea, or question every week that bloggers can relate to themselves and the books, films, or media they find interesting!

New Year's Eve Plans

The end of 2012 is fast approaching (and I don’t mean the end of the world!), and so this week we are talking all about New Years Eve plans! Do you have anything planned yet? Have you done anything super exciting during any New Years Eve before? Does your town hold anything fun for this turn-of-time?

In relation to media; Are there any books or films that you like which include great New Years Eve plans?

I'm pretty sure we'll all make it past 12/21/12 no matter if the end of the world has been predicted or not. Regardless, I don't have any plans for New Year's Eve yet. 

Last year, I rang in the New Year in Canada. Unfortunately, my boyfriend and I were both fighting colds, so we didn't actually go out, but we had a nice night in, and I got my kiss at midnight, so I was happy. 

I've never done anything super exciting for New Year's that I can remember. I went to a friend's party one year, but that's about it. I'm actually not sure if the town I live in holds any fun events for New Year's eve as I moved here mid January. 

Wow, I suppose I don't really have much to say for this week's Behind the Blog this week, my thoughts on this topic are pretty sparse. Hopefully you all don't think I'm super boring. I'm really just a homebody. that's 

all.

Books and Media Tie In:

I can't think of any books that have awesome New Year's Eve plans in them...can anyone recommend any?

The only movie that I can think of right now that has anything to do with the new year is New Year's Eve directed by Garry Marshall.

Does anyone have spectacular New Year's Eve plans for this year? Please share!

We'd love to have you join us for Behind the Blog!

If you're choosing to join us for Behind the Blog don't forget to link up your post by using the Linky list below!
Are you joining us? Here are our rules:

• The hosts' Behind the Blog posts go live at midnight on Friday, GMT+0:00. Feel free to post before that, just link up on Friday! 
• Feel free to make use of the button shown above, or if it clashes with your blog colours e-mail us or make your own.
• Read, write, and connect! The Linky is there for you. Make use of it!
• Last but not least, have fun! 

Guest Post: Addison Westlake, Author of Christmas in Wine Country

Hello fellow readers!

Today Addison Westlake, author of Christmas in Wine Country is stopping by to share her thoughts on holiday baking. I'll be reviewing Christmas in Wine Country in a few weeks. Currently Christmas in Wine Country is #30 in the Single Women's Fiction category and 41 in the Humor category on Amazon! Check out some more information and see if you might like to read it, then be sure to read on to see what Addison has to say about holiday treats!

About the Book:

Published: November 18, 2012

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services

Pages: 400

Format: E-book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Visit the Author's Website: http://addisonwestlake.blogspot.com/ 

Goodreads synopsis:

It's Lila's big debut as an event planner and the company holiday party is going to be her chance to shine. At a Tuscan-style vineyard near the Northern California coast in the perfect little black dress she's sure to impress commitment-phobe Phillip. What could go wrong?

Seventy-two hours later with no job and no boyfriend, Lila finds herself with all kinds of answers to that question. Like mistaking the glowering Jake Endicott of Endicott Vineyards for the groundskeeper. Or a new video on YouTube featuring Lila pawing her way through drunken karaoke of "Hungry Like the Wolf."

Solo on the romantic holiday getaway she'd booked for her and Phillip near the vineyard, Lila at least gets to visit with her old friend Annie who lives nearby in the coastal town of Redwood Cove. Drawn into the local bookstore with gleaming wooden floors and welcoming armchairs, Lila chats with the owner and impulsively accepts a job offer.

Sleepy, misty Redwood Cove is the perfect place for Lila to take a break from her horrible track record with guys. The only one she finds even remotely attractive knows her as the holiday party crazy lady. Ranked in Bay Area magazine's 10 hottest bachelors, Jake Endicott is just the type Old Lila would have wasted years pining after.

Join Lila on her year of comedy, adventure and self-discovery on the Northern California coast, with all kinds of ups, downs and misadventures and a full cast of small-town wine country characters. Thankfully, even the greatest misunderstandings can all be worked out with a little Frank Sinatra and mistletoe

Sounds great right?
Now lets see what Addison has to say about Holiday baking:

Holiday Baking: Why Somebody Needs to Stop Me From Doing It

This holiday season I’m planning to bake small loves of sweet potato bread for lots of people.

It’s a bad idea for many reasons. For one, my ideal version of the bread involves fresh sweet potato. But, in reality, I neither have the skill nor the time to do this. During my test run I produced an ungodly mess in the kitchen—peels flying everywhere—and took about an hour to produce just a cup of mashed potato. My extraction process involved the microwave and fork-mashing; I’ll spare you the details.  

But the main reason that my holiday baking is bad idea is because I can’t bake.

I’ll start by issuing a public apology for Halloween circa the mid-90s. I finally had my First Real Job in an Office! It was a Big Deal, as you can tell by my Capital Letters. I was so excited to share my excitement with my coworkers in the form of home-baked goodness.

The pumpkin cookies I put out on a plate in the break room were little better than the Wicked Queen’s poisoned apple in Snow White. They looked good; they were deadly. At best, these raw cookies sat in my coworkers’ stomachs like lead bullets. At worst, well, I won’t go into detail on that either. Let’s just say I was encouraged (and by ‘encouraged’ I mean told in no uncertain terms) to never bring in baked goods ever again.

Since then, I have continued to produce dry and crumbly cakes, burned pies, and brownies that are somehow both too tough on the perimeter and uncooked in the middle. Bet you didn’t know that was possible?

But wisdom does come from experience, even as we continue to make (mostly) the same mistakes. Just last week I attempted to do a good deed once again. A friend was put on bed rest with her third child. She and her family still all need to eat so I made them some chili which turned out…OK.  But then I also made some corn bread. From a box mix, I figured what could go wrong? You basically just add eggs, oil and water.

What I did was I pulled the bread out too soon and didn’t realize it until I was packing everything up to go. I had to throw out all but the cooked part on the sides. The result? I delivered enough food to provide about 8 hearty bowls of chili, each with its own single teeny-tiny bite of corn bread.

But at least I knew enough to throw out the uncooked part! See, progress!

And so, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, this holiday season I bake! Wish me luck!

And hopefully I’ll come to my senses and buy everyone Starbucks gift cards instead.

As a person who loves to bake I say, practice makes perfect! Good luck baking this season Addison! And thank you so much for stopping by Melissa's Midnight Musings today.

How about you guys, have you had any baking mishaps you'd like to share, or any baking successes?

Last Chance Christmas by Hope Ramsay

Title: Last Chance Christmas

Author: Hope Ramsay

Publisher: Forever

Published: September 25 2012

Format: Paperback

Pages: 352 

Source: Won from a Facebook contest

Read: November 28-30 2012

In A  Few Words: Sweet, a comfort read

My Rating: 4 Stars

Goodreads: Add This to Your TBR Shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:
I've been wishing for a miracle for my oldest boy, Stone, and this Christmas my prayers might just be answered!

Her name is Lark, and she's here in Last Chance, looking into her father's past-and stirring up a whole mess of trouble without meaning to. As the chief of police, Stone sure has his hands full trying to keep up with her. Ever since his wife died, Stone's put everything into raising his daughters and dodging the Christ Church Ladies' Auxiliary matchmakers. And it's clear Lark has been through some trouble and could use a place to finally call home. I only hope Stone can let go of the past soon enough to keep her . . .Goodness, I need to stop talking and finish up Jane's highlights so we can make the town tree-lighting. You come back by because the Cut 'n' Curl's got hot rollers, free coffee, fresh-baked Christmas cookies-and the best gossip in town.

See you real soon,
Ruby Rhodes

Melissa's Musings:

About 6 months ago, I read and reviewed Last Chance Beauty Queen by Hope Ramsay. You can check out that review Here.

Last Chance Christmas picks up in a similar place. Only this time, the focus is on Stone Rhodes. He is the sheriff in Last Chance. He's also a widow, with two young daughters, one of whom sees angels. This story follows his unexpected journey to loving again, it promotes acceptance on many levels. 

The really great thing about these books is that although they are all part of a series, they work extremely well as stand alone books so you can just jump right in and not feel like you're missing something. It's easy to get to know the characters, and they're so well developed that you immediately feel like you know them. It's very easy to put yourself right into Last Chance, because you can see all the events so clearly through the characters' eyes.

I have to say that I love the names that this author has given to the main family that the books focus on. In Last Chance Beauty Queen, the book focused on "Rocky" Rhodes, the matriarch of the family is Ruby Rhodes, and then in this book we have Stonewall "Stone" Rhodes. The little play on words is nice. Also Stones' love interest is named Lark. I love when authors change things up with names that are a little more unique.

This just goes to show how much the characters have grown on me in this book, as when I read Last Chance Beauty Queen, I thought the names were too much of a pun to be realistic. After reading Last Chance Christmas, the names have grown on me, and pun like or not, they really do fit the characters.

There are two current romances in this book, the one between Stone and Lark, and the one between Stones' daughter Lizzy and David. Lizzy and Davids' romance is sweet and easy, as they are young. Stone and Larks' romance is a bit more complicated as they both have a lot of personal baggage that they have to work through to finally figure out that they want to be together. Lark is a war correspondent who has seen horrible things in all the trips she's made and she's dealing with the after effects of the events of her last assignment. Stone is a Marine who's also had some bad experiences, who also has lost his wife and is reluctant to love again. The romance between them is tentative at times, but it's also electric and easy to see that they both want to be with each other.

I'd recommend this to anyone who's looking for a quick, easy, comfort read. 

Have any of you read this? Or any of the other books in this series?

Happy Thanksgiving A Little late

As I've been going through my email today, I realized that I completely forgot to do a Thanksgiving related post. It just slipped my mind to do the post, but the things I'm thankful for did not/

I had (and have every day) much to be thankful for:

My families, both near and far.
My fantastic boyfriend
My friends
My good health
The roof over my head.
The delicious food that I got the chance to enjoy yesterday.
The wonderful book bloggers and authors that I have met and interacted with, and the book blogging community that I have become a part of over the last 11 months.
My personal library of books that I've accumulated.
All of the events, both good and bad, that have shaped me into the person I am today.

I have all of these things, and many more that I am thankful for each and every day.

I hope that all of my American followers had a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with love, joy and delicious food. For all of my international followers I hope you had a wonderful Thursday. For anyone who is or already has braved Black Friday shopping, I commend you and hope you were/are being safe because it can be crazy out there. My shopping is mostly done, and what little I have left will be done in a few errands next week/online.

Behind the Blog 28: Getting in the Holiday Spirit

Behind The Blog is a meme to help bloggers connect their life and interests to the content showcased on their blog. The co-hosts Faye Kathe and Melissa will provide a different topic, idea, or question every week that bloggers can relate to themselves and the books, films, or media they find interesting!

It's Free Choice Week this week. I've decided to write about Holiday Music/Festivities

With Halloween done and over with, (although we still have a small bowl of leftover candy sitting on our counter) it's now time to start thinking about Thanksgiving (here in the US anyway) and then Christmas and New Years. 

So, I thought I'd write about things that I like to do to put myself in the holiday spirit.

My sister and I have been talking for the past week or so about the types of things that we're going to include in our Thanksgiving dinner. The grocery list of things we need at this point is massive. What can I say, we take Thanksgiving pretty seriously around here. I love to bake, but I'm not much of a cook as I've mentioned before, so you can bet that I'll be helping more with the desserts than the main course.

One thing I like to do to get into the holiday spirit is listen to holiday music. I try to do this sparingly in November because I know that the songs will be all over the radio in December and I'll be sick of them before too long if I start too early. So I'm laying off listening to the actual songs for now, but I did change my ringtone on my phone to Carol of the Bells. It's one of my absolute favorite Christmas songs.

When I was in 8th grade, I was in the school choir and that song was one of the pieces for our Christmas concert. I was a soprano and had to work at high ranges for this piece, and I loved the contrasts in the different musical sections for this song and how it all came together at the end. You'd think after singing it over and over again for months on end I'd be sick of it, but I love it, even now.

Another song I really like is Happy Christmas (War is over) by John Lennon. It's John Lennon, for one, so who could say that they don't like his music? But I like this song in particular because of the message it portrays, that we should all learn to put aside our differences and share in the experiences, which is really the embodiment of the holiday spirit. It's not about the presents, but about being together. 

This song actually makes me tear up a little, particularly on Christmas day. I can't explain exactly why, but it just feels like a good song for the ending of Christmas. All the rush and hustle and bustle of the season and this song just feels like the perfect way to wrap it all up. Like I said, I can't really explain it.

Another thing I like to do to spread some holiday cheer and get in the spirit is write holiday cards. I love to write cards and letters in general. There's just something about going to the mailbox and seeing a card/letter waiting  that I really love. Especially in the day and age of technology and instant gratification, it's nice when someone takes the time to write you. 

If any of you would like a holiday card to look forward to, be sure to go to This Post and fill out the request form and I'd be happy to send one out to you.

Books and Media:

For this week's books and media tie in I figured that I might list some of the holiday themed reads that are waiting on my shelves for me.

Photo Credit to Goodreads

Photo credit to Goodreads

Those are just a couple of the holiday themed books I have waiting to be read. What's on your holiday TBR list, or what do you do to put yourself in the festive spirit?

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Want Some Holiday Cheer?

Hello everyone!

The holiday season is coming up quickly and I thought I'd do something fun to celebrate and put myself in a festive mood.What better way to spread holiday cheer than through good old fashioned snail mail? As I've mentioned before, I love to write letters and cards, and will use any excuse to do so. What better reason than the holidays??

If you'd like a Holiday card from me, please fill out the form below and I will be happy to send you a card!  Open to anyone, worldwide. I know I'm just a random stranger on the internet to most of you, but I promise that I will personalize the cards and they won't be just a stock message inside. This form will be open until December 5th*

Image courtesy of [Simon Howden]/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Fill out the Holiday Card Request Form:

CLICK HERE TO FILL OUT AND SUBMIT THE FORM

*As soon as the cards have been addressed to you and sent out, all address information will be deleted.

Happy Halloween/Samhain/All Hallow's Eve/Wednesday

Hey there everyone! I just wanted to wish everyone a good day, whatever you happen to celebrate, be it Halloween, Samhain, All Hallow's Eve etc. Or, even if you don't celebrate at all, I just hope everyone has a good day. If you have plans tonight be sure to have fun and be safe!

Image courtesy of "digitalart" / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

I just want to say....

Image Source

To all of my Canadian readers and followers, I hope you have a wonderful holiday. I got to spend the past two fall seasons in Canada so I'm a bit sad that I won't get to be there to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving this year.  In 2010 it was doubly good because my birthday fell on the same day. :)  I hope that each and every one of my Canadian readers has a wonderful day filled with family, friends, good food and lots to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July/Independence Day to all my American followers and readers. Happy 236th birthday America. 

To anyone celebrating with fireworks, have fun but please be safe!

Happy Canada Day!

To all of my Canadian followers and friends, Happy Canada Day! Happy 145th  Birthday to your wonderful, beautiful, awesome country that I've had the privilege of both visiting and living in. Canada is like a second home to me, and it holds a special place in my heart. Have fun celebrating today and please be safe if your festivities involve fireworks.

Valentine's Day

It's Valentine's day. Some call it the day of love, some call it a hallmark holiday. I'm kind of in the middle of the road on that one. I do think it's overly commercialized, but at the same time, I do like being a  bit spoiled on Valentine's Day. I like romance, what can I say?

This Valentine's Day though, I'm a little bummed. I'm not single, and yet I don't get to spend the day with my love either, so I fall into some weird in between group. I'm not even sure what to call it. Seeing all the posts, and happy pictures stings a little, but despite that, I can and do still appreciate the sentimentality of the day.

If I had a few, I would probably read a romance novel or two today.

Besides love for the people in my life, there are lots of books that I love. I can't even begin to name them all, so I'll name just a few: The Outsiders, The Harry Potter Series, My Left Foot, My Name is Memory


In the spirit of love, please tell me, what are some of the books that you love?

 

Image from shutterstock.com

New Year's Resolutions/Goals for 2012

It's that time of year again. Sometimes, I dread making New Year's resolutions, sometimes I like it. It's a fresh start, a chance to try again, or to try new things. I don't always stick with my resolutions but that's okay. I have a few different resolutions/goals for 2012, some reading related, some personal.

Reading Goals:

• Read for 1 hour each day: I attempted this in 2011 with my boyfriend as a way to get us to read together but it didn't last long. I'm going to go for it this year. I may allow myself to read in blocks or add time to other days to make up for the days where I just can't manage to squeeze the hour in.
• Read at least 10 percent more books than I read in 2011. I have read 104 books this year, so 2012's goal should be somewhere around 111 at least, though with one of the challenges I'm doing if I were to complete that, I would reach 150
• Read at least 35000 pages this year
• Use my book journal more often when reading to make writing reviews easier, and so I don't forget key points or quotes that stick out

Personal goals:

• Get a job that I enjoy
• Become more active- Planning on buying a pedometer to help with this and keep track of fitness info
• Lose Weight -I'm not overweight by any means but I've moved up over the last year and a half and I want to be back down where I was at
• Continue baking/cooking (Without being counter intuitive to my weight loss goals)
• Drink more water
• Write More Often: Writing is both recreational and therapeutic and I've been neglecting it lately.
• Buy a netbook -my big clunky computer is heavy and I want something slightly more portable

These are just some of my resolutions though I'm sure I could come up with some others if I gave it some more thought. What are some of your goals for the new year?

Happy 2012 everyone!

The Distant Hours: Brief Review

It's long after midnight here, and I should really be sleeping right now, as we're leaving on a trip to Nova Scotia to spend Christmas with my boyfriend's family and we have to get up in a few hours. But, I wanted to get some brief thoughts down about this novel while it's still fresh in my head, and I'll do a more thorough review when we get back.

This book started out very slow for me. It doesn't pick up until more than halfway through, but once it does, it sucks you in. There are many twists and turns. At one point I thought I had figured out one of the plot points, but this leaves you feeling surprised. So much so that I had chills on the last page.

And that's where I'll leave this for now.

I don't imagine I'll be online much, if at all until we get back next week, so I want to say I hope everyone who reads this blog has nice holidays, and eats lots of delicious food, and gets lots of great new books to read!