Killing Time

I usually keep a book in my van for all the times I have to sit and wait to either be loaded up or unloaded.  A couple of weeks ago, I finished the book I had in there (the latest House Of Night one...I love me some vampires!) and I keep forgetting to grab a new one when I leave in the mornings.  So the other day when I had some time to kill, I ran into the supermarket with the intention of buying a puzzle book.  You know the ones I mean.  I haven't bought one in years, and I was blown away by how much they cost! I love doing the sudoku games, but there was no way I was spending more then five dollars on a book of them.

I came home that day and did a little searching online, and I found some free printable sudoku puzzles.  I wish my printer had ink, because I would have printed out a bunch of them.  The next time I am at the library, I plan on doing just that.

In the meantime, I need to remember to grab my Dean Koontz book to put in the van.  In fact, i might do that right now, because I know me, and I will never remember in the morning.

I Miss Reading

A couple of weeks ago I finally broke down and bought myself the newest Dean Koontz book.  It's been out for a while, and while I have all of his other books (well, most of them anyway) I could not justify spending almost twenty dollars on a book.  Then one day, I was in the store, and I decided to treat myself.  I was so excited to go home and start reading it.  Well, that book is just sitting on my desk, mocking me, because I haven't even opened it up to the first page yet.

By the time I get home from work, I am so tired from working all day that all I want to do is sit on the couch and watch television.  I wish we had direct tv  instead of just the netflix so I could watch current shows, but I make due with what we have. Most people think my job is easy.  I mean, all I do is drive a van and make deliveries.  But, if you have never done this before, you have no idea how exhausting it can be having to concentrate on the road for ten hours a day almost every day of the week.  Trust me when I say, it's not easy.  I love my job, don't get me wrong.  But the last thing I want to do when I get home is read a book, which is sad, because I really do love to read.

That said, I am hoping that by next year I can afford to get directtv for my kids.  They deserve it. I hope I can take advantage of their dx3 plan, too, but I am sure by then they will have something different.  Probably even something better. For now, though, I am going to continue watching old shows on netflix. 

Michael Masterson Is Inspiring

I love to read.  I am a big fan of fiction, but occasionally I read books about everyday life and bettering myself.  I have been hearing a lot lately about Michael Masterson, so I thought I would check him out for myself.  

He has written several books about making the most of the life you were given, from being a better person to making money.  Currently, he is retired, but his website, EarlyToRise.com is still going strong.  Their mission is simply.

From their website:
"At Early to Rise we wake you up every day by giving you inspiration and practical advice on how to accomplish your goals.

Whether you want to start your own business, become CEO of the business you work for, achieve your most treasured personal goals, or increase your wealth… we will be here bright and early to help you!"

Talk about motivation!  This past year, I have faced many struggles and life changes.  If I didn't have my family and friends on my side, comforting me and cheering me on in the decisions I've made, I don't think I would have made it as far as I have come.  It's always nice to have someone rooting for you, and offering the encouragement you need.  Each daily email from EarlyToRise is composed to offer you that encouragement, and help you to reach the goals you have set for yourself. 

Michael Masterson is also the author of several books that can be found on Amazon, among other places.  I am interested in reading his book titled, Confessions of a Self-Made Millionaire.  I would love to someday bestow that title upon myself, self-made millionaire.  Yeah, that would be awesome. It would be even more awesome to live my life without worrying about money.  I wonder how that would feel?

Writing A Book

 I love reading other people's blog.  I don't have the time these days to comment on all the posts I read, but I do spend a lot of time reading.  A blog friend of mine recently went through the process of self publishing a book, and I wish I had the money to buy a copy.  The story sounds amazing, and as soon as Christmas is over and I have a little money to spend on myself I am getting a copy. 

I have always thought it would be fun to write a book.  I have several ideas running around in my head, but honestly, I don't think I have it in me to put the words on paper.  I read a lot.  In fact, I am always in the middle of something, whether it be a book or a magazine.  I always keep a book and magazine in my van for those times when I am waiting to be loaded and unloaded.  I know how descriptive writing needs to be, and to be honest, I just don't think I can do it.  I am a simple girl.  If the grass is green, it's green.  I can not make that simple statement into a paragraph in a book.  I would love it if someone would take my idea and write a book off of that, but I want no part of the actual writing process.

If you are interested in my friends book, called Jordan's Return, check out her blog.  It's All Stace, All The Time, and the link is over there in my sidebar.  On her blog she has links to her book's website, and to the many places where you can purchase the book online. 

I Love Reading

I am a big reader.  There is hardly ever a time when I am not in the middle of something.  Right now, I am reading Lisey's Story by Stephen King.  I've had in it on my bookshelf for years, but I just started reading it a few weeks ago.  I keep it in the van and when I stop for breaks or when I am waiting to be loaded or unloaded, I read.  I have an ereader, but I don't ever use it.  For me, I love the feeling of holding a book in my hand and turning the pages.

That's not to say that I haven't looked into books read online.  In fact, I read that Twilight book from Edward's point of view online.  My problem was that after a while, my eyes started crossing from staring at the computer screen.  That doesn't happen when I read a real book.  I don't know why.

There are several books out there right now that I can not wait to get my hands on.  I need the latest edition of Dean Koontz's Frankenstein series, but I don't have the money to buy it right now.  So, if you are reading this and want to buy me a present, hint hint.

Brandi Loves Kids Reading Games

Brandi had her MAP testing the other day, and she scored a 224.  Her goal was a 217, so she did better than expected.  She was so worried that with everything going on around here she wouldn't be able to concentrate on the test.  Her teacher recommended that she practice online by playing some kids reading games.  All of my kids love the computer, so it was easy to get her to sit down for an hour or so and do it.  In fact, she even asked the day after the test if she could go back to the site and play some more.  I love that she loves to learn.  I just hope she continues to be like this until she graduates.

*this post is sponsored by kabongo.  All opinions are my own.

I Have A New Toy, And I Love It

My son hates to read, which is weird to me because I love to read, and so do my girls, especially Brandi.  My son does love anything electronic, so when I was offered the opportunity to review Literati's eReader, my first thought was that I would be able to get Ryan to read by giving it to him.  I anxiously awaited it's arrival, certain that I had finally found a way to pass my love of reading onto my son.

Yeah, I must have been dreaming.  At first, he was excited.  He picked out which books he wanted to download (which I downloaded) and then took off to his room to start reading.  Five minutes later he came out of his room, handed it back to me, and said that reading is reading, no matter what he was reading, and he didn't want to do it.  At 15, I guess there are more important things in life.

At first I thought it was horrible that he didn't like it, but then I realized that I could keep it for myself.  And I love it!  My sister has had an eReader for a while now, and she loves it.  A few months ago she tried to talk me into buying one, but I resisted, because I love the feel of a book in my hand.  I love the smell, and turning the pages.

Now, I love that I can carry my Literati and have a ton of books at my fingertips.  I can read at night without turning on the light in the bedroom and at the bus stop in the morning when it is still dark, thanks to the 7" back lit color LCD screen. I can even adjust the brightness of the screen.

I can download books so easily, too, thanks to the built in connection to KOBO (which is a global eReading service with almost 2 million titles).  My eReader came with 25 classic books already on it, with the ability to download another 125 for free. Turning the page is easy with the touch pads on the side of the reader, and whatever page you stop reading  is the page that comes up the next time you turn the device on. 

I really do love my Literati eReader.  I would recommend it to anyone who loves to read.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of The Sharper Image and received a Literati eReader to facilitate my review.

KNOW Magazine For Kids

Brandi loves hands on learning.  She loves doing projects for school where she has to create things.  She also loves reading (she gets that from me).  Every night, she has to read for 30 minutes as part of her homework.  Most nights, she reads for longer.  She loves taking what she has read, and applying it to her life.  I think this is one of the traits that got her accepted into the gifted and talented program at her school.

When I was asked if I would like to review a science magazine geared towards kids her age, I knew I had to do it.  It's called KNOW magazine, and I just looked over their most recent edition online, and I have to say, Brandi is going to love this!

The edition I looked at was all about shapes and patterns.  Brandi has been studying patterns in school recently, so this is the perfect way to reinforce that knowledge.  The articles in the magazine are well written, and age appropriate.  That said, I even learned some interesting facts!  I had no idea that people who lived thousands of years ago used ostrich eggs to carry water, and that they marked the shells with pictures so others knew that the shells belonged to them.  Kind of like writing our names on stuff now.  Call me a geek, but I find that pretty interesting.  I also learned a little about corral, like how they use sound to find their way to the reefs.  I was truly sucked in, so I have no doubt that Brandi will love this magazine.  I can't wait for the next edition to be delivered.

"I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by  Mom Central on behalf of Mad Science and received the products necessary to  facilitate my review. In addition, I received a gift certificate to thank me  for taking the time to participate."

Finally, A Relaxing Weekend!

 I know Summer is coming to en end, and as much as I don't want it to, a part of me is looking forward to the lazy Fall days ahead.  This past weekend, we were supposed to spend Saturday and Sunday at my mom's house, but Saturday morning, a friend of Junior's called and asked if he could help move a building, so he went and did that.  Made an easy $80, so it was worth it.  He took Ryan with him, which left me and the girls home alone.

Kasi and I found a scary movie to watch while Brandi was playing with her play-doh.  This kid goes through phases, where she will play with one thing for days on end, and then suddenly switch to something else.  Right now, it's play-doh.  She has been building with it and pretend cooking with it and using her imagination in some awesome ways. 

On Sunday, we did go to my mom's.  Ryan and Junior worked while the girls swam.  I got in the pool for a little while, but I was so tired I fell asleep on a float, which is not a good thing to do when watching kids.  So I got out and decided to spend some time with Dean Koontz.

I have read just about all of his books, except the Frankenstein series.  A few months ago when the 4th book came out, I decided to start reading it.  I was able to find one book that had the first three books in it (a collection of sorts) and I haven't been able to put it down.  I was expecting a re-telling of the old Frankenstein, but that's not what this is.  This is a modern day story that has completely sucked me in.  I am almost finished with the second book, and can't wait to see how this all ends.

House Of Night Series

I've made it to book five!

I seriously can not believe how much I am enjoying this House Of Night series.  I was with the family in Walmart this afternoon, and the kids asked me what I wanted for Mother's Day.  I quickly replied "the next book!".  Brandi was convinced that she needed to get me something better, but finally gave in when I told her that I really, really, really, wanted the book.

Thankfully, I am feeling better (maybe it was something I ate?) and enjoying the book. The good thing for Junior is that I could not find the next book in paperback, like the others I bought, and because I am insane when it comes to my books, they all need to be the same. (when I read the Twilight series, I had all paperbacks, except Breaking Dawn...I made Junior buy me the other three in hardback, even though I had them in paperback, so that the series would match.  I know I'm crazy!)So, I will try and wait until the next two are in paperback before I buy them.

Notice I said try. 

Homework

I told Brandi this afternoon that she needed to finish her homework.  I was on the computer, so I had my back to the living room.  When I turned around, this is what I saw.

Brandi was laying on the floor, enjoying her book.

She is definitely my kid.

Climbing The Mountain by Anne, a lay Apostle

Are you looking for an inspirational book to read? If so, you should check out Climbing the Mountain by Anne a lay Apostle. This is just one book in a series of books where she explains how God has spoken to her, and in each book she reveals what God has shown her. In reading what other people have written about these books, I am led to believe that they can teach you how to strengthen you relationship with God, and become closer to Him.

We all have our own journey to take, and climbing our personal mountains can be a little easier if we have Faith. I am not a very religious girl, but that doesn't mean that I don't have my own personal relationship with God. I will admit to being a little curious about these books, and might just get a copy for myself.

The Lunar Antics

I will admit that whenever we get a daily paper, the first thing I read is the comics. I know, as an adult I should be reading about world news or politics, but those things don't interest me too much. I would rather laugh than have to deal with the reality that is our nation these days.

So imagine my delight when I was asked to review this new comic book, called Boy, I'd Hate To Be Made Out Of That Stuff. The comics inside are geared more towards adults, or at least teen aged kids. I tried to get Ryan and Kasi to read it (my 14 and 12 year olds) but they didn't get a lot of the jokes. I found them (the comics, not the kids) really amusing. Their take on our everyday doings are right on.

There are three things you should know about these aliens:

they have antennas

they have flying saucers

they are good in math

I think it's time to meet the cast of characters:

Zeno: He spends a lot of time making sure us Earthlings know that he is a lot smarter than us. He spends a lot of time pointing out our (us humans) shortcomings.

Zed: The math expert, but also very shy.

Linda: The only female alien, she is more than capable of going up against the boys. In fact, she is often threatening to straighten them out.

Drusus: This guy is hard to describe, because he is not in a lot of the comics. But when he does make an appearance, it is usually to assist one of the other guys in one scheme or another.

The Professor: The unlucky (or lucky, depending on how you view the situation) human who is hosting this alien family.

Check out one the comics from the book:

This book is set to be released on January 18th, but you can get an advanced copy right now. Just head to their website and order your copy. You can even get free shipping. Oh, and if you ask nice enough, you may even get a signed copy. How cool is that?

***I was sent a copy of this book to review, but please know that the opinions stated here are my own. I was not paid to say nice things. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.

I Learned Something Today

It should come as no surprise to any of you who visit this blog often that I love to read. In fact, it is very rare that I do not have some kind of book or magazine that I am in the middle of reading. The only type of books I really can not stand are historical romances where all they write about are having bosoms and quivering members. That is not my kind of thing at all.

I will, however, read just about anything else. I read tons of blogs every day, and love learning new things from them. I have found so many yummy recipes and amazing craft ideas online. I also enjoy reading about things I know nothing about. Take white tea, for example. I knew there was green tea, and regular tea, but had never heard of white tea. Apparently it is something that upper class Chinese people drink. I am not a tea drinker myself, but Junior might give it a try.

I wonder if I can find it in the grocery store? I'll have to take a look next week when i do my big shopping. Until then, I m off to read some more.

Chin And The Magic Stones

"When a moment of magic presents itself to ten-year-old Chin it is good that he has Eagle, his talking dog, to turn to for guidance. The magic leads Chin and his canine companion to encounter dark forces lurking beneath their quiet and otherwise uneventful town. Ultimately Chin learns to trust himself and his own powers, taking on the challenges that he faces with pluck, resolve, and a loyal friend at his side.", from the Chin and the Magic Stones website.

My youngest daughter Brandi, who is seven years old, loves to read. Like me, she always has a book close by that she is in the middle of reading. Recently, she asked if she could read Twilight, and I had to explain to her that she wasn't really old enough for that book. She said she wanted to read a book about the supernatural (though that wasn't her exact word), so I went on a quest to find the perfect book for her. Chin and the Magic Stones sounds like it has everything she is looking for, and it is written for kids her age. It is about a boy and his talking dog who go on a wonderful adventure, and along the way they learn the power of positive thinking, among other things. The main character in this book is a boy, which is a rare thing in children's books. Most books write a girl as the main character. I know Brandi will enjoy the fact that the dog can talk, although deep down she will probably wish the dog was a cat.

This book is available for $9.85, and can be purchased on the book's website, www.ChinMagic.com, and amazon.com. I have a couple of nephews that I think will also enjoy this book, and I think it will make a great Christmas gift. Once Brandi reads it, I will let you all know what she thought of it, in her own words.

Click That, Over there ===>>> At The Top

See that box over there?

The one about my Nancy Drew Book Giveaway?

Click it and enter, because there are only a few hours left to do so!

I will picking the winners later on tonight.

Good Luck!

Self-Help Books

I love to read, but find myself in a rut lately. I have a hard time reading books that are outside my comfort zone, and that includes self-help type books. Remember the book, A Purpose Driven Life? I read the first couple of chapters, and had to stop reading it. I don't remember exactly what it said, but I couldn't agree with what I was reading. That happens a lot when I read those types of books.

Today I discovered a new book. It's a self help kind of thing. I read the What Husbands Can't Resist review and I have to say, it sounds pretty interesting. It claims to teach you how you can get your husband to do the things you ask of him, how you can get him to listen to you with attention and respect, and how to handle conflicts the right way. I'm interested to hear what the right way is, because I think we have been doing pretty good so far.

Do you read Self-help books? If so, do you find them helpful?

Nancy Drew Giveaway

I have always loved to read. I remember as a kid, spending the summers in my room, reading book after book. My favorite series back then was Nancy Drew. I had every single book, and wish I had saved them, but my mom can't remember what happened to them.

In celebration of school starting back, I am going to give three lucky readers a brand new, never read, hardcover Nancy Drew Book. You're excited, right?

These are the three books:

The Clue in the Diary: Nancy and her friends, George and Bess, are returning from a country carnival when they witness the explosion and burning of a beautiful country mansion. Fearing its occupants may be trapped in the blazing building, they rush to the rescue-and unexpectedly find themselves confronted with a mystery that seems to be insoluble.

Nancy's Mysterious Letter: By mistake, Nancy Drew receives a letter from England intended for an heiress, also named Nancy Drew. When Nancy undertakes a search for the missing young woman, it becomes obvious that a ruthless, dangerous man is determined to prevent her from finding the heiress or himself. Clues that Nancy unearths lead her to believe that the villianous Edgar Nixon plans to marry the heiress and then steal her inheritance.

The Sign of the Twisted Candles: Another exciting mystery begins for the attractive young detective when her friends Bess and George ask her to investigate a rumor that their wealthy greatgranduncle, Asa Sidney, is virtually a prisoner in his own mansion. But solvng the mystery and befriending Carol Wipple, the sixteen year old foster daughter of the caretakers of the old mansion, nearly costs Nancy the friendship of Bess and George. It takes all of Nancy's sleuthing ability as well as diplomacy to save it.

They sound good, right? Okay, so maybe you have to be a young girl to enjoy these books, so if you know a young girl who would enjoy one, make sure and enter to win.

I am going to make this pretty easy, because I want lots of people to enter.

1. Tell me what your favorite childhood book was for 1 entry.

2. Follow this blog for 2 entries.

3. Tweet about this contest for 3 entries.

4. Blog about this contest, linking back to this post, for 4 entries.

5. If someone mentions that they heard of this contest from your blog, you and that person will get an extra 5 entries each.

I will have one of the kids pull the winning names out of a hat (or container or something) on Monday, August 31st, around dinner time. Make sure you leave a different comment for each thing you do, and leave links, please.

This contest is only open to those in the US and Canada...sorry everyone else!
Good luck!!!!

Finding New Books

My seven year old daughter loves to read. During the school year, it is required that the students read for thirty minutes every night, and Brandi never gave me a problem with that. Most nights she read more that what she had to. She is like me. Once she starts reading a book, she can't put it down until she finishes it. On the last day of school, she brought home a paper where she can keep track of what she reads over the summer, and if she turns it in when school starts back in August, she will be invited to a special party. We have a lot of books here at home for her to read, but she has read most of them already, so we have been going to the library. The problem with that is that when Brandi finds a book she really likes, she doesn't want to return it. She wants to be able to read it over and over again, which is also just like me.

A solution to this problem is to just buy her books, which I have been doing. I heard about this book called Chin and the Magic Stones, and from what I have read about it, I think she would enjoy it. The story is about a boy who had a talking dog, and they have an amazing adventure together fighting the dark forces thriving underneath the town they live in. It teaches that believing in yourself, and having a positive outlook, can lead to a happy ending. You can read more about this book at www.chinmagic.com.

eBooks

I know so many people who love listening to ebooks. One of my girlfriends claims it is the best way to "read" a book. I don't know that I agree with her, because I love reading the old fashioned way. However, if I can "read" while I'm in the car without getting nauseous, that would be great. I may have to steal my son's Mp3, though, because it has more storage than mine does. I could probably get one chapter downloaded, and then nothing. That would not be a good thing.

If you do ebooks, how do you find them? You can search pdf at Book Search Queen. The cool thing about this site is that you can search for a book by the text of it if you can't remember the title. You can preview each book before you download it, and they have a huge base of ebooks that they use.

I have never even attempted to listen to an ebook, so I don't know what to expect. Is it just one person reading in a flat tone, or do they put the emotion of the book in their voice? Do you have a favorite ebook that you have listened to? If so, recommend it to me. I don't want my first experience to turn me off to ebooks, because I love, love, love to read.