Bout of Books 10

Bout of Books begins tomorrow and I am excited to be a first-time participant.  For those of you who do not know what Bout of Books is about:

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 12th and runs through Sunday, May 18th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 10 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

Goals:  I normally read 2 books (and start the 3rd) and listen to 1 audiobook each week.  For Bout of Books, the goal is to read 4 books.  I plan to read 1-2 hours each day.

Books to Read:  I have 4 library ebooks that all expire in the next 7 days.

1. I've Got You Under by Skin by Mary Higgins Clark
2. Morning Glory by Sarah Jio
3. Skinny Bitch in Love by Kim Barnouin
4. Until You're Mine by Samantha Hayes

Dewey's Read-A-Thon Kickoff!

It's almost 7:30am on the morning of Dewey's Read-a-Thon. And I'm just now signing up! Better late than never, right? To keep with my Read-a-Thon tradition, the cinnamon rolls are currently baking in the oven and my reading spot (my couch) is ready for hours and hours of reading.

Most of my reading will be on my Kindle. I've narrowed it down to 10 books, but we'll see if I will read from that stack or pick something else.

Happy Reading!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Sheila, of One Persons Journey Through a World of Books, is the host of It's Monday! What Are You Reading? This is a weekly event to share what we read last week, what we are currently reading and what books we plan to read this week.

Read last week:

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
Summary: Lincoln is hired at The Courier, a Nebraskan newspaper, to monitor the company's email.  He reads employees' emails and flags those that are inappropriate and/or personal.  When he comes across several email chains from Jennifer and Beth (both are clearly sending personal emails on company time), he doesn't turn them in.  Although he hasn't met Beth face-to-face, he slowly develops feelings for her.

Zoo by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge
Summary: Jackson Oz is a struggling biologist.  When animals turn on humans, he desperately tries to figure why.  (Honestly, this is one of my least favorite JP books.  I just couldn't suspend my belief while listening to the audiobook.)

Reading This Week:

On My Nightstand:

What's on your reading list this week?

Holiday Review: Trading Christmas

Trading Christmas by Debbie Macomber
Narrated by Renee Raudman

Emily is disappointed when her daughter Heather announces she’s not coming home for Christmas.  She calls her friend Faith and explains she will be spending the holidays alone.  Faith, being a good friend, decides to surprise Emily by paying her visit.  Meanwhile, Emily has researched swapping houses for the holiday.  If Heather can’t come home, she’ll go to her.  After all, family should be together during the Christmas season.  In her haste to leave, she doesn’t call Faith to tell her her new holiday plans.

Charles is the man Emily is swapping houses with.  He can’t get out of Boston fast enough.  The holiday carolers, the last minute shoppers and the festivities are too much for him.  Escaping to a small town is just what this man needs.  Until he realizes the town of Leavenworth is even more festive than Boston.  When Faith arrives at Emily’s, she finds Charles there instead.  Not sure what to make of him or their situation, Faith decides not to allow this scrooge to ruin her holiday.

Ray, Charles’s brother decides to visit him after receiving a phone call from their meddling mother.  She claims a woman answered the phone and demands to know if she’s “the one” for her son.  Ray travels to Boston to find out the woman’s identity and meets Emily.

Trading Christmas is a predictable holiday romance.  Grab a plate of holiday cookies, a glass of eggnog and your favorite throw.  Curl up on a cold winter’s day and enjoy this festive story.

Length: 5 hours, 28 minutes

Source: Library