Booking Through Thursday - June 11

There are certain types of books that I more or less assume all readers read. (Novels, for example.)

But then there are books that only YOU read. Instructional manuals for fly-fishing. How-to books for spinning yarn. How to cook the perfect souffle. Rebuilding car engines in three easy steps. Dog training for dummies. Rewiring your house without electrocuting yourself. Tips on how to build a NASCAR course in your backyard. Stuff like that.

What niche books do YOU read?

Interesting question. My answer would have to be travel guides. At the moment, I'm reading travel guides to Italy. I'm planning a trip and am currently obsessed with finding out as much information as I can. That being said, I can guarantee it will be a short lived obsession, like everything else. I don't have a long term niche. I flit around from passion to passion.

In the past fifteen years or so I can list a few niche books that I've read. I have a stack of books on Hawaii. When I went a few years ago I knew everything about the islands. I have a good collection of books on tropical fish because when I bought my aquarium I wanted to be well educated. I have books on dog training but I've never focused on them.

I don't think that reading travel guides is at all unusual though. I wish I had a better answer!

Kissed by an Angel by Elizabeth Chandler

I happened upon Kissed by an Angel by Elizabeth Chandler in a very random way. I was on the hunt for a book that started with a "K" for the A to Z Challenge. I decided not to re-read the book that I had planned and wanted something new. I'm glad I did.

The book I have is a three- in - one. The original trilogy, released in 1995, was combined into one big book. At first thought, I would read the first book and then just put the book away for a while. Yeah. That didn't happen. The story wasn't close to being over at the end of the first book, it wasn't even close to having closure. And then there was the end of the second book. Wow. Talk about a cliff hanger! There was no possible way I could have just put the book back on the shelf without finishing all three stories.

The stories are good. They are young adult books and are a very easy read. The story caught my attention and kept me going. The books revolve around Ivy, a new girl in school, who falls for the star swimmer, Tristan. Besides her crush, she is trying to make friends, and deal with her mother's new marriage, her young brother, and her step-brother Gregory. After a horrible car accident kills Tristan, he becomes an angel watching over Ivy. She needs a lot of watching out for. The car crash wasn't an accident and strange things keep happening. Slowly she begins to put the pieces of Tristan's murder together and she wonders if she was the intended victim.

While not everyone will enjoy the simplicity of this young adult novel, I do recommend it to those who like a little mystery, a little fantasy, and a little romance. It has all three.

Teaser Tuesday - June 9

This week's teaser comes from Kissed by an Angel by Elizabeth Chandler. I finished the book on Sunday and the full review will be posted tomorrow. I enjoyed it.

In this teaser, Ivy and her younger brother Philip are trying to get over the loss of Tristan, Ivy's boyfriend, after a car accident. Philip is beginning to talk about seeing angels.

From page 101

Maybe, Ivy thought, having lost Tristan, Philip was scared of losing her, too. Maybe that was why he had warned her several times about the train climbing up the ridge to get her.

Life Gets In The Way

Life hasn't gotten in the way of reading or anything, it's just gotten in the way of blogging. This blog has suffered and I don't even want to talk about my picture blog. I'm so ashamed.

So reading. . . what a subject. I could talk books for hours but frankly nobody wants to hear it. I'm either really boring or just way too passionate. This year started out rough in regards to reading. I had a few too many books that were just "ok". I'm not going to go so far as to say I didn't like the books, but they didn't excite me. I was starting to re-think all the challenge stuff. I thought that might be the problem. Maybe having "assigned" reading like in high school damaged my joy of the written word. I'm happy to say it didn't. My books and I are very happy together once again. I've been on a roll. I've read some really good books these past couple of months. Honestly? I'm always happier when I'm reading light and fluffy, fun, comfortable books.

I've also added to my book collection. By a lot. My "new" discovery of library and used book sales has increased my To Be Read pile. My shelves are practically groaning with all the weight. I'm even trying to find a home for my fish (and the tank) so I have space for another bookshelf. It's fairly pitiful, especially considering I'm not a speed reader.

I'm starting a new book tonight and I'm practically giddy with the thought of it. I just love to read. That's what it's all about. So I promise to get back into a good blogging routine and continue to bore people with my obsession.

Musing Mondays - June 8

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about reading time…

Do you have a set reading time (before bed, perhaps)? Do you read more at night or during the day? Is there a day of the week, perhaps, that you set aside to catch up on reading?

I do have times that I set aside for reading. I read during my lunch break every day. That's one time I really look forward to. It's my time and it's quiet. I can usually get in a good 1/2 hour of reading if I don't have to run errands. I try to read before bed too. I don't always get much read at that time of day but I do try.

As for other times, they aren't designated. I carry my book everywhere with me so opportunities pop up now and then. The best time to read? On a cruise!

Yesterday's Embers by Deborah Raney

Yesterday's Embers, by Deborah Raney, is a lovely story. It was quite the emotional ride. The author took me through heartbreak, to happiness, to joy, to disappointment, heartbreak again, anger, and hope. It was quite a ride. It made for a very good book.

Yesterday's Embers begins with a terrible tragedy. Doug DeVore has a lovely wife and six happy children. In one horrible day, he loses his wife and young daughter. He is thrown into the world of being a single dad and single again. He begins spending time with Mickey, the children's daycare teacher. He feels happiness for the first time in months and rushes into a relationship with her. Mickey is thrown into a life that most people ease into. When that life doesn't turn out quite as she expected, she is angry and disappointed in her new husband.

I related to Mickey so much as a single woman wondering if I'm every going to be blessed with a family. I was so angry at Doug for her when he didn't respond to her as I wanted him to. I'm sure many people can relate to the struggle of jumping into a ready - made family.

I recommend this book highly to those who enjoy family dramas and romances. While this book is classified as Christian fiction, it's not overly preachy at all. I think it could reach a wide audience, regardless of religious beliefs.

Booking Through Thursday - May 28

I'm still playing catch - up! Sorry this is late.

In the perfect follow-up to last week’s question, as suggested by C in DC:

Is there a book that you wish you could “unread”? One that you disliked so thoroughly you wish you could just forget that you ever read it?

Yes. That's the short answer. There are books I wish I could "unread". Looking back over the last few years, I can come up with a few that I consider a waste of my time. I probably shouldn't have bothered to finish them.

Relating to the same question, there are scenes in books that I wish I could unread. While the book might have been good or even great, sometimes a scene is so disturbing that I wish I could forget that part.