Reading the Day Away

Summer is just about here! And that makes me a bit giddy... if only i didn't have to survive through 5+ weeks of summer school, then I would be one happy camper! If only!

Well, with long summer afternoons fast approaching my mind is wandering to reading lazily on my balcony, by the pool, at a coffee shop, or even as my husband is driving! Curled up on the couch wouldn't be so bad either! This also reminds me of the time i spent an entire Friday reading in my mother's backyard just so we could go see the movie for the same book that very night. (It was Nicholas Sparks' The Notebook!)

While I have loved reading the whole day away, it seems that as I have gotten older, these moments of not having to be anywhere to do anything seem few and far between. This will definitely become one of my items on my summer to-do list.... relax and read! 

This weekend I began reading The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve and so far have enjoyed it, though i will say it has a depressing beginning. Let's see if it ends on a high note! 

I have read other books that have led me to llllllllllloooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnngggggg hours with a book in hand. Here are a few titles that kept me more than captivated for hours on end:

The Book of Ruth

The Fourth Hand by John Irving

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells

The Dive from Clausen’s Pier by Ann Packer

What books have you sat and read the whole day away with? 

Literary Junkie For Sure!

Today I am officially a "Literary Junkie" because I am participating in a new monthly link up with Taylor and Lesley.

So here's the deal, every month these ladies will be hosting a link up to discuss books and as long as i have been reading, i will be linking up! Taylor has been my pen pal for the last few months and she is just swell! I truly look forward to her letters and love that she is so down to earth! Lesley writes a blog that i am new to! And just from the get go, i cannot wait to read more! So here are the questions for this month:

1) What book are you currently reading? Give us a little synopsis and your review.

I just started "Gone Girl" and am really excited about this book! It seems really intriguing so far. It is a mystery that is about a husband and a wife where the wife disappears. Each chapter is from either the wife's perspective or from the husband's perspective. So far, it is interesting and I am waiting for it to get to where I cannot put down!

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2) What are your 3 favorite books of all time?

My first favorite book of all time is from my favorite author, John Irving! I love his book called "A Prayer for Owen Meany."It was a book assigned to me by my senior English teacher! I loved the book! To this day it is one of my faves!

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The next book that is in my top three would be "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd. I really love literature that takes place in the time period of the 60s. It love the way life seemed to be! This is a great story about a young girl who leaves her abusive father to live with three amazing black women.Have you seen the movie staring Dakota Fanning and Queen Latifa?

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The last book in my top three is "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett. I love this book and in my last 100 pages who reading it, I actually slowed down in my reading to make sure it would last longer! I truly fell in love with Skeeter and Abileen! I loved every part of this story and hated what each character hated as well! It was such a good book! I highly recommend this one, for sure!

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3) What is your "approach" upon entering a bookstore? Where do you immediately head after entering through the front door?

 When I enter a book store, I go straight for the new paperbacks! I also look for the books that have been recommended by employees of the book store. I know Barnes & Noble does this and I often enjoy reading the commentary on each book. I can't say it has pushed me one way or the other when it comes to my choice, but it is fun to read! I also like to check out the biography new releases and then head to all the wonderful fiction! I also really like to look at the Abel's where they display books being read by local high school students. It is neat seeing some of my faves get added and also remain on these lists! I then usually rund it my visit with a trip to the clearance and also to check out the journals! 

So, what are you reading? What are your favorites? How do you attack a book store?

 Don't forget to see what others are reading! 

Sunday Socialite 9.16.12

OK, its been tooo DARN HOT to really spend much time outside so, i guess i will get my Sunday Social post ready to go! 

If you haven't been over to visit the link up please just click the button below!

 

Here are this weeks questions:

1. 5 items you can't live without on a daily basis(water, food, shelter, and clothes don't count) 

OK I have a few of these items and one of them happens to be a pair of shoes...

That's right... my rainbows! Love these flip flops! I have a really hard time wearing anything else when i am not at work! Have you ever owned a pair? They Last forever and conform to your foot! Love em!

Another item I love is my iPad and iPhone. I am counting these as one cause they both serve the same purpose. I basically use them for the same reasons. The phone only has the added capabilities of using it as a phone! 

Another item i cannot live without would be my pens! 

Every year i buy pens to do all my lesson planning with. I am particular about these pens and i even refuse to leave them out in my classroom. I am terrified that they will walk away! I need a good pen to write and that is plain and simple. These are my favorite: 

Ok next up: On the Go Tea and Lemonade packets! Oh and Mio too! 

I fill two bottles each morning and then refill them both as the day progresses! 

 Here are some shots of what I use to add to my water! They are low-cal or no-cal and contain no sugar! 

I also love these bottles: 

I think that's five!?!

2. All time favorite book? Why?

Gosh i have three of these: 

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

& last, but not least,

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

All three of these books have enthralling stories of women surviving! I also love the era that they were set in! The movies do a little justice, but not enough to ignore reading these beauties! Loved reading them all! And A prayer for Owen Meany was a class assignment in high school! (I have since read several of John Irving's book and love them!) I hope Kathrynn Stockett writes another and really think that The Secret Life of Bees is a book that would be tough to beat by any author! Love these books! 

3. Something you'd like to accomplish before the end of 2012

My hubs and i have been really working to pay off debt and save up for a house. I would really like to have accomplished saving a good chuck of change by the years end! 

4. If you could go back and relive any year of your life which year would it be?

The year that we got married was tough, stressful, and filled with such wonderful memories. I would easily do it again just to relive the day i married my dear hubs! I would love to enjoy those moments with friends and family a little bit more too! So, my answer is the year 2010! 

5. What do you wish people knew about you without you having to tell them?

Often times, people seem to view me as this person who is very straight laced. I wish sometimes people would see how much i love to have fun! Yes, I am a Christian who (from what i gather) people see me as SUPER devoted, and I am, but that doesn't mean a girl can't have a little fun! In addition to this, i make mistakes. A LOT of mistakes. 

OK, hope your Sunday is going well! 

Don't forget to enter the giveaway i have going on! You could win a great custom wreath and a cute little car trash can! Plus other stuff and some surprises too! 

Random Thursdays: Fun Summer Reads!

Phew... Almost done with the first week of the school year!

And .... 

Oh boy this blog hit 100 followers last night!!!!!!

I could write what an amazing journey this has been, and boy has it, but instead of typing away I am gonna get right to scheduling an awesome giveaway! (i have been saying this for awhile, but truly have ideas that have not gone much farther than that!)

So, today's my first link up for random Thursday! The topic this week is 

So here we go ...

This summer I actually joined a book club with some of my co-workers. It has been fun to try different restaurants and discuss books with girls that I work with! All this while we may or may not have been trying a few drinks! 

We began the summer with the book 

...... And I HATED IT! 

I usually am determined to finish a book i start, but in this case I did not like it and ended up putting it down! Plus this was my first experience with reading on the iPad. Not a great beginning! 

Then we read Little Bee by Chris Cleave. I truly enjoyed this book. It was good to talk about and the story, though not very light, it was definitely a good story. 

Then my book club moved on to this book:

This book has been pretty stinking hilarious. Those of you that might like a few swear words, funny rants and really long sentences ight ike this bloggers memoir. It has been great thus far. I have laughed out loud on several occasions, including ones in public! I even read a portion out loud to my husband and he thought it was pretty funny and ridiculous. This is also my second try at reading on the iPand and have thus far enjoyed it! 

I also started another book (that my book club is not reading) from my favorite author. (I believe i have ready every single one of her books except for In her Shoes and that is just  because i refuse to read a book if i have seen the movie!) So I am still working on this one: 

I have enjoyed his story so far, but i think it is a given. I love this author and wil lread anythign she puts out! It's great light summer reading. 

I also love to read Real Simple. I am a bit behind so I have been reading the May issue of this magazine! But usually i read them really quickly and then i feel as though i have none to read for weeks! This time i am behind and it will take me a couple times to actually read them! 

In addition this magazine has great digital copies that have been really handy. 

In addition to all of this reading I have been following a few blogs. Here are a few that I love: 

Somewhat Domesticated

Linny's Vault

Just Stuff for Fun

Lovely Little Things

Trial By Sapphire

Emmy June

Baking, Crafting, Teaching... oh my!  

la, la, love, learn, laugh

the {mr.} and the {mrs.}

and Brayden makes three

Daisy Girl

The Vintage apple

Somethin bout a truck

I know there's like a ton more ... but that is all i am willing to put into tonight! there are so many blogs i love! 

So that is my list of fun summer reads for this summer! 

What have you been reading? 

Check out what others have been reading here:

And be sure to visit our hosts' blogs! 

and then 

Sunlight After Rain

This might become a regular post... thinking about replacing one of my link ups each week with this one. Its kind of time to switch things up! What do you all think? 

PS. I decided (on purpose) that i m not going to read 50 shades of gray. My mom then told me last night that she was gonna buy it and that after she was done she would lend it to me. I am not sure about this one, but it most definitely made me crack up!