Sunday, April 22, 2012

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell (Review)



  • Hardcover: 336 pages


  • Publisher: Dutton Adult (April 14, 2011)


  • ISBN-13: 978-0525951988



  • Beth and Jennifer know their company monitors their office e-mail. But the women still spend all day sending each other messages, gossiping about their coworkers at the newspaper and baring their personal lives like an open book. Jennifer tells Beth everything she can't seem to tell her husband about her anxieties over starting a family. And Beth tells Jennifer everything, period.

    When Lincoln applied to be an Internet security officer, he hardly imagined he'd be sifting through other people's inboxes like some sort of electronic Peeping Tom. Lincoln is supposed to turn people in for misusing company e-mail, but he can't quite bring himself to crack down on Beth and Jennifer. He can't help but be entertained-and captivated- by their stories.

    But by the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late for him to ever introduce himself. What would he say to her? "Hi, I'm the guy who reads your e-mail, and also, I love you." After a series of close encounters and missed connections, Lincoln decides it's time to muster the courage to follow his heart . . . even if he can't see exactly where it's leading him.

    Written with whip-smart precision and charm, Attachments is a strikingly clever and deeply romantic debut about falling in love with the person who makes you feel like the best version of yourself. Even if it's someone you've never met.

    My Review:
    I loved this book. I read it in one night. It grabbed my attention and did not let go. The characters and plot were well written and came to life. There was a little humor and romance mixed together. I can't wait to read another book by this debut author.  Recommended. :)


    About the author:
    Rainbow Rowell is a columnist for the Omaha World-Herald. When she's not writing, she's reading comic books, planning Disney World trips, and arguing with people about things that don't really matter in the big scheme of things. Attachments is her first novel.

    Review copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.

    Warrier Dash 2012

    French Quarter Festival 2012



    The first picture is me sleeping at the festival with my stepfather. The weather was perfect at the riverfront with the music. lol The second picture is me riding the trolley standing up. I loved it. It was like a fair ride. The last picture is me eating my first turkey leg or trying. I stood in line for 30 min. so I was determined to give it a good try. I did not particularly like it. I had so much fun. I went with my Mom, Stepfather, Grandmother, and Uncle Patrick. They wore me out. I slept most of the car ride back. lol We stayed at the OMNI and it had a rooftop pool and lounge area. We watched the fireworks up there Saturday night. I can't wait to go back next year. :)

    The Sunday Salon April 22, 2012


    * It has been a very busy past two weeks. Time is flying by so quick. This weekend I did the Warrier Dash and it was a ton of fun. Last weekend I went to the French Quarter Festival in New Orleans, LA.

    * I am going to do to separate posts with pictures later. May is going to be a let down after so much going on in April.

    * I need a new fitness goal. Any ideas? I was thinking a half marathon but I can't even run three miles outside without stopping.

    * I still have some cleaning left to do tonight but I am listening to Night Road by Kristin Hannah on audio and it is really good.

    * I hope everyone has a great week and lots of reading time. :)

    I Blame Eve by Susanna Foth Aughtmon (Review)



    When Eve ate the fruit, we lost out on the perfect life. But that doesn't stop us from trying, does it? What would happen if we stopped trying to be perfect and started trying to be his?

    In this encouraging book, Susanna Foth Aughtmon helps you find out what it means to be honest about what you crave in life and let go of your deep need to be in control. With a skillful blend of Scripture, insight, and humor, she shows you the freedom of embracing the unique path God has laid out for you. The study questions included will help you or your small group make the most of this fun and fascinating book.

    "Susanna Aughtmon is one of my favorite writers. Her authenticity is disarming. Her hope is contagious. After reading this book you'll realize that you don't need more control in your life . . . you need more of God."--Mark Batterson, author, The Circle Maker
    "Incredibly quick-witted while challenging. It meets you right where you are and immediately inspires you to grow from there. Susanna's humor and realness connect you with her in such a way that you feel like you've made a true friend."--Tiffany Arbuckle Lee, aka Plumb, songwriter and Curb Records recording artist

    "With beautiful writing, humor, and depth of insight, Susanna Foth Aughtmon unpacks one of the most important stories in the Bible and reveals truth every woman needs to hear."--Joanna Weaver, bestselling author, Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World
     
    My Review:
    I really liked this author's writing style. She is honest even at her own expense. There are many lol moments, the book has a lot of humor among the spiritual truths. I have blamed Eve many times in my own life. There is a sentence on page 46 that really resonated with me. "Ever since the garden, humankind has been on a mad rampage to fill the creeping brokenness that pervades our lives." It made me think about what I use like food to fill the spot inside of me that was created for God by God. This is my first book by this author but not my last. Recommended. :)
     
     
     
    Susanna Foth Aughtmon is the author of All I Need Is Jesus and a Good Pair of Jeans and My Bangs Look Good and Other Lies I Tell Myself. After pursuing various careers, including her own interior decorating business, she decided to stay home as a full-time mom. A pastor's wife and mother of three, Susanna assists her husband, Scott, in various ministries at the church they planted in California.
     
    Available now wherever Revell/Baker books are sold.
     
    Thank you Donna at Revell for my review copy.

    Monday, April 9, 2012

    Always The Designer, Never The Bride by Sandra Bricker (Review)


    This week, the
    Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
    is introducing
    Always The Designer, Never The Bride
    Abingdon Press (April 2012)
    by
    Sandra D. Bricker




    ABOUT THE AUTHOR:



    For more than a decade, Sandra D. Bricker lived in Los Angeles. While honing her chosen craft of screenwriting in every spare moment, she worked as a personal assistant and publicist to some of daytime television's hottest stars. When her mother became ill in Florida, she walked away from that segment of her life and moved across the country to take on a new role: Caregiver.



    The Big 5-OH! was released by Abingdon Press in the Spring of 2010, and the novel was very well-received, garnering a couple of nibbles from Hollywood.



    Always the Baker, Never the Bride was released by Abingdon Press in September 2010. With its phenomenal reviews, the novel spawned a series of three more books based on the popular cast of characters at The Tanglewood Inn, a wedding destination hotel in historic Roswell, Georgia. The series cemented Sandie's spot in publishing as a flagship author of Laugh-Out-Loud romantic comedy for the inspirational market.



    "Being allowed to combine my faith and my humor with my writing dream," says Bricker, "well, that's the best of all worlds, as far as I'm concerned!"



    ABOUT THE BOOK



    It’s taken Audrey Regan years to establish herself as a wedding dress designer, and to date she’s been roped into creating dresses for nine of her girlfriends. Request #10 follows her vow to “Just say no!” and comes from her very best friend. She can hardly turn Carly down!



    Audrey arrives in Atlanta early to perform all of her maid-of-honor duties along with final fittings for a one-of-a-kind dress. But Carly’s wedding is nothing short of an event, complete with Prince Charming, and the festivities make Audrey question whether there’s a prince of her own anywhere in her future.



    Enter the groom’s brother and best man. Shaggy-haired, tattooed bad boy J.R. Hunt couldn’t be any more different from Prince Charming if he rode in on a Harley Davidson. Oh, wait. He actually did ride in on a Harley!



    If you would like to read an excerpt of the first chapter of Always The Designer, Never The Bride, go HERE.

    My Review:
    I loved this book. I have read the whole series and liked them all. The characters do repeat but you would be fine reading this one on its own but why when the whole series is so good. lol They are classified as Christian Chick Lit but there were some deep spiritual themes the characters learned. There were many lol moments also. It was a good blend of faith and funny. The writing and characters were excellent and the plot lines interesting. Highly Recommended!

    It's Monday What Are You Reading? April 9, 2012

    This is a weekly meme hosted by Shelia at One Persons Journey Through a World of Books.
    http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/

    What I read last week:
    - Perfect on Paper by Maria Murname
    - It's a Waverly Life by Maria Murname
    - Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

    What I am currently reading:
    - Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens (on audio in car)
    - Love by the Book by Cara Lynn James
    - Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis
    - True Devotion by Dee Henderson (rereading on my Nook)
    - Her Lone Star Cowboy by Debra Clopton

    What I am reading next:- Her Family Wish by Betsy St. Amant
    - I Blame Eve by Susanna Foth Aughtmon
    - Her Restless Heart by Barbara Cameron

    Reviews I posted last week:
    http://abookloverforever.blogspot.com/2012/04/cooking-books-by-bonnie-calhoun-review.html

    Classics Club Spin 18

    My Classics Club Spin List for August This is a hodgepodge of books left on my list I made in 2017 for the Classics Club. Tomorrow the clu...