[TSS] Just When I'm Feeling Low, My Blogger Buddies Lift Me Up!

I must say, I've been feeling a little inadequate lately. Let me tell you why. As hard as I try to find more reading time, it just doesn't seem to happen. There's always something (or someone) to muck up my plans. It's very frustrating! I do have a lot of personal stuff going on that takes my attention, but we all have that, right? Anyway, I had a real blow to my bookish ego last Monday. I'm a regular participant in Musing Mondays, hosted by Rebecca at Just One More Page. The musing for last week was about mid year statistics and how your 2009 reading is going. Well, I tallied up the books I've read and I felt pretty good about it. My number was 20. OK, that's not a staggering number, but hey, I'll live with it.

THEN, I started reading other responses to the musing. OH MY GAWD! I am in complete awe of my fellow book lover buddies! You guys ROCK! The numbers I saw were beyond impressive. I'm talking - 114 books read so far this year!?! . . . and several were in the 50-ish range and beyond. Wow! While I was so impressed with y'alls numbers, I quickly wished I'd skipped that week's musing. But it was too late to go back and hit the 'Delete' button!!

So, I've been a reading fool this week. However, I only read one book at a time and the book I'm reading this week is a bit of a chunkster, (470 pages - anything over 400 is a chunkster to me!) so I still haven't finished it! And that hasn't helped my feelings of inadequacy at all. But I decided to put it out of my mind and try not to think about it. Easier said than done.

THEN, something happened to make me say, 'Hey, I don't care about that anymore'. I was the recipient of two blog awards, both signifying friendships made through my blog. I was so touched. The first was from Laura at Laura's Book & Movie Reviews. It was the Proximidade Award. The second was from Missy from Missy's Book Nook and it is The Bookworm's Award for BookFriends. Both of these awards represent friendships made through blogging and that is very special to me. And here's why. . .

In the last couple years, my eye disease has progressed and has taken some of the freedom to come and go as I please with it. My world had gotten kind of small - then I found the blogosphere! That changed my life! I have met some of the most awesome and kind people all over the world and I am so proud to call them 'friends'. That's why these awards mean so much to me. If you haven't visited Laura or Missy's blogs, please stop by and say hello to them.

I will be passing both of these awards on to other bloggers in the coming days. But right now I have to go get ready to attend a surprise birthday party for my cousin. Probably won't get much reading done today, but . . . at least I have my friends!

Booking Through Thursday: Memoirs

Do you read celebrity memoirs? What ones have you read or do you want to read? Which non-existant celebrity memoir would you like to see?

This is a pretty simple one for me. I'm not generally a big reader of memoirs. Twenty years ago I read a biography of Marilyn Monroe, that I found very interesting. I also read Dolly Parton's memoir, which was very good and eye opening. One of the most difficult ones I've read was Christopher Reeve's STILL ME, that I read in 1998. More recently I read Elizabeth Edwards' SAVING GRACES. I have a memoir on my TBR pile and that is THE GLASS CASTLE by Jeanette Walls, that I'm hoping to read this year.

I can't really think of a celebrity memoir that hasn't been written yet that I am anxious to read. Most times, if they are a celebrity, I'm a fan because of their talent, not for their personal life, so I feel like it's not necessary for me to know everything about them in that regard. Case in point, Michael Jackson. I respect him tremendously for his musical genius, but I don't really understand or feel the need to know more about his eccentric personal life. These days, the media over saturates us with celebrity coverage, making me far less likely to pick up their memoir. Even with Farrah, I've seen so many television reports and shows on her life lately, I don't think theire's anything in a book that probably hasn't already been aired. That's not to say I won't read memoirs, I'm just very selective of the ones I do read.

Teaser Tuesday: 6.30

It's Tuesday and time for another Teaser! MizB at Should Be Reading hosts this fun weekly event, so if you want to play along, pop over there and let us know where your Teasers are! This is how it works -

• Grab the book you're currently reading
• Let it fall open to a random page
• Select two sentences to share, being careful not to include any spolers
• And don't forget to name the book so we know where your teasers come from

My teaser today comes from a book that I've had on my shelf for almost a year now. It seems something else always got in the way of me reading it, but no more! As with myself, I've seen it on a lot of TBR lists, but haven't actually seen many reviews for it on the blogs. The book is THE HOUSE AT RIVERTON by Kate Morton.

We clinked glasses and I leaned back against my chair, sipping champagne and savoring the tang of bubbles against my lips. Throughout my long life, whenever I have had occasion to drink champagne i have been reminded of that evening in the servants' hall at Riverton. ~ page 69

This was Kate Morton's debut novel, published in April 2008 and tells the story of the Ashbury family in England during the time of WWI. The story is told by Grace some seventy or so years after a tragic event happened at Riverton back when she was a servant in the house. She's kept all of the secrets surrounding the Riverton house until now. As a filmaker is making a movie about the events, all kinda of memories are surfacing for Grace and she feels it may be time to tell the story - the true story of what really happened.

This book has kind of a gothic feel to it at times and even though I haven't gotten too far into the story, I already appreciate the beautiful prose of Ms. Morton. I find myself completely immersed and not wanting to quit reading to do things that need to be done around my house! I hope you enjoyed my teasers today!

Musing Mondays: Mid Year Stats

Today's Musing Mondays post is about mid-year reading . . . Now that we've come to the middle of the year, what do you think of your 2009 reading so far? Have you read anything interesting that you'd like to share? Any outstanding favorites?

My response:

I'm pretty happy with what I've read so far this year. I've kept a good balance of different types of books and genres. I'm planning to add more mysteries, possibly a series or two, to my reading list for the remainder of the year.

Out of the 20 books I've read so far, there are several that I really liked a lot. In lieu of naming just one as my favorite, I'm going to list the top 3 in random order.

• THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett
• THE THIRTEENTH TALE by Diane Setterfield
• THE LAST CHILD by John Hart

Another book that deserves mentioning is IN COLD BLOOD by Truman Capote. Interestingly, according to Google Analytics, there's been more keyword searches for 'In Cold Blood' leading to my blog than any other keyword.

I'm looking forward to the rest of the year and many more great books! You know what they say, 'So many books, so little time!' How has your reading gone so far this year?

Recent Reviews:

• THE FIXER UPPER by Mary Kay Andrews
• THE PRUDENT MARINER by Leslie Walker Williams

[TSS] Review: The Fixer Upper by Mary Kay Andrews

THE FIXER UPPER, the latest novel by Mary Kay Andrews was exactly what I've come to expect from this talented Southern writer. I've been looking forward to this release ever since I read about it on her blog when she first started creating the story. I thought the premise was clever, combining a dramatic story of political bribery and blackmail with just the right amount of Southern charm and romance. And lets not forget the wicked wit that is ever present in Ms. Andrews novels.

Here's what Harper Collins has to say about THE FIXER UPPER -

After her boss in a high-powered Washington public relations firm is caught in a political scandal, fledgling lobbyist Dempsey Jo Killebrew is left almost broke, unemployed, and homeless. Out of options, she reluctantly accepts her father's offer to help refurbish Birdsong, the old family place he recently inherited in Guthrie, Georgia. All it will take, he tells her, is a little paint and some TLC to turn the fading Victorian mansion into a real-estate cash cow.

But, oh, is Dempsey in for a surprise when she arrives in Guthrie. "Bird Droppings" would more aptly describe the moldering Pepto Bismol–pink dump with duct-taped windows and a driveway full of junk. There's also a murderously grumpy old lady, one of Dempsey's distant relations, who has claimed squatter's rights and isn't moving out. Ever.

Furthermore, everyone in Guthrie seems to know Dempsey's business, from a smooth-talking real-estate agent to a cute lawyer who owns the local newspaper. It wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the pesky FBI agents who show up on Dempsey's doorstep, hoping to pry information about her ex-boss from her.

All Dempsey can do is roll up her sleeves and get to work. And before long, what started as a job of necessity somehow becomes a labor of love and, ultimately, a journey that takes her to a place she never expected—back home again.

One of the things I really like about Mary Kay Andrews' books is that she jumps right into the story on page one. By the end of the first chapter, you are well into what's happening. Another thing she is fantastic at is creatng the most interesting and fun characters. This certainly holds true in THE FIXER UPPER as well. I instantly liked Dempsey the moment I started reading her words. She may be inexperienced professionally, but she has a fighting spirit and a good heart that makes you want to pull for her from the beginning. The supporting characters are equally as likable and each have their own distinct purpose in the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Birdsong, the family home, and how, with the help of some locals, Dempsey sets to work in fixing it up. The underlining story of her ex-boss implicating her in illegal activities makes for a good balance of drama mixed in with this story of family and what it means to find out where you come from. And ultimately, where your life will take you.

I would encourage you to read this very entertaining book even if you're not usually a reader of chick-lit. Personally, I don't particularly like the term 'chick-lit'. I think it has a stigma that gives the wrong impression of a book. In this case, Is this a crime novel? No, it isn't. Is it full of drama? No, not really. What it is, is a thoughtful story about family, self discovery and the character of people. The story of Dempsey and her legal troubles that are looming over her are completely realistic and interesting but the experiences and people she encounters while fixing up Birdsong teach Dempsey more than any high-powered job in Washington D.C. ever could.

Once again, Mary Kay Andrews has written a book that was well worth the wait. I want to thank Book-Fan Mary for sharing her advanced copy with me after she found out how much I was looking forward to this book. Mary wrote her own review a few week ago and you can read it here. Also, there's a cute video of Mary Kay Andrews talking about THE FIXER UPPER here on Harper Collins' website. For more about Mary Kay and all of her books and to read her equally entertaining blog, click here.

Sometimes we just need a book that makes us smile while we read and ends up making us feel good. If you're looking for something to read this summer, you can't go wrong with THE FIXER UPPER.

THE FIXER UPPER

Author: Mary Kay Andrews

Publisher: Harper Collins

Published: June 23, 2009

Pages: 432

Rating: 4 our of 5 Stars

Friday Finds 6.26.9

What great books did you discover this week? Friday Finds is hosted weekly by MizB at Should Be Reading.

Here's what I found this week:

• THE BIG STEAL by Emyl Jenkins - This is the second book in the Sterling Glass Mystery Series, the first being STEALING WITH STYLE. After reading Carrie's review at Reading To Know, I was hooked. You can read her review here. This new addition to the series is set to be released in July.
• BACK CREEK by Leslie Goetsch - This debut novel takes place in a fictiional small Virginia town and the writing of Leslie Goetsch has been compared to the early works of Pat Conroy. Publishers Weekly calls it 'an accomplished and impressive debut'. I discovered this book while visiting Staci's blog, Life In The Thumb. She wrote a great review [here] and is hosting a giveaway of this very intriguing book. The deadline is June 27, so be sure to stop by for your chance to win.

Did any books grab your attention this week?

Musing Mondays: Library Habits

Today's Monday Musing is about library borrowing.

Do you restrict yourself on how many books you take out from the library at a time? Do you borrow books if you already have some checked out? Do you always re-borrow books you didn't ge to?

My response:

Since I'm not a 'rapid reader' I generally only finish one book a week, so I don't usually borrow more than I think I can read. The most I borrow at one time is three books. That being said, if I check out a book I'm not sure about, I may add another one just in case. If I have a book out that I'm almost finished with I will check out more books, but I always try to finish the ones I have before getting more. Most of the time, if I didn't get to a book, I will re-borrow it. I guess I'm pretty strict on myself with my book borrowing, but I feel like if I know I won't get to a particular book, there may be someone else that would like to read it.

When DROOD came out, I immediately put my name on the list to borrow and it took awhile for it to become available, but when it finally did, I was in the middle of a few blog tours and ARC reading and I just didn't have time to read it. I returned it unread and now I'm on the list again. That's a pretty big book, so the wait is longer than normal, but I'm looking forward to trying again.

What are your library borrowing habits? For more musings, visit Just One More Page or click here.

Recent Reviews:

• THE PRUDENT MARINER by Leslie Walker Williams
• ELLEN FOSTER by Kaye Gibbons
• THE LAST CHILD by John Hart
• BEACH TRIP by Cathy Holton
• THE LAST BRIDGE by Teri Coyne