So Many Books, So Little Time!

I have been so blessed lately by the books that I have won in the various blog contests. Thanks to all the bloggers who have made those opportunities available. I too am going to start doing giveaways on my blog as well. You have to return the favors. I have only just learned how to do this blog the correct way, so I am finally getting it slowly, but surely. I am also committed to the blog tours, which I love so very much. I feel priviledged to review a book and post it on my blog. I try not to take that for granted.
What I am really frustrated with currently though, is that my "to be read" list is growing quite large and it seems like I do not have enough hours in the day to tackle the stacks of books like I would like to.
Am I alone in this? Does anyone else feel this same way? I do work full time, and my attempts to read at bedtime, still does not get me through the average novel as quickly as it used to. But I will keep reading on as my love of books is like my love of life itself. There are so many great authors out there to discover it is like a great adventure everyday!
Here's to the journey ahead of us...even though we have those yield signs and bumps in the roads and stop signs that keep us from finishing those books faster than we would like.
Deborah

Book Review-Saving Cicadas by Nicole Seitz

Saving Cicadas is a book unlike any book that I've ever read. It's the story of a single mother, Priscilla Macy, who learns she has become pregnant with a third child. It is an unwanted child that she carries.Feeling like she is at a crossroad in her life, she packs up her family,8 year old daughter,Janie,17 year old Rainey who has Down Syndrome, Mom, Mona, who is the meanest grandmother in the world (at least it seems to Janie) and Father Poppy, into the car and begins a journey of searching for answers.
The trip seems aimless until Janie realizes they are searching for the father who left them years ago. When they can't find him, they make their way to Forest Pines, SC. Priscilla hasn't been to her family home in many years and finds it a mixed blessing of hope, buried secrets, and family ghosts.
Through eyes of innocence, Janie learns the hard realities of life and the difficult choices grownups make. And she must face disturbing truths about the people she loves in order to carry them in the moments that matter most.
Seitz chose to tell this story using the voices of eight-year-old Janie and her grandma, Mona. I thought Janie’s voice was totally believable, and the story worked with her telling it. I didn’t think Mona worked as well, mostly because of her reserve. Mona told information that was vital to the story, but her character was mean and cold, a major difference to Janie’s. I understand why Seitz used Mona to tell the story, but the only reasoning I could come up with for the harshness of the transition was that some of the story matter itself was harsh and Mona was the one who exposed it. Although I believe Seitz’s story was well worth the telling, I found myself not believing the book, and that made it a less enjoyable read.

Great Interview

Hello my friends!
Our Book Club had a great speakerphone interview today with author, Mary Connealy. We found her to be very delightful and funny. I was not surprised, of course. It was so easy to pass the phone around and everyone had several questions that they wanted to ask her. She was snowed in at her home in Nebraska, so she was not planning on going anywhere today. We all learned more about her, how she got started writing, that she wrote for several years before she finally got published, but she did not give up. We are so glad she did not, because she is a very talented and gifted author! The ladies in our group look forward to reading more of the books that she has written and has in the works, as well.
We also voted on the books for the next 2 months. February's Book Selection will be "Ruby's Slipper's" by Leanna Ellis, and for March we will be reading "Watch Over Me" by Christa Parrish. Both of these books are going to be GREAT reads. Those of you who were not able to make it today, you were sorely missed, but please get your books and join us these next few months, we are going to have a fun-filled reading year!
If you go over to Lucie's blog, she will be doing a giveaway for "Watch Over Me" and you might be the lucky winner of that book!
Blessings* Deborah

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year! I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful Christmas with their family. I wanted to remind you of our meeting on January 9th. We will meet at my house, and we are having our speakerphone interview with "Cowboy Christmas" author Mary Connealy. I am really looking forward to speaking with her. She sounds like such a sweet lady. And she sounds thrilled to meet all of you as well.
Regular meeting is at 11:00, and the book reviewers will meet at 10:00.
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy your New Years celebration, whatever you will be doing. I pray this upcoming year will bring much happiness and love for you and your family. I pray for growth in our group, I am looking forward to the wonderful new books we will be reading and the new authors we are discovering.
I feel really blessed to be apart of such a wondeful group, sharing each book with you ladies, it is really interesting and fun. Thanks again for another wonderful year!
Blessings to you!!
Deborah

Chicken Soup for the Coffee Lover's Soul-Book Giveaway!!

Hey Ladies-check out this great blog- Colletta's Kitchen Sink. I have become a regular follower of her blog, and she is having a giveaway on her blog right now for "Chicken Soup for the Coffee Lover's Soul". This series of books is always so inspiring and uplifting. You can keep it for yourself or give it aways as a gift for someone else. Either way, hop on over to her blog, (it is adorable), and enter the contest.
Let me also take this moment to say "Merry Christmas" to all you wonderful ladies that follow my blog and the ladies in our book club. We look forward to another great year with the Chick Lit Book Club and Review. I am looking forward to many more adventures that we will experience together through the books that we will be reading with eachother. And of course, with our Heavenly Father guiding our way.
Christmas Blessings to you all**
Deborah

Meeting This Tuesday Night!!

Hello Ladies!
Just a quick reminder that our meeting will be this Tuesday, December 8th,6:00 at Starbucks. We will be reviewing "Sound of Sleighbells" by Cindy Woodsmall. Even if you have not read it yet, please come and join us for great conversation and to just hear what the book was about. You can get onboard too with the next book selection too. We have already picked that one, "Cowboy Christmas" by Mary Connealy. She has generously sent us some little gifts and I will be passing them out at the meeting, so if you want one, come to the meeting to get yours. Order your book now and join us! We will be doing a speakerphone interview with her in January. It should be lots of fun! She has never done one before and is really looking forward to it as much as we are!
Please bring any book choices that you would like to have us vote on for future "Book of the Month's" and we wil start a new list. Lucie and I really appreciate all of you ladies. We look forward to seeing all of you on Tuesday night.
Blessings to you** Deborah

My Review of "Jesus Lives" by Sarah Young

When I received this book from Thomas Nelson Book Reviewers, I couldn't wait to read the first page. Each page is titled with something new (joy, faith, trials, etc.) and depending on how quickly an individual wants to go through this book, you can choose to use it as a daily devoitional or read 3-4 entries a day. The book is very easy to read, the scriptural references are so perfect and it makes it so good to be able to reflect back on them for the future to encourage again and again. What I liked most is that the book is written as though Jesus Himself is talking to us daily from His heart. We can sit down with Him and read what He has for us, He already has it all written down. We know this already, some of the things we have gone through already, and maybe some we have not yet to experience, but the book is encouraging and it gives hope, hope that Jesus lives, that He loves and that He is alive and loves us. That is what I got out of this book. I will be passing it on to share with others as well. For a great way to start your time with Jesus in the morning, this is the book to buy! It will put a smile on your face and draw you closer to the One who chose us!