Friday, December 31, 2010

Taking A Break


As you can tell, I haven't been keeping up with my blog regularly like I used to. I've been having trouble concentrating on reading and staying interested in books. I've started 3 different books and haven't been able to finish any of them. Lately I have preferred watching TV over reading which is SO not like me. I think I need to take a break for awhile.

I'll be back when I feel refreshed!

Thanks for continuing to follow my blog.....I wish all of you the best in 2011 ~ Happy New Year!

"We will open the book. It's pages are blank.
We are going to put words on them ourselves.
The book is called Opportunity and
it's first chapter is New Years Day."

~Edith Lovejoy Pierce






Friday, December 24, 2010

Monday, December 20, 2010

~Mailbox Monday~





This is what I received last week!

Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King:

A new collection of four never-before-published stories from Stephen King.

1922
The story opens with the confession of Wilfred James to the murder of his wife, Arlette, following their move to Hemingford, Nebraska onto land willed to Arlette by her father.


Big Driver
Mystery writer, Tess, has been supplementing her writing income for years by doing speaking engagements with no problems. But following a last-minute invitation to a book club 60 miles away, she takes a shortcut home with dire consequences.

Fair Extension
Harry Streeter, who is suffering from cancer, decides to make a deal with the devil but, as always, there is a price to pay.

A Good Marriage
Darcy Anderson learns more about her husband of over twenty years than she would have liked to know when she stumbles literally upon a box under a worktable in their garage


A Pocketful of Names
by Joe Coomer:

Inhabiting an island off the coast of Maine, left to her by her great-uncle Arno, Hannah finds her life as a dedicated and solitary artist rudely interrupted one summer when a dog, matted with feathers and seaweed, arrives with the tide. The dog quickly endears himself and easily adapts to Hannah's schedule, but he is only the first in a string of unexpected visitors. He is soon followed by a teenager running from an abusive father, a half sister in trouble, a mainland family in need, and a trapped whale. Now in the midst of a community that depends on her for support and love, Hannah faces new emotional challenges as a series of family secrets are uncovered, each one more alarming than the last.

What was in YOUR mailbox last week?



Sunday, December 12, 2010

I've been lazy.....


I've not been blogging much lately, and I apologize. I am going through another slow reading phase. I've had a bad run of books lately. I've got a lot of things going on at the moment, so I am hoping to get back on track by the New Year.

I did receive my Secret Santa gift in the mail, from an awesome new friend, Heather Figearo, author of the blog Raging Bibliomania. She instinctively knew what my favorite things were, because they were all in my gift package! I got a pair of fuzzy slipper socks with penguins on them, a bag of Lindsor Truffle chocolates, 2 bottles of nail polish, and the novel "Oogy", which I have been dying to read! Thank you again, Heather, I am enjoying everything. Please go by and visit her blog and say hi~

I hope that everyone has a wonderful holiday season, filled with family, fun and warm memories. Don't forget to relax and find time for yourself....curl up with a good book and cup of hot tea or cocoa.....

XOXO


Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Night Road by Kristin Hannah


From Goodreads:

Jude Farraday is a happily married, stay-at-home mom who puts everyone’s needs above her own. Her twins, Mia and Zach, are bright and happy teenagers. When Lexi Baill enters their lives, no one is more supportive than Jude. A former foster child with a dark past, Lexi quickly becomes Mia’s best friend. Then Zach falls in love with Lexi and the three become inseparable. But senior year of high school brings unexpected dangers and one night, Jude’s worst fears are confirmed: there is an accident. In an instant, her idyllic life is shattered and her close-knit community is torn apart. People and Jude demand justice, and when the finger of blame is pointed, it lands solely on eighteen-year-old Lexi Baill. In a heartbeat, their love for each other will be shattered, the family broken. Lexi gives up everything that matters to her the boy she loves, her place in the family, the best friend she ever had while Jude loses even more. When Lexi returns, older and wiser, she demands a reckoning. Long buried feelings will rise again, and Jude will finally have to face the woman she has become. She must decide whether to remain broken or try to forgive both Lexi…and herself. Night Road is a vivid, emotionally complex novel that raises profound questions about motherhood, loss, identity, and forgiveness. It is an exquisite, heartbreaking novel that speaks to women everywhere about the things that matter most.

My Thoughts:

I won this ARC from Librarything Early Reviewers. I was excited to read it because I loved Firefly Lane. However, the characters in Night Road kept me from enjoying it. I felt a strong dislike for Jude. I thought that Mia and Zach acted like spoiled rich kids. Lexie was really the only character that I could connect with, but I felt she was a typical orphan down-on-her-luck character. The story just did not seem real to me. Sorry folks, Night Road was not my cup of tea.
Photobucket Fair

~Teaser Tuesday~


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read*
* Open to a random page*

*Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page *

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! ;)

My teaser today comes from Gray Baby by Scott Loring Sanders:

~Unlike the diminutive Charlie, who zipped around in the truck like it was his second living room, the man had to hunch a little as he walked. He had solid blue tattoos up and down his wiry arms, and because there were no other colors, and because there were so many of them, Clifton couldn't discern one from the other.~ pg. 147

What's YOUR teaser today????


Monday, December 6, 2010

~Mailbox Monday~








I received 3 books last week, all from Goodreads Swap!

The Inn at Lake Devine
by Elinor Lipman:

In 1962 Vermont, Natalie's mother is told that a summer resort does not accept Jews. When Natalie tries to enter the world that has excluded her, she succeeds beyond her wildest dreams through the sheerest of accidents.

The Walk by Richard Paul Evans:


"My name is Alan Christoffersen. You don’t know me. ‘Just another book in the library,’ my father would say. ‘Unopened and unread.’ You have no idea how far I’ve come or what I’ve lost. More important, you have no idea what I’ve found." —Prologue

What would you do if you lost everything—your job, your home, and the love of your life—all at the same time? When it happens to Seattle ad executive Alan Christoffersen, he’s tempted by his darkest thoughts. A bottle of pills in his hand and nothing left to live for, he plans to end his misery. Instead, he decides to take a walk. But not any ordinary walk. Taking with him only the barest of essentials, Al leaves behind all that he’s known and heads for the farthest point on his map: Key West, Florida. The people he encounters along the way, and the lessons they share with him, will save his life—and inspire yours.


Aimee by Mary Beth Miller:

After she is accused of playing a role in her best friend's death, a young woman battles depression, anger, guilt, loneliness, and the problems of her own family as well as those of the families of her old friends.


What's in YOUR mailbox today???






Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Teaser Tuesday


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read*
* Open to a random page*

*Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page *

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! ;)

Today's teaser comes from Night Road by Kristin Hannah:

~She'd watched from a distance as her immature, coltish boy had become a man. Grief had shattered him, fatherhood had put him back together.~ pg. 307

What's YOUR teaser today????




Monday, November 29, 2010

WE HAVE WINNERS!


First of all, I must apologize if I sound a little shaky...I have crawled from the depths of my sick bed to announce my giveaway winners this evening!!! (Did that sound dramatic? :) ) Seriously, I am suffering from a nasty stomach bug, but seem to be on the mend, thank goodness!

The winner of my GRATITUDE GIVEAWAY of the three books by Alyson Noel is:

TIFFERZ19


Congratulations Tiffany!! I have sent Tiffany an email. If she does not respond in 72 hours, another winner will be chosen.


The winners of my 300 FOLLOWERS GIVEAWAY are:

bookloversdiary
tarter95
natashajennex


The three winners will each get a $10.00 Gift Card from Amazon.com! I have emailed the winners and all have 72 hours to respond. If I don't hear back, other winners will be chosen.

I want to thank ALL of you for joining in these Giveaways, and being loyal followers of my blog.

I hope that all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday, and wish all of you Happy Holidays ahead, filled with family, friends, shopping and reading!

XOXOXO

Saturday, November 27, 2010

~Sweetie~ by Kathryn Magendie


Over-weight, bespectacled twelve-year-old Melissa is captivated by wild-mountain-girl Sweetie. As the two friends explore the Western North Carolina mountains where Sweetie lives, they learn about friendship and family, loss and love, loyalty and betrayal. Before the tragedy that changes their lives, and causes Melissa to lose her friend to the mountain spirits, the two become friends, blood sisters, confidants, and caretakers of secrets. At the end of that summer, Sweetie makes a sacrifice that only twelve-year-old Sweetie could make for her mother, and alternatively, Melissa makes a selfish decision, then can only stand by and watch as her friend is there, then gone.


My Thoughts:

I loved every minute of this story. A beautiful coming-of-age tale set in Appalachia in the 1970's, tells the story of Melissa and Sweetie; Shy, overweight Melissa, and brash, outspoken Sweetie, who become fast friends. It is a story of a summertime friendship, spent roaming the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina's Haywood County. Two friends who become "bound sisters" for life, each needing something from the other. Author Kathryn Magendie lives and works in the very same area where this story takes place. Her love for the mountains shines through in her story, with beautiful details of the flowers, rocks and creeks where the girls play. This book is now one of my top favorite Coming-of-Age stories (which include Roseflower Creek by J.L. Miles, Prayers and Lies by Sherri Wood Emmons, Walking Through Shadows by Bev Marshall, Where the Woodbine Twines by Sherry Austin, The Star Lite Drive In by Marjorie Reynolds, Summer of the Redeemers by Carolyn Haines...Just to name a few!) "Sweetie" is a character that I will never forget~

A West Virginia native, Kat Magendie came home to Maggie Valley via South Louisiana, where she reclusively writes and co-edits/publishes The Rose & Thorn online journal. Visit her at www.kathrynmagendie.com


**Many thanks to Deborah Smith at Bell Bridge Books for the opportunity to read and review "Sweetie"**

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

What are YOU Waiting for Today??


Waiting On Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.


My Waiting On Wednesday pick for today is But I Love Him by Amanda Grace.

From Goodreads:

Tonight was so much worse than anything before it.
Tonight he didn't stop after the first slap.

At the beginning of senior year, Ann was a smiling, straight-A student and track star with friends and a future. Then she met a haunted young man named Connor. Only she can heal his emotional scars; only he could make her feel so loved-and needed. Ann can't recall the pivotal moment it all changed, when she surrendered everything to be with him, but by graduation, her life has become a dangerous high wire act. Just one mistake could trigger Connor's rage, a senseless storm of cruel words and violence damaging everything-and everyone-in its path.

This evocative slideshow of flashbacks reveals a heartbreaking story of love gone terribly wrong.


This title will be released on May 8, 2011.

What are YOU waiting for today????



Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Teaser Tuesday


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read*
* Open to a random page*

*Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page *

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! ;)

My teaser today comes from Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher:

~In the strange world of male bonding, questioning someone's sexuality and hygiene was a way to demonstrate friendship and camaraderie. Unfortunately for Chad, I was overly sensitive about my sexual identity that day.~ pg. 115

What's YOUR teaser today?????



Monday, November 22, 2010

~Mailbox Monday~



I had a great haul last week. I got a few books from PBS, and it was my birthday on Saturday! Thanks to my husband, I received 4 new books from him, from my wish list!

The Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride:

It’s been two years since Noelle disappeared. Two years since her bike was discovered, sprawled on a sidewalk. Two years of silence, of worry, of fear.

For those two long years, her best friend Tessa has waited, living her own life in a state of suspended animation. Because how can she allow herself to enjoy a normal high school life if Noelle can’t? How dare she have other friends, go to dances, date boys, without knowing what happened to the girl she thought she would share everything with?

And then one day, someone calls Noelle’s house. She’s alive.

A haunting psychological thriller taken straight from the headlines, The Tension of Opposites is a striking debut that explores the emotional aftermath of a kidnapping on the victim, and on the people she left behind.

Tragedy at Tin Can Holler
by Rozetta Mowery:

"Tragedy in Tin Can Holler" is a captivating must read true story of a family's past transgressions revealing a serial killer during the great depression, incest and child abuse, lies and betrayals and domestic violence buried for decades! The vicious murder of the author's mother haunted her for 48 years, but discovering the truth about her mother's murder was just the tip of the iceberg. Her story is spell-bounding as she unveils the hidden secrets that shocked the residents of 3 counties in southeast Tennessee.

The Daily Coyote by Shreve Stockton:

Developed from her tremendously popular blog, writer and photographer Shreve Stockton presents an inspiring journal of her experiences raising an orphaned coyote as a beloved pet.

Horns by Joe Hill:

Ignatius Perrish spent the night drunk and doing terrible things. He woke up the next morning with a pair of horns growing from his temples.

At first, Ig thought the horns were a hallucination, the product of a mind damaged by rage and grief. He had spent the last year in a lonely, private purgatory, following the death of his beloved, Merrin Williams, who had been raped and murdered under inexplicable circumstances. A mental breakdown would have been the most natural thing in the world. But there was nothing natural about the horns, which were all too real.

Once, the righteous Ig had enjoyed the life of the blessed. But Merrin's death damned all that. The only suspect in the crime, Ig was never charged or tried. And he was never cleared. Nothing Ig can do or say matters. Everyone it seems, including God, has abandoned him. Everyone that is, but the devil inside. . . .

Now Ig is possessed of a terrible new power—a macabre talent he intends to use to find the monster who killed Merrin and destroyed his life. It's time for a little revenge . . . it's time the devil had his due . . .

What was in YOUR mailbox????



Sunday, November 21, 2010

Feathered by Laura Kasischke

Afterward, Terri will tell everyone that, from the beginning, she knew something terrible was going to happen on spring break.

Something bad was going to happen.

She knew.

It was supposed to be the perfect vacation: hot guys, impeccable tans, and no parents. But for two high school seniors, an innocent car ride will drive them into the heart of their worst nightmare.

Feathered is a provocative and eerie tale that flies readers from safe, predictable suburbia to the sun-kissed beaches of Cancún, Mexico, and into mysterious Mayan ruins, where ancient myths flirt dangerously with present realities.



FeatheredFeathered by Laura Kasischke

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Three friends travel to Cancun for Spring Break, and the unthinkable happens.

This was a good story that seemed all too real. I noticed that it was published after Natalee Holloway's disappearance, and the story was eerily similar.

Two of the three girls decide to tour the Mayan Ruins with an older man, who is not a certified Tour Guide. Their friend stays behind at the hotel to party with some other kids that she has met. What transpires is a nightmare that is all too real.

The book kept me guessing right up until the end - it did not disappoint. Great read!



View all my reviews


Friday, November 19, 2010

300 FOLLOWERS GIVEAWAY!


Happy Friday!

So much is going on in Blog Land right now ~ Lots of Giveaways and Holiday Cheer ~ So....I'm going to add ANOTHER GIVEAWAY into the mix~

This one is all my own.....and......it is because of you, my followers. I have now reached over three hundred followers, and I'm thrilled. Now, I know a lot of my newest followers have joined me because of my Gratitude Giveaway contest....and that's fine. I hope that you all will continue to follow Missy's Book Nook even after the contest is over.

Now, for my Three Hundred Follower Giveaway! Three lucky followers will each win a $10.00 Amazon Gift Card! To enter, just leave me a comment:

Old Follwer +2 extra entries
New Follower +1 extra entry

Friend on Goodreads +2 extra entries

Add 'em up for me, and please be sure to give me your email address, so that I may notify you if you win. This contest will run from November 20th through November 27th, 2010. The winner will be announced the week after Thanksgiving. All winners will have 72 hours (3 days) to respond. If I do not hear back from you, another winner will be chosen.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, and thanks a bunch for following "Lil' ol' ME! XOXO!"

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Prayers and Lies by Sherri Wood Emmons



From Amazon:

When seven-year-old Bethany meets her six-year-old cousin Reana Mae, it's the beginning of a kinship of misfits that saves both from a bone-deep loneliness. Every summer, Bethany and her family leave Indianapolis for West Virginia's Coal River Valley. For Bethany's mother, the trips are a reminder of the coalmines and grinding poverty of her childhood, of a place she'd hoped to escape. But her loving relatives, and Bethany's friendship with Reana Mae, keep them coming back.

But as Bethany grows older, she realizes that life in this small, close-knit community is not as simple as she once thought. . .that the riverside cabins that hold so much of her family's history also teem with scandalous whispers. . .and that those closest to her harbor unimaginable secrets. Amid the dense woods and quiet beauty of the valley, these secrets are coming to light at last, with a force devastating enough to shatter lives, faith, and the bond that Bethany once thought would last forever.

Spanning four decades, Sherri Wood Emmons' debut is a haunting, captivating novel about the unexpected, sometimes shocking events that thrust us into adulthood--and the connections that keep us tethered, always, to our pasts.


My Thoughts:

You know that feeling that you get when you first start reading a book and you quickly fall in love with the main character? You hang on to their every word and feel the same emotions that they are feeling? That's how it was between me and Bethany Wylie. Bethany and her parents and her three sisters spend every summer on the Coal River in West Virginia. Her parents were born and raised there, and there were numerous aunts, uncles and cousins to visit with. Bethany forms a special bond with one of her cousins when she is seven years old. Reana Mae is six, and they become sisters and soul mates. What transpires over the next four decades between the two of them and their families range from poetic to painful...unimaginable and unbelievable. It had me wondering ~ Could their friendship remain strong?


I was in Wendy's yesterday, eating a salad while reading this book, and my mouth literally dropped open during one chapter. I lost a little lettuce and blue cheese, but I tell you, it was well worth it.

Prayers and Lies made me laugh, cry, and yearn to crawl into the pages to be with Bethany and Reana Mae, to hug them and tell them that everything will be okay.

Sherri Wood Emmons has written a beautiful coming - of - age novel that has now earned a spot in my favorite Top Ten Reads ever. I certainly hope that she is working on her next novel...I'll be waiting for it~

Visit Sherri's website at www.sherriwoodemmons.com



Wednesday, November 17, 2010

It's Giveaway Time!




It's that time of year again...to give thanks for everything that we have.....family, health, friends and BLOG FOLLOWERS!

The Gratitude Giveaway
was kindly put together by Kathy (Inspired Reader) iamareadernotawriter, in honor of our followers to show our appreciation to you all! Over 170 blogs are participating in this awesome giveaway! Here's your chance to find some fabulous new blogs to add to your list to follow, to visit your old friends, and enter some very enticing giveaways, all book-related. It is truly a time to be thankful! Please visit the Gratitude Giveaway Link to see all participating blogs and enter their giveaways!

I'm giving away 3 books, all to one lucky winner!

Radiance
Evermore
Shadowland

All by Alyson Noel!!


I want to keep it simple, so to enter the giveaway, please only comment ONE TIME.

Please let me know if you are a NEW FOLLOWER. If you are new, you get one extra entry.

If you are an OLD FOLLOWER, you will get two extra entries.

If you are my friend on GOODREADS you will get one extra entry.

In your comment PLEASE LEAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS WHERE I CAN REACH YOU IF YOU WIN.

The winner will be announced on November 29th, 2010.

Thanks to everyone: New and old followers alike; Have a Blessed Thanksgiving and Good Luck!

Thanks for being a faithful follower of Missy's Book Nook! XOXO





Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read*
* Open to a random page*

*Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page *

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! ;)

My teaser this week comes from Prayers and Lies by Sherri Wood Emmons:

~Sitting in the mud on that muggy day, I found my real sister. I was seven, Reana Mae was six, and I had no way of knowing just how intertwined our lives would become. Pg. 9~

What's YOUR teaser today???



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