Monday Memes

WARNING:  LENGTHY POST

And how is everyone today?  Exhausted?  Feeling guilty that you had that extra piece of pie lol.  I know I am.  Did you have a wonderful day with family and friends?  Did Santa bring you any book related presents, would love to hear if you want to share.  Would love to hear about anything that Santa brought if you want to tell us about.

This weekend was bittersweet for me.  It was very hard for me with my Mom not being here and I have to be honest, there were some tears, for different emotions throughout the day.  However, I realized as we sat around my mother-in-law's table, how much I had to be thankful for.  My husband and I did the blessing before we started eating, which is another story because today I start a HUGE diet after what I ate lol. 

I am blessed.  The fact that my husband was sitting there and did the first part of the blessing after what happened 2 months ago, his chair could have been empty too.  Both my sons were there from out of state and one of their gfs, who I consider my daughter, my other son's gf, who I also consider my daughter, didn't fly in with him and spent Christmas with her parents.  And to see the relationship my sons have with each other, I am blessed.  Some of you know, but I only have one sibling who is 9 1/2 years older than me and is severely handicapped.  My Mom and her were joined at the hip for all of her life and now lives in an assisted living facility and loves it.  She was having a very difficult time this weekend but I was so proud of her.  She came out to eat with us Saturday night and was at my mil's yesterday.  I picked her up and brought her to my house because she wanted me to style her hair and put make up on her to go out.  And she had a wonderful time!!  So even though it was hard, I know my Mom was looking down and smiling.  And then my husband, both boys and Heather (Paul's gf) gave me gifts from the heart that the tears continued until we were done opening presents.  My boys tease each other constantly and Mark said to Paul...."Oh great...You had to give her your present first...you knew that she would do this". And I didn't stop having eyes filled with tears until we left the house to go and eat.  I am sharing one that was book related below.

So how was your day?

Hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading

Today's question:

   Did you get any books for Christmas? If so, what were they?
If you didn’t, what books are you most looking forward to reading (and/or buying) in the new year?

My response:

I didn't get any books and/or even an Amazon GC this year, which did and didn't surprise me.  My family knows and sees the big 5 shelf bookcase, and shake their heads in disbelief, when I tell them that those are my TBR books, plus the books in my Kindle and Sony EReaders.  So this year, I think they realize too, that the big bookcase in my reading room/office (now called "hopefully in my lifetime TBR  bookcase) and the little book case that holds my finished reads, that I don't need any more books.  But I love it, since they have started to read again, when they come home, they now go to both bookcases to see what they can take.

However, one of the gifts my Paul (the oldest) and the first gift he said I had to open was this:

The picture doesn't do it justice.  It is a silver plated bookmark.The heart is raised with pearl in the center and rhinestones around the sides of the heart.  There is filigree down both sides and engraved with this saying:

A mother understands what a child does not say.

OK..how many Moms out there are getting that warm and fuzzy feeling?  lol

And as to what books I am looking forward to, lol all the ones that sound like I would enjoy!!!  lol

December is being hosted by Lady Q from Let Them Read Books 

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia of A girl and her books and is now on tour.

According to Marcia, “Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.”

  The Story Plant (PICT)                     Author                         Meryl L. Moss Media

Monday Memes

Hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading

Today's question: 

What’s one book you always recommend to just about anyone?

My answer:

  Questions that ask for "one" answer is always hard for me, it's like answering what child do you love more.  With that being said, I will have to bend the rules a bit.

  This past year I have read books by authors that I definitely would recommend.  Beachcombers by Nancy Thayer, Author Chevy Stevens' books, Megan's Way by Melissa Foster, and of course, any book by Vincent Zandri.

  There are many more but it would depend on who I would be recommending a book to, what their likes are, the genre they are interested in.

What book would you recommend me to read?

December is being hosted by Lady Q from Let Them Read Books 

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia of A girl and her books and is now on tour.

According to Marcia, “Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.”

                                              WOW Tours                     Author

Monday Memes

Hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading

This week's question:

This week’s musing [borrowed from an old BTT post] asks…

I once knew a man who read about WWII. He read everything he could get his hands on on the subject. He had a whole wall of books that were all about WWII. It amazed me. How could he continue to find one subject that engrossing? My mother, on the other hand, loves to read best sellers. I’ve known other people who read science fiction to the exclusion of everything else; for others it was philosophy, self-help, or history.

So, to the questions…

What kind of books do you like to read?
Why? Provide specific examples.

My answer:

I gravitate toward the suspenseful, mystery type novels first and foremost.  And to be honest, I'm not sure why.  It could be that I like the fast paced, action like, trying to figure out whodunit that has me keep turning the pages.  Authors like Zandri, Patterson, Lisa Jackson, Wendy Corsi Staub, Chevy Stevens.  But then on the other hand I also enjoy reading books that fall in the "chick lit" category for the dynamics of relationships between the characters from authors Diane Chamberlain, Kristin Hannah,. 

December is being hosted by Lady Q from Let Them Read Books 

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia of A girl and her books and is now on tour.

According to Marcia, “Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.”

                                    The Story Plant              Meryl L. Moss Media 

Won from Booking With Bingo

Monday Memes

Hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading 

Today's question:

Will you be buying books for the holidays, this year? If so, for whom, and why?

My response:

Yes!!  Am so excited about it that I have already purchased them.  (Hoping the recipients aren't reading this.)  

When my boys were small, reading was part of our daily routine.  Plus they always saw me with a book, we would take walks to the local library and when we went to the mall, we always stopped in to B&N or Borders where they were allowed to pick out books to add to their R.L. Stein collection or any other books they wanted to buy.  But then they became teens and books for pleasure got shoved under the bed along with all their other trash.

Now that they are older, so has that old habit returned.  My younger son reads while on the train to and from his job.  And recently when hubby had his surgery, my oldest was able to drive in and be at the hospital with me, and I was stunned to see as we waited, he was sitting there reading a book.   YES!!!!!  So my hard work all those years ago paid off.  So one of their little gifts to open is a book that I hope they both will enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed buying for them.

November is being hosted by Holly from Wonders and Marvels 

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia of A girl and her books and is now on tour.

According to Marcia, “Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.”

                      The Hachette Book Group                        Author

Monday Memes

Hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading 

Today's question:

How do you decide to read a book by an author you haven’t read before? What sort of recommendations count most highly in making that decision?

My answer:

BB or before blogging, I would make my decisions  solely based on the synopsis on the back of the book.  Since I wasn't surrounded by those who enjoyed reading, recommendations by mouth were far and few between.  But since I have found this community, I still rely on the synopsis, but now, also rely on other bloggers' reviews.  

Some bloggers may give stellar reviews on books, however, if the genre is not one that I enjoy, I am not going to purchase the book simply because of that review.  I have to enjoy premise of the book overall. 

What about you?  How do you decide to read a book by a new author?

Monday Memes

Hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading

Today's Question:

Are you currently collecting any authors? Why?
Do you have all of their books? If not, why not?
Did you buy all the books in the collection at the same time, or did you buy a book here, a book there? Have you actually read all of the collection? If not, why not?

My answer:
I never thought of it as collecting one author's books, but I do have all of the books written by a couple of authors.  One author, and you probably won't be surprised by this, is Vincent Zandri.  I have his books both in print and EBook editions and have read each one.  The book that hooked me, Moonlight Falls, is one that I have in print and is signed. I have them and have read them all is for the fact, pure and simple, that I enjoy his writing and his masterful way of story telling. 


Another author is Melissa Foster.  I have all of her books as she has been a guest on this blog as a Guest Author and has been kind to gift me a copy of each one.  I have yet to read one due to  my very low reading numbers this year, but am hoping to read one soon.


This topic is one of the negatives of owning an EReader, in my opinion.   A collection should be displayed so that all can see but, that is impossible with a digital device. 


What about you?  Do you have collections by a particular author?

Monday Memes

Hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading 

Today's question:

Other than for school, do you read books to learn how to do something? What was/were the topic(s)?

My answer:

Hmm..I'm finding this question a bit tricky for me to answer.   I may read a recipe from a cookbook but not read the entire book so does that count?  Or I have read the small    booklet that came with my new phone, and I mean small, to learn about all the gadgets, which btw, the booklet didn't help.  So am not sure if that counts.  And I just received a book on Digital Photography, which I do plan to read because I love looking at all the pictures on everyone's site and want to learn how to do it.  But other than that, I guess my answer would be no.

November is being hosted by Holly from Wonders and Marvels

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia of A girl and her books and is now on tour.

According to Marcia, “Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.”

                          Author & WOW             The Hachette Book Group