Wednesday, September 24, 2014

W... W...W... Wednesdays ~ Sept. 24th, 2014

W... W... W... Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. To play along, just answer the following questions.


  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you'll read next?



What am I currently reading? I am currently reading 
Short-Straw Bride (The Archer Brothers Book #1) by Karen Witemeyer. It's so good! I'm about half way now, and I love Meredith's spunk and determination! 







What did I recently finish reading? I finished reading The Persuasion of Miss Jane Austen by Shannon Winslow. I loved this! Beautifully written! Oh, how I wish this could have been life for Jane, instead of being cut short at the age of 41.







What do I think I'll read next? I think I will start Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. That's right...I've never read the series! I'm really looking forward to it!! I've just been afraid to start for fear I won't get anything else done! ;)





FTC Disclaimer: Book links are to Amazon. I'm an Amazon Associate, and if you should purchase a copy of the book through the link provided, I will receive a small commission. Thanks!

What are you reading?

Monday, September 22, 2014

Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Bet by Marilyn Brant ~ My Review


Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Bet by Marilyn Brant 

Publication Date: July 15th, 2014 
Publisher: White Soup Press 
Pages: 236 
Received: e-copy from the author for my honest review. 
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars





 
Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Bet is a super fun and cute story!  This is a sequel to Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match (which I loved! See review here), but it stands up quite nicely on its own! Although both books are a modern Pride and Prejudice variation of sorts, they don't follow the original storyline closely. In Pride, Prejudice & the Perfect Bet you will find Jane and Bingley’s story. 

The story begins at the wedding of Beth Bennet and Will Darcy, were Jane is the Maid of Honor and Bingley is the Best Man. Unfortunately, at the moment they are not getting along so well. At the engagement party they were getting along just fine, in fact more than fine. Until Jane overhears a conversation Bingley is having, boasting of his conquests and how weddings are a perfect place to find action. He even makes a bet that he will score first!  Well, Jane's not about to help him win that bet! 

Bingley has no idea what turned Jane off, but when he finally figures it out, he works hard to correct her opinion of him. Soon Bingley, the confirmed bachelor, starts falling for Jane. My heart breaks for Bingley when Jane’s ex comes back into the picture.

I loved how Ms. Brant put fun names into this story! It was entertaining to recognize familiar names, including myself!! And how she mixed up Austen's characters a bit, like Jane’s ex is named Willoughby. I thought it was hilarious how Willoughby’s poetry drove Jane away. As Elizabeth Bennet said:


“But if it be only a slight, thin sort of inclination, I am convinced that one good sonnet will starve it entirely away” ~ Pride & Prejudice 

I always love Ms. Brant’s sense of humor and her writing style. She is one of my favorite authors! 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Bet! It was a fun quick read and left me with warm fuzzy feels! I would highly recommend this story! I loved it, and I bet you will too! 


FTC Disclaimer: I received an e-copy of the story from the author for my honest review.

Buy: Amazon
Add: goodreads

FTC Disclaimer: Link to Amazon. I am an Amazon Associate. Should you purchase a copy of the book through the link provide, I will receive a small commission. Thanks! 

Connect with Marilyn Brant

twitterfacebookwebsite • blog


Any thoughts? I'd love to hear!

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Bloggiesta!


Hey Everyone! I'm late for the party, but I'm here! It's Bloggiesta time! (skip down to computer picture if you don't want to read about what's going on in my life. :))

I truly didn't intend on participating this time as I had other plans for the weekend, but after a busy and stressful week I decided to stay home! 

Since the beginning of the new school year, my reading time has fallen dramatically. I am only homeschooling one this year - the other has started going to school (high school). So, I've added a lot of driving to my schedule, which I do not like...well, if I were the only one on the road I wouldn't mind so much! ;) I've also come to realize, it's the getting up early that's cut into my reading time more than anything. I usually only read at night, and well, staying up late is a thing of the past! :( As a result my reading and blogging has slowed down.

But there's more... I've had this crazy desire to learn lately, and I'm doing quite a few online classes. Algebra with Khan Academy (to keep up with my high schooler), Code Academy (to learn code), and starting soon, a Shakespeare course and Writing Fiction course with FutureLearn. Oh, and I'm doing a Bible Study at church. 

Plus, I sew...or I used to. I've been itching to work on a couple of sewing projects. I have a really cute 1940s Retro shirt to make for myself, some flannel PJ bottoms for my kids, a messenger bag...

What does this have to do with the Bloggiesta, you ask? Well nothing, I just wanted to vent a little... and to say why my to-do list is so short.

Ready to start blogging! (pic staged, usually much messier!)
Back to the Bloggiesta!



Here is my short list:
  • write at least one review. - Woot! Completed and scheduled! 
  • combine my 2014 reading challenge pages into one. - Completed! 
  • try to do one mini-challenge. - read through almost all of them. 
  • twitter chats - jumped into one briefly yesterday. - I was only able to make the one on Friday, but just briefly.

As I get stuff completed, I will update on this page. :) 


How am I ever going to find time to do everything??  
Did I mention that I also joined a gym last month? Lol!

What about you? Do you have time for this?   (I'm hearing "Ain't nobody got time for that" playing in my mind! ;)) 

Click here to join us!! It's not too late! 

Oh, and blogger seems to be giving me problems today with the placement of my pictures!! Nice.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

SOME BOYS Blog Blitz ~ Excerpt & GIVEAWAY

Hey Everyone! I'm very happy to be part of Barclay Publicity SOME BOYS Blog Blitz!! 
When I was first asked to be part of the blitz, the book intrigued me so much that I bought it and read it! I hope to have a review written soon!



YA author, Patty Blount, is back with another  novel that addresses one of today’s most pressing issues facing today's youth. SOME BOYS is a gutwrenching and edgy love story told from alternating points of view that's perfect for fans of Simone Elkeles and Katie McGarry.


"SOME BOYS belongs in every YA collection." - School Library Journal

"5 stars. Very well-deserved! This book did quite a number on me - unlike most books (contemporary or not), this one made me FEEL, and feel really strongly." - The Eater of Books



About SOME BOYS:
Some Boys go too far. Some Boys will break your heart. But One Boy can make you whole.
Seventeen-year-old lacrosse player Ian Russell—sidelined by a concussion—is sentenced to spend spring break scrubbing out lockers. It’s bad enough when Ian discovers his partner for the week is Grace Collier, the girl who claims his best friend raped her at a party in the woods a few weeks ago. But what sucks most of all is that he used to have a thing for Grace… before Zac MacMahon got to her first. 
Grace wants to crawl into one of the lockers and die. Ian was the only reason Grace even bothered to go that stupid party, but he never showed up. Not until… after. Suddenly, someone was shaking her awake. The last thing she remembers is the expression on Zac’s face. But Zac told the entire school the sex was consensual and posted a video on Facebook to prove it. Her best friends have abandoned her and even her parents aren’t too sure.
But Ian and Grace surprise each other. He never disrespects her, and she even helps him when a dizzy spell hits. Ian still likes Grace with her bad-ass style. Unlike the rest of the school, who has rejected Grace, calling her a slut and a liar, Ian is funny and kind with secrets of his own. But how do you trust the best friend of the boy who raped you? How do you challenge your best friend and call him a liar? How do you believe in love?

Excerpt:

Climax:

A large shard, all jagged edges and sharp points shines in the center of the light beam like it’s on stage.
Seductive.
I pick it up, fondle it for a minute, glide it against my skin. It’s cold and smooth, and with just one flip of my hand, I figure it’ll bite. It’ll hurt. But it can’t be any worse than what I feel right now, and when it’s done, I’ll be done too.
I adjust my grip on my piece of glass, my passport to freedom, and shut my eyes, imagining it, imagining the peace, the end of the pain, just…an end. I grip it harder, and a jagged edge reveals its teeth. My hand shakes, and my breath hitches.
No.
I drop the shard, fall to my knees, and cover my face.
“Jesus H. Christ, you scared the shit out of me.”
I swing the light beam around, and Ian steps into my clearing.
Maybe there’s a God. Maybe there isn’t. Something got him here just as I’m ready to break, and I wonder, Is he here to save me or smash me himself? He’s not happy—that’s clear. His eyes have shadows, and his face is tense. I pick up my bottle and chug, then stretch out on the ground against a tree.
“What are you doing, Grace?”
I lift my eyebrows at his painfully obvious question and don’t bother to answer. I swallow another drink, feel it burn a path to my stomach. A few seconds later he takes my bottle, swallows some, makes a face.
“Can I sit?”
I go still. Me wearing my kick-ass boots, drinking in the woods alone with a boy, and he wants permission to sit? Are you completely insane? every cell in my body screams at me, but I shift over a bit because it just doesn’t matter. What can he possibly do to me that hasn’t already been done? He crouches beside me, leans against my tree, and passes back my bottle.
“So why didn’t you do it?” He picks up my piece of glass, tosses it far out of the way. I mourn the loss as I follow its trajectory and swill more rum when it plops somewhere behind a shrub. Why didn’t I do it? Damn good question. How can I possibly explain it? I wanted to. I still do. But there’s something else I want more. Need like I need air to breathe.


Goodreads  •  Amazon  •  Barnes & Noble  •  Kobo

Also by Patty Blount: TMI and SEND!



About Patty Blount:

In addition to writing novels for teens, Patty Blount writes technical information for a computer company. Her first novel, Send, was inspired after a manager suggested she learn more about social networks. A short version of that same novel finished in the top ten of the Writer's Digest 79th Annual Writing Competition. She is also the author of the young adult book, TMI. She lives on Long Island with her family. Visit her at pattyblount.com.


Website  •  Facebook  •  Twitter  •  Goodreads  •  Pinterest


Want to get to know Patty better? Check out this exclusive interview!

~ ~ ~ GIVEAWAY~ ~ ~

Enter to WIN a $10 gift card for Amazon or Barnes & Noble + all 3 of Patty's books & SWAG including a SEND wristband, a TMI magnet and a SOME BOYS safety whistle! 

To enter fill out the Rafflecopter below! This giveaway is part of the Blog Tour. So little time... is not responsible for the distribution of prizes. Thank you.


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Any thoughts? I'd love to hear from you! Btw, I love how the book cover matches my blog's background! 

Monday, September 15, 2014

Pride and Persistence by Jeanna Ellsworth ~ My Review


Pride and Persistence by Jeanna Ellsworth 

Publication Date: March 29th, 2014 
Publisher: Hey Lady Publications 
Pages: 319 
Received: Paperback from the author for my honest review. 
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars






 
Pride and Persistence is a Pride and Prejudice variation that begins the day after Darcy’s first proposal to Elizabeth in Hunsford. Variations are my favorite type of Jane Austen Fan Fiction, and this one has a fun spin to it! 

After giving Elizabeth the letter, Darcy starts to mount his horse when a loud crack of thunder sounds, startling his horse, causing the horse to bolt and jump over the fence, throwing Darcy to the ground. Not only does the fall leave Darcy unconscious but he also has a badly broken leg. Elizabeth and Mrs. Wilkinson (the parsonage cook) witness the accident and send for help. They move him to the parsonage where he will have to stay until he recovers. When Darcy regains consciousness he has no memory of his accident, nor of the day before — he has forgotten the proposal and their terrible argument after. So he proposes again, and again and again… Darcy is suffering from short-term memory loss and every day he has to be told what happened to him, and everyday Elizabeth politely turns him down. As the days go on, Elizabeth starts seeing a different side of Darcy. A kinder man, a loyal and devoted friend, a persistence man! This Darcy she likes. This Darcy she is falling in love with, but can she marry him if he never remembers proposing to her in the first place??

I loved Colonel Fitzwilliam in this story. He knows how much Darcy loves Elizabeth, and he is very good at manipulating the situation to Darcy’s advantage; to control Lady Catherine, and encourage Elizabeth.

I enjoyed the beginning of this story very much! What starts out similar to the “50 First Dates” movie, soon takes on a story of its own. I was worried that it would be too much like the movie and was happy that it wasn’t. But, I do have to say that after their major difficulties had been smoothed over, I found the last third of the story a little slow.

Pride and Persistence is a humorous romance! This is Jeanna Ellsworth’s second novel. Her first is Mr. Darcy’s Promise (my review).

FTC Disclaimer: I received a paperback of the book from the author for my honest review.

Buy: Amazon
Add: goodreads


FTC Disclaimer: Link to Amazon. I am an Amazon Associate. Should you purchase a copy of the book through the link provide, I will receive a small commission. Thanks! 



Connect with Jeanna Ellsworth



Any thoughts? I'd love to hear from you!

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Winners of The Persuasion of Jane Austen Giveaway!

Hey Everyone! Rafflecopter has picked the winners of 

The Persuasion of Miss Jane Austen Giveaway!



A huge thank you to Shannon Winslow for being a guest on So little time...! I enjoyed her post and loved talking about love letters! I can't think of a more romantic letter than that of Captain Wentworth's to Anne. 

And now to announce the winners!

Cyn209 ~ paperback

Kelli H. ~ e-copy 

Tina C. ~ e-copy



Thanks to all who entered! 

The winners have been notified.




FTC Disclaimer: If you should purchase a copy of the book through the Amazon link provided on this page, I will receive a small commission. Thank you.


Wednesday, September 3, 2014

W... W... W... Wednesdays ~ Sept. 3, 2014


W... W... W... Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. To play along, just answer the following questions.


  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you'll read next?

What am I currently reading? I'm currently reading The Persuasion of Miss Jane Austen by Shannon Winslow. Ooh! I can't wait to see how this is going to turn out! This line really entices me: "A Novel wherein she tells her own story of lost love, second chances, and finding her happy ending." I would love to see Jane's story turnout differently ...and that she would find love! 






What did I recently finish reading? I finished reading The Giver by Lois Lowry. I really enjoyed this story. It did leave me with questions though, and I thought the ending was open to interpretations. Anyone else?






I also read Some Boys by Patty Blount. It was really good! When Grace is raped by the star of the lacrosse team at a party, nobody believes her. It's her word against his. Everyone thinks she's lying, even her best friends turn on her. Grace is a strong girl, amazing really. Even though, I did have a few issues with the story, I still thought it was a great read!  






What do I think I'll read next? I'm not sure... 


FTC Disclaimer: Book links are to Amazon. I'm an Amazon Associate, and if you should purchase a copy of the book through the link provided, I will receive a small commission. Thanks! 

What are you reading? 
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...