Vivacious KIDS :: Review & Giveaway!

 

I got the opportunity to review Vivacious KIDS, an eBook with 7 kids patterns in it for children aged 2 & 10 designed by both Ella Austin & Rachel Coopey. The patterns are all shown in Fibrespates Vivacious DK an 4 ply yarns. (Unfortunately I do not own any Fibrespates yarn). The eBook features 2 hats, 2 sweaters (one cardigan & one pullover), a pair of socks, a jumper and a pair of mittens).

 

Right away I was drawn to the Swashbuckle hoody pattern. I also really like the Jack-be-nimble hat as it uses sock yarn, and boy do I have plenty of that in my stash. With 3 young boys who are growing fast, I’m always on the look-out for nice knitting patterns for them. All these patterns would look great using handdyed yarn. They look like classic designs, and I definitely like ageless pieces. Some styles are great for hand-me-downs, especially when you have 3 children of the same sex. What I like is that any of these patterns (except the little dress of course), could be knit for a boy or girl. This is a well rounded book with lots of extra information, such as help with sizing guidance, gauge, techniques and very useful links to tutorials online. I always love great pictures in pattern books, and the photography by Jesse Wild is wonderful.

Jeni at Fyberspates has kindly given me the opportunity to host a giveaway of this eBook.  I am offering one of my lucky readers the chance to win and in order to do so, I am asking you to leave a comment on this post and let me know which one is your favourite pattern from this collection. Let me know which one and why! You can view all the patterns here. Also, please either leave your Ravelry ID or your email address if you are not on Ravelry so that the eBook can be sent to you. I'll pick the winner Sunday, August 2nd, 2015 at 10pm (EST).

If you cannot wait to see if you’ve won and must purchase this awesome eBook now, you can purchase Vivacious Kids on Ravelry using an exclusive discount code I have to offer you. Use the code: KnitPurlMama to receive 25% off the book or any of the single patterns from now until Sunday, August 9th, 2015. If you do win the collection and you did buy the collection, Fyberspates will reimburse you.

Do let me know if you knit any of these lovely patterns, I’d love to see how they turn out!

Note: I was gifted a copy of Viviacious Kids Pattern Book to review however all opinions in this review are my own.

Knits for Boys by Kate Oates

 
I got the chance to review a book called Knits for Boys by Katie Oates, which features adorable and stylish knits. There are sweaters, tops, vests, hoodies, mittens, hats, which are designed especially for boys and sized from 4-12. When I got asked to review this book, I told the woman who contacted me that I was the perfect person to review this book seeing as I have 3 boys of my very own. The book also features reference sections on how to knit for kids, choosing colors and styles, sizing, how to make a sweater grow with your child, how to find a comfortable fit, and even tutorials on simple additions to patterns such as hoods and zippers.

The theme of the book is “Grow with me”. This is fantastic because my boys seem to outgrow the things that I knit for them quite quickly. Katie is a mom of FOUR boys, so she is the perfect person to write a book on boys garments. The tips in this book are fantastic and I learned some interesting things on how to get more use out of children’s knitted garments.

My favorite pattern in this book has got to be the T-Rex Graphic Pullover. I wonder if any of my boys would wear it if I made it.

If you have any boys in your life, then you definitely need this book! Some of the patterns can be modified with girl colors to daughters too, by playing with color or texture. If you are interested in this book, you can purchase your autographed copy here or on Amazon.

You can preview what’s in the book here.

If you are a US Resident, you can enter to win a copy of this book. Sorry to my Canadian & International readers, unfortunately Stoackpole will only ship to a US resident.

To enter, leave me a comment on this post to let me know which pattern from the book would you knit first. Click here to view all the patterns in the book.

Giveaway entries close at 11:59PM EST on April 1st, 2015.

Banks of Certain Rivers

The Banks of Certain Rivers is now out on paperback! The kindle price is under 4$ as well. I read this book back in the spring of 2013, and gave it a 5 star rating. I remember having read a bunch of crappy novels before it, and was pleased to have read something good.

At first, I wasn't sure how I felt about Neil, a father of a teenage boy, whose wife was in an accident which led her to become a vegetable in a comatose state. Neil started seeing his mother-in-law's nurse, behind his son's back. I can understand that he wants to move on with his life, as his wife would never come out of her coma. As the story went on, I became more and more understanding of his situation, and no longer considered him cheating. If I ever end up (knock on wood) as a vegetable, I would want my husband to move on, providing that it was for sure that I wouldn't be able to rebound back out of the coma. I also wouldn't want to be kept alive if I were a vegetable, but that's not what I am talking about here. I was immediately drawn in to this story and wanted to know how it all played out. It wasn't predictable and could have gone in different directions, which had me guessing throughout the novel. Was he going to lose his job after the video of him went viral on youtube? Would his son Christopher accept his apology? Where was Chris after he ran away? I am glad that everything worked out the way it did, in the end. The story all came together nicely. 

The supporting characters were very likable and realistic. They all drew me in as we met them in the book and was drawn into the book right from the prologue - wanting to know more, as the novel was set up very well. 

I liked the use of the emails from Neil to Wendy at the end of some of the chapters. I liked how it added a little extra to the story by giving us some more private/personal thoughts. I was sad to see the emails end once the email account that Neil's friend set up (so that he wouldn't know the password) expired and the emails he was sending bounced back. 

I also liked the way the story wrapped up in the end in the last chapter, giving you information about what the characters were now up to. I hate it when a novel leaves you guessing at the end, but this story doesn't do that to you, and I appreciated that. 

I really loved this novel and it was well written. I was able to connect with all the characters and the storyline was realistic. I enjoyed reading this and recommend this novel. I cannot wait to see more by Jon Harrison. 

SPUN

Catherine McKenzie does it again! She had me not wanting to put this novella down. I read it pretty much in one sitting. I have been a fan of Catherine's work since her first novel came out, which I read in the spring of 2010, a few short months after it was released. I've read all of Catherine's work, and thoroughly enjoyed every single novel & now novella, that Catherine has written. I was thrilled when I received an advanced reader's copy of Spun to read & review.

Spun is a sequel to Catherine's first novel, Spin. While Spin is Kate Sandford's story, Spun is Amber Sheppard's. While you don't need to read Spin to enjoy Spun, it does provide you with background on the characters. And if you haven't read Spin, I advise you to go pick up a copy today and read both. (And all of Catherine's other novels, you will not be disappointed). You can pick them up on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Kobo.com, Chapters, etc!

Amber's character is extremely realistic, and I could picture her story on the covers of US Weekly or any other tabloid magazine. Amber stays clean after her stint in rehab and tries to get her life back on track. The story starts off with Amber going to see the love of her life, Connor, on the night he dies, and decides to get off his plane and with that decision, manages to save her life. So much happens in the 100-something page novella and the way Catherine writes makes you want to know more. And you have to keep reading to know the full story, as bits of the story and of what is going on are dropped along the way.

There is a giveaway for 5 copies of Spin by Catherine McKenzie. You can find the giveaway here!

The Calvillos

Yesterday, a local kitchen accessories store was having a book signing for Anthony & Alexia Calvillo for the new cookbook they have out. A Calvillo fan, I had to go check it out. (Ok, it’s more than a fan-thing… it’s a slight crush-thing).

The Calvillo’s are very nice. They live in my neighborhood, and Sean took swimming lessons with their daughter Athena back in 2010. I got his autograph back then after weeks of chickening out in the family locker room after swimming lessons.

Quentin was playing shy with the Calvillos, it was cute. Their daughters were there as well while they were doing the signing. Since I came towards the end and it was quiet there, we chatted for a bit. It was a very cool afternoon, and I cannot wait to try some of the recipes in their cookbook.

I Just Want to Pee Alone

Peeing alone? What's that mean? As a mom of 3 boys (ages 2.5, 5 and 6.5 for those of you whom are new stopping by my blog), I am not sure what going to the bathroom alone means. I never get to go to the bathroom alone these days, unless I am actually home alone. There is usually a kid or two in the bathroom with me, because they cannot fathom the idea allowing their mother to actually go to the bathroom in peace. I don't understand why fixing their toy with dead batteries or showing me a level they passed in a game on their iPod can't wait two minutes. It's apparently the end of the world if I don't see it or do it now.

I received a copy of I Just Want to Pee Alone courtesy of Jen of People I Want To Punch in the Throat to read & review.

This hysterical compilation of mom blogger stories was great. I laughed my way through almost every one! A few of the stories I was able to relate to, being a mother of 3 myself. The title is definitely fitting - I can't remember the last time I got to pee alone as a mother of 3 young boys.

There were a few stories that were obviously funnier than others, but they all were entertaining. Some of the stories I found myself saying "been there" or "done that!" I think my fave story out of them all - that has stuck in my head, was the story about the furry underwear. I don't have any daughters myself, but I think I might be glad I don't now after reading that story.

I like that this compilation of stories made me feel like I wasn't alone out there and that other mothers are going through the same things that I am. It's just nice to know that.


If you're a mom, becoming a mother, or not a mother yet, you can still enjoy these stories. You can snag your own e-copy of this book on Kobo here or on Amazon here. If you're not up to date with e-reading just yet, you can find a paperback copy on Amazon here.

No-One Ever Has Sex On A Tuesday

I enjoyed reading No-One Ever Has Sex on a Tuesday. Tracy Bloom had me entertained with wit and humor. This took me longer to read than normal as I had some stuff going on that came up but it was a fast paced story nonetheless. This is the story of Katy Chapman who didn’t expect to walk into a pre-natal class at 8 months pregnant to find her ex-boyfriend there with his extremely pregnant wife. She hadn't seen him since they slept together about 8 months prior after a school reunion. She then realizes that it's possible that her ex-boyfriend Matthew could be the father of her child.
 
Katy, 36, hadn’t planned on getting pregnant - in fact it was the very last thing in her plan. Her boyfriend Ben is a number of years younger than her. He is a gym teacher who makes inappropriate jokes at every opportunity that he gets. He’s not really the person she had pictured spending her life with, but then again, she hasn’t pictured spending her life with anyone since things ended with Matthew, her childhood sweetheart. He broke her heart when they both started university. 

I liked Katy, and felt that she was someone I could easily be friends with if she were a real person. She has some weaknesses as a person with her decision making, but who doesn't, and that made her real & likeable. Ben, Katy's boyfriend and possible father of her child, I didn't like at first, but in the end, he grew on me with the way he twisted everything around to try to make things right to Katy. I won't give away the details, or it'll ruin the book for you, but Ben, even though he was younger than Katy, proved that younger men can be suitable boyfriends/lovers/fathers. I myself have never enjoyed dating younger men, I have a thing for older men (my husband is 5 1/2 years older than me), but this story proves that younger man could live up to being a suitable partner.

The mannerisms of both Daniel and Braindead had me laughing hysterically. Some of the British humor I understood and some of it I wasn't too sure about. I couldn't decide if I liked or hated Matthew throughout the book. I won't tell you all the details for this either as to why I couldn't decide, as it'll ruin the story for you, I hope you'll pick up a copy and read it (and for 2.87$ on amazon it's a great deal!) I also like that besides the funny moments, there were some sincere moments between the main characters as well. It was a nice balance of both in this story.

I can't wait to read the sequel to this book, No-One Ever Has Sex After A Baby. I also caught a glimpse at the end of this book of  the first 4 chapters of Tracy's next novel, Single Woman Seeks Revenge, which comes out July 19th. I can't wait to pick it up to read.

Hidden

I have been a fan of Catherine McKenzie’s work since her first novel came out, which I read in the spring of 2010, about 4 months after it was released. I've read all her work, and thoroughly enjoyed every single novel that Catherine has written. I had the pleasure of getting an advance reader’s copy of Catherine McKenzie's new novel, Hidden, which was released yesterday. I also have the pleasure to participate in the Hidden blog tour. (You can buy Hidden as a book here or an ebook here).

Hidden is completely different than the style of Catherine's first 3 novels, which was a nice change. This novel introduces 3 narrators (Jeff, Tish & Claire), instead of one/two narrators. Each chapter moves through the story in chronological order through each of their own stories and leaves you not wanting to put the novel down until the very last page. The story is completely realistic and that's what I like in a novel. I also liked the suspense of wondering throughout the entire novel, if Jeff and Tish were actually lovers or not.

Jeff, while walking home from work one day, is hit by a car and dies. Hidden is the story of his wife, Claire (and their son Seth) and another woman, Tish a co-worker from the same company at another branch in another city (as well as her family, husband Brian and daughter Zoey), who both are heart broken at the death of Jeff.

I recommend this book to anyone who has or has not read any of Catherine's earlier work. If you haven't read any of her earlier work, you should, Catherine's novels are fantastic. They're light, fun reads and this one is being released just in time for summer, perfect to read by the pool/beach.

I look forward to seeing where Catherine goes with her next novel, because she certainly outdid herself with Hidden.

I had the pleasure of asking Catherine a few questions to share with my readers:

1. What inspired you to write Hidden?

Like all of my books it was a conjunction of things, but the biggest catalyst was probably that mine disaster where one of the guys in the mine had a wife and a girlfriend. I kept thinking about how that might never have come out if he'd died, and what that would be like for the girlfriend.

2. What kind of research did you do for this book?

None.

3. In one sentence, how would you describe Hidden?

Hidden is about one man's relationship with two women - his wife and his co-worker - and how they cope with life after he dies unexpectedly.

4. You talk about places in the USA that Jeff & Tish visit on their retreat that they went on through work. Have you actually visited those places? Your description of the places seems real or was it based on research? (Example: Your description of Indio on p. 290).

I have been to Indio. My grandparents winter there. And the places I describe there - The Shield's Date farm and the Joshua Tree National Park - are a must see.

5. You also mention that Jeff and Tish each live in a different Springfield. In the USA there is a Springfield in about 35 states with over 50 cities/towns/called Springfield. In your past novels you haven’t straight out said where your characters live, only mentions of where they have traveled to (example: Africa in Forgotten). Did you use Springfield on purpose because it still leaves the reader open to their interpretation of where they actually are?

Yup :). Honestly, I wanted to have the novel a bit more grounded in place than my previous novels, and I love that there are so many Springfields that it could be any one of them or none.

6. Do you have any other novels in progress?

Early, early stages.

7. I know you’re a litigation lawyer and you also teach law at McGill University so I need to ask – when do find time to write 4 novels?

I no longer teach law. I write when I can and it's been a long time too. I wrote Arranged in 2006-2007. Spin in 2007-2008. Forgotten in 2008-2010. And Hidden in 2011-2012.

8. How long does it take you to write your novels?

Each one has varied. I think the first draft of Arranged and Spin were fastest - about six months, but they took a lot more revision.

9. What’s your last favourite book you’ve read?

The Banks of Certain Rivers by Jon Harrison. It's awesome (as you know!).

10. What are you currently reading?

As I write this I'm about to start reading Khalid Hosseini's new book. But I read a book a week for this reading project I'm doing on Goodreads so I'll be reading something else next week!

Thanks for the questions!

Thank you Catherine for taking the time to answer my questions!

The Best of Us

The Best of Us was my first Sarah Pekkanen novel and I thought it was fun & enjoyable. This is the story of four friends who met in college, Dwight, Tina, Savannah and Allie as well as their spouses who go off to Jamaica on vacation to celebrate Dwight's 35th birthday. During their vacation they get threatened by Hurricane Betty and the storm heads their way. We learn about infidelities and secrets kept from husbands, and the characters have to decide what truths to share and what not to. The writing what fluid and I wanted to see how the story played out/came all together. Having just been to Negril, Jamaica in January I felt that connection to the story as well, being able to actually picture it in my mind. I felt that each of the characters had a unique voice. I thought that with all these main characters it would be hard to follow them without being confused but Sarah does a great job of writing so that you don't get lost and are able to follow each character's story. The main characters are stressed-out stay-at-home mother of four Tina who is married to Gio, to seemingly put-together mother of two Allie who is married to Ryan, insecure Pauline who is married to the birthday boy Dwight and flirty Savannah whose separated husband Gary appears in Jamaica at one point in the novel. We learn of Pauline's sister Therese and that Allie might have ALS which runs in her family as well as cheating that goes on between a few of the characters in the story. I won’t give away too much – or it will ruin the story for you. I recommend that if you are looking for a good read this summer, check out this novel.

I can't wait to check out what else Sarah has written.

The Banks of Certain Rivers

Wow! I've been reading some pretty crappy novels lately, and am glad to have had the opportunity to read & review this one - The Banks of Certain Rivers by Jon Harrison.

At first, I wasn't sure how I felt about Neil, a father of a teenage boy, whose wife was in an accident which led her to become a vegetable in a comatose state. Neil started seeing his mother-in-law's nurse, behind his son's back. I can understand that he wants to move on with his life, as his wife would never come out of her coma. As the story went on, I became more and more understanding of his situation, and no longer considered him cheating. If I ever end up (knock on wood) as a vegetable, I would want my husband to move on, providing that it was for sure that I wouldn't be able to rebound back out of the coma. I also wouldn't want to be kept alive if I were a vegetable, but that's not what I am talking about here. I was immediately drawn in to this story and wanted to know how it all played out. It wasn't predictable and could have gone in different directions, which had me guessing throughout the novel. Was he going to lose his job after the video of him went viral on youtube? Would his son Christopher accept his apology? Where was Chris after he ran away? I am glad that everything worked out the way it did, in the end. The story all came together nicely.

The supporting characters were very likable and realistic. They all drew me in as we met them in the book and was drawn into the book right from the prologue - wanting to know more, as the novel was set up very well.

I liked the use of the emails from Neil to Wendy at the end of some of the chapters. I liked how it added a little extra to the story by giving us some more private/personal thoughts. I was sad to see the emails end once the email account that Neil's friend set up (so that he wouldn't know the password) expired and the emails he was sending bounced back.

I also liked the way the story wrapped up in the end in the last chapter, giving you information about what the characters were now up to. I hate it when a novel leaves you guessing at the end, but this story doesn't do that to you, and I appreciated that.

I am curious about the title - I am not sure what it had to do with the story, so if there was a reference to The Banks of Certain Rivers, maybe I missed it. There was a river near Neil's house, that is mentioned several times throughout the story.

I learned a lot of new words throughout this novel, I was constantly using the kindle dictionary. It's not necessarily a bad thing, the words were used in the right context, but for a normal reader, this would maybe be a little annoying. To give a few examples of words I looked up: beatific, hemochrome (which the Kindle library had no definition for), propensity, gait, detritus, heralded, seismic, just to name a few.

I really loved this novel and it was well written. I was able to connect with all the characters and the storyline was realistic. I enjoyed reading this and recommend this novel. I cannot wait to see more by Jon Harrison.

Writing Workshops

 

Yesterday I had the pleasure of seeing author Catherine McKenzie at two of her workshops in downtown Montreal. She is the author of 3 novels (Spin, Forgotten & Arranged), with a 4th book (Hidden) coming out this June. I have read all her novels, and loved them. Catherine was giving 2 workshops yesterday, one called How to Write Dialogue and the other called How to Find Your Voice. I took Dialogue Writing last year which Catherine hosted with author Shawn Klomparens, and enjoyed it. This year, it was the same outline, but with new faces in the crowd for the workshop, new things were talked about and it was extremely interesting. I have always loved writing, and possibly have some ideas in my head that I might just start to put on paper. The 2nd workshop, on finding your voice was very interesting as well. I learned a bit about the tense that books are written in (first person, third person, present, past tense, etc). According to Catherine, I have to just “DO IT”! I took some notes, I have some ideas, now I just need to get started. Above, Catherine was reading an excerpt from Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl to then ask us about the tense that it was written in.

Wherewolves

Based on the screenplay, WHEREWOLVES, by John Vamvas and Olga Montes this novel kept me on my toes once all the action started - I just couldn't put it down. A group of troubled high school seniors who mainly all come from military backgrounds, along with their teacher, The Sarge, go away on a weekend of survival training and must face their fears. The novel was completely unpredictable - I couldn't believe how it ended, I thought it was something else and I was completely fooled (in a good way). The entire novel was completely realistic as well (the way the teens talked, acted, were, etc). The beginning of the novel, which is really the end, starts with an action scene to grab your attention, and then moves on to build up the story a bit before the action at the end makes you not want to put the book down. The detail in the novel was so "detailed" that I vividly saw everything in my mind, but it wasn't too overwhelming. I am not usually into "werewolves" type novels, but this is not your usual "werewolves" novel either! I absolutely recommend it.

I hope a second novel is written, I want to know more, what happens next? What happens after Dawn leaves the cabin? Please give us more!

I cannot wait for this novel to come out on paperback, as I plan to get a print copy (I read the e-book) and get both Vamvas & Montes to sign it for me. (Is it a bonus that their adorable son is in my son's kindergarten class?) The ebook is currently available on amazon for a great price of around 3$.

A MUST READ!

A link to author bios, book excerpt (first two chapters), synopsis, and reviews is here,   follow the book on Twitter: @WHEREWOLVESfilm, on Facebook, or on Goodreads.

I was given a copy of Wherewolves in exchange for my honest review.

25 books

Yesterday I read my 25th books read in 2013. That’s 1.66 books a week on average. We’re now in the about to start the 16th week of the year. I’m feeling quite confident that I can reach my pledge this year. So far this year I’ve read: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, Beyond the Sling by Mayim Bialik, Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks, Where’d you go Bernadette by Maria Semple, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, Stolen Innocence by Elissa Wall and Sh*t My Dad Says and I Suck at Girls by Justin Halpern, Three Good Things by Wendy Francis, Mistaken Identity by Dan & Susie Van Ryan, Colleen Newell, Whitney Cerak and Mark Tabb, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, Daring Greatly by Brene Brown, If You Ask Me by Betty White, I Like You by Amy Sedaris, Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick, Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Taught by Jenna Owens, The Mominatrix's Guide To Sex: A No Surrender Advice Book For Naughty Moms by Kristen Chase, Famous, The Birthday, The Angel all 3 by Ashley Barron, The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis, Holy Crap, I'm Bathing in a Rose by D.J. Paris, Inside by Alix Ohlin, and The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson.. When I posted my 25th book, the 50 Book Pledge let me know that I was on pace to read 89 books this year. I have posted all my reviews up on Goodreads.

Holy Crap, I’m Bathing in a Rose

This book was absolutely hysterical. I had not read any past entries from Delfin Paris’ blog, but I got right into the collection of stories and it’s humor sucked me in. I have the same type of sense of humor, so I laughed out loud at most of the book. There are 100 stories/chapters including the Forward which are diary style entries and which are the “best of” stories from his blog. Delfin found 25 readers form his blog to help him edit these stories for his book. Delfin is blunt, honest, and tells you like it is. He doesn’t hold anything back and gives you a look into his life, without sugar coating anything or making it seem like his life is perfect. I like his style of writing his stories, and he makes it fun and easy to read. There are images in the book, which are for the most part hysterical, and I find it adds that little extra something to the book. I liked the rawness to his truths, and feel that if I were in the same city as Delfin, that we’d be friends. After reading his book, I feel like I have known him forever, that’s the sense he gives off. I also loved that I could click on the links in the book and right on my kindle, read more into what he was talking about with a back story to the current story. That was pretty neat, and I’ve never done that before in something I was reading.

If you’re looking for some laughs and maybe a good cry too (but a good one, not in a bad way), then you should definitely pick up a copy of Holy Crap, I’m Bathing in a Rose (though I’m not really sure what the title of the book has to do with anything – please help me understand this one, Delfin!) You can buy Delfin’s book for under 3$ on Amazon here.

Ashley Barron :: Short Story Review

  

I recently received copies of Ashley Barron’s 3 ebooks, The Angel, Famous and The Birthday to read & review.

The Angel :: I am not sure how I feel yet about the after-life and about angels if they really exist or not. The writing in this short story flows and has made me question getting old and what I believe happens when one passes on. Do angels really exist? Do they help us with crossing over to the "next part" of our existence? Is there a next part to our existence? This could stir up a whole lot of debate. I normally don't pick up books on the subject of after-life but was curious about this story since II had already read the other 2  short stories by Ashley Barron and like her style of writing.

Famous :: This short story is about a woman whose father has either dementia or Alzheimer's, it's never really said in the story but both dementia and Alzheimer's is mentioned at the end of the story. My grandmother has Alzheimer's right now at a pretty late stage. I felt like I knew exactly what the main character was going through by not wanting to visit (because it is too hard to face). I know my grandmother still loves me even though half the time she mixes me or my kids up with someone else. I like the way the author writes, it's all very real. I like it when I read something that is true rather than far fetched.

The Birthday :: This was a really heart-warming short story. Being a mother and wife myself, the words that were written felt real to me. Her son acted the way my eldest would when trying to get what he wanted. The way she saw her family rang true. I wish I could have read more about the rest of the birthday evening. Did they end up at the theatre? Was there a surprise birthday in the end? I can't wait to read more by Ashley Barron.

I gave all 3 short stories a 4 star rating on Goodreads.

I was given copies of The Angel, Famous & The Birthday in exchange for my honest review.

Taught

Dr. Collins fantasizes about the female students in his college classes. He never expected that one of his students, Elizabeth, has some fantasies where he plays the lead.

A short little novella, Taught is very descriptive, has steamy scenes and was fun to read. The sexual scenes were way better written than they where in Fifty Shades. I cannot wait to see if Jenna Owens writes more about Dr. Collins and his new student (the following semester), Emily. The ending left me wanting to read more. I am not shy when it come to reading erotica or the likes, but I have not read much of it in my lifetime. Not just men can enjoy this "for men" novella, which I think might be the intended audience. Women can enjoy it just the same.

If you’re looking for a quick read with some juicy sex scenes, this is a great choice. I gave it 4 stars on Goodreads.

I was given a copy of Taught in exchange for my honest review.

15 Books

On Sunday I hit 15 books read in 2013. That’s 1.5 books a week on average. We’re now in the 10th week of the year. I’m feeling quite confident that I can reach my pledge this year. So far this year I’ve read: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, Beyond the Sling by Mayim Bialik, Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks, Where’d you go Bernadette by Maria Semple, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, Stolen Innocence by Elissa Wall and Sh*t My Dad Says and I Suck at Girls by Justin Halpern, Three Good Things by Wendy Francis, Mistaken Identity by Dan & Susie Van Ryan, Colleen Newell, Whitney Cerak and Mark Tabb, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, Daring Greatly by Brene Brown, If You Ask Me by Betty White, I Like You by Amy Sedaris & Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick. When I posted my 15th book, the 50 Book Pledge let me know that I was on pace to read 86 books this year – which is FAR more than the 24 books goal I had set on Goodreads as my original goal, and way more than the 50 Book Pledge goal, as well as more than the 52 books, 52 weeks goal. I’m on a roll, and I can’t put these books down! (While not all the books I have been reading have been the greatest selections, I’ve been enjoying them anyhow, for what they are).

10 Books

Today I hit 10 books read in 2013. That’s 1.25 books a week. We’re now in the 8th week of the year. I’m feeling quite confident that I can reach my pledge this year. So far this year I’ve read: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, Beyond the Sling by Mayim Bialik, Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks, Where’d you go Bernadette by Maria Semple, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, Stolen Innocence by Elissa Wall and Sh*t My Dad Says and I Suck at Girls by Justin Halpern, Three Good Things by Wendy Francis, and Mistaken Identity by Dan & Susie Van Ryan, Colleen Newell, Whitney Cerak and Mark Tabb. I just started reading The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. I’m addicted to getting lost in a good book!

50 Book Pledge

I decided to take the 50 book pledge for 2013. I also signed up for the 52 books, 52 weeks challenge with author Catherine McKenzie on Goodreads. (I’m here on there – if you’re on Goodreads, please feel free to add me as a friend). The 52 books, 52 weeks challenge though, I don’t like all the types of books that are chosen, so I’m only going to read the books I actually want to read, and the other weeks, I’ll chose something else. We are 8 weeks into the year, and I’ve read 7.5 books so far. I’m on track so far! According to the 50 books challenge, I’m on pace to read 52 books this year if I keep up my current pace. Last year, I tried to read 24 books, and was able to actually finish 22.5. This year, my knitting/crochet seems to be lacking but I’m on top of reading. I think I go through phases. There were times in the past where I’d devour books (that was also before I had kids). I missed reading so much, I think I’m over-compensating now. But that’s okay, reading is a good thing to do. So far this year I’ve read: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, Beyond the Sling by Mayim Bialik, Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks, Where’d you go Bernadette by Maria Semple, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, Stolen Innocence by Elissa Wall and Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern. I’m also about a 3rd into I Suck at Girls by Justin Halpern, Almost 20% into Hopeless by Colleen Hoover, 15% into How to Talk So Kids with Listen & Listen so Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber, 60% done The Stuff That Never Happened by Maddie Dawson (which I’ve had started a long time ago, but have been struggling through it, but want to finish it, because I always finish a book once started, I’m stubborn like that), and 36% into The Mominatrix's Guide To Sex: A No Surrender Advice Book For Naughty Moms by Kristen Chase, which most of it doesn’t even apply to me, as it talks about you & your partner while pregnant, just after giving birth, and with young children, and I’m way past that stage now, so a lot of it is irrelevant and I’m reading it and glad I’m way past those stages too!

What are you currently reading?

Totally Desperate Mom Winner!

 

The winner of the book Totally Desperate Mom by Wendy Hagen is:

“Krystal M. said... You always have the coolest giveaways! Thanks for hosting.”

Krystal, please email me at knitpurlmama at gmail dot com to claim your prize! You have 48 hours to do so, or I will draw another name.

If you didn’t win but want to purchase a copy of this book for yourself and for gifts for other mommy friends, the book is for sale here. You can read Chapter 1 as a preview here. (You can also get it on Amazon here, or for kindle here).