It's Monday, What are you reading?

Book Journey's Blog Hop Link

Welcome to It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading!  This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from! This meme is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. 

 Last week I finished -  Tragic Magic by Laura Childs

Now I am reading - The Next Always by Nora Roberts

Next I am going to read Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Seth Graham-Smith

I would love to hear what books you are enjoying.

Tragic Magic by Laura Childs (A Scrapbooking Mystery #7)

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Berkley 
• ISBN-13: 978-0425237434 

Carmela Bertrand, owner of Memory Mine scrapbooking shop, and her best friend Ava Gruiex, owner of Juju Voodoo, have a big project ahead of them. Melody Mayfeldt is converting a New Orleans mansion into a haunted house for tourists in need of a creepy fix. She needs Carmela's crafty touch to make Medusa Manor come to life -- and evoke the dead -- in time for an upcoming horror conversion. 

And what at horror! No sooner do they begin than Melody's body comes crashing through a tower window. And it was no accident. Somone wanted that local ghost hunter - turned - entrepreneur dead. Now Carmela's in some deep gumbo again as she tries to find out why, and stick it to the killer before he strikes again. 

This a the seventh book in the scrapbooking mystery series by Laura Childs. This is the first cozy mystery series I ever read and I still enjoy reading it. I really like how Laura always inputs some of New Orleans into her books. I love the recipes and scrapbooking tips at the end of each book. Carmela and Ava have a good relationship and are the best of friends. It is a good thing too since Carmela keeps finding dead bodies and then feels the need to find out who did the killing and Ava is always there to back her up. Laura gives you clues as the story goes along but you do not find out who the murder is until the last few pages. If you love mystery, scrapbooking and a little New Orleans flair you will like this book. I give this book 4 stars. 

Book Blogger Hop May 25th - May 31st

Crazy For Books Blog Hop Link

This week's question - Blogging Question: How do you handle the writing of a negative review?

My answer:  I don’t write a lot of negative reviews but once in awhile you can’t help it as you will come across a book you do not care for. When I have to write the negative review I try not to be harsh on the author as that book is their pride and joy. Just because I did not care for the book does not mean someone else will not love it. I point out what I did not care for and simply say this book was not meant for me or maybe I read it at the wrong time.

How do you handle this situation? I would love to hear your input.



Book Blogger Hop May 19 - May 24th

Crazy-For-Books Blog Hop

How many books do you own? This can include books in your to-be-read (TBR) pile(s) and books you have already read that are on your keeper shelf.

This is a hard question for me to answer. I have most of my books listed in my book collectorz program and quite a few of them listed on my goodreads account but I don’t think either of them are an accurate account.  I only keep some of my books when I am done with them the rest I trade or giveaway. My tbr stack is only books that I own that I am waiting to read. I am guessing I have over 600 books easily. It is kind of scary when you think about how many books we actually have. A few I keep – anything I have about Laura Ingalls Wilder, Diana Gabaldon’s books, Sara Donati’s books and Laura Child’s books.

How many books do you have? What are a few of your favorites? I look forward to hearing your answers.



Book Blogger Hop - May 11th - May 17th

 

Crazy for Books - Book Blogger Hop Link

The Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Crazy-For-Books.com. This weeks question is:

Who is your favorite book character? I’ll give you a maximum of two choices, but they have to be from different genres!

 

My favorite book character? I would have to say Claire from Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. I think she is such a strong person to have traveled thru time more than once as well as all the things she has seen and done in both times. Then to have to leave the love of your life and hope you can go back. It had to be hard on her. I also love Becky in Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series. She cracks me up with all of her spending and her creative ways of trying to get out of paying her bills. Becky comes up with some crazy ways of justifying why she needs to buy something.

 

Hannah's Journey by Anna Schmidt (#1 of Amish Brides of Celery Fields)

Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages

Publisher: Love Inspired

ISBN-13: 978-0373828685

What could bring an Amish widow and a wealthy circus owner together? Though Hannah Goodloe knew she'd violated countless unwritten laws, she had to visit the only man who could help find her runaway son. But when the enigmatic Levi Harmon agreed to take her on his train, the results were utterly unpredictable.
Levi never expected to find the embodiment of all he wanted in a woman in the soft-spoken, plainly dressed Hannah. And for Hannah, to love an outsider was to be shunned. The simple pleasures of family, faith and place to belong seemed an impossible dream. Unless Levi unlocked his past and opened his heart to God's plan.

This was my first book by this author. I enjoyed this book but to me it was a little slow moving at times. The more I read though the more I wanted to find out what was going to happen next. I like how Hannah and her family blended in so well with the circus family on the journey to find her son. The author does a good job in showing how close knit and friendly the Amish truly are. Another thing I enjoyed was that this told the story of how the Amish came to Florida. I don’t want to give away anymore but just want to say I think you will be happy with the ending. I am glad that the author chose to give up so much at the ending. I am looking forward to the next book in the series to see if the next lady finds happiness.  I give this book 3 stars.

Welcome to the Book Blogger Hop - hosted by Crazy-For-Books.com 

This week's question is: What are the next five books on your tbr (to be read) list?

 

 1. The Lawman Claims His Bride by Renee Ryan

2. Wanted: A Family by Janet Dean

3. The Next Always by Nora Roberts

4. In Like Flynn by Rhys Bowen

5. Midwife of the Blue Ridge by Christine Blevins