It's Monday! What are you Reading February 28, 2011?

This meme starts at One Person's Journey Through A World of Books!

What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

This was another good reading week with three completely different review books read. I posted four reviews, three with Giveaways; an author interview; the Enquiring meme post and my Sunday post.

I did visit at least 10 blogs over the week. I still want to do more.
These were last week's posts plus Winner posts not listed.

•  It's Monday What are You Reading? February 21, 2011.

•  Mailbox Monday February 21, 2011.

• Book Review and ARC Giveaway: The Werewolf Upstairs by Ashlyn Chase; Paranormal Romance; my rating 4.25. Ends 3/9.

• Book Review and TWO Copies Giveaway: Everyone Loves a Hero: ...and that's the problem by Marie Force; Contemporary Romance; my rating 4.25. Ends 3/11.

• Blog Tour Q&A Interview Marie Force author of Everyone Loves a Hero.

• Book Review and ARC Giveaway: Moonstruck Madness by Laurie McBain; Historical Romance; my rating 4.0. Ends 3/11.

•  Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway February 25, 2011. Ends 3/3.

• Audio Book Review: The Collectors by David Baldacci. Thriller; my rating 3.75.

• Enquiring Minds Meme Week #26 with Comment Giveaway. Ends 3/4.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement February 27, 2011.

Finished Reading:
Print and Kindle:
 
Moonstruck Madness by Laurie McBain
Review and ARC Giveaway linked above. Twists kept this interesting.

Print:
13, rue Thérèse: A Novel 

by Elena Mauli Shapiro.

I will post the review on this
Tuesday 3/1.
Very different and nice read.

Print and Audible:

To Defy a King by Elizabeth Chadwick

I started with the print then found it released on Audible so that made the reading quicker. 
A remarkable historical fiction! Review and ARC giveaway to be posted Wednesday 3/2 with author Guest Post.

Line Edits/Releases:
ΕΞΙΣ gods, ghosts and battered cellphones by Anne Abad -a sci fi collection -is released! Love From the Ashes by Patricia Andres is getting one last tweak and will release this week also.

Currently reading:

Print:  My Love, My Enemy by Jan Speas. 
I am a third of the way into this.  I like the premise but hope it picks up a bit. I plan to post the review and ARC giveaway 3/3.

Product Description
Casablanca Classics presents this runaway bestseller, a swashbuckling historical romance by a beloved author
A passion for adventure...
Beautiful, naïve, and impulsive, Page Bradley inadvertently rescues English spy Lord Hazard in Baltimore during the tumultuous War of 1812. Now she must put herself at the mercy of her country's enemy.
An aptitude for deception...
Lord Hazard is no stranger to the atrocities of war, but he never imagined the beauty that could come of it until he meets the fiery and irresistible Page. Now he finds himself questioning every loyalty he's ever felt for King and Country.
Amidst the turmoil of war and the peril of the high seas, these two sworn enemies are destined to discover that denying love may be worse than treason.

Print and Kindle:

House Divided by Raul Ramos Y Sanchez  

I have the print but thought this would be quicker to read on Kindle.
This is a very interesting plot!

Once they had a country, a culture, a future. Today, upheaval and betrayal have turned their world upside down. And for one family-a U.S. war hero, his deeply religious wife, and their impressionable fourteen-year-old son-a new struggle has just begun.

Mano Suarez made a choice to fight against injustice, and his wife can only pray for his deliverance. Now their son, Pedro, takes up his father's cause . . . disappearing into the ranks of a cult-like organization and leaving his family far behind. To rescue him, Mano must face the consequences of his past deeds. But how can he convince his son to give up the very ideals he, Mano, embraced? How can he prove that home and family are the most important ideals of all?

Audio:
Maeve Binchy Value Collection: 
The Copper Beach, Circle of Friends, The Glass Lake.  
I am still on the first story which is a group of character vignettes of people from a small Irish village. Enjoyable shorts so far.

Audible: I am listening to is The Listener's Bible NIV read by Max McLean. He is a wonderful reader. I am at Exodus 35.

Line Edits: Working to finalize and format Soylent Red by Jamieson Wolf. Also doing final edits on Desperate Measures by Cindy Comer.

Review books Scheduled for March:
March 2: To Defy a King by Elizabeth Chadwick- Sourcebooks review with Author Guest Post
March 9:  Interview with Author R Pelke
March 15: Living With Angels (God Wars) by Rob Tobin - Bewitching Book Tours with Author Guest Post and ebook Giveaway
March 17: Welcome to Last Chance - Hachette Review and Giveaway
March 22: Rogue Oracle by Alayna Williams- Bewitching Book Tours
March 23: The Chosen King by Helen Hollick- Sourcebooks reviw with Author Interview

Unscheduled for March:
The Linen Queen by Patricia Falvey ARC- Hachette Fiction
The Healing Code: 6 Minutes to Heal the Source of Your Health, Success, or Relationship Issue by Alexander Loyd - Grand Central Station (Hachette)
Highland Heat by Mary Wine- Sourcebooks
Merely Magic by Patricia Rice- Sourcebooks
Taste Me by Tamara Hogan- Sourcebooks
Legacy by Jeanette Baker- Sourcebooks

That is eleven books so far so there isn't too much room to add in. It just depends on what might pop up.
I will post a Help Me Pick the Next Read probably tomorrow so I'll know which ones to go with next..

Sunday Words of Encouragement February 27, 2011

We had a guest speaker today who spoke on 5-Star Hospitality: Making God's House a Home.  This is a wonderful concept since we are a family at church and we need to be welcoming to those who come to visit and hopefully many will join our family. He presented the three key ingredients to 5-star Hospitality which are to be:
1. Enthusiastic
2. Selfless and
3. Involve Everyone.
It was a straight forward message which would be good to apply in our homes, our businesses and our church. The main difference between the world and the church though is that the church has an extremely important message to offer that the world does not have.  That message is worth offering with 5-star hospitality.

This was our choir song today.  

Someday maybe I will learn to make videos.

This one isn't quite what I wanted 

but it has some of the words across the bottom.
Also it has some verses that are wonderful.

Verses for Today:

Romans 12:10-13

10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;
11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer,
13 contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.

I prayed this morning for God's guidance to help me to be more hospitable and also for the church to reach out and offer a home to any that seek it.

Enquiring Minds - Meme Week 26 PLUS Comment Giveaway + Winner

Thanks for sharing last week about vitamins, snacks and breakfast choices. Some of us are better at taking our vitamins than others - Mariska is good to take her supplement (Congratulations on the baby - how are you sleeping? *BG*) We all like different snacks but it sounds like most of us like our breakfast foods!

The Winner from Enquiring Minds Week #25 is: Stacey. Stacey - please pick a book from the Love Books List for Giveaway and let me know your choice, your address and a choice of bookmarks if desired. Or let me know what credit you want or book you want from Book Depository if international.

This meme is hosted by Dollycas Thoughts for Thursdays - which are hard for me to make.  The goal is to get to know our fellow bloggers and visitors better. Each week Dolly asks some questions for us to answer and then link up. I am late doing the post but I am trying to to participate as I would like to learn more about blogger and follower friends.

WEEK 26 QUESTIONS

1. Do you wear perfume, body spray, etc.  If yes what are you favorite scents/brands?
A few years ago I found a new scent - I use DNKY Be Delicious or Red Delicious.

2. How many pillows are on your bed?
--- I had to go count:  There are six pillows on our bed.  A little like the picture below. But I have a foam memory pillow for my head and a small back pillow I  use under my knee. The other four pillows my DH uses.

3. If you could be any character in a fairy tale, who would you be?

Here's A List That May Help

If you check that link there are way to many choices! I think there is a wise old owl in some fairy tale and that is what I would pick I think.  Or... the other one that came to mind was Beauty from Beauty and the Beast. Not that my DH is a beast... and I am blessed with my own Happy Ending.

Your turn to share - Do you use a perfume? how many pillows are on your bed? or what fairy tale character would you like to be?  

All of February winners will get to make their selection from some Valentine and "Love" books I posted. 
Rules: a) Must be a follower; b) Share a comment on any (or all) of the three questions above.
Open internationally and an international winner may get a smaller book or a $5.00 GC if I decide the mailing is too much.
I will pick a Comment winner from all comments made by Friday, March 4 at 10PM central. 

Book Review: Audiobook The Collectors by David Baldacci

The Camel Club team solves a series of seemingly unconnected killings.
The Collectors  by David Baldacci

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Hachette Audio; Unabridged edition (October 17, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1428115595
• ISBN-13: 978-1428115606
• ASIN: 1594835845

Genre: Thriller
Rating: 3.75 of 5.0

People are dropping dead in Washington, D.C. First the Speaker of the House falls victim to a hit man in a carefully orchestrated murder in front of dozens of the city's power elite. Next, the director of the Library of Congress's Rare Books Room dies in a book vault, but no one knows how. Caleb Shaw, Camel Club member, nearly falls victim, too. Across the country, a gifted con woman assembles an A-list team to pull off one of the most audacious scams ever, against one of the most dangerous men in the world. When the worlds of Washington and the elite con collide head-on, the Camel Club finds itself teamed with a person they don't really trust but whose skill helps them unravel a secret that threatens to bring America to its knees.

Review: This was an enjoyable listen if not completely crisp.

I have read this series out of order since I started with the most recent book, Hell’s Corner. I enjoyed getting to know Oliver Stone in Hell’s Corner and I enjoyed that narrator.  Although I liked the mystery in The Collectors I did not really enjoy the narration as much. Also I felt the story was a bit disjointed. That was probably because the connection between the killings is not clear until closer to the end of the book.

The Collector keeps a token from each kill.  Considering who the assassin is it is surprising that he only plays games with Oliver when he gets the chance to take him out. Allowing the continuing investigation and hindrance of the Camel Club doesn't really ring true.

I felt that I got to know the other members of the Camel Club a little better in this story.  I liked how each Club personality contributed their individual talents: photographic memory, surveillance and military skills, and research details. It appears that Annabelle is introduced in this book who adds a few disguises and cons to the team efforts.

Annabelle has her own plotline of revenge and a multimillion con against the man who killed her mother. This extra plotline added interest to the story but her merger into the team seems a bit forced since she should be running to hide and lay low. This book ends with Annabelle's story up in the air so I will be interested in the next book in the series which should address how she escapes the Casino magnate who has found her.

Replacement Winners

Two Replacement winners for Notorious Pleasures (Maiden Lane) by Elizabeth Hoyt

CONGRATULATIONS to:

LAURA H. and WENDY