Summer Reading Challenges

Posted on June 11, 2018 by Ariesgrl

Hi Everyone,

Are you the type of person who participates in reading challenges? Do you use the summer days to soak up as many novels as possible?

PBS has put together this really cool program. They are going through 100 books and you can vote for your favorites. By the end of the summer, they will announce the winning title. Some of my favorites are on the list, i.e. Harry Potter, To Kill a Mockingbird, Their Eyes were Watching God, The Da Vinci Code, etc. Several are on my Wish List, and on the Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge. To find out more about this inspiring list, visit their website.

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Let’s Begin the Summer Reading…

Posted on May 28, 2018 by Ariesgrl

Hi Everyone,

We all know that Memorial Day is the unofficial start to summer. In honor of that, I wanted to share with all of you some incredible new releases that you will want to read this summer!

Released in April:

The Secret to Southern Charm by Kristy Woodson Harvey (Beach Read, bk 2 in a trilogy)

Our Little Secret by Roz Nay (a debut Psychological Thriller)

After Anna by Lisa Scottoline (Mystery Novel)

Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young (Teen Fantasy Novel)

Released in May:

Beach House Reunion by Mary Alice Monroe (Beach Read, bk 5 in the series)

The High Tide Club by Mary Kay Andrews (Beach Read)

The Map of Salt and Stars by Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar (Historical Fiction)

The Burning Maze by Rick Riordan (Teen Fantasy Adventure, bk 3 in the series)

To be Released in June:

Dreams of Falling by Karen White (Mystery/Beach Read)

Bring Me Back by B. A. Paris (Psychological Thriller)

Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman (Psychological Thriller)

Before and Again by Barbara Delinsky (Women’s Literature)

As we begin to make our summer reading lists, let’s not forget the brave men and women who gave their lives to protect our freedoms.

Enjoy!

~Ariesgrl

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March Madness…

Posted on March 13, 2018 by Ariesgrl

Hi Everyone,

March is always an exciting month for me. Last week, my boys turned 11! With everything those guys have been through, we are truly blessed to celebrate each day with them. Last week also marked International Women’s Day, a time to acknowledge and honor the remarkable women throughout our history and every day lives.

This week we get to celebrate Pi Day, we get to be leary of the Ides of March, and we get to be green on St. Patrick’s Day!

Following that is of course National Puppy Day and my birthday…

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Vacation is Over

Posted on February 14, 2018 by Ariesgrl

Hi Everyone,

On one hand it is terribly upsetting to say that my vacation is officially over. I mean, who wants to go to work, when there are two adorable puppies that want to cuddle?!?!?!

On the other hand, this was an incredibly exhausting vacation, from illnesses and a dead smoke detector, and absolutely little to no sleep. (Oh well, I am grateful for the bonus time with my family!)

So things may not have gone as planned, but I did manage to read 7 books in 5 days. (It helps when you are awake for a solid 48 hours… twice.)

As promised, here’s a list of titles and page totals that I managed to read:

1. Short Stories from Hogwarts on Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies by J. K. Rowling (71 pages)
2. Short Stories from Hogwarts of Power, Politics and Pesky Poltergeists by J. K. Rowling (71 pages)
3. Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide by J. K. Rowling (92 pages)
4. The Recruit by Brad Taylor (95 pages)
5. The Secret to Southern Charm by Kristy Woodson Harvey (400 pages)
6. Black & Blue by James Patterson (144 pages)
7. The Christmas Wedding Ring by Susan Mallery (272 pages)

That’s a total of 1,145 pages. Not too bad. I didn’t hit my goal, and I still have a few book set aside to finish throughout this month. All in all, I am happy with my balanced reading for the week and I must say, I got my reading groove back… and it feels good!

What have you been reading this month?

Enjoy!

~Ariesgrl

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Book mail is always an Exciting thing…

Posted on February 13, 2018 by Ariesgrl

Hi Everyone,

Last week, I came home from work to discover a book in my mailbox. As you might guess, I was very excited. When I opened it up to see it was the latest book from Kristy Woodson Harvey, I was thrilled. I read it on Friday and couldn’t wait to share my recommendation with all of you. So mark your calendars for April 3rd, because you will not want to miss out on this spectacular story!

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I’m on VACATION!!!

Posted on February 4, 2018 by Ariesgrl

Hi Everyone,

So today is the first day of my official vacation. Wahoo! And my family is celebrating by watching the Puppy Bowl, of course! This week is sure to be exciting with the Super Bowl, the Puppy Bowl, and the Olympics are starting! Yay!!! Now I have several things planned during this vacation, but the thing that I am excited about… is a personal Read-a-Thon. The boys and I are going to snuggle up and see how many books we can devour. At the end of the week, I will post the titles and page count of all the books I have read. Maybe the boys will allow a few photos, too. (A girl can hope!)

How many books do you think I can read in just 7 days?

What are you most excited about this week?

Enjoy!

~Ariesgrl

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A Surprise Story

Posted on January 26, 2018 by Ariesgrl

Earlier this week, a friend told me his daughter wrote a book, specifically for him. He showed it to me, asking for my thoughts, because his daughter was thinking about selling it. (Fingers crossed that she will indeed publish copies, because Pawleys Island lovers will thoroughly enjoy this children’s book.)

Pawleys Shells
By: Meredith Boos

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Forgotten Book Challenge

Posted on January 25, 2018 by Ariesgrl

Happy January Everyone!

This month has brought some unusual weather for us, here in the south. I even had my very first snow days, as an adult. Which inspired this month’s Forgotten Book Challenge…

I stopped the book I was reading and dove into my e-shelves to find a “snowy” book. That is when I came across Snow Angel by Melanie Shawn. I couldn’t resist the snowy cover and the adorable dog on the cover! So I started reading it… it is about a small town and a young newcomer.

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Happy New Year

Posted on January 1, 2018 by Ariesgrl

Hi Everyone,

Happy 2018! Let’s just say, 2017 came close to consuming me, but it failed! I do not know what 2018 has in store for my family and friends, but I can certainly hope for positive things.

On a bright note, 2018 promises to be an exciting time for book lover’s! Which books are you looking forward to reading this year?

Enjoy!

~Ariesgrl

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An Extra Hour of…

Posted on November 6, 2017 by Ariesgrl

Hi Everyone,

Over the weekend, most of us gained an extra hour during the night. In years past, I worked night shift, which meant we had a 13 hour shift. Then, as a caregiver, I was up all night in case something was needed, and I was on alarm duty for Mom, as phone still did not always update automatically. I spent that extra hour reading. This year was different. I tried to take part in that famous, ever-so-talked-about, extra hour of sleep! It did not work. My boys are still on their normal schedules and do not understand sleeping in, nor time changes. So alas, I still did experience the benefit of extra sleep.

How did you spend your extra hour this weekend?

Enjoy!

~Ariesgrl

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