So Many Books, So Little Time

From Goodreads:  Although parenting approaches change, attitudes about only children remain stuck in the past. The negative stereotypes lonely, selfish, bossy, spoiled, socially maladjusted make parents think their child will be at a disadvantage when compared to those who grow up with siblings. The Case for the Only Child debunks the myths, taking into account the many chang-es the nuclear family has experienced in the face of two-family incomes, women who have children later, and the economic reality of raising children in our modern world. Combining often-surprising findings with real-life stories, compassionate in-sight, and thought-provoking questions, Dr. Susan Newman provides a guide to help you decide for yourself how to best plan your family and raise a single child. My Thoughts: I saw this book on a blog a few years ago before I had Julia and thought it sounded intriguing.  Since the hubs and I are considering being 'one and done', I thought it might be

Synopsis:  Julia is a book-loving publisher’s assistant. Jack is a famous British rock star. “Opposites attract” is an understatement. It’s 1981. Twenty-four-year-old Julia Nash has recently arrived in Manhattan, where she works as a publisher’s assistant. She dreams of becoming an editor with her own stable of bestselling authors—but it is hard to get promoted in the recession-clobbered book biz. Julia blows off steam by going dancing downtown with her best friend, Vicky. One night, a hot British guitarist invites them into his VIP section. Despite an entourage of models and groupies, Jack chooses Julia as his girl for the evening—and when Jack Kipling picks you, you go with it. The trouble is … he’s never met a girl like her before. And she resists being just one in a long line. Jack exposes her to new experiences, from exclusive nightclubs in SoHo to the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood; from mind-bending recording sessions to wild backstage parties. Yet Julia

Picture from www.readingrainbow.com When I was a little girl my aunt bought me a copy of Little House in the Big Woods for a holiday gift (I can't remember what holiday) and I completely fell in love with Laura Ingalls Wilder.  I wish I had a picture of my copy of this book because it is very obvious that it was well-loved.  My aunt continued to buy me each book in the series for holidays and birthdays until I had the full series.  I devoured each book and read them over and over again all the way up through my teen years.  I had the Little House cookbook and a Mary and Laura porcelain doll and I dreamed of living in the pioneer days.  I even read a biography of Laura Ingalls Wilder when I was fourth or fifth grade.  I just thought she was awesome. Fast forward to now, I still have my entire set of Little House books and they look much like the picture above.  They are in a box at my mom's house and I can't wait to get them out to share with Julia.  What's ev

    From Goodreads:  A fearless debut novel about the restorative power of truth and love after the trauma of abuse. As sixteen-year-old Aidan Donovan’s fractured family disintegrates around him, he searches for solace in a few bumps of Adderall, his father’s wet bar, and the attentions of his local priest, Father Greg—the only adult who actually listens to him. When Christmas hits, Aidan’s world collapses in a crisis of trust when he recognizes the darkness of Father Greg’s affections. He turns to a crew of new friends to help make sense of his life: Josie, the girl he just might love; Sophie, who’s a little wild; and Mark, the charismatic swim team captain whose own secret agonies converge with Aidan’s. The Gospel of Winter maps the ways love can be used as a weapon against the innocent—but can also, in the right hands, restore hope and even faith. Brendan Kiely’s unflinching and courageous debut novel exposes the damage from the secrets we keep and proves that in

I'm linking up with Mailbox Monday again this week.  Check it out here ! Hello everyone!  Things have not slowed down at all around here lately but I'm still managing to get some reading in.  I work at a university and students are getting ready to enroll for Spring right now so needless to say it's mass pandemonium at work right now. I only picked up one book this week but I can't wait to read it.  I devoured the 'Wolves of Mercy Falls' series a few years ago and this is a continuation of that series. From the Library (ebook): Sinner by Maggie Stiefvater What books did you get this week?

It's that time again!  Check out everyone's book hauls for the week here ! I picked up two books at the library this week.  I'm almost caught up on review books and look forward to some time for 'free reading'!  I hope everyone has a great week! From the Library: The Case for the Only Child by Susan Newman Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder What books did you get this week?

Synopsis:  The amazing power and truth of the Rapunzel fairy tale comes alive for the first time in this breathtaking tale of desire, black magic and the redemptive power of love French novelist Charlotte-Rose de la Force has been banished from the court of Versailles by the Sun King, Louis XIV, after a series of scandalous love affairs. At the convent, she is comforted by an old nun, Sœur Seraphina, who tells her the tale of a young girl who, a hundred years earlier, is sold by her parents for a handful of bitter greens… After Margherita’s father steals parsley from the walled garden of the courtesan Selena Leonelli, he is threatened with having both hands cut off, unless he and his wife relinquish their precious little girl. Selena is the famous red-haired muse of the artist Tiziano, first painted by him in 1512 and still inspiring him at the time of his death. She is at the center of Renaissance life in Venice, a world of beauty and danger, seduction and betrayal,

I'm linking up with Mailbox Monday again!  To join in on the fun, go here ! I've kind of had a dry spell the past few weeks but a couple books made it to mailbox this week. From the Library:     Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder For Review (from HFVBT): The Tudor Vendetta by C.W. Gortner What books did you get this week? 

Whew!  September is over, October is here and it's time for fall!  It just started feeling like fall this past week and I'm loving it. September was such a busy month!  We went to California in the early part of the month to visit some of my family and had a blast.  The Russian class I am taking really went full speed ahead and I'm taking a MOOC (massive open online class) on Laura Ingalls Wilder (more on that later).  The Russian class is great but the amount of homework I have to do is borderline ridiculous.  I'm also working on a big project at my job so I feel like I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off because I have so much to do!  Because life is so busy right now, things are probably going to slow down around the blog a bit for a while (what am I saying, they already have).  I have a few blog tour reviews lined up but otherwise, I might be in and out for a while.  At the end of August, I needed to read 5 books a month for the rest o

Synopsis:  The power to heal is her divine gift, the fear of discovery, her mortal curse. Selah Kilbrid is caught between two worlds. A direct descendant of the Celtic goddess Brigid, she is bound by Tuatha Dé law to help those in need. Yet as a human, she must keep her unique abilities hidden or risk being charged for a witch. In 1730 Pennsylvania, the Quaker community of Hopewell has become a haven for religious freedom—and fanaticism—and there are those who would see her hanged if the truth were revealed. For eighteen years, Selah safely navigates the narrow gap between duty and self-preservation, until the day a prominent minister uncovers her secret. Obsessed with her power, Nathan Crowley disregards her betrothal to a distant cousin from Ireland and demands marriage in exchange for his silence. Selah stalls for time, but when news reaches the Colonies of her cousin’s death, time has run out. Rather than submit to Nathan, Selah coerces a stranger to pose as her h

Synopsis:  It had been Mother's secret and mine, one passed down through the de Winter women for generations. I would ensure it was kept that way, until I was ready to pass it on. When Anneke Sheldrake is forced to find a way to support her family after her father is lost at sea, she turns to the business by which her mother’s family once prospered: brewing ale.  Armed with her Dutch mother’s recipes and a belief that anything would be better than the life her vindictive cousin has offered her, she makes a deal with her father’s aristocratic employer: Anneke has six months to succeed or not only will she lose the house but her family as well.  Through her enterprise and determination, she inadvertently earns herself a deadly enemy. Threatened and held in contempt by those she once called friends, Anneke nonetheless thrives. But on the tail of success, tragedy follows and those closest to her pay the greatest price for her daring.  Ashamed, grieving, and