Monday, January 3, 2011

Want to read??

I know everyone is in the whole resolution mind frame but I'm not. Not that I don't have about a million and one things I NEED to do this year but I know me & I know saying I have a resolution doesn't mean a thing. I've had them in previous years & it's always been a colossal fail. Except maybe 2003 when we got married & I wanted to lose weight. Between having all 4 of my wisdom teeth out & stress I was the thinnest I've ever been & it wasn't difficult, but I digress. Anyway, no resolutions, just a "to do list". I do better with a list.  I have lots of house stuff on it & I'd like to read more books. My good friend Wendy started a book club a couple of years ago. This is Wendy & her oh so adorable baby, Miss Emily.
How cute is that flower?? I found that the day I went to Market. I also got her an adorable little hat. Can't wait to see a pic of her wearing it.
Too cute! Anyway, back to the book club. You may remember it, "The Worst Book Club Ever" as dubbed by Andrea after attending one of our get togethers. We don't talk a whole lot about books & we don't all read the same book.  Shockingly, the book club is still in existence. Probably because of the reasons we're the worst book club ever! Anyway, the first year the goal was for everyone to read 50 books. No problem. Well, for me anyway. I read  almost 100. In 2010 it was decided that everyone would set their own goal. Mine stayed at 50 since I'd far exceeded that the previous year. Well, due to lots of different factors, mainly Words With Friends & reading blogs, I did not meet my goal. I really enjoy reading & now I have a Nook which I completely & totally LOVE & I also have several bags o' books from Mrs. Joyce (my MIL). I've come up with a system to enjoy both. When I'm at home, I'll read the actual books & when I'm away from home (work, car, etc.) I'll read my Nook. At least until I can get through some of the stacks of books which will help me on another item on the to do list, de-clutter! The only time things will be different is when I have a book loaned to me from the Nook & that's because you have 14 days to read it. The Nook is so great for traveling or just to keep in your purse for anytime you find yourself waiting. So, why am I telling you all this you ask? Like I said, I know everyone is making resolutions & goals for the year & if one of those is to read more books I have a series that you might enjoy. The High Heel Series! Good friend Wendy turned me on to this series. Thanks Wendy! These books are too funny, even though they're mysteries & someone seems to always end up dead. They're a lot like the Stephanie Plum series written by Janet Evanovich except Maddie has much more fashion sense than Stephanie. She's a shoe designer! Gemma Halliday is the author. I've read some background on her & she was an actress before she became a writer. She didn't make it big time but she's been in a couple of movies that I've seen. Another plus is these books are only $3.99 on the Nook & they're lendable. This is working out great for Wendy & I. She buys a book & lends to me & I buy a book & lend to her. I finished the 3rd book yesterday. BTW, this weekend had to be the laziest weekend I've ever had. I didn't feel so great. This merry go round weather is killing my sinuses. Anyway, I laid around & read pretty much the whole weekend.  It was positively glorious!

What else is on my "to do list"? House stuff mainly. I'm also going to attempt to cut back on my Dr. Pepper intake. I say that as I sip on my 32 oz. D.P. from lunch. I was at Sam's & it was .87. I couldn't resist!

Toodles!

12 comments:

  1. I don't really do resolutions either.
    Most of the time I know I will not keep them. So if I can wake up each morning and decide to do one thing positive I feel that is better.
    I understand the "To Do" list.
    All the Best for 2011

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  2. Do you have some fav authors?? I am almost done with Terri Blackstock.-- She is amazing!!

    .87? Score!

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  3. I'm glad you like the books! They are pretty funny. We'll be sad if we have to wait a year or two for a new one. Thanks for the Emily shout-out too!

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  4. That little lady is too precious! I totally need to fit in some more reading!

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  5. Thanks so much for the author recommendation. I love to read and am always looking for new books. You might like the Blackbird Sisters books by Nancy Martin. Beware, she has a newer hardcover out late last year that is not part of that series and I did not like. Good luck with your to-do list (I do better with those, too)!

    http://40daysof.wordpress.com/2011/01/04/fat-tuesday/

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  6. You have inspired me. I read tons and I mean tons of magazine's. I really need to focus more on books. Happy Tuesday, Traci!

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  7. You're funny. Drinking the Dr. Pepper while you talk about quitting sounds just like me.

    I eat while watching The Biggest Loser:)

    These are old books but some that I loved:

    Same Kind of Different As Me
    Still Alice
    Lottery

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  8. Traci, I so enjoyed reading this! I related to so many things from the love of reading to the addiction (mine) to Dr. Pepper! What is it with having to have a DP? Oh, well! I say it's my only vice! I'm going to look into the High Heel series. Sounds good!

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  9. I don't do resolutions either, but I do have a long to do list for the year with all my projects listed. Big and small one are listed, so that on any given day or weekend I can look at the list and pick something to do depending on how much time I have. I am amazed at those of you who read a lot. I don't have the patience for it. My running joke is that I don't read books without pictures! LOL! Seriously, I can't concentrate on reading a book because I am always thinking of what I could be doing... something on my project list!

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  10. I'm a list-maker, too. I try to include all areas of my life, and reading (as in doing more) is always on my list. I have attended a book club in a social group I belong to here in Yuma. We didn't have very good participation, so the discussions were rather boring, and I decided I would be better off just reading on my on. I love getting recommendations, so thanks for yours. By-the-way, I really enjoyed the Stephanie Plum series -- she was such a hoot! I'm anxious to get to the library & look for The Black Heels series. It's such a coincidence, but have you heard of The Pioneer Woman? Ree Drummond is her real name and she has written a book about her life titled Black Heels to Tractor Wheels. Her blog is very interesting and she has such a talent for writing about truly ordinary things, but making them so interesting. The book is due out in Feb. around Valentine's, but I have mine pre-ordered. I'm really looking forward to it.

    Now about that de-cluttering and organization thing. I'm sure glad I'm inspiring you to keep adding to that "to-do" list. Hee-hee. just kidding. I'm amazed that anyone even reads my ramblings, but I appreciate your continued following. It's always fun when I see your cute face in the comments section. Good luck with the Dr. Pepper scale-back.
    CAS

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  11. Traci, Mr Ron got me a Nook for Christmas. I must admit that I didn't think I "needed" it when I opened it. I'm sort of cheap and could only think about having to BUY all my books. But...I did discover a few free books and am now hooked. Here's a hint: If you like to read in the bathtub, put your Nook in a sealed ziplock bag and read away without fear! Another thing I found out (but haven't done yet) is that I can borrow eBooks from the EBR library. Go to their website and read about Overdrive. Anyway...the way I understand it is that you must first download the book to your computer, then you can put it on your Nook. I'll let you now when I figure it out! I just read a free book from B&N. I found it while browsing on my Nook, but I don't remember how! I think it was free because it was the first in a series by a new author (maybe?). It was called Deadly Sanctuary by Sylvia Nobel and it is apparently from the Kendall O'Dell Series. Perhaps all of her books, but at least THIS one was based in AZ just outside of Phoenix....which is where I was when I started the book! I enjoyed it very much. Do you have a NookColor? How do you LEND books? Guess I should have EMAILED you! LOL
    Ms. C

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  12. I have found since I got my Kindle a couple of years ago that I read a LOT more. And that is not counting the books that Joyce and I trade! It's a shame we're not on the same system. Do you know if the Nook and Ipad can exchange books? Beth

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