Fool for Books Giveaway Hop

Hosted by I Am a Reader, Not a Writer

Let's do it again!  Let's have another giveaway!!!!!

I'm not going to make you hold your breath to long with a bunch of chit chat, I'll just get right down to it.

The Prize

$5.00 Amazon Gift Card

Cover Characteristics - Pink

Hosted by Sugar and Snark

Each week we will post a characteristic and choose 5 of our favorite covers with that characteristic. If you want to join in and share your 5 favorite covers with the weeks particular characteristic, then just make a post, grab the meme picture (or make your own) and leave your URL in Linky (so we can visit).
You don’t even need to participate, just stopping by and saying hi would be great! Don’t forget to stop by the other participants!

This week was another fun topic.  Something about pretty in pink book covers!  I love pink but not too much of it.  And you know me...I will make this a diverse list of books (as much as I can).  Click on the book titles below to go to their Amazon page.

~ Pink ~

1.  Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella

2.  The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

3.  The Yada Yada Prayer Group by Neta Jackson

4.  32 Candles by Ernessa T. Carter

Review: 1-900- Anytime

1-900-ANYTIME Author: Tracy Price-Thompson Genre: Fiction Publisher: Atria Books Release Date: September 22, 2009 Hardcover: 259 Pages  Source: Free from a book swap

2015 Audiobook Challenge: 1st Quater Update

Hosted by The Book Nympho and Hot Listens

This is my post for the 1st Quarter Update for the 2015 Audiobook Challenge.  

I have to say that this year I have not been listening to as many audiobooks as I did last year.  Mostly I have not commuted as much but that is going to change soon.  If you didn't know I listen to my audiobooks on my 1 hour drive to and from work everyday.  Then I read physical books on the weekend.  Unless I am at the end of an audiobook.  I hate being the middle of my commute and an audiobook comes to an end.  I would rather end the book at home and start a new one on the road.

So here is my first update.

Listened to and Reviewed

1.  *Vicious by V. E. Schwab
2.  *Skin Deep by Brandon Sanderson 
3.  *Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness
4. *Time Traveler's Wife, The by Audrey Niffenegger
5. Mom and Me and Mom by Maya Angelou
6. *Book of Life, The by Deborah Harkness  

Sunday Delight: March Is a Wrap

Happy Happy Sunday Everyone!

Can you believe the month of March is coming to a close.  And April is just around the corner.  April!  Oh my that was so quick.  I am looking forward to April and another read-a-thon.  This year has been the year of read-a-thons and of course review-a-thon too.  

But first let's check in on the week that has just past.

Here and Now

Time: 4:19 pm (Saturday)

Drinking:  Ice Tea

Eating: Egg Salad Sandwich on a croissant

 Listening To: The Brand New Heavies Radio on Pandora

Watching: Going to the movies with my honey tonight to see Get Hard

I'm looking forward to a good laugh.

What I Am Listening To...

The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl

Review: Strange Fruit

Strange Fruit, Volume I: Uncelebrated Narratives from Black History Author: Joel Christian Gill Genre: Non-Fiction Graphic Novel Publisher: Fulcrum Publishing Release Date: June 3, 2014 Age Range: 12 - 18 years Paperback: 176 pages Source: Free from the Inglewood city library

Laying My Bloglovin Claim

Yes!

I have finally succumb to the pressure and added a Bloglovin account to my many accounts.

and guess what...I actually like it.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Book Blogger Hop: Books on the Brain

Hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer

Happy Friday everyone. Can you believe the month of March is pretty much over? And April is just around the corner.  WOW!  That was quick.

What is Book Blogger Hop all about?

Each week the host at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted writer will prompt a new topic submit by a blogger and everyone can join in with their answers. You should join us! It's quite fun!  No really it is!

This Weeks Topic/Question

March 27th - April 2nd - Which books have you read in the past month that still have you thinking back to the storyline and the characters? (submitted by Elizabeth)

Book Blogger Organization Challenge: March

Hosted by The Book Addict's Guide

This is the second month of Book Blogger Organization Challenge and it feels like a focused and organized Bloggiesta only at your own pace.  I think the next Bloggiesta will be much easier and focused now that I have so many things done.  Love it!

March 2015 Winners

It's winner time!
Winner! Winner!
I had two giveaway this month and now is the time to announce the winners.
First let me first say, thank you so much everyone for stopping by My Little Pocketbooks, commenting and entering the giveaway.
Now on to the winners.

Cover Characteristics - Hair

Hosted by Sugar and Snark

Each week we will post a characteristic and choose 5 of our favorite covers with that characteristic. If you want to join in and share your 5 favorite covers with the weeks particular characteristic, then just make a post, grab the meme picture (or make your own) and leave your URL in Linky (so we can visit).
You don’t even need to participate, just stopping by and saying hi would be great! Don’t forget to stop by the other participants!

This week was something I am always struggling with.  Yes!  My hair!  Sigh...But these are great covers with great hair.  

And you know me...I will make this a diverse list of books (as much as I can).  Click on the book titles below to go to their Amazon page.

~ Hair ~

1. Saving Fish from Drowning by Amy Tan
2. The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff 3.  Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan 4. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Cooking My Way Through: The Get Em' Girls Guide to the Power of Cuisine (pt.1)

I have a small stack of cookbooks that I have been saying I am going to crack open one day and try something out of them.  Usually I look at the pictures then I order Thai or Pizza to be delivered.  But not anymore.  I am going to make it a new 2015 goal to at least try to cook my way through one or two of the books I have.  Because I can cook but it is not amazing.  It's more like not bad, not good more like sustainable.  Not like mama's cooking that is for sure.  So new project is underway.  Cooking!

About the Cookbook

Title: The Get Em' Girls Guide to the Power of Cuisine

Author: Shakara Bridgers, Jeniece Isley, and Joan A. Davis

Publisher: Fireside Book by Simon and Schuster

Release Date: August 26, 2008

Paperback: 208 pages

I got this cookbook from my cousin years and years ago.  She was moving and in her box of stuff to go to the Goodwill was this book.  Of course I brought it home and looked in it once and awhile.  I love the premise and the writing so much I never got rid of it.  So I am now making it the first cookbook I will cook my way through.

Review: Mom & Me & Mom

Mom & Me & Mom Author: Maya Angelou Genre: Memoir Publisher:  Random House Audio Release Date: April 2, 2013 Audiobook: 4 hours and 1 minute Narrator: Maya Angelou Source: Free from e-Library

Write-On Review-a-Thon #14: Wrap Up

Hosted by The Book Vixen

That's a wrap and I am sooo HAPPY!  Here is why...

Reviews to write and schedule

How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents - in draft now

El Deafo - in daft now
Tales of the Talented Tenth

Sunday Delight: Bloggiesta Is Coming!

Happy Sunday Everyone!
Yes and you can read up top, Bloggiesta is coming!  I am so excited!  I have been looking forward to this event for some time.  With the Book Blogger Organization Challenge I have knocked so many things off of my to do list.  So this time my Bloggiesta goals will be about a few non-blog things.  

What is Bloggiesta you ask?

In short, Bloggiesta is a blogging marathon revolving around ticking off those items on your to-do list and improving your blog while in the good company of other awesome bloggers doing the same thing. Our awesome mascot Pedro (Plan. Edit. Develop. Review. Organize) is ready to break out the nachos, enchiladas, drinks, mariachi music and whack a pinata or two! It’s nothing short of an awesome fiesta! -From Bloggiesta

So that is it in a nutshell!  Since this Bloggiesta is a week long my list will be a bit more than usual.

Goals

1. Clean up my Goodreads shelves (from Book Blogger Organization Challenge)
2. Delete duplicates on your shelves: Go to “My Books” and then below all of your shelves you’ll see “find duplicates”. Just MAKE SURE you’re deleting the correct version! I accidentally deleted a version that had all my status updates for a book and I was pretty bummed. There’s no way to get that back if you delete the wrong one!
3. Create new shelves and delete ones you don’t really need: I’m a Goodreads shelf fanatic. If you’re looking to get more organized, create some new ones for genres, star rating, POV, currently own, or where you got them from! Or you can delete some of the shelves you haven’t really been using.
4. Go through the books you’ve shelved and make sure they’re shelved properly! For some reason if I add a book to a shelf and don’t put it on Read/To-Read/Currently Reading, the default is “Read” so I’ve had to go back and swap that around to “To-Read”. I’ve also gone through ALL of the books that I’ve shelved and made sure they’re all in the right place!
5. Update to proper versions: I’m not too huge on having the correct version of a book on my shelves but I know some people are! (For me what matters is the right cover, most of the time) but if you like Goodreads to reflect the proper versions that you own or have read, hop to it!
6. TBR Culling! Go through your TBR and remove books that you don’t want to read anymore. I’m sure we all have HUNDREDS of books on our TBRs so now’s a good time to weed through what you might be able to part with, especially books you don’t already own!
7. Check out groups and friend lists too: Here’s another place to update your friends — make sure you’re not missing anyone or remove people (if you so desire) that you don’t need to follow anymore. Same with groups!
8. Host a Bloggiesta Tutorial (so excited)
9. Visit other participants

Here and Now

Time: 8:15 am

Drinking:  Hot Green Tea with lemon and honey (my blogging drink)

Eating: 

 Listening To: Jill Scott Radio on Pandora

Watching: Nothing

Bloggiesta Tutorial: Retrieving Missing Disqus Comments

Hosted by Bloggiesta

Welcome to my third Bloggiesta Tutorial!

I learned something new and I thought I can't be the only one who didn't know this.  So I thought Bloggiesta would be the perfect time for me to share my new knowledge with you all.  If you would like to install Disqus onto your blog, check out the cute blog River City Readings and she will give you step by step instructions.  If you have Disqus then read on...

The Problem

Do you use Disqus commenting system on your blog?  Do you subscribe to get newly posted comments send to your email?  Have you ever noticed a comment in your email inbox was not on your blog?

Where did the comment go?

The Answer

The comment is on a different extension based on the country of the commenter.  Do that make sense?  Ok!  If you are a .com blog and I leave a comment on your blog while sitting in a cafe in India then your blog will might have an .in ending instead and that is where the comment lives.  Yes!  On your India version of your site.  When I found this out I had been blogging for a bout 3 years and found 2,000 missing comments. OK!  So now you know the answer let me show you how to fix it.

Quicky Review #28: Pluto

Welcome back to another Quicky Review everyone.

A lot of the time I like to read short stories, prequels and free audiobooks that are short and sweet.  But why do a full review on a book that is say...80 pages long.  So I do Quicky Reviews for the shorties and children books as well.  Basically, the short stories get short reviews.

Here is just a few sentences on one children's e-book from last month.

There are other Quicky Reviews for you to check out too and don't worry there will be more to come. I like short stories because most of them are FREE and I can get in and out of one in no time.

Previous Quicky Review

Book Blogger Hop: Reading Weather

Hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer

 

Happy TGIF Everyone! 

and 

Happy First Day of Spring!  Bye Bye Winter!!!!

What is Book Blogger Hop all about?

Each week the host at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted writer will prompt a new topic submit by a blogger and everyone can join in with their answers. You should join us! It's quite fun!  No really it is!

This Weeks Topic/Question

March 20th - 26th - Do you read more on a rainy day or on a gorgeous day so you can be outside? (submitted by Elizabeth)

Spring Cleaning Giveaway Hop

Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer

I haven't done this giveaway in awhile so I am going to make this one a good one.

Prize

1 book bag

1 mystery box of three books.  (They are slightly loved books)
Pictures of the book bag.  I got it from DSW several months ago and never took it out of the plastic bag it came in. (Just to take these pictures)
I mean who doesn't need another bag.  :)

 

 Color: Maroon

Write On Review-a-Thon #14: Goals

Hosted by The Book Vixen

Guess what is coming up in 2 days?
#KICKASSMOTIVATION
It's time to sit down and write as many reviews as you can before your eyes cross.
Here is my growing goal list. Click the button above to join in on the motivation bloggish event.  You know you want to!!

Reviews to write and schedule

How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents - in draft now

El Deafo - in daft now
Tales of the Talented Tenth

Favorite Female POC Authors

Today I thought I would show some love to the P.O.C. authors who have never ever let me down.  These are the six "go to" authors I will always get a good read from no matter what.  Some of them I haven't read in a long time and a couple are newer discoveries.  Disclaimer time!  There are more than seven P.O.C. authors in my reading collection but I wanted to feature the top ones who have stood the test of time in my reading life.  They have amazed me more than once and they have enhanced my love of reading from early on.  Also they are in no particular order. 

By the way, in case you missed it I am doing a bi-weekly post on this blog to feature books and authors that are P.O.C. (people of color) to give them all a bit more time in the spotlight and I would love, love for you to join me. (The covers are linked to the Amazon page)

 Tananarive Due

Tananarive Due is a novelist and a creative writing teacher who has worked as a journalist. She won the American Book Award in 2002 for her novel The Living Blood. (from Goodreads)

Waiting on Wednesday: Shingaling

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme, hosted by Breaking the Spine, which spotlights upcoming releases that I am eagerly anticipating.

I'm back again with another WoW post.  I have been completing series after series this month and there are a few new books coming out to add to my incomplete series list.  So a novella is this weeks selection.

This week's "can't wait to read" selection is...

Cover Characteristics - Gardens

Hosted by Sugar and Snark

Each week we will post a characteristic and choose 5 of our favorite covers with that characteristic. If you want to join in and share your 5 favorite covers with the weeks particular characteristic, then just make a post, grab the meme picture (or make your own) and leave your URL in Linky (so we can visit).
You don’t even need to participate, just stopping by and saying hi would be great! Don’t forget to stop by the other participants!

  Today we are going to show off pretty book covers with the theme of gardens on them.  And you know me...I will make this a diverse list of books (as much as I can).  Click on the book titles below to go to their Amazon page.

Gardens

1.  Garden of Lies by Amanda Quick

2.  Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen

3.  The Mermaid Garden by Santa Montefiore

4.  The Lavender Garden by Lucinda Riley

Review: The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy Book #3)

The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy Book #3) Author: Deborah Harkness Genre: Fantasy Publisher: Penguin Audio Release Date: July 15, 2014 Audiobook: 23 hours and 52 minutes Narrator:  Jennifer Ikeda Source: Purchased from Audible.com

Sunday Delight: Read-a-thons Update

Happy Sunday Everyone!

How are you doing on your month long read-a-thons?  Have you finished a few books?  I am doing two month long read-a-thons.  One, March Madness hosted by Cedar Station and the other one is TBR Pile Read-a-Thon hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer.

Books Finished
~ *The Buddha in the Attic (audiobook)
~ *1-900-Anytime (hardcover)
I'll Be Home for Christmas (e-book)
~ *Strange Fruit: Vol 1(graphic novel)
~ Dave the Potter (hardcover)
~ Nino Westles the World (hardcover)
Frida (hardcover)
Loogie the Booger Genie (paperback)
*El Deafo (graphic novel)
~ Time to Pray by Maha Addasi (hardcover)
*Tales of the Talented Tenth: Vol 1 (paperback)
Loogie:The Booger Genie (paperback)
*How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents (e-book)

Currently Reading
*Blue Lily, Lily Blue (audiobook)

* = books over 100 pages for TBR pile read-a-thon
~ = book review written

Here and Now

Time: 9:51 am

Drinking: Green tea with lemon and honey

Eating: Oatmeal with Raisins and Honey

 Listening To: Gospel Radio on Pandora

Watching: Nothing

What I Am Listening To...

The Raven Cycle #3: Blue Lily, Lily Blue

Book Blogger Hop: How Do You Pick Books?

Hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer

Happy Friday the 13th! 

Sorry I could help it!  :D

What is Book Blogger Hop all about?

Each week the host at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted writer will prompt a new topic submit by a blogger and everyone can join in with their answers. You should join us! It's quite fun!  No really it is!

This Weeks Topic/Question

March 13th - 19th - What is more important to you when you are deciding to read a book? (submitted by Elizabeth)

TBR Read-a-Thon: Goals

Hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Start Date: March 13th
Ends: March 16th

 Rules

1. Link-up
2. Read/listen to books from your TBR pile published before 3/01/15. Can be arcs, novellas, audios, comics etc. Remember for those doing Take Control they must be 100 pages or more.
3. Books Must be read from March 13th through 11:59 pm on the 16th to be counted.
4. Read at least one- 300 page book to enter raffle or three- 100 page books -post mini review(s)This can be to blog, Goodreads, Tumblr, Facebook etc.
5. Share Add the button or share on social media
6. Share updates via Twitter with hashtag #TBRreadathon

Something Old Something New #2

Something Old Something New is just a monthly post I am adding to my blog to give you a bit of news here there about me, books and the random things going on.

Something Old

Today I thought I would feature an old book I have sitting on my book shelf collecting dust.  I haven't read it yet but I plan on it (one day)  There are so many to pick from but I selected one from the top of the pile.

Why is it still collecting dust?  Well I go through phases with my reading and when I was on my Biblical Fiction phase I bought this one but realized it was book #2.  (There are only 3 books in the series)  I can't read a series out of order!  OH! NOOO!!  So I need to get book one first.  Then I will get to this one.  But first I need to finish a few incomplete series I have setting here looking at me.  Here is the five year old book!  Click the cover to go to the Amazon page.

What I Am Reading...

1-900-ANYTIME

Quicky Review #27: The Julian's Chapter

Welcome back to another Quicky Review everyone.

A lot of the time I like to read short stories, prequels and free audiobooks that are short and sweet.  But why do a full review on a book that is say...80 pages long.  So I do Quicky Reviews for the shorties and children books as well.  Basically, the short stories get short reviews.

Here is just a few sentences on one children's e-book from last month.

There are other Quicky Reviews for you to check out too and don't worry there will be more to come. I like short stories because most of them are FREE and I can get in and out of one in no time.

Previous Quicky Review

Quicky Review #25: Lost and Found in Cedar Cove and I'm Dreaming of an Undead Christmas Quicky Review #26: The Snow Queen 

10 Books for Readers Who Would Like More Diversity

hosted by The Broke and The Bookish

This week I saw the meme topic and thought this would be a great chance to throw a bit of diversity in to the mix.  So here is my list of ten books for readers who would like to add a bit of diversity into there reading this year. These are not in any particular order and there is a something for everyone.  Click on the covers to find out more about each book.

Contemporary YA - Teenie

Cover Characteristic - Masquerade

Hosted by Sugar and Snark

Each week we will post a characteristic and choose 5 of our favorite covers with that characteristic. If you want to join in and share your 5 favorite covers with the weeks particular characteristic, then just make a post, grab the meme picture (or make your own) and leave your URL in Linky (so we can visit).
You don’t even need to participate, just stopping by and saying hi would be great! Don’t forget to stop by the other participants!

This week was a fun topic.  Something about pretty party mask on pretty book covers equals fun, fun, fun!!!   And you know me...I will make this a diverse list of books (as much as I can).  Click on the book titles below to go to their Amazon page.

Masquerade 

 1.  Fifty Shades Darker by E. L. James

2. The Layered Mask by Sue Brown

3.  Cross My Heart by Sasha Gould

4.  Behind the Mask by Lisa Worrall

Review: Your Blues Ain't Like Mine

 

Your Blues Ain't Like Mine Author: Bebe Moore Campbell Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher:  Ballantine Books Release Date: August 10, 1993 Paperback: 433 pages Source: Purchased from Amazon

Sunday Delight: Spring Ahead

Happy Sunday Everyone!

Did you spring forward?  Reset the clocks?  Well Spring is coming and I know a large part of the US is happy about that.  I don't know how they do it.  Snow for months and months with below freezing temperatures.  Not me!  No way!  I couldn't handle it.  Right now I am sitting in my office space with a cup of tea, flip flops on and a light sweater.  Anything more than this is just too much for me.  LOL!  I know I am a sissy when it comes to cold weather but every time I see the news about the weather on the East Coast it reminds me of that movie, The Day After Tomorrow.  You know the one?  When over half of the world experiences another ice age.  ARGH!!! 
Watch the trailer and see what I'm talking about.

Move to California everyone.  What about Hawaii?
Ok! Enough of that.
Here is my week in bookish stuff.  Brr!

Here and Now

Time: 9:51 am

Drinking: Green tea with lemon and honey (my blogging drink)

Eating: Nothing

 Listening To: Brand New Heavies Radio on Pandora

Watching: Nothing