Readers’ Workouts – 12/30/14

by Carol10 Comments
David and Amber got me the Fitbit I wanted for Christmas. So far, I've learned so far is that it's really hard to get in 10,000 steps a day. I've only made it once, but it has been busy with holiday stuff and feeling a little under the weather yesterday. I don't even want to think about all the cookies and candy I've eaten either. The new year starts Thursday, which is as good a time as any to get back on track. If I can make it to the gym/run outside three times a week, I'll be happy. Two fitnessy goals for the new year: Move more. Eat less pasta and more veggies. (Seems like those are always my goals.) Thanks to Joy at Joy's Book Blog for hosting Readers' Workouts....
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Pros & Cons by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg

by Carol4 Comments
I picked up this short prequel to the Fox and O'Hare series just because I wanted something to listen to. It's a quick early meeting between Kate and Nick. Nick has an audacious plan, and Kate right behind him. It's a good introduction to the two if you haven't met them before. If you read the series, as I have, it's still fun. It's a similar formula to the books but Kate is still quite clearly on the opposite side as Fox. Or maybe it's Fox who's clearly on the opposite side. You get a feel for her determinedness and intelligence. You get to see his style and imagination. And of course you get to see a bit of the attraction between them. It's a good short read. Scott Brick is the narrator and as always he makes it a light-hearted adventure. The characters are over the top and he somehow straddles the line between telling the story with a straight...
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Bookish Secret Santa Gift

by Carol6 Comments
This year Michelle from The True Book Addict organized a Bookish Secret Santa gift exchange on Facebook. I don't usually participate in those kind of things, but I did this time and I'm so glad. This is the present I received from Jane Greensmith who blogs at Reading, Writing, Working, Playing. Notice it includes her book, Intimations of Austen, which I'm looking forward to reading. The other book is My True Love Gave to Me, just the kind of holiday book I adore. It's been on my wish list since it came out. Thanks so much, Jane! I love it all!...
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Thursday’s Tale: Who’s That Knocking on Christmas Eve? by Jan Brett

by Carol2 Comments
I know it's only Wednesday, but this tale is just perfect for today, and with tomorrow being Christmas, I doubt many people will be online, including me. I've mentioned before that when I was kid we had a wonderful book of troll stories, Favorite Tales of Monsters and Trolls written by George Jonson and illustrated by John O’Brien. One of the stories in that books is a retelling of "The Cat on the Doverfjell” from East o’ the Sun and West o’ the Moon. Jan Brett has down a marvelous retelling of that same story in Who's That Knocking on Christmas Eve? A boy is taking his polar bear to Oslo, but he is cold and hungry so stops at a cabin. Kyri has been left alone in the hut to prepare the Christmas Eve meal while her father has gone up into the mountains to watch for trolls. In past years, the trolls have come down, broke into the house, and devoured...
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Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis

by Carol7 Comments
I kinda wished I hadn't wasted an Audible credit on Simply Irresistable. It was okay, but I could have just put a hold on it at the library and waited. It wasn't worth "I need it"-ness of a credit. I was in the mood for a Christmas romance and it did fit the bill. I haven't read anything by Shalvis before, but her name comes up often enough that I felt pretty safe. Really the book had a lot of things I like, besides the nice coastal town setting and the Christmas season. Maddie and Jax are both good, nice people. Yes, she has trouble trusting, which is understandable, but she' trying to reinvent herself. Yes, Jax keeps some crucial information from her, but he doesn't have a choice, really. Maddie's sisters are great characters, both of whom I'm assuming will get their own love stories later in the series. I enjoyed the dynamics between the three of them. I like how everyone in the...
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