Top Ten Tuesday 2013 Edition, Volume 4

Hello! Back on schedule now :) This week's topic for the Top Ten Tuesday List is:

Top Ten Settings I'd Like To See More Of

I had to put some thought into this list, because I don't actually care much about where a book is set, but I wanted to give this list my best, so:

1) Hogwarts!

I would so love for Rowling to write another book set in Hogwarts. I'm permanently craving more Hogwarts!

2) 1800 and 1900's

I know there are tons in this time period, and I have lots on my TBR list as well, but I haven't read them yet!

3) Books set in England that are kind of about just being in England

Tons of books are in England, but not a lot really discuss it that I have read.

4) Boarding school

Think Anna and the French Kiss kind of boarding school. I thought that was a great setting and wouldn't mind reading another book like that.

5) Exotic locations

Who doesn't love a book that makes it seem like your living in paradise??

Well, that's really all I can think of! Looking forward to everyone else's lists!

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they post a new Top Ten list  that one of the bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All they ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

Love The One Yor With - Emily Giffin

Goodreads Summary: The New York Times bestselling author of Something Borrowed,Something Blue, and Baby Proof delivers another captivating novel about women and the choices that define them. This is the story for anyone who has ever wondered: How can I truly love the one I'm with when I can't forget the one who got away?

Ellen and Andy's first year of marriage doesn't just seem perfect, it is perfect. There is no question how deep their devotion is, and how naturally they bring out the best in each other. But one fateful afternoon, Ellen runs into Leo for the first time in eight years. Leo, the one who brought out the worst in her. Leo, the one who left her heartbroken with no explanation. Leo, the one she could never quite forget. When his reappearance ignites long-dormant emotions, Ellen begins to question whether the life she's living is the one she's meant to live. 

Love the One You're With is a powerful story about one woman at the crossroads of true love and real life.

Why I Read This Books: Mostly just cleaning up my TBR pile and I had borrowed this one from someone, and thought I should get it returned.

Review: I didn't really love or hate this book. At first it really bothered me, because I just know that I wouldn't make the same choices as Ellen, and I just felt the book was getting worse and worse because I kept hating her more and more. This is the first book by Giffin I had read, so I didn't have any expectations except that I know lots of people who like her. And I must admit, I hated the story, but the saving grace of the book was Giffin as she write so well. It was nice that she didn't feel like she needed to tell me the brand of everything Ellen wore (just her sister in law for some reason...) which was a nice change from most chick lit. As the story progressed I started to understand Ellen more, and came around on her a bit. I think the only reason I didn't hate this book was because Giffin really did make a big difference. If this book had been by a different chick lit author, I don't know if I would have been able to finish it, but I actually ended up liking it.

Rating:

Top Ten Tuesday 2013 Edition, Volume 3

OK, so I know this is 6 days late, but I wanted to get it up anyway, even if not one ends up reading it! So, the topic for January 15th was:

Top Ten 2013 Debuts I'm Looking Forward To

I'm always one of the last ones to respond to Debut authors, so my list is actually non-existent (not because I don't like them, but more so because I'm in a perpetual spiral of attempting to catch up on other books and I always am the last to know about new books!) There is only one book that I have my eye on that's by a debut author and that is:

Splintered by A.G Howard. This book looks gorgeous and sounds awesome, so I'm definitely hoping to get this one.

Up In the Gym Just Workin' on my Fitness...

Hello! This week I am posting about something so far from the book realm that some people probably don't want to read it, but lately I have been getting back into going to the gym! Yay! I used to go somewhat regularly, but was never in good shape, so I kind of just gave up. Then I would promise myself I would get back into it, go a few times for a week, and then find excuses. But, for the past 2 weeks I have completely stuck to my guns about going, and this time actually feels different that all of my past, feeble attempts at a restart. I have been going with a co-work on our lunch breaks, and its great just to have some say "are we going today?" because I know I'm not going to say no! Then a few evenings I have even two-a-day-ed it and re-enforced what I did in the day with a few more reps later that night at home. I missed two gym sessions, but the 65cm of snow I helped shovel was a great back workout, and I also did a fantastic ab workout at home! I just find when I am on track with the gym, I eat better, I get more sleep, I drink more water, and I'm overall just a better me. I am doing a 12 week Jamie Eason program that I found online, which I then extensively modified to make sure it was in my capability and comfort level of what I can do at the gym. (I push those boundaries at home, but with only 30 minutes to get in and get it done at lunch, I need to know what I'm doing, how to do it, and feel confident that it's effective!) If your interested, my Week 1 - 3 are the same, looks like this: (PS, I'm technically on Week 2, but where the storm messed me up, I am just re-doing Week 1 again and technically will be doing this program for 13 weeks. I wanted to restart with Week 1 for 2 reasons, I didn't really give Week 1 my full weight lifting potential since I was just getting back into working out, and since my co-worker and I didn't do the second half of week 1 the way it is here, we both decided to do it again!)

Monday:

EXERCISE		Set #1	Set #2	Set #3
Bench Press: 3 sets of 8-12 reps	S.S. With
Skull Crushers: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Triceps Kickbacks: 3 sets of 8-12 reps	S.S. With
Deltoid Raise: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Sitting Row: 3 sets of 8-12 reps	S.S. With
Long Bar Bicep Curl: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Push Up: 3 sets of as many as you can do	S.S. With
Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 3 sets of 8-12 reps

Tuesday:

EXERCISE		Set #1	Set #2	Set #3
Barbell Squat: 3 sets of 8-12 reps	S.S. With
Stiff-Legged Deadlift: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Calf Raises on the Bosu Ball: 3 sets of 8-12 reps	S.S. With
Hamstring Curls: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Abductor: 3 sets of 8-12 reps	S.S. With
Adductor : 3 sets of 10-15 reps
Planks: 3 sets of as long as you can hold it

Thursday:

EXERCISE		Set #1	Set #2	Set #3
Assisted Dips: 3 sets of 8-12 reps	S.S. With
Assisted Pull-ups: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Lateral Raises: 3 sets of 8-12 reps	S.S. With
Triceps Pushdowns: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Rope Pull: 3 sets of 8-12 reps	S.S. With
Cable Curls: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Bent Over Rows: 3 sets of 8-12 reps	S.S. With
Sitting Bicep Curls: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Over Head Triceps Extensions: 3 sets of 8-12 reps

Friday:

EXERCISE		Set #1	Set #2	Set #3
Deadlift: 3 sets of 8-12 reps	S.S. With
Bridges: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Bulgarian Squats: 3 sets of 8-12 reps per leg
Dumbbell Lunges: 3 sets of 8-12 reps per leg
Seated Calf Raises: 3 sets of 8-12 reps	S.S. With
Dumbbell Shrugs: 3 sets of 8-12 reps

Yahoo! So much fun, right? Also, some of the names of exercises are probably not right, but I know what they mean! After these 12 weeks I'm going to hit my Jillian Michaels DVD for another 30, and then do the P90X program! That's a lot of home working out rather than the gym for those two, but who knows, I bet I'll change my mind 20 times during these 12 weeks of what to do next!

Anyway, just wanted to share what has recently become a big part of my day with everyone :) PS, I'm also going to post my TTT tonight, 2 days late... but whatever, I was really busy Tuesday!

One Day by David Nicholls

Goodreads Summary: I can't actually access the Goodreads Summary, since apparently there is malware on that page and my computer won't let me... weird, but here is a summary I googled:

In 1988, the day after commencement, two college graduates briefly, romantically collide. The girl has pined for the boy for years; the boy is more aware of the girl than he lets on. She’s an earnest, outspoken lefty, he a handsome, apolitical toff who “liked the word ‘bourgeois’ and all that it implied” and “wanted to live life in such a way that if a photograph were taken at random, it would be a cool photograph.” Their chemistry is as inarguable as their differences, but because of the pride, carelessness and misplaced optimism of youth, they let time and distraction separate them. Yet they never lose track of each other. “One Day” checks in on their intersecting lives once a year, every July 15, from 1988 through 2007

Why I Read This Book: Like so many before it, I read the book in order to watch the  movie. I had never heard of it prior to that. Also, a friend of mine rated it well on Goodreads, which is how I think I actually got around to picking it up.

Review: To be honest, I found this book borderline infuriating. Dexter is such a fucking ass, I hated him so much. And I hated Emma a lot of the time too. But, I hated them in a good way, because I cared about both of them. The book sucked me in, and then, the end happened. And it was shocking, and stupid to the point that I hated this book. I will never read anything by David Nicholls again, because the way the end was written, it was so forced, and it just seemed like he wanted a book that people would cry over. It ruined the story. I did enjoy the book up to that point though (if you read the book, you obviously know what I'm talking about, but I don't want to spoil anything).

Rating:

Follow Friday, January 11, 2013

Hello Everyone!

Sorry my Friday post is so late! (It's practically Saturday!) but this is the weather we just got:

(I'm in the white area! - so much snow!)

But, we are all dug out, and got some food from Pizza Delight, and our power came back on so we could get out of bed without freezing!

This week's features are:

and

And this week's question is:

Q: IF YOU COULD CHOOSE ONE SUPERNATURAL BEING/CREATURE TO REALLY EXISTS WHAT WOULD IT BE AND WHY?

A: This is a pretty easy one for me, as the only really supernatural type of thing I have ever wished actually existed is magic a la Harry Potter! I (and everyone else I'm sure!) would love to have Hogwarts be real and be able to be a witch or wizard!

If you want to join the hop, here are the details - The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee’s View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it’ll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools — keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them “hi” in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and you must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to WordPress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don’t have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

All features are chosen randomly to be the feature. They are not chosen by content or name.

Cost of an Ebook

Is anyone else as confused about the pricing of ebooks as I am?? Recently I bought the ebook of Cassandra Clare's City of Ashes and it was the first time I noticed I was charged full tax on an ebook. I thought this was a bit off, but then I went and looked at the prices for each, and the physical books is less expensive. This to me, is completely ridiculous. Ebooks should be much less expensive than physical books. They do not have to be printed, they do not have to be shipped, they don't have to be stocked, and they don't require an employee to be present to sell them. I am totally in agreement that the author should still be paid for their intellectual property, I'm not disputing that, however how is it possibly justified that an ebook can be more expensive and have more sales tax, when there is so much less costs involved?? Am I missing something here?? Because I seriously feel like I got ripped off. Its things like this that contribute to why piracy is such a problem for books.

Physical Book From Chapters (I am a member, so I would pay $12.63 + 5% sales tax = $13.26)

                       BOOK: City of Ashes

By Cassandra Clare

Trade Paperback

In Stock

• Online price $13.29
• Member price $12.63

Same book, in electronic format from Kobo is $12.99 + 13% sales tax = $14.68

City of Ashes

• By: Cassandra Clare
• $12.99
• BUY NOW
• SEND AS GIFT

Top Ten Tuesday 2013 Edition, Volume 2

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they will post a new fun Top Ten list topic so we can all get to know one another. This week's list is:

Top Ten Bookish Goals For 2013

1) Complete my Goodreads challenge of 75 books this year. That is a lot for me considering I work a full time, and a part time job, and I'm in school. That's reading 1.442 books per week, and I guess technically I'm already behind. I'm reading a big book, but it still only counts as one.

2) Stick to the posting schedule I created. I think its really realistic, and leaves a lot of freedom to post whatever I'm feeling like at the time.

3) Really concentrate on my challenges lists, but not to the point where I'm feeling burdened by it.

4) Get rid of my old books that I know I'm never going to read again. This will be a hard one for me, but I think that my books will be better served being donated to the hospital or a womens shelter than collecting dust on my shelf. Obviously I have some important ones I will hold onto, but I think its time to part with all the bargain bin chick lit I have bought, and give them to someone who might actually read them again (cause I know I won't!)

5) Stop buying books for the sake of buying. If I want a book really badly so I can read it right away, sure. But I have over 100 unread books in my possession, and I don't need anymore right now just because they are on the sale table!

6) Find some more books for BF to read. He likes to read a little bit, but he needs to be given the book. He has an ereader, and I have to load it for him and tell him "read this one now" for him to do it. He has read the Harry Potter books, and the Hunger Games series, and the Steve Job bio recently, but I don't know what to put on there next for him. Giving him a series is easiest, but he doesn't like books with too much teen girl lust in it. Any suggestions? I gave him Tucker Max most recently and I think he needs something with an actual story line to go to next.

That's all I can think of really, my goals are a bit long, so I think 6 is enough! Looking forward to seeing what everyone else thinks of!

I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

Goodreads Summary: I’ve lost it. :( The only thing in the world I wasn’t supposed to lose. My engagement ring. It’s been in Magnus’s family for three generations. And now the very same day his parents are coming, I’ve lost it. The very same day! Do not hyperventilate, Poppy. Stay positive :) !!
 
Poppy Wyatt has never felt luckier. She is about to marry her ideal man, Magnus Tavish, but in one afternoon her “happily ever after” begins to fall apart. Not only has she lost her engagement ring in a hotel fire drill but in the panic that follows, her phone is stolen. As she paces shakily around the lobby, she spots an abandoned phone in a trash can. Finders keepers! Now she can leave a number for the hotel to contact her when they find her ring. Perfect!
 
Well, perfect except that the phone’s owner, businessman Sam Roxton, doesn’t agree. He wants his phone back and doesn’t appreciate Poppy reading his messages and wading into his personal life.
 
What ensues is a hilarious and unpredictable turn of events as Poppy and Sam increasingly upend each other’s lives through emails and text messages. As Poppy juggles wedding preparations, mysterious phone calls, and hiding her left hand from Magnus and his parents . . . she soon realizes that she is in for the biggest surprise of her life
Why I Read This Book: I pretty much read all of Sophie Kinsella's books (or at least buy them, as I still have a few to read!) and I got this one as an ebook. Tragedy stuck while I was reading this though, because I stepped on, and broke, my ereader while I was reading this one! Writing this review reminds me of that awful time :*(

Review: Initially when I started this book, I was like, oh god, another self centered, whiny, panicky, heroine who has trouble remembering anything, and never tells the truth (I'm looking at you, Becky Bloomwood!). I used to like the Shopaholic books a lot, but the last one got on my last nerve. I was a little disappointed. But, as I persevered, I did really start to enjoy the book, the story ended up really growing on me. It is a very cute book, and Kinsella's excellent and adorable writing style sucked me in! I do hope that this is a stand alone book. I loved it just the way it was, and Poppy doesn't need a sequel!

Rating:

Feature and Follow January 4, 2013

This weekly feature has 2 hosts Parakjunkee and AlisonCanRead and each blog features a different blogger to introduce us to.

This week we have:

and

Lost in Thought

This week's question is:

Q: What New Years Blogging or Writing resolution have you placed on yourself?

A: This year I need to get a posting schedule and stick to it. Before I used to just post a review whenever I was done a book, and if I had a back log I would post a bunch in one week, and then there wouldn't be any for awhile. Now my schedule will be:

Monday - Book Review

Tuesday - Top Ten Tuesday List

Wednesday - off

Thursday - Personal interest content (movie, TV, etc.)

Friday - Feature and Follow

Weekends - whatever I feel like :)

I think that this is something I can easily stick to, and not feel overwhelmed. That is my main blogging goal for 2013. As a secondary, I'm also hoping to make a few blogging friends that I chat with somewhat frequently. I can't get into Twitter or even my blogs Facebook page, but I will definitely be doing more commenting. I'm always hopping around reading, so why not let people know I was there! That's what I would want people to do for me :)

My First Time Watching Star Wars

Over our recent move, we had internet troubles, which I'm sure you are all tired of hearing about... However, I took the time to watch something that I had always been meaning to see, but never got around to it, and that is the Star Wars movies. After a through poll of my Facebook friends, I decided to watch them in the order that they were released, Episodes 4,5,6 then 1,2,3. We finished the last one on New Years Eve. This is a summary of my thoughts.

I was expecting these movies to be like THE MOST EPIC sci-fi films ever. But, in reality they were actually quite goofy. They characters were often pretty funny, which for some reason surprised me a lot. I guess I had no idea what to expect, but it wasn't that. I laughed several times throughout all 6 films.

Especially where Han Solo was involved!

I'm surprised that when people think of Princess Leia, they always seem to think of this hairstyle. This is only really in the first part of Episode 4, and then you never see it on her again. How did it become such a trademark? I know Padme wears it once as well, but I still don't know how it became so well known.

• 

I'm also surprised that there were so many things that I had heard of/could recognize from the films that really didn't get a whole lot of screen time.

Darth Maul



Ewoks!

Overall, I did really enjoy the movies, the special effects were cool, and I liked the story. I guess I just don't really know how they turned into such an earth shattering epic sensation. They were really good, and I really enjoyed them, but I still just don't fully understand the cult following they have.