The Sunday Salon 04.18.10

Good day, folks.

This will will be a busy one for me. My sister is coming down for a visit on Monday and on Tuesday the family is heading to San Antonio for a few days. I'll probably schedule a post or two for those days that I am absent.

As for last week, I got two reviews up: The Highest Stakes by Emery Lee and The Devil in Music by Kate Ross. I started up reading Perchance to Dream by Lisa Mantchev Friday and should finish it sometime today. I also started Captivity by Deborah Noyes Friday.

Have a good week, all. I hope to get some reading done and see the sights in San Antonio!

The Sunday Salon 04.11.10

Good day.

I put up a few reviews last week: The Founding by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles and Whom The Gods Love (book #3 in the Julian Kestrel series) by Kate Ross.

I'm working my way through book #4 in the Julian Kestrel series, which is entitled A Devil In Music. I'm loving it, already. It's different from the previous three books, as it is set in Italy, and it is a much longer book than the rest by about 100 pages. Unfortunately, this is the last book, so I'm trying to savor it.

I started reading another book last week: Wild Heart: A Life: Natalie Clifford Barney and the Decadence of Literary Paris. Barney was just an incredibly interesting lady. I plan on using this for the Women Unbound Challenge.

On a side note, if you have a Tumblr, then check out my book-related blog over there called Holy Crap. Books!

Until next week!

The Sunday Salon 04.04.10

Happy Easter, people.

Nothing much to report. Got two reviews up last week: The Darcy Cousins by Monica Fairview and Daughters of the Witching Hill by Mary Sharratt. Great books, both of them.

Still making my way through Whom the Gods Love by Kate Ross and Shirley by Charlotte Brontë.

Have a great day. I hope you get lots of candy! :)

The Sunday Salon 03.28.10

Greetings, folks.

Ah, I watched the film Letter From an Unknown Woman tonight for the first time. It was playing on TCM and I stopped everything to watch it. It was beautiful and heartbreaking. I loved it.

As for books, I got three reviews up last week: Cut to the Quick and A Broken Vessel by Kate Ross, books #1 and #2 in Julian Kestrel mysteries. I also put up my review of Fireworks Over Toccoa by Jeffrey Stepakoff since it's coming out soon. I finished this book back in December.

As for what I'm reading, I'm reading a number of books at the moment: Shirley by Charlotte Brontë, Whom the Gods Love by Kate Ross and Daughters of the Witching Hill by Mary Sharret. Enjoying all!

Have a good week.

The Sunday Salon 03.14.10

No reviews done this week! Oye. I think I'm in the middle of a burn out. I am currently reading a few books and have others waiting for me to read - books that I do really want to read - but at the same time, I'm burnt out.

I'm trying to think of another woman from history for the last Wednesday of the month. I'm having a hard time deciding on someone. Hopefully, it'll come to me one day. Is anyone reading my Women's History posts? It would be nice if people were. Even so, I'll do them anyway. I'm enjoying it.

As for books I'm reading, I'm reading The Perfect Rake by Anne Gracie, The Founding by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles and enjoying both.

Have a good week.

The Sunday Salon 03.07.10

Happy Sunday!

I've been feeling particularly unmotivated lately. I'm not really in a reading slump, but I'm not particularly excited to read anything. I haven't read anything in a while that has made me think, "Holy crap! This was so good!" It's not a good feeling. I hope it ends soon.

I got a few reviews up last week: Romancing Mister Bridgerton, which is book four in the Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn. This installment is my favorite, thus far. There are four more in the series, but I'm taking a bit of a break as to not have the end of the series come as quickly. I also read a very stunning non fiction account of the happenings of insane asylums in the 19th century: Ten Days in a Mad House by Nellie Bly. It's free to download online. Read it; it will blow your mind.

Speaking of Nellie Bly, I kicked off Women's History Month by doing a profile about her here. I'm doing these profiles every Wednesday this month and I'm really excited about the other fascinating ladies I've got lined up. Stay tuned!

I finished reading The Duke by Gaelen Foley today. I didn't mean to start reading it when I did, but I found myself reading the first few pages and couldn't stop. I enjoyed it and will get a review up about it this week. I also reread Persuasion by Jane Austen. I read it for the first time a few years ago and I think I actually loved it more reading it the second time around.

Oh, and if you didn't catch it, I - after nine months - have properly introduced myself here.

Have a good week!

The Sunday Salon 02.28.10

Hola!

I went a little historical romance crazy last week, if you hadn't noticed. I didn't intend that to happen. I started book #1 in the Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn earlier in the week and am already on book #4. Oye. I intend to take a break from the series after this one, although I don't know how much self control I'll have not to dive back in.

I started out the week with Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase and then followed with books 1-3 in the Bridgerton series: The Duke and I, The Viscount Who Loved Me and An Offer From a Gentleman.

Along with currently reading book #4: Romancing Mister Bridgerton, I also started on Citizens of London: The Americans Who Stood with Britain in Its Darkest, Finest Hour by Lynne Olson.

I'm way ahead of my reading list from last year. Last year, at the end of February, I had finished 13 books. At the end of February this year, I have finished 16. Go me!

Have a great week!

The Sunday Salon 02.21.10

Happy Sunday!

I managed to get two reviews up last week, even with all the distractions from the Olympics! Lessons in French by Laura Kinsale and What Remains of Heaven by C.S. Harris. Both were good reads.

I'm currently working my way through The Highest Stakes by Emery Lee and Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase. I'm also doing a reread of Persuasion by Jane Austen. It's my favorite Austen along with Pride and Prejudice, but it has been so long since I've read it. The showing of the 2007 adaptation tonight on PBS inspired me to do it. Can't wait to rewatch that, as well.

Have a great week and enjoy the Olympics!

The Sunday Salon 02.14.10

Happy Sunday!

I got two reviews up last week: Katherine by Anya Seton and The Betrayal of the Blood Lily by Lauren Willig. Unfortunately did not enjoy the former, but loved the latter! I can't wait for the next Pink Carnation book The Mischief of the Mistletoe to come out in October. The artwork has been revealed:

 

How pretty! I finished Lessons in French by Laura Kinsale last week, but have yet to write a review. Hopefully I will have one up soon.

I'm currently reading The Highest Stakes by Emery Lee and What Remains in Heaven by C.S. Harris. Enjoying both.

Oh, and I've just discovered you can add pages to blogger. Oh, what fun I will have.

Have a great week and enjoy the Olympics!

The Sunday Salon 02.07.10 | Blog Name Change

Good Sunday to ya.

First off, I want to announce that I changed the name of my blog. Since I created this blog in June, it has been known as the most uninspiringly name of Christy's Book Blog. Well, yesterday I changed the name to Readin' and Dreamin'. I had to change the header of blog for the new name, of course, so check that out. It from a painting by Julius LeBlanc Stewart called Reading Aloud.

I got up three reviews last week, so check those out: Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev, The Masqueraders by Georgette Heyer and The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt. I also finished Katherine by Anya Seton and should have that review up sometime today or tomorrow. I am currently reading two very entertaining books in The Darcy Cousins by Monica Fairview and The Betrayal of the Blood Lily by Lauren Willig.

I hope everyone who is watching the big game tonight enjoys it. I can't wait, although it means the end of football season and a very long off season. Alas, Spring Training starts soon!

Have a good week!

The Sunday Salon 01.31.10

Well, happy Sunday.

Got one review up this past week: Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin. Fabulous book; highly recommended. I'm also close to finishing up three books soon: Katherine by Anya Seton, The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt and Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev and hope to get reviews up for those.

The main reason for this post is to pose a question about my blog's title. I'm getting a bit tired of it. I wasn't really thinking creatively when I first made this blog. I suppose I figured no one would really read it, so I just named it simply Christy's Book Blog. I was looking to change this, but then thought: Would this cause confusion? How does someone go about just changing their blog name? Have you or someone you known done this? Perhaps I'm over thinking this. And feedback would be welcomed.

The Sunday Salon 01.10.10

Oh, woe is me, I only finished one book last week. Hmph. It was a good one, however. Where Serpents Sleep by C.S. Harris, book #4 in the fabulous Sebastian St. Cyr mysteries. Can't wait to get to book #5. I started up two new books: The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt, which I have been wanting to read ever since I first heard about it. After reading Possession, I'll read anything this woman writes. I'm also reading The Masqueraders by Georgette. Yes, I know I said I was going to take a Heyer break, but I couldn't hold out much longer. I figured that Devil's Cub must have just been a dud for me. So far, I'm loving The Masqueraders.

I didn't participate in Bloggiesta this weekend, but it did inspired to clean up my blog a little bit. I'm not digging my sidebars; they seem a bit cluttered. I figured out how to make navigational tabs underneath my header. I'll be making posts, such as one that holds the links to all my challenges I'm participating in for 2010 and just link that up top. So if you see posts over the next few days with links and such in it, never mind it. I also am going to fix up my tags a bit. Something is irking me.

Have a good week!

The Sunday Salon 01.03.10

Happy New Year, folks!

This was certainly an eventful year for me. I started this blog in June and have come farther than I thought I would. I discovered a lot of new awesome books this year and I wrapped up 2009 reading 74 books. Just one short of 75, darn it! The last two I finished were Devil's Cub by Georgette Heyer, which I unfortunately dislike immensely. I also finished Again the Magic by Lisa Kleypas, which was my first read by Kleypas. I enjoyed it. Hopefully I'll get in the mood to write a review for it soon. As for what I'm currently reading, I started up Where Serpents Sleep by C.S. Harris, Book #4 in the Sebastian St. Cyr mystery series. So far it is very intriguing.

I also completed NaNoWriMo for the second year in a row and while stressful, I loved my story better than the one I wrote in 2008.

I completed two challenges this year: the Back to School Challenge and the Period Drama Challenge. With the start of a new year starts all the new challenges: All About the Brontës' Challenge, Women Unbound Challenge and Historical Fiction Reading Challenge are the ones I'm participating in and stupid me goes and joins another one. I am eying one more, too. I must control myself.

And on the final day of 2009 I watched The Young Victoria. It was an incredibly beautiful, dramatic and moving film. One of my favorites of last year!

I can't wait to see what 2010 brings. Have a great week!

The Sunday Salon 12.27.09

Happy last Sunday of 2009!

I managed to finish three books last week and reflect on my year in reading. I started off the week sharing my Top Five Books of 2009. I hope people found some good ones in my list!

I finished reading Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale - which was a surprisingly good read - and Love Engineered by Jenna Dawlish which I also enjoyed. I also finished Fireworks Over Toccoa by Jeffrey Stepakoff, a beautiful story set in Toccoa, Georgia during the wrap-up of WWII. I loved it, but seeing as it won't be released until April, I'm gonna hold off on my review until it gets closer to the release date.

I also shared the wonderful books I receive for Christmas here. If you got any books, do share on that post!

I hope everyone has a great New Years!

The Sunday Salon 12.20.09

Happy Sunday!

Last Sunday before Christmas! I am all done buying presents. Granted, I didn't have to buy for that many people, but I am done!

It was a good reading week for me. I finished two books. The first was The Awakening by Kate Chopin which I used for the Women Unbound Challenge. I also finished These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer. Absolutely loved it! Dove right in to Devil's Cub afterward.

I also started reading The Letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett 1845-1846 vol I. I've only read three of the letters, but I can tell that this will be a wonderful experience reading through the correspondence. The letters cover the whole year leading up to their elopement! I am also thoroughly enjoying Flowers From the Storm by Laura Kinsale. Man, the romance genre sure does get a bad rap, doesn't it? This is a very gripping book!

Have a great holiday, everyone!

The Sunday Salon 12.13.09

Happy Sunday!

I managed to finish two books last week. Wow! I can't remember the last time I got that done. I finished The Other Mr. Darcy by Monica Fairview, which was a delightful read. I also finished Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier for my last read in the Back To School Challenge. It is now time to focus on all the brand-new challenges. I already am starting the Women Unbound Challenge by reading The Awakening by Kate Chopin. And I also started reading These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer.

I also got a new toy last week:

I love it!

Have a great week!

The Sunday Salon 12.06.09

 Happy December, all!

I managed to sneak in one more book at the end of November. Finished up Lady Vernon and Her Daughter which I most pleasantly enjoyed. I started up two more books with Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier (the last book for the Back To School Challenge) and The Other Mr. Darcy by Monica Fairview. Will most likely finish both very soon.

There are so many good challenges popping up for the new year and I just joined my third one: Historical Fiction Reading Challenge. Chose to do 12 for next year. Since this is my genre of choice, it should be no problem. I can't wait to start on all the challenges!

And I just realized that I will be able to get a Sony Reader Pocket Edition! $199 is pretty steep, especially since I am currently without job (hoping that will change!). With money I will be getting from relatives, I will have more than enough to buy one. So excited!

Have a great week!

The Sunday Salon 11.29.09

Good Sunday, folks.

Due to NaNoWriMo, my reading has fallen behind, but no more! I have finished NaNoWriMo for this year. Total count: 50,544 words!

I will most likely finish Lady Vernon and her Daughter today and should have a review up, as well.

I finished up the Period Drama Challenge this week, by watching my final film Lady Audley's Secret. I enjoyed it well enough. It was nothing special. I have one more challenge to finish up for this year before I start the brand new challenges I joined up. I started reading Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier for the Back to School Challenge. It is my fourth and final book for that.

Have a great week!

The Sunday Salon 11.22.09

Happy Sunday!

I managed to finished one book last week: Tears of Pearl by Tasha Alexander. It was one of those OK books. Didn't love it, didn't hate it. I'm currently reading Lady Vernon and Her Daughter by Jane Rubino and Caitlen Rubino-Bradway. I've only just begun, so no opinion on it yet.

I joined another challenge. So far, I've only come across two challenges that I'll be participating in. I don't want to overwelm myself. This one is the Women Unbound Challenge. Here is the start-up meme I had to do for it. The other challenge, as I said last week, is the All About the Brontës Challenge.Two very awesome challenges that I will have a lot of fun doing.

As for NaNoWriMo, I have surpassed 38,000 words. The story is coming along nicely. No doubt I'll hit 50,000 by the end of the month. The question is, will I finish that darn story?

Have a great week!

The Sunday Salon 11.15.09

Happy Sunday!

I finally finished Wolf Hall last week. What a beast! I'm currently reading Tears of Pearl by Tasha Alexander, book #4 in the Lady Emily mystery series.

I'm looking at challenges and have joined my first one for 2010: