My Humblest Apologies

I just wanted to write a quick post to say sorry that I have been MIA in the blogosphere this summer! These last couple months have just flown by in a whirlwind of busyness and blogging got set on the back burner. Other than being crazy busy the main contributing factor to my absence is that my summer schedule is quite different than my normal fall through spring schedule. You see, I am a nanny and I typically arrive at work an hour or so before my charge wakes up and I get my blogging done in that window of time. But since the mom that I work for is a teacher she is off for the summer and so I worked three jobs this summer all of which didn't have the built in time for blogging that I am used to. And that led to me forgetting to post on my normal blogging days. So long story short I am sorry I haven't been posting these past few months and I will try to get back on track these next couple weeks!

Some of the highlights of my summer included: birthday parties galore (my family has several summer b-days), lots of quality time with my favorite littles, one of my sisters coming in for a visit and another sister coming back for a while, going to see Luke Bryan (with Dustin Lynch and Little Big Town) in concert, the family I nanny for had their second little girl (she's adorable), and I got to go to Disney World with my brother and his family!

What were some of your favorite things about this summer?

2015 End of the Year Book Survey

READING STATS:
Number Of Books You Read: 88
Number of Re-Reads: 0
Genre You Read The Most From: Historical Romance

BEST IN BOOKS:
1. Best Book You Read In 2015? Normally this is a hard question for me to answer but this year I'd have to say Isle of Hope by Julie Lessman and From the Start by Melissa Tagg

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t? Together With You by Victoria Bylin

 3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read? The Methuselah Project by Rick Barry

 4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)? From the Start by Melissa Tagg

 5. Best series you started in 2015? Isle of Hope by Julie Lessman, The Walker Family by Melissa Tagg, Valiant Hearts by Dina L. Sleiman, Waves of Freedom by Sarah Sundin, The Hawthorne House by Kristi Ann Hunter, and Men of Valor by Irene Hannon
Best Sequel of 2015? Chivalrous by Dina L. Sleiman
Best Series Ender of 2015? Sabotaged by Dani Pettrey and Can't Let You Go by Jenny B. Jones

 6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2015? Dina L. Sleiman and Kristi Ann Hunter

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone? The only book I read that was really out of my comfort zone was Warm Bodies by Issac Marion but I didn't love it all that much.

 8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
Suspense-wise I'd say Hawk and Falcon by Ronie Kendig, but the book that I devoured the fastest was From the Start by Melissa Tagg!

 9. Book You Read In 2015 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year? If I was to reread one it would be From the Start by Melissa Tagg.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2015?




















11. Most memorable character of 2015? Colton Greene from From the Start by Melissa Tagg, Jack O'Bryen from Isle of Hope by Julie Lessman, Jim Avery from Through Waters Deep by Sarah Sundin, Casper Christiansen from Always on My Mind by Susan May Warren, and Jake Porter from A Love Like Ours by Becky Wade

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2015? Isle of Hope by Julie Lessman

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2015? Glory Days by Max Lucado

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2015 to finally read? The Harry Potter Series

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2015? I rarely remember book quotes but one that I snapped a pic of was "Love is always a miracle. Especially in this world."  from The Lost Heiress by Roseanna M. White.

16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2015? Shortest: The Proposal by Becky Wade
Longest: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

 17. Book That Shocked You The Most Isle of Hope by Julie Lessman is the first that came to mind! The twists on the end had me on the edge of my seat!

18. OTP OF THE YEAR Colton and Kate from From the Start by Melissa Tagg, Jack and Lacey from Isle of Hope by Julie Lessman, and Jake and Lyndie from A Love Like Ours by Becky Wade

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year I love family sagas and sibling relationships so these are some of my favorite families! The O'Bryen's, the Christiansens, the McKennas, the Walkers, the McKinleys, the McGregors, the Porters, and the Hawthornes.

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2015 From An Author You’ve Read Previously This is getting really redundant so I'm not typing it again, see my answer to #1!

21. Best Book You Read In 2015That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure: There really weren't any!

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2015? Colton Greene from From the Start and Jim Avery from Through Waters Deep by Sarah Sundin

23. Best 2015 debut you read? Dauntless by Dina L. Sleiman and A Noble Masquerade by Kristi Ann Hunter.

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year? Doon from the Doon series by Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read? Three Little Words and From the Start by Melissa Tagg and Can't Let You Go by Jenny B. Jones

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2015? Isle of Hope by Julie Lessman

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year? Worth the Time by Laura Jackson

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul? My soul is still intact!

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2015? A Singular and Whimsical Problem by Rachel McMillan

30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)? Among the Fair Magnolias Novella Collection though I did enjoy one of the stories!

YOU'RE BLOGGING/BOOKISH LIFE:
1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2015? Can't really think of any new ones I discovered.

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2015? Isle of Hope and From the Start

3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog? I don't really have any discussion posts this year.

4. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)? I love the Top Ten Tuesday meme!

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2015? Getting to interact with authors and fellow bloggers.

6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year? Keeping up with reviews-I had a busy year!

7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)? The post that had the most views was Top Ten Books I've Added to My TBR Recently

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love? Not really any I can think of

9. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)? The Libib app for cataloging my books! It's amazing!

10.  Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year? I met my goal of finally reading the Harry Potter books!

LOOKING AHEAD:
1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2015 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2016? Married til Monday by Denise Hunter

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2016 (non-debut)? Like Never Before by Melissa Tagg, You're the One That I Want by Susan May Warren, Her One and Only by Becky Wade, Cold Shot by Dani Pettrey, and Anchor in the Storm by Sarah Sundin

3. 2016 Debut You Are Most Anticipating? The Bachelor Girl's Guide to Murder

4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2016? Series ending would be the Christiansen family series!

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2016? Make my goal of reading over 100 books!

6. A 2016 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone: I've only read a few but I'd say Thin Ice by Irene Hannon

The Sweater Weather Tag

I have seen this tag floating around and since fall is my absolute favorite season I decided I would do it for fun!

Favorite candle scent

There are so many amazing scents out there I don't know if I can pick just one! I will say that I always love vanilla, it's timeless and it's almost impossible to mess up. I pretty much love any fall scented candle, they make me happy!

Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate?

I am a really weird person and I don't enjoy hot beverages at all! Every once in awhile I have a cup of cappuccino and hot chocolate mixed together, or even more rarely a cup of tea but I would much rather have a tall glass of sweet tea!

What’s the best fall memory you have?

I always loved taking a drive on this slightly scary road that overlooks this valley filled with trees and seeing the beauty of the changing colors!

Best fragrance for fall

Pumpkin, apple, especially if they are coming from the oven! Most recently I have made Pumpkin Gingerbread and Apple Cheesecake Bars both of which made my apartment smell divine and tasted amazing!

Favorite Thanksgiving food

Cottage Potatoes, hands down! If you have never had them you are seriously missing out!

Most worn sweater

I haven't been much of a sweater girl the past few years but I'm trying to change that! I'm more of a hoodie/jacket girl and the one I've worn the most this year is a zip-up hoodie that I bought in Sunset Beach, NC when I was there for my best friend's wedding!

Football games or jumping in leaf piles?

Jumping in leaf piles for sure! I haven't done it in awhile since we didn't have trees close enough to our house but I am not a football fan at all!

Skinny jeans or leggings?

Skinny jeans! I haven't quite figured out how to make leggings work for me yet!

Combat boots or Uggs?

Neither, and I really haven't found a type of boot that I really like all that much.

Is pumpkin spice worth the hype?

Yes! I will fully admit that I'm a sucker for pumpkin spice!

Favorite fall TV show

I don't have any special thing that I watch every fall but I love fall TV! So many amazing shows that air during the fall! Hawaii Five-O, all the NCIS', Castle, Arrow, The Flash, Doctor Who, Jane the Virgin, Agents of SHIELD, The Big Bang Theory, Scorpion, Last Man Standing, to name a few :)

What do you want to be for Halloween?

We never did Halloween growing up so I have no experience in dressing up for it but this year I'm working at my bakery job on the 31st and I am going to try to dress up as Rosie the Riveter! It's easy to do and easy to work in!

Hats or Scarves?

I can't really pull off either, or just haven't figured out how to do it though I do want to be able to! I'd probably pick scarves out of the two!

What’s your #1 favorite thing about fall?

The leaves changing and taking walks through the ones that have fallen! I am blessed that taking walks is actually part of my job!

My Apologies (Why I Haven't Been Around)

Hey all!
So you may have noticed a lack of posts lately and I promise I have a good explanation. My laptop died on me. Yeah it's kind of tragic and I am completely bummed. Unfortunately my kindle and phone don't work all that well for blogging and I haven't been home enough to take my sister up on the offer to use her's until tonight. So this post is kind of a warning post that you are about to be bombarded by a bunch of catch up posts and an advance sorry! Hope you all are having a great week!

20 Things You Might Not Know About Me Tag

This is a fun tag that has been making it's way around the blogosphere and I was delighted to be tagged by the awesome Grace @ Fictionally!

Question 1: How tall are you?

I am 5'8"!

Question 2: Do you have a hidden talent? If so, what?

I don't know about a hidden talent but I am pretty good at multitasking and organizing!

Question 3: What’s your biggest blog-related pet peeve?

When people basically just reiterate the synopsis of a book in their review. I look at the description for that I read the review for YOUR thoughts on the book.

Question 4: What’s your biggest non-blog related pet peeve?

When people act completely different depending on who they are with and when people tell me to do things I already know I need to do.

Question 5: What’s your favorite song?

I have way to many to just pick one! Some recent ones that I keep playing over and over are: 50 Ways to Say Goodbye by Train, Gone, Gone, Gone by Phillip Phillips, Crash My Party by Luke Bryan, Should've Been Me by Citizen Way, Thrive by Casting Crowns, Write Your Story by Francesca Battistelli, and oh so many more but this is getting a bit long!

Question 6: What’s your favourite Etsy shop that isn't yours?

I'm not really on Etsy much!

Question 7: What’s your favorite way to spend your free time when you’re alone?

Reading! Also watching TV shows! Though if I am left home alone the first thing I do is clean everything!

Question 8: What’s your favorite junk food?

Anything Reese's!

Question 9: Do you have a pet or pets? If so, what kind and what are their names?

I currently don't have any personal pets since my cat ran away but we have 2 cats named Gypsy and Kali, and an Australian Shepherd Lab named Zorro.

Question 10: What are your number one favorite non-fiction and fiction books?

HAHAHAHA is this a joke? Favorite book?! I have SO many! I will say that two of my favorite fictional series are The O'Conner Family Saga by Julie Lessman and The River of Time Series by Lisa T. Bergren! As for non-fiction I love pretty much anything by Max Lucado and Holley Gerth and I also love Grace for the Good Girl by Emily P. Freeman.

Question 11: What’s your favorite beauty product?

I am so not a make-up girl! I only where it occasionally when I go out. My sister sells Avon so I get my make up there and I mainly stick to Glimmersticks Eyeliner (Saturn Gray is my favorite) and their Aero Volume Mascara.

Question 12: When were you last embarrassed? What happened?

I get embarrassed easily and often so it's really hard to remember a distinct instance!

Question 13: If you could only drink one beverage (besides water) for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Definitely Sweet Tea! It's pretty much the only beverage that I like!

Question 14: What’s your favorite movie?

Again with the impossible questions! Some favorites include: Anything Marvel, Sweet Home Alabama, 27 Dresses, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Singin' in the Rain, Yours, Mine, and Ours (Lucille Ball version), Lord of the Rings/Hobbit, The Decoy Bride, My Girlfriend's Boyfriend,Wedding Daze....

Question 15: What were you in high school: prom queen, nerd, cheerleader, jock, valedictorian, band geek, loner, artist, prep?

I was homeschooled but I would have been a loner for sure!

Question 16: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?

I kinda like my corner of the world but I would love to visit England, Ireland, and Germany!

Question 17: PC or Mac?

PC all the way!

Question 18: Last romantic gesture from a crush, date, boy/girlfriend, spouse?

I don't have any of those but it's the little things that make me feel the most loved. Like simply getting me a McDonald's Sweet Tea can make my day!

Question 19: Favorite celebrity?

Actor: David Tennant, Nathan Fillion, Chris Evans, and Christopher Gorham

Actress: Reese Witherspoon, Summer Glau, and Autumn Reeser

Question 20: What blogger do you secretly want be best friends with? 

There are so many of my blogging friends that I would love to meet though I don't want to list them because I know I would forget someone but you girls know who you are!

So many of my blogging friends have already been tagged so I am not going to pick anyone in particular but if you think this looks fun consider yourself tagged!

The TBR Tag

I saw this fun tag that Dana (Danasquare) & Rachel (A Perfection Called Books) put together and I couldn't resist joining in! Feel free to do your own post since anyone can participate! If you do leave your link in the comments and I'll check yours out! A quick note, I think of my TBR list as only the physical copies of books that I own so that is what I'll be referring to with my answers!

QUESTIONS

How do you keep track of your TBR pile?
I have a dry erase board with a list of all the unread books that I own!

Is your TBR mostly print or ebook?
I do have more ebooks to read than print since I get so many of them free and just don't have the time to get around to them! I have 530 unread books on my kindle and 47 on my shelves.

How do you determine which book from your TBR to read next?
Review books always come first and I rarely get chances to read my other books except for read-a-thons which I pick the quickest reads for. If I ever do get to just choose a random book it's usually one that I just can't wait to read!

A Book That's Been On Your TBR List The Longest
As best I can tell Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers is the one that has been on my shelves for the longest. Though it hasn't been that long since I have a goal of not having any TBR books on my shelves that are more than a year old. I always try to have all the books I received in the previous year before the new year starts. So this book has only been on my shelf since mid December!

A Book You Recently Added To Your TBR
The most recent addition is Where Treetops Glisten by Tricia Goyer, Cara Putman, and Sarah Sundin

A Book In Your TBR Strictly Because Of Its Beautiful Cover 
I have never bought a book solely because of it's cover!

A Book On Your TBR That You Never Plan on Reading 
I will at least give every book on my shelves a try and most of the ones I have now I'm pretty sure I'll finish!

An Unpublished Book On Your TBR That You’re Excited For 
I have so many Unpublished books that I'm dying to read but here are a few of the ones that are at the top of the list! All but three of them are the end or continuation of some of my favorite series!
Surprised by Love by Julie Lessman
Rebels by Jill Williamson
Hawk by Ronie Kendig
Deceived by Irene Hannon
The Wishing Season by Denise Hunter
Sabotaged by Dani Pettrey
After a Fashion by Jen Turano
From the Start by Melissa Tagg
A Path in the Waters by Sarah Sundin
Always on My Mind by Susan May Warren
Hidden Agenda by Lisa Harris

A Book On Your TBR That Basically Everyone’s Read But You
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers so many people have read and recommended it!

A Book On Your TBR That Everyone Recommends To You
Again the answer is Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

A Book On Your TBR That You’re Dying To Read
Circle of Spies by Roseanna M. White

How Many Books are on Your Goodreads TBR Shelf? 
359

55 Book Related Questions

Earlier this month Jillian at Covers and Ink answered these questions on her blog, it looked really fun but this was the first I've had a combination of remembering, having time, and having a free posting day so that's why it's taken so long! Feel free to join in on your blog or answer some of the questions in the comments! I love learning more about the reading habits of my blogging friends!

1. Favorite childhood book? Haha this is rather hard to answer! There were different times when different books were my favs but some that come to mind as ones I read several times are The Runaway Princess and Captive Treasure by Milly Howard, and the Annie Henry Series by Susan Olasky. I also really enjoyed the Dear America books and the Royal Diaries, my favorite of which was Eleanor: Crown Jewel of Aquitaine, France, 1136.

2. What are you reading right now?  Shadows of the Past by Patricia Bradley, Worth the Wait by Laura Jackson, A Match Made in Texas by Karen Witemeyer, Mary Connealy, Regina Jennings, and Carol Cox, and You're Going to Be Okay by Holley Gert

3. What books do you have on request at the library? None

4. Bad book habit? The only thing I can think of is that I tend to read so many that I can forget a lot of things about the ones I've read.

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library? None unless you count my sister's collection which I'm borrowing about 9 books from!

6. Do you have an e-reader? Yep! I have a Kindle Fire!

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once? I enjoy both! Sometimes it's nice to just focus on one book at a time and other times it's fun to mix it up! I usually at least have one fiction and one non-fiction going at the same time!

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog? I've definitely branched out a lot more, trying new authors and genres. Before I started reviewing I could only get a few books a year so I was very selective. I also read more now, I used to get about 100 books read a year now I usually get over 200!

9. Least favorite book you read this year? Well I've loved all the 15 books I've read so far this year but the only one that got four stars instead of five was With Autumn's Return by Amanda Cabot!

10. Favorite book you've read this year? Haha! All but one book I've read this year got five stars! I would definitely say the Julie Lessman books (all of them) were my favorites!

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone? On occasion. I have a pretty wide comfort zone so there aren't too many books outside of it. I'm usually willing to give most books a try!

12. What is your reading comfort zone? As previously stated it's pretty large, for the most part if it's Christian I'll give it a chance, except for Amish! I'm not a huge fan of thrillers but I'm willing to try them if they sound good enough!

13. Can you read in the car? It varies! Most of the time it's fine but occasionally there will be stretches of time where I get carsick when I read. Reading on my kindle seems to work better in the car than an actual book!

14. Favorite place to read? I typically read on my bed, but when I'm at my sisters' place I enjoy reading on their couch too!

15. What is your policy on book lending? My family and friends know they can borrow a book when they want. Sometimes they return them bent which makes me really sad but it doesn't stop me from lending!

16. Do you ever dog-ear books? NEVER

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books? NEVER

18. Not even with text books? Nope!

19. What is your favorite language to read in? English.... 

20. What makes you love a book? There are so many factors and I'm not overly hard to please! Great characters are a big part!

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book? If I loved it then I'll recommend it! My sisters treats my collection like her personal library so I'm always recommending books to them!

22. Favorite genre? Yeesh...I have several! I have the most of Historical Fiction so I'd probably say that's my fav though close seconds are Romantic Suspense and Young Adult!

23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did)? Hmm can't really think of any!

24. Favorite biography? Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas

25. Have you ever read a self-help book? I read Christian living but I don't view that as self-help so I'm gonna say no.

26. Favorite cookbook? Pillsbury's The Complete Book of Baking

27. Most inspirational book you've read this year (fiction or non-fiction)? Fiction: Julie Lessman's books. Non-Fiction: You're Already Amazing by Holley Gerth

28. Favorite reading snack? Chocolate chips or cracker are usually what I snack on while reading if I snack at all. It's more common that I'm drinking tea!

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience. Can't think of any! The only "hype" I usually get is from blogging friends who have similar taste so I usually agree with them!

30. How often do you agree with critics about a book? I don't really pay much attention to critics and make my own opinion!

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews? I'm not going to lie and say I liked a book when I didn't but I always try to find some good and sandwich the bad between the good. I also try to keep those reviews shorter. There is no reason to bash a book just because you didn't like it! I usually state that it wasn't for me and recommend reading other reviews!

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose? German. I'm 3/4 German and know a bit of the language!

35. Favorite Poet? I don't read poetry!

36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time? We rarely go to the library...

37. How often have you returned books to the library unread? Quite often!

38. Favorite fictional character? This is next to impossible but some that come to mind are the O'Conners and their spouses from Julie Lessman's O'Conner series, Luca, Lia, Gabi, and Marcello from the River of Time Series by Lisa T. Bergren, the Archer brothers from Karen Witemeyer's books, the McKenna siblings and their significant others from the Alaskan Courage series by Dani Pettrey, the Novak brothers from the Wings of Glory Series by Sarah Sundin, Miranda, Matthew, and Blaze from Made to Last by Melissa Tagg, and I really need to stop before I go on forever!

39. Favourite fictional villain? I really don't like villains, so I can't think of a fav!

41. The longest I’ve gone without reading. I think the longest solid time was two and a half weeks which was this past November when I read only three books all month!

42. Name a book that you could/would not finish. There have been quite a few but the first that comes to mind is Undeniably Yours by Becky Wade

43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading? People having conversations around me, my brain just automatically starts listening in!

44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel? Either the Lord of the Rings movies (including The Hobbit) or The Hunger Games movies!

45. Most disappointing film adaptation? Love Comes Softly Series

46. The most money I've ever spent in the bookstore at one time? I rarely shop at bookstores since I do most shopping online but the most I've spent was probably around $30

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it? Never, I hate spoilers!

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through? Several things but the biggest ones are head-hopping, too much description, redundancy, language, and inappropriate content. Sometimes I just stop if I'm just not enjoying the book.

49. Do you like to keep your books organized? Yes! I am very particular about my books and right now they are are alphabetized by author.

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you've read them? Unless I absolutely did not like a book, I keep it!

51. Are there any books you've been avoiding? Not that I know of! Sometimes books are ignored due to review requirements but I don't think I've avoided any books!

52. Name a book that made you angry. I'm having a little difficulty remembering but the thing that makes me the angriest is when the bad guy is a family member especially a father!

53. A book you didn't expect to like but did? City of the Dead by T.L. Higley

54. A book that you expected to like but didn't? Full Disclosure by Dee Henderson

55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading? All of my reading is guilt-free and most of it is pleasure reading but my two favorite things are rereading favorite books and reading new books from my favorite authors!

Some 2013 Stats

I did this last year and decided to do it again this year so here are some random stats from my reading and blogging in 2013!

Views (According to StatCounter)
Page Loads: 15,177
Unique Visits: 10,165
Return Visits: 3,659

Comments: 1,314

Reviews: 89

Books Read
Total: 219
Pages Read: 67,712
5 Star Books: 92
4 Star Books: 83
3 Star Books: 36
2 Star Books: 8
1 Star Books: 0
Non-Fiction: 21
Classics: 1

Books I Got
Total: 403
Physical Copies: 168
Review Physical Copies: 72
Giveaway Wins: 21
Gifts: 31
Bought: 45
Kindle Books: 235
Review E-Books: 22

Challenges
Entered: 12
Completed: 9

How Different...A Tag

Grace@Fictionally made up this tag and tagged me! Thanks Grace!

What To Do: This is a "make you think" tag. List three to five things that would be different in your life without fictional books, or fictional characters. When your through, tag three other people.

1) No Blog-If there weren't fiction books I would have no real reason to blog, especially since I am not the type to have deep thoughts that would make for good blog posts!

2) Less friends-This is a bit of a spin-off of #1 since I have "met" and become friends with so many awesome people through my blog that I really wouldn't have met any other way!

3) No Quoting-My family is constantly quoting movies and TV shows but without a fictional world there wouldn't be much to quote!

4) A lot more Non-Fiction reading-I can't imagine not having a love of reading so I'd probably be reading a lot more non-fiction especially history books!

5) More crafting and music-I enjoy crocheting and occasionally some cross-stitch, kitting, or rubber stamping so I'd probably do a lot more of that to fill my day and I'd probably listen to a lot more music to fill the silence in my head.

In short I can't imagine a life without fiction! As a shy and introverted girl who was homeschooled and lives at least 20 minutes from any form of entertainment it would be horrible not to have the fictional world to lose myself in! I would be so lonely and bored and my room would be empty since my bookshelves take up most of my space!

I'm Tagging:
Melanie@Christian Bookshelf Reviews
Rosie@Writings of Rosie
Caitlyn@Just Your Average Reviews

A-Z Reading Survey

This fun survey was created by Jamie at The Perpetual Page Turner. I saw this on another blog and it looked really fun so I decided to give it a go!

Author you've read the most books from:
Susan May Warren. I've read 37 of her books/novellas and I only have one novel and three novellas left!

Best Sequel Ever:
This was a little hard for me since I don't really consider second books in series as sequels and I'm not sure as to the best ever but one I was REALLY excited about was Stealing the Preacher by Karen Witemeyer. I loved Crockett in Short-Straw Bride so I was so happy he got his own story!

Currently Reading:
Whispers From the Shadows by Roseanna M. White, Beguiled by Deeanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand, and Grace for the Good Girl by Emily P. Freeman

Drink of Choice While Reading:
Iced Tea-the sweeter the better!

E-reader or Physical Book?
Definitely physical book but I do love the handiness of ebooks!

Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Actually Dated In High School:
No one-homeschooled/not a fan of high school dating/prefer courting

Glad You Gave This Book A Chance:
All the Tea in China by Jane Orcutt

Hidden Gem Book:
The Brides of Simpson Creek Series by Laurie Kingery-Often Love Inspired books are sub-par but this series is amazing!

Important Moment in your Reading Life:
Starting to review! I wasn't sure I'd be good but now I love it and being able to get all the books I want for free is amazing. Also blogging has given me many friends I never would have found otherwise!

Just Finished:
Bleeding Heart by Amber Stokes

Kinds of Books You Won’t Read:
Erotica and Amish (Yeah quite a difference there!)

Longest Book You've Read:
After the Bible, Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas

Major book hangover because of:
River of Time Series by Lisa T. Bergren and Wings of Glory Series by Sarah Sundin

Number of Bookcases You Own:
4 Bookcases with a total of 15 shelves that are almost all full!

One Book You Have Read Multiple Times:
O'Malley Series by Dee Henderson and The Californians by Lori Wick

Preferred Place To Read:
My Bed!

Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you've read:
I don't really remember book quotes.

Reading Regret:
Not discovering some authors earlier!

Series You Started And Need To Finish(all books are out in series):
Daughters of Boston by Julie Lessman

Three of your All-Time Favorite Books:
River of Time Series by Lisa T. Bergren
The O'Malley Series by Dee Henderson
The Californians by Lori Wick

Unapologetic Fan Girl For:
Luca Forelli from River of Time Series by Lisa T. Bergren

Very Excited For This Release More Than All The Others:
Deluge by Lisa T. Bergren

Worst Bookish Habit:
Reading several books at once-though I kinda like it!

X Marks The Spot: Start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book:
A Vision of Lucy by Margaret Brownley

Your latest book purchase:
Grace for the Good Girl by Emily P. Freeman

ZZZ-snatcher book (last book that kept you up WAY late):
Well since I routinely stay up past 4 A.M. this is a little harder to pinpoint but I think the last one that I deliberately stayed up to read even though I was exhausted was Avenger by Heather Burch.

A Message to Soldiers Then and Now

Author Roseanna M. White is doing a month of giveaway's on her blog and every day she asks a question. Today's question was: "If you could send a message to a random soldier in the Revolution, what would it say?" I enjoyed answering and decided sharing my answer would be a great 4th of July post, so I modified it to be applicable to all soldiers who have fought and are fighting for our freedom. Here it is:

"You are a hero. You may think you are just one tiny particle that doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things, but in truth you are so very important. Because of the battles and the trials you are facing today millions of people are blissfully living their lives in a free country. Sadly many of us take that fact for granted and forget about the sacrifices that were made so long ago and are being made today. And I'm sorry for that. On this day when we nationally celebrate the success of the battles you are fighting I want to just take a moment to say, Thank you. Thank you for all you've done and are going to do. You are changing the world."

Take Control of Your TBR Pile-March 2013

Rules

*Link-up! This is open to everyone. If you do not have a blog then link your Facebook or Goodreads account. 

*Beginning March 1st, 2013 and ending March 31, 2013 at midnight read books from your TBR pile ALL books must have been published before March 2013. 

*Post a review to Goodreads, your blog or Facebook then link it to the Rafflecopter for an entry. 

*Rafflecopter will close on April 2, 2013 at midnight and a winner will be chosen. Open internationally as long as Book Depository or Barnes and Noble ship to you. Prize: New 2013 release. I will do pre-orders as well.  

My Goal

So I have a pretty large TBR and I was already toying with making March a month of trying to lower it so I knew when I saw this that it'd be perfect. My goal is rather large and out there but I'm going for it anyway. I did this same goal last June and actually completed it so I'm trying again. What is it? To read one book everyday! So that would be 31 books in March! Think I'm crazy? Well I am but I'm gonna try anyway!

Book Swap at Labor Not in Vain

Hey all! Just wanted to let everyone know about an awesome book swap that my friend Faye is holding on her blog Labor Not in Vain! All you do is make a list of books you have for swap and books that you are looking for! The you can look through everyone else's lists, find someone to swap with, and send them an email. It's super easy and a great way to clear off some of your shelves and get books that you have been wanting! Click HERE to join the fun!

Some 2012 Stats

I thought it would be fun to make a post of some random stats from my reading and blogging in 2012~

Views (According to StatCounter)
Page Loads: 14,633
Unique Visits: 9,315
Return Visits: 2,950

Comments: 1,254

Reviews: 79

Books Read
Total: 235
Pages Read: 66,716
5 Star Books: 100
4 Star Books: 88
3 Star Books: 35
2 Star Books: 7
1 Star Books: 5
Non-Fiction: 30
Classics: 9

Books I Got
Total: 486
Physical Copies: 206
Review Physical Copies: 42
Giveaway Wins: 27
Gifts: 39
Bought: 98
Kindle Books: 281
Review E-Books: 13

Challenges
Entered: 9
Completed: 7

Meet&Greet At Diane Estrella's Blog!

I was honored to be interviewed for Diane Estrella's Meet&Greet sessions and she just posted it today! If you want to check it out here's the link!

Meet the Blogger

I found this on Kaye Dacus's blog and it looked fun so I figured I'd go ahead and do it! So hear is some random information you may or may not want to know about me!

Do you usually sleep with your closet door open or closed? Well since my "closet" is outside my room I don't really notice if it's open or not, but it does tend to be open simply because I forget to shut it!

Do you take the shampoos and conditioner bottles from hotels? I have never actually spent the night in a hotel so I can't really answer this one! But I don't think I would unless I really loved the smell!

Where is your next vacation? We don't really do vacations that much so I have no clue!

Who do you think reads these? People who want to know people better!

Do you have a calendar in your room? Yes! I have it right above my computer table and I always keep track of what we are doing on there!

What’s your plan for the day? Watch my niece, read, chill, and whatever my parents decided to do!

Are you reading any books right now? Always! I'm currently reading The Rancher's Courtship by Laurie Kingery and Bonhoeffer.

Do you ever count your steps when you walk? Rarely and usually only when I'm carrying something heavy!

Do you ever dance even if there’s no music playing? I don't usually dance at all so no.

Do you chew your pens and pencils? Eww no!

What is your “Song of the Week”? I have been listening to a variety of country music lately but the one song I keep listening to is Come On Christmas by Matthew West!

Is it okay for guys to wear pink? Depends on the shade and the guy.

Do you still watch cartoons? Not by choice but sometimes when babysitting

What do you drink with dinner? Iced tea

What do you dip chicken nuggets/tenders in? Ranch!

What is your favorite food/cuisine? I'm a pretty picky eater so I'm more a fan of just your run-of-the-mill home cooked meals!

Name three movies you watch over and over and still love. I have so many I could name but I'll try to pick three! Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Yours, Mine, and Ours (Lucille Ball version), and On the Town

When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper? This summer/fall when my best friend was visiting fam in California

Can you change the oil on a car? Nope\

Favorite thing to eat for breakfast? I can never eat much when I first get up so I usually have toast and sometimes a banana!

What is your usual bedtime? I used to be a crazy night owl staying up past 6am but I've changed that some and I try to be in bed by midnight.

Are you lazy? Sadly yes I can be rather lazy if I want to!

Afraid of heights? Slightly.

Occupations you wanted to be when you were a kid? Nanny and then a mom-still want these!

Hot tea or iced tea? Iced definitely! The sweeter the better!

Tea or coffee in the mornings? Tea, I hate coffee!

Favorite kind of cookie? Peanut Blossoms or Cream Wafers

Can you swim well? Nope, can't swim!

Can you hold your breath w/o manually holding your nose? Uh...yeah

Who do you want to see right now? My sis whose been in Texas for the past year and my best friend!

$300 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway!

Hey all! I thought I'd let you all know about an awesome giveaway that John Hileman of Christian Fiction Book Reviews is hosting! It's an amazing (and easy) chance to win some free amazon money! Click on the link to go to the giveaway page and learn all of the details!

Happy Birthday Giveaway!

Today is my oldest sister and co-author of this blog's birthday! Katie is not only my sister but also one of my very best friends. We have the same personality, have very similar tastes, and she is one of the few people I can talk to for hours and not run out of subject material. So in honor of her birthday I have decided to host a giveaway for $10 gift card from Amazon! Thank you Katie, for being such an awesome friend and sister! I love you!

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Updates!

Hey All!
Just thought I'd let you amazing readers know of the two new features we have recently added to our blog! The first of these is that you can now get updates from our blog delivered to your email! Yes we were quite behind on this one but it just never really crossed my mind. And the second feature is another "Really?! You JUST got that?!" thing. We now have a blog button!! You can find both of these located in the sidebar and I hope you enjoy! Thanks for being such awesome readers!

Reading Habits

I've seen this question form on many different blogs and it looked fun so I decided to do it too!

Do you snack while you read? If so, favourite reading snack:
I occasionally snack while reading and I usually like it to be something small like yogurt covered raisins, or M&M's


What is your favourite drink while reading?
Iced Tea-it's my favorite drink anytime!


Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?
I am appalled when people write in books! I think it is a horrible practice that needs band!


How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears? Laying the book flat open?
A bookmark. I have the same opinion of dog-earring and laying flat open as I do of writing in books!


Fiction, non-fiction, or both?
I generally prefer fiction and read more of it but I do like non-fiction and read a decent amount of that.


Are you a person who tends to read to the end of a chapter, or can you stop anywhere?
I like to end things with a chapter end or a least a breaking point but I have no problem stopping randomly if the situation requires it.


Are you the type of person to throw a book across the room or on the floor if the author irritates you?
Nope-you might have guessed I tend to frown on any sort of damaging behavior toward books-but I have been know to close a book in frustration and maybe smack it against a soft surface.


If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop and look it up right away?
Not really. I can usually guess it's meaning based on the way it's used.


What are you currently reading?
A Love Inspired book that isn't amazing but it's ok.


What is the last book you bought?
I recently bought quite a few book because we went to Half Price Books my fav of which was a beautiful copy of Jane Eyre. Check out my Stacking the Shelves post if you want to see!


Are you the type of person that reads one book at a time, or can you read more than one?
I read quite a few at a time. Often I have at least 3 if not 5 going at once.


Do you have a favourite time/place to read?
Anytime but I like to sit on my bed.


Do you prefer series books or stand alones?
Series! I get wrapped up in characters and love spending more time with them!


Is there a specific book or author you find yourself recommending over and over?
Susan May Warren, Mary Connealy, Karen Witemeyer, Cathy Marie Hake, Dee Henderson, Ken Ham


How do you organize your books? (by genre, title, author's last name, etc.)

Genre, mostly. Western historical fiction, other historical fiction, Susan May Warren (I have almost all her books 35), contemporary romantic suspense, contemporary romance, YA, novellas, classics and Love Inspired, and non-fiction,