Reading Plans for the Week

So for me this week, I had grand plans - but have been slower than I would like..


I have finished High Rhulain by Brian Jacques.... a wonderful Redwall tale!  If you are not familiar with Redwall.... it is a fantastic series for younger people than I.. but I love them and want to finish reading the series!  The protagonists are peaceful woodland creatures who endure struggles with warring rodents & carnivores of various types.  The setting is a medieval abbey.... there is a peaceful commune of delightful creatures.. and a noble warrior or two, of course.... and then there are the cruel villains.  I love these stories - they are chock full of 'feel good' scenes and leave me happy!







     

Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, another one I am working through... Fearless Fourteen can be added to my stack of finished books this week.  Fun and frivolous - quirky, with a bit of intrigue... I enjoy these too.  A very quick engaging summer read...   










                              The Matchmaker of Kenmare by Frank Delaney is taking a bit longer.  I will finish
that one tonight or tomorrow.  An Irish story with lots of description, it has a million different twists and turns... it's a bit like wandering down unknown paths.  I don't think it quite qualifies as a quick read.. but I am enjoying both the story and the writing style.  Frank Delaney has a way with his phrasing that makes you ponder!

 And, finally, I am working my way through Michael Thurmond's 12 Day Bodyshaping Miracle... NOT because I believe in weight loss miracles... but I am definitely in a slump and need an intelligent BOOST to get me back on track.  Physically I need to stop gaining weight (EATING junk)   and I need to regain  fitness!   I need to re-condition to get ready to walk a 60-mile event in 10 weeks!  This program sounds logical so I am going to try the 12 Days - watch for upcoming blogs about it!   I can do anything for 12 days, right?   Yikes!                                                              

Summer Reading Program

I am such a Dork!  Nerd..... you name it!

I found out that my local library has an ADULT summer reading program.  And guess who has to sign up!  I mean.... sign RIGHT up!   There is a weekly drawing for a $10 Walmart gift card and an end of summer drawing for $100 gift card.  Wow!  Frugal too!  Checking out books AND possibly winning a prize.... how can you lose?

Except maybe when I tell my family.... sorry about the laundry... I HAD to read this book?  Hmm..... actually that's not a new concept around here.... at least my family reads as much as I do.  But I DO like the idea of  MAYBE. just MAYBE getting paid for reading :-)

At any rate... in the last week I finished:

The Union Quilters - a quick read that combines quilting, a small community of characters I have met in other books of this series and a bit of US history.  I particularly enjoyed a few snippets that mentioned local place names that I have researched and written about in my children's history workbooks.



I also finished Lean Mean Thirteen - the 13th (really?) in the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich.  I get such a kick out of these books!  The bumbling heroine keeps getting into trouble and comes out smelling like a rose... and always gets the guy... two of them, actually :-)  A quick easy read!



And, a little more seriously, Writing The Popular Novel: A Comprehensive Guide To Crafting Fiction That Sells    This is an oldie but goodie.  I really enjoyed the information that Loren Estleman shares - but it is also a great story and offered bits of other books as examples.... which of course gave me ideas of other books to check out and read!

Anyway -  if you like to read.... check out your library - maybe they have a program for you too!  An excuse to READ.... wow... I love it!