STOP MESSING WITH MY HAPPY PLACE!!!!

Dear Barnes & Noble Company,

I have been a long time, dedicated customer for over 20 years. I have bought countless books within your various stores. I am an interested party to what happens with your stores. And let me say, while your stores are my "happy place", I am NOT happy.

For several years now, I have watched changes unfold. While I know that every company is going to have experience change in order to grow and stay vital, I have been forced to watch negative changes occur. In my opinion, it feels as if you have been sabotaging your own company. What happened?! Where did you go wrong?!

Barnes & Noble made it's name as being the place to go for books. Within your stores, numerous book lovers found a place for their passion to call home. I am one of those people. I remember being in junior high, and going to B. Dalton to buy books. There was no Barnes & Noble store near me, so my Mom would take me there. I began collecting your classics collection. I started out when the adult classics were in yellow jackets, and the kids ones were in blue. I have been adding to my collection ever since. 

At what point did you think adding a toy section to your stores was a smart idea? What in the world made you think removing shelves of books and replacing them with over priced toys was a good business move? And who had, in your company, had the arrogance to claim Barnes & Noble the #1 toy seller?! Did you forget what your company is called? Let me refresh you with what your store name signs say: BARNES & NOBLE BOOKSELLERS. Booksellers- not toy sellers!

I am a loyal patron. I will go down with the ship, if it goes down. However, out of my loyalty I beg of you to stop destroying a beloved company. Your company made it's name, and reputation, on selling books like no other company has. Amazon can't even top what you do. You supply people with the chance to step into the wondrous world of books as soon as they walk through the door. Amazon doesn't have actual stores to encourage browsing and exploring other books. I can't tell you how many books I've discovered without setting out to. NEVER underestimate the power of browsing. A website can do that, but only to a point. 

Go back to the business plan you had when you were successful. Remember what put you guys on the map in the first place. I beg of you. I realize digital reading is a difficult hurdle to overcome. But, never forgot the loyal customers who still prefer books in their original form. I still prefer holding my books in my hands as I journey through their pages. Do not alienate that core base. They aren't going to disappear unless you force them to.

Sincerely,

Jenifer

Genre Burn Out

Hi. My name is Jen, and I have suffered from genre burn out. 

Have you ever been on a reading kick with a specific genre? Couldn't get enough of the mysteries? Found yourself continuously traveling back in time with historical fiction? Isn't it wonderful?! Yeah, it's never ending happiness... until the happiness ends.

I've been known to go on one genre kick after another. I would consume as many cozy mysteries, fiction books, historical fiction adventures, and gripping bios until I couldn't focus anymore. I learned the hard way that I was on genre burn out.

Now, I try to not to overdo it when I go on a reading streak. I try not to read so many books in one genre that I burn out of it.

Has this ever happened to you? What do you do when it does?

My Review Thoughts

Every blog, or website, that posts reviews has a few decisions they must make. What rules, or policies, will they adhere to? Will they talk about every book they read- good or bad? If they didn't like a book, will they still post about it? Much goes into reviews that get posted.

I thought I would tell you what my thoughts and policies are for the reviews I do. What am I willing to do? What am I NOT willing to do? How have my thoughts changed from when I first began reviewing to now?

1. In the beginning, I would post my thoughts on every book I read- whether they were good or bad. If I didn't like it, I told you. I would give it a "Buy It & Return It" rating. As time has gone by, I found that I preferred to share the books I liked more than ones I didn't. So, bit by bit, reviews of books I didn't like became less. 

2. Whether a book is liked or loathed, I think there is a polite way to discuss it. I always remembered that even if I didn't like it, others may. I also tried to remember that regardless of what I thought, someone spent time and energy bringing this idea to life. Authors have feelings. I wouldn't want someone to trash something I wrote. There is a way to say you don't like something in a positive way. Not to mention, others may not share the same thoughts on a book that you do. Your opinions are yours to have, but you can be respectful.

3. Once upon a time, I would still post reviews for books I didn't finish. I no longer do. If I wasn't able to finish a book, I wasn't going to have a lot of good things to say about it. I'd rather not talk about a book I didn't like to the point of not being able to finish it. Also, personal opinion comes into play here. Just because I wasn't able to finish it doesn't mean others will have the same issue. 

4. I do everything I can to avoid giving away important plot details in my reviews. The whole point of my reviews is to give you a little glimpse into the book and share my thoughts on it. I don't want my reviews to give the whole story away. If I did, what would be the point of reading the book yourself? I've written some very short posts in an attempt to avoid giving away story details. There has been one or two reviews where there was little I could do about it, but I try to give you a warning at the beginning of the review.

5. My reviews tend to be on the shorter side. A lot of people have busy lives and not a lot of extra time. Because of this, I try to get right to the point. I don't do in-depth reviews where I dissect every aspect of the book. I'm mainly trying to tell you whether or not I liked a book and why. I usually give you a little bit more information on the plot of the book, but without giving away crucial details.

Well, there you have it. There is a glimpse into my thoughts on how I review. My policies and ways of doing things may change over time. If so, that'll be another blog post for you to read. :) Thank you for taking the time to read this and for allowing me the honor of sharing books with you.

When This Blonde gets Auto-Corrected...

The ability to spell check your work was a great invention. Being able to do so while you're on Twitter, Facebook, or texting is even better. So imagine my surprise when I got my first iPhone and discovered, not only the spell- check feature, but the auto-correct feature!! This is genius!! I can't tell you how many times I've been wanted to type something, but was doing it wrong. Then, low and behold, my little iPhone angel comes along and magically supplies the correct word. I love it!! Usually...

Yesterday I was sending a tweet to one of my favorite children's book authors. She asked her followers to tell her ways our children were creative. In my attempt to respond- and quickly- I raced through my tweet. I realized what auto-correct did a second too late. 

My oldest loves to write her own stories. My youngest loves to

act out her own stories while playing with her weenies.

Yeah. That's not what it was supposed to say. Apparently, auto-correct has never heard of Weebles. And it was sure my 3 1/2 year old loves to play with weenies. Fabulous! The only thing I could do was re-type the tweet the way it was supposed to be and delete the wrong one once I got to it in my timeline.

So, while spell-check and auto-correct are convenient, they are not flawless. Turns out, Apple can't read minds after all. Yet.

When This Blonde Cleans...

Normally, I enjoy cleaning. And, normally, I'm good at it. When life gets too stressful, I clean my stress away. I'd like to say my house was always clean and spotless. However, I have 2 young girls and a husband- an immaculate house is years away.

On one particular day I was cleaning the front room to my house. Christmas had come and gone, but a collection of Christmas presents past and current had converged here. Christmas decorations had just been put away and my house was going back to normal. I was vacuuming the floor- which desperately needed to be done. I realized just before my vacuum sucked it up that there was a plastic tie on the ground- the kind you find on bread or wrap cords in. No sooner did I add it to my growing collection of dirt in my vacuum's canister than my vacuum shut off. Right there, in the middle of vacuuming the room my vacuum died.

Nothing I did made it start again. I tried to find the offensive visitor to no avail. I had no choice but to call my hubby and inform him that I may have just offed the vacuum. Upon his arrival and looking at the traumatized machine, he discovered the plug had come out of the wall enough to cut the power to it. Sure enough, it started up- completely unfazed- when the plug was pushed back in all the way.

Like I said, normally I'm good at cleaning. Sometimes, not so much. Glad to know I didn't off the vacuum, though.

Our Version of Elf on a Shelf

Many houses enjoy the Elf On A Shelf tradition. You buy the elf, give him a name, and he hides throughout your house. Adorable tradition, I have to say. Not so adorable was the price tag. I thought $30.00 was a bit much. So, my family improvised. 

Allow me to introduce to Dasher. His full name is Dasher the Dashing Reindeer. Much like the famous elf, Dasher loves to hide all over our house and my 2 girls love searching for him. My little Love bugs have a Grandfather who works at Bass Pro Shop and last year we got to visit him during the Christmas holidays. In the store, you can pick out a stuffed animal from a selection and have it filled. (Much like the whole Build A Bear set up.) We chose the reindeer since it was Christmas. It wasn't long before my creative side saw opportunity knocking on it's door, and Dasher the Dashing Reindeer was born. 

My girls immediately took to the whole idea. They LOVED him! My husband and I would hide him when they weren't looking and they would embark on a search. The giggles, smiles, and glee on their faces when they would find him was priceless. 

I worried they may have forgotten about him over the year, but I had nothing to worry about. When it came to putting up Christmas in our house, my oldest (6) was anxiously awaiting Dasher's appearance. My youngest (3) was quickly on board with the fun. In fact, that night slept with him.

Dasher the Dashing Reindeer has joined our list of beloved Christmas Traditions. I realize that one day my girls won't be as excited for his arrival. They may outgrow the whole hide and seek factor behind him. I'm not looking forward to that day and I hope it's several years away. For now, my household loves having Dasher as part of our Christmas memories.

New Mug Magic!!!

There are many things I collect: books, music boxes, and coffee mugs. If you believe my hubby, and please don't, I have plenty. My theory is that one can never have too many wonderful mugs. They just make my hot chocolate taste better. Not to mention, they are more enjoyable to look at than a plain one.

Recently, I acquired a new mug to add to my collection. This one does something none of my other mugs can do. This new mug changes color when you add anything hot to it. I LOVE THOSE!!! I used to have a Phantom of the Opera mug where the mask changed colors, but it eventually died. It was well loved.

Allow me to introduce to you the newest object for my hot chocolate fascination!

Before Hot Chocolate is added.....

 

 

After Hot Chocolate is added!

 

 

It's the little things in life, right? I won't mind washing this mug by hand. 

A Book Lover's Adventures in Potty Training!

Well, my youngest is potty trained. That's right, mini- book lover is officially a big girl now. It was a long journey that wasn't without a few bumps and laughs, but we got there. Allow me to share this adventure with you. Because you all really want to know. Lol.

Early on, Mini Book Lover decided she didn't want to use the potty training toilets. No, only the real thing was going to do for her. So, we thought we'd get a little seat to put on the big seat so she wouldn't fall in. She had her own thoughts on that, as well. She would have none of it. Bare tushie on the real toilet seat was the only way it was going to work for my littlest Love bug. If there was a seat on, she would promptly remove it. Okay then.

She was fascinated with the events in the toilet bowl once she started making donations to it. She would whiz around and make sure she really did something. Of course, in her eagerness to double check things, she would forget she's on the big potty. There were a couple of fall ins. I won't lie- they were funny. Thankfully, she learned quickly not to do that.

My youngest also felt that when she was done, she would wipe herself. Everyone else wipes when they finish, so why not? Well, there's a good reason why not. That's right, she plugged the toilet with her overly generous use of toilet paper. Daddy came to the rescue and she was grounded from wiping herself until later.

Another fun thing she did while mastering the art of potty donations was creating her own game. You've all heard of musical chairs. Well, my youngest plays musical potty. You guessed it! She'll climb on one and then decide she wants to use a different one. Or, there would be one toilet for #1 and another for #2. Sure enough, she'd bless both toilets with her tushie contributions.

After all is said and done, my beautiful 3 year old Love bug is potty trained. She doesn't even wear pull-ups at night. She has her big girl underwear that she picked out and is rather proud!

Mini Book lover: Mommy, am I pooh-pooh trained.
Me: Yes, honey, you're potty trained.
Mini Book lover: No, am I pooh pooh trained.
Me: Yes, my Little Love Bug, you are. :)

The Classics... Oh, how I've missed you!

The Wind in the Willows

By: Kenneth Grahame

 

When Mole decides he has had enough tiresome spring-cleaning for one day, the scrappy nonesuch throws down his broom and bolts out of his house looking for fun and adventure. He quickly finds it in the form of the Water Rat, who takes the wide-eyed Mole boating and introduces him to the mysteries of life on the river and in the Wild Wood. Mole also meets Ratty’s good friends: the kindly, solid Badger and the irrepressible Toad. Soon, the quartet’s escapades—including car crashes, a sojourn in jail, and a battle with the weasels who try to take over Toad Hall—become the talk of the animal kingdom. --bn.com

 

I'm going on an adventure! I'm hitting the open river with a mole, a river rat, and various other animals. I have no idea what lies ahead, but I have a feeling The Wind in the Willows is going to take me on an adventure like no other I've gone on before.

 

After a rather extended break from reading the classics, the old itch has begun in earnest. I've missed reading the books of legend and days gone by. I miss the world they take you to and the characters you miss. So my Journey Through The Classics picks up again with this famous critter tale. I'm hitching a ride on a river rat's boat and I'd love for you to join me!

Sharing Great Books

If I had a penny for every time I was called a bookworm, I would have enough to buy a lot of books. I remember being called that in junior high. When the "popular" kids were rushing to see the latest movie, I was engrossed in Anne of Green Gables. To me, there was nothing better than a good book.

As I have gotten older, and especially since starting a book blog, I've learned there is something just as good as finding a book that sucks you in: recommending it to someone and they love it every bit as much as you did.

This summer I had the chance to recommend several books I found to be absolutely wonderful to my cousin, Debbie. I told her about a few that I had me so engrossed they took my breath away. I was pretty sure she would enjoy them, but you never know. To my joy, she loved them all as much as I did!

She just finished reading a book I had the privilege to review, The Orchid House. This book is one that I couldn't put down. From beginning to end, I was so captivated. When Debbie bought it, I was a little nervous. What if she didn't like it? What if she regretted buying it? After all, there are so many genres of books because not everyone has the same taste. Knowing she had a set time to return it if she wanted to, I asked her to start the book right away. To my delight, she immediately had the same reaction I did. From page one, she was sucked in and immersed in the story. I was so relieved!

As she read the book, we were texting back and forth. It was amazing to read her reactions! It's like watching the world through a child's eyes. We had the same reactions at the same places! She was on the edge of her seat just like I was. She was blown away by the twists and turns in the plot, too! A book I adored had found another adoring fan!

Not only did she love The Orchid House, she's loved all the books I recommended to her! To me, that's a huge compliment. I'm still beaming from her saying I was her book guru. I love being able to review books and to share my thoughts with whomever wants to read my blog. I love, even more, when a book I've recommended is enjoyed. I don't think I'll be getting off of Book Cloud 9 any time soon. :) I wouldn't have it any other way.

When Creativity Returns...

I have missed my writing days. I've missed researching for the story, missed forming the plot, the characters, and the setting. I've missed the creativity of it all. However, being a Mommy to 2 young children, I didn't think I'd return to those days any time soon. Guess I was wrong. And it all started with a dream...

A couple of weeks ago I woke up from a dream. Usually, I wouldn't think twice about a dream and just go on with my life. But this dream was different. It wouldn't let go. Before long, where the dream left off, my creative side picked up. That's how I knew there was something to this dream. Maybe I was supposed to turn it into something. So now I am.

Knowing that my time isn't completely free to pursue this project whenever I want, I have no clue what will become of this story. I have written down thorough notes and am keeping everything that has to do with this project. I'm hoping I'll be able to see this project through from start to finish.

While I don't have the whole story mapped out, I do have the important parts. I'll say this is: it's another historical fiction piece and this house plays a big role.

If you couldn't tell by the style of the house, my time period is early 1900s. The above house is the model for the house in my story, but it isn't the actual house. The house in the above picture is the Long-Waterman House located in San Diego, California. Isn't it gorgeous?! Here's a picture of it from my time period.

Right now I'm in heavy research mode. I'm gathering all the facts and historical dates I need. Forming the storyline, characters, and setting as I go. I'm loving every minute of it. I feel my creative self coming out the further I go. I'm so excited!





The hardest books I've read...

Usually, whenever I read a book I choose one that is uplifting. My whole thing is to escape from stress or sadness. So, I tend to enjoy and favor books that won't have me crying. I love a good book, one that takes you out of your world and immerses you in the story's world. I'm not blind to the fact that those worlds aren't always going to be happy. However, the books I read don't dwell on sadness or bad things.

Having said that, there have been  a couple of books I've read that I knew would be hard to read. Books I knew going in would have me emotional and I'd never forget what they contained. I thought I would share 2 of them with you. These are the 2 that have had the biggest impact on me and left me the most affected.

I will never forget Ryan White. For as long as I live, he will always been a person I wish I got to know. He will always be a person who I learned many things from. His story was equal parts heartbreaking, inspiring, and humbling.

Ryan White was a boy when he was given a blood transfusion. Unfortunately, within the blood transfusion was AIDS. At the time the world met Ryan we were just learning more about this dreaded killer. I would love to tell you he was embraced by everyone who met him, but that isn't true. Fear of others catching AIDS got him home schooled and ostracised. He was treated in a way no human being should ever be treated. When he tells his story, he holds very little back. He is open and honest about it all. More than once I had to put the book down because I was so angry at how the community he lived in treated him.

I was never able to understand why people would punish someone the way he was. He did nothing to make his fate happen. He was an innocent victim who paid the highest price. Ryan White died before the book was published. I cried when I learned of his death. I cried when his death was written about in the book. I have to be honest in saying, I was so emotional I was never able to finish the book. I forever will hope that those who treated him badly learned a big lesson in humanity and humiliation. They will always know how they treated someone who didn't deserve what happened.

I am currently reading this book now, but I can tell you it has been a hard book for me to read. When this book came out I knew this book was going to be a tough one for me. I was in no rush to read it because I knew I would have a hard time with it.

I have always felt the way African-Americans where treated was repulsive. Slavery was a disgusting topic to me- and don't even get me started on how they were treated. While The Help doesn't take place during the times of slavery, it wasn't a much better environment for anyone who wasn't white.

The level of hypocrisy I read about in this book is really hard to handle. The maids were not fit to share a bathroom with because whites may catch the diseases the maids had, but they were the ones bring up and taking care of the white babies. HELLO!!!!

The ways non-whites were treated, and referred to... I heave no worlds to describe how much this upsets me. I realize that was the way it was back then, but it doesn't make it any more OK in my book.


Both of these books are great books that I'm glad I read. However, they have both carried heavy themes that I will never be able to forget. Once you read these books, you can't unknow what you learn within their pages. In many ways, that's good. However, in others it's heartbreaking. I can't undo history. I can't go back in time and make some one's life easier. All I can do is learn from these books and carry them with me in the future. Also, I can teach my children what not to do.

Blogger Confession: I love the smell of...

For as long as I can remember, I have always loved the smell of books. I distinctly remember being in my elementary school library and not being able to resist the intoxicating scent of the paper and ink. I've done this pretty much my whole life- and still do it today.

I can't tell you why I love the smell of books, but I do. Library books, school books, store books, used books. Doesn't matter. They all have a smell and I love it. To me, it smells of imagination. An imagination that is about to come to life and take me on a journey or tell me a wonderful story.

For a long time, I was embarrassed about it. I tried to disguise it and come up with a decent reason for why I just planted my face in the middle of a book. People would look at me with an odd look on their face that wreaked of nonacceptance. Now that I'm older, I don't care. I've come to learn that we all have weird things we do, and this is mine. It also helps that I don't take my all consuming whiff around people I don't know.

My oldest daughter does it. She may be doing it just because she's seen me do it, or she may love the fragrance as much as I do. Who knows. I love the smell of books and I doubt that will ever stop!

My Reading Quirks

We all have little quirks to our personalities. Funny little things we do, for reasons we may not know. I thought I would share some of my reading quirks with you. Over the years, I have developed a few and here they are:


1. Whenever I start a new chapter, I always count how many pages are in it.
2. I can't handle opening a book all the way to the point of bending or breaking the spine.
3. All of the books that I buy have to be in perfect condition and I do my best to keep them that way.
4. I can read anywhere- bathtub, bathroom, in the car. Doesn't matter to me.
5. I do judge a book by it's cover. It's usually what gets my attention, so I have to like it. If I like the cover, I'll read the summary of the book.
6. I get cranky if I'm constantly interrupted when I'm reading. It's especially frustrating if it's a good book.

There you have it. Maybe, someday, I'll get therapy to help deal with #2 and #3. We'll see.

My Summer Reading Plans

It has come to my attention that I am surrounded by stacks of books I'm yet to read. It seems everywhere I turn a pile has formed, waiting for my attention. Sadly, when I do review requests I don't have the time to read books I've bought. And since I love doing the review requests, I was fine with this. Any good reason to buy another bookcase, right?

However, this summer, I have made the decision that I want to devote it to all the books I've been wanting and meaning to read, but haven't been able to. That's right, all the mysteries I've bought and couldn't wait to read will finally be read! All the fiction books I have here that I wasn't able to get to, I now will. Same goes for my Young Adult and kids books.


Over the next month I'm going to make a list of all the books I want to read this summer. I want to make sure I don't leave anything out. My goal is to make a serious dent in my vast growing collection of unread books.

I can't wait!!

What I'm Waiting For...

My days of stalking the library are here again. I am anxiously awaiting this hold to arrive. It's my personal opinion that it's taking far too long to come in. However, I've never been known for my endless amounts of patience. This may not have been the smartest time to try and cut back on my chocolate intake.

What am I waiting for? Why this:

Letter From A Stranger

By: Barbara Taylor Bradford

Justine Nolan is a documentary filmmaker who lost her cherished grandmother a decade ago—the only source of love and comfort in her life. Her own mother, Deborah, has always been distant, focusing on her career as an interior designer. But when Justine inadvertently opens a letter addressed to her mother, she discovers that not only is her grandmother alive, but that Deborah has deliberately distanced her from the family for all these years. Justine’s search for her grandmother takes her to Istanbul, where she begins to uncover secrets that stretch all the way back to World War II. As layers of deception peel away, Justine begins to understand a woman she never really knew…and she begins to ask questions about the true desires of her own heart. --bn.com

Barbara Taylor Bradford has been one of my favorite authors for years. She writes stories that suck you in and keep you there from the beginning to the end. I can't wait to get my hands on her latest.

Happy Birthday Charles Dickens!!

Today is the 200th birthday of Charles Dickens. An author who has brought us some of the most memorable books in history. Mr. Dickens has the honor of being among those who are known by name- regardless if you've ever read any of his books.

So this has me wondering. I have only read one of his books, A Christmas Carol, but millions of readers have read all of his work. I want to know: What is your favorite Charles Dickens book? Tell me what it is and what made it stand out with you. Feel free to give me a recommendation on which book you think I should read of his next.

Tales Of A Grumpy Reader...

Under normal circumstances, I am a slow reader. It isn't uncommon for me to take awhile to get through a 400+ page book. Under normal circumstances, I get restless when I've been reading the same book for a week when I could've had it done by then. Regardless how good the book is, I do reach a point when I'm ready to tackle the piles of other books waiting to be read. 

My past week has had me reading under anything but normal circumstances. In fact, it has turned me into a Grumpy Reader!! I hate being a grumpy reader. I'm reading such a good book and I'm loving every minute of it. However, I feel like my reading time is constantly diminished or interrupted by life. Whether it's been my temperamental car having a few issues, or life dipping into my few stolen moments of reading time, I have been reading the same book for too long! I want nothing more than to curl up and ravish the story that awaits me. Instead, I'm defusing interruption after another. MAKE IT STOP!!! THIS GIRL WANTS TO FINISH A BOOK!

Granted, I'd rather be a Grumpy Reader with a good book, than a bad one. Still, I miss getting quality chunks of time to devour this wonderful book.

The Things You Do For Your Sick Child

It's always a sad thing when you have children and they get sick. The reading of a thermometer confirms what you already know: fever. My 5 year old was running a temperature of 102.0 and was miserable. Any parent would want to do something to brighten their child up a little. And thankfully, I had a moment of creative genious.
My hubby was at the store, so I told him to grab a get well card. My idea was simple: he would pick up a get well card and I would then sign all the Disney Princesses names on it. We would then place it on our front porch and ring the doorbell. She would open the door and see the card.

The card did the trick! She was so excited! There was a big smile on her face, right below those rosey red fever cheeks. Score one for Mom & Dad!

Blog Update...

I haven't been as diligent with posting as I should be. I have several reviews that need to get done, and I've got to get back on top of everything. The last couple of weeks I've enjoyed the summer with my family & taking it easy. However, I have now got to get back to the reviews.

Stay tuned because they are coming soon. I even have a guest review by dear Hubby. Yeah, I roped him into it. I hope you all have been having a good summer so far. I look forward to being back in the swing of things.  Again, I'm sorry for the lack of entries.