Whatcha Reading Wednesdays November 10th, 2010

This week's Whatcha Reading Wednesday Teaser works like this:

Type in the last two complete sentences on page 98.

Remember to alert any Spoilers

You can participate by leaving your WRW teaser in a comment below, or you can make a post on your own blog and link back to this post in the linky below. Feel free to use the WRW graphic, just please be sure to link back to Busy Moms Who Love to Read.

"Vittoria should have guessed from the start. She felt a newfound hope as she turned to him." Angels & Demons by Dan Brown
So tell me: Whatcha Reading??

Review: Hometown Girl by Michele Ashman Bell

Hometown Girl (Book 2 in Butterfly Box Series) by Michele Ashman Bell
Book Description: Jocelyn Roger's life is in a rut. Maybe she should step outside her comfort zone and move to Milford Falls, where she has inherited her grandmother's house. With the encouragement of the other Butterfly Girls, Jocelyn musters her courage and starts a new life. However, when she arrives in the small town that holds both good and bad memories for her, she discovers the house in worse shape than she expected, and getting repairs done is anything but easy, especially when it comes to dealing with Jack Emerson, a man who seems to be agitated by Jocelyn and everyone else within a fifty mile radius. To make matters worse, she has begun to worry that moving back to the place where she once spent a troubled summer will expose the deep personal secret she has kept hidden for fourteen years. But Jack also has a a hidden secret that has prevented him from getting close to anyone in a long time. And now it seems that interfering neighbors may prevent both Jack and Jocelyn from moving forward with their lives. Join the Butterfly Girls in this charmingly romantic story that shows sometimes it takes a leap of faith to land on your feet.

About the Author: In the fourth grade, Michele Ashman Bell was considered a daydreamer by her teacher and was told on her report card that She has a vivid imagination and would probably do well with creative writing. Her imagination, combined with a passion for reading, has enabled Michele to live up to her teacher's prediction. She loves writing books especially those that inspire and edify while entertaining. Michele grew up in St. George Utah, where she met her husband at Dixie College before they both served missions. His to Pennsylvania and hers to Frankfurt Germany and San Jose California. Seven months after they returned they were married, and are now the proud parents of four children: Weston, Kendyl, Andrea and Rachel. A favorite past time of Michele's is supporting her children in all of their activities, traveling both in and outside the United States with her husband and family, and doing research for her books. She also recently became scuba certified. Aside from being a busy wife and mother, Michele is an aerobics instructor at the Life Centre Athletic Club near her home, and she currently teaches in the Relief Society and is the Activity day leader. Michele is the best-selling author of several books and a Christmas booklet and has also written children's stories for the Friend magazine.

Here's What I think: This book focuses on one member of this group of five woman who have been the best of friends since high school. I love that Bell is able to create five very distinct characters in this series and the focus on just one of them for the remainder of this book. The journey that Jocelyn takes in this installment of the series is incredibly realistic and completely engaging. Though it is a predictable outcome, the path there is anything but. I would have never guessed what these two very different people were hiding from the rest of the world. This book is very well-rounded and will lead you through all of the emotions from happiness to horror to love and everything in between. A definite worth your time read.

Disclaimer: Although I did recieve a copy of the this title for review purposes, I was in no other way compensated to publish this post. These are my real and honest opinions.

If you are an author and/or publishing house and would like for me to publish a review of your book, please feel free to contact me at: polsen11atcomcastdotnet

Shopping for Bookworms Can Be Difficult

As the holiday season rolls around you might be thinking of what to get for your fellow book lover. Maybe your book club is hosting a gift exchange or you are looking for something special for your favorite librarian. Or, if you are like me, most of your family loves to read just like you. Books are obvious, but, again, if you are like me, all those close to my heart book lovers have already read or can just borrow my copy of a book. So that's when you have to think outside the box. One of my very favorite gifts to give people are Funny T-Shirts because everyone wears T-Shirts right?? I mean don't you need a nice comfy shirt to wear when you are snuggling up with your favorite book?? And there really is no better place to find funny t-Shirts than Cafe Press - they have something for everyone. They have lots of different cuts of shirt - long sleeved, short sleeved, tank tops, sweatshirts, hooded sweatshirts and even woman's cut. They come in a sorts of colors and they are all high quality fabrics that will stand the test of time.

Here are some of my fave shirts for book lovers:

Cafe Press also has a number of other Christmas Gifts for every book lover in your life. They have book bags, coffee mugs, clocks, buttons, hats, aprons and book journals. They also have great gifts for children - from onesies to t-shirts with phrases like: "Future Book Lover" or "Bibliophile in Training". You can check out all of their Book Worm Inspired Gift Ideas here. So head on over and check it out!

Review & Blog Tour: The Snow Globe by Sheila Roberts

The Snow Globe by Sheila Roberts

Book Description: On a blustery afternoon, Kylie Gray wanders into an antique shop and buys an enchanting snow globe. “There’s a story behind that snow globe,” the antique dealer tells her. The original owner, he explains, was a German toymaker who lost his wife and son right before Christmas. When the grieving widower received the handcrafted snow globe as a Christmas gift, he saw the image of a beautiful woman beneath the glass—a woman who would come into his life, mend his broken heart and bring him back to the world of the living. For years, the snow globe has passed from generation to generation, somehow always landing in the hands of a person in special need of a Christmas miracle.

Kiley could use a miracle herself. This year, all she wants for Christmas is someone to love. A hopeful shake leads her on an adventure that makes a believer out of her. When Kylie shares the story of the snow globe with her best friends—two women with problems of their own—they don’t believe it. But they’re about to discover that at Christmastime, sometimes the impossible becomes possible and miracles really do come true.

About the Author: Sheila Roberts lives in the Pacific Northwest. When she’s not speaking to women’s groups or at conferences, she can be found writing about the things near and dear to women’s hearts: family, friends, and chocolate.

Here's What I Think: This book was a refreshing reminder to stop, look and listen in our own lives. So many times we become so absorbed in the present situation, much like Kylie, that we aren't able to see the solutions around us. This story is magical and mystical and really got me into the spirit of the holiday season. Though this book is on the shorter side, it is definitely a complete story. This book is perfect for a December Book Club Selection as well as a holiday gift for a book lover. Sheila Roberts has been one of my fave authors for a while now and this book just reintegrates my good choice =).

Disclaimer: Although I did receive a copy of this book for review purpose, I was in no way compensated to publish this review.