The Winner is...

The Chick Lit Book Club has chosen to read The Ivy Chronicles by Karen Quinn for the month of September! 

I hope everyone will come and read along with us! 

The Beautfiul and Damned

"It was as a concession to his hypochondriacal imagination that he formed the habit of reading in bed- it soothed him. He read until he was tired and often fell asleep with the lights still on."

-F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Beautiful and Damned

Just began reading this brilliant classic over the weekend, and so far I am in love with it. I never thought I'd say that because I have never been one for reading "the dull classics". But this, this is wonderful. 

Top Ten Tuesday #1

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish. This weeks theme is: Romances That Would Last Outside The Book.

I couldn't quite come up with ten, in fact I came up with way less than ten, but nonetheless here is my list. Enjoy!

Note: The following does contain spoilers.

 

Rachel and Dex from Something Borrowed: When I originally read this book I thought to my sell, “How could she?!”, but I really think that Rachel and Dex were meant for each other. They both have such great and similar personalities there is no way this relationship would ever flop. 

Darcy and Ethan from Something Blue: I never saw this one coming. But honestly, could of it worked out any better? Ethan is one of my favorite men characters of all time, and I just love that Darcy shaped up her life when he was around. This relationship just makes me so giddy.

Christian and Ana from Fifty Shades of Grey: Okay, okay. I know! It’s probably overused, oversaid and just giving into the hype… but! I think they will totally make it! No matter how crazy Christian is, he just loves and adores Ana, and Ana loves that. She loves Christian and together their relationship just won’t fail. 

Cal and Tina from Hollywood Scandals: I just recently read and reviewed this one, but I love of the two of these characters and I can see that their relationship will be a perfect fit. Both a little different in their own ways, but come on, the ending? Perfect!!

 Which romances do you think would last outside of the book?

Xo-L

The Sunday Post (3rd Edition)

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~It's a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. 

Weekly News:
This week on the blog I posted my book review of Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin. It was a fantastic read. I absolutely love Emily Giffin. I also posted two "just for fun" posts. The first one was Join the Club and featured some of my favorite groups/book clubs on Goodreads! If you're a Goodreads member I would suggest checking out the post and joining a couple of the groups. They are great fun and I love being part of a reading community. I also posted a just for fun post about Autumn! Autumn is one of my favorite times of year and I posted several cozy mystery books I am looking forward to reading around Halloween time :) 

New Books:
I don't think a week goes by where I don't download a new book for my Kindle! This week I downloaded Buried in the Past, A Cutthroat Business, Murder in Half Moon Bay, Strictly Murder, I Think I Love You, and Cake Icing Butt Budder and Tea Lids. Whew. I download lots of mysteries because I can usually pick them up for free. I also received in the mail The Wedding Diaries by Sam Binnie! I won it in a giveaway hosted by Avon Books UK! 



Currently Reading:
I am currently reading Gossip Girl: The Carlyles for a guest review on Teen Chick Lit. I haven't had much reading time this week, so I hope to get quite a bit accomplished over this coming week. 

This Week On the Blog:
I'm actually, not quite sure what I'm posting this week! Ah, I guess you'll have to come and check back to see :)

Free (and cheap) eBook Friday

Happy Friday! Here are a few titles for Free eBook Friday. The first one is 99 cents, but the others are all free. Sorry Nook users, I couldn't find any of these available on Barnes and Noble. 

99 cents!
Available On: Kindle
This one is available for a limited time, get it while you can! 

Available On: Kindle

Promises to be a humorous chick lit novel! 

Available On: Kindle

A fun, cozy mystery!

Available On: Kindle
A good cozy mystery with likable characters!

Have you found any good eBook deals lately? 

Happy Reading :)

Ah, Autumn!

I am well aware that it is only August 9th and that August is still considered summer (in most parts of the world). Fall is my favorite, absolute favorite, season of the year and I may or may not be doing a little wishful day dreaming about cool weather, clear skies, orange leaves, crisp afternoon walks, boots...*sigh*.

In South Carolina we don't get many of those luxuries of the autumn months, but I can settle down and read some wonderful cozy mysteries that will make me feel like I live in a very fall-like place.

Today I'm sharing with you guys some books that I have been saving for the cooler months and days where I can sit on my couch with a cup of hot chocolate and just read!

Scared Stiff
This is book number 2 in the Mattie Winston series. I haven't read book 1 yet, but from the reviews I have read it doesn't seem to make much difference. I'm saving this one for Halloween since the story is about trick-or-treater's who discover a model dead! Can't wait to read this one, I have heard such wonderful reviews about it.

Murder is Binding
This is the first book in the Booktown Mystery series. I picked this one up when I first got my Kindle last year and still have yet to read it. The book is about a woman who moves to New Hampshire and opens up a mystery bookstore. Tricia is having a great time with her stores, but when the cookbook bookstore owner is found dead everyone begins blaming Tricia.

Uncommon Grounds
This is the first book in the Maggy Thorsen cozy mystery series. All about lattes, small town politics and the wealthy city of Brookhills this one is sure to be a winner for the fall season! Goodreads has given this book excellent reviews and it's been named as one of the best cozy mystery series!

Academic Body
I picked this book up as a freebie on Amazon! The cover reminded me of the board game "Clue", and since it's one of my favorite games I decided that this could be a good read :) The book takes place in Maine, and I love anything that takes place in the New England area. As a retired theatrical director struggles with the idea of becoming a college professor while still trying to woo his wife away from the glitz and glamour of the NYC stage, he finds himself a murder suspect with a limited amount of time to prove himself innocent!




What books are you looking forward to reading soon?

Join the club!

When I joined Goodreads in April of 2011 I was so happy to have stumbled upon this great community of book lovers!  I thought it would be a great way to keep tracks of the books I read, keep track of the ones I wanted to read, and to find new books to add to my "to-read" list. After poking around the site for a few months I came across the groups feature.

I have always enjoyed the idea of being a part of a book club and participating in reading challenges. When I found that you could do these things on Goodreads it instantly became my favorite site on the internet! I wanted to share with you guys some of the groups I participate in that I think you would all find fun! All of them are open to join, and an awesome way to chat with people who have similar reading tastes as you and to participate in some fun monthly challenges and group reads. 

The Red Dress Ink Fans

Stacy is the moderator of this awesome group! This is my most recently joined group and so far I am loving it! Stacy posts a new challenge every quarter for participants. The challenge is to read as many of the books as you can off your list, rack up the most points, and there are even prizes for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners! The group also does a quarterly read! Join the group on Goodreads. 

Chick Lit Book Club
I posted a little bit about this group last week because I'm hosting the September book of the month. This is the perfect group for chick lit lovers! Each month the group votes on a new book and participates in a month long discussion about the book. There are also a variety of other topics going on over on the boards! Join the group on Goodreads.

Cozy Mysteries
This is a great group if you love reading a good cozy mystery every now and then! The girl's over at Cozy Mysteries host monthly challenges as well as several other creative reading challenges throughout the year. They read 2 group books monthly, if that's your thing! The boards over at Cozy Mysteries have some great threads- especially a topic dedicated to free and cheap cozies for the Kindle. Join the group on Goodreads.



Which Goodreads groups have you found that you enjoy being a part of?  Don't forget to look for me on Godreads too! 

Book Review: Love the One You're With

Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin

Emily Giffin has done it again. This heartwarming novel plunges straight into the truth about love and what happens when the one you had loved (or thought it was in the past), comes knocking on your door almost a decade later and 100 days too late.

I was glued to this novel and at times found myself rooting for the reunion of two people who were once madly in love, even though I knew that they shouldn't be together. Giffin creates fully developed characters and strong relationships among them. Her scenes are vivid and filled with every detail you could imagine. It is hard not to get lost in Love the One You're With. 

Ellen, a photographer, is living a comfortable life in New York City with her husband Andy. Andy Graham comes from a wealthy family in Atlanta who has accepted Ellen as their daughter. This is something Ellen so dearly loves about the Graham's seeing as she lost her mother when she was much younger. Together though, Andy and Ellen have created a life outside of the "normal" Graham lifestyle that allows them to be young and free, enjoying every moment of their dreams.

Ellen and Andy were married just 100 days when, in the middle of a busy New York City intersection Ellen runs into Leo. Leo is the man Ellen once loved, but was entirely wrong for her. Taking safe haven in a diner down the street, Leo comes to join her and Ellen is forced in that moment to discover a whirlwind of feelings that just about knocks her off her feet.

As the days go by after their chance, or perhaps fateful run-in, Ellen finds herself pondering her feelings for Leo and wishing she could talk with him at any given moment. Then Andy hits Ellen with a bombshell. Although she had known that their moving to Atlanta would come, Ellen never imagined that it would come so quickly. Andy informs Ellen that he's found a great house in the Buckhead area, and his father has offered him a great opportunity to work for the family business. But, there's one thing that is really weighing in on Ellen's decision when deciding if Atalnta is the best choice: Leo.

Things begin to heat up between Ellen and Leo when he offers her an assignment that she can't turn down. The opportunity is great, but she never imagined that while on location she would be working closely with Leo. And she certainly never imagined that she would ever begin to think twice about her marriage.

Ellen is put through a series of emotional tests and dilemmas between herself and her marriage that she must figure out. She must listen to her heart and figure out once and for all if the one she'd left years ago is the one she is meant to be with now.

Rating: ★★★★

The Sunday Post (2nd Edition)

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~It's a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.


Weekly News: I went MIA this week on The Chick Lit Guide. I had quite a few things come up and just wasn't able to blog as much as I'd originally hoped. But, don't worry! This week everything will return back to normal. I posted the information for the Chick Lit Bookclub on Goodreads. Suggestions close on the 10th, so if you plan on participating, go get your suggestions in now! I also did my weekly Free eBook Friday post. This week I only posted one, and it's no longer free :( I hope everyone had a chance to pick it up on Friday! 


New Books: As always, I downloaded a few lots of new books this week! I received in the mail from Rian over at Teen Chick Lit Gossip Girl: The Carlyles and The Real Real. She also sent me the first book in the Pretty Little Liars series. I will be doing two guest reviews on her site within the next few weeks for The Carlyles and The Real Real- so look out for those! I also downloaded several cozy mysteries for the Kindle!

• Academic Body by Shirley Allen
• The Temporary Detective by Joanne Sydney Lessner
• Bingo Barge Murder by Jessie Chandler
• A Week at the Beach by Virginia Jewel
• To Kill a Warlock by H.P. Mallory
• Kill the Competition by Stephanie Bond
• Never Buried by Edie Claire
• A Hardboiled Murder by Michelle Ann Hollstein
• Stand Up and Die by Pat Dennis
• Earthly Delights by Kerry Greenwood

Most of them were free, so go take a look on Amazon!


Currently Reading: I finished Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin this past week. I am just now beginning Gossip Girl: The Carlyles to review for Teen Chick Lit. 


This Week on the Blog: I still need to post my review for Fifty Shades Darker, I will also be posting my review for Love the One You're With. Stay tuned for my Free eBook Friday post and I'll try to throw at least one "Just for Fun" post into the mix! 


Happy Sunday


Xo-Laura

Free eBook Friday

I've been MIA this week, I've had some things that have come up and just haven't been able to blog as frequently as I had hoped! I will return to normal blogging next week. But, in the meantime, I still want to treat everyone to Free eBook Friday :) Enjoy!

A Week at the Beach
I have no idea how long this book will be offered for free, but I suggest downloading it soon! This is the perfect end-of-summer beach read! Written by Virginia Jewel this book is about 2 NYC girls, who after a scandalous affair jet off to the Outter Banks for a week of fun and relaxation. Available on Kindle.





Happy Reading :)