I've had a great weekend... and it's not even over yet!

On Saturday, we went to roller derby with Jenny and her husband.  She brought me one of her adorable bracelets that she makes for her Etsy shop that I've had my eye on.  Then afterward we went to Denny's for dinner and we sat there chatting until about 12:30am.  It was a great time.

Before roller derby though, we went to Target so I could look for a reading pillow that I found online.  Luckily I was able to find it.  It's so amazing.

On Sunday, I was able to convince Hubs to go with me to Bookmans.  My dad gave me $54 worth of store credit so I wanted to see if there was anything I wanted.  I didn't find a book, but I did find this adorable onesie that I've had my eye on for awhile.

Year of Hope purchase.

As for the rest of the weekend, I've been a lazy bum.  I've been in bed trying to catch up on Bones.  I'm on the current season and will hopefully be caught up by tomorrow.  Then I need to figure out what I'm going to watch next.  I have Greek on my queue.  But what do you recommend?

Watching all this TV is really hindering my reading, though.  It's really setting me back from reaching my goal for the year.  Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if I took a break from watching so much on Netflix so I can get back to reading.

I don't have work tomorrow as it is Presidents Day.  So that means more lounging around in bed watching Bones and reading Odd Thomas while using my new red reading pillow.

How's your weekend been so far?  Do you get tomorrow off for Presidents Day?

Click on the photo to go to My Overstuffed Bookshelf's blog.

Last year I only read 46 books, or at least those are the ones I remembered to mark on Goodreads.  I feel if I devote more time to reading and less time to the television then I can complete this challenge.  I'm going to at least attempt it.

I've created a new page on my blog to add books to as I complete them.  You'll see the link at the top underneath the header or click here.

If you're a reader and you're up for a challenge then I urge you to give this a shot.  And, of course, let me know if you decide to sign up.

Also, feel free to recommend any good books to read or you can even send me your favorite book!  I'm always in the market for a book fairy.

Reading is one of my most favorite things to do.

What's a hobby of yours?

Today is my mom's birthday, but I didn't see her.  But that's because Hubs and I went over to see her yesterday.  So we could also see our nephew, since she was babysitting.  I got her exactly what she asked for -- coasters for her desk at work.  And a funny card with a half naked man and two boxer puppies.

My parents took us out to lunch with them for my mom's birthday.  We went to Lone Star.  I shared my french fries with my adorable nephew.

Today Hubs and I finished watching the second season of Pushing Daisies.  It's an adorable show, but I'm sad it's over now.  We started watching Dollhouse next.  It's quite weird, so far.  Very trippy.  Have you watched either?

I haven't read at all since Friday night.  I'm feeling like quite the slacker.  I've been on my laptop more though, but still haven't been posting here as much as I should.  Still in a bit of a funk, but I'll try to write through it.  No matter how much the writing sucks.

All in all this weekend has been quite lazy, like they always are for us.

How was your weekend?

I'm going to have to say that my favorite books right now are the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich.  Right now I'm reading Hard Eight.  I read a lot so it's hard for me to keep track of all the books I read.

I also like Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen.

What's your favorite book?

"Bullets rain down upon a packed football stadium, killing dozens, and triggering a panic stampede which leads to a thousand more deaths. A police marksman kills the sniper, a mentally unbalanced Desert Storm veteran holding a smoking assault rifle. It's an open and shut case, or so America is led to believe...

In the aftermath of the stadium massacre, an outraged public demands an end to the threat posed by assault rifles, and Congress passes emergency legislation banning their private possession. American gun owners have one week to turn in their semi-automatic rifles, or face mandatory five year federal prison terms.

Jimmy Shifflett, the alleged stadium sniper, is linked to a shadowy "gun club" in southeastern Virginia, which the FBI believes is a cover for a secret right wing militia terror group. Those who knew Shifflett the best don't believe he was a member of any militia, or that he was guilty of the horrific mass murder.

But if he didn't fire the "assault rifle" into the stadium, who did, and why?"

I just finished reading Enemies Foreign and Domestic by Matthew Bracken.  Hubs actually read this book first. He really enjoyed it and told me he would love it if I read it as well.  I wasn't sure at first, but Hubs eventually talked me into it. It took me awhile but I finally finished it.

This book felt so real.  At times when I would take a break from reading it I expected to turn on the news and see some of these events actually taking place.

They're a bit eccentric, but my Hubs is a gun nut.  So it's nothing new to me.  These books aren't for the feint of heart.  But if you're looking for something new I strongly recommend this series.

There are two more books to this series; Domestic Enemies: The Reconquista and Forgein Enemies and Traitors.  I also plan on reading these once I take a break and read the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich.

Go to Matthew Bracken's website and read the excerpts.  They're really good!

Like that title?  I think it's pretty clever. ;)

Talk of the Town by Lisa Wingate: This is a free book that I got from Amazon for my Kindle.  I adored this book.  It took me awhile to get into it and it also took me awhile to finish it.  But it was adorable.  Very funny and cute. 

Give Me Fever by Niobia Bryant: Yet another free book from Amazon.  I bet that doesn't surprise you.  I didn't really know what to expect when I started this book.  It ended up turning into an almost erotica type book.  I really liked it and I flew right through it.  Took me about a day and a half to finish it.

Heat of Passion: An Out of Uniform Story by Elle Kennedy: Another free book (which is actually still free, just in case you have a Kindle).  It's a very short book, which made it a really quick read.  I always love a trashy romance novel with a happy ending and that's exactly what I got.

Currently reading:

Just Sex by Susan Kay Law:  Surprisingly not a free book, but it was cheap!  Only $2.35 and it's quite long.  Just started it Monday on the way home from work.  It's about a man that was caught cheating on his wife and he tells his wife it was just about sex.  He then tries to tell his wife to have an affair to realize that it's just about sex.  Should be interesting!

What I want to read next: 

I'm really looking forward to reading Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris.  I just have to wait until my mother finishes reading it first, since she's the one that actually bought it!  Looks like I won't get this until my next week.  My mom didn't finish it before they left for Texas. :(

Hubs really wants me to start reading this series he's reading.  The first one is Enemies: Foreign and Domestic by Matthew Bracken.  He's currently on the second book; Domestic Enemies: The Reconquista.  I might give them a try after I read the latest Sookie book.  I just wish I could buy them for my Kindle.

Tell me about a book you've read recently. What are you reading now?

Yay for another episode of, Reading Is Sexy!  I've read a few books since my last update.  I love my Kindle!

As Young As We Feel (Book 1: The Four Lindas) by Melody Carlson -- This was a free books that I got from Amazon on my Kindle and I loved it.  I'd read some books by Melody Carlson before from her Diary of a Teenage Girl series.  Turns out this is a series; which I didn't know while reading it. But there was an excerpt from the next book and I'm really looking forward to it.  It's about a group of older ladies rekindling their friendship at one of their high school reunions.

Dancing in the Moonlight (Cowboys of Cold Creek, #2) by Raeanne Thayne -- Another free book from Amazon!  I had no idea this was the second book in a series until I looked it up on Good Reads (speaking of which, add me!). Sadly they don't have the first one for the Kindle, but I can purchase it for a penny, but I don't think I'm going to do that.  The ending was adorable and I enjoyed it all the way through.  I never thought I would love these cheesy romance books, but I can't seem to get enough of them.

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks -- I'm a sucker for any book by Nicholas Sparks.  They're all the same; two characters fall in love, something bad happens to tear them apart, then they're reunited somehow.  No matter how predictable, I will always love his books.  There are few I haven't read.  I've heard this movie isn't too bad, so I'm excited to see it! [Movie was alright, but not great.]

My current read, which I started today, is Talk of the Town by Lisa Wingate.  I will let you know how it is once I'm finished.

Tell me what you're reading! :)

Anyone interested in buying me this mug? Please! ;)  I'll love you forever.

I've decided that I'd like to start posting more about the books that I read.  Books are a large part of my life.  I haven't decided if I'm going to do a review [I'm pretty awkward with reviews] or if I'll just write a little blurb about them [blurbs are more my style].  Maybe when I share whatever I'm reading then you can share what you're reading.  That sounds like a good plan to me.  What do you think?

    

These are the first erotica books that I've ever read.  It was quite strange, definitely a new experience.  They are BDSM eroticas; even weirder.  Each book focused on two main characters, but in the next book they would show up again.  If the author writes another I'll definitely read it.

This book was cheesy and predictable, but I still found it adorable.  It's another erotica, but I didn't realize it was.  I guess the title Slow Hands should have been a pointer.  The erotica kind of jumped out and smacked me in the face.  I never thought I would be a fan of the Harlequin books, but I guess I am.

Right now I'm reading As Young As We Feel by Meloday Carlson.  I've read some of her Dairy of a Teenage Girl books before.  What are you reading? 

Last week I got a sudden urge to take a writing class of some sort.  So I talked it over with Hubs and his response was; "I think it's a great idea.  If you'll actually do it."  I have a bad habit of signing up for a class or deciding to take a class and not going through with it, so I know where he was coming from.  I told him that I wanted to do it to help my blogging.  "I figured as much.  I don't care what you do as long as you do it.  I'll support you."  I know he supports me, but it's a great thing to hear.

So Friday I searched all of my local communitity colleges to see which ones had an open creative writing course.  There was only one school that had any openings for CRW150 (Introduction to Creative Writing), Rio Salado College.  To me, Rio Salado has never seemed like a real school to me.  But I decided to give it a chance, because I really wanted to take this writing class.  Once I found the class on RSC, I decided to go for it and sign up.

I'm want to blog about the different lessons I do for this class as I go through it (hopefully).  I think that's going to make it easier and more fun for me.  And I'll definitely get to see how I progress throughout the class.  Hopefully you enjoy it too!

Yesterday I printed out my syllabus and first lesson (Creative Writing and the Imagination).  I wanted to share a few things that I liked from my syllabus.

Hints for Success:

First, enjoy your creativity.

Second, give yourself enough time to do that.

Remember: Writing takes time.  You can't rush it.  Some of that time is spent staring out a window.  Then there's drafting, and more staring.  Lots of thinking and self exploration goes into it.

I've been reading this Meg Cabot series for the past two weeks or so, and I love them! I wish it was longer than three books though. I have 32 pages left of Size 14 Is Not Fat Either, right now. Which I'm sure I'll finish on the bus ride home today. Then tonight I think I'm going to start reading Big Boned. I'm totally wanting Heather Wells (main character) to get together with this guy she is in love with and I'm hoping that's what happens in Big Boned. That would be a perfect ending to the series. Also, no more murders. That would be another good ending.

I'm not sure what I'm going to read once I finishe these. I might make my mom give me back Bitter Is the New Black by Jen Lancaster. I don't think she's going to read it anytime soon. I also really want Pretty in Plaid and Bright Lights, Big Ass, both by Jen Lancaster, as well. I'm thinking I might go to Bookman's to see if they have them cheap. I don't want to pay full price for them because I'm a cheap ass. But who knows what I'll read next. I know my shelves are full, but I'm so picky when it comes to picking out what book I'm going to read next.