The Queen B

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

Where did that come from?

The National Enquirer?

Surely not.  I can honestly say that I've never purchased a copy of The National Enquirer.

Did it have a commercial?

Anyway.

I'm curious about what you've been reading lately.

I've been on a non-fiction kick.

Here are a few of my recent favorites...

What Women Fear 

Grace for the Good Girl

I'm sure many of you have read these, but I loved them both.

 

Abundant Simplicity 

Not a Fan

Both of these are step-back-and-examine-your-life type of books that I'd highly recommend. I'll be revisiting them often.  

 

Orange Jumpsuit

Here's To Hindsight

These are by the same author.  They are memoire-ish and stuck with me long after I read them.

 

Parting the Waters - Beautiful story.  Couldn't put it down. 

 

I've also read a few fiction titles that come to mind...

Beaded Hope  - Read this for book club.  It is a tiny bit predictable, but good.

The Swan House - loved

They Loved to Laugh - This was one The Princess & I read for school. It was a sweet story we both enjoyed.

Pearl in the Sand - loved

 

I am currently reading...

The Praying Life - Just started this.  I've heard great things about it.

The Explicit Gospel - I LOVE listening to podcasts by this author/preacher.  I am slowly reading...it's one that I want to savor.

 

Please share what you've read recently... I love to get a new list of book ideas!

 

It's A Little Gift You Can Give Me

So I'll be taking a little airplane trip in less than a week.

And while I've gotten over many of my fears/issues/hangups in the last year...

FLYING IS NOT ONE OF THEM.

I'll have my flying pills.  But they don't really knock me out.  They just kind of take the edge off.

Which is a really, really good thing.

Because the edge is a scary place to be when you're 36,000 feet in the air.

I need distraction.  I need something that keeps my mind off of every rattle that I hear.

I need a book recommendation.

And not just a "pretty good" book.  I need, like, the best book you've ever read kind of book.

A book that you wouldn't have been able to put down if your method of transportation was about to plunge from the sky to the earth.

Hypothetically, of course.

I don't love historical fiction.  Or sci fi.  

Unless it was the most wonderful book you've ever read. Then I might reconsider.

If you can't think of one, CALL A FRIEND. 

I've read The Help.  I've read the Sweet Potato Ladies.  I've read Redeeming Love. I've read the Twilights.  

(I'm anticipating selections.)

I've tried The Hunger Games - couldn't get into them.  

Don't delay.  I need time to order if necessary.

Look at it as a win-win.  You can get Christmas ideas for the reader in your life.

Oh.  And I think it goes without saying, BUT LET'S NOT CHOOSE ANY BOOKS WITH AIRPLANE DISASTERS.

Thank you.

Rusty

So how's life?

I'm trying to get back in the groove with the pointless posts.  

And pretty much, I've got nothing.

Let's talk about books, shall we?

I'd love to know what you're reading.  

You know how reading goes in cycles?  Sometimes you can read several books in a week and then other times you can go months and not pick up a single book.

I've been in a reading cycle.

I think it is because of the cold.

Or my denial of reality.

Here's some of what I've read over the last few weeks...

Swope's Ridge is the sequel to Farraday Road.  Both are mysteries set in Arkansas.

I know.  Just what you've been waiting for.

They were good.  Just order both at the same time, because the first one leaves you hanging big time.

I'm just about finished reading The Power of Half.  I've really enjoyed it.  I'm sure you have seen this family on T.V....they sold their million dollar home in order to give half of the proceeds to fight hunger in Africa.  It has really caused me to think about what we really need and different ways that we can give to others.

I really loved Screen Play.  When I thought the story was winding down, I was only halfway through the book.  There is definitely a turn that takes the book in a different direction and I loved it.

I think I've mentioned my love of this series.   It is kind of embarrassing.  I mean, really?  Football hero whose side gig is special ops?  Whatever.  I like them.

I've saved the best for last.  I've been doing this study of Ruth.  It is amazing.  I enjoyed one other study by this author and hoped this would be good, too.   To be totally honest, I just thought the cover was super cute.  When I chose the book, our situation with La P was moving forward and things were looking positive.  Within a week of beginning the study, everything fell apart.  Note the words on the front of the book...loss, love & legacy.  God has taught me so much through this book.  If you are looking for a great way to get in God's word, get this book.

Now then.

I really do want to know what you are reading.  I'm about to start this, but need to have a few things on standby.  

And because y'all are nice and my posts may be lame for a while, I'm going to give one of you a $25 Amazon gift card.  

Leave one comment telling me a book you've liked or one you want to read.  The random number generator and I will pick a winner sometime Wednesday evening. Make sure I can get in touch with you and all that.

Y'all rock.  

A Little Rusty

I'm so out of the habit of blogging. 

I was going to start 2010 with, you know, consistency.

But then The Arctic Blast of The Century hit, and, well...the snow days threw me off.

So I think I'll just bullet point a few things and hope for more in the days ahead.

*Arkansans are not used to negative wind chills.  Neither are their pets.  And since we've been unable to relocate any of our felines, we've been snowbound with SIX PETS.  

Could I write that again?

SIX PETS.

I think a vacuum company should guinea pig their products on my home.

Because, again?

SIX PETS.

*Over the holiday season, I determined that pecan pie may be my all time favorite dessert ever.

That's saying something.  

Because I could live on dessert alone.

However.

*I'm thinking of giving up sweets.

I don't really want to.

But I think I should.

*These are my new favorite boots.

 

The Arctic Blast of The Century has introduced me to the joys of rubber boots.  

I love them.

*Ok.  I've read some good books over the past few months that I have not mentioned. I've added them to my amazon store thingy on the side.  

Don't judge, but this series totally entertained me.

 

It is the first in a series of three.  I'm not telling you what they are about. 

Because the combo of special ops, NFL and Christianity is just too much.

(And to my friends in Book Club:  No worries.  We're not reading it.  This month...)

*I also have to share my new most favorite tv show.  

Castle.

 

The Palace watched season 1 in 2 days.

You should watch it.

*Today is my birthday.  I'm closer to 40 than I am to 30. 

I love that.

Let's Be Nosy, Shall We?

So Chris Coppernoll was very kind and generous with the giveaway thing last week.

Then he offered his book at a special price for all of us.  (You can still get that if you hurry.)

As we were discussing the book giveaway, he asked if I might want to interview him for the blog.

Um.  Y'all?  He interviews famous people for a living.  That's his day job.

My response was something like, "Yeah, and I'll just go fluff Martha Stewart's home when I'm done".

Why don't we all ask him some questions?

I'm not good with pressure...you might have noticed?

I for sure want to ask him about his Providence Cares foundation.  I hope that you all have some questions for him, too.  What do you want to know about writing or his books or his process...anything!

Leave them in the comments and I'll send them to him.  

It'll be a group effort.  

I love a group effort.

P.S.  The only thing worse than me interviewing someone would be me asking my friends to give me questions for the interview and they totally give me nothing. Just thought I'd put that out there...

Winner!!

You won't believe this, but the winner of the book giveaway is:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

1

Timestamp: 2008-10-18 21:23:55 UTC

Cool, huh?

It is Chickadee!!!

Thanks to all who entered!!

My Book Club Giveaway

That title totally sounds like I'm giving away my Book Club.

Which I'm not.

But I am giving away a book.

Our selection for this month is Sharon Hinck's Stepping Into Sunlight.

 

Just leave me a comment (with a way to contact you) and I will randomly pick a winner on Saturday.

Happy Thursday.

Fall Into Reading Challenge 2008

I love to read.

Fall is an especially great time to curl up in a cozy chair with a great book.

Katrina's Reading Challenge is a terrific excuse to work on that pile of books that has been building beside my bed.

It is really cool to create a list of books to read.

I'll pretty much do anything to scratch something off of a list.

It is also cool to read other people's lists of books. And then copy their lists.

Head to Callapidder Days to join the fun!!

My Fall Reading List

Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer

Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer

A Life That Says Welcome by Karen Ehman

A Beautiful Fall by Chris Coppernoll

John 3:16 by Nancy Moser

Landmines in the Path of a Believer by Charles Stanley

His Needs Her Needs by William F Harley

Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey

Home to Holly Springs by Jan Karon

Embrace Me by Lisa Samson

In Between by Jenny B Jones

Safely Home by Randy Alcorn

My Name is Russell Fink by Michael Snyder

That should do it.

You can follow my progress through the Reading List on the sidebar. If I read anything fabulous, I'll give it away!!

(And I'll try to NOT post a list tomorrow.)

We Have A Winner...

The winner of Ruby Among Us is...

Janel!

My mother-in-law randomly picked a winner.

Thanks to all who entered! We'll do another one soon!

Book Club Giveaway

These days my life is pretty much all about the Olympics and getting ready to get ready for back-to-school.

I'm guessing you know just what I mean.

We've probably got a really yucky day ahead of us today. There is a 90% chance that Heidi is not going to make it through the day. If you think about it, please lift The Princess up in prayer. She is going to have a tough time with this one. As grown-ups, we kind of understand that pets don't live forever.

Kids? Not so much.

When I asked her if she was going to be ok, she looked at me with big tears and said, "I hope".

That'll rip your guts out.

To make myself feel better, I am going to give away this month's book club selection.

To be honest, I haven't finished it yet. I've heard really great things about it, though. And I like what I've read so far.

But if there is something really inappropriate that I haven't read yet, I really apologize.

My book club might fire me from my role as Queen Of Book Selection.

Which would kind of be nice.

Anyway.

It is Ruby Among Us by Tina Ann Forkner.

Leave a comment (with a way to contact you) and I will randomly select a name on Thursday.

Have a great day!!