Monday, June 20, 2011

Back Porch Reading Take 2

The back porch/deck is where I read all summer.  Me, my Kindle and a glass of green ice tea.  It's the life. 
Lot's Return to Sodom: A Liv Bergen Mystery
****-4 star review

I finished last weeks read,Lot's Return to Sodom: A Liv Bergen Mystery and it kept me up all night.  Sandra Brannan is defiantly an Indie writer to watch.
Here's a little blurb from Amazon:
"The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is no place for button-downed citizens--unless they're trying to hide a murder. Sharp-witted Liv Bergen can't avoid becoming embroiled in murders, it seems. Her family's hometown of Sturgis, South Dakota, is quickly becoming the Sodom of the Black Hills during the dog days of summer as it hosts the infamous rally of grizzled hard-core motorcycle bikers--half a million of them. Crime comes too close for comfort when Liv must solve the mystery of a beautiful young townie to clear her brother's name."
I am weirdly interested in the 1% motorcycle club ideology, thanks 'Sons of Anarchy.'  Loyalty in those types of clubs is astonishing and fascinating.  Getting a little fictional glimpse into this world satisfies my curiosity.
If you like mysteries you will love Lot's Return to Sodom.  Don't forget to read In the Belly of Jonah, the first book in the Liv Bergen Mystery Series.
And PSST!  If you are a Kindle reader Lot's Return to Sodom is free for a short time!

I am just wrapping up Water for Elephants for my book club and than I can start:

Smokin' Seventeen: A Stephanie Plum Novel

and than I have the pleasure of previewing :

Marie Force is my guilty pleasure author of the moment.  Fatal Consequences has not been released, I received an advanced copy from the publisher.  Stay tuned next week and I will let you know what I think!

What are you reading this week?

More fun summer reads:

*All links are through the Amazon Associate Program.  If you click on the link and purchase the book I receive, VERY small, compensation.   


Monday, June 13, 2011

Back Porch Reading

What are you reading this week?  I am reading
Lot's Return to Sodom: A Liv Bergen Mystery (Liv Bergen Mysteries)
Lot's Return to Sodom: A Liv Bergen Mystery  By: Sandra Brannan
The second in the Liv Bergen series, the first being In the Belly of Jonah. 
Liv Bergen is a strong female lead (yeah girl-power!).  Indie author Sandra Brannan shows great promise with this series and I can't wait to read more!

Water for Elephants: A Novel
Water for Elephants
BOOK CLUB!  I have to jump on this months Book Club selection.  I have heard nothing but good things about this book, although I have heard it starts a little slow.
Have you read Water for Elephants?  What did you think of it.

Other book suggestions:
How I Learned to Love the Walrus by Beth Orsoff
The Overnight Socialite by Bridie Clark
and The Last Block in Harlem by Christopher Herz

Happy reading!

Friday, June 10, 2011

Summer Binders

I try to start our summer off with some sort of:
1. Plan for activities and outings
2. Organization for all the classes/sporting events I have to take the children to.
Of course by mid-July- oh all right 2 weeks into summer vacation- all my organization and planning falls apart.
I will not be deterred this year.  I will plan and organize and pray to the goddesses of whatever goddesses are meant for domestication, that all my hard work is not for naught.
This year I am testing out "The Summer Binder."  All my children's summer needs contained in one white, organized book.
Here is how it looks inside:
Binder pencil cases are the GREATEST things ever.  I purchased mine at the dollar store than went to Wal-mart and found them for $.97 and when I got home one of the dollar store pouches zipper broke.
F-U dollar store F.U.
In the pencil cases are pencils (duh) and dry erase markers.

The first page is the oh so dreaded CHORE CHART! NOOOOOOOOO!
I have all their daily chores listed for the week.  I slipped the chore chart, as well as the other papers in the binder, in a plastic sheet protector.   Plastic sheet protectors are the greatest thing EVER.  You can write on the sheet protector with dry-erase marker and wipe it off at the end of the week. 
I found a bunch of AWESOME chore charts here.

 This is a basic run down of all of one child's summer activities.  I listed time, date and location for an easy reference.
Customized, printable calendars are the greatest THING ever!
I used a great printable calendar site (here) and listed what each child has each day.  The kids are going to be mighty busy this summer.  Weekends I left for visits to MiMi's and surprise trips.
Here is a list '100 things for kids to do when they are bored',  I found it here.  I tweaked it a bit to fit our needs.
Nolan came home with a lot of flash cards and learning aids he used during the school year.  Did you know children can lose two months worth of learning during the summer?  Having these cards on hand will hopefully keep their minds in learning mode.

Some cute folders to hold our reading log sheets!  Does your local library have a summer reading program?   Did you know that Barnes and Noble AND Borders rewards your children with free books when they read over the summer?
Who doesn't LOVE free books?  They are the GREATEST THING EVER!