Gifts for Christmas

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Have you thought about what you want to give that book lover for Christmas? With Black Friday only a couple of weeks away, here are some ideas and suggestions from one book lover to another….

Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire : The Illustrated Edition by J. K. Rowling

The illustrated edition of Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire will be great for any Potterhead (like me). I’ve personally asked for one of these for Christmas. I plan on re-reading the entire series once again using all the illustrated editions once I’ve collected every single one of them.

The Stoneheart trilogy by Charlie Fletcher

If you have someone on your list who likes alternate realities….this trilogy would probably be a good gift for them. It also has a sort of coming of age story like Harry went through in the Harry Potter series.

The Wolves of Mercy Falls series by Maggie Stiefvater

If you have a book lover on your list who is looking for a little romance then this may be something that they’ll enjoy. It is equal parts romance and fantasy but it’s still a great read. Shown below are the 3 main books in the series but there is a fourth novel that revolves around a couple of the supportive characters if 3 is not enough.

The Asylum series by Madeleine Roux

If you have a horror junkie on your list then this may be something that they’ll enjoy. It starts out as a trilogy but there is a prequel book that revolves around different characters and you can find all the novellas from this series in one book (separate from the main series) that will give you more back ground into the story if they want to continue reading.

Murder for Christmas by Francis Duncan

For that person on your list that enjoys a good mystery then this would be a good read. Anyone who is a fan of Agatha Christie would like something from this author. Plus, he has some other books that would be of interest if you enjoy this one.

Land of Stories series by Chris Colfer

For those of you who have kids on your list that are avid readers, here is something you can get them. Whether they read on their own or you want to read it with them, this is a good series to share.

You Will Be Mine by Natasha Preston

For that teen on your list, check out this book from Natasha Preston. This is equal parts thriller/suspense and romance if your teenager likes that sort of thing. There are other thrillers from this author that they may like if your teen likes to read that sort of thing.

Reading block…?

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For those of you out there who like to read like me, have you ever gotten reader’s block? Have you ever gone a certain amount of time where you couldn’t get into reading? What happened that stopped you from reading for that length of time? How long did it take you to get back into reading?

I don’t remember having to stop reading, especially for a long period of time (at least, not in recent years). Now, there might be a day here or there that I am unable to sneak in any reading time because I am sick but those days are usually few and far between. But I’ve never gone several days or longer without reading something. Even when I go on vacation, I usually manage to take my e-reader or some book with me.

Smarter…?

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Do you think people who read are smarter than people who don’t read? Why or why not?

I think there are benefits to reading, regardless if you are reading for the fun of it or you’re reading for learning purposes. You can broaden your vocabulary/grammar, learn some valuable lessons from the author, etc. But at the very least, I believe you can keep your mind sharper by reading (especially if you read on a regular basis). What about you?

Have you ever….?

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Have you ever been turned off from reading? Why or why not?

I don’t think there was anything that has turned me off of reading. Now, I’ve had books that I’ve lost interest in because they didn’t hold my attention but I’ve never lost interest in reading completely. Even if I wasn’t the fastest reader or the best reader in my class, I still enjoyed reading. It was never a contest to me. I read because I find it entertaining and not to be better than anyone else. It’s like giving your brain a little vacation without having to leave the house (and books are much cheaper than going on an actual vacation).

“The Invited” by Jennifer McMahon

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Finished another book today. I was not aware this book had come out until I came across this book at the book store by accident. I like haunted house stories but this was interesting to me since the haunted house in this one is being built. I don’t want to say too much so as not to spoil it for anyone interested in reading it but it’s interesting. It moves along at a nice pace and keeps you coming back for more with each chapter you read. I was also surprised by the end. It didn’t end like I thought it would but I am happy with how it ended.

Synopsis: A chilling ghost story with a twist: the New York Times bestselling author of The Winter People returns to the woods of Vermont to tell the story of a husband and wife who don’t simply move into a haunted house, they start building one from scratch, without knowing it, until it’s too late . . .

In a quest for a simpler life, Helen and Nate abandon the comforts of suburbia and their teaching jobs to take up residence on forty-four acres of rural land where they will begin the ultimate, aspirational do-it-yourself project: building the house of their dreams. When they discover that this charming property has a dark and violent past, Helen, a former history teacher, becomes consumed by the legend of Hattie Breckenridge, a woman who lived and died there a century ago. As Helen starts carefully sourcing decorative building materials for her home–wooden beams, mantles, historic bricks–she starts to unearth, and literally conjure, the tragic lives of Hattie’s descendants, three generations of “Breckenridge women,” each of whom died amidst suspicion, and who seem to still be seeking something precious and elusive in the present day.

Is it rude…?

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First off, I want to wish a happy Halloween. I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable holiday, especially for those going trick or treating at some point today.

Now, to the topic at hand. Do you consider reading to be rude rather than interacting with other people around you? Why or why not?

In this day in age, I see people buried in their cell phone all day. So, my question is how can someone accuse a person of being rude to read a book instead of interacting with the people around them when other people bury themselves in their phones? I’ve always been kind of on the shy side so it was always hard for me to interact with others. That may have been something that helped draw me to reading. So, I don’t consider it rude when someone reads instead of interacting with other people….some people are just introverts.

Tales from the Crypt

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Since I have all seven season on dvd, I’ve been watching this show today. I hope to get through all of the seasons by the end of the week. Today I’m on season two as I’ve already watched the first season. The second season has proven to be interesting to say the least. Has anyone watched this show? Which episode is your favorite?

Ron and Hermione

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I managed to collect the Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger Hallmark ornaments yesterday. I had already purchased the Harry Potter ornament (along with the Hallmark Power Cord to be able to connect the 3 ornaments together because I knew I would get all three of them at some point). I now have all of Hallmark’s ornaments from the Harry Potter collection for the 2019 year (including the Hogwarts tree topper). Each one of them interact with each other and will play scenes from “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” when they are plugged in. I can’t wait for Christmas to get here so that I can put all them out on the tree.

Looking forward to…

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I just found out yesterday that one of my favorite authors wrote another book. I haven’t acquired the book yet but I’m looking forward to getting my hands on it. It’s labeled a “western” but it also sounds like it’s a cozy mystery, which is something I like. I was released earlier on the 17th of October but I’ve spent quite a bit of money on books lately. So, I’ll probably wait till Christmas to see if I can get someone to get me this as a present.

When has a book made you cry?

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Has there ever been a book out there that has made you cry? Which book was it? What was it about that book specifically that brought on the tears?

The only thing that I remember crying over was during the Harry Potter series, most notably the latter part of the series when things started getting darker. There were certain deaths that really hit you hard during that series. I understand that there was a “war” going on from about the end of the 4th book till the end of the series and that death is an unfortunate part of that. There were just some deaths that were so unexpected or sudden that you really felt it. I think that is one thing that can make an author a really good one…..when they’ve gotten you so attached to a character that you feel that loss when that particular characters passes away.