A Bit of Me(me)

This Weeks Question: Do you have a favorite holiday? Which one?


I am a Halloween girl. I love everything about it, from teh costumes, to the movies htey pass on tv, to, of course, the candy. I think I'll be 80 years old and still dressing up.

Follow Friday

Q. If you could write yourself a part in a book, what book would it be and what role would you play in that book?

Oh, that's an easy one, definitely the villain. I'd liek to have a part in some fantasy book, maybe have magical powers, and sbe super super evil but also kind of cool. Maybe have a group of followers, like Voldemort. I'm usually rooting for the bad guys, so that's what I'd definitely want to play. But an interesting one, not some lame, underdeveloped character. Oh, and I get to have a pet snake, that's a MUST.

Murder on the Down Low by Pamela Samuels-Young

A high-profile lawsuit erupts into chaos, revealing its place in a larger spree of violence in this scandalous tale of lust, lies, and vengeance. A brazen gunman is targeting prominent African American men on the streets of Los Angeles, and police are completely baffled. At the same time, savvy big-firm attorney Vernetta Henderson and her outrageous sidekick, Special, lead the charge for revenge against a man whose deceit caused his fianceé's death. For Special, hauling the man into court and suing him for wrongful death just isn’t good enough. While she exacts her own brand of justice, a shocking revelation connects the contentious lawsuit and the puzzling murders.


This is the first book I read by this author, and I must say, it was a very fun one.

It takes off immediately, the plot moving swiftly and with force. The story-line is well thought out, with many side stories that are just as interesting as the main plot. I did not find my attention wavering, not once. The mystery itself is complicated enough to keep the reader guessing, just when we think we might have a clue as to who the murderer is, we realize it can’t possibly be. That’s the most important thing when we’re dealing with this genre, making sure the storyline stays fresh and unpredictable.

The characters are the strongest part of the book. They are believable and lovable, even the extremist, Special, who seems on the verge of hysteria for the majority of the novel. We root for all of them. They are the kind of people we could know in our lives, or maybe even the kind of people we are. Well done.

This is a book that is a fabulous addition to the genre. I will definitely look out for more of her books. If you like a good thriller, then this one is for you.

Booking Through Thursday

You’ve just had a long, hard, exhausting day, and all you want to do is curl up with something light, fun, easy, fluffy, distracting, and entertaining.

What book do you pick up?

Anything by Stephen King. As weird as it might seem, his books relax me, envelop me completely in the plot, so that I forget pretty much everything else. If I've had a hard day and I need to unwind, Mr. King is always my first choice.

How about you?

Also, check out my giveaway for Tom Perrotta's upcoming book The Leftovers.

Giveaway!!!

Hi everyone, I have the privilege of offering one of my followers a copy of The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta.



Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
What if—whoosh, right now, with no explanation—a number of us simply vanished? Would some of us collapse? Would others of us go on, one foot in front of the other, as we did before the world turned upside down?
That’s what the bewildered citizens of Mapleton, who lost many of their neighbors, friends and lovers in the event known as the Sudden Departure, have to figure out. Because nothing has been the same since it happened—not marriages, not friendships, not even the relationships between parents and children.

Kevin Garvey, Mapleton’s new mayor, wants to speed up the healing process, to bring a sense of renewed hope and purpose to his traumatized community. Kevin’s own family has fallen apart in the wake of the disaster: his wife, Laurie, has left to join the Guilty Remnant, a homegrown cult whose members take a vow of silence; his son, Tom, is gone, too, dropping out of college to follow a sketchy prophet named Holy Wayne. Only Kevin’s teenaged daughter, Jill, remains, and she’s definitely not the sweet “A” student she used to be. Kevin wants to help her, but he’s distracted by his growing relationship with Nora Durst, a woman who lost her entire family on October 14th and is still reeling from the tragedy, even as she struggles to move beyond it and make a new start.

With heart, intelligence and a rare ability to illuminate the struggles inherent in ordinary lives, Tom Perrotta has written a startling, thought-provoking novel about love, connection and loss.


The only requirement to be able to participate in the giveaway is for you to be a follower of my blog. If you are already, tehn wonderful.
Leave a comment to this post with your email and I'll contact the winner in a week from today!

The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta

What if—whoosh, right now, with no explanation—a number of us simply vanished? Would some of us collapse? Would others of us go on, one foot in front of the other, as we did before the world turned upside down?
That’s what the bewildered citizens of Mapleton, who lost many of their neighbors, friends and lovers in the event known as the Sudden Departure, have to figure out. Because nothing has been the same since it happened—not marriages, not friendships, not even the relationships between parents and children.

Kevin Garvey, Mapleton’s new mayor, wants to speed up the healing process, to bring a sense of renewed hope and purpose to his traumatized community. Kevin’s own family has fallen apart in the wake of the disaster: his wife, Laurie, has left to join the Guilty Remnant, a homegrown cult whose members take a vow of silence; his son, Tom, is gone, too, dropping out of college to follow a sketchy prophet named Holy Wayne. Only Kevin’s teenaged daughter, Jill, remains, and she’s definitely not the sweet “A” student she used to be. Kevin wants to help her, but he’s distracted by his growing relationship with Nora Durst, a woman who lost her entire family on October 14th and is still reeling from the tragedy, even as she struggles to move beyond it and make a new start.

With heart, intelligence and a rare ability to illuminate the struggles inherent in ordinary lives, Tom Perrotta has written a startling, thought-provoking novel about love, connection and loss.


I received an ARC from the publisher.
This is one incredible book. If you’ve not preordered your copy, I seriously urge to do so.

The plot is so bizarre and yet remains believable because it deals with its very human aftermath, the way that people deal with being left behind. While in the case of this set of characters it’s because of an “act of God”, their reactions are as familiar to us any of us who’s ever lost a loved one in any way. The way the book is structured, with many different viewpoints is complex and yet wholly satisfying, as we learn about situations between a couple, for example, from both sides. The plot is fast-paced, although it is literary fiction, so don’t expect action stunts. I never found myself anywhere near bored.

The characters themselves are fabulous. Well developed and carrying their own emotional baggage, they overspill from the pages. Not all of them are lovable at all times, as people are not in real life, but we do get to understand them, and even cheer for them when they accomplish something unexpected. They make the story what it is, not the plot itself.

I can’t recommend it highly enough, this is one book to which you have to treat yourself in the fall.

WWW Wednesdays

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?






Currently, I'm reading Between the Land and the Sea (Marina's Tales #1) by Derrolyn Anderson












And The Economics of Ego Surplus: A Novel of Economic Terrorism by Paul McDonnold
















I just finished The Paladin by Ken Newman You can find my review here.


















Next, I'll probably read The Moon and the Tide (Marina's Tales #2) by Derrolyn Anderson



Please check out my giveaway for Tom Perrotta's The Leftovers here. It's a wonderful book, so sign up to be able to win an ARC copy.