Poll - Do you like new commenting system?


Friends,

I need help with deciding please.  Poll is on sidebar.

I love that I can reply directly to you and it leaves your last post, this is superb to me.

I can overlook the other issues so far 'I think'.

Let me know your thoughts please. If you have heard any negative possibilities please comment so I can  research further to help make a decision.

Have a great weekend, thanks again.

Please click on title to comment.

(Does this irritate you?)

Throwing in the towel - IT by Stephen King

I am officially throwing in the towel.....  Sorry Anna and Serena.

Trying this book has sealed the deal on my reading style, which is a positive at the end of this.

My Reasons:

1. I have realised Stephen King is not for me.  The first book I now know was a very bad 1st choice as intro to Stephen King's works, The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon.
2. I thought the read a thon would be great to inspire me to read it but I feel pressured.  Honestly I shouldn't need to be inspired, first mistake.
3. I am a mood reader and dealing with i'm not in the mood to read IT for 5 months is torture to me.
4. I enjoy reading 1 book at a time and completely losing myself in it, 1000 pages felt excessive and unnecessary. 

Thanks to all that commented on my post - What is your page limit?  Chunkster books.  The discussion helped me to make a decision.  Stephen King has a huge following so one less won't hurt his ego or bank account :-)

It is possible I will continue in my own time and maybe a year from now I will say I completed a 1000 page book......

Here’s the reading schedule if still interested in joining.

Aug. 24 — discussion on part 1 to be held on Savvy Verse & Wit

Sept. 28 — discussion on part 2 to be held on Diary of an Eccentric

Oct. 31 — discussion on part 3 to be held on Savvy Verse & Wit

Nov. 30 — discussion on part 4 to be held on Diary of an Eccentric

Dec. 21 — discussion on part 5 to be held on Savvy Verse & Wit

 

 

 

 

Please click on title to comment - New commenting system

 

Teaser Tuesday - Inside the Outside by Martin Lastrapes

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!

Just do the following to participate:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) 'teaser' sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
Share the title &; author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

 

Teaser from Kindle at 42%

Timber had no doubt that he could have killed her whenever he pleased, but he chose instead to drag it out, giving in to the more sadistic side of his nature, savoring their little game of cat and mouse.

This is the perfect read for the RIP Challenge, Horror genre.

Click on title to comment please.

Commentluv for Blogger - Comment please so I can test

If this works, HUGE thank you to this site, step by step instructions.

http://www.giglogo.com/2011/05/03/how-to-get-commentluv-on-blogger/

Leave a comment and your link so I can test it out please.........

Looks like you have to click on the title of post in order to comment, eek.....



Review - The Human Obsession by Heath Sommer


Book Summary from Amazon

A year before retirement, Chief of Police Frank Murphy wants nothing more than to spend his golden years on HGTV marathons and endless tee-off times. What he gets is a string of abductions that makes Ted Bundy look like an amateur. The Human Obsession is the sequel to Heath Sommer's 2009 breakout psychological thriller The Manufactured Identity, where Murphy and hapless lovers Addy and John Joe scramble against inhuman odds and unpredictable twists to solve the riddles of murder, obsession, and human weakness. Focusing on the trial of Cameron Bo, alleged murderer and loony from Sommer's The Grand Delusion, The Human Obsession takes readers even deeper into the minds of Sommers' belovedand twistedcharacters. In the end, no one could have seen why those meant to protect and serve may be in the greatest danger of all.

My Review - 5 Tea Time Perfection

An amazing thought provoking psychological thriller.  Heath did it again, he messed with my head.  The execution of this story was so well crafted, bringing his thrillers all together.  The Manufacture Identity, The Grand Delusion and now The Human Obsession, the perfect package deal.  All can be stand alone's but I recommend you read them all.

There are a few stories going on but they each have their own place.  You are trying to figure out how their puzzle piece fits into the larger picture.  The stories will make you paranoid, educate you, make you question your own beliefs, bring personal judgments to the forefront, all while messing with your mind. We continue to go on the journey with all the characters from the other books while questioning their mental stability. 

The Human Obsession is complex but interesting. Psychology, profiling a killer with mental heath illness and a hot, drama, detailed court room case, you have got to love that.  The case was national news, this was so good, I couldn't get enough.

The Manufactured Identity is still my ultimate favourite but Heath sealed the deal with this one also.  Complex and Brilliant.  You can tell Heath writes for a larger purpose and executes so well.  He takes you exactly where he wants when he wants. 

If religion is a topic that makes you uncomfortable I do not recommend this trilogy.  Now, if you enjoy a great thought provoking thriller, you must go buy his books now.

Dr. Heath Sommer has a PhD in Clinical Psychology which is apparent in his writing.  Such a great way to open your eyes to the mental health illnesses in our world.

Go here for Heath's special offer

$27.50 for all 3, free shipping (US Only)

My Giveaway

The Human Obsession is available for one of my blogging followers, international.

Leave a comment with your email address.

Closes Sunday, October 2.

Must Reads from Thrill Week

 

Thanks again to all those that participated in Thrill Week.  I added so many books and go to authors to my list, I am thrilled to pieces.  I have chosen my definite read from your posts, here they are.

Recommended by christa @ mental foodie

 

 

 

Recommended by Book Nerd Club

 

 

 

Recommended by The Best O Books Reviews

 

 

 

Recommended by Stacys Books and Carols Notebook - Greg Iles

 

 

 

Recommended The Book Whisperer 

 

 

 

 

 

Recommended by Cafe of Dreams Book Reviews

 

 

 

Recommended by Lah @ LazyGirl Reads

 

Can you recommend one?

 

 

 

Recommended by Cat @ Tell Me a Story

 

 

 

Recommended by Red Headed Book Child

 

 

 

 

Recommended by Jennifer (Reading with Tequila)

 

She is a Horror, Stephen King fan, so I decided on a read a thon

 

 

 

Recommended by Felicia the Geeky Blogger and A Novel Source

 

I need to continue the Pendergast series

 

And the author Honourary Mention is.........

Harlan Coben

I haven't read him but definitely will before the year is out, which one is your favourite?

 

 

 Thanks again, look forward to next year.  Thrill Week will be an annual event.

What is your page limit? Chunkster books

Hello all,

Let us discuss chunkster books and if they are worth it, ok, I know all books are worth it but really.

I agreed to a Read a thon, IT by Stephen King.  I wanted to try him again as The Girl that loved Tom Gordon was such a let down, why that was the first book given to me to try I would never understand but oh well, its done now.  So, I agreed to reading IT, a read a thon should be fun, get a chance to discuss the book, scenes etc and figure out things you may have missed, brilliant.

Then I realised it was 1000 pages, :-0  whaaaaaaaaaat, sigh

The read a thon is only approx 200 pages a month, I can do it but is it worth it?

I got it from my brother and I can't even hold it to read, I didn't even make it to 100 pages before I said forget it, I will download to my Kindle.  Even this I find a little depressing because it tells you % and it seems like you have read 25 pages before it even moves a %.

When you read chunksters do you actually leave the house with them to read or are they strictly at home reads?  It is heavier than a baby, I should actually go and weigh it........

So my main question is?

Should I continue or give up on IT?  It is good, not great and already I decided I'm obviously not going to be a fan and the word that comes to mind is excessive, seriously is 1000 pages needed.

My second thought is, do you have a page limit?  For me it would be 500 - 600 pages, that is my new standard.

I only read 1 book a week.  I do not want to spend 2 weeks or more on one book.  I am a career mommy, so work, parenting and having a life leaves me reading time for evenings and weekends, I am up at midnight almost every night.

Summary of questions/opinions

Should I give up on IT?

What is your page limit?

Name a chunkster that you thought was worth the time and you recommend to others.



Thanks, hope you are having a great week.

What I am Reading and Vent........

I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend.

Starting with my vent, you can skip and go to the books if you like.

It has been a busy September for me.  Thrill Week started September 1 and BBAW week started September 12.  My vent is........  My computer has been in the shop for over a month, it is killing me to not have a computer.  The part they 'thought' was needed is not the issue, blah, blah, blah.  How can the backlight be such an issue, seriously.  So looks like I may just buy a new computer, seriously I cannot wait much longer, don't they know I have blogging work to do.

My niece has been wonderful in letting me use her computer which is an Apple, trying to figure that out has been torture.  My sweetie has let me use his Ipad which is ok for commenting, posting is not possible.

I have had far to much unproductive work time but I just cannot go without posting especially during blogging events.  Ok, end of vent, sigh of relief. 

My current read




My favourite book from last year was Manufactured Identity, it is my ultimate favourite psychological thriller.  Well, I am reading the sequel now and it is great.

A N D!!!!!

Squeeeeeeeee, look at my surprise, how did I miss this when I got it, omg, so thrilled to have a glimpse of my review in Heath's book, seriously what an honour.

I completed - my review, great start to RIP Challenge



I read a little of IT for my readathon and will go back to it again end of week.

 
Don't let him scare you, his not so bad. :-)


I have no idea what is next, possibly my NetGalley read





I look forward to seeing what everyone is reading, especially the scary reads right now.

BBAW - Blogging, Best Practices for me

Today’s Topic


The world of blogging is continually changing. Share 3 things you are essential tried and true practices for every blogger and 1-3 new trends or tools you’ve adapted recently or would like to in the future.

I have been blogging for 2 years now and these are my:

Best Practices

1)  Comment, comment, comment

2)  Write a review at least once a week (Only memes posted may not get you consistent followers)

3)  Create email just for blogging.  I found this so important, no spam to account, easy to organise blog emails, review request, comment responses etc, this is a must in my opinion.

4)  Wherever you keep track of your books, record who the recommendation came from, another way to network with bloggers, most appreciate you linking them but also what a great way to acknowledge a bloggers review made you choose a book.  I use LibraryThing and it is perfect for note taking.

New Trends

Some of the new trends are not for me, Facebook, Twitter etc, I do not do social media, in my professional role I have seen how it interrupts with life in such a negative way.  Blogging is good enough for me.

For me the new trend personally is to be yourself and:

1)  Create events or Challenges specific to a genre or topic in order to meet more bloggers with the same interest or goals.

Examples

Thrill Week - An event for fans of Thriller, Mystery, Suspense and Horror

I Want More Challenge - There are so many amazing authors but sometimes we get caught up in reading all the new we forget about the authors that have already impressed, excited us, gave us what all readers want, a great read, that wow moment, so this Challenge is to show all the authors that have pleased us already how thankful we are by reading more of their literary works.



Hope you enjoyed BBAW Week, great to meet so many of you, I look forward to building blogging friendships with you.

Enjoy the weekend.  My Giveaway is International, click on the BBAW image above.

The Restorer (The Graveyard Queen) by Amanda Stevens

Book Summary

My name is Amelia Gray. I'm a cemetery restorer who sees ghosts. In order to protect myself from the parasitic nature of the dead, I've always held fast to the rules passed down from my father. But now a haunted police detective has entered my world and everything is changing, including the rules that have always kept me safe.

My Review - 4 1/2 Great to the last Drop

The Restorer is a great mystery with a creepy theme.  We learn about Amelia's job, how she restores unkept, abandoned cemeteries and the rules she has to follow to live safely because she sees ghost.  She is 9 when she realises she can see ghosts and her father tells her not to acknowledge them or tempt fate.  She grows up playing in cemeteries and loving the unique beautiful side of them but realises ghost bring with them an energy that you do not want to experience. There are moments I held my breath, chills down my spine and I wanted more.

She is requested to restore a cemetery and during the beginning of her work a body is found.  She is recruited as a consultant to assist the police with the murder investigation.  This was my favourite part of the book, the mystery surrounding the murder, why no one are answering all the questions, the history of a secret committee which may know all the answers but also it is a secret on who is and was a part so getting answers is impossible.  Amelia becomes the middle woman for many, detectives, police and of course the ghosts.

She also finds herself smitten with Detective Delvin and doesn't understand why she is drawn to him, if he is haunted then she needs to stay away, but how.  He called her 'strange, stunning and practical' which she loved.  She is naive to relationships and with the additional baggage they both bring this was an interesting forbidden romance. I thought this was executed well in the mystery.

There are so many sad, beautiful, creepy, entangled moments in this book, it really captures you in an eerie way while trying to figure out all of what is going on.

This book was a winner to me because it was so involved in a mysterious way.  I love murder mysteries and we did get closure but there is more than enough to keep this series going, more victim stories, the history of the ghosts, relationship with Amelia and Delvin, secrets around her parents and more. 

I read the prequel last week, The Abandoned which was a great lead in but now both have left me wanting to know so much more.

A great start to the RIP Challenge.  I recommend this one to Mystery fans that can handle the paranormal ghost story part, perfect creepy read to keep you up at night.  I swear I saw a spider, woke, turned on the lights and realised my mind was playing tricks on me from the book, now that is what I call perfection, lol.

BBAW Interview with Jeanne at Necromancy Never Pays

Welcome to Tea Time with Marce

Today is the BBAW Interview day.  We get to learn a little more about the bloggers we love, network and interact with and get to meet new ones.

I would like to welcome Jeanne here today.  She blogs over at Necromancy Never Pays


Marce - Is Trivial Pursuit for Book Lovers a special feature you host on your blog? Tell us about it so we can participate in the future.

Jeanne - A friend sent me the game (Trivial Pursuit for Book Lovers), saying she thought I might know more people than she did who would have fun playing it. What I discovered, though, is that it’s more fun to play in the virtual world than in real life, because it’s hard to find a group of friends so literary they know enough of the answers to make playing the game fun. So I reveal one card each Friday morning, and my virtual literary friends show up to play.


Marce - On your About page you state - “necromancy never pays; literature shows us this over and over.” What book or 2 books do you think proves this and you would recommend to others?

I am so glad she corrected the definition........
Jeanne - The definition of “necromancy” I was thinking of when I used the word in the title of my blog is the second definition in the online urban dictionary: “necromancy” is “sorcery/shamanism style of raising the dead.”

I have a list of books in which necromancy never pays on my sidebar, most notably the story “The Monkey’s Paw,” which sort of started the whole thing (see my “About” page). I would also mention what happens with the figure Ged calls back from the dead in the first book of The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin, and the recurring theme in the Harry Potter books and movies. In Part One of the final two-part movie, there’s a shadow graphic for the story of the Three Brothers; the one who gets the ring becomes a necromancer. This story is an explicit statement of the theme Dumbledore keeps trying to help Harry understand, that he couldn’t bring his sister back, and that Harry can’t bring his parents back, at least not in any satisfying way. Dumbledore understands that necromancy never pays.


Marce - How did you get into poetry?  Share a poem with us that is special to you.

Jeanne - I’ve always had poetry read to me and read it to others; the more you read, the more you love it. So lots of poems are special to me, especially seasonally—last year, I went through a whole series of autumn poems. I always put different ones up next to my desk, and the one that’s there this week is “How to Like It,” by Stephen Dobyns. I reread this poem a lot when I’m trying to learn to like something new. Sometimes you’ve just got to grit your teeth and try really hard to like something.

Jeanne's favourite poem How I Like It by Stephen Dobyns


Marce - You stated in a post you like to molest your books “I like to molest my books, flipping backwards and forwards, underlining a word or putting an exclamation point in the margin, and turning down the corner of a page here and there.” Please explain how you got into this habit and if enjoy reading on your Kindle more yet?

Jeanne - I very carefully developed the habit of molesting my books when I got to college, where for the first time I couldn’t just remember everything I’d read. I had to learn to highlight sections, make notes in the margins, and note certain pages. I worked even harder at this in graduate school, sometimes using pencil to lightly underline and sticky notes to mark pages when it wasn’t my book. Writing in books, especially, didn’t come easily to me, but if you want to be a critical reader, you have to learn to write down your responses, especially if you don’t want to have to read everything twice before you can articulate a point of view on it.

For blogging I usually dog ear the pages I know I’ll want to quote later, and usually I can spot the bit that made me turn the page down pretty quickly. I still don’t like to read with a pen or pencil in my hand.

So no, I haven’t warmed to the Kindle for ordinary reading, although I do love having it for travel and I can now cope with the “bookmark” feature.


Marce - Do you enjoy Thrillers, Mystery, Suspense or Horror books? What is one of your favourites?

Jeanne - The Gone-Away World, by Nick Harkaway, is one of my all-time favorite books, and it has elements of all four. It has a really big secret, plus ghosts, ninjas and pirates. Here’s her review:



Jeanne, thank you so much for taking the time to interview with me.  I am sure your Trivial Pursuit for Book Lovers will gain even more weekly followers.  I still gasp a little over you molesting your books :-0 but I know it is done with love, lol

Thanks for reading, Jeanne interviewed me also, you can read it here.

My Appreciation and Love for the Blogging Community

Welcome to Tea Time with Marce

Today is the start of BBAW, enjoy the week

This year’s theme is Cultivating a Community of Bloggers and Readers.


While the awards are a fun part of BBAW, they can never accurately represent the depth and breadth of diversity in the book blogging community. Today you are encouraged to highlight a couple of bloggers that have made book blogging a unique experience for you. They can be your mentors, a blogger that encouraged you to try a different kind of book, opened your eyes to a new issue, made you laugh when you needed it, or left the first comment you ever got on your blog. Stay positive and give back to the people who make the community work for you!



I have been blogging for 2 years and my first taste of the blogging community was when I came across the meme Booking Through Thursday. For a couple of weeks on and off I would read but not comment and one day I just said I want to network with other book lovers so I started this blog, Tea Time with Marce.

Over my 2 years I have learned a few things. How important networking and commenting on other blogs are, staying true to myself, participating on blogs during memes and challenges and the final for me is to not get overwhelmed, so posting 3 to 4 times is perfect and gives my followers from all over the world the opportunity to comment without feeling like they are late.

My Appreciation and Love.........

I respect these 2 bloggers for being amazing networking commenting leaders – thank you Kathy (Bermudaonion's Weblog) and Juju (Tales of Whimsy), you are always there.

Thank you Marie (Boston Bibliophile) for being a first commenter and you are still here today, I appreciate that.

Thank you Jennifer from Reading with Tequila, you may not know this but you taught me to stay true to myself and try to find my place in the blogosphere. I find you to be honest and always trying to think how to get bloggers involved with you and each other.

And to my Mystery, Thriller, Suspense buddies, Michelle (red headed book child) and Rae (The Best O' Books), blogging would not be the same without you guys, you have added to my Wishlist and TBR list so much it is the ultimate thrill and what makes it perfect is that you interact with me.

And to the bloggers I would love to have Tea with, Paula (Tomes Devotee), Julie (Reading without Restraint), Aths (Reading on a Rainy Day), Steph the Bookworm and Cheryl (CMash Loves to read) – you ladies are the best. You all have great blogs and content which I respect and enjoy. In many ways we have realised we have similar reading interests. Emailing away from the blogs is an additional special touch I appreciate.  BTW Julie, your blog is my favourite looking blog.

And last but not least, Christa (Mental Foodie), you are my favourite blogger, you have a genuine voice, have opened my eyes to memoirs and Non Fiction but love Mystery, Thriller and Suspense also. I love reading your posts and seeing your opinion, even when we don’t agree.

Diversity means so much to me personally and that is what is amazing about the Book Blogging Community.  So many have their own special touch thats adds to our book loving life.
 
I appreciate you.
 

BBAW Giveaway International

Welcome to Tea Time with Marce

My favorite genres are Thrillers, Mystery and Suspense then Adult Fiction, Memoirs, Verse Novels and YA.

I have chosen Michelle Zink's trilogy to give away to 1 winner because I think it is a great cross over in a few genres, Mystery, History Fiction, Adult and YA.

I highly recommend this trilogy.

My Reviews of Prophecy of the Sisters and Guardian of the Gate, haven't read Circle of Fire yet.

Michelle Zink's website

International Giveaway

You must be a follower

Leave your email address

Tell me your favorite genre

1 person will win all 3 books

Note - If you have read one I will buy the other(s)

Giveaway closes on Saturday, Sept 17

Good luck to all the short listed bloggers.  Have fun during Book Blogging Appreciation Week

New Blog Button - maybe not

UPDATE - I am seriously rethinking.  My 4 year old said ewww gross, I don't think a great choice now, lol

I finally decided I needed a blog button that really represents my blog and me, do you like?

Having tea, pretty long nails, blade with knife and of course lots of blood.........  The blood is to assist the police with the crime NOT for me to drink, vampires, I don't think so.

If you are new to Tea Time with Marce, my favorite genres are Thriller, Suspense, Mystery and a little adult fiction and horrors.

I still haven't figured out how to include the code etc, sorry.