A new book! Tales from the Yoga Studio by Rain Mitchell

I just received a NEW book to review!  It will be available in Book Stores and Amazon on Dec. 28.

The title is Tales from the Yoga Studio by Rain Mitchell.

I want to include it in my 2011 Reading Challenges so I will begin reading the book on Jan. 1.  Just reading the back cover makes me want to dig in right away, but I still have one last book for my 2010 Reading Challenge to complete.

Here is a line from the back cover  - it's enough to have you pre-ordering from Amazon.
" Tales from the Yoga Studio is a warm, funny, and gripping novel about the gift of connection and the joys of discovery, featuring five amazing women you will never forget."

I found Challenge #8 - the 2011 Paranormal/Fantasy Romance Reading Challenge.

This will probably be the last challenge I sign up for {{this year}}.
The rules:
The goal of this challenge is to read at least 12 Paranormal/Fantasy Romances between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011.
Click on the picture to read more about this challenge or to join in with me.

Challenge #7 - 1st in a Series Challenge

I love to read books in a series and I really love to read them in order, so this will be a fun challenge.

Guidelines for the 1st in a Series Challenge 2011

1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate. If you're not a blogger, leave your information in the comments.

2. There are four levels for this challenge:  I'm picking the Series Novice because I'm getting close to my yearly goal.

• Series Novice: Read 3 books that are the first in any series.
• Series Lover: Read 6 books that are the first in any series.
• Series Expert: Read 12 books that are the first in any series.
• Series Fanatic: Read 20 books that are the first in any series.

You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you. Any genre counts.

Click on the button here to join in with me or to read more about it.

Chick Lit Challenge (#6)

It may sound like I'm signing up for waaaayy to many reading challenges, but since I can use cross-overs for the audio challenge and Where are you Reading challenge, I'm really only up to 25 books and my goal is 52 books for next year. 

So here is Challenge #6 for me. - Read 8 Chick Lit books (not a hardship for me)  :)

Read at least 8 books of the chick lit variety. What qualifies for chick lit? Books like Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series, Red Ink Press books, authors like Jane Green or Whitney Lyles, etc. These are the mostly fluff, fun-to-read, brain candy type of books. This challenge runs from January 1 thru December 31, 2011. You can make your list ahead of time of the books you want to read or just list them as you go along. To sign up, leave a comment on this post.

Oh No! A Fifth Reading challenge

I'm a foodie and this challenge is new to me and sounds like fun.
It's the Foodies's Reading Challenge.
Here's the rules
1. Decide how many food books you want to read in 2011 and choose your level of reading.  Keep in mind this is a challenge – a thrown-down. Go a bit beyond what you think you can really do. Levels:

• Nibbler: 1 to 3 books
• Bon Vivant: 4 to 6 books
• Epicurean: 7 to 9 books
• Gourmet: 10 to 12
• Glutton: More than 12

I've decided to really take the throw down and go for the Epicurean Level 7-9 books.
If you want to join me or read more about it, just click on the challenge button.

My Fourth Reading Challenge for 2011

The 4th reading challenge I'm joining is the 2011 Audio Book Challenge.
I listen to a lot of books  - while I bead, cook, clean and drive so my goal will be

Obsessed: 20 Audio Books

2011 Audio Book Challenge

Just click on the link above to read more about this challenge and join in.

My Third Reading Challenge

Another book challenge that I've joined in the past 2 years and I'm excited to join in again this year is the "What's In a Name Reading Challenge 2011"
To join in and read more about the challenge, just click on the button
The rules are fun:

Here's How It Works

Between January 1 and December 31, 2011, read one book in each of the following categories:

1. A book with a number in the title: First to Die, Seven Up, Thirteen Reasons Why
2. A book with jewelry or a gem in the title: Diamond Ruby, Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Opal Deception
3. A book with a size in the title: Wide Sargasso Sea, Small Wars, Little Bee
4. A book with travel or movement in the title: Dead Witch Walking, Crawling with Zombies, Time Traveler's Wife
5. A book with evil in the title: Bad Marie, Fallen, Wicked Lovely
6. A book with a life stage in the title: No Country for Old Men, Brideshead Revisited, Bog Child

The book titles are just suggestions, you can read whatever book you want to fit the category.

Other Things to Know

• Books may be any form (audio, print, e-book).
• Books may overlap other challenges.
• Books may not overlap categories; you need a different book for each category.
• Creativity for matching the categories is not only allowed but encouraged.
• You do not have to make a list of books before hand.
• You do not have to read through the categories in any particular order.

The 2nd Reading Challenge for 2011

The second reading challenge I'm excited to be joining for 2011 is one I've entered for the the past 2 years.
The Book Chick City "Mystery and Suspense Reading Challenge 2011"
The rules start out 

• Timeline: 01 Jan 2011 - 31 Dec 2011

• Rules: To read TWELVE (12) mystery & suspense novels in 2011 (12 is the minimum but you can read more if you wish!)
• At the beginning of Jan 2011, you will find a link to specific month to add your reviews. There will be a monthly prize too courtesy of the lovely Simon & Schuster - you must be signed up to the challenge and add the link to your review to be entered into the monthly prize draw. 
  

To learn how to join in and read the rest of the rules click on this button.

Cozy mysteries and romance mysteries are my favorites.  

Time to sign of up for the 2011 Reading Challenges

It's always an exciting time of the year, when I start signing up for next years reading challenges and picking out some of the books I'll be reading.
My first challenge for 2011 is going to be fun to see how the year finishes.

Sheila at Book Journey is hosting the Where Are You Reading Challenge.  The goal is to read a book that is set in each of the 50 states.  The books can be either fiction or nonfiction.  I have set up a google map and for every book I read, I will place a link to where the main focus of the book took place.
Here is my google map for the challenge.

Click on the challenge logo to find the challenge home page, read the rules, learn how to set up your own google map and join in the fun!

http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/2010/11/30/2011-where-are-you-reading-challenge/

The obvious challenge is to hit all 50 states, I don't expect to do that, but it will be interesting to see how many states the books are read are focused in.

Busy hobby days

We seem to minimize on Christmas decorations a bit more every year.  This year we’ve gone for simplicity at it’s finest.  One small tree with white twinklies and blue LEDs light up the front of house.

Looking towards our neighbors our blue lights show down the driveway against a light layer of white snow.

The knitting guild I belong to has a Christmas sale at our local museum while the garden club sold winter greens outside.  It was totally enjoyable to sit with the ladies and knit while we sold our handmade wares.  I sold some of my stitch markers so it turned out to be a double fun day for me.

My first love, beading.  I’ve been working on creating peyote stich bracelets lately.  Next laying out more beads I’m ready to start another bracelet.  It’s a ruffle bracelet made in ladder and brick stich.  A challenge for me since I don’t usually work with those stiches.  I hope the bracelet turns out well, it’s extremely detailed and not as much fun as peyote – to me.