Jane Reads

Friday, May 17, 2013

Feature and Follow Friday (May 17)

Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and Allison Can Read, and gives bloggers a topic to discuss each week while discovering new blogs.

Q: School is out! (or almost out)
What is your favorite Summer Reading book?

There was no required Summer Reading at my high school. I read plenty of books during the summers, though. I grew up in a small town, where the library was within walking distance, so I always had something to read. Plus, in my bedroom, I had, not a bookcase, but a bookdrawer full of books.

I don't recall any particular favorites for summer reading. As a teenager one summer, though, I do remember reading Dracula on vacation at the beach.

I adored the Nancy Drew books that I read. They are probably the reason why I am such a fan of mysteries to this day. I also loved Walter Farley's Black Stallion books. I encouraged my daughters to read books in both series, but they weren't interested. I was crushed - lol.

That's enough from me. What about you?
What is your favorite Summer Reading book?

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COMMENTS from GOOGLE+

Jessica aGREATread

1 month ago - Shared publicly

There wasn't required reading for me either. Just suggested reading, which I never did honestly! I had my own books I wanted to read! Although I do remember reading Dracula at one point and then the summer after high school I read the full version of The Count of Monte Cristo after reading the abridged version!

Here's my Follow Friday

Have a GREAT weekend!

Old Follower :)

Jane Reads

1 month ago

Thanks for hopping in! I'm following you back!

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Nina Waters

1 month ago (edited) - Shared publicly

Nancy Drew seems to be a popular choice for this week!

Thanks for following. Followed through Bloglovin!
Nina @ The Bookish Confections

Jane Reads

1 month ago

Thanks for hopping in and following me!

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Amber Hodges

1 month ago - Shared publicly

Following you on Bloglovin'! Good choice!!

Amber

FF

Jane Reads

1 month ago

Following you back - on Bloglovin' and Twitter. Thank for the visit!

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Marilyn Phillips

1 month ago - Shared publicly

Dracula was one of my favorite reads when I was younger. I still love the Paranormal.

New Follower via GFC and Linky

Jane Reads

1 month ago

Thanks for the visit and the follows!

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Sunday, May 12, 2013

Feature and Follow Blog Hop, May 10

I have joined the Feature and Follow Friday Blog Hop. The goal is to increase blog followers and make friends. If you're not already a member, and you've read this far, you must be interested, so join us! The rules are here and here.

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Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and Allison Can Read and give bloggers a topic to discuss each week while discovering new blogs.

Q: Happy Mother’s Day! Who is your favorite mom from fiction?

J K Rowling's character Molly Weasley is my favorite mom in fiction. One of my favorite scenes, of Molly displaying her formidable mom-skills, is when she confronts Fred, George and Ron after their rescue mission to save Harry Potter from the clutches of his family.

At the same time that she is giving her sons a verbal thrashing for taking the family (flying) car without permission ("You could have been seen!"), she is giving Harry a very warm welcome and fixing him a huge breakfast, after noticing how thin he is. {And Arthur Weasley proves that he deserves my favorite fictional dad distinction, by asking his sons about how well the car flew, instead of joining Molly in scolding them for flying it.}

A few other memorable mothers came to mind also.

For classic literature, I don't think anyone can top the March girls' Marmee in Little Women.
In my favorite genre of Cozy Mysteries, Donna Andrews' Meg Langslow series has two contenders.

Meg's mom - a Steel Magnolia who controls her family ~~with a velvet fist~~ (that was far too unladylike an analogy for a Hollingsworth) in a strong-but-ladylike manner.
Meg herself - the mother of twins in later books of the series. She is such a wonderful character now, and so good with her nephews and the child she briefly fostered, that she must make a wonderful mother. The last book that I read is #11, where she suspected she was pregnant. I am looking forward to reading #12, Stork Raving Mad, where Meg is 8 1/2 months along (carrying twins, I'll bet she is feeling mad in the British sense!).

COMMENTS from GOOGLE+

GL Tomas

2 months ago - Shared publicly

new follower here via FF . Love your site and look forward to your posts.

Hope i can see you back at either of my blogs. Keep on Bloggin’
http://guinandlibertadtomas.blogspot.com
http://yamulticulturaljunkie.wordpress.com

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Jane Reads

1 month ago

Thanks for the visit and the follows, and also for the compliment about my blog! I wish I could devote more time to it, but that pesky j*o*b gets in the way - lol. I've followed you back!

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Nicole Hewitt

2 months ago - Shared publicly

Glad my blog helped you find FF! Happy blogging!

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Jane Reads

1 month ago

Thanks for the visit! I may be coming to you later for blogging advice.

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Emily Anne

2 months ago - Shared publicly

Yeah, Mrs Weasley is pretty awesome! I do love that scene in

Chamber of Secrets...

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Jane Reads

1 month ago

The casting of Mrs Weasley was perfect, too - very close to how I'd pictured her. Thanks for the follow back!

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Jennifer Ricketts

1 month ago - Shared publicly

Marmee is a wonderful mother! She reminds me of my mom. :) Mrs. Weasley is a great mom, too. She was the first mom in fiction to come to mind for me. It was so selfless and showed her warmth to take in Harry like a member of her family knowing he really didn't have a loving family of his own since he lost his parents.

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Jennifer Ricketts

1 month ago (edited)

New follower by GFC and Bloglovin' :D
FF

Jane Reads

1 month ago

Edit

Thanks for the follows and the visit!

Good points about Molly Weasley. She was the first mom in fiction to come to my mind also, because when I first read the question, she was the answer given, and I couldn't get her out of my mind long enough to come up with a better choice in contemporary fiction - lol.

Jennifer Ricketts

1 month ago

There aren't many moms in books these days who are good moms, lol.

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Suzy Turner

1 month ago - Shared publicly

I adored Marmee... I can't believe I forgot about her! That was one of my favourite books growing up. Thanks for following me. I'm following you right back... in every way possible!
Have a great week :)
Suzy Turner, YA Author

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Jane Reads

1 month ago

Thanks for the visit, the follows, and the free download of Raven. I'm following you back, and looking forward to reading Raven!

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Naomi Hop

1 month ago - Shared publicly

Welcome to the feature and follow

Here's My FF!

Naomi @ Nomi's Paranormal Palace

New Bloglovin and GFC Follower :)

Jane Reads

1 month ago

Thanks for the visit and the follows! I'm coming to pay you a visit now.

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Saturday, May 4, 2013

Working it Out, by Rachael Anderson | Book Blast

Happy Star Wars Day!

Enter this GIVEAWAY for $25 Amazon Gift Card or $25 PayPal Cash.

Author Rachael Renee Anderson

Rachael Anderson is the author of four books: Divinely Designed, Luck of the Draw, Minor Adjustments, and The Reluctant Bachelorette. She's the mother of four and is pretty good at breaking up fights, or at least sending guilty parties to their rooms. She can't sing, doesn't dance, and despises tragedies. But she recently figured out how yeast works and can now make homemade bread, which she is really good at eating.

Blog * Facebook * Twitter

Working It Out
A chance encounter . . .
Grace Warren's life is safe and predictable—exactly the way she likes it. But when she gets roped into going to an auction to help out a friend, everything changes. She meets Seth Tuttle—a guy who unexpectedly kisses her then disappears, leaving her flustered and upset. If she never sees him again, it will be too soon.

A chance for love . . .
Weeks later, when Seth limps into Grace's rehab clinic post surgery, she immediately recognizes him. Unfortunately, he's every bit as frustrating and annoying as she remembered. Yet there's something about him that makes her second-guess her carefully placed boundaries even though he's everything she's sure she doesn't want in a man. But maybe Seth is exactly what Grace has needed all along—assuming she's willing to risk safe and predictable for a chance at love.

Giveaway Details
Enter to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 5/31/13

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Owls Well That Ends Well, by Donna Andrews

Read from March 10 to 11, 2013

O is for Owls Well That Ends Well, #6 in Donna Andrews' Meg Langslow mystery series about a blacksmith / amateur sleuth.

The adventures in this book revolve around a two-day-long, 30-family yard sale -- in Meg's back yard, of course.

There are lots of people in costumes (at a yard sale?), lots of sheep (at a yard sale?), a few owls and, as always, an evil-doer or two.

Intrigued? Read the book! You'll be glad you did.

This book qualifies for
2013 Goodreads Reading Challenge
Year-Long Alphabet Challenge 2013
Cruisin' thru the Cozies Reading Challenge 2013
What An Animal Reading Challenge VI 2013