Shar Dimick Book Review

Gal in the Middle and I have recently figured out how to lend ebooks to each other. Needless to say we have been like kids in a candy store.

Gal came across a book by Shar Dimick, a great new romance writer.  The book, Take a Deep Breath, is a heartwarming story about a single mom who is reunited with her old friend, Cam.  The two characters embark upon a summer romance that leads to more.....

To learn more about Shar or to download the ebook click here.

Monday Book Mania: The Missing

Last month, I stumbled across a book by Shelley Shepard Gray.  The  book, entitled The Missing, is super!  It is an insightful combination of a mystery and Christian fiction with a little romance thrown in.  The only negative is that it is the first book of a trilogy and the next book does not come out until June.  For more information on Shelley Shepard Gray's novels click here.

What Every Parent Should Know

Did you know by Kindergarten children from low income families have been read to as little as 25 hours compared to the  1000 hours children from middle income families?  Did you know children that are read aloud to get a head start in language and literacy skills and start school better prepared?  Here are some things to try to help boost children's interest in reading.

1. Read aloud to your children as much as possible.

Sandra Boynton books are a great choice for kids 0-3



2. Let your children see you reading for fun. (This is my favorite one to practice!)

The "If you Give" Series is great for pre-school through 2nd grade



3. Practice the dialogic reading model with your kids.  This model encourages early readers to use the pictures to assist with words they may not be able to read yet.  And stresses that children don't have to know every word on the page. 

Fancy Nancy is wonderful!  Some of the words are very "fancy" so the series works well for several ages

4. Use programs at your local library to encourage your children to read.  We really like the summer reading program.  Also, a wonderful on-line resource is read aloud.org

Pieces of Me

Today, I am linking up with the Just for Fun Fridays Link up Party hosted by Pieces of Amy.  For fun, I wanted to share the best pieces of my week.

1. I decided to start The Hunger Games trilogy. My husband, the "cow man", is reading them with me.  Well....actually he got ahead of me and finished the third book today.  The books are really, really good.

2. For work this week, we had over 700 third grade students participate in Ag. Days, an agricultural awareness program.  I helped with a booth about healthy eating.  (Remember research shows family that eat meals together have better health!)

3. Today, I am doing one of my favorite things with the kids.  Decorating eggs for Easter.

Have a Happy Easter.

Monday Book Mania: The Swan Thieves!

This past fall I picked up a great book by Elizabeth Kostova. It was her first book and is titled The Historian. Upon completing this book, I quickly purchased The Swan Thieves Kostova's second and most recent book.
The Swan Thieves is an awesome book that has something for everyone: Star Crossed lovers, mental illness, art, an intense look at family life and a journey across a span of several hundred years. Happy reading!

Book Review: The Homecoming

Yesterday, while home with my sick little man" I finished "The Homecoming" a new relaese by author JoAnn Ross.

It was a super book with a good mix of mystery and romance and also part of a new series set on the West Coast. I have been reading her books for a long time and this is the best one yet! The only downside...the next book in the series will not be released until next summer.

Favorite Bath Tub Reads for June

Here are my favorite picks of the books I have red this month:

"Water for Elephants" by Sara Greun

"Deeper Than The Dead" by Tami Hoag

"Step on a Crack" by James Paterson

The Huxtable Family Series by Mary Balough

Deeper Than They Dead Book Review

I just finished Tami Hoag's newest book released earlier this year. It is an addictive, page turning suspense filled read. A bonsus is that it takes place in 1985; so it is a trip down memory lane for those of us that remember shoulder pads, life without cell phones, and big hair.

Diana Palmer

I love books, and I especially love books by Diana Palmer. I read and re-read her books. I love her romantic heros and the women in her stories. I love them so much that I have 2 stacks of Diana Palmer books in my closet that I pull out at whim to reread. I love other genre besides romance. In fact I just finished a great Iris Johansen thriller. But, I always come back to a good romance novel to lift my spirit. So, you can imagine my chagrin when Going Jane e-mailed me to let me know she is going to review the new Diana Palmer novel because she mentioned making a Diana Palmer purchase in her blog. What??????

So, the moral of this story is never underestimate the power of blogging.