Literary Junkies: ECard Edition

1) What are you currently reading? Tell us about it.

 

Jessica:
Well I've been flipping back and forth between books a great deal these days. But mostly I've been reading In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, because I am a nutrition nerd these days. And Freakonomics.

Abigail:  
I am currently reading Diamond in the Rough by Shawn Colvin. I've been trying to finish it but I think I'm just not a fan of memoirs. I will finish it but in the words of Emily "Its not my taste but I appreciate the attempt." Gilmore girls? Anyone? :)

 

2) Summer is just ahead and my fav thing to fantasize is laying in a hammock with a good book. What are your top 3 fav "summer" reads?

 

 

Jessica:
First of all, in California summer is already HERE. I don't really have "summer" books. I would be able to sit in a hammock and read a murder mystery or something, because I am a total block out the world kind of reader. And I would get sunburned. But, for a good book, it would be totally worth it.

Abigail: 
Top "Summer" reads? Hmmm...I don't think I have any designated summer books but I love to just relax and read new books back to back every chance I get.

3) What are your top 3 summer "to-reads"?

Jessica:
I actually need to reevaluate my to-read list as I have been downloading hella (Can you tell I'm from California.. ha!) books lately.. and I just finished my two big "To-Reads" (Warm Zombies and Silver Linings Playbook) this week. Now I am not sure what to do with my life.

Abigail:

At the moment, Silver Linings Playbook, Beautiful Creatures, and Widow of the South. Although I have so many to-read books that if you ask me next week this list will be different.
 

4) What book do you wish they'd make it a movie of?

 

Jessica:

Abby mentioned in a previous Literary Junkies post, but her mom wrote a book called Dutiful Daughter (and a sequel called Baby Broker or Dedicated Doctor?). I would love to see that be in a movie! I think it would be as mind blowing as The Sixth Sense. (Seriously. You need to read it.)

 Abigail:

Oh so many to choose from. Ok The Magician's Nephew by C. S. Lewis, The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor (Well the whole trilogy would make good movies), The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston, and Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. I could go on and on but I'll leave it at that. Ha

Jessica note: I second Gone Girl!

5) Has your favorite author published a book lately or going to publish a book soon? Tell us about it.

 

Jessica:

I don't really pay attention to this stuff. I find books on Good Reads. I read books Abigail tells me to. I just read books as they come to me. Except for when the Harry Potter books came out. I waited for that shit. 

Abigail:

Favorite author...I have a hard time just picking a favorite genre when asked. Well since I'm writing this kinda last minute, I think I'm going to pass on this question :P 

Abigail would like to add: 

Oh and CONGRATS to my bestest friend on graduating college!!! I'm so proud of you hun. I'm very blessed to have you in my life and I know you will go big places! Just don't forget about me when you become a hot shot designer. ;)

Jessica would like to add:

This reminds me of Abigail. She totally does this.

Getting in Front of the Camera

I have made a decision to actively try and take more pictures of the people in my life. And the things we do. This decision is thanks to Abigail, who persuaded me to bring my big camera to the gun range yesterday. I'm so glad I did. I even let Abigail take some pictures of me. And I made sure to get a picture of my dad! He's at the bottom of this post. 
I decided that no matter how fat I feel, I will cherish these memories someday, and if I don't get pictures of myself, I may regret it. I will be making my camera a bigger part of my life. I want to start having these images all around my home! So I need more :)
Let's all give a round of applause to Abigail, who can focus my camera very well for a beginner. :)

Do you try and get in front of the camera sometimes too?

It's hard! 

Literary Junkies

When I was a kid, probably in first grade or so, I was in an elite (read: two kids) group in my class that were reading chapter books. Because of this, I got to read in a little house my teacher had set up. I would read  The Magic Treehouse books. I think that I might have read them all!  

via

Since then, my love for reading and books has never stopped growing. So when I saw the opportunity to join the Literary Junkies book club, you can bet that I jumped on it! The group was created by Lesley and Taylor. I am having so much fun reading The Night Circus, which is our first book! It is absolutely wonderful so far. Very intriguing.    Before they started the book club, they started a link up for everyone to show their love of books! Since my BFF Abigail doesn't have a blog of her own (I am trying to convince her!), she will be answering these questions here with me.   I always love to have her!

What book are you currently reading? Give us a little synopsis and your review.

Jessica:
I am currently reading a few books. The Night Circus, for Literary Junkies, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, and The Five Love Languages: The Secret of Love That Lasts. The Night Circus is very intriguing so far. So far it has been about a magician who has been given custody of his daughter and is putting her in some kind of competition with a man in a grey suit. I love Bridget Jones. She is hilarious. I just love british humor. And The Five Love Languages is a great read, it really shows you how people understand and give love differently. They really are like different languages.
 

Abigail:    I'm reading The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. It is about a magical competition in the midst of a circus. The circus is having some strange effect on all the people connected to it. The two magicians have been training for this competition, which they know almost nothing about, since they were children. It is a story about love, loss, and the unknown. So far it is captivating and I jump at every chance I get to pick it back up. Even if you are not apart of the book club, you should read this book. 

What are your three favorite books of all time?

Jessica:
Oh geez. This is hard. My favorite books of all time would have to be.... The Lovely Bones, which is so tragically beautiful. It made me cry. Like, full on cry. In bad ways, and good ways. That sounds completely crazy. But read it.

  Another would have to be The Five People You Meet in Heaven. It makes you realize that no matter how small you consider your actions, they can have an effect on someone else's life in a major way.     This is really, really hard. I'm going to cheat and actually say four books, because I really can't decide. And even in limiting it to four books is incredibly hard. Every book I have ever read has left an imprint on me that I won't ever be able to shake. But I am going to say The Silence of the Lambs and The Green Mile. Both are incredibly amazing books. I was shocked by how much I loved The Silence of the Lambs. I couldn't put it down. The movie wasn't something I would normally watch, (because I'm a sissy) but after reading the book, I had to watch it. That is a series I hope to someday start here. Movies vs. Books.     Anyways. I digress.    The Green Mile. Stephen King is a terrific writer. I haven't yet been able to make it through Carrie, or IT, or Pet Cemetary, but The Green Mile. It is a very, very long book. But since I wasn't able to put it down, I finished it very quickly. And again, HAD to watch the movie. Because I hadn't seen it, and apparently that is some sort of crime and I was about to go to jail or something. Read. Watch. And then help me find Percy and hurt him.    Abigail:   Ok so To Kill a Mocking Bird, the Stephanie Plum series, and The Monster of Florence. Well those are my favorites at this moment lol. They change constantly. 

 

What is your "approach" upon entering a bookstore? Where do you immediately head after entering through the front door?

 Jessica:

Well, it really depends. Before our Borders went out of business, I would head to the YA section. But I would also head to the literary classics section, the craft section. (Long story short: I go everywhere in search of a good book.)

But what I really love? Used bookstores. There's one nearby that is a tiny little store, probably smaller than my tiny house. It is amazing. There are stacks upon stacks of books EVERYWHERE. It has sections, but the stacks of books are often a few books deep on the bookshelves. I love having to dig for a good book. That's how I found The Lovely Bones, actually. It was right before the movie came out, but I had never heard of it. (One of the perils of not having cable, I guess.) And, the best part? Books are 50% of the cover price. Awesome, right? And you can trade in books. I LOVE used bookstores. Plus, you can always tell a good book by how it is loved. Just saying.

Abigail:

When walking into a bookstore, I usually go to the New Books. That's the best place to find books that I haven't read. Then I just move around the store from there. I'm not usually in very large book stores so its not hard to just start in one corner and work my way around. I can spend hours in a bookstore. I just wish I had the time and the money I would like to spend on books.