Let's Feast!

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! This is my 2nd favorite holiday! I love it!

I'll be celebrating by watching the AKC Dog Show and eating lots of yumminess!

Of course, I won't forget to count my blessings!

Here are a few things I'm grateful for this year:

Hubby

Gnome

Chewster

Home

Being a member of the LDS church

Clarinet and ability to play it

AMAZING friends!

Books

Libraries

Bookstores

New couches

Funko Pop characters

Music

2 reliable cars

Warm cozy bed

Being self sufficient

Animals

Fuzzy blankies

Gnome's preschool

Blogging

My blogger buddies!

and most importantly I'm grateful to be me!

Thank you to all my blog friends and the good times we've had!

Thanks to everyone who visits my blog!

Thanks to all the new blogger peeps I've gotten to know this year!

Love you all!

Happy Thanksgiving!

p.s. Good luck to you all you Black Friday shoppers!

Anne's House of Dreams

From Goodreads:    Anne's own true love, Gilbert Blythe, is finally a doctor, and in the sunshine of the old orchard, among their dearest friends, they are about to speak their vows. Soon the happy couple will be bound for a new life together and their own dream house, on the misty purple shores of Four Winds Harbor.

A new life means fresh problems to solve, fresh surprises. Anne and Gilbert will make new friends and meet their neighbors: Captain Jim, the lighthouse attendant, with his sad stories of the sea; Miss Cornelia Bryant, the lady who speaks from the heart -- and speaks her mind; and the tragically beautiful Leslie Moore, into whose dark life Anne shines a brilliant light.

My Thoughts:

-    Anne and Gilbert are FINALLY married!!!! Hooray! They are one of my all time favorite couples in literature.

-    Anne and Gilbert face joys and sorrows in their first few years of marriage. It is a very realistic book.

-    I know how Anne feels about her little house. I live in a little home, and I love it, and I never want to leave, but it isn't realistic. We're going to have to move soon. 

-    I loved the people Anne and Gilbert meet. I love Captain Jim and his stories. I love Leslie, especially her happy ending.

-    Anne is such a matchmaker. She helps couples meet and get married everywhere she goes!

-    These books are so warm and comforting. I just love them! They make me happy. 

Previous Anne of Green Gables Book

(Click on the cover to see my thoughts)

  

Top Ten Tuesday: Winter Reads

Hosted by The Broke and The Bookish

Top Ten Books on My Winter TBR List

Some of these are going to be the same as my Fall list. Too many books to read!

 
 
 
 
 

Killing Patton

Goodreads Says:    General George S. Patton, Jr. died under mysterious circumstances in the months following the end of World War II. For almost seventy years, there has been suspicion that his death was not an accident—and may very well have been an act of assassination. Killing Patton takes readers inside the final year of the war and recounts the events surrounding Patton’s tragic demise, naming names of the many powerful individuals who wanted him silenced.









My Thoughts:

-    I love these books. I learn so much and they are fun to read. History should always be written this way.

-    I didn't understand all of the military stuff. I'm not military savy, but I don't feel like it took anything away from the overall story.

-    I'm SO glad Patton was on our side!

-    I liked the insights into Hitler's life, politics, etc. I didn't a lot of things about Hitler, especially his poor health. 

-    I also liked the chapters about FDR. I learned a few things about our past president.

-    I knew Stalin and the Russians were bad news during WWII, but dang! Things were more horrific than I knew. To me, Stalin was worse than Hitler. I agree with Patton that it would have been just as bad for the Russians to take over as it would if the Nazis had won. 

-    Thompson should have been punished! How did he get away with what he did? He was breaking all kinds of rules, AND he killed one of our most valued generals. What the heck!?

-    I'm not a big nonfiction reader, but I really enjoyed this. 

Companion Books:

(covers are linked to my thoughts)

 

Mockingjay: Party 1

Last night my friends, their hubbies, and I watched Mockingjay Part 1!

This has been a tradition since The Hunger Games.

Before the movie, we ate dinner at Wingers.

Here is Suey, Stuey, and Tori. 

Here is me and Jenni

 Here are the peeps in the theater.

I need to steal some more pics. We took some fun ones in front the giant cardboard display.

My Thoughts:

-    Wow! That was awesome and heart wrenching! I loved it!

-    The casting for these movies have been perfect. Jennifer Lawrence is so amazing as Katniss. She is so believable. They way she portrayed Katniss's PTSD was incredible. The way she shakes and shows emotion is so real! 

-    I loved the design of District 13. There were things that were exactly like I pictured them. The same goes for the rest of Panem. 

-    Oh Peeta! Watching that was harder than reading it.

-    I've been so impressed with these movies. I'm pretty hard on movies, especially when I've read the books, but these movies are great! They capture the heart and emotion of the books. They make me feel the same emotions. They capture the characters perfectly. 

-    I really liked the part where Katniss sings. 

-    My only complaint is that there was a lot of monkey cam. I had a to close my eyes for a few seconds on one part because I couldn't handle the super shakiness. There was a part where lights flashed in the camera, and that hurt. 

-    I felt like the movie went by too fast. I didn't want it to end. I wanted more! 

-    I want the next movie!!! I don't want to wait a year!!! I might have to re-read the books to satisfy my hunger. 

The Maze Runner

My Thoughts:

-    I thought this was a good adaptation of the book. There was only one difference that bugged me. 

-    All the actors did great! They nailed the casting on this one. Newt was my favorite in the book, and I think he'll be a fav in the movies. I liked Minho a lot too.

-    I'm hoping the movies will give us the answers that the books didn't.

-    I pictured the greavers a little different in my head, but I thought they did a good job with them.

-    Even though I knew what was going to happen, I was still in suspense. 

-    This was a fun thriller/action movie. I'll probably watch The Scorch Trials. 

-    I liked the James Dashner cameo at the end.

Top Ten Tuesday: Sequels

Hosted by The Broke and The Bookish

Top Ten Sequels I Can't Wait to Get

Too many series, so little time!

 
 
 
 

Books without covers or titles:

Royal Wedding by Meg Cabot
Throne of Glass #4 by Sarah J. Maas

The Assassin's Blade

From Goodreads:    Celaena Sardothien is her kingdom's most feared assassin. Though she works for the powerful and ruthless Assassin's Guild, Celaena yields to no one and trusts only her fellow killer for hire, Sam.

When Celaena's scheming master, Arobynn Hamel, dispatches her on missions that take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, she finds herself acting independently of his wishes and questioning her own allegiance. Along the way, she makes friends and enemies alike, and discovers that she feels far more for Sam than just friendship. But by defying Arobynn's orders, Celaena risks unimaginable punishment, and with Sam by her side, he is in danger, too. They will have to risk it all if they hope to escape Arobynn's clutches and if they fail, they'll lose not just a chance at freedom, but their lives.

A prequel to Throne of Glass, this collection of five novellas offers listeners a deeper look into the history of this cunning assassin and her enthralling and deadly world.

Included in this volume:

The Assassin and the Pirate Lord
The Assassin and the Healer
The Assassin and the Desert
The Assassin and the Underworld
The Assassin and the Empire

My Thoughts:

-    Loved this! 

-    I cannot get enough of this world and its characters! 

-    Even though the book was five short stories. The stories read like one continuous story. I liked that. It wasn't disjointed or anything.

-    Oh the emotions! Celaena just can't get a break. Her life has never been a happy one. It is full of loss and betrayal. My heart bleeds for her!

-    It was so fun to get to know Sam! I loved watching Celaena's relationship with him grow. 

-    It was cool and awful to meet Arobynn. I hated the mind games he played. In the end, I just wanted Celaena to gut him like a fish! 

-    It was really interesting to read about Celaena's history. I hope her future is brighter. I have a feeling it is going to get worse before it gets better, but I hope she has a happy ending.

-    While this satisfied my crave for these books for now. I can't wait until the next book!! 

-    (Spoiler: Why didn't Sam and Celaena join the Silent Assassins!?!? They would have been happy there, and Sam would still be alive!!!!)

Fan Art Friday: The Lost Hero

I'm in the middle of reading this series. I'm loving it so far.

I was a little disappointed with what I found for this book. I like scenes and a variety characters, but mostly I only found illustrations of the main 3 characters.

My favorite are the last two. That is how I pictured Jason, Piper, and Leo. I really love the style and color of the Thalia picture. Plus it's Thalia!

Which is your favorite?

If you are interested in seeing more work from a specific artist, click on their picture and it will lead you to them.