Spin Cycle: Books!!

Even though I just did a reading challenge update, I saw that Jen, at Sprite's Keeper has brought back a favorite of mine.... The Spin Cycle!  This week's spin is about books.  What we're reading now, what are our favorite books and authors.  

Here's my spin.

I just finished Stieg Larsson's Millenium trilogy, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest.  I listened to these books in my car.  I loved them!!!  I was rooting for Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist throughout the books!  I'm sad that Stieg Larsson has passed away and we won't get to enjoy any more wonderful books from this gifted author.

The Pond is a wonderfully spooky book!   "A small boy drowns in a Pennsylvania pond, enters the ranks of the ghostly and seemingly returns decades later to haunt the family indirectly responsible for his demise." ~KIrkus Reviews   Although this story is strictly fiction, the idea for the book is based on an actual event that occurred many years ago in the Reading, Pennsylvania area.  You may have to get this book from Amazon, and it is available for Kindle!

Right now I'm reading False Dawn, the third of the Jake Lassiter series by Paul Levine.  Jake Lassiter is a former pro football player, turned attorney-at-law in Miami, Florida.  In the course of his job, Jake manages to find himself in the middle of murders and intrigue.  I like the subtle humor in these books too!

If you like beach books, you can't go wrong with any or all of Elin Hilderbrand's books!  All of Elin's books take place on Nantucket, and each story is unique.  The first book of Elin's that I read was Barefoot, about a woman going through chemotherapy for lung cancer and how her summer on Nantucket affects those around her, including her sister and her friend, as well as her husband and children.  I loved this book!  My favorite was The Blue Bistro about a woman working in a restaurant over one summer on Nantucket.  Maybe it's because I also work in a restaurant, I wanted to work here!!  If I did, I could have taken the rest of the year off!  All of Elin's books are wonderful!  I'm waiting for her newest novel, Silver Girl to be delivered to my Kindle any day now!

This is my new very favorite author, Sarah Pekkanen!  Her first book, The Opposite Of Me, I read in less than 3 days!  I haven't done that in years!  She was recommended by Jennifer Weiner (another favorite of mine!)  and I'm so glad she did!  The Opposite Of Me is the story of twins and how different they really are!  Not long after I read it,  her second novel came out, Skipping A Beat.  This one was equally enjoyable! Skipping A Beat is about a married couple whose lives are completely changed when the husband suffers cardiac arrest and he dies for several minutes.  Even Oprah says to pick up this book!  Sarah just finished her third novel, but I have to be patient, because it won't hit the book store until April 2012! 

So there are my recommendations for reading this summer!  Enjoy!

Spin Cycle: Giving Thanks

This week's Spin Cycle is all about Giving Thanks.  It's also the last spin cycle we'll be doing for a while, since Jen from Sprite's Keeper is giving it a rest for a bit.  I hope she brings it back before too long.  Although I didn't always participate, I did enjoy reading everyone's contributions.  I'll miss them!  But please hop over to her blog and see what others are thankful for!


I have a lot to be thankful for these days.  Here are some of the many things I'm thankful for!


I'm thankful for the fact that I have a job that I like.  We could be busier, and I'd make more money (I'm a server in a restaurant), but I'm on the schedule 5 days a week.  I like my job most of the time.  I like most of the people I work with.  I get 3 weeks paid vacation.  The vacation pay is not a lot of money. but there are a lot of restaurants that don't give paid vacations to the wait staff.  And for that I am grateful.


I'm thankful that I have 3 really good, responsible kids.  They're all smart, resourceful, they've never been arrested.  I love them a lot!  I think I'll keep them.  I also really like who they love in their lives.  


I'm thankful to have John in my life.  He came along just when I was resigned to living the rest of my life alone.  We have our challenges, but we choose to agree to disagree on some things (politics, for example).  He treats me with respect and thinks I'm the best thing since sliced bread.  We love each other quite a lot.  Who knows?  Maybe someday I might even let him marry me!


I'm thankful for the wonderful advances in medicine, especially the strides they've made in cancer research and cancer treatment.  I'm thankful for Dr. Sunita Nasta (a brilliant oncologist and hematologist) at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. who saved John's life last year when his cancer (Lymphoma) returned for the 3rd time in 2 years.  His stem cell transplant (they used his own stem cells) seems to have killed the cancer for good and he's healthy again.


I'm sure I could name countless other reasons to be thankful.  The ones I've listed above are the most important ones (and not necessarily in that order!)


So, what are you thankful for?


Check out the Over 40 Bloggers List below!  

Spin Cycle:Halloween

I really dislike dressing up for Halloween.  I was SO happy when my kids were old enough to figure out their costume, and it was no longer my job.  My kids, though, especially my girls LOVED to dress up and go Trick or Treating!  It's no wonder my oldest has a degree in theatre and my youngest began her degree until she decided doing hair was going to be much more fun (not to mention lucrative!)


Gina, my oldest child is in a poker group.  They get together from time to time and play some serious poker.  Just about each year, in October, their poker night is also a Halloween party.  Gina and Gene always go as a pair.


One year, they dressed as Betty and Barney Rubble.  Another couple were Fred and Wilma Flintstone.

Betty and Barney Rubble

The next year, they went to the party as Where in the world....

Carmen San Diego and Where's Waldo

I don't know if there's a party this year.  


My youngest daughter, Dani got to dress up for school (she's in Cosmetology School in Western PA).  She decided to dress at Kat Von D, tattooed babe from LA Ink.  .


The first picture is Dani in costume.  The second picture is the real Kat.  The resemblance is amazing!!!

Dani as Kat

the real Kat

At work we're allowed to dress for Halloween too.  Thankfully, the past few years it wasn't mandatory, so I didn't participate.  I did, however, take pictures of my co-workers!  Here are just a few!

Dave, the Rock Climber (that was his real gear)

 Dijon, the um.... business man

Jess the bumblebee

Randy the Redneck

Julia the cat with Dave

Sam the nerd

Jenn, who writes Sprite's Keeper is the host for Spin Cycle.  She gives us a topic to write about and a week to produce something cool and fun!  If you want to try, check her out!