Book Blogger Hop & Follow Friday -My TR List and My Favorite Genre

Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Crazy for Books. It's a great way to meet other bloggers and learn more about the ones you already follow.



This week's question is:

“How many books are currently in your To-Be-Read (TBR) Pile?”

According to my Goodreads profile, I currently have 59 books on my To Read list. I try to keep it somewhat realistic and only include the books that I plan on reading in the near future.  There are many books that I know I will read eventually, such as some classics, but I don't include those on there.

How long is your TR pile?

Another weekly meme that I participate in regularly is Follow Friday hosted by Parajunkee.

 

This week's question is:

 

Genre Wars! What's your favorite genre and which book in that genre made it your favorite?

I read books of all genres, but my favorite has always been mystery. It all started with The Nancy Drew Series when I was younger, and I eventually started reading Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, and some Raymond Chandler.

What's your favorite genre? Any other mystery authors I should know about?
Love and (a book) light,

~Dorothy

Here's to Dads and Books about Them

With Father's Day just around the corner, here are some books that remind us of what we love (and hate) about our dads. This year, Father's Day falls right around what would have been my Dad's birthday. Here's to you, Dad! I love and miss you.

The List:

The Road by Cormac McCarthy -So I haven't actually read this (cheating? It's my list, so I say no), but it's on my to-read list. It's a post-apocalyptic book about a father and son that journey through the Earth's ruins with the goal of making it to the coast. What they find we'lll have to read to find out.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls -This books was gut-wrenching and heart-breaking, and some parts uplifting. It goes to show that no matter who your dad is, you can't help but love him. I just finished this, so expect a review soon (or what's called here at The Kindled Scholar, a "reflection").

Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl -Blue van Meer and her father have a very special relationship. Har father, Gareth van Meer is what you wished your dad would be, only cooler. He is intelligent, charming, a bit dramatic, and the ladies love him.

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech -This is a YA novel that I read for an adolescent literature class in college. This beautiful coming of age story rightfully earned a Newbery Medal. Salamanca is dealing with her mother leaving Sal and her father. He goes through his grief while trying to help Sal cope with hers. This story culminates in a wonderful ending, and is a great read whether or not you love YA literature.

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold - I love stories told from the perspective of a Daddy's girl. That's what Susie Salmon was, and seeing how her death affected her father was difficult. I loved their relationship and the closeness they felt, even after Susie was gone.


What are some other books about dads out there? Do share!

Love and (a book) light,

~Dorothy

Book Blogger Hop -The Author I Want to Meet

It's time for Book Blogger Hop! This weekly meme is a great way to meet other bloggers and make new friends. It is usually hosted by Crazy for Books, but this week the host is Lori from Lori's Reading Corner.

This week's questions is:

Who is the ONE author that you are DYING to meet?

My tastes in books are definitely more diverse now than they were 3 years ago. Back then, all I read were books by John Grisham, the king of legal thrillers. I am such a huge fan and I would love to meet him! All his books are great, and he seems like a genuinely nice person. Though I love his legal thrillers, my favorite of his books is his non-fiction work, The Innocent Man. It tells the story of a wrongly convicted man who spent a lot of time in prison for a crime he didn't commit. He never gave up hope and was eventually released, but there are many more stories like his. Head over to The Innocence Project to learn more and see how you can help.

Any other die-hard Grisham fans out there?

Love and (a book) light,

~Dorothy

A Reflection on Bossypants by Tina Fey

See, this is why I don't give point system ratings. Let me explain: If you are a fan of Tina Fey and want to know more about her as a person, read the Wikipedia article about her. If, however, you want to read something very funny and witty that will make a Starbucks frappuccino squirt out your nose, pick up her memoir.

Somehow, Tina Fey (is it weird that I can't call her just Tina or just Fey?) manages to talk about her life while keeping us at more than arm's length. Between reading her memoir and asking the produce guy if they'll have eggplants anytime soon, I feel more of a personal connection to the produce guy. Just to be clear, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Tina Fey's stalkers will be greatly disappointed at the lack of full disclosure, but anyone looking for a good read will be more than satisfied.

It really was hilarious, and her witty and self-depreciating tone was very charming. She did touch on some of  her awkward childhood and college years, being a mom, and much of her professional career. I guess I was wanting to know how she even chose that career. When did she know she was funny? Has she always been funny? Is funny a gene or course you take in college? No answers here.

Overall, this is a great, light read to pick up for summer; just be careful when you have any liquids in your mouth because you *will* laugh out loud.

Love and (a book) light,

~Dorothy

It's Monday, What are You Reading?

Check out Book Journey to see what everyone else is reading or to enter your own post!

Just Finished:

Reviews of both coming soon.

Currently Reading:

Up Next:

I have lots on my TR list and piles of books sitting around my house, but I am always taking recommendations. I think after the Glass Castle I will be needing something light and easy. What should it be?

Love and (a book) light,

~Dorothy

And the Winner is...

Thanks to everyone that joined my first giveaway! There was such a great response that I decided to thrown in an extra copy for a third winner.

The winner of the SIGNED copy of Finny is Alissa from The Grammarian's Reviews. 

The winners of a brand new copy of Finny are Two Bibliomaniacs, Evan and Erin, and Meg from A Bookish Affair.



Congratulations to the winners! I will contact you shortly to obtain a mailing address. I really enjoyed having this giveaway. I look forward to having more, so be sure to check back often.

Follow Friday -My Favorite Post

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Crazy for Books.  It's a great way to discover other book blogs and learn about them through the weekly question.

This week's question is:

“Share your favorite post from the last month and tell us why it’s close to your heart!”

My favorite post was the one that featured The Twilight Zone -Time Enough at Last. Sadly, it didn't get a lot of traffic, but I was very excited about it. This episode is one that ALL book lovers must watch at one time or another. Aside from it being a classic, many of us bibliomaniacs can probably relate to Mr. Henry Bemis, who always has his nose in a book to the disdain of his boss and wife.

It's on instant play on Netflix, so don't delay! If you watch it, report back here and let me know what you think, but don't spoil the ending for everyone else!

Love and (a book) light,

~Dorothy

Also, it's the last day to enter my special giveaway!

Throwback Thursday -Frog and Toad

It's time for another Throwback Thursday! This is a weekly feature I created so I can share pieces of my bookish childhood with you.

The other day I was in Barnes & Noble and saw something I hadn't thought about for years -Frog and Toad! It was an illustrated series by Arnold Lobel. I loved Frog and Toad, even though (or perhaps because) the illustrations consisted of only shades of green and brown. Each book was a collection of stories about their adventures. They each had their own distinct personalities: Frog was taller and more easy-going, and toad was the shorter and more serious of the two.

Who else remembers Frog and Toad?

Love and (a book) light,

~Dorothy