Jan Book Giveaway Winner...

Since I only had one person interested in this book by default Starwood Quilter won the Union Quilters by Jennifer Chiaverini. Congratulations! I will be emailing you in order to send out the book. If anyone is interested for what book was selected for Feb check out the book giveaway tab.

First 2013 WIPocalypse post...

Let me introduce myself just in case you have never read my blog. I am a housewife and college student. I enjoy cross stitching, hand quilting, crocheting, tatting, and reading. I want to also try bobbin lace.  I hope to be able to accomplish quite a bit for this year's challenge. If you want to join follow this link. Most of the items I will be working on I had originally planned on doing last year. I was never able to start them. Below is the only one that I was able to start. It will be a gift for my sister.

This is how it will eventually look like:

Here are my other projects, most of them will be gifts. I may add a few more to the list later.

A Season for Tending review..

I finished reading A Season for Tending by Cindy Woodsmall. This is my second review for my outdo yourself reading challenge. I have read books by Cindy Woodsmall before and am a huge fan of amish books. The main character in this book is Rhoda who  is a young amish women who lives with her parents and siblings (along with sister in laws and neices/nephews). She loves to have a garden and help people with her herbs. However, she has a unique gift that make some Englischer's and amish alike afraid of her. She ends up meeting Samuel King who along with his family own King's Apple Orchards. You actually find out more and feel more connected to Samuel's family, and his girlfriend Catherine than Rhoda's family (they are more in the back ground). I do wish that there was more in depth characters in Rhoda's family. At first I wasn't too much of a fan of Leah, Samuel's sister, but she grew on me. I never did care for Catherine's character and am still leery of her. There are a few secrets that several characters have, some you find out and others you don't find out everything. I can't wait for the second book in the series to see what will occur. I give this book 4 out of 5.

Blogging for books....

If you like books from waterbrook multnomah publishers check out their program in which you can place reviews for books or ebooks. I will be reviewing Christmas in Apple Ridge by Cindy Woodsmall later on.

Sign up here if you are interested in reviewing books!

Feb. book giveaway

Here is the book I have chosen for Feb to be given away. Drawing will be on Feb. 28th. I haven't read this book but have an extra copy of The Lover's Knot by Clare O'Donohue. In order to get a copy here are the rules:

• Only US residents only, sorry the shipping cost is expensive
• Leave a comment
• Winner chosen by random.org

 

Library books...

I couldn't wait to check these two  books out at the library when I saw them. The first book called A Secret Gift by Ted Gup is based on the author finding letters that his grandfather had from the great depression. His grandfather had put out a ad saying that he would give $10 to people who wrote to him and telling him why they needed the money. The author then tries to find the family members who received his grandfather's gift to see how it effected their lives.

Former  People: The final days of the Russian Aristocracy by Douglas Smith is about the nobility during and after the fall of the Tsar. We all know what happened to the Tsar himself and his family but what about all of the smaller and other major players? This book will tell some of their stories. It appears some of them were executed, others sentenced to the gulags, became "enemies of the state" and others fled.

I will be reviewing both of these books once I am finished reading them. Can't wait to get started! What books are you wanting to start read? Read any good books lately?

Ivanhoe Review....

I have never read anything by Sir Walter Scott before.  I vaguely knew  a little bit about this classic book, that it took place during the 12th century in England. During this time the ruler was Prince John (while his brother King Richard was away), of course if this reminds anyone of then Robin Hood (how can it not with the saying the name of Prince John?), combine all of that with a few damsels and Knights is the main setting of the tale. Ivanhoe has just returned from fighting in the Crusades and wants to marry his beloved, Rowena. There is opposition to this and even to who Ivanhoe represents for other people. This book is rampant with the distrust of several groups against each other and even within them; saxons, normans, knights or common people, templars, holy orders, christians, muslims, jews, unbelievers, etc. It brings to mind of the injustices, superstition, and corruption done in history, especially during this lawless time in the medieval era. It was a wonderul read, and I can only say that I am disappointed in not knowing more detail of what happened afterwards to a few characters. I rate this a 4.5 out of 5. The first 100+ is mostly about the history and setting of this story, which some may feel drags on or is boring. I actually enjoyed this part, but I am a huge fan of reading history. After this the characters are talked more of and we are then introduced to more as well, the issue with that is it is harder to remember who was who. The version I had consisted of thee's and thou's among other type of old English language, so just be prepared for that (maybe there are versions without it?).

The version I had also had an index which helped. This is my fourth book review for the classics club and the first for outdo yourself reading challenge as well as my first review for historical fiction reading challenge.  The next book up to read is Oliver Twist.