Divergent

I finally was able to read this book and a book in general. I wish I had more time to read, but I haven't, not yet at least.

This book has been long on my to be read pile and I was hoping to finally finish it. If you are doing the read along, please do not read my review. I finished the book weeks too early and I don't want to spoil anything for those who haven't read it yet.

Synopsis: Tris aka Beatrice has reached her 16the birthday and all 16 year olds must test to see which fraction they belong to. Tris has an odd result and chooses to leave the fraction she has grown up in. She realizes that something bad is going to happen and the world as she knows it will change.

Review: I cannot believe I waited so long to read this book. As soon as I started the book it only took me a few days to finish it. It felt good to finish a book that quickly since lately I have been reading books that take me forever as you can see if you look at my goodreads current reading tag.

For me I identified well with Tris. I feel like growing up and now inside I am a tough woman who is capable of a lot of things I've just never done them or tried. On the outside everyone sees me as a girl that is too kind, isn't able to do anything tough or physical. I kept feeling like Veronica Roth sat down and talked to me before writing this book.

I enjoyed the fraction part and I wish they expanded on how they decided on how start the fraction rather than having it that people make their own chooses. I wonder what happen that made them decide that it was better to separate things.

The one thing I wasn't into was the ending. I get that it's a series or is going to be, but the ending just ended to me. Like there could be more to say before it was ended. I am sure we've all read books where it just ends and you are trying to see if you are missing a page. That how I felt. I guess once I get Insurgent I will know how the two books connect better.

My Rating:

Top Ten Bookish Goals For 2013

Not sure I can come up with 10, but I am going to try. 

1. Read at least 20 books that are not related to work or classes

2. Read as many prepper, survival and self sufficient books as I can

3. Read all Temperance Brennan books

4. Blog about more books which means I'll need to read more books

5. Read more Dystopian and Horror books.

6. Buy less new books and get more used books

7. Keep finding new books to add to my to read pile

8. Finish any series I have started

9. Donate or sell my unwanted books

10. Make more space for my books. 

Top Ten Books I Resolve to Read in 2013

You can find Top Ten Tuesday topics over at The Broke and the Bookish. I hate the term resolution because I never do resolutions or believe in them. I try to do things better or new changes, but never resolutions. One of those things is to read more, more of the books I have piling up, but mostly the mystery and crime novels I have been putting aside. I did join the TBR Pile challenge again and I have to go through my books, but here are the top 10 that I know I do want to read.

1. Divergent by Veronica Roth- This is the first book for the read along part of the challenge and I have this book sitting collecting dust for the last year so I really want to get this one read.

2. The Kill Order by James Dashner- This is the prequel to the Maze Runner series and I almost squealed in delight at Walmart when I saw this book on the shelf. I didn't know it was coming out and I got it for Christmas from my brother. He told me he had trouble finding the book, which makes me think a lot of people wanted to read it. I'm excited to see how it all began.

3. Frozen Heat by Richard Castle- I have enjoyed this series even though I know it's ghost written by different authors I still think it's a good series. I haven't been keeping up with the TV show, but I still want to read the book. I didn't know it came out until I saw my mom reading it.

4. The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks- I started this book, but have been having trouble reading it. I want to read it even though I know it's not realistic if zombies ever invade us. I just want to read it so I know what the big hubbub is.

5. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan- Another book sitting on my bookshelf for a year i still want to read it since some many people have mentioned how great it is.

6. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame- Smith- I saw the movie a few weeks ago and it wasn't bad. I want to read it so I can compare and see if my faith in rehashing classics into horror is even worth reading again.

7. The President's Vampire by Christopher Farnsworth- I found this book on GoodReads and someone gave me a copy for a secret santa. It's an interesting idea and I want to see if it's a series I could get into.

8. I Am Legend by Richard Matheson- I didn't enjoy the Will Smith movie, but the Vincent Price adaptation is wonderful. I've meant to read this book after my fiancé kept mentioning that he loves the book. I got this too from my secret santa and want to read it. It also has the other short stories Matheson wrote.

9. Thrive by Brendan Brazier- I'm not a vegan, but I understand how healthy it can be. I was a vegan and vegetarian for 8 years and lately I haven't been feeling healthy even with my attempt to get into running.

10. 2nd Chances by James Patterson- I quickly read through the first book and just never got around to reading this one. I know some do not like this series, but I'm looking forward to seeing just how good it can be.

So there are many more I could add, but I will give those as honorable runner ups that I hope to read as well.  Let me know what's on your list.

TBR Pile Monthly Read Along & 2014 Challenge

I felt so bad for not sticking with my goal of reading 50 books this year that I have been getting back into read the book review blogs I haven't read since August and saw this challenge. I love it because I have this book sitting on my shelf and I have yet to read it. I have some studying to do for my new job (I didn't pass my guide test and it made me look bad in front of my boss), but once I have that done I plan on doing some more fun reading.

So here's the link: http://evie-bookish.blogspot.com/2013/01/tbr-pile-monthly-read-longs-divergent.html . So feel free to sign up for it too if you are into that kind of thing.

So once again I am going to do the TBR pile challenge so here's the rules for it:

Welcome to 2012 TBR PILE Reading Challenge!!!

6 BLOGGERS, 12 MINI-CHALLENGES, 24 BOOKS TO WIN!!! 

We all have those books. We buy them, win them, they're gifted to us.. Then we put them up on a bookshelf and there they stay, collecting dust, waiting for the time when we'll finally decide to pick them up..

Join us on a quest to dust off your TBR Pile and read all the books you've been telling yourself you'll read next time you'll get a chance.. This is your chance! And we've got PRIZES!!! :D

Challenge Guidelines:

1. This challenge will run from Jan 1, 2013 - Dec 31, 2013.
2. Anyone can enter! You don't have to be a blogger, as long as you review the book you've read! (On your blog, Amazon or Goodreads/Shelfari!)
3. Any genre, length or format of book counts, as long as it is a book that's been sitting on your shelf for some time now. Only books released in 2012 and earlier! NO  2013 ARCs and 2013 fresh-off-the-press releases allowed!
4. You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap-up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you.
5. When you sign up in the linky, put the direct link to your post about joining the 2013 TBR PILE Reading Challenge. (If you don't have a blog, post about it on Facebook or Tweet!)
6. You can move up levels, but no moving down.
7. Sign-ups will be open until Dec 15, 2013, so feel free to join at any time throughout the year.
8. On the 20th of each month one of the hosts will post a wrap-up. Every wrap-up will have it's unique theme, a mini-challenge, a giveaway and place for you to link up your reviews from this month. For each review you link up, you will get one entry in a drawing of one book of choice from Book Depository.It's open to INTERNATIONALS. The giveaway will be open until the next wrap up post goes up! (i.e. the entire month)
9. If you miss a wrap-up post + giveaway, you can link up your reviews next month. Do not, however, try to link up one review twice - we will be checking ;) 
10. December is a wrap-up for the whole year. All the book reviews you linked up January-November + the ones you'll link up in December will be entered into a HUGE giveaway - a box of books. 
11. You don't have to follow all the hosts to join the challenge, but you do have to follow all of us to be entered in giveaways!

Levels:
(how many books you're planning to read for this challenge in 2013)

1-10 - A Firm Handshake
11-20 - A Friendly Hug
21-30 - A Sweet Kiss
31-40 - Love At First Sight
41-50 - Married With Children

Schedule:

January 20th: Evie @Bookish (www.evie-bookish.blogspot.com)

February 20th: Rachel @Fiktshun (http://www.fiktshun.com)

March 20th: Justin @Justin's Book Blog (http://www.justinsbookblog.com/)

April 20th: Tiffany @Escaping.. One Book At A Time (http://escapingonebookatatime.blogspot.com/)

May 20th: Bonnie @Words At Home (www.wordsathome.ca/)

June 20th: Justin @Justin's Book Blog (http://www.justinsbookblog.com/)

July 20th: Emily @Doodle's Book Blog (doodlesbookblog.blogspot.com/)

August 20th: Tiffany @Escaping One Book At A Time (http://escapingonebookatatime.blogspot.com/)

September 20th: Rachel @Fiktshun (http://www.fiktshun.com)

October 20th: Emily @Doodle's Book Blog (doodlesbookblog.blogspot.com/)

November 20th: Bonnie @Words At Home (www.wordsathome.ca/)

December 20th: This one will be posted on all the blogs. There will also be a huge BOX OF BOOKS giveawayand this time you can link up ALL YOUR TBR Pile REVIEWS you wrote for the entire month!

2012

Well I missed my yearly goal and just disappeared. I got very busy with a new job and no time for reading. I'm hoping to change that but I have one last history class to take and who knows when reading for fun will happen.

NaNoWriMo 2012

So this blog will for the time being, unless I finish more books become home to my novel I am writing for NaNoWriMo. If you are unfamiliar with it, it's where people around the world during the month of November write a 50,000+ novel. This year I plan on doing it and finishing it too. I've done it now two other times and have yet to finish. My first year I really loved my book idea and that's where this blog get's it's name. I will work on it and finish it one of these days.

Last, year's was an interesting idea as well, but I lost focus and had no goal for it. Plus the idea I has was from years ago and I forgot most of what I had planned for it. So this year my idea was more recent and I've done some actual planning for it. I have a few hours until I can start and I wish that I could. I have been wanting to write this idea for awhile. I think it's a bit different. It's on the zombie apocalypse and I think it's different compared to what is out there. From what I have seen or read, which isn't much. I haven't been letting my whole idea out because I just want to hold onto that until it's finished. I do need an idea for the title. Zombie fighter is the current possible one, but I'm not digging it.  Possibly I will come up with something while I'm writing. If you want to add me as a writing buddy here's my profile link http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/participants/fallenmurphy.

Also, the local group has this novel booklet and I'll share it with you. Took me some time to print it out right, but you all might find it interesting as well. BOOKLET

Run Like a Mother

So I have been pretty busy with school, taking care of my son and my job is starting to pick up so finding time to read is getting hard, but I try to squeeze in reading when I can. I have been trying to get into running and I found this book. I actually found their podcast first and then finally bought their books. I have their training book too, but right now I'm reading a pretty cool history book I'd like to finish first.

Rather than a synopsis since this is a non-fiction sports book I'll just tell you what the book is about and who it's for. This book is for mothers who either want to start running or new mothers who were runners and trying to figure out how to bring running back into their crazy mother lives. This book could also be for new runners who aren't mothers, but want some easy tips that might be beneficial to them as well.

Review: I did enjoy this book. It's one of those books that you wish to read before you did something. I found out a few things I did and later wish I didn't. There's a lot of tips not just from the two authors, but other moms who run as well. They cover a lot of different topics that deal with running. My one big complaint is that while I learned that I have a lot of building of milage before I can do the large races I feel like there was a few times were I felt like I knew nothing about what they were talking about. Mostly some of the running milage stuff like 2x400 or something along those lines. While they do make you feel like anyone can become a runner there are still times I felt a little unsure.

I'm sure once I get more into running and learn as I go things will make sense to me. I still think it's a great book and will probably go back to it for new information that I missed the first time through.

Rating: