Your Next Read

Over the last few days I have been trying to get caught up on my Google Reader blog reading.  Getting behind your Google Reader reading is like getting behind in reading Time.... they just keep coming!

I have come across so many fablous new tools and tips and here is one that I have to share with you.  It is called Your Next Read, and it basically recommends books to you.  You simply type in the title of a book that you enjoyed and it will recommend others to you.  Not only does it includ a picture of the book, but it also has reviews and summiries of it.  AND (you better be sitting down for this one) it includes a link to Amazon WITH the price!  Now if it could only tell me if it was available at one of my local libraries I would be all set.

I also have to give a little plug to two of my other favorite book websites, Paper Back Swap and Good Reads.  Paper Back Swap allows you to post your unwanted books that you are willing to mail away to people for free.  The catch is that for every book that you give away you get a credit to get your own book.  It is basically a giant network of people who want to share books.  Good Reads is a social networking website that allows you to connect with your friends.  You can see what books they have read, want to read, and are reading.  Until I found Your Next Read I used Good Reads to find lists of books that I wanted to read. 

How do you find your next book to read?

Enjoy ~SJ

College Level

Movie Reviews

If you click on the image above it will bring you to a fun little website where you can check the reading level of your blog. Not sure how reliable this is, but fun none the less.

Enjoy ~SJ

Good Reads!

My summer has been marked with a lot of high points; berries, motorcycle rides, swimming, hikes, The Music Man, camping, and family just to name a few. One of the things that I look forward to the most every summer is idle afternoons (mornings and nights) of doing nothing but reading. This summer has been a banner summer when it comes to reading. I just rediscovered a great website for sharing books and even added a new little widget to the left-hand side of my blog. (If you are reading this in Google Reader you must check it out). The website is called Good Reads, and basically it allows you to share with your network of friends books that you have read, your rating, books you are reading, as well as books you want to read. It has been a great night of adding books to my "bookshelf", as well as looking through friends lists and adding books to my "to-read" shelf. All I have to say is that my friends have read an impressive list of books, and I am excited to read many of their suggestions. Feel free to request a friendship with me once you set up an account!

Enjoy ~SJ

Hike

The Music Man and I went for a little hike this afternoon behind his house. He promised panoramic views and scenic vistas, I thought that couch and reading and napping sounded like a better idea. I put my book down, put on my hiking boots and brought the camera. After about 20 minutes, and some really steep sections where I kept asking myself "Is this really worth it?"we got to the top. I think it was worth it, what do you think?




This one is for you Weather Boy!












Enjoy! ~SJ

Summer Time

Summer is the perfect season to lounge around and read all day long, and I have been taking advantage of it. For me, a perfect summer day includes waking up late, making coffee, and reading in different locations around the house. This summer has been perfect so far when it comes to reading. I have moved past Sophie Kinsella for the moment. A few days ago a read a biography on Houdini, Escape! The Story of the Great Houdini. Currently I am reading The Zookeepers Wife which I heard about on NPR a few months back. It is true story about a woman who lives in Warsaw during WWII and she and her husband run a zoo. In the end they protect over 300 Jewish people in and around the zoo.

Time for the second cup of coffee and the new reading location.

Enjoy ~SJ

Confessions

Today was the last official day of school for the teachers of my school district. All the classes are done for the year, our rooms are packed, and our grades are entered. This is always a bittersweet time of year for me.
Confession 1: I am already looking forward to next school year, and have started to make a list of things that I want to work on over the summer to be ready for next year.

Summer is always a great time to get caught up on the always mounting list of books that I want to read. I tend to spend part of my day down on the dock reading, napping, and swimming. Really it is a rough life.
Confession 2: You may have read that I posed a summer challenge for myself: to swim ever day between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Well, I have been waiting to tell you, my avid reader, I have failed at my swim challenge. I made it about three days in, and then got busy and forgot. There is always next year, right?!

Enjoy ~SJ