Lauri’s Comments (group member since Jan 23, 2016)

Lauri’s comments from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.

I went through my 5 star reads & came up with these...

B
Big Stone Gap
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
Bitter in the Mouth
Boone's Lick



N
Neanderthal
The Name of the Rose
The Namesake



O
The Opposite of Everyone

322 pgs. 320 pgs. 341 pgs. 335 pgs. 288 pgs. 384 pgs.

Current total: 1,065,996

Diane Woods wrote: "Crystal, boy do I. I had a cat at one time and I would ask (beg!) the pet store to put the parrots and cockatoo (both demon birds if you ask me) in their cages before I could even go in the store. ..."
I'm not really scared of birds per se, I just don't like them. My dad used to keep homing pigeons and when one of them would hurt a wing or leg, he'd make me hold it while he doctored it. It was just so icky to feel that fragile body in your hands with its heart beating 285. I'd cry & cry -- he'd just tell me to stop and hold it steady.
My dislike started to make sense when Jurassic Park explained that birds are descended from reptiles!

Jess wrote: "Okay I haven't read a book yet, sorry to be the one who holds us up! I've got a really busy week again this week but I'll try my hardest to get it done by the end of the week :) to be honest I have..."

Not to worry Jess! You have a lot on your plate right now. We know you're on a tight deadline. Just try to relax...

Laila Jane wrote: "Lauri and Maya - Lucky you! I hope you enjoy all that time off and your vacations =)

I had my bridal shower yesterday. My maid of honor and bridesmaids did such an amazing job organizing and decor..."

Ooh! So exciting! Enjoy being special and pampered cuz you deserve it!

Maya wrote: "Woo! I'm going out of town right after you, and have ZERO idea what I'm taking yet!"
HA! Sometimes OCD comes in handy! Of course I picked books first, then swimsuits -- regular clothes can sort themselves out the day before!! I'm taking Takedown Twenty and Killer in High Heels! Mindless beach-type reading. 'Killer' will be my first book read on my iPad. I got it for free using the Kindle app. So excited!

I'm off this long weekend -- woo-hoo! I don't go back to work till Wednesday. Nothing but reading and more reading! Well, and laundry. But we don't want to think about that, right?
Then I work Wed. & Thurs. then I'm off till June 13! Next weekend we're doing a stay-cation at the Sheraton on Waikiki Beach. So excited! I've already got my books picked out.... ;)

What is everybody else up to?

Completion Post!!

Finished Paper Towns
Read 5/29/16
Shelved as 2008
5 stars!!
Loved this book!

Happiness!

Meet the Spartans Unrated Pit of Death. I can't believe I actually paid money to see this...

Can't wait for Wobble to begin! I'm hoping for a supportive, chatty team! My first group challenge was Around the World. The ladies were so helpful and patient with all my (mostly stupid) questions that I stayed on for another trip! Some teammates stayed, some moved on, but it's a great experience! It's always good to make new friends...
And yes, Karsyn is awesome!

How did the RaT go for you? Did you meet any goals?
I enjoyed my read-a-thon, especially reading the questions/answers & recommendations... I just wish it were longer than 4 days. A week, maybe?? I managed to finish 2 books -- 1 of which I was working on since January!

How many books did you complete? I finished 2 and started 2 new ones. Poetic justice!

What one book read during the RaT would you recommend? The Mamo Murders because it's really a slice of vintage Hawaii life on a range circa 1950-something. The author did a good job portraying all the different ethnicities.

Did the RaT help pass the time before WOBBLE? It did, but it's still a long ways off! Hope there'll be lots more buzz leading up to the game...
No questions as of yet.... Just can't wait!!

My theme? Marvelous mysteries!!

One for the Money the one that started it all...
Fudge Cupcake Murder
The Flaming Luau of Death simply hysterical!
Absolution by Murder girl power!
Murder on a Girls' Night Out

These are some of my all-time favorites!!

Karsyn wrote: "**Day 4 Questions**


1: What book(s) have you finished for the read-a-thon and what do you think of them? What book is on the agenda for this last day?
I have been a horrible slacky-slacker person..."

Hey Karsyn! Sorry to hear about your lack of dining options. And here I was complaining. We have Pizza Hut about 2 blocks from our house, but never go because my husband *gasp!* does not like pizza! The nearest Chili's is about half an hour away. However I think it would be waay cool just to be able to shout, "This is SPARTA!" :)

1) What books have you finished for the Read-a-Thon and what did you think of them? What book is on the agenda for this last day?
I finished The Mamo Murders and The Poet Prince. Today's project was Struck

2) Did you add any of the recommendations to your TBR?
Not yet, but I'm having fun reading them all!

3) What is it like where you live? Tell us a little about your town/city? I live in Kaneohe, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, USA. It's a small-ish town, more like a sprawling suburb, really. We're about 13 miles away from the capital of Honolulu. We have only one nice restaurant, about 5 other eat-in places and lots of fast food. We have a sad mall, quite a few mini-malls and 2 theaters -- not much else. We have a beautiful view of the majestic Koolau Mountains and ocean view of Kaneohe Bay. I have lived here my entire life, so I tend to take it for granted. It really is spectacular...

4) What is your favorite restaurant? What foods do you like most? Do you have a favorite recipe you'd like to share? Don't laugh, but my favorite restaurant is Olive Garden! That's because we don't have one here. I also love Koa House right down the street. They have the best eggs benedict and banana pancakes...
My favorite food would probably be pizza. I love Italian & Mexican food. Can't resist pasta or chocolate. Life is uncertain, eat dessert first.

Here's the easiest recipe in the world!

Grease a 6 quart Crockpot. Place a 3-4 lb. beef chuck roast inside. In a large bowl, mix the following together until well-blended: 1 package of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix, 1 package of Good Seasons Italian dressing mix and 1 package of brown gravy mix (any brand) along with 3/4 cup of water. Pour over meat and turn to coat. Cover slow cooker and cook on high for 1 hour. Turn down to low and cook for 7 hrs. more. The meat is fall apart tender, perfectly seasoned and delicious!

I've been a member since 2014, BUT I've listed books back to 2008. I'm going with that year, cuz I like to share!!

2008 The Poisonwood Bible

2009 The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

2010 A House at the Edge of Tears

2011 Bitter in the Mouth

2012 Serving Crazy with Curry

2013 The Concubine's Daughter

2014 The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey

2015 Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good

2016 Our Souls at Night

Day 3 Questions

1) How long have you been a member of GoodReads?
Since 2014 -- but I only became really active this year.

2) How many books are on your TBR shelf? 2493 books!!
How many books have you marked as read? 1089

3) What are your favorite TV shows or movies?
I'm into The Walking Dead, Hunters, Stitchers, The Big Bang Theory, Jeopardy, The Goldbergs, Wynonna Earp...
Top 5 Movies: A Christmas Story, Dangerous Liaisons, Out of Africa, Braveheart, Twister.

4) do you have any pets? What are your favorite animals? What animals do you not like?
Sadly, no pets right now because our building does not allow them. If I could, I'd have a couple of cats and dogs. My favorite animals are zebras and tigers because of their gorgeous markings. I've always thought it would be cool to have (or at least see) a sparkly pink & lavender unicorn. I do not like lizards or reptiles. I will run screaming from the room if I see even a tiny gecko. They just creep me out. My motto is ' the only good reptile is a dead reptile.'

A Spool of Blue Thread
Looking for Alaska
The Valley of Amazement
The Sleeping Dictionary
The Yellow House

All are 5-star reads for me!

Beth (Ducky) wrote: "I haven't been to the library in ages since I work at Barnes & Noble now but I may have to do it again for this challenge!"

Would you believe that all the bookstores on my island (Oahu) have been closed except for 1 B&N about 15 miles away? I'm lucky to get there once or twice a year! I really miss having a bookstore in our mall (only 2 blocks from my house). I used to spend hours in there! Then we had Bookoffs for awhile. All gone now :(
I really rely on the library.

368 pgs. 213 pgs. 275 pgs. 369 pgs. 394 pgs.

5/21/16

Total 1,011,359