Library Loot XX

Library Loot is a weekly blog event that encourages bloggers to share what books they borrowed from the library that week. To participate, simply make your Library Loot post on your blog and link it using the Mr. Linky link at Marg's blog Reading Adventures or Eva's blog A Striped Armchair. This week's link up is at Marg's.


Things have been quite busy around here the last several days. Mostly due to end of the school year activities for my daughters. My youngest "graduated" 5th grade yesterday and is off to middle school in September. I'm so proud of her! I'm also happy-- and a bit relieved-- that she's looking forward to the changes that middle school will bring. She's usually my worrier, but I think she's got this one under control. Hopefully she'll still feel this way when the new school year rolls around. For me, I'm feeling a little sad (and old) that after a decade I won't have at least one kid in elementary school ever again. Three. Two. One. Okay, I'm over it. :D

My eldest daughter finished her freshman year in high school. I still can't believe she's actually in high school, let alone a sophomore come September. How did that happen? Her freshman year was an academically challenging one with all honors courses which produced a ton of homework and papers and lab reports that at times had me feeling sorry for her. Other times I was grateful that all that homework prevented her from texting and facebooking the whole night. Instead, she just did those things for half the night. :/

My days have been pretty full lately, too. I've been working out nearly every day, getting up at 5:20 am to exercise before everyone goes off to school and work. This shift in my workout schedule from 9 am to 6 am was brought on initially because we can't leave my father-in-law home alone, and me not wanting to hire a sitter for him every day. So I started to workout early a couple of days a week and then all of a sudden I was doing it every day. As difficult as it is to get up so early, I have to say it feels good to get moving and energized and still have a full day ahead of me when I'm done. The downfall is that by 10 pm I am practically falling over in exhaustion ... all just to do it all over again the next day. Which is fine... but it has been cutting into my reading time. I used to do the majority of my reading between 9 pm and 1 am. These days I'm barely reading for an hour before I drift... no, not drift... collapse into deep sleep. This hasn't stopped me, however, from visiting the library three times in the last week to pick up some loot that I've been waiting on... plus a few unplanned picks. Hopefully, now that school is out for the summer, things wind down a bit during the days and I'll make some progress into my huge reading pile that has accumulated.

Last night my youngest daughter and I joined the summer reading program at the library. She joined the one in the children's department and I joined a brand new summer reading program for adults! How cool is that? I just need to fill out this little index card with the title and author for each book I read plus a few sentence book review and drop it in a box near the front desk. Each book I read and report is an entry into a weekly drawing for some neat prizes like certificates to local coffee shops, restaurants and gourmet food stores. The grand prize at the end of the summer is a $100 gift card to an upscale local restaurant. If I want to improve my chances of winning that, I'd better get reading!

Here is my latest library loot:

In Adult fiction:

A Bad Day for Sorry by Sophie Littlefield

I saw this author mentioned I think on Carolyn Crane's blog a while ago and something about the title and cover called to me, plus I wholeheartedly trust Carolyn's recommendations--she's so passionate about the books and authors she admires. Anyway, this book is crime fiction and it sounds really interesting. The main character, Stella Hardesty runs her own sewing shop in rural Missouri while helping women deal with their abusive husbands and boyfriends like she dealt with her husband years ago. She ends up getting involved in solving some crime while helping a woman and I believe there may be a little love interest going between Stella and the local sheriff, too.

Fantasy Medley edited by Yanni Kuznia

I came across this little anthology of short stories while browsing the new fiction shelves in search of any book with the name of a body of water in the title. No kidding. Anyway, it caught my eye since I've heard of all four authors, but have never read any of their work. I thought this might be a fun, quick read to help me see if I want to pick up more by any of the authors. The four authors who have stories in this book are Robinn Hobb, Kelley Armstrong, C.E. Murphy and Kate Elliot.

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In Young Adult fiction:

Looking for Alaska by John Green

I have heard great things about this book and about the author John Green, in general, and became determined to read this one upon reading a recommendation by my BookSmugglers.

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa.

Every review I read for this debut novel has been excellent. I've been loving the fey stories lately. I can't wait to read this.

The Heart Is Not a Size by Beth Kephart

I read Nothing But Ghosts by this author a month or two ago and really enjoyed it. The writing flowed nicely and the lessons the story told were honest and insightful. I'm imagining the same will hold true for this one. Let's hope so.

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In non fiction:

The Complete Chile Pepper Book by Dave DeWitt & Paul W. Bosland
A Gardener's Guide to Choosing, Growing, Preserving, and Cooking.

That title and subtitle pretty much sums up what this book is about. I love the complexity, heat and spice that chile peppers bring to a lot of different dishes, plus I love to grow my own specialty produce when I can so this book was right up my alley for an all in one chile book. I have been tossing around the idea of making my own jalapeno pepper jelly later this summer, and I may just try the recipe in this book for that project. While it is too late for me to plant my own chile pepper plants in my garden for this season, the farmer's markets are usually loaded with these hot babies come August and September. I'll be ready!

Slim & Scrumptious by Joy Bauer
This is a cookbook with more than 75 healthy recipes for healthy, low calorie eating. I already thumbed through the cookbook and see a handful of recipes I'd like to try--including the recipe for that gorgeous red tropical sangria on the cover (see photo in the upper left hand corner).

The English Roses by David Austin
Classic Favorites & New Selections

I just love roses in a garden and have lived in my home for thirteen years without a single rose bush in my yard. I've been thinking a lot lately about my grandmother's home and the time I spent there as a kid. I loved the fragrance of the roses she grew in her small rose garden in her side yard. I remember sniffing each rose variety with my eyes closed trying to decide which one I liked best. I don't think I ever made up my mind! My grandmother had maybe half a dozen rose bushes and I'm hoping this book will inspire me to choose some fragrant roses for my own yard.

And that's my library loot for this week! I can't wait to get reading!

Does your library have a summer reading program for adults?

What are you reading this week?