In My Mailbox (5)

After a CRAZY full weekend, I am excited to share the traffic my mailbox received this past week! I had an eventful week in my mailbox and a trip to a local used bookstore.

Paperback Swap:

Dress Rehearsal by Jennifer O'Connell

Milkrun by Sarah Mlynowski

Blogging Winnings:

The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom

What to Wear For the Rest of Your Life by Kim Johnson Gross

Package from Amazon:

The Accidental Mother by Rowan Coleman

Your Roots are Showing by Elise Chidley

Confessions of an Ex-Girlfriend by Lynda Curnyn

Shade of the Maple by Kirk Martin

The Good Kind of Crazy by Tanya Michaels

Trip to Already Read Used Bookstore:

The Rest of Her Life by Laura Moriarty

The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman

The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton

Head over to The Story Siren to see what everyone else received in their mailboxes. Hope you had a great week of trips to your mailbox!

BBAW

SO after an evening with some new blogger friends - I have decided to enter BBAW. What is BBAW?

Book Blogger Appreciation Week - still learning about all the details, but I am nominating my blog for Best New Book Blog!

I must chose 2 review posts and 3 other posts from my collection:

My two review posts:

Review: I See You Everywhere by Julia Glass

Review: Billy Graham: His Life and Influence by David Aikman

My three other posts:

Getting Personal

Kritter's Reviews (my review policy)

In the Beginning . . .

Check back in September to see if I bring home the win!!

Review: The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

Goodreads: Biographer Margaret Lea returns one night to her apartment above her father's antiquarian bookshop. On her steps she finds a letter. It is a hand-written request from one of Britain's most prolific and well-loved novelists. Vida Winter, gravely ill, wants to recount her life story before it is too late, and she wants Margaret to be the one to capture her history. The request takes Margaret by surprise - she doesn't know the author, nor has she read any of Miss Winter's dozens of novels.

Kritters Thoughts: WOW!! Such a great book. To start - I have to be honest. This book is the first book I had to read for a new book club I have joined in my area. Out of all the books they already had planned for the rest of the year, this is the one book I had not heard of nor didn't think I would enjoy. It is kind of out of my usual chick lit that I had been reading.

WELL - loved it. The details of each setting were not overwhelming or over done and the characters were so easy to fall in love with. I am trying to find something to critic, it was just so good. I am headed to Goodreads to find more by Diane because I know that if she kept me intrigued and not confused in this book, I will love more of her.

Usually with books, I whiz through the last 20 or so pages because I have already figured out the ending. I finished this book quickly, but only because I couldn't get enough of it. I was surprised until the last page. This book is by no means predictable.

Who to recommend it to? Umm everyone. I am not sure the men in our lives will enjoy it as much as we ladies would. But yep - on the beach or in the dead of winter - this book is a must read.

Rating:absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Total pages: 406 pages

Hopping Along!

Today is the HOP - it is going to be a busy Friday followed by a crazy weekend. I hope that in between all the weekend activities I can get some reading done before the Goodreads challenge begins next week.

As for the past few Fridays, I will be participating in the hop to find some fun blogs to follow and reads to add to the list! Go check out the Hop!

Twitter Away

Alright blogger friends, I had a twitter account and never used it. SO I am going to check out this whole twitter thing.

You can follow me here:

If you are a current blog/twitterer - leave a comment with tips on how often you tweet and the subject of your tweets!!

Review: The Fixer Upper by Mary Kay Andrews

Goodreads: After her boss in a high-powered Washington public relations firm is caught in a political scandal, fledgling lobbyist Dempsey Jo Killebrew is left almost broke, unemployed, and homeless. Out of options, she reluctantly accepts her father's offer to help refurbish Birdsong, the old family place he recently inherited in Guthrie, Georgia.


Kritters Thoughts: What a good book!! I can not remember on what blog I found this book - but thank you to whomever you were, such a great read!!

The highlights of the book were A. The main character starts in Alexandria, where I currently live and ends up in GA right near where the boys parents live. B. What great writing that made it absolutely hard to set it down after my lunch hour was clearly over!! C. A good solid story with great characters that kept the story believable.

I have read some reviews that did not believe that this girl coming from a law/public relations background could easily adopt the handyman talents she did. WELP to that I say she didn't she had a fantastic handyman beside her that taught her everything in the book. As this being the only negative I read about this book, I say negative no more!

I can not say enough good things about this book. I don't want to send out any spoilers, but I want to recommend it to all my ladies who read women's fiction/chick lit. I think this book can entertain both crowds.
Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Total pages: 432 pages

Chick Lit Challenge

50 Follower Giveaway

Giveaway is closed. Winner has been notified!

When I first started blogging, I was unaware of the whole following business!!

After my first week, I was excited to see a few and I have been multiplying each week. I had set what I thought was an unrealistic goal of 50 followers in 5 weeks!! WELP - I did it!!

How exciting to not only reach the goal, but to one up it!!

SO my first giveaway-

Being a super chick lit fan, the giveaway consists of 2 iconic chick lit books!



This being my first giveaway, I am going to make it simple and easy. The guidelines:

One entry per person - only followers: because this is thanking those who helped me reach my goal!!

Just leave a comment in the box.

Contest ends June 30th. The winner will be notified via email and announced shortly thereafter!!


**Winner will be chosen by random.org.

It's the Blogger Hop!!

After a rough Friday morning, it was exciting to remember that today is the HOP!

I have found in the past few weeks a love for checking out the HOP to find new blogs, but there is a price to pay. My nerdy excel spreadsheet with all the books listed that I wish to read has more than doubled in size - oopsie!

So another Friday has come and I am participating in the HOP!!

I hope everyone finds a blog to follow or a book to wish for.

the latest

Here is the latest with Kritters Ramblings:

*Addition of one page - a Goodreads challenge
*Starting an About Me page, not posted yet
*Close to 50 followers!

Announcement: When I hit 50 followers, I will be giving away a book or two!! It will be my first giveaway - kind of excited!

A question/thought: I am not a whiz when it comes to the html talk - where should I go to get some education on html formatting and blog design?

Happy Thursday!

Library Loot (3)

Another week at the library. I have one picture of part of the loot, but I returned yesterday to grab a few more. The reason for the grab will be explained in a post to come - long story, hoping to make short!!

Anywhooo - onto the loot!

From the first trip:

Irreplaceable by Stephen Lovely

The Only True Genius in the Family by Jennie Nash

As for the second visit, I picked up the first 8 books in the series of Gossip Girl. Again to be explained in a post - eta tomorrow!

Review: Nightmare on Sunset Lake by Melody Maher

Goodreads: Chelsea Wilson is a typical college student on summer vacation. She's going to spend the 4th of July camping in northern New Hampshire with herfriends, but she's a little nervous about going. She's excited to spend some time with her friends, but for some reason, she has a bad feeling about the trip. Her friends keep trying to convince her that they're going to have a great time swimming and fishing, but she can't seem to shake the persistent bad feeling in her gut. Bad omens suddenly start to appear, and Chelsea is the only one that takes any notice.

Kritters Thoughts: A great debut novel by an up and coming author! I am definitely beyond the target audience, but it was such a cute little read.

I read it one sitting, but the suspense definitely kept me reading. I couldn't believe that a YA book kept me glued until the last page - pleasantly surprised.

My few little criticisms of the book lie in the reviewing and editing. I thought that there were some points in the book that could have used some extra editing, whether it be spelling or sentence structure.

I was disappointed when it ended. I think the story could have used a little more of a conclusion. I guess I was so hooked on the story, I wasn't ready for it to end!

I would pass this book along to any of my young readers who love a little suspense.

Rating: perfect beach read (for the older audiences)

Total pages: 135

2010 Challenge: Win! Win! (I took this literally - I won the book from goodreads!)

**This book was provided free of any obligation by Goodreads. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

In My Mailbox (4)

A little late getting this together, had an eventful Sunday celebrating Father's Day a little early. This is In My Mailbox hosted by The Story Siren. I am going to try to go a little high tech and post pictures of the loot that arrived in the mailbox and was purchased during my trip to some local thrift stores!!

Paperback Swap:

Save Karyn by Karyn Bosnak

Testimony by Anita Shreve

Thrift Store finds: (found a new thrift store, good finds at a good price!!)

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

The Whole World Over by Julia Glass

Not My Daughter by Barbara Delinsky

Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

What a great week and library loot will be shared on Wednesday!!

Let me know what arrived at your home this week!

Review: Billy Graham: His Life and Influence by David Aikman

Goodreads: Having known more American presidents, foreign leaders, and famous people than any other American living or dead, he has been uniquely able to speak to the heart of the average person and bring peace and clarity to a nation in trying times. Graham's ministry flourished during a challenging period in the American experience, when the nation was coming to terms with its unexpected new strength in the world and grappling with the most serious racial and social upheavals since the Civil War.

Kritters Thoughts: First, let me tell you how excited I was to get this book from BookSneeze to review, more than excited!!

I chose to receive and review this book because first my "hometown" for four years was Charlotte, NC, and it is a city that I will always wish to return to. Second reason I chose this book is because in college I was a religious studies major, I was always interested in how religion affected society and how society affected the progression of religion.

SO for my review. This was not your typical biography. It was more of a biography that was torn apart in chapters that organized his life into themes, not exactly in chronological order. I enjoyed this different take on reading about someone's life. As well, the book set up allowed for other people's accounts of the encounters they had with Billy Graham.

I think my favorite chapters were involving the presidents. I was absolutely unaware as to the impact that Billy Graham had on each presidency. After reading this book, I am completely aware that our America would be a different place if Billy Graham hadn't interceded in critical moments in history. What an amazing thought - that one person had that much impact over a long length of our American history.

Finally, I loved reading the last part about his family. Although his wife, Ruth, was mentioned throughout the book, I enjoyed reading more about her and the children they raised. After reading about the many trips and crusades he was a part of, you didn't realize until the end that his wife kept their home and raised their children basically on their own - a sacrifice to allow her husband to preach to the world.

I would recommend this book to people who have an interest in history and religion. It was definitely a thought provoking read and was hard to read laying by the pool!!

Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Total pages: 301

2010 Challenge: Non-fiction (pick your own)

**This book was provided free of any obligation by BookSneeze. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

Blogger Hop

Woo Hoo, it's Friday!! Glad to be a part of the hop!

Thanks for checking out my blog during the hop! I am always looking for tips, hints and helpful stories!!

Check out Crazy-For-Books for other bloggers on the hop!

CSN Stores Review

Exciting news for a Thursday afternoon. I have been invited to review an item from CSN Stores. They have OVER 200 websites, with everything from bookshelves for our book bloggers to this really fun bedroom furniture. I absolutely said YES and immediately went looking for a bookshelf to add to the collection and possibly found a bed to order too!

After shopping on their websites, I found one that can be hung on the wall. After I receive it and I review it, I am sure we will order another to have a matching pair!!

Here is the bookshelf that will be arriving at my house and once it is hung and loaded with books and things, I will let you know what we think!!

Click on the picture to have purchase one for your home!!

Review: Revenge of the Kudzu Debutantes by Cathy Holton

Goodreads: Eadie Boone is no shrinking violet. An artist and former beauty queen who married into one of the first families of Ithaca, Georgia, she tackles everything with gusto and flair. Nita Broadwell, a good southern girl from a good Southern family, is jolted out of complacency when she discovers condoms in her husband's shirt pocket. Lavonne Zibolsky - a transplanted Yankee, bless her heart - is saddled with planning the annual Broadwell & Boone law firm party. That and her lackluster marriage have her seeking solace in the contents of her refrigerator.

Kritters Thoughts: Definitely an interesting read. I spoke with the mom about 100 pages in and said "not again, another book that I am not a fan of." I was upset that I have not been reading the "jaw dropping I want to read this again" books that I am used to since I started blogging. BUT alas this book picked up!

I am used to the novels where at least one of the characters is closer to my age group. Sometimes it is hard to get into a book when you can't physically relate to a marriage falling apart or dealings with children. Although, once the revenge part of the novel kicks in, I was hooked.

Each character was unique but you could imagine these three women as close friends. Without spoiling the major plot of the novel, they have the opportunity to band together and teach their men a lesson. I believe that is when I got really hooked - waiting for their plans to unravel.

One of the great things that I loved about the book was the setting. In Ithaca, GA, a great southern town close to Atlanta. Being a transplanted southerner in a northern spot without sweet tea has been more than an adjustment. I love to read books that are filled with the southern charm.

I would recommend this book to the older set of ladies, who have friends or themselves seen marriages fall apart or know of the pressures of raising children and the strain it takes on someone's life. A light read that any female could enjoy, but definitely wouldn't pass this off to the boys!

Definitely a cute read, but not one to hold on to for another read.

Rating: perfect beach read

Total pages: 288

2010 Challenge: Who Are You Again?

Chick Lit Challenge

Library Loot (2)

Library Loot is a weekly meme hosted by Eva and Marge that encourages bloggers to share the books they've checked out from the library.

After picking up a request from the library last week and walking away with three, I did the same thing again this past week. The Boy is happier to see these books because they have to disappear in a week or two!

The one I reserved, for my start in reading more non-fiction:
The Fixer Upper by Mary Kay Andrews

And the two that tagged along:
Arm Candy by Jill Kargman
Hollywood is Like High School with Money by Zoey Dean

I will not be requesting anymore books, now I may just have to pick up one or two when I have to start returning these!

Getting Personal

So, I wanted this blog to be mainly focused on the books that I read, but I also want to throw in some personal notes. I know as a blog follower, I love to read the personal antidotes that have nothing to do with the books that are being read. So here it goes!

The basics:

I am a girlfriend, daughter, sister and friend.

I have been dating a pretty spectacular guy for over 2 years - enough to move for him!! We will refer to him as JP. He has been supportive of this crazy new hobby and rolls his eyes each time he checks our mail and there is a package for me!! He only gets bills! Together we have a new pup - Miss Charlotte. She is all we will be handling for a long time.

I am a daughter to a great set of parents who raised me to finish what I started and strive to better myself in whatever I am doing. I like to call them "the rents." The mom is an avid reader - she is where I inherited my passion for reading. The dad is the thinker and always keeps me on the logistical side of life.

A sister - I have spoken of J earlier, she is the ying to my yang. We grew up in the same house, but don't look alike nor have the same opinions on most things. We sometimes read the same books, but that is where our similarities begin and end.

Finally, I am a friend. Most of my friends used to live within 20 minutes of me, but over the years most have moved away for relationships, jobs and life happenings. From London to Charlotte, NC to Texas, I have friends all over. I miss having my peeps close by, but I am learning to keep our friendships going through calls and emails. Maybe someday I will admit to all of them I have a blog!

I want to share a bit of myself along the way. One day I will divulge the story of how I became Kritter!

Two Times the Award

I received the following award twice last week and thought I would share, but I am only going to follow the rules once (sort of)! Thank you to Reading with Tequila and Minding Spot for this award.

The Rules:

When you receive this award, you must share seven things about yourself and then pass it on to 15 blogs you have recently discovered that you enjoy! (I passed it onto 7, a little bit of a rule breaker!)

1. Monogamous Book Reader - I can only read one book at a time. I try as I might, but I can only read one book at a time, it feels like cheating if I spend more time with one or the other!

2. Audio Killed the Paperback - I haven't tried but I just can't listen to books. It doesn't allow me to imagine each character the way I want to.

3. iPad Envy - I have read every review out there and I want an iPad more than any one's business. The thought of having a mobile bookshelf just makes me giggle!

4. Shopaholic Anonymous - It is true, I am a shopaholic. I have the need to spend money, whether it be clothes, shoes, books or groceries - I like to spend.

5. Library Card Hoarder - I officially have 4 current and active library cards, three surrounding counties and one in a different state. I have obtained each library card before I changed my drivers license!

6. Summer Lovin' - The season of summer is my absolute favorite - it starts with Memorial Day bbqs and ends with my birthday and labor day cook outs. Eat drink and be merry outside, by the pool or lounging on a friend's deck - I could stay in the summer all the time.

7. Behind on the Times - There are times when I may behind on the tech band wagon, but there are other times where I am right with the tech geeks that I love! Still figuring out this whole work Blackberry, but craving the iPad, does anyone see a hint??

The blogs I have newly discovered:

Rantings of a Bookworm Couch Potato

I'm Booking It

Bookworm with a View

Chocolate and Croissants

CMash Loves to Read

Coffee Books and Laundry

Find Your Next Book Here

In My Mailbox (3)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi from The Story Siren.

WARNING - this meme has a tendency to add to the wish list or the TBR pile!!

Paperback Swap:
Revenge of the Kudzu Debutantes by Cathy Holton
Testimony by Anita Shreve

Bound South by Susan Rebecca White

Winnings: In one week I won 3 books - here is first one I have received
Nightmare on Sunset Lake by Melody Maher (won through goodreads), can't wait to read this!!

Happy Sunday - I hope everyone had a good trip or two to their mailbox!

Blogger Hop

A short work week, but a very busy one! Glad to be a part of the hop on this Friday!

Thanks for checking out my blog during the hop! I am always looking for tips, hints and helpful stories!!

Check out Crazy-For-Books for other bloggers on the hop!

Review: The Meaning of Matthew by Judy Shepard

Goodreads: The mother of Matthew Shepard shares her story about her son's death and the choice she made to become an international gay rights activist.

Kritters Thoughts: What an amazing read! Most everyone has probably heard the horrific story of the occurrence that changed Matthew Shepard's family and Laramie, Wyoming, but there is way more to this story then I ever imagined.

I can not indulge too much because it is definitely not worth spoiling, but wow - what a read. I think cried a total of 4 times - and trust me I am not one to blubber on. The details of his life before, the incident and the trial after were heartbreaking and real.

I remember missing an opportunity in college to hear Mrs. Shepard speak and I am kicking myself even more after reading her book filled with her thoughts and accounts of the actions of the two men that impacted and changed her life forever.

I had not read many non-fiction books recently, no reason, just hadn't. So when I found the 2010 Challenge I decided to commit myself to at least 2 non-fiction by renaming the pick your own to non-fiction. I am beyond ecstatic with myself for picking this as my reintroduction into non-fiction literature.

I would recommend this to young, old, men and women - an amazing read.

Rating: (definitely good read, but can't read two in a row)

Total pages: 288

2010 Challenge: Non-fiction (pick your own)

Award Winning!

After a rough day at work - it was beyond exciting to open my blog yesterday and find that not only did I receive an award - BUT I received 2!!

So the first award from - In The Forest was the Great Blog Neighbor Award!

The rules for this award stipulate I pass it onto 5 bloggers (in no particular order):

1. BookNAround

2. Metroreader

3. Tina Says . . .

4. Reading Without Restraint

5. Crazy-For-Books

These blogs above have been inspiration when I started and have helped me network to find followers and blogs I have loved to follow.

My second award was the Bodacious Award from CMash Loves to Read! Thanks!!
And the criteria:

If you are given this award you must first accept it by leaving a comment on the post you were nominated on. Then copy and paste the post and add it to your own blog. Make a list of the last 5 books you read and pass the award on to 5 bloggers (no backsies). Please also identify the blog from which you got the award and don't forget to tell your picks that they have a blog award!

My last 5 books:

I See You Everywhere by Julia Glass

Alamo House by Sarah Bird

The Washingtonienne by Jessica Cutler

Shelter Me by Juliette Fay

Life on the Refrigerator Door by Alice Kuipers

And this award goes to:

1. Life is Short. Read Fast.

2. Always with a Book

3. Missy's Book Nook

4. The Book Chick

5. Books in the City

Thank you for the awards!! I haven't been blogging that long, but have felt so welcome into the community!!

Library Loot (1)

Library Loot is a weekly meme hosted by Eva and Marge that encourages bloggers to share the books they've checked out from the library.

Wouldn't you know that I requested a book awhile ago from the library and it arrived at the same time my box of 30 books arrived from ebay!!

So to the library I went, and who can just pick up one book from the library.

I came home with a respectable three. This after I set down 2!!

The one I reserved, for my start in reading more non-fiction:

The Meaning of Matthew by Judy Shepard

And the two that tagged along:

Now & Then by Jacqueline Sheehan

Tender Grace by Jackina Stark

And of course I have another book waiting for me at another local county library. Goodness!

May in Review

Each month I want to recap what I have read, reviewed and accomplished:

Total # of books read and reviewed: 6 (links to reviews)

The Bay at Midnight by Diane Chamberlain
Life on the Refrigerator Door by Alice Kuipers
Shelter Me by Juliette Fay
The Washingtonienne by Jessica Cutler

Alamo House by Sarah Bird

I See You Everywhere by Julia Glass

Total # of pages read: 1957


May Highlights: (borrowed from Reading Without Restraint)

* Well - I started the blog this month, so that is a big highlight!

* Won a lot of 30 books on ebay. Purchased and swapped over Paperback for the first time this month.

* In just over two weeks of having the blog - already 24 registered followers with a few stragglers who don't know how to follow - you know who you are!!!

* Received my first book to review.

After a successful first half of a month, I am excited to enter a full month and see where this whole blogging thing will take me. If you have tips, hints or horror stories, please leave a comment!