Help! There's a Cap to Following

Whaaat?  There's a 300 blogs to follow limit on Blogger's Blogs I'm Following (Google Friend Connect) Reading List.   Please say there's a way around this.  I certainly intend to follow more bloggers.  Do you know how I can follow more than 300 bloggers through GFC on my Reading List?  I really do not want to unfollow anyone.  I'm so sad.

Know Me Better #1

"Know Me Better" is a new meme hosted by Kathy at I Am A Reader, Not A Writer.  She will pose 5 questions off her author interview list each week to answer and invited other bloggers to do the same (link yourself or find participants HERE). 

I try to be cautious when it comes to personal details about me or my family but I want you to know that there is a real person behind the Wonder Woman so I will let my guard down a little bit. 

Here is this week's questions and my answers:

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
These days it's rocky road or moose tracks.

What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?
Hmm, this is a hard one.  I don't really have a favorite.  I love food so I eat all the traditional breakfast foods, but usually I like rice with a Filipino- meat & vegetable- dish ..like pinakbet.

Night owl, or early bird?
Night owl, though I'd like to be an early bird.

One food you would never eat?
Off the top of my head, I'm thinking snails ...bugs in general!

Skittles or M&Ms?
Definitely M&Ms ... I'm a chocolate girl!!

~I know.  I'm quite an exciting person!!  :)  ..By the way, should you participate, be sure to leave me a comment and I'll be sure to head on over and visit you.

"Once Upon a Time, There Was You"

by Elizabeth Berg, AF, 2011, Playaway digital audio, 9.5hrs, rating=2
*SPOILER ALERT*

...a beautiful and moving novel about a man and woman, long divorced, who rediscover the power of love and family in the midst of an unthinkable crisis.
Even on their wedding day, John and Irene sensed that they were about to make a mistake. Years later, divorced, dating other people, and living in different parts of the country, they seem to have nothing in common—nothing except the most important person in each of their lives: Sadie, their spirited eighteen-year-old daughter. Feeling smothered by Irene and distanced from John, Sadie is growing more and more attached to her new boyfriend, Ron.  When tragedy strikes, Irene and John come together to support the daughter they love so dearly. What takes longer is to remember how they really feel about each other.  (Goodreads)

The beginning left me saying, "Oh no!".  Irene knew on her wedding day that she shouldn't marry John but she went ahead and married him anyways.  One could say that it was cold feet.  But, several years later they did divorce and lived thousands of miles apart.  Then only to find themselves together again because they're 18yo daughter was missing.  So they had to deal with each other while they wait for their daughter's return. 

I was alright with the read up until the abduction.  That whole scene and the aftermath just didn't make sense .. Sadie gets abducted, placed somewhere, abductor leaves and says he'll come back later with someone, days pass and no one returns, then police finds her, Sadie calls her boyfriend, marries him, and then calls her parents.  From there the book continues to work on relationships ... now including Sadie's mother-in-law. 

I can't seem to put it into words but to say that this book was screwy and just okay.

"The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants"

by Ann Brashares, YA, 2005/p2011, audio CDs, 6.5hrs, rating=3.5

Carmen got the jeans at a thrift shop. They didn’t look all that great: they were worn, dirty, and speckled with bleach. On the night before she and her friends part for the summer, Carmen decides to toss them. But Tibby says they’re great. She'd love to have them. Lena and Bridget also think they’re fabulous. Lena decides that they should all try them on. Whoever they fit best will get them. Nobody knows why, but the pants fit everyone perfectly. Even Carmen (who never thinks she looks good in anything) thinks she looks good in the pants. Over a few bags of cheese puffs, they decide to form a sisterhood and take the vow of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.....the next morning, they say good-bye. And then the journey of the pants---and the most memorable summer of their lives---begins.  (Goodreads)

Sisterhood is a powerful word in that it suggests a bond and so it was for the four main characters in this book.  Having been friends from early childhood, this particular summer was their first to be apart.  Understandably some anxiety was felt so when they stumbled into the extraordinary pants, they couldn't help but believe in it's magic to help them have confidence.

Friendship is a wonderful thing and this book portrayed good examples of its diversity and resilience.  These four teenagers had their rough moments and in each other they found strength and courage to see them through.

Nice, comforting, and moving.  Many teenagers will be able to relate.

WINNERS of Banned Books Week Hop

Thank you to all of you who were able to participate in the Banned Books Week Hop.  I appreciated your thoughts and views.  Hip hip hooray for freedom to read!!  Of course, many many thanks to those of you who entered my giveaway and became new amigos (followers).  Welcome to my small corner of the book blogosphere.  I hope you find it a pleasant place to visit. 

Okay, now on to the winners.  Using the services of Random.org, let's congratulate ...

Prize #1 (Banned books) goes to Karen P

Prize #2 ($10 Book Depository) goes to Sara Riouch

Prize #3 ($10 Amazon) goes to Andrea Williams

An e-mail has been sent to you and you will have 72hrs to reply and claim your prize.  If not claimed, a new winner will be chosen.

"Above and Beyond"

by Sandra Brown, AF, 2008/p2004, Playaway digital audio, rating=4

The letters Kyla sent to her husband, Sergeant Richard Stroud, stationed a world away, spoke of a love that stretched across the ocean and held the young couple together. But when tragedy ended their marriage too soon, Kyla was left a widow with a newborn son. And Richard left behind only a metal box filled with his wife's declarations of love.
Trevor Rule had been Richard's best friend. Returning home from military duty, he carried with him the letters Kyla had sent. And with each one he read, he fell more in love with the gentle, passionate woman who had penned them. Now he needed to convince Kyla of his feelings, and that they both had the right to be happy, to move past the tragedy of Richard's death. (Goodreads)

The brief introduction was a grabber (military husband dies in duty, pregnant wife at home, husband's military buddy badly injured, clinging to life, reads wife's love letters and falls in love with her)!  My ears were definitely glued to the earphones.  Then not too long into the story, Trevor had to be a louse and lied to Kyla from day one.  Not a good way to start a relationship so I didn't see a good ending.  I was not liking Trevor's selfishness and brazen deceptions.  But, the sensuality was alluring and then, I can't believe the ending!  It took me for a loop.  Talk about perspective.  I was narrow minded until Kyla's friend, Babs (not sure of the spelling since this is an audiobook) pointed out a different picture ..or rather it was the same picture but a bit more insightful.  Gotta love friends for putting it out there!

I was listening to this book with moral ears so I almost missed hearing the message ...love can make you do things the unconventional way.  As much as I wasn't liking the deceit, this book was passionate and I'm now bummed that it's over.  Well done Ms. Brown.  I'm looking forward to reading more of your books.

This was quite a sensual book.  Generous in description of love and passion.  I admit, I was stirred.  That said, I would recommend this novel only to adults.  ;)

2 Mile Walk and Pondering the Scriptures Sunday #43

I have a lot of catching up to do.  I took the opportunity to walk with my BFF at the Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes yesterday so with that and other things, I didn't finish the banned books week posts and reads.  Hence, don't be surprise if BBW turns up this week.

By the way, my friend raised $720!  Woot, woot!!!  Sorry no pictures, I look horrible!! .. Okay, maybe for privacy too.  But the image above was my participant number that was pinned on my back.

Okay, now for the Pondering the Scriptures Sunday:

Something to consider passing along to the youth in your life:

"A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband..." Proverbs 12:4