Need a Place for All of Your Books?

 Find more pictures and information at my new web address: MarjiLaine.blogspot.com!

No, this picture isn't upside down!

In fact, it is one of the unique new storage ideas that is shared in this article by Jill Harness at neatorama.com. Yes, if I saw this in a house, it would certainly draw my eye!

You really need to take a look at all the crazy designs!  They have some great ones, like a staircase that has a place for books under each step; makes me wish I had a second floor!

There are several varieties that offer expandable shelves and some that also roll. Most of them have interesting or unique designs and equally odd names, such as the "Twins," the "Equation," "My DNA," and the "Bed."

My favorite design was called, "Motion." Now that is one that I would really get a kick out of!

By the way, the books on the shelf above, (well, under the shelf above) are connected to the shelf by elastic bands of some sort.

I'm embarrassed. My bookshelves are just, well, bookshelves.

What about you? What do your bookshelves look like? Are they full? Are they fancy? Which of the ones in the linked article are your favorites?

What are YOU Reading? 11 Secrets Reveals Much!

I read non-fiction from time to time; Bible Studies, devotions, teacher editions and writing manuals.  Seldom do I actually read any of these books from cover to cover.  I leave that enjoyment to my accountant hubby who only discovered an enjoyment of fiction when the kids were young and he read the Little House books aloud to them.  Until then, his leisure reading included computer manuals and all of Chuck Swindoll's and Max Lucado's books.

Anyway, I broke with tradition last weekend when I came across the new nook book from Mary DeMuth, 11 Secrets of Getting Published.  Not only was the book informative, but it was terribly challenging.  Her chapters addressed  some of the most overwhelming areas to a novice writer, such as crafting the story, understanding what goes into publishing and marketing, and navigating writers' conferences.

I'm in the early steps of, what I hope to be, a publishing path, so I expected to focus mainly on the first few secrets, convinced that the last ones wouldn't really apply to me. Boy, was I wrong! The info and advice in this book just got juicier as I went along, and I confess, I didn't just read it. After every section I was pulling out my note pad and making lists of the next things I needed to do. In fact, after reading her first secret, I went through my novel for a 5th and 6th revision, going through every stinkin' sentence to check for her list of things I should avoid.

She designed her book in an article format, using postings she developed over a number of years on her retired blog, WannabePublished, and it's easy to see why that blog was so popular.  Filled with plain-speaking, direct advise, 11 Secrets would be beneficial to anyone hoping to pursue publication of any sort.

This e-book is available for only $2.99, but the 182 pages worth of expert advice is worth much more.  It can be downloaded for Kindle at Amazon at this link or you can get it for the Nook and other readers at Barnes and Noble at this link. Watch for it to come out in print!

What was the last non-fiction book you read?  Did you finish it?

What are YOU Reading? Try a SNOWBALL!

I've been enjoying some blog tours for the past couple of weeks. Starting with the authors that I was currently reading, I added some others, represented by interesting agents. That list continued to build as I found some local, recently published authors, and the whole thing grew enormously as I peeked through Twitter links. 

I wandered onto Sandra Bricker's blog during all of this, and found her sense of humor to be delightful. (Actually, I think I called her a "hoot!") Intrigued by her novel titles, I chose to download Finding Love in Snowball, Arkansas to my e-reader.

I laughed hysterically at the antics of the heroine that, frankly, hit way too close to home!  Moments later, I had to dry my eyes from empathizing with her humiliation.  This book certainly ran the gamut!

However, I enjoyed this book more when I finished it than while I read it. I know, that sounds pretty strange, but the most fun I had with this book happened while I listened to my sweet red-head's reactions as she read it! 

My sweet red-head!

Completely uninhibited in her expressiveness, she would sit across from me and burst into giggles.  Seconds later, I'd hear her say, "Oh, no." I loved hearing her laugh or seeing her tear up.  I would ask her, "Where are you now?" and we would talk through the event she had just passed. What a great sharing time. 

It's so wonderful to have such an amazing variety of Christian fiction that she and I both can enjoy and share together!  Huge thumbs up to Sandra Bricker.  If you like to laugh and enjoy a fun romance, this book is for you. 

What was the last novel you read that made you both laugh and cry? How about just laugh out loud?


What are YOU reading??? The Mailbox Holds Charm!

THE MAILBOX, the debut novel of Marybeth Whalen, was probably the first purely romance book I've read in quite some time.  Well, I'm just going to have to change that bad habit!

This book was delightful.  The characters were so deep and their reactions to the situations around them showed realistic flaws.  I could see myself reacting the very same way, with hurt and resentment, and resistent to resolve those feelings.

I love the way Ms. Whalen dealt with some pretty difficult topics.  Grace and forgiveness is woven through the book to take the edge off of some of the painful situations, and even the antagonists, which rise and fall throughout the story, have their moments of some semblance of honesty and honor.

All in all, I love books that portray characters that are so real, not totally good, nor totally bad - just flawed - and struggling to do right.  I can't wait to read her new novel, She Makes It Look Easy.  I noticed that it is available at Amazon, but I'm waiting until June 1 when I can download it from Barnes and Noble to my Pandigital E-reader.  (What a WONDERFUL invention!)

The Mailbox is at Barnes & Noble at this link, and available at Amazon at this link.

So what are you reading (well, besides this blog)?  Seriously, what is the last book you picked up?  And while you're at it, tell what book you look forward to picking up!

What are YOU reading???

I just finished an amazing suspense book, Deliver Us From Evil, by Robin Caroll.  To say this book is well-written is a gross understatement!

Ms. Caroll weaves her plot through the viewpoints of many of the characters, drawing them together to interact and then separating them to explain different facets of the action.  The characters were complete with hangups and flaws as well as expertise, and the chemistry between them, romantic and otherwise, was downright pliable. 

This is no comfortable little whodunit.  There is no "tada" at the end when the culprit is discovered.  Instead, the reader learns of the identity a little at a time and grows to intensely dislike the person by the time the story reaches the climax.  Furthermore, the subject matter made me squirm.  I found more than once that I had to stop reading and give my eyes a thorough drying! 

But then, this type of book isn't supposed to make the reader comfortable.  It's supposed to keep the reader on the edge of the seat and Deliver Us From Evil did that for me from the very first page!  I also enjoyed learning about some of the research topics that Ms. Caroll shared in the book.  She even added Bible Study or Book Study discussion questions to the back of the book and a website research guide for all of her topics! 

All in all, this is a great read!  I highly recommend it and let me know if you check it out.  You can find Robin Caroll's blog link in the right hand column! 

My next book to read is The Mailbox by Mary Beth Whalen.  It's a bit of a stretch for me, as it is in the Christian Romance genre and I'm usually a mystery buff, but I've been keeping up with Ms. Whalen's blog and love how well-grounded she is.  I'm looking forward to reading through her debut novel.

So what books are you reading right now and what do you think of them?