Book Blogger Hop No. 155: Book Club Gift Exchanges

Welcome to the Book Blogger Hop,

hosted by Billy @

Ramblings of a Coffee-Addicted Writer!

For more information, and 

to find out the topic of next week's question, click HERE.

This Week's Question

Does your book club have a book

exchange for the holidays,

or any other time during the year?

If you don't belong to a book club,

do you think that would be

something fun to do?

(Submitted  by Elizabeth  @ 

Silver's Reviews)

My Answer

Here's the short and sweet answer again! 

I don't belong to any book clubs, either online or in "the real world", alas...... Do I think this would be a fun thing to do? Heck, YEAH.

A bit longer, now, lol.....

At this WONDERFUL, JOYFUL time of year, there are "Secret Santa" gift exchanges going on at many companies. I used to participate in the annual ones held at a certain company I worked at, in downtown Miami. I haven't worked there in nearly five years now, so my only job is my part-time evening teaching job, at a Miami high school. Sadly, we don't have any gift exchanges there. Teachers might get Christmas presents from their students at the end of the last trimester (in December), or they might not. It all depends on the students. 

At any of these company exchanges, it has been my experience that VERY few people EVER give anybody a book, or a Barnes & Noble gift card, or even an Amazon gift card that could be used for buying books. It seems that people at most companies think that a book is NOT a worthwhile present, especially not for a woman. 

Even when I've been given presents by students, NONE of them have ever given me a book or a B&N gift card! In fact, one year, a group of students gave me a $200.00 gift card. I was overjoyed!! But, when I happened to mention, to several students, that I could buy several books with that gift card, one of hem gave me a weird look, and told me to spend it on NECESSARY things, like shoes, purses, or clothes. AAAAARRRRGGHH!!!! Needless to say, I did NOT heed her "advice". I LAVISHED books on myself!! LOL.

Many people -- whether company employees or students one teaches -- will invariably give a female employee/teacher such stereotypical presents as perfume, scarves, costume jewelry, or Bath & Body Works body lotions. Once, a group gave me a purse, which was obviously of the expensive variety. So, whenever I've gotten either a printed book or a B&N gift card in a company gift exchange, I've had to actually let people know that I would like to receive either one of those two options. Not that I don't like perfume or the other typical gifts given to women. But heck, if I feel a sudden need for some great-smelling perfume, I'll go ahead and buy it. A book as a gift, though, will send me through the roof with happiness!!!

I've written all of the above because I would LOVE  to be a member of a group of people who did not consider it somehow "not quite appropriate" to give someone -- especially a woman -- a book as a present, whether for Christmas or birthdays. So I would be ECSTATIC if I were to be in a book club -- preferably in "the real world" -- where people DID have such exchanges! Unfortunately, I'm not...... :(

I've been searching for such a book club for some time now, but have not found one. The ones I've found through Google all seem to be too far away for me. So my search continues....

To all of you lucky people who belong to "real life" book clubs that DO have book gift exchanges during the holidays, I say the following: thank God or whoever is your higher power that you belong to such a book club!! And let it be known that I am TOTALLY GREEN WITH ENVY. Lol.

So.....Merry Christmas to all of you fellow book lovers/bloggers, or Happy Kwanzaa (Hanukkah is long since over), and Happy New Year to all!!!  

What are your thoughts on

this topic?

Please leave a comment! 

If you're participating in this meme,

I'll go comment on your 

own BBH post.

If not, I will then comment on one 

of your blog posts!

Thanks for visiting!!! 

Book Blogger Hop No. 116: A New Year's Eve Kiss With A Fictional Character

Welcome to the Book Blogger Hop,

hosted by Billy @

Ramblings of a Coffee-Addicted Writer!

For more information, and 

to find out the topic of next week's question, click HERE.

This Week's Question

What character or characters

would you not mind sharing

a New Year's Eve kiss with?

(Submitted  by Kitty @ 

Vicarious Bookworm)

My Answer

Answering this question could get a LOT of us in trouble with our spouses or significant others.....lol. But heck, it's all in good fun, right? These people are FICTIONAL. So, down, hubby, down!! Lol.

In my case, there are two fictional characters I Would DEFINITELY be interested in sharing a New Year's Eve kiss with. I actually fell in love with one of them back in 2006, which was when I first met him. Alas, I don't see how I could ever exchange a kiss with him, though, as his mate is immortal, and very, very strong..... In fact, she could probably send me through the air, two blocks over, with just a tap of her little finger! Lol.

Of course, I'm talking about the one and only EDWARD CULLEN!! He's my own personal heartthrob, my hero, my very own gentleman vampire....sigh.....

Edward is a VERY romantic guy. He's also a very faithful one, so I seriously doubt that he would ever share a kiss with me. But hey, a girl can dream, can't she? Lol. 

Ever since I met him, through the pages of Twilight, the first book of The Twilight Saga, I haven't stopped swooning over him.... 

Actually, there's one other guy I wouldn't mind....WHAT? MIND? This is not an appropriate word here! No red-blooded female would use this word to refer to a kiss by either of these two guys!

So who's the other guy? JACOB BLACK!! OF COURSE. He's my other heartthrob and very FAVORITE werewolf!! He's just as swoony and romantic as Edward, and those abs....well, they've really bothered Edward for some time, now, as he would prefer that Bella not see them AT ALL, if he can help it. Lol.

Jacob is gentle and sweet (well, heck, so is Edward!), and fought hard to be Bella's forever guy. Now that Bella has -- AHEM -- married Edward, and fully entered the vampire world, Jacob has imprinted on Renesmee Cullen. I don't think Nessie (yeah, Bella doesn't like that nickname, as it reminds her of the Loch Ness Monster, lol) would allow me to kiss Jacob, either. And, being half vamp, she could probably swing me around and around with her little finger....

So these are the two (fictional) guys I wouldn't mind (MIND? no, WOULD LOVE) to lock lips with this coming New Year's Eve!!

And now comes the BIG REVEAL: ONLY IF I WERE SINGLE. LOL. LOL. LOL.

  

What are your thoughts on

this topic?

If you're participating in this hop,

I'll go comment on your 

own BBH post.

If not, I will then comment on one 

of your blog posts!

Thanks for visiting!!!  
 

Book Blogger Hop No. 107: Books I Have Cuddled With

Welcome to the Book Blogger Hop,

hosted by Billy @

Ramblings of a Coffee-Addicted Writer!

For more information, and 

to find out the topic of next week's question, click HERE.

This Week's Question

Have you ever slept with a favorite,

beloved book under your

pillow, or cradled in your arms?

(Submitted  by Maria @ 

A Night's Dream of Books)

My Answer

Oh, yes!! These are part of my treasured childhood memories!

The first book I remember doing this with was Heidi, by Johanna Spyri. This book not only tells a WONDERFUL, very sweet tale, in which a little girl goes to live with her grandfather, but it also has sentimental value  for me.

When I was around 10, I came down with the measles, and had to stay in bed for a few days. Of course, I could not go to school. Well, one night, I got a very nice surprise...... When my dad came home from work, he went to see me in my bedroom, and presented me with a copy of Heidi! I had been feeling glum because I was bedridden, but Dad really cheered me up by giving me the best gift a bookworm could ever hope for!! So of course I started regularly sleeping with this beloved book in my arms! 

I wish I knew where it disappeared to..... it got misplaced somewhere along the way.... I LOVED it so much, too!! I would really love to get another copy of it, although it won't have the same sentimental value of the original. However, I've looked all over the Internet, and have been unable to locate the same edition. I wish I could go back in time and thank my Dad again.... that was such a thoughtful, loving thing for him to do! I have never forgotten this, either! 

Amazon Hardcover Copy

This is not the original edition my dad bought me, but I have just ordered it from Amazon, as it expresses my feelings toward him. When my dad hugged me, I felt safe, loved, and that all was right with the world.

The edition pictured above has a rather poignant feeling for me, too, because I wish I had had this kind of relationship with my maternal grandpa, as well. Sadly, he was never affectionate with us kids, and was always very serious. I realize that he had a lot of stress related to our forced move to this country, but still.... I do wish we could have been closer to him.

Another book I can remember cradling in my arms was Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell. Mom bought me this one. I saw this book at a Winn-Dixie store. It was very reasonably-priced at the time. Well, I began to pester her to buy it for me, and she laughingly gave in. This book marked the beginning of my great love for horses, which has stayed with me to this day, although, alas....I have not been lucky enough to actually own a horse.... Still, I treasured this book, and also went to sleep with it cradled in my arms. Oh, how I wish those days were back.......                          
             

This is the EXACT edition Mom bought me. It, too, disappeared. I have not been able to find this one online, either. However, I do own another, very beautiful edition of this childhood gem. It doesn't have the same sentimental value, of course.

At least I still have the books I was able to bring with me from Cuba, when we came to the States! 

This is the edition I own now. I really must re-read this novel, especially since it holds such special memories for me.

Some of the most wonderful, touching memories in a bookworm's life have something to do with books. That has certainly been the case with me, and I'm sure there are many of my fellow bookworms who also have precious bookish memories! 

Although I haven't cuddled with books again since I grew up, I have from time to time HUGGED beloved books! And there have been several of them, too, such as the books of The Twilight Saga, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, the Harry Potter books, as well as some HIGHLY beloved classics such as Jane Eyre!! 

What are your thoughts on

this topic?

If you're participating in this hop,

I'll go comment on your 

own BBH post.

If not, I will then comment on one 

of your blog posts!

Thanks for visiting!!!  
 

Book Blogger Hop No. 78: Reading Genres

Welcome to the Book Blogger Hop,

hosted by Billy @

Ramblings of a Coffee-Addicted Writer!

For more information, and 

to find out the topic of next week's question, click HERE.

This Week's Question

 What is your best guess that you

won't be changing the genres

you're currently reading?

(submitted  by Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews)

My Answer

While it might sound great to read outside one's comfort zone(s), I really don't see myself doing that. There are genres that I simply love to read, and will never abandon, while there are others that, quite frankly, just literally turn my stomach.

There are two genres that I will always stay away from, no matter what. The first one is the horror genre. Although I do enjoy reading about vampires, werewolves, and other paranormal creatures, I still don't like to read horror. So I enjoy reading about these creatures in paranormal romance and urban fantasy. Furthermore, most of the time these books turn out to be in the Young Adult Fiction genre, as well. But real, hardcore horror? No, thank you! I don't enjoy being scared, or reading about gross massacres described in all their gory details. I will happily pass on these things!

The other genre you'll never catch me reading is erotica. Yes, I do love to read romance, especially of the paranormal and urban fantasy type, of course. And I don't mind sex scenes. What I do mind, though, is reading about kinky sex. Not my cup of tea at all! Besides, these novels are usually full of such 'goodies' as 'the F bomb', and other types of profanity. I know, because I have indeed attempted to read such novels in the past. I haven't been able to get enthused about them, not even the littlest bit.

As for the genres I love, and will always continue to read, they are: fantasy, science fiction, paranormal romance, and urban fantasy. I also love YA, of course!! Also, I love to read all of the above genres in their adult and YA versions (as long as I don't come across any profanity).

I also love classics and literary fiction, but I feature these genres in my other blog, MindSpirit Book Journeys. That blog also features nonfiction. In contrast, A Night's Dream of Books is mostly dedicated to YA, although I do review adult books on it, as well. I have stopped featuring nonfiction  though, as I've noticed that most, if not all, of my readers much prefer fiction.

As for mysteries and thrillers, I don't usually read those. The only detective I'm interested in reading about is Sherlock Holmes. I might try reading about Hercule Poirot, the famous hero of Agatha Christie's novels, but Holmes will always remain my all-time favorite!

Thrillers are also not very appealing to me. I do enjoy some suspense, but, in the case of thrillers, that suspense can sometimes border on horror. However, I might be interested in one of these novels from time to time.

At this time of year, I also love to read Christmas romances! These types of books always lift my spirits, and bring me a lot of sweet, romantic, reading moments, not to mention touching ones.

In conclusion, I have to say that I really don't foresee a change in my reading tastes.  Books are supposed to bring one enjoyment, information, and the pleasures of the imagination. So, why would I read any genre that would either put me to sleep, make me want to throw the book at the wall, gross me out, or force me to run screaming from the room? Life is too short for me to torture myself with books that make me cringe for one reason or another, in my honest opinion. Just bring on the books I can dive into and have a hard time crawling out of! For me, these books are in the genres mentioned above.

If any of you readers and bloggers out there enjoy the very genres I can't stand, well, more power to you! There are genres for every reading taste!

Happy Reading to all!!! (And to all a good night!)       



  
 

What are your thoughts on

this topic?

Please leave a comment!

If you're participating in this meme,

I'll go comment on your 

own BBH post.

If not, I will then comment on one 

of your blog posts!

Thanks for visiting!!!