Spring Into Summer Read-a-Thon Updates

I will be posting all of my updates throughout the next two days on this post so it won't fill up other people's blog rolls!!!


Report #1
1. Well, I didn't read as much as I hoped I would. But I was cleaning and catching up on writing. So this is when the real reading begins.

• Total Books read: 0
• Total pages read: 147
• Books read since last update: 0
• Pages read since last update: 82
• Total Time Read: 2 hours 15 minutes
• How I'm currently feeling: I feel ready to get down to more reading. I'm going to try to read through the whole night

2. I've only read Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley (and I'm not even done with it) but I'm enjoying it. 

3. My favorite mini challenge was the story maker-it was really fun to read everyone's stories (a lot of them were very creative!)

4. My favorite thing about the read-a-thon is all the fun mini challenges

5. I think my least favorite thing about the read-a-thon would have to be probably not having enough time to read-but that's mostly my fault

6. I'm not on track to meet my goals, but I'm still determined to finish five books

7. Yes, I will be participating tomorrow. My new goal is to stay away reading the whole night! 

Update #3:

• Total books read:0
• Total pages read: 65
• Books read since last update: 0
• Pages read since last update: 0
• Total Time Read: 65 minutes
• How I'm currently feeling: tired and like I want to read a lot more than I'm doing right now

Mini Challenge: For this challenge, I have to write 100 words or less into a story using the words: Shaman, Lime, Laser, and Goat. Sounds fun, right?

So here it goes:

Rick Shaman and Lester Goat have always been somewhat uncomfortable with each other. Most of that time was spent at family dinners with Shaman and Goat sitting across each other, making faces at each other while eating their peas. Their parents were talking about school transportation and maybe using the idea of carpool. Shaman made a face at that, not wanting to spend any more time around Goat. And Goat didn't look much happier, they both looked horrified while looking at their parents. But then they looked at each other and something changed on their faces-agreeing on something. They both nod their heads once before Shaman grabs a lime out of his lemonade and hands it under the table to Goat. Goat then places the lime on his spoon, aiming at his mom. Before letting it go, Goat looks at Shaman and smiles, Shaman smiling in return. Returning to his task, Goat lets the spoon fling the lime like a laser and lands directly on top of his moms head. She's startled with a shriek but Goat and Shaman continue to smile at each other-the start to a friendship.

Lol, okay that was pretty fun. I love writing so this task wasn't difficult at all. I hope everyone else is doing well on the read-a-thon. I wish you the best of luck!

Update #2:

• Total Books Read: 0
• Total Pages Read: 65
• Books Read Since Last Update: 0
• Pages Read since last update: 65
• Total time read: 65
• How I'm currently feeling: I'm feeling a little overwhelmed because I have to clean the house today and fill out my college forms so I hope it doesn't affect the read-a-thon

Mini Challenge: Here is my wordle-I've never done this before but it was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed this mini challenge:

Sorry it's so small but whenever I tried to make it bigger-it gets blurry. I made this wordle by typing in my blog, Smitten With Books, website address

The Read-a-Thon has started (and I'm two hours late)-go figure!

I didn't get much sleep last night (I couldn't fall asleep until four thirty) so I overslept but now that I'm awake-I am ready for the Spring into Summer Read-a-Thon.

These are the books I'm planning on reading:

1. Lunarmorte by Samantha Young
2. Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
3. Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley
4. Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott
5. Need by Carrie Jones

This is my goal over the next thirty hours, I'm planning on reading these five books. I don't even know if it's possible but that's my goal.

How is everyone else doing on the read-a-thon?

Spring into Summer Read-a-Thon (I'm Participating!)

I really enjoy doing read-a-thons. I've only participated in a few during the school year but now that school is out (and summer is finally here) I will have a lot more time to read. And let me tell you-I am planning on reading a lot (well hopefully).

This read-a-thon is hosted by SQUEAKY BOOKS-you can press on the link and it will take you directly to the information on her site about the read-a-thon.

The Spring into Summer Read-a-Thon will start 8 AM MST on Friday June 17th and will end at 8 PM MST on Saturday June 18th. So if you count all those hours up, there will be thirty six hours to read until you drop. Sounds like fun, huh?

And if I persuade you to sign up, when filling out the form, if you put my blog name in saying that I'm the one that told you about the read-a-thon-we will both receive five extra entries to win a $25 Amazon.com gift card.

You only have one and a half day to sign up-so go over to SQUEAKY BOOKS HERE.

Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married by Marian Keyes

Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married by Marian Keyes
Release Date: April 30, 2002
Versions: hardcover, paperback, kindle

Summary (from goodreads):
Lucy Sullivan is getting married, or is she?


Lucy doesn't even have a boyfriend. (To be honest, she isn't that lucky in love.) But Mrs. Nolan-a local psychic-has read her tarot cards and predicted that Lucy will be walking down the aisle within the year


Lucy's roommates, Karen and Charlotte, are appalled at the news. If Lucy leaves it could disrupt their wonderful lifestyle of eating take-out, drinking too much wine, bringing men home and never vacuuming. They might even have to-God forbid-clean up the apartment to lure in a new roommate. Lucy reassures them that she's far too busy arguing with her mother and taking care of her irresponsible father to get married.


And there's the small matter of no boyfriend. But then Lucy meets Gus, gorgeous, unreliable Gus. And she starts to wonder if he could be the future Mr. Lucy Sullivan. Or could it be handsome Chuck? Or Daniel, the world's biggest flirt? Or even cute Jed, the new boy at work?


Maybe the idea of Lucy Sullivan getting married isn't so unlikely, after all.

I really enjoyed this book, and by that I mean I loved this book. It was written so well and had a whole bunch of humor that made me laugh out loud. Lucy's probably my favorite female heroine because she's strong and knows what she wants in life. Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married by Marian Keyes starts out with Lucy's coworkers dragging her to Ms. Nolan to get their cards read. Lucy's very hesitant and doesn't believe in fortune telling but when Ms. Nolan announces that she'll be getting married before the end of the year-it freaks her out a little. Lucy's never had a very long relationship. But when she meets Gus-she wonders if he's the one. But then there's Daniel-whose bachalor status doesn't stop Lucy's roommate from going after him. Daniel and Lucy have been friends for a long time so Lucy starts wondering why he keeps asking her to do things with him-and why she's starting to like it.

The only flaw in this book, which isn't a major flaw, is Gus. His character is portrayed as being annoying and clingy. And he's always drunk or ditching Lucy. But Daniel-I liked Daniel. He's a guy that can take care of Lucy and put up with her charms. The scenes in the book fly past and by the last page, you'll be wishing Marian Keyes wrote twice as much.

Will I reread it?
Yes, I actually have read it around four times already because I really enjoy the book. I love Lucy's and Daniel's friendship as well as Lucy's parents who are a little eccentric. I recommend this book to any fans of Kristan Higgins.

Nightshade in Paperback out Today!

I have some very exciting news: Nightshade by Andrea Cremer comes out in paperback today (June 14th, 2011). This is an exciting event for me because I only read Nightshade once, about a year ago (and it was the ARC copy from an ARC tour) so I don't remember what happened in the book but I did really enjoy it. So-now I'm thinking about going to Borders tomorrow to purchase my own marvelous copy.

Here's the paperback cover for Nightshade by Andrea Cremer:



I am absolutely in love with this cover-I like it way better than the hardcover/ARC cover even though that was very pretty, too. So everyone go out and buy Nightshade in paperback!

A New Favorite Author

I am an avid reader and I have certain authors that I hold high.  Rachel Hawthorne, Sarah Dessen, Elizabeth Scott, Courtney Summers, and Lisa McMann are among my favorites and whenever they release a new book, I am at Borders the next day. It takes a lot to make an author a favorite of mine, so I'm happy whenever I welcome a new writer to my to-be-read pile.

And I have added a new one recently. She is one of my top three favorite authors right now (at this time) and I can't get enough of her books. Her name is: Samantha Young and is the writer of the Lunarmorte series.

I love werewolves which is the basis of her trilogy and they are written so fantastically-I have reread them several times. I feel that Samantha Young is one of those special writers that come around only once in a while and she deserves to be praised.

Here is the first book of her Lunarmorte trilogy:

Lunarmorte by Samantha Young
Release Date: July 30, 2010
Versions: paperback, kindle

Summary (from goodreads):
Amidst the magical children of the ancient Greek gods lives a girl destined to bring their ancient war to an end. 


Caia Ribeiro has lived a life of isolation and mystery since the death of her parents and her separation from her lykan pack at the age of seven. Returning ten years later under the supervision of the packs young leader, Lucien, Caia finds herself seduced by pack life and her enigmatic guardian. But when strange happenings lead to near exposure of their world Caia begins to realize Lucien and the elders have been keeping unforgivable secrets, leaving Caia to come to terms with the truth of her dark and unique heritage.


Scarcely given time to adjust to her new reality the war she believed stormed only on distant shores crashes on her doorstep forcing Caia to put aside her conflict with Lucien in order to save them all from an old enemy and his relentless pursuit.


Please give this book a chance, I am positive you will love it and soon find Samantha Young's writing to wiggle it's way into your heart. Here is the book on Amazon.com

Happy Memorial Day!

I want to wish everyone a wonderful Memorial Day. I hope you find time in your busy day to read a great book!