48HBC Post #5 - Wrap Up

Well I didn't get to participate near as much as I had hoped to, but the participating I did was fun. I've been at my parents today and did manage a little reading to add to my final total but did not make 12 hours boo hoo :) Well there is always next time. Now I'm going to finish up my Gossip Girl book and cruise around the blogs for the challenge, but first I will wrap up with my totals:

48-hour book reading challenge wrap-up:
Books completed: 2
Reviews completed: 2
Hours spent so far: 10:38
Pages Read: 575
Fun had: THIS MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't wait to do it again and hopefully have more time! My hats off to all of you who really put the time into this. I think I could have done better but I heard about it on Twitter on Friday afternoon so I didn't have any planning going into it. But I will know more next time and the great thing - I have more tweeters and blogs to follow - oh the fun!!! Which means more books and what is better than more books. :)

48HBC Post #4 - Book Review: The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale and a GIVEAWAY

The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
# Pages: 339
Genre: General Fiction (humor, romance, serious topics, lots of fun)
Binding: Hardcover
Publish Date: June 9th, 2009



From the book flap:

Mormon Housewife Becky Jack is seven months pregnant with her fourth child when she meets celebrity heartthrob Felix Callahan. A few hours, one elevator ride, and one alcohol-free dinner later something has happened, though nothing has happened . . . It isn't sexual. It isn't even quite love. But soon Felix shows up in Salt Lake City to visit and before they know what's hit them, Felix and Becky are best friends - talk-on-the-phone, drop-everything-in-an-emergency, laugh-out-loud-at-stupid-jokes best friends.
Becky's loving and devoted husband, Mike is mostly unconcerned. Her children roll their eyes. Her large extended family and neighbors gossip endlessly. But Felix an Becky have something special, something unusual, something that seems from the outside and sometimes from the inside too - completely impossible to sustain.

On the surface, Becky's story of a steadfast housewife and the handsome star is the ultimate romantic fantasy. But the depth of emotion that Shannon Hale shows us in Becky is the strength that underpins only the strongest relationships. It is what makes this story resonate beyond the glitter of Felix's movie-stardom to the deeper understanding of the kinds of true love we all dream of having.

Shannon Hale has created a magical and often hilarious story that explores what might happen when your not-so-secret celebrity crush walks right into real life, and changes everything.

First I don't want to dwell too much on plot in this review, because I don't want to give it away. Just know that this book will never bore you, it just keeps moving along and a great pace. I did not want to put it down and carried it with me everywhere while I was reading it. There is always something going on to drive the story further and keep you interested.

I am choosing to emphasize the characters more as this seems to be a character driven novel. First off there is Becky Jack, the Mormon housewife from Utah that meets Felix Callahan in LA where she is signing a contract for a screenplay she has written. From their first meeting there is a connection. I love the banter between these two people who start as strangers and eventually become best friends. I love the supporting cast, Mike, Becky's very supporting husband and love of her life, the children who provide laughs and wisdom too, Celeste, Felix's model wife who should be intimidating but is not and of course Becky and Mike's extended family along with others in their Mormon ward.

This story is amusing and touching and it makes you really look at the different relationships you can have. It of course tackles the age-old question of whether men and women can be friends when at least one of them is married. I think this is handled well and you see some of both sides. But I think the degrees of relationships are what come to the real forefront of all of this. And though I think it can be seen from the book jacket description, don't think for one minute this book condones extramarital affairs, because it does not. Becky has a very strong moral conviction and she never strays from it.

I just think this is a must read book - so many things happen and I fell in love with the entire Jack family and also with Felix. You see changes in everyone by the end of the book and you feel like you have gained new friends (at least I did).

This one comes out on Tuesday and I have heard raves about Mrs. Hale's earlier books, so I will be checking those out to read in the near future and will definitely be on the lookout for anything else new by her that comes out.

The Actor and the Housewife has such a darling cover with no faces in view but the two obviously different people on the cover, I think that it's just a real grabber. Take the time, go out and buy this and enjoy it. I truly did.

Finally, thank you to Kristina M. Jutzi at Bloomsbury USA for sending me a copy of this book for review!

And of course that is not all - you know I love to giveaway my books when I finish with them, so here's your chance to win this wonderful hardback book (not an ARC).

Contest will run through next Saturday at midnight and I'll draw the winners and post on either Sunday or Monday (I never know how my weekends will go)
For entries:

1. Leave a comment (and make sure I have a way to contact you)
2. Become a follower or if you are already a follower let me know (for an additional entry)
3. Twitter about the contest (use @cfulcher so I will see it) and let me know about it (for an additional entry)
4. Blog about the contest (for an additional entry)
5. Tell me whether you think men and women can be friends if one or both are married (there is no right or wrong here, I'm just curious and it'll get you an additional entry)

48-hour book reading challenge update:
Books completed: 2
Reviews completed: 2
Hours spent so far: 8:18
Pages Read: 439

48HBC Post #3 - Hour #3 update

So I slept in late and I just finished hour #3 of the 48 hour book challenge. Here are my stats:

48-hour book reading challenge update:
Books completed: 1
Reviews completed: 1
Hours spent so far: 3:00
Pages Read: 180

Currently Reading: The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale - p.80

I'm loving the challenge so far - I have to leave in an hour for a after-baseball pool party, but will be back to it this afternoon.

48HBC Post #2 Book Review - Flirting with Temptation by Kelley St. John

Flirting with Temptation by Kelley St. John

rating: 4 of 5 stars
From the back of the book:

She's Playing it cool.

Wild Child Babette Robinson doesn't do relationships, but she does have a knack for helping other peole with theirs. When she opens her own match-mending business and dubs herself "The Love Doctor," she becomes the biggest name in Birmingham. She even attracts the attention of socialite Kitty Carelle, who hires her to fix her broken engagement to Jeff Eubanks - Babette's ex!

He's Turning Up the heat.

Three years ago, Jeff and Babette's chemistry was off tthe charts, but though she based in his sexy charm nad wicked wit, she couldn't commit to a deeper relationship. Covinced that all women have wandering eyes, Jeff issues a challenge: He'll do as Babette askes and talk to Kitty, if Babette abstains from all flirting for one whole week. With Jeff doing his best to make her melt in his arms, will this sassy vamp be able to save her business? And after seven tempting nights, will sh want to give up the man she once tossed away?

What a fun book - it's loaded with everything a lighthearted contemporary romance needs. It has a great heroine and hero, good characterization, fun secondary characters, some of which come from an earlier book, it has a plot that moves along steadily, it has humor and so much more.

I really liked Babette as the heroine. She's confident and spunky, but she still has doubts about herself so she feels like a normal woman, one anyone can relate to. I also like Jeff, he seems torn and bitter, but Babette seems to bring out the best in him and he in her.

I loved the journey to get them back together, with Babette trying to get him back together with Kitty to prove she can commit to something (her job). I also enjoyed the side story of Granny Gert, who is very amusing. And the additional characters from Sunny Beaches, the retirement type community next door to Jeff's condo are great. I love Rose especially when Babette first gets there and they are spying on Jeff. That scene is just hysterical.

So if you enjoy humor and love mixed together, this is just the book for you. I have read several books by Kelley St. John and not a one of them has disappointed and this one by far does not. I was sad when it was over, I want more of the Robinson family, but it ends in a good way and I am satisfied there.

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
# Pages: 297
Genre: Contemporary Romance (humor too)
Binding: Paperback

48-hour book reading challenge update:
Books completed: 1
Reviews completed: 1
Hours spent so far: 1:45
Pages Read: 145

48 Hour Book Challenge Post #1 - I'm Starting Now

Well it's official - I'm starting the 48-hour book challenge (48hbc) now. The kids and DH are fed and I'm in my chair with my computer and my book. I will be starting with Flirting with Temptation by Kelley St. John. I'm halfway through the book at this point so I will be starting with page 160. Next post in a little while with my progress. After this it is on to The Actor and the Housewife which I have also started while working out at the gym. It is great so far.

48-hour book challenge participants and others - make sure you check out my sidebar for my two giveaways and enter!

48 Hour Book Challenge

MotherReader is hosting the 4th Annual 48 Hour Book Challenge on her blog. Go visit to see the other participants and add your name if you are interested.

Here are the basic guidelines:

1. The weekend is June 5–7, 2009. Read and blog for any 48-hour period within the Friday-to-Monday-morning window. Start no sooner than 7:00 a.m. on Friday the fifth and end no later than 7:00 a.m. Monday. So, go from 7:00 p.m. Friday to 7:00 p.m. on Sunday... or maybe 7:00 a.m. Saturday to 7:00 a.m. Monday works better for you. But the 48 hours do need to be in a row. That said, during that 48-hour period you may still have gaps of time in which you can’t read, and that’s fine. (In the middle of the three different challenge weekends I’ve had to go to work, attend a ballet recital, and drive for a Girl Scout event.)


2. The books should be about fifth-grade level and up. Adult books are fine, especially if adult book bloggers want to play. If you are generally a picture book blogger, consider this a good time to get caught up on all those wonderful books you’ve been hearing about. With the change in the way prizes are awarded, graphic novels can be included in the reading. One audiobook can also be included in your time and book total.


3. It’s your call as to how much you want to put into it. If you want to skip sleep and showers to do this, go for it. If you want to be a bit more laid back, fine. But you have to put something into it or it’s not a challenge. Twelve hours is the benchmark for winning prizes.


4. The length of the reviews or notes written in your blog are not an issue. You can write a sentence, paragraph, or a full-length review. The time spent reviewing counts in your total time.


5. New this year, you can include some amount of time reading other participant's blogs, commenting on participating blogs and Facebook pages, and Twittering about your progress. For every five hours, you can add one hour of networking. This time counts in your total time.


6. On your blog, state when you are starting the challenge with a specific entry on that day and leave the link to that post at the MotherReader sign-in page with the trusty Mr. Linky.


7. When you finish, write a final summary that clearly indicates hours - including partial hours - you spent reading/reviewing/networking, the number of books read, and any other comments you want to make on the experience. It needs to be posted no later than noon, EST on Monday, June 8th. Also, check-in at the Finish Line post on MotherReader that will be posted Sunday and please link to that post from your final summary post.

I plan to start on Friday June 5, 2009 at 8pm and finish Sunday June 7 at 8pm.
This gives me time to settle in after evening routine and also to get home on Sunday night after spending the day at my parents.

I will be out part of the day on Saturday for my son's end-of-baseball party and probably will catch up my Sunday blogging all at once that evening since I will be at my parents. I will be reading, but won't have as much access to a computer.

I'm excited. I haven't done one of these before, but I think it will be fun. Besides I seriously need to catch up on reading and reviews!