Book Blogger Hop (Week1 Part 3)

Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme I found over at Crazy for Books.  The idea is to connect with other book lovers.  If you want to participate, your blog should be book-related (including some reviews).  If you decide to follow a blog you find through the Hop, comment to let that blogger know.  This isn't just a way to advertise your own blog.  You should make an effort to continue to follow new bloggers you discover.  So, if you want to join in on the Hop, go here.

For the weeks that I join in on the Hop, I'm going to try to check out a new blog each night and share the link with everyone.

Tonight's blog is: With a Good Book

Book Blogger Hop (Week 1 Part 2)

Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme I found over at Crazy for Books. The idea is to connect with other book bloggers who share a passion for reading, just like you. This is my first week participating.

Here are some of the rules:

Your blog should have content related to books. Reviews should be included, but your blog doesn't have to be strictly reviews.

If you find a blog you like and decide to follow, leave the blogger a comment to let them know you found them through Book Blogger Hop.


If you're interested, hop (sorry. couldn't resist) on over to Crazy for Books to sign up.

For the next week, I'm going to check out a new blog each night and post the link.

Tonight's blog is: My Random Acts of Reading

Book Blogger Hop (Week 1 Part 1)

Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme I found over at Crazy for Books.  The idea is to connect with other book bloggers who share a passion for reading, just like you.  This is my first week participating. 

Here are some of the rules:

Your blog should have content related to books.  Reviews should be included, but your blog doesn't have to be strictly reviews.

If you find a blog you like and decide to follow, leave the blogger a comment to let them know you found them through Book Blogger Hop. 

If you're interested, hop (sorry. couldn't resist) on over to Crazy for Books to sign up.

For the next week, I'm going to check out a new blog each night and post the link.

Tonight's new blog is: Just One More Paragraph.

Book Review Outline

So, I've been having a hard time deciding what to write when I do book reviews.  As I read the book, great thoughts come to me.  Unfortunately, those great thoughts are fleeting, and I don't write them down.  So, I decided to make a little outline for myself to decide what things I'll discuss in my reviews.  You can find them under Book Review Outline under Pages.

Bright Lights, Big Ass

After what seemed like forever, I finally finished Bright Lights, Big Ass by Jen Lancaster.  The length of time it took me to read this book does not reflect my feelings about it.  It usually takes longer to finish books we don't quite like, but that's not the case with this one.  I LOVED this book!  Unfortunately, life has been quite crazy for me lately, which has left me with little reading time.  So...here's a little preview of the book from Goodreads:

Jen Lancaster hates to burst your happy little bubble, but life in the big city isn't all it's cracked up to be. Contrary to what you see on TV and in the movies, most urbanites aren't party-hopping in slinky dresses and strappy stilettos. But lucky for us, Lancaster knows how to make the life of the lower crust mercilessly funny and infinitely entertaining.


Whether she's reporting rude neighbors to Homeland Security, harboring a crush on her grocery store clerk, or fighting-and losing-the Battle of the Stairmaster- Lancaster explores how silly, strange, and not-so-fabulous real city living can be. And if anyone doesn't like it, they can kiss her big, fat, pink, puffy down parka.


Reading about Lancaster's whacky adventures was like talking to friends.  I enjoyed her honest writing and foul language, because let's be honest.  Who doesn't like (even if it's secretly) when a chick drops the F-bomb?

My favorite part of the book (SPOILERS AHEAD) was when Jen's husband was away on business.  I could totally relate to being scared of being home alone at night, eating ridiculous foods for dinner (I've recently been eating Robin Eggs for dinner at least once a week), and not being able to function like a responsible adult when the hubby's gone.  Best part: she slept with a machete under her pillow! 

I read that part of the book one night while my fiance was at work.  I welcomed him home with, "Can I get a machete?"  I explained I could use it for protection while he's gone like Jen did in the book.  His response was, "No.  You'll hurt yourself before anyone ever breaks into this house."  He's probably right.  I'm sure there's also a good chance that I would be roused from a deep sleep when he returns home from work in the middle of the night and attack him with my trusty machete.  I may surprise him and get one, though.  My pap has 2 from Honduras. ;-)

So for those of you who haven't read this book...go get it!  I'm going to be picking up the rest of Jen Lancaster's books!

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

While waiting for class to start one day, I decided to check out The One-Minute Writer.  I follow her on Twitter and had briefly looked over the site before but hadn't really taken the time to find out what it was all about.  For those who are unfamiliar with The One-Minute Writer, it's a site by C. Beth at C Beth Blog.  She posts a prompt each day, and visitors write for one minute about whatever the prompt inspires. 

The prompt for that day was "disappointment."  I wrote a brief response and didn't think much of it.  The other day, though, I received a comment on my old blog page that I had won for that day!  Woo hoo!  My first writing achievement!  :-)  Here's what I wrote:

One-Minute Writing of the Day:


Writer: amdenman

In high school, I lied to my parents and snuck out with a boy. They caught me and grounded me. My lesson learned didn't come from losing car and phone privileges. It came from letting one of the worst people I've ever met into my life.

Thanks so much, C. Beth!  The story that could follow those few sentences is one I probably won't ever share with others.  It felt good, though, just to write that brief paragraph.

Speak Out Saturday (2)-Sexual Assault Awareness Month

April 1 is best known for being April Fool's Day.  For some, April 1 is not just one important day but the start of an important month.  April is designated as Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Many agencies/programs/community groups spend April spreading awareness about sexual violence.  I work for a rape crisis center, and we're working to do that as well.  In the past, we've held special events, but budget cuts and limited manpower have prevented us from doing that this year.  Instead, we've focused on getting information out to local businesses, using local media to our advantage, and reaching out to as many people as possible.  We'll be doing this for ALL of April rather than holding an event for one day of April.

On Thursday, I attended our county commissioners meeting with my co-workers to have a proclamation read declaring April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month in our county.  But this isn't just a local thing.  The President even read a proclamation on Thursday recognizing Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Sexual violence is all around us, whether we  like it or not.  The only way to change that is to begin talking about it.  Remaining silent gives perpetrators power.