Category Archives: All The Mumbo Jumbo

All the rest of the mumbo jumbo that you are just dying to read!

There’s a First Time For Everything (It’s Giveway Time!)

Posted in All The Mumbo Jumbo, Releasing Now Book Addicts by

You know what they say: There’s a first time for everything…

Well, I’m about to do something I’ve never done before here at The Never Ending Book Basket…

It’s Giveaway Time!!

And what better to GIVEAWAY than a book?! (The answer to that is nothing by the way. Unless it’s a book and chocolate.)

Sarah Pekkanen and myself with a little Ryan Gosling thrown in for good fun!

Sarah Pekkanen and myself with a little Ryan Gosling thrown in for good fun!

I recently had the chance to meet the fantastic author Sarah Pekkanen at a book signing for her newly released book Catching Air.

Talk about a fabulous night! Not only does she write some spectacular books, she puts on one hell of a book signing. (She had a picture of Ryan Gosling’s face on a stick, and she gave us chocolate. What’s not to love?)

I have read every single one of this author’s books, and I can tell you that I have absolutely loved and enjoyed them all. Each of her books has a dynamic group of characters that provide a thoughtful, engaging, and highly entertaining reading experience.

On a more personal note, I also had a serious sense of connection with one of her books because of past events in my family’s life, and I honestly don’t think I had ever felt such a strong connection to a book or a character in a book until that point. That connection is something  I will truly never forget.

Suffice to say, I absolutely adore this author and her books.

You could win a FREE signed copy of Catching Air!

You could win a FREE signed copy of Catching Air!

So as a way to spread the book love, I am giving away a FREE SIGNED copy of her newest book Catching Air.

Don’t worry you don’t have to give blood or offer your first born to enter. I am just looking to give back to all of you, and introduce you to a truly phenomenal author and her remarkable books! (I just gotta keep spreading this book addiction thing around!)

To enter the giveaway* simply click on the link below for a chance to win: (I’ll let you in on a little secret. To enter all you have to do is like a Facebook page. Nothing too complicated at all!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway (Click here to enter!)

Be sure to check out Catching Air TODAY!! Each of Sarah Pekkanen’s books have provided me with a unique reading experience that introduced me to some pretty dynamic characters that I simply adored. I highly recommend all of her books! They’ve got all you want: truly engaging characters, plenty of moments that’ll make you smile, some much loved drama and tension, and of course a story that’ll capture you in right from the get go.

Catching Air is at the top of my Never Ending Book Basket, and I am looking forward to diving into it head first ASAP! (And I totally think you should do the same!)

We’re clearly in this together!

Catching Air by Sarah Pekkanen

Catching Air by Sarah Pekkanen (photo credit: Goodreads)

Catching Air by Sarah Pekkanen (photo credit: Goodreads)

A chance to run a B&B in snowy, remote Vermont—it’s an offer Kira Danner can’t resist after six soul-crushing years of working as a lawyer in Florida. As Kira and her husband, Peter, step into a brand new life, she quells her fears about living with the B&B’s co-owners: Peter’s sexy, irresponsible brother Rand, and Rand’s wife, Alyssa…who is essentially a stranger.

For her part, Alyssa sees taking over the B&B as the latest in a string of adventures. Plus, a quiet place might help her recover from the news that she can’t bear children. But the idyllic town proves to be anything but serene: Within weeks, the sisters-in-law are scrambling to prepare for their first big booking—a winter wedding—and soon a shy, mysterious woman comes to work for them. Dawn Zukoski is hiding something; that much is clear. But what the sisters-in-law don’t realize is that Dawn is also hiding from someone… Relatable and dynamic, Catching Air delves deeply into the vital relationships that give shape to women’s lives.

 

To learn more about Sarah Pekkanen and her wonderful books check out the following links:

Facebook            Website               Twitter                 Goodreads

Be on the lookout for my review of this book soon….
(Something tells me it’s going to rock my socks off!)

Be sure to enter the giveaway to win a FREE SIGNED Copy of Catching Air, and check out Sarah Pekkanen and her books today!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway (Click here to enter!)

As always, sharing is caring, so feel free to share this post and spread the book and giveaway love!

*No purchase necessary. Open to US, Canadian, and UK residents only. Chances of winning depend on number of entries received. Giveaway will run from 5/14/14 to 5/22/14. Winner will be chosen at random on 5//14. Winner will need to claim prize within 48 hours or another winner will be chosen.

Don’t Judge a Book By Its Movie

Posted in All The Mumbo Jumbo, Releasing Now Book Addicts by

Now that we’ve said Good Riddance, let’s get down to some book talking business.

We all know the old adage don’t judge a book by its cover.

In laments terms, don’t make assumptions based solely upon how something looks. Now this saying is commonly applied to many facts of life, but a certain spin on it is one I think most book addicts can appreciate and understand.

Don’t judge a book by its movie.

We’ve all seen this fun little tidbit on Pinterest or other internet sites declaring to all those reading that they shouldn’t judge the books they might want to read based on the movies they helped create.

bac2dbe96eafdff48f07d08bafa3fd77Let’s face it. Film adaptations of books have been happening for years, and they are here to say. (I love that, but something tells me not everyone agrees with me on that particular thought.)

You see movie adaptations of books are a pretty sticky situation. And that’s putting it really lightly. They tend to range from extremely well loved, to sickeningly bad, to everything in between.

I think it’s really hard to take a book and make it into a film that does the book justice. This effort is valiantly attempted many times a year in every movie season, yet sadly many of these adaptations leave us feeling a bit down and disappointed or severely pissed off.

They always leave something we had to see out. Or we don’t like the actor/actress they picked to play a character we just adored. The couch in a particular scene could be a different color than in the book. (I am not even joking on that last one. I have heard people complain about that very thing many times before….)

photo credit:eaglesdiwaniya.wordpress.com

photo credit:eaglesdiwaniya.wordpress.com

Now I’ve reviewed some film adaptations of books on here before, and I tend to see these adaptations in a different light than most. Maybe I’m a bit of an optimist, but I always tend to give these films the benefit of the doubt. I realize movies are different than books, and as much as we’d all love to sit through a 6 hour movie that left nothing out, that just doesn’t work. (Seriously people, stop asking for that! It ain’t gonna happen.)

I’ve read my fair share of books that have been turned into films. More than I can honestly count. Some books I read before the film, some I even read after, but suffice to say, I’ve been doing this whole book to film thing since I became a book addict. Basically since birth.

So what brought on this discussion today at The Never Ending Book Basket?

I recently saw a new film based on a hugely bestselling young adult series. The film was really well done in my opinion. It was entertaining as hell. It made me laugh, my breath caught a few times at the action and events, and it had some characters I connected with and liked. Overall it was a good film adaptation that was truly engaging to watch and experience.

Here’s the thing though: I haven’t read any of the books in this series. Not one.

I am not kidding you when I say I have picked up the first book in this series at least 50 times over the last couple of years since its release. As you know I constantly seek out books in multiple locations, and this book has been everywhere. Each time I pass it by in the aisle, it calls to me.

I’ve picked it up. Read the back cover. Even read the first page. Yet each time I’ve put it right back onto the shelf without even adding it to my to be read list.

It just never caught my eye enough to make me want to read it, or buy it, or even add it to that list. What can I say? I am a self-proclaimed book snob.

So I must say I found it pretty interesting and surprising that after seeing the film adaptation of this highly loved book, I actually wanted to read it. I mean that’s kind of backwards for me. I’m the type of person who typically reads the book well before the movie comes out if I’m aware it exists. Or if I see a movie and find out it’s a book after watching the film, I’ll promptly read it.

But rarely have I ever knowingly saw a film based on a book series that I intentionally didn’t read or wasn’t 100% sure on.

The Divergent Series by Veronica Roth

The Divergent Series by Veronica Roth

I kid you not, I said those very words to my best friend as we left the movie theater. And I couldn’t help but wonder what had changed to make me want to suddenly read this series.

It’s not as if I didn’t know the premise of these books before I saw the movie. I also knew the actors and actresses they chose to portray characters, and I was sold there. (Hello, Fitzgerald Grant the President of the United States from Scandal is in this movie. How can you not love that?!) I also knew many other people loved them, so it’s not as if this book was for singular tastes.

So what changed?

I honestly don’t think I have an answer to that question. Maybe seeing the film made the story come alive more so than it had before just from those few pages I’d read. Maybe it made me take a second or fifty first look at the books. Maybe I just became less of a book snob. (Don’t hold out hope on that one!)

Whatever the reasoning was for my change of heart, I couldn’t help but wonder if I was one of the few people out there that looks at books time and time again, but don’t actually decide to read them until the movie is out.

So besides writing this blog post and sharing all my thoughts on this topic, I want to know what you think:

Have you ever done this, and felt this way after seeing a film adaptation of a book? Has a film adaptation of a book actually gotten you to read a book or series?

I know I’m not the only one out there, so feel free to share! I can’t wait to hear from you!

Oh, and if you’re sitting there wondering if I bought the books after seeing the film. Well let’s just say my checking account decreased in amount just a smidge because I may or may not have just bought the entire series…

Here’s hoping that was $40 well spent.

To see my other posts on film adaptations click the following links:

Fifty Shades of Grey

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Good Riddance

Posted in All The Mumbo Jumbo, Books I love, Places to Find Books by

For an optimal and seriously ridiculous reading experience, click play as you read this post.

It’s not you, it’s me. I need some space. I’m just going through a lot right now. We can still totally be friends.

We’re breaking up. It’s over and done. After today, we’ll never be together again. It’s time to face the music.

The Never Ending Book Basket is going through a breakup. We’re not breaking up with a person, or a dog, or an imaginary friend.

Nope. We’re breaking up with our name. You heard me. Our name is a changing.

Our domain name to be exact. (Had you worried there for a sec, didn’t I?)

No longer will you tirelessly have to type out neverendingbookbasket.wordpress.com into your address bar to visit this fabulously written blog. From now you will find all the wit and humor of The Never Ending Book Basket at the following website address: neverendingbookbasket.com

So what does this mean? (Besides that I paid like 20 bucks for this to happen.) Basically, it means the URL for the blog got a little shorter. Woohoo for laziness!

Now onto the important crap! 🙂

As you can see, I tend to have a flair for the dramatics. So in celebration of saying good riddance to our old URL, and hello to our new one, I thought we’d take a little walk down our drama filled memory lane.

We might be breaking up with our old domain name, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t plenty of good times had.

I’ve compiled a list of the posts oozing with drama in one way or another. Clearly all the posts on here rock (though I may be a bit biased in saying that), but the posts below kind of just hit it out the park. They’re deliciously dramatic, and I love it. (Be sure to click on all the highlighted links to take you to that post/author page!)

So put your big girl panties on, and let’s do this thing.

Save The Drama For Your Mama:

Here at The Never Ending Book Basket I’ve reviewed quite a few books. They’ve all got a little bit of delicious, gotta have it drama, but these three books kind of take the cake in the best possible way:

Love Unscripted and Love Unrehearsed by Tina Reber.

Love Unscripted and Love Unrehearsed by Tina Reber.

  • On My Knees by Meredith Wild: Be prepared for a tumultuous ride full of ups and downs for this couple, but by golly, it’s one hell of a ride you’re just gonna love.
  • Love Unrehearsed & Love Unscripted by Tina Reber: This is our two for one special, and boy does it deliver. The drama is literally busting out of these books, and they’ll make you see how that can be oh so good.
  • Picking Up the Pieces by Elizabeth Hayley: Looking to dive head first into a charming and tremendously enthralling love triangle? Well here is your ticket, and it’s definitely time to collect.

Don’t Judge a Book By Its Movie:

Photo Credit: Entertainment Weekly

Photo Credit: Entertainment Weekly

We all know that for every movie you see, it’s likely to be based upon a book. These movie adaptations range from alarmingly horrible to sinfully good. They say “don’t judge a book by its movie”, and while I readily agree, I did find the following 2 film adaptations exceedingly worth a look at:

  • Fifty Shades of Grey: What more can I say? Whether you love this series or love to hate it, you have an opinion on it. And you know it.
  • The Hunger Games: Catching Fire: This adaptation got me a new best friend, and his name is Francis Lawrence. And boy do I heart him something fierce.

Confessions of a Book Drama Queen:

This whole blog thing started with one post exorcising all of my addictions. Book addictions that is. You see, I am a book addict, and I’m proud of it. I’ve been this way for a while, and I don’t know if I’m ever going to change, but you know what:

The Name Game:

This entire post has been about saying so long to the old and hello to the new with the URL of this blog. While that might not be so monumental to you, it was pretty darn big to me. (Just like coming up with the name of the blog.) So while we continue our little stroll down memory lane, let’s play the name game:

  • What Lies in a Name?: Have you ever wondered where the hell the name for this blog even came from? Inquiring minds clearly want to know.

Going For Broke:

As we bid farewell to our walk in the past, I’ll leave you with the post that’ll surely brighten your day, or empty your wallet. Either way, it doesn’t really matter. You have to love a countdown, so we’re going out on top:

Ukazoo Books located in Towson, Maryland. (photo credit: Ukazoo Books)

Ukazoo Books located in Towson, Maryland. (photo credit: Ukazoo Books)

  • The Top 5 ½ Places to Find Books #1: You can’t just know what books to read, you gotta know where to find them. I think I assuredly found the best place, and something tells me, you’ll most definitely agree.

Thanks for joining me on The Never Ending Book Basket’s walk down memory lane, as we say good riddance to our old URL and WordPress moniker, and enter the new age with a shorter domain name.

Breakups usually have tons of crazy, some tumultuous ups and downs, and of course, plenty of drama. And our “breakup” at The Never Ending Book Basket was just that.

I hope you thoroughly enjoyed revisiting these drama laced posts today, as we bid adieu to the old and say hello to the future, shorter name in tow.

They say breaking up is hard to do, but something tells me we’re gonna be just fine.

Why Francis Lawrence is My New Best Friend.

Posted in All The Mumbo Jumbo, Books I love by

Something monumental has just occurred in my life.

Sadly I haven’t met that special someone who is  named after my favorite bread. (Jeez mom, calm yourself down, it’ll happen.) I also still have yet to discover how to make something from Pinterest look like it did on the damn website.

What has happened to today is bigger than that.

I have made a new best friend. His name is Francis Lawrence.

He’s a kind, gentle soul, and many people would say he is downright awesome. He listens, he cares, and he is there for you. Never heard of Francis Lawrence? Well let me enlighten you. Who better to do that since I am his new best friend?

Francis Lawrence is the director of Catching Fire the second book in the enthralling Hunger Games series. He’s also going to direct Mockingjay. He is a simply wonderful man who I have never actually met before. But don’t worry, we’re still best friends.

Acca-believe it.

Before you ask, yes I took a picture of my Catching Fire book next to a candle with a woodland scene on top of it. Have some respect. That candle is from Yankee Candle and it smells heavenly.

Before you ask, yes I took a picture of my Catching Fire book next to a candle with a woodland scene on top of it. Have some respect. That candle is from Yankee Candle and it smells heavenly.

Francis Lawrence is my new best friend because his adaptation of Catching Fire was out of this world. If you haven’t yet seen it, go now. Stop what you are doing immediately, and go pay $10 and go see it. It is worth every penny, even if you’re one of those strange people who hasn’t read the books yet. (Yes I am talking to you Aubrey!)

I have seen this movie twice already, once with a very fun cast of characters I call my friends, and once in IMAX with my goober aka my little brother. (It should be noted that both of these showings I saw were less than 15 hours apart. That is how good this movie is. Or that is how strong my addiction is. It’s either one or the other, specifics don’t really matter.)

As Francis Lawrence and I are now best friends I found it only right that I take the time to commend him on a job well done, and point out the many things he did to make Catching Fire one of the best movie adaptations out there. Period.

Thus without further ado, what set me on fire about this movie: (This is where you should stop reading if you’re one of the 3 people who haven’t seen this movie or read the book yet.)

  • Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson. I love, and I mean love these two as Katniss and Peeta. Their performance in this movie was outstanding, and it really had me believing exactly what they were trying to portray: Two people who care for each other deeply, but are still trying to figure out what that all means.
  • Two words: Finnick. One word: Love him. Finnick Odair is by far my favorite character (besides Katniss and Peeta) in the whole entire series. He honestly is the character that really made me adore these books. He was also the one character I really cared about casting with. In my mind they had to nail him, or I was not gonna be sold and would probably shed a tear for my dear Finnick. Boy was I happy though with Sam Claflin’s portrayal of Finnick. He did that character justice. He made me love him and want to hug him, and if I wasn’t already newly best friends with Francis Lawrence, I’d be best friends with him too by now.
  • Jena Malone is crazy in the best kind of way. Jena Malone portrays Johanna, a very unique victor from District 7. I have a soft spot for Johanna, because I like me some crazy, and that girl is crazy in the best possible way. Jena Malone plays into that crazy perfectly, and when times were really tense in this movie she added the fun and wildness that was necessary for that little comic relief.
  • The merry band of previously victorious victors. All of the actors chosen to play the other victors for this round of The Hunger Games were phenomenal. Even if they only had one line, I loved every minute of them being on-screen. Mags is by far the stand out of this group. Well done Lynn Cohen.
  • The chemistry between Katniss and Peeta. Don’t get me wrong, in The Hunger Games I believed that Katniss and Peeta “liked” each other as they did in the book, but I wasn’t overwhelmed by their “likeness.” But in Catching Fire I was amazed at how much these two characters and actors were able to make me believe that they really cared for one another. And let’s be honest it just looked like they liked each other a hell of a lot more in this movie.
  • The arena. Let me tell you, it took me a while when I read Catching Fire to really picture where they were competing for their lives. I just couldn’t pin point an image in my head. The arena they created in this movie, blew my mental picture out of the water. That arena is the definition of how CGI and real locations can be used to create something mind-blowing.
  • The up, close, and personal IMAX experience. I had never seen a movie in IMAX until this one. Let me tell you it was definitely an experience, and it added to the great visuals of the last half of the film. Also, if you’re looking to learn how many freckles each cast member has on their face, IMAX is your new best friend. The image was so clear, I am pretty sure I was able to see the actors faces clearer than I have ever seen my own.

While I LOVED this adaptation, there were only two small details that put my fire out just a smidge:

  • The one scene I wanted in this film, was cut. Now I know that I preach on here to be happy with what you get, and I am ecstatic about this film, but the one scene I liked didn’t make the cut. For those who know the story it involves two people escaping to District 13 that Katniss briefly meets. Was this scene vital to have? No. But I still liked it, and wanted to see it. (Don’t worry Francis, we still cool.)
  • The Fifty Shades of Grey moment. I love me some Fifty Shades, I do. But I did not expect that in Catching Fire there would be a scene where Katniss, Peeta, and Finnick all make the noises I would expect to hear in that movie. Don’t get me wrong, the scene is great, but I couldn’t help but giggle at that moment like a twelve-year-old girl who sees people kissing. Maybe I am a tad immature, but the sounds in that scene threw a little wrench in the dramatic acting taking place. (For those that have seen the movie, this is the scene when Katniss, Peeta, and Finnick are “washing off” their burns in the water)

Have you come back from seeing Catching Fire yet? If not, it still isn’t too late.

Suffice to say this movie was by far one of the best book to movie adaptations I have ever seen. It did a fantastic job capturing this book, and presenting a story that I and so many others fell in love with.

Francis Lawrence you are my new best friend.

You have set the bar higher than any of the trees Katniss could climb, and I applaud you for that. You may not care that what I think, but you should.

We are best friends after all.

What Lies in a Name?

Posted in All The Mumbo Jumbo by

Welcome back to book addiction central, or as I lovingly refer to it, my life. I am hoping that if you are reading this current post that means you have found my blog in some miraculous way. I am also fully aware that it is most likely from my shameless self-plugging on Facebook and Twitter.

No matter what way you found yourself on this blog, here we are again to talk about books. Now before you go counting your chickens before they hatch, I thought I’d take one more blog post to immerse you within my self-proclaimed book addiction prior to starting a discussion about actual books. Don’t worry, they say good things come to those who wait. I’m not sure what exactly those good things are, but it might wine and a book, and those are always worth waiting for.

The sole purpose of this post, besides convincing more and more people of my craziness, is to explain the meaning behind the title of this blog. Now you may not think finding a title warrants an entire blog post by itself, but believe me when you are as OCD as me about things, nailing down a title for your blog is a milestone unto itself.

As I have previously explained, I love books and a buy them a lot. Here is some context on what “a lot” means: I rarely go into a book store without buying a new book or at least adding 2 books to my list of books to buy. Don’t even get me started on what happens when I walk past the Target book section. Bad things happen there.

Basically, it can be surmised that I buy an exorbitant amount of books, and that I buy them often enough that I have a pile if you will of books that need to be read. In an effort to be “organized” I have consolidated this pile of books into what I call my book basket. Now I know what you all must be thinking “Wow, she must have this very fantastic and special place to hold all of her books that need to be read, especially since she loves reading so much!” In actuality my book basket is a tote basket with flowers on it from the Target clearance section. Just what you were thinking I’m sure. Didn’t I ever mention to you that I could read minds? (That thought is probably best left to another kind of blog…)

As fate would have it though, that lovely little book basket was my inspiration for the title of this blog, The Never Ending Book Basket. You see I have had that book basket for about 4 years now, and I have yet to see the bottom of that sucker since the day I bought it. That poor little basket has moved with me in and out of my college dorm at least six times, and has even made the trek with me as I moved back home after graduation to live with my parents again. (eek!) My friends will be the first people to tell you that that basket is almost always filled to the brim, if not overflowing the top of the basket. That thing probably weighs a good 20 pounds. (If you don’t believe me, at the bottom of this post I have some pictures of the basket in its current state; be forewarned, it isn’t too pretty)

It’s easy for me to say that that book basket is one of my favorite possessions, and it holds many great books that I am dying to sink into. The only “problem” is that I have yet to find an end to the book basket. As I said earlier, I haven’t seen the bottom of that thing since I bought it, and there are some books in it that I have owned for years. For instance, some of the books in there may or may not have price tags on them from a major book store chain that is no longer even in business. The thing is that I buy books so often that the books on top get read first, thus the ones at the bottom don’t get much sunlight if you catch my drift. It isn’t as if I don’t want to read them, I just can’t stop buying books long enough to actually get to them.

Hence I refer to that basket as never ending. Even though there may never be an actual end to that book basket, and I may not ever see its bottom again, that basket is my pride and joy. It contains a plethora of different books, each with its own distinctive story to share. That is why I have to say I am quite happy that it will most likely never end, because that means I will never stop finding books to buy, read, enjoy, and discuss with others.

Now, don’t you see why The Never Ending Book Basket was the perfect title for this blog? That book basket represents at its core that there will always be another book out there that needs to be read. Clearly weren’t my hours of laboring and thought into the title well spent? I think they were, but this is my blog so I am probably a smidge biased. (If I’m being completely honest with you though, which I will always strive to be, coming up with the title for this blog took about 3 minutes while I was driving home from work)

As a personal challenge for this blog I am also going to attempt to not buy a crap ton of books in the near future, so that I can attempt to decrease the overflow of books over the top of that little never ending basket. I should probably let you know before you get your hopes up though, that I have tried to do that before, and have pretty much failed catastrophically every time. And I mean every time.

So as I begin this blog, and my reading challenge I proclaim that I will try valiantly as ever to find the end to the never ending book basket. It will be a tough battle that I will surely lose in the end, but the challenge itself is all the fun. I mean let’s face it, this challenge involves me not buying more books, which will never happen. But, it also involves a hell of a lot of good books, great discussion, and tons of good times. What’s not to like? (By the way, if you actually have an answer to that question, please feel free to keep that answer to yourself. Remember friends, kind words go a long way.)

Are you ready, because I think that chicken is about ready to hatch. Let The Never Ending Book Basket challenge begin, right after I get back from the book store. (Just kidding…. But not really)

p.s. At the bottom of this post are pictures of my book basket in its current state. I’m going to be honest and share that this is the probably the most books I have ever had in it, and just to remind you these are just the books I own that I haven’t read. I also have a five shelf bookcase from Target completely filled to the brim with books. (Told you I had a book addiction, but it’s not hoarding if they’re organized, right?)

Fun Fact: The Never Ending Book Basket currently contains 45 books that I have purchased but not read. (And my mother wonders why I have no money to speak of….) And in case you were wondering, my list of books to buy currently has 43 books on it. What can I say? At least I’m consistent with my addiction, and from what I’ve heard consistency is key.

 
The infamous Never Ending Book Basket

The infamous Never Ending Book Basket

They Say Step One is Admitting You Have a Problem

Posted in All The Mumbo Jumbo by

My name is Megan, and I am an addict. I have had this addiction for quite a while now, and I guess at this point it’s time to admit that it is probably never going to go away. My addiction has ebbed and flowed over the years, but I have to say that I am currently in the midst of full blown addiction. I deal with this addiction every day. It can get bad at night, and weekends are even worse. This is rock bottom. They say step one is admitting you have a problem, so here I am declaring it to the world.  I have a problem, and I am fully admitting it.

Now before you go calling A &E to set up an intervention, I guess I should tell you that what I am addicted to is perfectly legal. To fill my addiction I don’t have to break the law, go to any dangerous sketchy place in the middle of the night, or spend an arm and leg to fill my need. Even though it does cost me more money per year than I (or my mother for instance) would like to admit, I won’t be arrested anytime soon for my addiction, though I will probably wonder where all my money went. Some of you are already aware that I have this addiction, as I have had it for quite some time now. It is quite obvious it takes up a good part of my life. Some of you have even fed this addiction over time, but no blame or shame can be put on your shoulders. The true blame falls on me, and now the time has come to fully expose myself to the world, and proclaim what I have known for years.

I am addicted to books.

While I may admit my introduction to my addiction could be a tad more serious than it needed to be, the sentiment is still the same. For as long as I can remember I have loved books. I lovingly refer to the book store as my mecca. (And before you ask, I have actually said that out loud to multiple people in public places besides the book store) I have also spent more money than I am willing to admit on buying books. Let’s just say that inside of a good book is where I love to spend some time. For the record, let it be noted that when I say “some time” I really mean a crap ton of time, to the point that I have actually lost weight before because getting up to eat meant I had to stop reading. But don’t you worry, that has only happened a few times, and when I say a few I actually mean more times than I’d like to admit.

So what have we deduced so far, besides that I have a “slight” problem? I love to read. It is one of my biggest passions. Anyone who knows me knows that I can read, or talk about the books I read all day every day. If you think that is even a minor exaggeration ask me about a book I have read, or one that I am reading. I. Dare. You.

Finally we have come to the point where I explain the purpose of the proclamation of my book addiction. As I have previously stated about 45 times by now, I love books and reading, and in the never ending search to continue discussing the books I read, I decided to start this blog. My goal for this blog is simple. I want a new outlet to discuss the books I am currently reading, and maybe even a few I have already read, but can’t seem to let out of my mind. I also hope this blog will serve as a way for me to recommend books to others, as I truly think good books need to be shared with the world IMMEDIATELY. (Just ask those close to me, because I have frequently called them out of the blue demanding they read a book ASAP)

Thus, to save you all hours of my endless talking about books day in and day out in person, I decided that I should take to the internet and spread my thoughts to the World Wide Web. (Or the few friends and family members who may actually read this blog. Clearly I have very high expectations.) I will admit that this is my first real attempt at blogging, but I figured I would give it my very best try. Let’s be honest though, this just gives me another way to keep talking about something I love, and God knows I so enjoy doing that.

Whether or not the whole word or just my crazy band of merry book reader friends see this blog, I truly hope that these posts will bring about some great discussions about the many fantastic books out there today. That last sentence can essentially be translated into this: I hope to use this blog as a means to spread my book addiction to the world in a way that does not require an actual intervention in a conference room at the local Clarion Inn.

I have said it before, and I will say it again. My name is Megan, and I am addicted to books. It is an all too consuming problem, and I am admitting it freely here and now. They say the first step is admitting you have a problem. Well I have done that, and the time has come to accept my addiction.  Book addiction is not to be taken lightly, but when done correctly it is the best kind of addiction to have. Let me be clear that while I may be acknowledging here that I have a problem, it in no way means I am going to stop with my addiction.

You should join me on my path of addiction. It’s one hell of a ride, but so totally worth it.

I am a book addict. This is what book addiction looks like. Not so bad, right?

I am a book addict. This is what book addiction looks like. Not so bad though, right?