Top Ten Tuesday: Read These Authors!

The prompt over at the Broke and the Bookish today is underrated authors (or books.) So here's what I think, I think more people should read these authors:

1. Kasie West
2. Dan Wells
3. Carol Lynch Williams
4. Wilkie Collins
5. Neal Shusterman
6. Rick Yancy
7. J. Scott Savage
8. Melina Marchetta
9. Angela Morrison
10. Lindsey Leavitt


Utah Book Month is over, but it appears I'm pushing a bunch of Utah authors on you! Yeah. They're a'll pretty good you guys and you should be reading them! :)

Bloggista September 2014 Coming Soon!

September 18 to 21
#bloggiesta @bloggiesta
www.bloggiesta.com

Just a quick shout out here on the blog for Bloggiesta which is coming up quickly! We'll be working on our blogs for FOUR days again. . . September 18 to  21.  Be sure to check out the website this weekend for the sign up/to do list linky. 

As in years past, we'll also have a Twitter chat/party each day. Stay tuned for those times. If you have suggestions for those or would like to help host, let me know! (Follow @bloggiesta and hashtag #bloggiesta.)

We do have space for a few more mini challenges too, so if you'd like to still participate there, let me know.

I hope you'll all join in the fun!

Music Stuck in My Head: Bailando by Enrique

I'm heading to Comic Con for the next few days and so I'll not be around, at least here, for a bit. I'm sure you'll hear all about it when it's over. And you can always see what I manage to post on Instagram and Twitter as it's all going down (@SueySays   #SLComicCon)

In the meantime, I thought I'd leave you with a song that is SO stuck in my head. So so stuck! I can't get enough of this song. I love the dancing. I love the Spanish lyrics (and I'm hoping, and pretty sure that there's nothing too naughty about them!) and I love Enrique!

Enjoy!

 
 

P.S. There is an English version, but the Spanish is just so much, so so much, BETTER!

Concert Review: Kenny Loggins

The best picture I took of him.

As you probably know, we get to go to lots of concerts every summer at our local outdoor theater. The one most anticipated for this year was Kenny Loggins. He came last Thursday and it was a blast!

We had awesome seats because I bought the theater's 30th anniversary shirt which, for these big concerts, gets me in about 15 minutes before everyone else. (It also gets me free popcorn. Woot.) We were on the third row up the hill! Perfect!

He opened with his new country band Blue Sky Riders. They were pretty good and quite a lot of fun, but we all just wanted Kenny!

Here's what they sound like if you're interested:




Finally, after a little intermission, he came on and began to sing all the songs we loved from the 80s. I think he started with I'm Alright. And went really quickly to Return to Pooh Corner, but not before he told us the story of how that song came to be. He actually wrote it while still in high school and had someone interested in producing it, but Disney got wind of it and wouldn't let them. He was sad and moping with his girlfriend and when she realized what the problem was, she's all like, "Let me tell Daddy!" Well, I don't know how he didn't know, but her dad was the CEO of Disney and after she made him play the song for her dad, he made it happen. Kenny said he probably figured this crazy kid wasn't going anywhere anyway, so what's the big deal, right? Ha! Great story, eh?

We love this song at our house and my just turned 25 year old son, who was with us, got a little weepy hearing this song live I think. Such a fun song. I taped this one on my phone. The sound is wocky (I thought these new phones could do a better job!) and he had us singing along with him and I sing terrible, so beware! :) But it's fun to see him so, here you go.



Anyway, and so it went from there. At one point, he made it seem like he was done and going, but really, he was only getting started and the crowd got fired up and we were on our feet for the "songs from the movies" including Highway to the Danger Zone and Footloose. So much fun!

When he sang Celebrate Me Home, he came out into the audience and stood pretty much right by me while he just wailed and sang his guts out. It was so cool to be that close to someone who sings like that. He was literally shaking with the effort. But let me also say, he looks so old! However, what gorgeous eyes, oh my word!!

Anyway, then for his finale, he sang Forever and we all did the phone thing and it looked awesome and gave us chills and sigh, then it was over.


Here's a Forever clip from YouTube. You can see what I mean about his eyes! You'll also see the intensity with which he sings. It's amazing.




Well, it will end up for sure in the top five of the most fun concerts I've been too. Probably because the songs have such memories and  meaning tied to them for me. You know? I mean, this guy was my era!

What's your favorite Kenny Loggins song?

Top Ten Tuesday: At My Lunch Table

Fun prompt over at The Broke and the Bookish today! Check it out!

Here are some characters I'd love to have join me at my school lunch table!

1. Hermione from Harry Potter
2. Jo from Little Women
3. Mia from Princess Diaries
4. Mia from If I Stay
5. Aria from Through the Ever Night

What's lunch with out the guys? Boring!!

6. Joe from The Sky is Everywhere
7. Gale from The Hunger Games
8. Braden from On the Fence
9. Cricket from Lola and The Boy Next Door
10. Michael from The Princess Diaries

My criteria for this list? Down to earth people, brainy people, music people and boy next door types. I guess the sort of people I figure I'd be friends with... or, I WAS friends with in high school. Did I pick correctly? Who would you add to my list given that criteria?

Who would be on YOUR list? 

August 2014 Reading Wrap Up and September Events

My favorite picture I took this month. 

I really thought I'd do better this month. But, once again, it's been a crazy month. In fact, I don't think I've even read this past whole weekend, and a few days before that. So no going out with a bang or anything. Sigh. Life. Sometimes it's fun, and sometimes it makes me crazy.

Anyway, this is what I read this month. Four Utah Books and one not.

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell: For his job, Lincoln has to monitor the company's emails. In so doing, he gets to know a couple of fellow employees and falls in love with one of them.

Longing for Home by Sarah M. Eden: Katie has come from Ireland to work in Wyoming. It turns out she find herself in the middle of a feud between the Irish people and the others.

 Cut Me Free by J.R. Johannson: Piper wants to escape her past, but it's not going as she planned and she ends up right back in the middle of conflict and craziness.

 Becoming Lady Lockwood by Jennifer Moore: Amelia is on a voyage from her home Jamaica back to England to see about a proxy marriage she was involved in. Meanwhile, the captain of the ship is looking more and more interesting.

The Shadow Prince by Bree Despain: Haden has to go from the Underworld to our world in order to bring back a girl to save his world. He doesn't count on finding someone he actually falls in love with and who has her own feisty agenda.

Favorites of the month: The Shadow Prince... and then probably Attachments. Fun books!

I really need to step up my reading game if I'm to accomplish my Goodreads goal and fit in all the books I'm dying to read!

Plans for September:

• Finish Dreams of Gods and Monsters
• Read Maus for book club.
• I started two other books for Utah book month... not sure I'll finish them right now.
• Read The Letters.
• Read The Iron Trial for review.
• I don't know what else! We'll see!!!

Some events happening in September:

** 30 Authors in 30 Days! This is an awesome event hosted by Allison of The Book Wheel. I'll be participating later this month by featuring an author on my blog. Be sure to check out all the details here. 

** Carl's RIP is starting up again... it's RIP IX! Oh my word, I can't believe it's been going on this long. Check out the details here and start thinking of scary haunting books you should be reading! I'll be posting my potential list soon.

** BLOGGIESTA!!! This will be September 18 through 21. I still need some mini challenge hosts! Email me if you are interested!

Utah Book Month Wrap Up Including First Line Winner and Party Pics!

Wow, it's been a month!

Last night we ended Utah Book Month with a fun Utah blogger/author party at the park. Thanks to those of you that came! We need to get more of you to be brave and join us next time! It's such a low key casual affair, I'd love for more of you to join us!

We had food, and talked a lot, and swapped some books. We came up with some fun bookish questions to ask each other in order to get to know each other's bookish business. So fun!

Let the book swap begin!

(from left to right)
Jenni Elyse from Jenni Elyse
Kami from Kami's Library Thoughts
Karena from Discovery Writer
Jessica from Books a True Story
Jessica from The Bluestocking Society

(from left to right)
John, Megan's husband (with baby)
Megan Hutchins 
Toto (my daughter)
Heather Ostler (with baby)
Shannen Camp
Kathy from Read This Instead

Fun times!

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Next, I need to give a shout out to Kristen from The Book Monsters who won my First Line's Quiz mini challenge! She got every one right! Here are the answers:


1. They say a witch lives in the old house under the interstate bridge. From House of Ivy and Sorrow by Natalie Whipple

2. The crackle and hiss of the flames devouring our house couldn't block out the screaming and wailing of those who were still alive. From Defy by Sara B. Larson

3. The warehouse was coffin dark. From Dangerous by Shannon Hale

4. I did the unforgivable the day my mother died, and for that I've been punished every moment of my life. From The Shadow Prince by Bree Despain

5. The kidnapper looking down at Naomi held a book of poetry to his chest. From The Breakaway by Michelle Argyle

6. A woodlark sings of heartache. From Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson

7. Eighteen years had passed since Kate Macauley killed her sister. From Longing for Home by Sarah Eden

8. Mrs. Anderson was dead. From I Am Not a Serial Killer by Dan Wells

9. I was lying on the long grass, only distantly aware of my surroundings. From Seers by Heather Frost

10. I once believed that heroes existed only in old men's fables, that evil in the world had triumphed over good, and that love--- a true, unselfish and abiding love--- could only be found in a little girl's imagination. From The Rent Collector by Camron Wright

Congratulations Kristen! I'll be sending you an email!

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And finally,  here's what I posted that had something to do with Utah Book Month during August,  just in case you missed it!

James Dashner Launch Party for Rule of Thoughts
Spotlighting the Orem Library
The Maze Runner Movie
Authors Pick Five: Michelle Argyle
Utah Books I Read This Past Year
Utah Books First Lines Quiz
The World's Strongest Librarian Comes to Book Club
Book Review: The Shadow Prince by Bree Despain
Book Review: Becoming Lady Lockwood by Jennifer Moore
Book Review: Cut Me Free by J.R. Johansson
Book Review: Longing for Home by Sarah M. Eden

Wow! What fun it's been! Now, on to the next project!