Musing Monday

This week's Musing asks:

Have you ever read a book that, at the time, you didn’t feel a strong connection towards, but as time goes by you find yourself thinking about it a lot?

I'm actually going through this right now with Anne Rice's most recent novel, The Wolf Gift. I got about three quarters of the way through ~ something which I had to force most of the time ~ and I just felt I had to put it away for later. I felt zero connection to the characters and the story, which was depressingly disappointing as I was SO looking forward to Anne Rice getting back in the groove of paranormal writing. However, I've found the book taunting me from my bookshelf, begging to be finished if only for the sake of finding out what happens. Right now, I find it difficult to form an opinion about the story, knowing I haven't received the full picture, and I'm starting to feel that I need to complete the circle and close the book for good.

Happy Reading Everyone :)

~ Keely ~

Musing Monday

This week’s musing asks…

Do you set goals for yourself, while reading? For example, “I want to get this book finished this weekend“, or “I will read __ pages today“, etc. Why, or why not?

I really try not to do this to myself ~ I want to remain in that place where I read for the joy of the story. BUT, since I've started this blog, I've started to make a reading schedule, thinking "I really need to get some more reading done this weekend..." It's something I try to avoid because I find that when I turn a hobby into a pressured obligation, it's not as much fun. Nothing would break my heart more than if reading wasn't fun for me anymore...


Happy Reading Everyone:)


~ Keely ~

Musing Monday

This week’s musing…

"I read an article, this past week, about book covers, and the difference between print & digital covers; about how the digital covers have almost disappeared entirely, while publishers decide to just skip right to the content.

What do you think about this? Do you think the book cover is “dead”? Do you care whether the “covers” on digital books exist or not?

If you have the time, read the article and then share your thoughts! "

I'm not sure how they come up with this information, but I hope the book cover never dies. The cover is what draws me in; it's what makes me read the 'blurb' and ultimately buy the book. There's nothing I love more than opening up my Kobo or Kindle app and seeing all the colorful squares that fill my digital library, and if I'm looking for a particular story, I always look for that familiar cover that pulled me in in the first place.

I don't view my ebooks a whole lot differently than my hard copies. My 'real' books are kinda like a work of art to me, filling up my bookshelf with all kinds of unique colors and tones, and more importantly, when I see the cover, the story comes flooding back to me and I can relive those moments. Same for my digital library.

I don't think the cover is dead, and I hope they never see it as a nonessential element in digital books.


Happy Reading Everyone :)

~ Keely ~

Musing Monday

This week’s musing asks…

What is the longest book you have ever read? How long did it take you to read it?

Definitely The Stand by Stephen King.  At 1,152 pages, it's no wonder it took me the better part of three months to finish. I don't think it was just the length that had me slowly chipping away at the pages, but the gloomy tone that I tended to need a break from every few days.

Incredible book ~ I'm a huge fan of Stephen King ~ but if you've read any of his books, you know even the most joyous moments in his novels are tinged with darkness.

Musing Monday

This week's musing asks:

Do you have a reading goal for the year? Why or why not?

I participate in the GoodReads Reading Challenge, and right now my goal is 50 books. I'm usually about 2 or 3 books behind.. lol.. but I try. I'm not strict about meeting the goal, because reading is supposed to be fun, not a competition or something to stress over..

Happy Reading Everyone :)

~ Keely ~

Musing Monday

Going on four hours of sleep, but I'm still here! That's the thing about blogging... I would rather get myself out of bed (even after a horrible night's sleep) to visit the book blog world for an hour rather than sleep for that extra time.. same could be said for reading into the night... Anyway,

This week's musing asks:

Do you tend to read to the end of a chapter, or can you stop anywhere?

Guess it depends. If I feel I need to stop reading to get a few things done, I'll check to see how far I am to the end of the chapter. If it's a few pages, I'll finish the chapter; if it's something like ten pages, I'll stop there. In the first scenario, I think I read til the end as an excuse to read for a minute longer. 'I'm almost done, so why not finish it?,' kinda thing.. 

Sometimes if I get really frustrated with a character or angry with how the characters in a relationship are reacting toward one another, I'll literally slam the cover shut, force myself to stop, and pace around my house 'doing chores.' Hehe :) 

Happy Reading Everyone :)

~ Keely ~ 

Musing Mondays

This week's musing asks...

If you were going to write a book, what would you write about? Would it be fiction or nonfiction?

I've actually already begun writing a fiction novel, and I'm finding it to be the most difficult yet most rewarding project I've ever undertaken.

It's about a women who loses the world she knows and the person she loves and how she finds the strength and the ability to survive her guilt. She becomes a completely different person, almost to the core of her being, except for those precious little moments she allows herself to remember. It isn't until she stumbles upon and watches from a distance a world similar to what she used to know ~ filled with trust, love, and companionship ~ that she even considers the fact that her life doesn't have to continue to be the way she's allowed it to become. Maybe she can be human again...but at what cost?

I love losing myself in this world of certainty and uncertainty and what it means to be human... I never really know where it's going to take me next, and although I'm not even close to being finished, I'm having the time of my life :)

Happy Reading Everyone :)


~ Keely ~

Musing Mondays

This week we are musing about ...

Do you listen to audiobooks? If not, why not? And if so, what has been one of your favorites, so far?

It's been a couple of years since I listened to an audiobook, but it's not like they were a bad habit that I felt I needed to quit. I actually really like audio books. Back then, I used to drive quite a bit more, sometimes making an eight hour haul to see my boyfriend (now husband) and in lieu of music, I opted for some James Patterson or Nora Roberts. Also, I used to listen to them when I'd had a bad day or my eyes were tired ~ I could sit in the dark with my eyes closed or run off frustration with headphones and still git my literary fix. I guess my favorite in my small library of audiobooks would be the few House of Night novels. I liked the narrator and I love the books :).

What about y'all?

Happy Reading Everyone :)


~ Keely ~

Musing Mondays

Happy Monday! (if there is such a thing)... It's a rainy, dark, and overall gloomy day here in Maine ~ perfect day for curling up in front of my fire and reading ~ and lucky for me, work isn't on the docket today :).

Here's this week's Musing Monday:

Other than working at a job, what is your biggest interruption to reading? What takes you away from your book(s)?


As much as I'd love to permanently live inside the magical pages of a book, I can't allow my life to happen around me while I immerse myself in my own little world. It's difficult to pull myself away, but I have a wonderful husband and two furry children who deserve my undivided attention, and I have a new house that I am slowly but surely forming into a cozy sanctuary. That and I have family that lives a few hours away, and most of the time, weekends are filled with visits and busy plans that don't involve quite, alone time to read (I wish I could read in the car while my love drives, but it inevitably makes me sick).  Another thing that takes me away is the stress caused by my job. I'm only there forty hours a week, but sometimes I come home unable to focus on anything because of a headache due to the silly and ridiculous events of the day. Finding a job I love (and get paid for) isn't an easy task ~ that's why I try to fill the rest of my day with things that truly matter to me whether it's reading, writing, or family.

Happy Reading Everyone :)


~ Keely ~

Musing Mondays

This week’s musing asks…

Do you belong to any book clubs — face-to-face, or online? If so, how long have you been with the group(s)? If not, why?

I don't belong to any book clubs, never have, and not sure if I will in the future. I enjoy book discussions and seeing what other people have to say, but the idea of having a deadline on a book I'm reading or not getting to choose my next read turns me away from book clubs. I have enough deadlines and things I 'need' to do ~ I don't want reading to become a part of that. It's an area in my life where I have free reign, no rules, no limits, no timelines; the one thing I have complete control and choice over ~ and I'd like to keep it that way.

Happy Reading Everyone :)


~ Keely ~

Musing Mondays

This week’s musing asks…

Have you ever found a book out of the blue, read it, and then had it be surprisingly good — one that stuck with you for years? If so, what book was it?

Yes... I picked it up and read it one sitting. It was Alice Hoffman's The Ice Queen. I've read mixed reviews of this novel, but I absolutely adored it, and after turning that last page, I sat there for a few minutes, silent and in awe. Every time someone asks me what my favorite book is, I can never pick just one, but The Ice Queen always makes it to my list.

... a miraculous, enthralling tale of a woman who is struck by lightning, and finds her frozen heart is suddenly burning.

Be careful what you wish for. A small town librarian lives a quiet life without much excitement. One day, she mutters an idle wish and, while standing in her house, is struck by lightning. But instead of ending her life, this cataclysmic event sparks it into a new beginning.

She goes in search of Lazarus Jones, a fellow survivor who was struck dead, then simply got up and walked away. Perhaps this stranger who has seen death face to face can teach her to live without fear. When she finds him, he is her opposite, a burning man whose breath can boil water and whose touch scorches. As an obsessive love affair begins between them, both are forced to hide their most dangerous secrets--what turned one to ice and the other to fire.

A magical story of passion, loss, and renewal, The Ice Queen is Alice Hoffman at her electrifying best. 


I think I stumbled upon it on one of my many trips to Barnes and Noble, one of the two bookstores that existed in my town. I was lucky to find it among the rows and rows of books, and I'd recommend it to anyone who hasn't had the privilege to read it.

Happy Reading Everyone :)


~ Keely ~

Musing Monday

This week's musing poses the question:

Would you choose to review a book if it's description sounded interesting but the cover was terrible? 




You know, I used to 'judge a book by it's cover,' if you want to put it that way, but I've learned my lesson time and time again. I still think the cover is a part of the book and should justify the beauty inside, and my eyes automatically look toward the book with the breathtaking cover, but I wouldn't turn down a book that sounded good just because there was effort lacking in making it look good. I'd shake my head and shame whoever was in charge, but I wouldn't condemn the whole book. The cover is supposed to serve a marketing purpose, drawing the eye to that particular book. It's supposed to make it stand out from the rest, and books with fabulous covers do get picked first.

(Lesson learned: Ever read Lauren Kate's Fallen Series? BEAUTIFUL book covers, horrible storytelling.)

Happy Reading Everyone :)


~ Keely ~

Musing Monday

This weeks musing asks:

What book do you wish you were reading right now? Where would you take it to, if you could go anywhere to read for a while?

I wish I was reading The Wolf Gift by Anne Rice. Hopefully this will come in the mail today, so I won't have to wish for long :)

I would love to take this book to my own personal imaginary library I have built inside my head.. It doesn't exist (yet), but hopefully one day I'll have my own little sanctuary of a reading room.

Maybe not exactly, but you get the idea :)

Happy Reading Everyone :)


~ Keely ~