So ... today is the last official day of my kids' October Break from school and I have done absolutely nothing. Unless, of course, you count waiting *patiently* for my blood test results to come back from USC while I slowly starve to death on my low-iodine diet. And trying to stay awake for longer than 3 hours at a time. Other than that, nada. Good times, I tell ya, good times. I don't know about you, but I could use a little distraction from my misery. That's where these two fun events come in handy:


I had almost decided to give up the Blog Hop for awhile since there don't seem to be too many new-to-me blogs on there lately, but wow, did last week change my mind. Lots of you stopped by to say hi, reminding me just how big and wonderful this book blogging community is. It really buoyed up my spirits. Thanks for that!

The Blog Hop is hosted by the lovely Jen over at Crazy for Books. Each week, she (or another book blogger) poses a question for us all to answer. This one's a really good one: Basically, what do you do when you start reading a book that you just cannot get into? Do you stick it out or move on?

- For me, it depends on where I got the book. If I bought it or borrowed it from the library, I just put the book down and move on. No biggie. A review book is a little different. If I can't get into a book I've committed to read for a blog tour or other event, I stick it out, if I can. If I can't, I e-mail whoever sent me the book and explain my problems with it. Usually, that kind of honesty is met with understanding. After all, every book is not for everyone, you know? My view is that I have way too many books on my TBR mountain chain to waste time on one I don't like.

How do you handle it?


Follow (My Book Blog) Friday is similar to the Book Hop. It's hosted by Parajunkee, who simply asks what books we're recommending these days.

- I have to mention Faithful Place by Tana French. My review won't post until Monday, but I can tell you now that I loved it. The book is a compelling murder mystery set in Dublin's grimy inner city. If you've read French's other books, you know how skilled she is - she creates well-rounded characters, twisty plots, and stories that just suck you right in. Her novels are definitely rated R, but I can't get enough of them.

Alright, bloggers, go Hop and Follow and find some great new blogs. If you're here because of either the Hop or FF, thank you so much for visiting. Have a look around, leave me a comment, become a Follower, all that good stuff - I'll return the favor ASAP. Oh! Don't forget that my giveaway for a hardcover copy of Wicked Girls by Stephanie Hemphill ends today at midnight. Enter here to win your very own copy of this great Halloween read.

Hoppy Friday, everybody!