"CHRISTMAS IN JULY" Giveaway Hop

WELCOME  TO THE.....

"CHRISTMAS IN JULY" GIVEAWAY HOP

To enter this giveaway and a chance to win.....

2 Christmas Themed Books:
Hardback-Gabriel's Angel by Nora Roberts and Hardback-A Creed Country Christmas by Linda Lael Miller, a Christmas Dish Towel, and a Christmas Ornament!

I'm only asking you to do THREE things to enter this giveaway:

1. Subscribe to "Mug of Moxie" by email

2. Follow "Mug of Moxie" on Twitter

3. Follow "Mug of Moxie" on Blogger(here)

ALL buttons are located to the right on my blog page.

This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL

Please Include contact information(email address)in comment section.

Giveaway will run from July 15TH to July 30TH

Winner will be chosen on AUGUST 2ND 

Good Luck AND a GIANT thank you from Mug of Moxie!
AND thank you to BookHounds for hosting this fantastic giveaway!

BOOK REVIEW-The Great Alone

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

St. Martin's Press

448 Pages

February 2018

Amazon Synopsis:

Alaska, 1974.

Unpredictable. Unforgiving. Untamed.

For a family in crisis, the ultimate test of survival.

Ernt Allbright, a former POW, comes home from the Vietnam war a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes an impulsive decision: he will move his family north, to Alaska, where they will live off the grid in America’s last true frontier.
Thirteen-year-old Leni, a girl coming of age in a tumultuous time, caught in the riptide of her parents’ passionate, stormy relationship, dares to hope that a new land will lead to a better future for her family. She is desperate for a place to belong. Her mother, Cora, will do anything and go anywhere for the man she loves, even if means following him into the unknown.
At first, Alaska seems to be the answer to their prayers. In a wild, remote corner of the state, they find a fiercely independent community of strong men and even stronger women. The long, sunlit days and the generosity of the locals make up for the Allbrights’ lack of preparation and dwindling resources.
But as winter approaches and darkness descends on Alaska, Ernt’s fragile mental state deteriorates and the family begins to fracture. Soon the perils outside pale in comparison to threats from within. In their small cabin, covered in snow, blanketed in eighteen hours of night, Leni and her mother learn the terrible truth: they are on their own. In the wild, there is no one to save them but themselves.

My Thoughts:
Wow! Where do I even start?

This is the first novel that I've ready by Kristin Hannah and so far the best book I've read for 2018. It was absolutely riveting. This was a book that I literally carried from room to room and read every chance I got.

The story is told from the point of view of daughter, Leni. She is caught in the middle of her parents very dysfunctional marriage. Set in the early 1970's after the Vietnam War Leni's father returns after being held a POW. He is a broken man but determined to make a fresh start with his family. One day he decides that packing the family up and moving them to the wilds of Alaska is the answer to all of their problems. Leni's  mom, Cora immediately has misgivings about the plan but is willing to follow her husband in hopes that he finds the peace and happiness that their family desperately needs.

When the family arrives in Alaska they find themselves grossly unprepared physically, mentally, and emotionally.

This book is a roller coaster of emotions. I found myself turning the pages as quickly as possible feeling rage, hope, sadness and joy. 

Put this book at the top of your must read list, you won't regret it.

The Winner of "Splash Into Summer" Giveaway Hop

A WINNER HAS BEEN CHOSEN!

yellowlabs has won a $10 gift card from Amazon.

Winner was chosen by Random.org

Thanks to everyone who participated and to BookHounds for hosting.

I've already signed up for a "Christmas in Giveaway" Hop also hosted by BookHounds. I can't wait!

I have some great goodies that I'm dying to give away!

BOOK REVIEW: "HOW HARD CAN IT BE?"

HOW HARD CAN IT BE?

BY ALLISON PEARSON
St. Martin's Press
384 Pages
June 2018

Amazon Synopsis:

Look, I was doing OK. I got through the oil spill on the road that is turning forty. Lost a little control, but I drove into the skid just like the driving instructors tell you to and afterwards things were fine again, no, really, they were better than fine.

Kate Reddy had it all: a nice home, two adorable kids, a good husband. Then her kids became teenagers (read: monsters). Richard, her husband, quit his job, taking up bicycling and therapeutic counseling: drinking green potions, dressing head to toe in Lycra, and spending his time―and their money―on his own therapy. Since Richard no longer sees a regular income as part of the path to enlightenment, it’s left to Kate to go back to work.

Companies aren’t necessarily keen on hiring 49-year-old mothers, so Kate does what she must: knocks a few years off her age, hires a trainer, joins a Women Returners group, and prepares a new resume that has a shot at a literary prize for experimental fiction.

When Kate manages to secure a job at the very hedge fund she founded, she finds herself in an impossible juggling act: proving herself (again) at work, dealing with teen drama, and trying to look after increasingly frail parents as the clock keeps ticking toward her 50th birthday. Then, of course, an old flame shows up out of the blue, and Kate finds herself facing off with everyone from Russian mobsters to a literal stallion.

Surely it will all work out in the end. After all, how hard can it be?

My Thoughts:

When I first started reading this book I didn't realize that this was  a sequel to "I Don't Know How She Does It"(which, rumor has it is set to be a major motion picture starring Sarah Jessica Parker) I'll be crossing my fingers for that one because I think that both of these books would be fun to watch on the big screen. This book,"How Hard Can It Be?" can easily be a stand alone. I had no problem picking up where the first one left off and jumping right into Katy's life. Oh Katy! Her life is insane ,crazy,and chaotic. The title of the book is definitely meant to be tongue in cheek. Because Katy's life is spinning out of control as she navigates the joys of teenage angst, a husband how has gone new-age on her, caring for elderly parents, re-joining the work force, and being an ALMOST 50 year old menopausal woman. Needless to say,she has her hands very full. With the exception of the new-age husband I could absolutely relate to Katy and what was happening in her life. I guess that is what I liked best about this book, it really is so very true to life. It's messy,complicated, and exhausting. Author, Allison Pearson captures that perfectly. My thanks to St. Martin's Press for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. I'll be donating it to my local public library.

'Just Couldn't Put It Down' JULY GIVEAWAY HOP

WELCOME 'Just Couldn't Put It Down' JULY GIVEAWAY HOP

To enter this giveaway and a chance to win a book I couldn't put down.....

AN EXCELLENT THRILLER/MYSTERY READ FOR SUMMER!
AND A $10 AMAZON GIFT CARD!

I'm only asking you to do THREE things to enter this giveaway:

1. Follow "Mug of Moxie" on Facebook

2. Follow "Mug of Moxie" on Twitter

3. Follow "Mug of Moxie" on Blogger(here)

ALL buttons are located to the right on my blog page.

This giveaway is US ONLY

Please Include contact information(email address)in comment section.

Giveaway will run from July 1st to July 14th

Winner will be chosen on July 15th 

Good Luck AND a GIANT thank you from Mug of Moxie!
AND thank you to Stuck In Books for hosting this fantastic giveaway!

GIVEAWAYS!

Hey there! Happy Saturday!
Just a reminder that I have two giveaways going on right now.
Don't forget to enter!

 Read the review, answer the question, and let me give you a book!

 Join the "Splash Into Summer" Giveaway Hop and win a $10 gift card from Amazon.

Scroll down the web page for all information and get in on these great giveaways!

BOOK REVIEW: Tell Me No Lies and Giveaway

TELL ME NO LIES

By Adele Griffin

Algonquin Publishers

June 2018

Amazon Synopsis:

Lizzy Swift is a senior in high school, shyly emerging from her nerd chrysalis to take her first gamble on the Argyll social scene. She braves a relationship with her longtime crush, Matt Ashley, and befriends the reckless, enigmatic senior transfer, Claire Reynolds, who introduces Lizzy to downtown Philadelphia—its clubs, street life, and vibrant art scene. Soon art and passion take priority over homework, after-school jobs, and her longstanding Ivy League ambitions.

But almost as quickly, these delights and distractions are clouded by suspicions and doubts. Sometimes Lizzy feels that she and Matt are soul mates; other times it seems he’s holding back from her. Claire can be moody, and while she confesses bits and pieces of a breakup so heart-wrenching she changed schools, she won’t tell Lizzy the whole story. Lizzy wants Claire to confide in her, even as she keeps her own secrets from her new best friend.  When startling revelations inevitably come to light, they just might shatter these delicate bonds of love and passion, friendship and loyalty.

Set against the neon pop of the late eighties and told with authentic voice and inimitable prose, Adele Griffin’s heart-racing novel takes readers on a journey through the thrill of rebellion and the complications of first love. 

My Thoughts: First,I loved that this story took place against the back drop of the 1980's. The reference to music,clothes and culture were fun. These were the days before selfies, text messages, and snap chat. The cover of the book looks light-hearted and makes it look like it's going to be a cotton candy read but, in all actuality it's filled with very complex characters. 

Each character carries a secret that can lead to heartbreak or shattered friendships.The main character Lizzy is extremely likable as she tries to navigate epilepsy, her senior year, college choices, a possible first love, and complicated friendships. She is an easy character to root for throughout the book. On the other hand I pegged Claire as a frenemy(who becomes Lizzy's best friend) as soon as she and Lizzy met. I didn't like her at all, but as the story starts to unfold you see where Claire comes from and the empathy starts to pour in. 

As if these characters and their issues aren't big enough to deal with in a story- the author throws a curve ball of the AIDS epidemic that is running rampant through the United States during this time. It's so easy to forget what a scary time this was for everyone. The author bravely dips a toe into the lack of knowledge, the fear, and the intolerance that was happening during this time period. 

The characters in the book are easily relate-able and likable, each with their own great story to tell. I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Tell Me No Lies" and look forward to Adele Griffin's next book.

This book was sent to me by Algonquin Young Readers for review and as no baring on my review or thoughts about the book. Because this is an ARC I would like to give this away to the first person who answers this question--What is the name of Lizzy's best friend? in the comment section below.
CONTEST IS OVER. THANK YOU!!!!

A LITTLE ABOUT AUTHOR ADELE GRIFFIN

Adele Griffin is the highly acclaimed author of almost thirty books for Young Adult and middle grade readers.Her works include the National Book Award Finalists Sons of Liberty and Where I Want to Be, as well as the popular Oodlethunks series for younger readers. Her latest novel The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone was a YALSA Best Book of 2015, an Amazon Best YA Book of the Year, a Booklist Top Ten Arts Books for Youth, a Junior Library Guild selection, a Romantic Times Finalist for Book of the Year, and a School Library Journal Top Fiction pick. Her latest novel Be True to Me is publishing in June 2017 with Algonquin Books.Adele serves on the Board of Directors of the MacDowell Colony, and is on the advisory board of 826NYC. She lives with her husband, Erich, their two young children, and their dog, Edith, in Brooklyn, New York.

MOVIE REVIEW-"LOVE, SIMON"

The Movie: LOVE, SIMON

PG-13
How do I even put into words how much I loved this movie? 
Love, Simon is adapted from the book "Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda" It's just one of those movies that you can tell your going to love by looking at the movie poster, I mean...come on..the lead actor, Nick Robinson, is adorable. The trailer hooked me and then I'm sitting in front of my TV with a bowl of popcorn falling in love with all the characters.(sigh) It also stars the actress from 13 Reasons Why, Katherine Langford.
Please rent this movie and watch it with your tween/teen. The message is powerful and hopefully gets the message across that everyone deserves a love story.
The Book:

GIVEAWAY HOP: SPLASH INTO SUMMER

SUMMER IS HERE!!!

AND WHAT A AWESOME WAY TO KICK IT OFF!

To enter this giveaway and a chance to win a $10 gift card from Amazon-I'm asking you to do THREE things:

I'm only asking you to do THREE things to enter this giveaway:

1. Follow "Mug of Moxie" on Facebook

2. Follow "Mug of Moxie" on Twitter

3. Follow "Mug of Moxie" on Blogger(here)

ALL buttons are located to the right on my blog page.

This is giveaway is INTERNATIONAL.

Please Include contact information(email address)in comment section.

Giveaway for a $10 gift card will run from June 15th to June 30th

Winner will be chosen on July 2nd 

Good Luck AND a GIANT thank you from Mug of Moxie!
AND thank you to Book Hounds for hosting this fantastic giveaway!

READING AT THE MOMENT......

 ARTEMIS

BY ANDY WEIR

Jasmine Bashara never signed up to be a hero. She just wanted to get rich. 
 
Not crazy, eccentric-billionaire rich, like many of the visitors to her hometown of Artemis, humanity’s first and only lunar colony. Just rich enough to move out of her coffin-sized apartment and eat something better than flavored algae. Rich enough to pay off a debt she’s owed for a long time.
 
So when a chance at a huge score finally comes her way, Jazz can’t say no. Sure, it requires her to graduate from small-time smuggler to full-on criminal mastermind. And it calls for a particular combination of cunning, technical skills, and large explosions—not to mention sheer brazen swagger. But Jazz has never run into a challenge her intellect can’t handle, and she figures she’s got the ‘swagger’ part down. 
 
The trouble is, engineering the perfect crime is just the start of Jazz’s problems. Because her little heist is about to land her in the middle of a conspiracy for control of Artemis itself. 
 
Trapped between competing forces, pursued by a killer and the law alike, even Jazz has to admit she’s in way over her head. She’ll have to hatch a truly spectacular scheme to have a chance at staying alive and saving her city. 
 
Jazz is no hero, but she is a very good criminal. 
 
That’ll have to do. 
 
Propelled by its heroine’s wisecracking voice, set in a city that’s at once stunningly imagined and intimately familiar, and brimming over with clever problem-solving and heist-y fun, Artemis is another irresistible brew of science, suspense, and humor from #1 bestselling author Andy Weir.

***THE JUDGE IS STILL OUT...I'M NOT A BIG FAN OF SCI-FI. BUT MY BROTHER RECOMMENDED IT SO I'M GIVING IT A SHOT...STAY TUNED....

BOOK REVIEW- ANNIHILATION

ANNIHILATION

BY JEFF VANDERMEER

Macmillian

February 2014

201 Pages

Amazon Synopsis:
Area X has been cut off from the rest of the continent for decades. Nature has reclaimed the last vestiges of human civilization. The first expedition returned with reports of a pristine, Edenic landscape; the second expedition ended in mass suicide; the third expedition in a hail of gunfire as its members turned on one another. The members of the eleventh expedition returned as shadows of their former selves, and within weeks, all had died of cancer. In Annihilation, the first volume of Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy, we join the twelfth expedition.
The group is made up of four women: an anthropologist; a surveyor; a psychologist, the de facto leader; and our narrator, a biologist. Their mission is to map the terrain, record all observations of their surroundings and of one another, and, above all, avoid being contaminated by Area X itself.
They arrive expecting the unexpected, and Area X delivers—they discover a massive topographic anomaly and life forms that surpass understanding—but it's the surprises that came across the border with them and the secrets the expedition members are keeping from one another that change everything.
My Thoughts:
I decided to read this book after my son recommended it to me and then I saw that it was an upcoming movie starring Natalie Portman. I was intrigued by the description. First let me say that this book is a Nebula award winner. I would call it a combination between science fiction, mystery and fantasy. It's told from The Biologist's point of view and her experience of Area X. I'll admit it took effort to read and finish it because these are not my favorite genres. One of the things that I really struggled with was bonding with any of the characters in the book-they all seemed very flat and emotionless to me. Another thing that bothered me was that the characters didn't have names, they were just known as their titles-The Biologist, The Anthropologist, etc. Maybe this is why I had a hard time connecting with them? I'm not sure. This all being said I did finish it and it leaves you with a cliff hanger. Surprising me the most-it  left me wanting to read the next one in the series. Haha. I really needed to find out what happened to the characters next. I guess that's what they call good writing.
I plan to watch this movie tonight and do the movie review this week. Stay tuned.

CAN'T WAIT WEDNESDAY

                                              CAN'T WAIT WEDNESDAY

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted here, at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.
This week I'm on pins and needles as I wait for the release of Goodbye, Sweet Girl by Kelly Sundberg

KIRKUS REVIEW

An essayist’s debut memoir about her decade long struggle to leave a violent, emotionally unstable husband.

When Idaho native Sundberg met Caleb, whose “West Virginia drawl made him seem gentlemanly,” she had no idea that within six months, they would be engaged and pregnant. Both were in their 20s and equally unprepared for commitment. But the author chose to forget their relationship was neither “idyllic [n]or blissful” and “love him through my fear,” just as she had a childhood friend who had once chased her with a knife. Caleb’s dark side surfaced not long after their engagement, as they were returning from a hunting trip. Sundberg immediately assumed responsibility for his rage and felt “grateful” when he forgave her. Caleb’s sudden fits of anger soon became a permanent feature of their relationship, as did the heavy drinking he managed to keep hidden during their courtship. The author also discovered that Caleb had cheated on her with three women while they had been dating, but only after they had married. As with all of her husband’s other transgressions, she accepted his tearful apologies as proof that he would change. Sundberg became depressed enough that she sought out counseling. The therapist was able to name the destructive behaviors in her marriage for what they were: domestic violence. Nevertheless, the cycle of brutality and tenderness continued. Eventually, the author and her husband moved to West Virginia. There, the author began a graduate program and found the success Caleb did not have with his own writing. Only after an especially savage incident that required police and paramedic assistance was Sundberg finally able to move on from a broken relationship and begin the long process of healing her own life. By turns wrenching and lyrical, Sundberg’s book is an unflinching exploration of both domestic violence and one woman’s long, often painful evolution from codependence to self-respect.

A courageously honest memoir.

TOP TEN TUESDAY-"BEST CHARACTER NAMES"

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jana over at That Artsy Reader. This weeks prompt is Best Character Names! And here are my eight picks....

1. Atticus 
2. Scout

3. Cinna
4. Effie

5. Mia

6. Tris

7. Augustus

8. EMMA(This one is the winner for me because we did name our daughter Emma after the Jane Austen character--and she's just as feisty, funny, and creative as her namesake)

"LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE" IS GOING TO BE A MOVIE!

LOOKS LIKE "LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE" IS GOING TO BE A MOVIE!

After reading and reviewing the book I'm really interested in seeing how this one will turn out.
For more details go here:
Deadline Hollywood

BOOK REVIEW: LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE

LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE

BY CELESTE NG

Penguin Books

September 2017

352 pages

BOOK SYNOPSIS:

In Shaker Heights, a placid, progressive suburb of Cleveland, everything is planned – from the layout of the winding roads, to the colors of the houses, to the successful lives its residents will go on to lead. And no one embodies this spirit more than Elena Richardson, whose guiding principle is playing by the rules.
Enter Mia Warren – an enigmatic artist and single mother – who arrives in this idyllic bubble with her teenaged daughter Pearl, and rents a house from the Richardsons. Soon Mia and Pearl become more than tenants: all four Richardson children are drawn to the mother-daughter pair. But Mia carries with her a mysterious past and a disregard for the status quo that threatens to upend this carefully ordered community.
When old family friends of the Richardsons attempt to adopt a Chinese-American baby, a custody battle erupts that dramatically divides the town--and puts Mia and Elena on opposing sides.  Suspicious of Mia and her motives, Elena is determined to uncover the secrets in Mia's past. But her obsession will come at unexpected and devastating costs. 
Little Fires Everywhere explores the weight of secrets, the nature of art and identity, and the ferocious pull of motherhood – and the danger of believing that following the rules can avert disaster.

MY THOUGHTS:

Little Fires Everywhere is a beautiful, complicated story of family and relationships. I loved that the story came from several of the character's point of views, giving the reader a peek into the thoughts behind the action of the character involved. I had mixed feelings about both main characters Mia and Elena. Mia was frustrating to me at times and felt very self absorbed, I felt that there was a lack of a bond between herself and her daughter Pearl. Mia and Pearl live a nomadic lifestyle, moving 46 times when we meet them at the beginning of the story. At the end of the book I was still puzzled as to if they moved so much because of Mia's secret or so that she could continue to work on her art. Once they have settled into Shaker Heights I felt that she left Pearl to negotiate uncharted waters of a permanent home, school, and friends by herself because she was too busy creating her art. Surprisingly, I felt more sympathy for Elena than I meant to. She tries to keep her family and house in perfect order but is obviously blind to the things her children are involved in. Her complicated relationship with her youngest child, Izzy broke my heart. The adoption battle that brings everyone together but divides the characters is a deeply layered element of the book that ties everything together beautifully. So many emotions were brought to the surface for me because my daughter is adopted. This book was a great page turner and would definitely be a great for a book club. I will be looking for Celeste Ng's other book "Everything I Never Told You". I have a feeling I'll like it as much as I did this one.

FAVORITE QUOTE FROM THE BOOK:

"Remember, sometimes you need to scorch everything to the ground and start over. After the burning the soil is richer, and new things can grow. People are like that, too. They start over. They find a way.

MOVIE REVIEW-"I FEEL PRETTY"

MOVIE SYNOPSIS:

In I FEEL PRETTY a woman who struggles with feelings of deep insecurity and low self-esteem, that hold her back everyday, wakes from a brutal fall in an exercise class believing she is suddenly a supermodel. With this newfound confidence she is empowered to live her life fearlessly and flawlessly, but what will happen when she realizes her appearance never changed?

MY THOUGHTS:

I was actually expecting a more raunchy Amy Schumer but I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of emotions that played out during this film. Amy plays Renee Bennett with the perfect combination of vulnerability and sassiness that makes this a heartwarming go see with the girls,  or your partner. I plan to rent it when it comes out and watch it with my 15 year old daughter because it's message about self confidence is spot on. My favorite supporting actress was Michelle Williams who has an adorable role that made me laugh out loud. Definitely worth a trip to the theater.

SONG AT THE TOP OF MY PLAYLIST

Move your Booty Friday!!
Love me some Bruno Mars!