The Proposal by Lily Zante

eBook Edition of The Proposal

The Proposal by Lily Zante is a romance novel and the first book in the 'A Perfect Match' series. 

I read the ebook version of The Proposal by Lily Zante, which is approximately 140 pages in length. I was able to download The Proposal by Lily Zante from Amazon to my Kindle for FREE. Below is my unbiased review of what I thought about The Proposal by Lily Zante.

I'm usually not a huge fan of romance novels, especially ones that are part of a series. Surprisingly enough though, The Proposal by Lily Zante was a really good romance novel to read. The Proposal contains no cliffhanger ending (surprise, surprise!), an enjoyable story, and likable characters. Best of all, there isn't endless road blocks or drama created by the author as to why the two main characters can't come together by the end of the novel... After all, a romance reader knows all to well that the two main characters are going to come together at the end of a novel.... It's only a matter of time, right?? I'm just glad that Lily Zante didn't feel the need to create endless drama between the main characters.

The following is the plot summary for The Proposal by Lily Zante from Amazon:

If you love contemporary romance with a touch of humor…

A high-flying career woman with no time for romance finds herself at a loose end for her company's annual marketing convention. Partners are encouraged, and Nadine Stefano has every intention of fitting the image she believes her boss wants. 

At her sister's recent bachelorette party Nadine finds herself irresistibly drawn to Ethan, one of the male strippers. 

A single woman, desperate to present the image of being in a settled and happy relationship, she hires Ethan to act as her pretend boyfriend.

Not only is he five years younger, but he is also sexy as sin.
Theirs is a strong attraction, and the over-worked and uptight Nadine soon finds herself falling for the easy-going young man.

But company politics and nasty colleagues stand in their way. 

Will they follow their hearts, despite their differences, or will Nadine dump Ethan in order to pursue her career goals?

I am not sure yet if I'll read the rest of the 'A Perfect Match' series by Lily Zante, but I am giving The Proposal by Lily Zante a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Sherman Alexie & Daniel Handler (AKA Lemony Snicket) Author Event & Book Signing!

I love attending author events and book signings whenever I can, especially if they are at local independent bookstores or nearby book festivals.

Earlier this year, I was excited to learn that Sherman Alexie was coming to the 2016 Bay Area Book Festival and speaking at an event titled: Telling Stories: Sherman Alexie and Daniel Handler (AKA Lemony Snicket) Take the Stage at the San Francisco Chronicle Stage @ the Freight & Salvage in downtown Berkeley, California from 3:15pm to 4:30pm.

Daniel Handler (left) and Sherman Alexie (right)

I have become a H-U-G-E fan of Sherman Alexie's writing in recent years. So, I just knew that I had to see him speak live at the 2016 Bay Area Book Festival. For me, hearing Sherman Alexie speak live before an audience could be a potentially a once in a lifetime opportunity! And believe me, I am beyond thrilled that I attended the Telling Stories: Sherman Alexie and Daniel Handler (AKA Lemony Snicket) Take the Stage event because both Daniel Handler and Sherman Alexie are fabulous to hear speak live. Both men are hilarious and engaging speakers. In this case, it was more of Daniel Handler interviewing Sherman Alexie, but both men are funny and had fabulous things to share during the 75 minutes they spoke.

Plus, having Sherman Alexie sign three different copies of his books that I own and brought with me to this event was just too awesome to pass up. However, in my excitement, I forgot to have a picture of me taken with Sherman Alexie though when I had him sign my copies of his books!! 

I also enjoyed having Daniel Handler sign a copy of the first Lemony Snicket novel he wrote titled The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events). Mr. Handler was very nice to meet in person and very chatty, which is wonderful as I love it when authors take the time to talk to readers that come to see them. Anyway, I am currently reading The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events) now and hope to finish reading and then reviewing it later this month.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Top Ten Tuesday --- Ten Reasons I Love Knitting!!

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

Aside from reading and anything book related, my other hobby and passion in life is KNITTING! I rarely talk about knitting here on my book blog, unless I'm talking about the books I've recently purchased about knitting or reviewing a knitting book I've read... I've also mentioned my knitting blog before and maybe knitting in a couple of other posts, otherwise, Captivated Reader, has been solely a bookish related blog. 

So, I thought it might be kind of fun to talk about my other favorite hobby, knitting, today and why I love it so much.

1. Learning New Skills/Techniques -- I initially began knitting in April 2014 because my New Year's Resolution that year had been to try something new... As in try a new hobby. 

I chose to learn knitting in 2014 as I'd always been fascinated by knitting. The idea of turning a skeins of yarn into something usable sounded like a lot of fun. I like being creative and making interesting and useful things. 

I initially wanted to learn how to knit years ago, but never got around to it. So, I took the plunge and decided to join a knitting class at a local yarn store. I thought I'd learn the basics of knitting, make a few easy projects for beginners, and then move on to another hobby...  I never expected to fall in love with knitting! Falling in love with knitting was a gradual process. It took me about 6 months before I fell head over heels with knitting. I love knitting because there always seems to be something new to learn, which makes it fun for me and keeps me interested in learning more.

2. Creative Outlet --- I love turning skeins of yarn into something special. The possibilities are endless... I can make socks, tea cozies, sweaters, shawls, gloves, scarves, hats, purses, skirts, jewelry, headbands, etc. all through knitting skeins of yarn... I can make things in different colors, with yarn made of different materials, using different patterns. As I mentioned already, the possibilities are endless... I enjoy the process of knitting as I like the creative process of knitting.

3. Turning Skeins of Yarn Into Something Special/Unique/Usable --- I am always thrilled to make something with skeins of yarn. I like seeing the completed project once I am finished knitting it. It makes me smile too see that I've created something that was once a ball of yarn. I like seeing my knitting improve over time. I like seeing that I could actually start and finish making what I thought was a difficult project at the time and seeing that it turned out well in the end despite making errors along the way. I also enjoy learning how to fix my mistakes, like dropped stitches, etc. I enjoy making knitted gifts for other people (mainly family and friends) and see them enjoying what I've made them.

4. The Health Benefits of Knitting --- Knitting is relaxing and it helps reduce stress!! Knitting has certainly helped me relax and decrease feelings of stress.

I love that I am learning new knitting techniques and completing many knitting projects over time. This gives me a wonderful sense of accomplishment. I love see the finished project. Seeing myself master a new knitting technique only helps my confidence grow in becoming a better knitter!

Also giving handmade gifts for birthdays and holidays is awesome too, as friends and family members enjoy receiving handcrafted gifts as presents.

Knitting can also help prevent arthritis and tendinitis and even help reduce memory loss by up to 30%!! (See the following Sacramento Bee article about the health benefits of knitting).

5. Yarn --- Ah, the joys of YARN!! Yarn is the equivalent of books!! In my opinion, you can never have enough yarn (or books for that matter). I love visiting yarn stores and touching all the different kinds of yarn they have on hand. There are so many colors to choose from... You can buy wool yarn, alpaca yarn, acrylic yarn, silk yarn, cotton yarn, banana fiber yarn, yarn made from dog hair, and so on. And of course, yarn that is made in varying degrees of thickness. Alpaca yarn had become one of my new favorite yarns to use as it is very soft and warm.

6. Independent Yarn Stores --- Visiting independent yarn stores brings me joy. Visiting independent yarn stores is just as fun as visiting independent bookstores. It's difficult to leave yarn stores without buying more skeins/hanks of yarn, knitting needles, or other accessories.

7. The Knitting Community --- Knitters are a friendly bunch of folks and they are also very helpful in answering newbie questions and help problem solve on difficult projects. There's usually a group of knitters at local yarn stores knitting, so I find it fun to hang out at knitting stores and socializing when I can.

8. Knitting Accessories/Bling --- I love all the knitting bling made for knitters.... Everything from knitting needles, knitting bags/totes, stress relief gloves to t-shirts, mugs, etc. with humorous knitting quotes on them.

9. Knitting Podcasts --- There are several knitting podcasts out there for knitters to listen to and enjoy! I've only recently begun listening to the Never Not Knitting Podcast hosted by Alana Dakos. I've only listened to a few of these podcasts and look forward to listening to the entire series and also discovering new knitting podcasts. If you listen to knitting podcasts and have one you really enjoy listening to, please feel free to share the name of the knitting podcast with me in the comment section below.

10. Knitting Conventions --- Admittedly, I haven't been to a knitting convention yet, but there is an annual knitting/crochet convention near where I live that I'd love to attend next year. It's called Stitches West and it is located in San Jose, California. Stitches West sounds wickedly awesome as it offers a wide range classes for knitters and crocheters to participate in. Plus, a large marketplace where one can purchase yarn and other tools of the trade during there visit.

So, what are you passionate about???

2016 Bay Area Book Festival

Yes, I made it to the 2nd annual Bay Area Book Festival in Berkeley, California!! 

The 2016 Bay Area Book Festival 

was held this past weekend, June 4th and 5th,

 in downtown Berkeley, California. 

This year, the 2016 Bay Area Book Festival

was filled with several authors & speakers,

exhibitors, and performers, + family

activities, food and drink, and much more!

There was so much to see and do

during the 2016 Bay Area Book Festival that

it was difficult to see it all in the two days

this book festival took place.

I was only able to attend the 

2016 Bay Area Book on Sunday, June 5th.

So, I decided to focus most of time there

attending author/speaker events and signings

this year and skip focusing on the exhibits 
as I'd visited the 2015 Bay Area Book Festival
and seen many of the exhibitors then.

I attended two author/speaking events on

Sunday, June 5, 2016 that were each 75 minutes

in length and were followed by author signings. The

two events I attended were titled:

From Bodice Rippers to Trailblazers: Feminism through Romance @ the Shattuck Hotel Plaza

with an author panel, which included

 Aya de Leon, Gail Carriger, Alice Gaines, Kristin Miller, and moderator, Beth Barany.

I enjoyed listening to all five women speak
about their writing/works and
hearing their thoughts about feminism as it
pertains to romance novels.

Telling Stories: Sherman Alexie and Daniel Handler (AKA Lemony Snicket) Take the Stage @ San Francisco Chronicle Stage @ the Freight & Salvage

I have become a H-U-G-E fan of Sherman Alexie's 
writing in recent years.

So, I just knew that I had to see him speak live at the

2016 Bay Area Book Festival. For me, hearing 

Sherman Alexie speak live before an audience

could be a potentially a once in a lifetime opportunity for me!

Plus, having Sherman Alexie 

sign copies of his books that I had 

brought with me was awesome too.


Both Daniel Handler and Sherman Alexie
were fabulous to hear speak live.
Both men are hilarious and engaging speakers. 


Additionally, I briefly visited the Lacuna at
the 2016 Bay Area Book Festival, which is
and art installation containing used books given
away free to the public during the 2016 Bay Area Book Festival.
The Lacuna was pretty picked over by the time
I arrived there on Sunday afternoon, so I
didn't take any free books home with me.

Bookish Quote of the Day!!!

Flight by Sherman Alexie

Paperback Edition

Flight is the second book I've read written by Sherman Alexie. I've been a fan of Sherman Alexie's writing since I read his book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian a few years ago for Banned Books Week.

I'm not sure why it took me so long to read another book by Sherman Alexie, but I am glad that I did. 

Flight is a fast paced, quick read. Alexie's writing is very engaging. You'll find yourself laughing at the various scenes presented within Flight, pondering the the themes/thoughts that Alexie provides for readers, and have an overall awe of his writing style... Flight is a concise read with a message. Revenge, betrayal, violence, justice, and identity are all themes touched upon in Flight.

I love the main character of Zits, whose real name we later learn at the end of the novel is Michael. Zits has been through a lot and has had a shitty life... But the last chapter (Chapter 21) of Flight gives us hope that things well eventually work out just fine for Zits... That life may have been a rough one for Zits, but it won't always be that way for him.

The following is the plot summary for Flight from GoodReads:

Sherman Alexie is one of our most gifted and accomplished storytellers and a treasured writer of huge national stature. His first novel in ten years is the hilarious and tragic portrait of an orphaned Indian boy who travels back and forth through time in a charged search for his true identity. With powerful and swift, prose, Flight follows this troubled foster teenager--a boy who is not a "legal" Indian because he was never claimed by his father--as he learns that violence is not the answer.

The journey for Flight's young hero begins as he's about to commit a massive act o violence. At the moment of decision, he finds himself shot back through time to resurface in the body of an FBI agent during the civil rights era, where he sees why "Hell is Re driver, Idaho, in the 1970s." Red River is only the first stop in an eye-opening trip through moments in American history. He will continue traveling back to inhabit the body of an Indian child during the battle at Little Bighorn and then ride with an Indian tracker in the nineteenth century before materializing as an airline pilot jetting through the skies today. During these furious travels through time, his refrain grows: "Who's to judge?" and "I don't understand humans." When finally, blessedly, our young warrior comes to rest again in his own life, he is mightily transformed by all he has seen.

This is Sherman Alexie at his most brilliant--making us laugh while he's breaking our hearts. Time Out has said that "Alexie, like his characters, is on a modern-day vision quest," and inFlight he seeks nothing less than an understanding of why human beings hate. Flight is irrepressible, fearless, and groundbreaking Alexie.

I am giving Flight by Sherman Alexie a rating of 5 stars out if 5 stars. I highly recommend reading Flight.

Until my next post, happy reading!! 

Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving

Earlier this afternoon, I finished listening to the unabridged audio version of Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving and narrated by Curtis Sisco. Listening time for Rip Van Winkle is 37 minutes.

I felt that Curtis Cisco did a nice job of narrating Rip Van Winkle, which is a short story.

Essentially, Rip Van Winkle is a man who falls asleep for 20 years in the Catskill Mountains after drinking some alcohol... He wakes up to a very changed world. 

I thought Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving was an okay... Nothing Earth shattering. So, I am giving this short story a rating of 2 stars out of 5 stars.

Orchids and Stone by Lisa Preston

Unabridged Audiobook

This morning, I finished listening to the unabridged audio version of Orchids and Stone by Lisa Preston and narrated by Cris Dukehart from Audible. Listening time for this audiobook is 9 hours, 22 minutes.

Cris Dukehart's narration of Orchids and Stone by Lisa Preston is the best thing about this novel, followed closely by the plot's premise of Orchids and Stone.

I thought the main character, Daphne, was likable enough, even though I thought she did a couple of dumb things during the course of the novel. Most of the supporting characters in Orchids and Stone, were not very likable to me... Thea (Daphne's best friend) is a total bitch and Vic (Daphne's boyfriend/fiance) is annoying to me and I am not a fan of Vic's kids either... I also thought the police, Thea, & Vic, for the most part, were not very supportive in Daphne's attempts/feelings in trying to rescue Minerva Watts when she needed help in trying to find/resue Minerva Watts. Everyone was skeptical about the need to intervene or assist in helping to rescue Minerva Watts.

Plus there's a lot of repetition of the story/plot/themes that kept being repeated round and around that was very annoying to me and felt like a lot of fluff. The over discussion of the same stuff made the novel drag on and on.

The first couple of chapters of Orchids and Stone are good and the last couple of chapters are good, but the middle chapters didn't mean much to me overall.
The following is a plot summary for Orchids and Stone by Lisa Preston, which I found on Audible:

They're trying to take me. Help! Help me, please.

Daphne Mayfield sought a moment of quiet in a park - a break from city life, a tense relationship, and chronic overwork - but then an elderly woman makes a desperate plea. Daphne is reluctant to get involved when she's not sure what's happening, but she wants to help the stranger. Is the rambling old lady the victim of a crime or a victim of dementia?

As her unease grows, Daphne can't let go of the encounter. No matter what her boyfriend or her friends say. No matter what the retired homicide detective warns. Though she knows she's meddling in other people's lives, her instincts scream that the danger is real.

With each increasingly bold intervention, Daphne involves herself in someone else's crisis until she's in too deep to turn back. She's not just fighting for a stranger's life...she's fighting for her own.

I am giving Orchids and Stone by Lisa Preston a rating of 2 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

Top Ten Tuesday --- Beach Reads Week!

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

It was difficult to narrow down which books to choose this week for the best beach reads... But I was able to select all fiction reads that I've found to be fun, fast and engaging novels to read while passing time at the beach this summer! Click on the links below to read my reviews of each novel.

1. The Good Traitor by Ryan Quinn
2. The Ghost and the Graveyard (Knight Games #1) by Genevieve Jack
3. Deadly Readings by Laura Bradford
4. Falling Awake by Jayne Ann Krentz
5. Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer by Katie Alender
6. Hot Target by Suzanne Brockmann
7. Fidelity by Thomas Perry
8. Murder & Moonflowers (The Herbalist #1) by Leslie Leigh
9. The Selkie Spell by Sophie Moss
10. Hour Game by David Baldacci

Share with me your favorite beach recommendations in the comment section below!