Bout of Books Challenge: Personify that Story

Have you ever come across a story and you think this is the perfect story for my mom or that character is so like my ex-boyfriend?

Kelly and Amanda, the hosts of Bout of Books, have invited me to host one of their challenges.

In case you haven't heard about Bout of Books 7.0, here's your opportunity go on a book bender.  It has been so much being a part of the TweetChat community and meeting other avid readers.  For those of you that don't know what a book bender is, it's an opportunity for you to sit down and read READ read! You can also tweet about it and share what you're reading with others.  There's always a good possibility that you'll discover some books that you've never heard of and add to your TBR list.

Challenge: Personify that Story
How it Works:  Match a story to a person- sounds simple, but it can definitely be challenging.  Have you read story or watched a character develop and thought it sounded just like your mom or favorite celebrity?  Well now it's your opportunity to share.  Feel free to add pictures and explain why the two relate.  Below you can link-up and check out the other entries.  Can't wait to meet you all!

That handsome man is my wonderful husband, Ryan.  Why I think Eddie reflect Ryan and vice versa, they're just really similar.  They both have military backgrounds, come from working families.  He's been working his entire life and he's a man of few words.  He's very funny and sometimes crass but he is a wonderful man.  As I write this, I just got my wisdom teeth removed today and whoo boy, does it feel weird.  I had gauze in my mouth for like an hour and that was just gross.  I still can't feel my lips and parts of my chin, so call me drool city.  He has been giving me towels, water, feeding me, getting me new shirts and making sure I'm comfortable.  He went to the commissary right after my appointment and picked up a lot of soft food items that would be gentle on my mouth.  He cares so deeply for his family and I know that one day he's going to be a great dad.  If you've never read The Five People You Meet in Heaven, it's a story of man who essentially goes to heaven but the pathway there causes him to meet five people that were influenced by him.  They span the entirety of his life and are a cause of deep reflection for him.  It was a book that had me in tears and one that I highly recommend.  Eddie, the protagonist, is a hard worker and cares so deeply for his wife. I thought that quote was most fitting and I'm excited to see what you all choose!

Bout of Books Create a Cover & Blog Every Day in May #2

Linking up with I Talk Books for Bout of Books 7.0

Today's challenge involves creating a new book cover for an already existing book.  Last week's link-up with Nicole from Three31 challenged us to not judge a book by its cover...but we know we all do it.  I thought this was a fun exercise and chose The Great Gatsby.  If you remember from the link-up, I'm not a huge fan of the original cover but its become so iconic that it just brings back memories of my favorite book.  However, I thought I would take a stab at it and create a new cover.

The center focus is a man and a woman, Gatsby and Daisy since the book focuses on their relationship and character development.  However, they are definitely not the only two characters in the book and so the hands represent not just the other characters but how influential they are on Daisy and Gatsby.  The hands also represent society's demands, our fears, and selfish desires.  Finally I chose a glitter overlay on the font to symbolize the lavish lifestyle and parties that surrounded these characters.

Now I'm a little behind on my blog every day in May plan, so I will quickly turn this into a double post.  Two-for-one folks...BOGO!

The challenge for the second day was to 

"educate us on something you know alot about or are good at"

At first I wasn't sure what people would even be interested in, but I was reminded of my friend Hannah and what it's like to be a new military wife on a base.  There are a lot of things you may not necessarily know or understand.  Or if you have never been on a base, I figured some of these tips and lingo might be good things to know.

We have grocery stores on bases called commissaries.  These are tax-free organizations that function very similarly to that of the grocery stores anyone shops at, however, you do need to have a valid active, dependent, or retiree ID to shop there.  They have a lot of sales and deals, so for us with a limited budget, it tends to be our go-to place for getting groceries.  Another tip about the commissary: the baggers work solely from tips so make sure you have a few dollars on hand when you go to the commissary.  That was definitely something that I didn't know.

At a certain point in the late afternoon, we have retreat.  You'll start to hear music over a loud intercom system.  If you are outdoors, you will stop and face the direction of the music and/or flag and place your hand over your heart.  You'll see military members stop and salute.  If you're driving, you need to pull over and stop until its completion.

We also have shopping centers called an Exchange.  Like the commissary, these are tax-free but you must have that I.D. to shop there.  They're like mini-malls that feature an electronics, homegoods, cookware, clothings, etc. sections throughout the store.  Often you'll find a gas station and sometimes even mechanics.  You'll usually find discounted things as well, like we usually have Bath and Body Works products on sale there.  It's nice and convenient, especially when your base is in a more remote location.  They often have make-up counters as well, which is awesome if you use products like Clinique.  Each one is different.  When we were stationed at Camp Pendleton, we had an amazing one but throughout different military visits I've noticed that some are better than others.

There are officers and enlisted members.  Officers usually have some type of shinier rank on their covers (hats) or blouses and enlisted members usually have theirs on their upper arms.  You always salute to the higher rank, so you'll often see Master Sergeants saluting young lieutenants like myself because I'm technically a higher rank.  Nevertheless, I always respect each and every one of service members.

When it comes to deployments, they can be anywhere for any length of time.  One very important issue that will be discussed with you is OPSEC.  It stands for operational security and that means while your spouse, significant other, or family member is deployed its important that you share very little information with anyone else.  By being conservative with what you share, you provide a safer environment for you loved one.  For those who don't have a connection with the military, that's often why military families don't share homecoming dates or where they are, etc.

Hopefully this has provided some insight on what it's like on a base or if you have friends that are in the military.  Thanks for reading :)   

   

Bout of Books 7.0 Read-a-thon!

 If being a part of the Preview to Summer Book Swap wasn't enough, 

I was also granted the privilege in hosting and creating a challenge for a read-a-thon.
The only way to participate in their fun, week-long challenges is to
sign-up for the Bout of Books Read-a-thon.

Thursday, May 16th is my challenge:

Have you ever read a book and it immediately reminded you of a friend, family member, or even yourself?  Here's your opportunity to personify a story!  What books remind you of yourself, your sister, your mom, or best mate?  I can't wait to read why certain stories remind you of them.

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 13th and runs through Sunday, May 19th in whatever time zone you are in. 

Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 7.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

Venus Trapped in Mars is having a little competition and I would like to win.

If you like my blog, my posts, or just want to see me with that special victory button, please vote!