Things that need to be done + Raven Stole the Moon giveaway results.

I wasn't kidding when I said that having a second baby eleven years after the first one is like being a brand new mother all over again. I see now that this second motherhood will be no walk in the park. I forgot how much time and effort really is needed when taking care of an infant, especially when it's a boy like my Aleksander, who according to his pediatrician, is a 'motion-driven' baby, which means he needs to be carried in my arms or  rocked in his stroller, or even rocked ever so gently when breast-feeding, at all times. The 'carrying in my arms' part proves to be the most difficult considering that at 5 months old, he weighs approx. 22 lb.

With all that said, you can imagine how daunting  it is to try and manage to do anything other than spending time with my children (because yes, I still have a girl on the verge of teenage-hood in the house and it's no small task to try and survive the day without major issues between her and me). As much as I enjoy blogging, my family is my priority. Therefore I need to make some changes and adjustments as far as my blog goes. And no, it doesn't mean I'm quitting. I have put way too much effort, time and love into this little blog of mine to just abandon it. It only means that I am forced to write posts a lot less frequently than I used to. I know that a lot of you prefer to read a fairly often updated blogs and I hope that my decision to write fewer posts for the next few months won't push those of you away.

What I also decided is to join What Are You Reading on Mondays? meme hosted by Sheila from One Person's Journey through a world of Books. It's a fantastic way for me to keep some kind of order in my otherwise very chaotic daily life and once I make a commitment to read something, I believe I will actually try harder to stick with it. From time to time, I will also give you a summary of what happened & what will be going on here in upcoming weeks. It's something I had never done before but I think it's another way of keeping my blog going and making sure that Reading Extravaganza and I will make it safely through the tough times. Phew...let's move on to the above mentioned summary.

First of all, I will have reviews posted of two really good books. First one will be Broken: A Love Story by Lisa Jones. It's a wonderful memoir and definitely a keeper for my collection.






The second book is Still Missing by Chevy Stevens. I think that it has already gained a lot of attention and I'm sure some of you have heard about it. It really is a very good, psychological thriller that I couldn't believe was a debut (not to sound condescending to debut authors).






There will also be two giveaways for really great titles. First, I will be giving away an ARC copy of  The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell. The giveaway starts on June 29th, 2010 which is also the release date for this book.

Giveaway number 2 will be The Quickening by Michelle Hoover on July 13th, 2010.

Both giveaways will be international so make sure you all mark your calendars and visit my blog on those days.

Last but not least, the winner of Raven Stole the Moon + a Red Umbrella is

Amanda. 

Congratulations to the winner and thank you to all who entered for visiting my blog.

That's all for now. Until next time, stay happy and keep reading :).