Merry Christmas and Merry Happy Jolly to all! (and Part 2 of Gift Giving)

Let's face it, a full time job and a busy life at home does not leave much of a margin to read a book. But I am managing one at the moment. A long one, in fact. Why I do this every holiday is beyond me, last year it was The Goldfinch, this year it's A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. I. Love. This. Book.

I was smart this time, I left a piece of paper in the book writing down one or two  sentences of what I was reading and/or characters so I could jump back. This book is engaging from the start. Not a book that soars into your heart right off but it's a big book lead in, interesting characters, eating cheaply in the city, finding an apartment or space to move into, four male friends, that NYC vibe. 

Lots of great comments on the book group about Nightingale by Kristen Hannah. I bought this and put it aside for after I am finished with A Little Life. In between those books, however, I am fortunate enough to read an author's book before it comes out!  I won't say anything now. I will be writing much later when I am able. 

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What do you buy your book friends besides the usual Amazon, B&N or <insert another book store> gift card? Here is a great start for those readers who will tackle any book, or read a book JUST because you simply gave it to them.. high trust factor and all that...

I have posted all of Man Booker Long List  books on my book group which usually means I have gone further by reading up on all the reviews.Great list, great books, check them out.

And THEN! The annual Goodreads readers poll for the best books of the year, 2015! This is ALWAYS the best list of books for gifts. It is the best list of books for a book group, a book club, you name it! If you are not on Goodreads, please, take a looksee, it is the best way to track books, track what your friends are reading,  track authors, and much more, go. Go now.

And book totes! Here are five from Amazon. (And probably elsewhere, you can check out the original sellers on Amazon.)

Here is the blog I found the totes on, it's a really great blog too. Linking it up here:

 http://book-delight.com/2014/08/bd-friday-five-book-totes.html/

Bookmarks, book ornaments, gift cards, buying a stack of books  and throwing them in a tote (that's a GREAT gift) or a Kindle, a Nook, an iTunes card! We never tire of the Literary gifts and if you want to go one step further go to Amazon or elsewhere and check out Literary jewelry and clothing. 

May you all have a very very safe holiday, be good so Santa can stuff that stocking with more books!

Cheryl


I am signing my name so it's more personal, just pretend I am writing a letter to you. :) 

The goings on: 
I love my new job, being a discharge planner, AKA Home Care Liaison is a great job, to see patients rolling out the door of the hospital going home to the best  care be it home care of hospice, it is what makes my heart feel better, knowing they will be in good hands. 

 Life is a bit chaotic getting our daughter into a day program which will start after the New Year. 

Our new puppy! Well, she's not new and certainly not a small fluffy dog like some think! Bindi is one of the greatest dogs we have ever owned. She's sturdy, like a tank. You know it when she jumps on you. Great personality, I recommend a Havanese if you need compainionship. LIke, stalker, safe stalker companionship, they are called Velcro dogs for a reason. 

And most of all, we are finally moving forward with "late bloomer" planning (we have been unable to do anything the last ten years for various reasons.) Much to do, life is so short, friends, after seeing hospice patient after hospice patient, please, love one another, forgive if you can (unless they are toxic) and just... read the books you wanted to read, eat off the coffee table if you feel like it, wear all the "good" clothes you keep in your closet to walk the dog or clean the house,, just get out there! Live!

May God Bless you all, Merry Christmas and Holly Jolly Merriment~~!  xo

Holiday Book Gifts for 2015 Part 1

Every year it's getting harder to buy  for your book nerd family members and friends unless you know exactly what they want. And usually they have eight hundred plus books in their Kindle making them sigh with a mournful face while whispering, "I for real, seriously, totally (insert a word like that) don't know what book I want" leaving you with that awful, what do I buy this person??? They are the impossible readers. So I found a few books here and there under many sites with the blaring:  "Great Gifts" for 2015. 

I had bought myself  Pioneer Girl as seen above. It's huge, like, text book huge and quite lovely if you are a Laura Ingalls Wilder fan. I think I have read every book out there explaining her life over and over but this book is solid. A huge sit down and read what you want to read anywhere in the book kind of book, like say, a text book! Your recipient will be quite happy with your gift. Forever.

The roots of the Texas Stoneware. Hard to get book (as it said on one website) but worth it if someone you love likes a bit of history on stoneware, personally, I would love to have this book. Recommended by the NYT book critics.
 

I JUST looked this book up, Jenny Lawson hails it among other writers (in advance) so it must be good, it must be funny and I am going straight to her blog to check her out. Every year a book lover must receive one funny book for the holidays. It's usually the first book I will read in desolate January when life seems like the Grinch has sucked out all the twinkle lights and sparkly cookies for the rest of time. I will definitely hint hint hint for this one to arrive in my stocking. (Though I must confess, I am becoming weary of snark but sometimes.. just some.. times... you need it.)

This audio collection seems to be a pretty good deal for when you are gathered around the fire while the gloom in the winter is hanging over you like death. You know, those moments in life where you feel like you are in the early forties gathered ye all together freezing to death, hungry, in your stone hut listening to a family member tell everyone a five hundred mile story on war and loss? Yes, this is it. I think it's great. I wish I had a longer commute to work (not really but for this, yes.) And that description above? I think I have lived through a few of those family gatherings.

Pic from Bloomies, full credit there. This is an adorable book. A baby touchy feely book about being an owl. Love the stuffy toy too AND the cover. (I am sucker for book covers that's just how it is.)

I have no idea what this is about. None. I will look it up right now....... this is what Amazon had to say...

Rajiv Joseph is one of today’s most acclaimed young playwrights. The winner of numerous awards, including an NEA Award for Best Play and a Whiting Writers Award, he is an artist to watch. This volume gathers together for the first time his three major works to date.

Included herein are his latest play, Gruesome Playground Injuries, which charts the intersection of two lives using scars, wounds, and calamity as the mile markers to explore why people hurt themselves to gain another’s love and the cumulative effect of such damage; Animals Out of Paper, a subtle, elegant, yet bracing examination of the artistic impulse and those in its thrall, which follows a world-famous origamist as she becomes the unwitting mentor to a troubled young prodigy, even as she must deal with her own loss of inspiration; and Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, a darkly comedic drama that looks on as the lives of two American soldiers, an Iraqi translator, and a tiger intersect on the streets of Baghdad.

I would read this. Yes.

This is a gorgeous book. A special needs child opens up the world to a giant who refuses to have children in his garden. You. Can't Go. Wrong. Here.

First of all, I adore the cover. Second. It's a family drama and to be honest, it's not the best book to give at the holidays, never mind,  but know this! It's on sale for Kindle! (TBR for sure.)

This is fabulous, and I think it would be a perfect gift. I will copy the Amazon description here (I am pressed for time, I apologize.) 

This historic volume showcases tribal cultures around the world. With globalization, these societies are to be prized for their distinctive lifestyles, art and traditions. They live in close harmony with nature, now a rarity in our modern era. Jimmy Nelson not only presents us with stunning images of customs and artifacts, but also offers insightful portraits of people who are the guardians of a culture that they--and we--hope will be passed on to future generations in all its glory. Nelson's large-plate field camera captures every intricate detail and fine nuance for posterity. What's more, this splendid pageantry is set against a vivid backdrop of some of the world's most pristine landscapes. English/German/French edition.

Just a few books to start your list for giving to those that are hell to buy for. I used to go to B and N when they had fabulous coffee table books during the holidays. I always found one for every single book lover I know. I wish they still had zillions out there but sadly, they don't. So it's a big job looking for them online, but Amazon, B and N and other big places do have a nice collection. Moving on to my fourth week of my new job which is keeping me from online life, and from reading but not from keeping my nose into what is up around the book world. Have a good one!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving! So much to be grateful for, family, friends, a job (especially for me) among a million other things. I am still thankful for books, well, what reader wouldn't be thankful for books, right? 

Stay safe, give your keys to a sober friend tonight if you have one too many and to those of you who are home and not hanging out with the Fam or your friends I hope you find a comfy place to sit among the pillows to read a good book. 

I am thankful for all of you, thank you for reading this blog, it means the world. xo

New job, new things, and I swear I will get back here!

(That's Baboo. A very long story, perhaps I will share it someday, She's my go-to monkey when I need a photo.)

Such good news! I got a full time job at a hospital (local) doing discharge planning. I am pretty excited about it. The short end is I have to leave my mind unfettered to learn many things. 

On the book front, I have a bunch of things to write. I am hoping I can do this later tonight or this week. Post Human by David Simpson is now in a short film which is very exciting. I will post the short and talk about this great series. 

I am STILL reading the same two books for the last few months. It's pathetic really. I have never been so behind on reading. I miss it like a friend or a relative that lives all the way across the world. 

I have a page on Facebook now, The Bookhamlet, (I know all these hamlets, it's crazy...) I am linking my posts here on there and I have gone to delete it about four times now but change my mind. I kind of like having a page about books. Maintaining it is another story! I will link that later too.

I am off to see some  hospice patients on orientation and to be very honest, this is the kind of patient that needs all heart and much love and comfort. 

It feels good to be nursing again. In a great place for great patients. 

Ta! See you later.

Go back in time and find a good story...

If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the new books coming out, you may want to go back in time and read something you may find easily at book sales, library sales, even sold cheaply by sellers on Amazon. These books have stuck out in my mind as they were all read with much vigor, excitement, and a ton of  book nerd love.

I did not want to read The Rook, but a persistent book group member insisted and I was glad I listened to her. I read it rather quickly and was satisfied with the story, I loved the characters, plot, and the London setting. Perfect YA book.  (And you will never forget the name "McFawny.")


http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=the+rook

This was a cool read, no pun intended. The setting is on the edge of a forest near mountains where a couple makes their life living on a smallish farm. A strange child comes out  of the woods when it's cold and she has a story to tell but in her own magical way. Perfect book for a sit down with a cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate.

http://www.amazon.com/Snow-Child-Novel-Eowyn-Ivey/dp/0316175668/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1445820538&sr=1-1&keywords=the+snow+child

 I remember reading this, along with my Gan, when Oprah was planting her name all of the latest and greatest books. It was a good story, the main character, Julie Harmon is one of my most favorite characters.

 http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gap-creek-robert-morgan/1100380311?ean=9781616201760

This book blew me away. Stunning writing about conjoined twins about the life they are living told by each  girl separately. The writing is non exploitative, it was simply beautiful, tragic, sad, and victorious. I was so impressed I gave it out to a friend after I was finished.

 http://www.amazon.com/Girls-Novel-Lori-Lansens/dp/0316066346/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1445820682&sr=1-1&keywords=the+girls+book+lori+lansens

I hope you enjoy these books as much as I did. Sometimes a turn back to find good books from months ago, years ago, maybe even decades ago will never disappoint!

Buy all of them!

What's happening this month! TBRs, Grisham and Totes!

 The  TBR book pile is getting bigger and bigger and bigger. What to read next has become quite a chore. Almost finished The Girl in the Spider's Web by David Lagercrantz, which I have tons to write about when it comes to this book. Good and not so bad but not so good, well, really good and some meh stuff. 

But what to read next during the most busy time of the year??? 

I picked out Gray Mountain by John Grisham. It has been a long time since I have read one of his books, it's time.  Plus, no offense to Mr. Grisham, but he is a perfect read during a busy time. PLUS it's a drug store paperback! My favorite.

Shameless plugging of my friend's direct sales business. My friend R got into thirty-one which is totes and bags and purses and all kinds of really neat stuff. I was fortunate enough to book a party and had another friend book a party off of mine so I received lots of credits. One thing I adore is a bag I got for work but would happily use it as a book bag at any time. It has loads of pockets, fits iPads (probably a smallish laptop) and hardbacks, paperbacks and a couple of Kindles. Click the "thirty-one" link and it should take you right to the tote. Good quality and I am a FUSS over bags, though I collect tote bags like some collect Star Wars paraphernalia. Check them out, book a party! My friend R is truly one of the best consultants and gives one hell of a Facebook Event party. 

Link to my friend Robin, my hirty-one consultant:
http://www.mythirtyone.com/rwms70

So that is where I am in the book world. And in the book tote world as well (though the tote is going to be used for work too.) I fully intend to get more reviews out but with job hunting it's a bit hard to fit in time for blogging let alone getting a book finished!

Have the most happiest of Halloweens if I don't get back here any time soon! 

Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson

I cannot write a review for this book. I can tell you what the book is about but it's one of those rare gems you must read for yourself. It's about mental illness told humorously, sometimes with sadness, by Jenny Lawson, "The Bloggess" as most of us know her. It's a book about being happy even when you are broken. Chronically broken. And no one can explain this journey better than the author.

My suggestion? To know all things Jenny Lawson.  Go to her blog:    http://thebloggess.com/

Pick through the blogs, get to know her, the type of language as well as her inside stories a bit. You do not have to inundate yourself with reading a ton of the blogs, pick through, it's an easy task. But don't let "easy task" fool you. Jenny Lawson is a very complicated person. That's why she is so loved.

And then run out and get yourself  "Lets Pretend This Never Happened."  Lawson's first book, a memoir. You will laugh your way through her life story. Even if you skip over the blog, I recommend this book to be read first. And not in public. Don't say you weren't warned. 

Sometimes it takes a bit of a hike backward to read a new book, readers know that but Furiously Happy stands alone nicely. It's your choice as a reader in how much time you want to invest.

You will never be as funny as Jenny Lawson,  nor as creative and certainly not as enchanting. She opened  up her life to readers and they have found a real gem. I hope you do as well.

Buy both books.

Hide both books and do not lend them out. 

You will never see them again.

RIP Jackie Collins! You will be very missed

From the time I was able to read the "big girl books" thanks to my mom and my SIL who always had the latest and greatest) Jackie Collins was one of my very my favorites. I had surpassed the syrupy (but well loved) Danielle Steel and found myself in the company of the Hollywood Rich and Famous. Which are still my favorite books to go to when I want to take off time from reading my usual dense head throbbing books. And back then,  Jackie Collins provided those thick hardbacks filled with fast cars, women, men, luxury and villains. Step aside Sydney Sheldon!

I read that she had passed away while cruising through the stream of Facebook this morning and had to sit for a moment, as I do, to think about what she meant to me. I mean, our author village that we grew up in were comprised of the very people that wrote... words, stories and characters that shaped our world. 

I knew she was a good writer, she had great plot lines and always, always gave us bling. Tons of bling in every category AND intrigue with loads of danger. She had the gift to get all us readers fired up on her books wanting more . And in those days, it took a LONG time to get to the next book! 

May she rest in peace. God bless her family who have our hearts and prayers and good positive vibes from the very fans who thought she was a wonderful part of our village. I have had Santangelos on my TBR list, I  think I am going to hike it  up to the top now. She deserves that. 

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And to those suffering with breast cancer, I have had three people whom I love dearly fight it around the same time two years ago~it's up to us to make sure that we do all we can to monitor  and care  for our beloved bodies. I am unsure of the story behind Jackie Collins but it's so important:  Make your mammo appointment today. Says Cheryl RN.

Fall, books and what's blogging got to do with it?

First, I wanted to thank you for following me! For those of you that are not professional writers, the bloggers like me going out on a limb to blog publicly, we are brave! And it's truly like jumping off a cliff.  You have this itch to write, you have things to say or review or show people and that should be the parachute for your jump. With your bag of goals strapped to you back and your followers, no matter how big or small, lifting you up to help you find yourself in a perfect place to write about the things you love the most. No matter how scary it is, do it. Jump. I am so grateful that I had the nerve to do it. Being here is a lot of fun.

My goings on (and it's a bit rushed, sorry!)

• The Girl in the Spider's Web is ticking along. As I said before to someone somewhere, it doesn't have the complexity but it's a good story so far. Lullaby Girl by Aly Sidgwick is a real book (the former is on my iPad) which I read at night. I am enjoying both, and they can be read simultaneously. 
• Tomorrow is a Library book sale. I am going to hit that up with a friend. They have used new hardbacks that were just published. I had a give-away on my book group and it was wonderful to send off a book in mint condition. This library is the next town over. I have joined our own library a couple of weeks ago! Talk about thrilled! I may have mentioned it here. 
• My goal is to save money and still get the books I want so patience, looking into library book sales and the used bookstore plus going online for Bookperks and Bookgorilla, is a huge money saving adventure. That way, when I do go to Barnes and Noble for a hardback "I have to have" is not such a horrible matter when I buy it for a few more beans. It makes it special. 
• I borrowed The Paris Winter by Imogen Robertson (see photo) which isn't my kind of book but it jumped out at me when I signed up at the library. I figured it's not a book I would buy so the library is a perfect place to try new genres! Just take them back if you don't like them! Win Win for everyone!
  
• Fall is a great time to read with the chilly weather bound to come in. And it will be the holiday season soon enough. I have said to some friends on FB (in a group) that it's okay to take time out for yourselves, the holidays are not the be all end all of who you are. I will plan to write a couple of blogs like I did last year about savings and books you can buy for whom and all that fun stuff. 
• I hope everyone has a great week. I will probably return with The Lullaby Girl as the first review in a week. Have a good one. Again, thank you for being here, it means the world!

Books, TV and Christmas!

 My friend, Anne, sent this book to me today! What a treat! We were having quite a time with the kid and the puppy doing things kids and puppies do and the doorbell rang , I found a box with this book in it from the mailman. It made my whole day. So I MUST read this after the Lisbeth book.

Thanks to another friend, Jane, Fringe was recommended as we just (barely) made it through The Killing series (slow!) We love this show. Great actors, great arcs and more arcs and parallel universes and fringe science mixed with forensics. Highly recommended.

There are Christmas trees in a store near us. I am sure there are Christmas trees in a store near you. What does this have to do with books? Christmas is not an enjoyable time for me to read as it's too crazy. I look at those lights and trees and balls and blingy hangy things like a steamship leaving the port with every book I own on it.  Not to mention I would like to carve a pumpkin and eat some turkey first, thank you.

That's about all this week, along with the normal things we do. There are a lot of great Fall books coming out, I just doused my entire book group with the beautiful new covers and descriptions. I think it will be a good Christmas (cough) for those that ask for books. (Trying to make this all work, how am I doing?)

Happy Accidents by Jane Lynch

I will never forget Jane Lynch's character in Christopher Guest's Best In Show. She was so funny and vivacious in the movie that everyone else paled and they are not pale actors! I never watched Glee, not sure why, maybe because I hang out on Netflix more than any other place of entertainment. I may have to check into the show now that I read this book.

This is a very fast read. I wasn't disappointed as I had an inkling that due to probable contractual issues she could not talk about the CG movies like I wanted her to. Plus she was serious. I was expecting a bit of funny. However, this book was her story. It was about her life, stage by stage with all of   her anxieties, fears, and troubles with her sexuality as she couldn't come out in the seventies even with her quirky family and her desperate need to feel a part of something. And that something ended up being acting in which she truly did have many happy accidents along the way. She did come out and is very happy now, but you can read all about it in her book.

I have to be honest I raced through this book for two reasons, it's a library book and I am also reading two other books as well. I am sorry, Jane! 

Borrow it,  but if you are a huge fan, you may want her book in your library!

I am so excited I could scream. But I won't. Not yet.

 Lisbeth Salander.

Normally, I do not get excited over other authors writing the next book in a series that only the original author should write.  Stieg Larsson should be writing this book. Mr. Larsson is no longer with us and that makes me sad to see it in writing, but I am excited to see the story live on. His characters in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo series are one of my favorite fictional characters in a series to date. When he passed away I felt incredibly sad for him, for his family, friends, the WORLD.

I was so excited to get this book the other night, I pre-ordered it and had prayed to God that it was just as good as the other books. When I started it I whispered, "I am so excited I could scream!" But I didn't or my husband would have had a heart attack, he was sleeping. But I was wide eyed and awake!

I have been tired lately and falling asleep in seconds. Last night I read all of 28 pages and felt the pull of the story once again. Complexities of Larsson's writing are missing but it's a good story and I feel that Lagercrantz nails the mood of Blomkvist,  I do. 

We shall see how it goes, I will post a review immediately when finished. A scream or a sob, I will lay it on the line here.

By the way, though I like (like) the English version of the movie. The Swedish version is a million times better, so if you are into seeing this ever, please, put up with subtitles, it's worth it.

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

This is going to be a difficult review as I read this book on my iReader over four months. Maybe three. I can't even remember. Our summer was busy so I pulled what I call "The Goldfinch Read" as when I had read that book over Christmas chunks of the beginning were tucked far away in my overused brain to remember when I picked it up again later in the new year. I did the same with this book so I had to go back and re-read the beginning again to write this.

Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel, did stick to my ribs. I love her writing, the plot is a ten plus and the characters were beyond any great expectations of a reader. Setting is extraordinary and very creative.

I loved this book.

It was a quiet story about a virus that wipes out most of  the world's civilization (stay with me here I know you heard that line before) but pockets of people are alive and we only care and focus on a small number of characters on their journey through two decades.

And you feel the isolation as much as the characters do.

I am serious, you feel alone when you read it. It didn't matter if I was in a crowd or not I could feel the expanse of everything decaying throughout the story all by  itself.

A famed actor named Arthur Leander plays King Lear on stage one snowy night. He is performing around King Lear's three young daughters during a scene where things deteriorate rapidly. The reader spends the rest of the book with one of the child actors, Kirstin,  as well as the man, Jeevan, who was also attending the play that  same night the Georgian Flu becomes an international crisis.

It isn't tough, or  grimy or zombie rumble tumble,  although, you do have some feral as well as cult-like individuals showing up.  It's mostly reflective of Arthur's past circle of people intertwining with the present people during the next  two decades up to post Georgia Flu Year Twenty. Nostalgia seems to be the cornerstone of the story. As Kirsten and The Shakespearean Company walks many miles looking for people or towns to perform for,  the reader goes back and forth from present to past and back again, we learn more and more about the characters and how this new world impacts them, I wanted more but it was enough. It was a perfect read.

This is why I loved the writing:

~On silent afternoons in his brother’s apartment, Jeevan found himself thinking about how human the city is, how human everything is. We bemoaned the impersonality of the modern world, but that was a lie, it seemed to him; it had never been impersonal at all. There had always been a massive delicate infrastructure of people, all of them working unnoticed around us, and when people stop going to work, the entire operation grinds to a halt. No one delivers fuel to the gas stations or the airports. Cars are stranded. Airplanes cannot fly. Trucks remain at their points of origin. Food never reaches the cities; grocery stores close. Businesses are locked and then looted. No one comes to work at the power plants or the substations, no one removes fallen trees from electrical lines. Jeevan was standing by the window when the lights went out.
There was a stupid moment or two when he stood near the front door, flipping the light switches. On/off, on/off.~ from Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

I don't want to spoil any of this for you, it's a book to be read not over three to four months but over a short amount of time so you can savor every morsel of it.

I hope Station Eleven will be a movie someday it would be perfect.

Buy it

Hobbit House

The H and I have discussed the book hoarding in this smallish condo for the last decade. Where can we put those books what can you do, he used to ask. I would wave him off, "I'll get to them." 

Book hoarding is so common these days that I don't even feel guilty for getting to the shelves, piles and such. I really don't want to go back and dust off my entire collections of Atwood, Hoffman and DeMille. I know these books should be passed on but they seem like siblings of sorts. Why get rid of the books that brought me through this world, educated me and simply were there when things got rough? 

Especially when people sucked. (haven't they though?) I turned to my hardbound/paperbound village for comfort.

What does he mean "what can we do with those books?!" They are family! Friends! Acquaintances you fell in love with for five minutes, surely he is right out of his mind. 

The other day I thought about this issue for a long time. I sat on my bed contemplating. If I get rid of all these old books I can put all my TBRs on the shelf and never trip over a pile of books again! I could get rid of these books and make someone else happy (never guaranteed) OR ... I can keep them. And not feel shame but for the love of God ORGANIZE THEM!

The people of our generation are huge collectors, we were the people who had parents that collected all kinds of things Just go on eBay, that says it all. My mom collected antiques, books, dolls, and other things that always made the home seem like a little Hobbit House filled with friends. Different kinds of friends. From what I read, the Millennials are not keen on taking up their parents "clutter" collections (shudder) as most of them are into minimalism, streamlining with their techno gadgets and organizers. Who needs a bunch of dusty old books lying around? I envy their simplicity and views on their "space." 

But really?

 I can visit  them online, I can see their cute streamlined abodes, apartments, condos, whatever and still come back to my Hobbit House and not feel so badly. Not feel shame, I can enjoy them and live through them vicariously... virtually.

What I came up with is to get rid of one of the PC desks in our bedroom and put the third shelf up. With the stipulation that every book MUST fit. No floor piles. The bookcase in the hallway that was my Gan's will house the classics. I can surely slim those books down!  "It's time", I said to myself, "to get to them, time to make life a bit more clean, organized yet keep your Hobbit House, yes! I can do that!" 

And all was well in the Hobbit House after I started sorting. 

Not ready to hand over my beach reads just yet...

Photo taken by me at Pt. Pleasant NJ 5am. 

When the corn is man high, as my mother explained to me as a child, summer is over. Some say it's over on July 4th, which I find to be an insane notion. August and September can be the most summer-like months of all.  But it is the end of the "beach read." The last of the summer books and sometimes it's hard to say goodbye. The thought of darker covers, bolder print, judgmental titles, and thick plots are mind numbing prompting me to drink more iced tea and slap more suntan oil on. Not to mention characters that wear a lot of wool sipping on endless cups of coffee while enduring a Shakespearean tragedy of their own. 

I looked at the rest of my summer TBR pile and most of the covers are blue. Blue as the water in the ocean or a swimming pool. The other books I have started ticking off for the Fall are dark, foreboding and ready to be read when I have my woolies on sipping my own tragic cup of coffee. 

Am I excited for these Fall books to come into my life? Yes, but I really want to get through the rest of these fine summer reads that have been bought or given to me while the temp still soars. I want to sit in my favorite chair while the sun now slants differently on my walls and read a good yarn about beach life on Nantucket. Or a murder mystery at Loon Lake. Whatever it is, I just want to hold on a bit longer. The sun can move each day on my walls at a cold pace but I do believe there is time left for summer beach reads.

 

Book Group Luncheon July 2015

http://www.theaviaryrestaurant.com/

What a wonderful time we had at the book group luncheon!  Long drive (worth it!) due to Friday holiday travel, but once my husband and I met a part of our book group, it was one of the most magical moments. To share online, a love of books and  friendship, then meet these very people, men and women, it's an experience like nothing else. I have met one dear friend, Robin, from Oklahoma twice, we have been online friends since 1999 and it was the best visit. This time I stayed with another friend, Anne, who has been my online friend since 1999 as well. Seeing both women on Real Time was amazing!

So. Much. Fun. 

We did talk about books at the luncheon, believe it or not. Then some of us, a smaller group, went to a used bookstore after, I was the only one who did not buy a book, I was too excited to concentrate! 

So that was our big hit of this year. I am still job hunting (we won't go there.. it's exhausting) but this tiny trip though big in magic and fun, was what we needed. 

On the trip two friends/members gave me a book each, I will list them below. I also found the book store in Mystic, Connecticut (it's not hard to miss, but I did, three times) and bought a couple of books there. I will post them too.

P.S. We went to The Aviary (link below their website pic) wonderful food and ambiance. They sure can tolerate a bunch of very happy book group members as well. Highly recommended if you are ever in Swansea, Massachusetts. 

A book passed on by my friend, Paula.

A gift from my friend, Anne.

A pass on from Anne. (Reading this now)

Two from the bookstore in Mystic, Connecticut

So my TBR list has grown once again, but from a "literary weekend" for which I am not only excited about as it was my first, but have books to remember with such sweet meaning~


Thank you to my book friends and members, you made a dream come true by participating with exuberance on the book group and in real life, thank you so much! Love to all of you!

My Goings On July 2015

I hope "youse" US peoples had a great July 4th!

~That's for you, Robin~

Reading.. I could write a paragraph of  my not-getting-to-read woes but I will spare you the gory details, okay well I will say something about it. The problem is, when we have no time to read, to us book lovers, we get antsy, we long for quiet (lucid) moments with our books, and we try to read but either fall asleep or cannot concentrate very well. The older I get the harder it is to sit down to read without falling into a coma.

That will change soon enough...

I have a few pages left of Station Eleven, a very good book. I will review that book when I am finished, I have had Robin Cook's book, Nano at my bedside and read a bit from it every night and the latest and greatest is, The Inverted Forest by Josh Dalton:

For some crazy reason this book is expensive in paper and on Kindle so I went to Half.com and paid a couple of beans from a very good book dealer, like I've said before, used books are alright with me! It has started out with a slight bit of a bnag but the kind that grabs you around the neck.

Those are the life happenings and  books going right now. I hope I can set some time aside this week to get more reading done. I feel that things are calming down.

Read on friends, and enjoy your summer! I will return when I am feeling better to review some books.

A big huge PS, on Saturday I am meeting a few of my book group friends, I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am to meet the very people that has encouraged our book group into what it is. I will post pics and anecdotal tales next week!

My Goings On June 2015

Photo by Cheryl Poole-Musgrove

 It has been a month of celebration with my daughter's graduation from high school. The little one made it. She worked hard, gave it her all even after so many surgeries and therapies. C graduated with the biggest smile I have ever seen. She made it! Against the odds! 

This is why I had to write three blogs, to catch up! 

In between graduation/transitional goings on,  I have found books here and there that I wanted to post. Two came from The Dollar Tree or Store (not sure which at this point) and they were a steal. The others came from our local used book store where I had boxed up some books to get a bit of credit, so they didn't cost an arm and a leg either. Below each book is a link to Amazon's description /page of that particular book. They may stay in my TBR pile for a time but I know I will get to them, enjoy! 

There's nothing like a good bargain/used book!

http://www.amazon.com/Story-Marriage-Andrew-Sean-Greer/dp/0312428286/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1435524129&sr=1-4&keywords=%3Bthe+story+of+a+marriage

 http://www.amazon.com/Stay-Awake-Stories-Dan-Chaon/dp/0345530381/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1435524249&sr=1-1&keywords=stay+awake+dan+chaon

http://www.amazon.com/Within-These-Walls-Ania-Ahlborn/dp/1476783748/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1435524339&sr=1-1&keywords=within+these+walls

 http://www.amazon.com/Book-Lover-Maryann-McFadden/dp/0984867104/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1435524467&sr=1-1&keywords=the+book+lover+maryann+mcfadden

http://www.amazon.com/Red-Ruby-Heart-Cold-Blue/dp/B00B9ZHDTG/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1435524580&sr=1-1&keywords=the+ruby+red+heart

http://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Wandering-Redemption-Attention-Hardcover/dp/B00RKQ87RU/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1435524713&sr=1-2&keywords=a+deadly+wandering