Jenny's Corner

READ THIS BOOK!

2008-10-23T09:28:00.000-07:00

'Nuff said.

Where In the World...

2008-10-20T11:56:00.001-07:00

have I been??? Well, nowhere really. Just not blogging. I think I lost my mojo. I still don't really have it back. But I just wanted to touch base to say that I will be back soon with some reading updates. And hopefully pictures of the giant bag of books I picked up for $3 at the library sale yesterday!

Also, this blog may become even more inactive (is that possible???) after the first of the year as I got accepted to my master's program and between that and working full-time, I have a feeling there's not going to be much reading, let alone blogging, going on. But we'll see. I'll try to touch base as much as possible.

August Reads

2008-09-06T14:11:00.001-07:00

It is entirely too hot here to be September. I am ready for fall with it's crisp days and red, orange and yellow hues. But it's not to be. At least not yet. Darn Mother Nature or global warming or what have you!

I have been in a bit of a blogging slump but definitely not a reading slump. I read 11 books in August and listened to 3 audio books. Here are some of the highlights:

All Unwary and Last To Leave by Clare Curzon - I have found a new mystery author. Well, actually my mom found her and turned me on to her but you get the idea. Well plotted British mysteries with an interesting recurring cast headed by Superintendent Mike Yeadings. Her plots are twisty, which I like. I hate when I figure out the murderer early on. (3-1/2 out of 5 Bookmarks for both)

What Was Lost by Catherine O'Flynn - I am not sure where to start about my feelings on this book. In a nutshell, this is the story of a young girl's disappearance and the mystery surrounding it. But it's much more a psychological novel than a mystery. At times I found myself weighted down by this book but was determined to get through to the end. The ending was definitely satisfying but I did not thoroughly enjoy the journey. I did like the beginning of the novel which is told through Kate Meaney's eyes (the young girl who disappears). While there was still somewhat of an oppressive feeling to this section as well, I enjoyed the character of Kate. Maybe that's what made the rest of the book so tough, knowing something terrible must have happened to her. (3 Bookmarks out of 5 - well written but depressing)

Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris by Paul Gallico - This was definitely the right book for me to read after What Was Lost. Completely uplifting and brought to life a lonely charwoman with a dream - to own a dress by Christian Dior. Her journey to Paris and what happens to her while she is there was a joy to read. I whipped through this book and then happened to come across the film version at the library starring Angela Lansbury and Diana Rigg. While there were some significant changes from the book, I did enjoy the movie as well and recommend seeing it after you've read this delightful novel. (4-1/2 Bookmarks out of 5 - Charming!)

Where Memories Lie by Deborah Crombie - I adore the Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series. I don't think I've been let down once by them. Great mysteries and a throroughly enjoyable partnership between the main characters. This latest installment is no exception. If you are a mystery fan and you haven't read this series yet, I highly recommend you pick it up. (4-1/2 Bookmarks out of 5)

Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich - Stephanie Plum. What more can I say? Funny as always though not my favorite of this series. (3-1/2 Bookmarks out of 5 - Perfect beach read)

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See - This book is amazing and beautiful and everything I could possibly want in a novel. Great story, wonderful characters, beautiful writing. I can not say enough about this book. Definitely in my top 5 reads this year. I loved this book. Go read it. (5 Bookmarks - Perfect)

There you have some of the standouts from my August reading fest. I will leave you with a few pictures of my trip to the Russian River.

The foggy California coast

The Russian River

Ducks!

Rocks!

Summer memories...

It's Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaack...

2008-08-25T15:52:00.001-07:00

Once again it's time for Carl V's RIP Challenge! Last year I didn't do as well as I had hoped. But I have a bunch of possible books to read for this year's challenge. I am not sure which Peril I will participate in...can I just see how many books I actually read? But I think I will definitely read at least 2 books from my "pool" (great idea, Carl) listed below:

Seven Gothic Tales by Isak Dineson

The Woman In Black by Susan Hill

Ghostwalk by Rebecca Stott

The Ladies of Grace Adieu by Susanna Clarke

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

Among the Shadows by L.M. Montgomery

The Arthurian Omen by G.G Vandagriff

I have been looking forward to this challenge all year. For me, the start of the RIP Challenge now ushers in the fall season just like the start of school used to do. I am ready for summer to be over and for those crisp autumn days where I can snuggle under a blanket with a good book to begin!

Book Revew with Product Placement

2008-08-19T09:18:00.000-07:00

I love product. And by "product" I don't mean "products" as in all things we consumers can purchase with our hard-earned cash and/or our not-so-hard-earned plastic. I mean product as in all things beautifying. From lipstick to lotions to powders to perfumes, if it's guaranteed to make you less shiny, more sparkly, less stinky, more dewy then I am all over it. It's a bit of an obsession really though I have learned to control myself more now than when I was oh, say a teenager and would buy a new moisturizer with the frequency most people buy milk.

Which is why Claire Cook's Summer Blowout (which I received through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program) was right up my alley! I am usually quite picky with my "chick lit" as they call it these days. I often find the characters to be unlikeable or wishy-washy. Bella Shaughnessy is neither of those. As the story begins, Bella is newly divorced and her ex-husband is now in a relationship with her half-sister. Bella works for a chain of salon's run by her eclectic father, Lawrence "Lucky" Shaughnessy who is obsessed with all things Italian (even though the family is of Irish descent). Things get interesting quickly as Bella meets a local entrepreneur named Sean Ryan, semi-kidnaps a dog from a bride and starts setting up her own business.

Now I won't say that the plot isn't predictable. It is. You can see the happy ending coming a mile away. Even the plot twists are predictable. BUT...

There was something incredibly, dare I say it, likeable about Bella. She matches her lipstick shade to her particular mood, she starts picking up the pieces of her life even though the failure of her marriage is being constantly thrown in her face and she really starts to come into her own BEFORE she gets her man.

Now, onto product placement. I am sure this element of the book may have annoyed some people. I would not be one of them. Max Factor Lipfinity in Passionate, Sephora Fresh Gloss and OPI's My Chihuahua Bites are just a few of the product names dropped in this book. And they are just a few of the items I will be checking out on my next visit to the beauty counter.

If you are looking for a light and fluffy beach read with a likeable leading lady and even more likeable dog, then I definitely recommend Summer Blowout.

Friday Fill-In!

2008-08-15T11:07:00.000-07:00

I have been reading Literary Feline's Friday Fill-Ins for some time now and thought I would do one for the first time. So without further ado...

1. The last meal I had at a restaurant was country fried chicken with mashed potatoes - yum!

2. Intolerance is something I intensely dislike.

3. The full moon brings out the werewolves so watch out.

4. The City* is one of my favorite local expressions. (*This isn't an expression really but it's the term we use here in the Bay Area when we are referring to San Francisco. Please, out-of-towners, we beg of you not to call it "Frisco". Thank you for your support.)

5. Sometimes it's best to curl up on the couch with the cat and a good book.

6. Sex and the City is the best movie I've seen so far this year!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to ordering pizza and watching the Olympics, tomorrow my plans include trying to get to a matinee of Mamma Mia and running some errands and Sunday, I want to hang out at home, read, and get all my laundry done for the week!

Quick Catch Up

2008-08-14T10:41:00.000-07:00

Ok, here's a quick list to catch everyone up on the happenings over here at Jenny's Corner. So instead of blogging for the past oh month or so, here's what I've been up to:

Went on a fabulous vacation to Lake Tahoe. Pictures to come (hopefully this weekend if I get them downloaded off my camera).

Took another trip up to the Russian River this past weekend. We even stumbled upon The Village Inn which happens to have been where some scenes of the movie Holiday Inn were filmed. Adorable little inn. Would love to stay there sometime.

In Bookish News...

I have been doing quite a bit of reading and I will do an update of my recent reads in another post.

Currently I am reading the new Deborah Crombie, Where Memories Lie, which is so good that I stayed up way too late last night reading it. I have about 40 pages to go and should finish it today.

Then I am moving on to Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich. I am definitely in the mood for some Stephanie Plum!

I have received a couple of early review books including Summer Blowout, which I plan to start in the next couple of days so I can get my review up on LibraryThing.

Other than reading, I have been busy doing some organizing and clean up of my apartment. I have made quite a bit of progress and I am planning to get a bunch more done this weekend. Oh, and look what I just got:

This is my brand new TV stand! I am very excited about it since for the past few years I have been using a hand-me-down IKEA stand which, while it served it's purpose, didn't really work in my new space. This one is perfect and I even put it together all by myself. Ok, so there may have been a few leftover screws, a couple of stubbed toes and quite a backache but I still did it myself. That's satisfaction for you!

So that's what's new with me. What's new with you???

Bath Time!

2008-06-27T16:51:00.000-07:00

This is my first attempt at putting a video on my blog so we'll see how it goes. I took this with my phone so it's a little dark but the extreme close-up is kind of funny! Here's Emily...

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

I Have Knitting Questions, Do You Have Answers???

2008-06-25T10:10:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know I have some knitters out there who read this blog and I am hoping at least one of you is willing to impart her extensive knitting knowledge on little-ol'-beginner-knitter me. Last night I decided to get my knitting supplies organizated (is too a word) and to write a list of yarn I need for some new projects since I have a coupon for Jo-Ann's and need to use it by Sunday. Any excuse to buy yarn is a good one in my book!

Anywho, I have been wanting to knit a case for my camera and have been planning to use the cell phone cover pattern in the Stitch n' Bitch book. So I pulled out some yarn last night and got started. It's going pretty well so far but here, at last, are my questions:

1. The pattern uses 3 different yarns to make a striped pattern. I was reading the instructions for changing yarns and one of the things it says to do, if you don't want to cut the old yarn every time you start a new color, is to leave it hanging off the side but to twist it with the new yarn everytime you knit over to the side it is on. Ok, I get the concept but now I have a mixture of colors all running up the side. This isn't such a big deal since I am going to sew this particular piece in half but what if you are doing a scarf or a blanket or something else where the edges will show? Won't that look weird? Any assistance on this head-scratcher would be much appreciated!

2. Along the same lines, here is something that has been bothering me for awhile. I made a striped scarf awhile back and the one thing I don't like about it is that on the back side, you can see where I switched yarn colors because there is this funky line of the old color yarn stuck in the first row of the new yarn color. Does that make sense? Is there anyway to make this not happen???

I wish I had pictures to illustrate both my questions but, alas, I STILL haven't charged my camera batteries. Perhaps tonight will be the night!

So those are my current knitting conundrums. If anyone has any advice for me it would be greatly appreciated. Many, many thanks in advance! I will try to post some pictures in the next couple of days to show you my current camera case project!

Magical!

2008-06-19T09:50:00.000-07:00

I have always loved magic ever since I was a little girl. From the simplest card trick to the idea of casting spells, from magicians to witches to Harry Potter. Perhaps it's the desire to know (or at least to hope) that there is something greater than myself out there in the universe. Whatever it is, I find magic to be, well, spellbinding.

Which is why Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen completely captured my imagination. I couldn't put it down. I loved the idea of this magical family, each with their own special gift, living in a house that was in itself magical and includes an apple tree in the backyard with some very unusual characteristics. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a little magic in their reading. It brought to mind Alice Hoffman's books (which are often written in the magic realism style), particularly Practical Magic (although it is more reminiscent of the spirit of the movie).

I can't wait to read the author's next book, The Sugar Queen.

Bookmarks: 5 out of 5 (Cast a spell over me!)

What I've Read Lately

2008-06-12T12:16:00.000-07:00

I realize that I have not been very good at posting about the books I have finished recently. In truth, I am not very adept at writing book reviews and I really loathe writing synopsises (synopses?). So, I'm going to do a laundry list of my recent reads and a quick little note about each one along with my bookmark rating. So, here goes...

Eye of the Storm by Marcia Muller - Muller is my go to now that I have read everything Sue Grafton has written to date. Sharon McCone is actually the precursor to Kinsey Milhone so Muller's books have much the same flavor as Grafton. Plus they are set in San Francisco and the Bay Area which is where I live as well and it's always fun to read about where you live. I have read quite a few in this series already and will continue working my way through the rest. Bookmarks: 4 out of 5 (This rating is for the series as a whole)

Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich - I love me some Stephanie Plum. No books make me laugh out loud more than this series. Love, love, love it. Even a so-so book is better than most other "fluff reads" out there. Bookmarks: 4-1/2 out of 5 (Again, for the series as a whole)

Crazy Aunt Purl's Drunk, Divorced and Covered In Cat Hair by Laurie Perry - Somehow about 8 months ago I discovered Laurie's blog, Crazy Aunt Purl. Wow, can that girl write a hilarious blog post. Plus, I could completely relate to so much of what she talked about having gone through my own divorce a couple of years ago. And she knits and has cats. What's not to like? The book is slightly more serious in tone but written in the same style as her blog. Plus there are some great knitting patterns in the back which I plan to try my hand at as soon as I can get myself to the yarn store. Bookmarks: 4-1/2 out of 5 (Loved it)

The Bone Garden by Kate Ellis - British police procedural. I just happened to come across this in the library. It's not the first book in the series, cuz I love to do things out of order, but I had no trouble following along or figuring out the characters and their relationships. I will definitely be reading more of this series. Try this one if you like Elizabeth George and Deborah Crombie. Bookmarks: 3-1/2 out of 5 (Good enough for me to try another in the series)

Bachelor Brothers' Bed & Breakfast Pillow Book by Bill Richardson - I loved the first Bachelor Brothers' book and was not disappointed by the second. One of my favorite parts of these books is the different book lists offered up. My wishlist kept growing throughout both. A good cozy book for a lazy day. Bookmarks: 4 out of 5 (Light and fun)

Daisy Miller by Henry James - I read this through the DailyLit website which allows you to sign up and have books emailed to you daily in sections, kind of like a serial. Most classics are free though they do charge a fee for newer books (I am sure this has to do with whether or not the work is still under copyright). I have read a few classics which I might otherwise not have done and it's easy enough to read the short section sent each day. I found the character of Daisy Miller somewhat annoying but enjoyed the book and I certainly did not see the end coming. Plus, now I can say I have read Henry James. Bookmarks: 3-1/2 our of 5

Hideous Kinky by Esther Freud - Confession time. The real reason I wanted to read this book was because I want to see the movie with Kate Winslet (whom I love). I am so glad that I did. I loved the book even though it's not my usual fare. Oh, and the author is Sigmund Freud's granddaughter. Bookmarks: 4 out of 5

Bonjour Tristess by Francoise Sagan - Definitely one of my favorite reads so far. Makes me want to rent a villa in the South of France and spend my summer there. Well, a girl can dream anyway. Wonderful characterization and the end was a shocker. Unbelievable that the author wrote this as a teenager. I also recently watched the film version and enjoyed it as well though there were some elements that take place after the book ends that I wasn't fond of. But it is beautifully filmed and I loved the costumes. Bookmarks: 5 out of 5 (A must read and then check out the movie)

They Came To Baghdad by Agatha Christie - I listened to the audiobook and loved it. Emilia Fox has a wonderful voice and I am about to start another Christie audiobook read by her. While I love Miss Marple and Poirot as much as the next Christie fan, I really enjoy her books which don't feature any of her recurring characters. And this was no exception. Plucky heroine, exotic locales, great mystery. Bookmarks: 4-1/2 out of 5 (One of my favorite Christie's so far)

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett - I think quite a few bloggers have read this novella about Queen Elizabeth II stumbling upon a mobile library and in turn becoming an avid reader. Truly a delightful book that satisfied my inner Anglophile. I finished it in one day. Bookmarks: 4-1/2 out of 5 (Charming!)

The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets by Eva Rice - Adored this book. A story of friendship and coming-of-age in post-WWII England. Absolutely wonderful. Possibly my favorite book of the year. Bookmarks: 5 out of 5 (Can't wait for more by this author)

Summer at Tiffany by Marjorie Hart - Memoir of the summer Marjorie and her friend spent working as the first female pages at Tiffany's in New York City. Great fun. Bookmarks: 4 out of 5 (Make sure to check out the pictures of Marjorie and see how great she looks at age 82!)

Home by Julie Andrews - Who doesn't love Mary Poppins and Maria from The Sound of Music? This is the memoir of Julie Andrews' early years which show how she moved from vaudeville to Broadway to Hollywood. It definitely leaves you wanting for more and I certainly hope she writes another memoir about the next portion of her life. She comes across just as lovely and down to earth in her book as she always does in interviews and movies. Bookmarks: 4-1/2 out of 5 (Plus, she and I share the same birthday!)

Phew! That was quite a lot of catching up to do! This isn't all of my recent reads but encompasses most of them, particularly the ones I really enjoyed. I have lucked out so far this year in that I have only read (or started) a couple of books that I feel were duds. I will try to keep up on my reviews a little better over the coming months (but no promises, of course!).

I Can See Clearly Now

2008-06-06T11:28:00.000-07:00

This week marked a momentous and life altering event for me. I had Lasik eye surgery on Tuesday. I can not tell you how much this has changed my life already. Being able to see without needing contacts or glasses is something I thought would never happen. And yet, as I sit here typing this post, I am seeing 20/20 using nothing but my two little eyes. It is nothing short of a miracle.

I have wanted to have Lasik since I first heard about it some eight or nine years ago. One of my best friends had the surgery about 6 years ago and boy oh boy was I jealous! But it wasn't feasible for me at that time of my life. Financially, it is a pretty major investment. But if you have the means and you are a candidate, as Nike says, just do it! I wish I had been able to do it myself years ago.

The procedure itself is painless (though when they peeled off the tape that was holding down my eyelashes, that was no fun) and takes less than 15 minutes. All told, I was at the surgery center for a little over 2 hours. They take lots of pictures of your eye and cornea and whatnot as well as examine your eye and check for dryness and blah, blah, blah. It turns out I was a borderline candidate as they discovered that I had a thin cornea but after checking all of my numbers (no idea what all that entailed) the doctor said there was enough cornea to still do conventional Lasik and be able to go back in for an enhancement if needed. I was pretty nervous the morning of the surgery. I think one of my biggest fears was that I would get there and they would tell me I wasn't a good candidate. But my luck held out. They give you some lovely Valium to keep you relaxed and there's even a teddy bear for you to hold during the procedure. It was actually comforting to have something to hold. I think dentists should consider doing this with their patients too. Just my two cents.

Once you lay down in the chair under the very large laser machine, they tape your eyelashes down and put a suction ring over your eye. They give you some lovely numbing drops so you don't feel a thing and then they start the procedure. They make the flap, though you can't feel it, and then everything goes dark. They do something else and then your vision comes back and you look at this lovely red light and then the laser starts doing it's thing. The doctor had a firm grip on my head which was actually very reassuring because I was very afraid I would accidentally move and screw the whole thing up and then I'd be blind or something. His grip was also reassuring because that laser machine is loud. I mean loud enough that I could hear it all the way from the waiting room when I was jumping through all the pre-op hoops. And then it's over. Faster than it took me to type this paragraph. And then they do the other eye. And the whole thing is done.

And then?

I COULD SEE!!!!!!!!!!!! I mean they sat me up and I looked at the nurse and I could see her clearly. I almost burst into tears which I really didn't expect. I have never been so grateful in my whole life. And I can still hardly believe it. I keep expecting someone to pinch me and I will wake up and realize it was all just a dream.

While I seriously advocate having Lasik done if you need it and are a candidate, here are my caveats:

1. Do your research. Research your doctor, research Lasik, talk to people who've had it, talk to your eye doctor but get as much information as you can before you decide to go through with it.
2. Choose a doctor with a good reputation. My doctor has done over 40,000 Lasik procedures and is a cornea transplant specialist. He did my friend's surgery 6 years ago and comes highly recommended.
3. You get what you pay for. Sometimes bargains aren't worth it. When it comes to your eyesight you should be paying a premium. If someplace offers discounts or two eyes for the price of one or trade your pet for a new pair of eyes, run, run as fast you can far, far away.

I am off now to go view the world with my new and improved eyes. And it is a wonderful, wonderful world that I can now see with perfect vision!

Book Binge Results

2008-06-02T11:00:00.000-07:00

I was out of town yesterday so I wasn't able to post my list of books read in May until today. But, without further ado, here it is:

Bachelor Brothers' Bed and Breafast Pillow Book by Bill Richardson

Daisy Miller by Henry James

I Heard That Song Before by Mary Higgins Clark

Confessions of A Teen Sleuth by Chelsea Cain (only got to p. 61)

Hideous Kinky by Esther Freud

Bonjour Tristesse by Francoise Sagan

The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets by Eva Rice

Summer At Tiffany by Marjorie Hart (I was 40 pages from finishing this on 5/31 and finished it up last night)

So I read 8 complete books plus 2 partials. That works out to about 2 books per week which seems to be my average these days. I also listened to a book on CD which I know doesn't count for this challenge but I did finish it so there you go. I read so many great books this month but I think my two favorites would have to be Bonjour Tristesse and The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets. Both had engaging female characters and both fall into the category of what I would call coming of age stories.

Here is a breakdown of the books I read by type:

Mysteries: 2
Classics: 1
Fiction: 8
Nonfiction: 2
Autobiographical novels: 1
Novellas: 2

Huge thanks to Mary for hosting a challenge that was in no way challenging to finish!

A Pseudo Challenge

2008-05-20T12:55:00.000-07:00

By now most of the book bloggers out there are aware of the 1% Well Read Challenge based on the 1001 Books To Read Before You Die book which is being hosted by 3M over at 1 more chapter. Melanie over at Indextrious Reader is trying to read more books on the list without really committing to the challenge. And since it is often the case that once I join a challenge I lose all motivation to read any of my chosen books, I thought I might do the same. I am also planning to try and get through some more of my TBR pile. So here is a list of books on the 1001 list that are also ones I already own:

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
Possession by A.S. Byatt
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark
The 13 Clocks by James Thurber
Love In A Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford
The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell
The House In Paris by Elizabeth Bowen
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Middlemarch by George Eliot
Persuasion by Jane Austen
Emma by Jane Austen
Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen

There are some rather lengthy tomes on this list so I doubt I will get through all, or even 10 or them. I would love to get through either Anna Karenina or Middlemarch as I have been wanting to read both for a very long time. But since there are also a number of other books on the list that I would really like to read as well, here are some possible alternates to the list above.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Saturday by Ian McEwan
The Hours by Michael Cunningham
Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John LeCarre
The Summer Book by Tove Jansson
Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
Inside Mr. Enderby by Anthony Burgess
The Country Girls by Edna O'Brien
Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris by Paul Gallico
Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day by Winifred Watson
Out of Africa by Isak Dineson
Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

Well, those lists ought to keep me busy for awhile. It would be great if I could read 10 in the next 10 months but we'll see how it goes. Just reading ANY would be satisfying.

Southern Reading Challenge

2008-05-14T10:53:00.001-07:00

Maggie over at Maggie Reads is hosting the Southern Reading Challenge. I always find summer the perfect time to read books set in the South. And besides that, I have a few Southern books that have been sitting in my TBR pile for way too long.

I will read 3 of the books from the following list:

Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind by Ann B. Ross

The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc by Loraine Despres

A Short History of A Small Place by T.R. Pearson

Shoot the Moon by Billie Letts

This is the perfect challenge for the hot summer months. Now I just need to pull up a chair on the veranda and sip my mint julep while slowly fanning myself and enjoying one of these Southern reads!

Two memes

2008-05-13T15:44:00.000-07:00

Carrie at My Middle Name Is Patience has tagged me for these two memes she just posted on her blog. So without further ado, away we go:

Meme #1

1. Pick up the nearest book.
2. Turn to page 123
3. Find the fifth sentence
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people and acknowledge who tagged you.

I was thrown completely off balance, and I could see from his expression that my father felt the same way.
"Do you think," he said, "that she'll stay away from us for long?"
"I expect she's gone back to Paris, " I said.
From Bonjour Tristesse by Francoise Sagan

Meme #2 - Six Random Things About Me

1. I drink Tetley's tea most every morning and evening. I drink it the British way with milk and sugar. Mmm, mmm, good.
2. My little brother and I have the same birthday...six years apart. My best friend growing up? She and her brother have the same birthday...six years apart. Freaky.
3. I can tap dance. Pretty well, actually.
4. I broke my right arm in the sixth grade very badly. Both bones, completely through. My arm's never been the same.
5. I love to play board games. It's probably one of the few times my competitive side comes out.
6. I once hit a pedestrian with my car (well, technically he ran into me). Luckily, I was driving a Geo Metro at the time and the pedestrian wasn't hurt (he fell on his laptop bag...poor laptop). Still, it scared the bejeezus out of me. People, do not cross against the light even if you are in a crosswalk. Especially during rush hour on a busy street. Even more especially if there is a large vehicle stopped in the left turn lane. Amen.

I am not tagging anyone but if you haven't done either of these memes and want to play along, consider yourself tagged!

Can You Go Back?

2008-05-13T11:16:00.000-07:00

I love mysteries. Love them. Particularly those with a female sleuth, amateur or professional, as well as British mysteries, crime fighting duos and police procedurals. And I love mystery series. I think a big reason that I love them is because of Nancy Drew. My older cousin had the entire set of Nancy Drew books with the yellow spines (you remember those, right?) and she let me borrow them. I devoured them. I adored Nancy. I think at one point I wanted to BE Nancy. So many of those books were favorites of mine. Particularly The Hidden Staircase.

Considering my affection for Nancy, I was excited to learn about the book Confessions of A Teen Sleuth by Chelsea Cain. And I couldn't wait to dig in as soon as I picked it up from the library. But then something happened. I found myself not wanting to read someone picking fun at the girl sleuth who made me love mysteries. I didn't want to read the antiquated writing style which was mimicking the original series. I want to remember Nancy with fondness and not with tongue in cheek.

We show so much disdain in this day and age for things that are sweet and innocent. But why? Are we so jaded that we no longer find joy in these things? Or are we so angry and disappointed with our lives that we don't want to think about things that are kind and gentle and childlike? Whatever it is, I don't want any. Or perhaps I missed the point entirely. I don't know. I just know that this wasn't the book for me. Maybe someone else can enlighten me as to the point. In the meantime, I'll be in my roadster heading to the Lilac Inn to solve the latest whodunnit.

Bookmarks: 1 out of 5 (I only got to page 60, so maybe it's unfair to rate this at all. But what the heck, it's my blog and I'll rate what I want!)

An Audrey Weekend

2008-05-12T16:51:00.000-07:00

I am a huge, HUGE, Audrey Hepburn fan as you may or may not know. I discussed my fanaticism, ahem, love of her awhile back. You can check out that post here. This weekend added a few more Audrey items to my collection. We had an estate sale for my great aunt this weekend and I found My Fair Lady on vinyl. It has wonderful pictures of Audrey both on the outside and inside and I knew I just had to have it. And, nope, I don't own a record player.

I also received a couple of books this weekend. The first, Audrey Hepburn: A Life In Pictures, is a beautiful coffee table book filled with some pictures even I had never seen (and I thought I had seen them all, believe you me)! The forward is by Hubert de Givenchy who was a great friend of Audrey's for most of her adult life. I am thrilled to add this book to my library and can't wait to give it a thorough read.

The second book is one I had only recently come across. It's called What Would Audrey Do? by Pamela Keogh. It's billed as a guide to living your life as Audrey lived hers and also includes a lot of basic biographical information on Audrey as well. I only flipped through it briefly but am looking forward to digging into it.

I had a busy, busy weekend so I didn't get to do as much reading as I would like. But I am almost finished with Hideous Kinky (loving it) and will be posting later about Confessions of a Teen Sleuth (not what I had expected).

The Alphabet Meme

2008-05-08T10:39:00.000-07:00

Ok, by now most of the book bloggers out there have seen or done this great meme started by Simon over at Stuck In A Book but I couldn't resist. So, without further ado, here are my favorite authors (or in some cases the only author I read whose name starts with that letter) along with my favorite work by them, in alphabetical order!

Alcott, Louisa May - Little Women
Bantock, Nick - Griffin & Sabine
Colwin, Laurie - Another Marvelous Thing and Home Cooking (or truly anything she has written)
DuMaurier, Daphne - Rebecca
Evans, Nicholas - The Horse Whisperer
Fforde, Jasper - The Eyre Affair
Geras, Adele - Hester's Story
Hanff, Helene - 84 Charing Cross Road
Irving, Washington - The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Jennings, Ken - Brainiac
King, Laurie R. - The Beekeeper's Apprentice
Luard, Elisabeth - Emerald
Marsh, Ngaio - Light Thickens (or any of her mysteries set in the theatre world)
Niffenegger, Audrey - The Time Traveller's Wife
O'Shaugnessy, Perri - Invasion of Privacy
Plath, Sylvia - The Bell Jar
Quindlen, Anna - One True Thing
Rowling, J.K. - The Harry Potter series
Stewart, Mary - Any (especially The Moonspinners and her Merlin trilogy)
Tartt, Donna - The Secret History
U - ???
Van Booy, Simon - The Secret Lives of People In Love
Wouk, Herman - Marjorie Morningstar
X - ???
Yoshimoto, Banana - Kitchen
Zusak, Marcus - The Book Thief

This is a great meme and one that really made me reflect on the books I've read and loved. This list definitely includes some of my favorite reads of all time and also makes me want to go back and read more by some authors that I haven't read anything by in awhile. I'm not tagging anyone but if you want to participate, it's great fun!

Book Binge!

2008-05-05T14:35:00.000-07:00

Ok, I just discovered this challenge, hosted by MaryP, which starts today (good timing) and since I haven't done a challenge in FOREVER, I thought I'd sign up. Plus, it's pretty simple and I can read whatever the heck I want which works for me. Especially considering how many library books I have checked out right now!

Here’s how it goes: For the month of May, participants keep track of each and every book you read. At the end of the month, everyone will blog their list of books. Simple, no?

For simplicity’s sake, and to allow people time to hear about it and sign up if they want, we’ll start on Monday, May 5th. We will all publish our lists on June 1.

Other rules:
- You can include books you re-read, so long as you re-read them in between May 5 and 31.- You may also include books you start but don’t finish, just note the page at which you gave it up. Something like, “Quit, page 47 of 322″.
- You may only include books you read aloud to your children if they are at least 125 pages long.
- Students may include textbooks (if they’re at least 100 pages long).
- Unless you have a visual impairment which precludes you from reading print books (in which case, it’s unlikely you read blogs), you may not count recorded books.

I finished my first book today! Wahoo. I am off to a rousing start!

The Calm After the Storm

2008-05-05T10:34:00.000-07:00

Finally! My theatre commitments have ended. It's a bit bittersweet for me at the moment because while I am thrilled to have more free time, I am also sad not to be seeing my cast on a regular basis. But never fear! We will be getting together again in the fall to perform our big dance number at a charity show in November. So while it is good-bye for now, it is not truly over.

I have much to catch you up on my readings and other goings on. I have found a new mystery series which I will share with you as well as finally reading Crazy Aunt Purl's book, which I loved and has motivated me to pick up those knitting needles again (it's been far too long). I'll be back soon with more details, I promise!

I Actually Finished A Book!

2008-04-16T15:22:00.000-07:00

With the crazy hecticness (is so a word!) that is my life right now, I am amazed that I am doing any reading at all. But this is the final week of busyness and then I can slow down and maybe stop and smell some roses or something.

I just finished A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny. This is the second book in the Three Pines Mystery series and it definitely lived up to the first. I figured out the murderer fairly early on but the characters and the setting are so well developed that it doesn't even really matter. And I had barely put it down before I was requesting the third book from my library. If you are a mystery lover, this series is a must read!

I'll be back with more updates and details of current readings very soon...

Unsettled

2008-03-28T09:52:00.000-07:00

Does anyone else have this problem besides me? Say there is some aspect of your life that is going haywire (you got a new job or you moved or you said yes to too many social engagements) and that makes it incredibly difficult to focus on any other aspect of your life (like laundry or paying bills or getting to work on time) and suddenly it feels like everything has spiraled out of control.

Anyone? Or is it just me.

Well, anyway, that is the way my life is feeling right now. What with moving and rehearsing for yet another show (when am I going to be done???) and with work being super, duper crazy right now (have I mentioned lately that my boss is a lunatic?), I feel like I can barely figure out what my name is let alone try and pay my bills on time or do some laundry (clean socks where are you?). And reading? Well, fuhgeddaboutit as they say. Being unsettled in one aspect of my life means being unsettled in ALL aspects of my life. Thank goodness for fluff reading (Janet Evanovich, you know who you are) or I'd be doing no reading at all. And hence, no blogging.

Speaking of hence, what a totally underutilized word. I think I should start trying to add it into my everyday life. It adds that certain je ne sais quoi, don't you think?

So since there is little reading going on and my brain is all scattered-like, I thought I would share with you today a few of my current favorite things:

1. The drive-thru Starbucks on my new route to work. Whoever decided to put a drive-thru at a coffee place is a genius. Genius, I tell you.
2. My new apartment. Despite all the unsettledness going on, I heart my new place. I just want to give it a big hug I love it so much. Plus, not having to have your desk in your living room? Priceless (and oh so grown up)!
3. Janet Evanovich. Yes, this is my second shout out to her in this post. But she makes me laugh like nobody's business. I can't read her books in public cuz I would just make a dang fool of myself (yes, I have learned this from experience).
4. My parents. They have been my rock during this crazy move and I wouldn't be able to hang on to what little of my sanity I have left without them. Mwah - love ya mom & pops!
5. Fridays. Which means tomorrow, I don't have to come to work and sit on my hiney in front of my computer all day. I can actually do some...
6. Spring Cleaning! Ok, this may be a weird thing to put on a list of favorite things but sometimes cleaning the physical stuff helps clean out all the emotional/spiritual/unsettled inside stuff as well. And that's what I'm doing this weekend.

I hope you all have a fabulous Friday (the last one in March....can you believe it's going to be April next week?!?! Yikes!)!

Well, We're Moving On Up...

2008-02-28T11:11:00.000-08:00

Ok, it may not be to the East side but it certainly is east of where I am now (if only by a few miles). Yes, the reason I have not blogged in oh so long is because I am moving!!! Here is my new humble abode:

As you can imagine, not much reading has been going on lately. What with the impending move and all the theatre craziness I have gotten myself into lately. But this weekend is moving weekend so hopefully things will calm down a little once I get settled into my new place. Did I mention it's 2 bedrooms (which is one more than I currently have) and there's a washer/dryer in the unit?!?! All you apartment dwellers out there know how exciting that is! Plus there is tons of storage...3 closets (one's a walk-in), a linen cupboard and a storage closet off the patio. Compare that to the 2 paltry closets I have now and I am in storage heaven. Anyone want to go to Target to get some organizers???

I am reading this great book now, called Scaling Down: Living Large in Small Spaces. I wish I had picked this up BEFORE I started to move but I am getting some great ideas for cleaning out some of the stuff I have accumulated in my thirty some odd years on this planet. If you are moving or you just want to clean out and organize the place you live now, I would highly recommend this book. There is some great advice.

Oh, and in case you were curious. Emily is less than impressed with this disruption of her living space...

Twilight Is Mesmerizing

2008-01-30T12:24:00.000-08:00

I will never forget my senior year in high school when my friend Amy handed me this book called Interview With A Vampire and said "you HAVE to read this". She was right. I was completely drawn into the world of Louis and Lestat and I read every Anne Rice book I could get my hands on after that. I don't know what it is about vampires and the vampire legends that are so intriguing to me. Maybe it's that blend of exoticness and dangerousness that is so far from my real life. Maybe it's the thought of what you could do if you were essentially indestructible and could live forever. Probably it's all of the above. But whatever the case, I am hard pressed to find a well-written vampire story that doesn't suck me in (no pun intended).

Such is the case with Stephenie Meyer's Twilight. I was hooked from page 1. The vampire legend she has created differs in many ways from what you normally think of when you think of vampires. There is no cringing away from crosses, they can most certainly withstand sunlight and it takes more than a stake through the heart to kill them. They seem slightly more human than Anne Rice's vampires though they are not without their unearthly qualities. She has created her own spin on the legends that many of us know and done it very successfully. I have already requested the sequel from the library and can't wait to sink my teeth into it (pun most certainly intended)!

Bookmarks: 4-1/2 out of 5