Thoughts from an Evil Overlord

Happy New Year, My VTT Friends!

2009-12-30T20:27:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year, and Happy Vintage Thingies Thursday! I hope everyone has enjoyed a wonderful week of family time, and maybe even some relaxing time. This week I have vintage New Year's greetings, and winter cards with quotes. You may want to copy them to use for your card making or scrapbooking.

Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us. ~ Hal Borland

A happy New Year! Grant that I,
may bring no tear to any eye.
When this New Year in time shall end
let it be said I've played the friend,
have lived and loved and labored here,
and made of it a happy year.~ Edgar Guest

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. ~ Benjamin Franklin

Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring, happy bells, across the snow: The year is going, let him go; Ring out the false, ring in the true. ~ Alfred, Lord Tennyson
For more vintage goodness be sure to visit Suzanne @ ColoradoLady, our Vintage Thingies Thursday hostess.

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

2009-12-29T23:33:00.002-05:00

I had resisted reading The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova for the past two years, mostly because I wasn't interested in what I thought would be a vampire story. It's a weird situation, in that I've checked it out of the library several times, but never opened it once I got it home. Recently, Hachette sent me Kostova's second novel,The Swan Thieves, which I will be reviewing in January, and I LOVED it. That made me re-think The Historian, and I'm glad I went back and got it from my library. It was incredibly interesting, adventurous, and even had a little romance.
The story spans two generations researching the truths behind Vlad Tepes, known through history as Dracula, son of the dragon. Throughout the research process the characters travel from Oxford University, to Boston, and all over the Balkans, as well as Amsterdam and France. Throughout their travels, Helen, Paul, and his daughter, who is never named, meet many librarians, historians, and archivists who help them in their quest. Holding them back is the bureaucracy of Communist governments during the Cold War, and the disappearance and murders of people who have given them assistance.

They also are being watched by a mysterious man dressed all in black, with extremely pale skin. The book is narrated from several points of view, through letters and journals, and a little straight narration from the daughter, who opens and closes the tale.The Historian definitely was not a vampire story, more of a research and adventure story, although there are a few possible vampire sitings. It would be a good one for spending your Christmas book store gift certificates!
Did you know that Vlad Tepes is considered the original Evil Overlord? Don't worry, I don't put the bodies of my enemies on stakes around my castle!

One World, One Heart

2009-12-29T00:05:00.006-05:00

I am planning on participating in the One World One Heart Blog Giveaway Tour again this year. It's a wonderful concept brought to life by Lisa @ The Whimsical Bohemian in 2007. The idea is for blogging artisans around the world to meet and enjoy each other's creations.

You don't have to be an artist or have an etsy shop to participate, just be interested in meeting great people around the world, and maybe win a nifty item or two. Last year I gave away 2 books with earrings that coordinated to the stories and met several artists who I now consider good blogging friends. I also won 5 of the giveaways I entered! WOO HOO! All of the information about participating is available at Lisa's Whimsical Bohemian blog. Be sure to come back on January 25 to see what I'll be giving away!

Mailbox Monday: End of 2009

2009-12-27T22:54:00.003-05:00

It's Monday, the day to share What We're Reading with J. Kaye and what books have arrived at our homes with Marcia @ The Printed Page. Only one book arrived this week. Get Luckyby Katherine Center came from Ballantine Books as part of a TLC Book Tour, in which I will participate in April. Here is what Publisher's Weekly has to say about Get Lucky: In her light third novel, Center (Everyone Is Beautiful) tackles sisterhood, but falls just short of poignancy. Sarah Harper is on the New York fast track at a top advertising agency until she grows a conscience overnight and sends out a company-wide e-mail debunking her popular bra campaign. Fired, she flies home to Houston, where she crashes with her older sister, Mackie, and Mackie’s husband, Clive. Turns out Mackie has problems of her own: after years of trying to have a baby, she announces she’s done. In an effort to do something good for a change, Sarah offers herself up as a surrogate. In the nine pregnant months that follow, Sarah juggles unexpected feelings for her brother-in-law and expected feelings for an ex-boyfriend, and instead of the pregnancy bringing her and Mackie closer, it drives them apart. Witty dialogue and likable characters keep the pages turning, but Center glosses over the depth of emotion inherent in carrying your sister’s baby to the point that you forget at times that Sarah is pregnant. It’s a fun, breezy book, but it doesn’t try to get to the heart of the matter.

I got 2 more library books this week, Envy by Anna Godberson, which is the third book in the Luxe series, and Black Hills, the latest from Nora Roberts. I began reading Flowers on Main by Sherryl Woods, but put it down because I was so eager to start The Borgia Brideby Jeanne Kalogridis. which I really enjoyed. It was fascinating to me that of all the horrible behaviors in the book attributed to various members of the Borgia family, the most disgustingly outrageous were true and the ones speculated upon by the author were much lesser crimes against nature and the laws of man. Now I'm reading another good historical fiction from the library,Portrait of an Unknown Womanby Vanora Bennett, and then I'll go back to Flowers on Main.
Visit J. Kaye's Book Blog to find out what other people are reading this week, and The Printed Page to see what arrived in folks' mailboxes. I always find great books to add to my To Be Read list.

Christmas Re-Cap

2009-12-26T14:30:00.002-05:00

Although most of my Christmas photos came out lousy, I thought I'd give a little recap of the last two days with the family of the Evil Overlord. One word: LOUD Although you can't hear me, I'm sure the way I write comes through as loud and chatty, as are all of the Overlord family. As well as the Overlord in-laws Luckily the maximum number of people together at any one time was 12, or I might have had a breakdown. Because I live alone and don't leave the house much, I really notice crowd noises these days, even though I am not a quiet person myself!
On Christmas Eve we went to the early children's mass and saw the pageant. This year they even had some older girls who danced! After church we went to Kathleen's house where David cooked our traditional Christmas eve meal of bacon and egg sandwiches, each made to order. My sandwich of two hard fried eggs, super-crisp bacon and a little mayo was perfection!

Because it drives Kathleen nuts when I take strange pictures for the blog, I am showing you my sandwich. It's one of the 3 Christmas pictures I took that came out any good! What does your family think when you take these kind of wacky pictures?

To end the evening, the princess read us The Night Before Christmas from the vintage 1953 book that once belonged to my dad.

On Christmas Day my parents and aunt came to my house for breakfast and we exchanged gifts.

I gave my mom a gourd bird feeder that I custom ordered months ago, and my dad a silhouette of a steam engine from Mountainbrook, an etsy shop that does handmade decorative wood. He is a huge train collector.

For Aunt Kakee I had a silver winter bird tassel that I made. She loves things that are shiny and sparkly, just like me. Guess how old she is...86! Doesn't she look amazing?! If you want to guess how old my mom is, I'll give you a hint. I'm 42. Leave your guess in the comments and we'll see who comes closest.

Just for fun, here is one of the many Christmas pictures of me that didn't come out good. As a matter of fact, I think I look a little psycho! I was posing with all the kids for a picture, not just sitting there unaware of being photographed, which would explain why I look so wacky. We all went over to Kathleen's around noon, along with her in-laws for a day of grazing on appetizers and desserts. Everyone was so tired and worn out I was home by 4:00 and took a 2 hour nap! The day after Christmas the out of town guests hit the road at 10:30 and I relaxed with coffee and my mom's awesome coffee cake before coming upstairs to do bloggy business!
I hope you all had pleasant Christmases with your families. Mine was wonderful, like it always is.

Vintage Christmas Girls

2009-12-23T20:30:00.000-05:00

Christmas Eve and Vintage Thingies Thursday have come together for the first time! I don't know how many people are out making the VTT rounds this week, but you know I never miss a VTT. Here are some pictures of Kathleen and me in our Christmas finery over the years.

My second Christmas, 1968. For my first Christmas both my dad and I had horrible gross colds. Since he is the primary photographer, there are very few pictures from that year.

1969, Kathleen's first Christmas. Check out her adorable velvet booties! She is sitting in my little girl rocker. She got her own for Christmas that year, in black with the colonial tole painting like mine. I vividly remember the dress I am wearing with the embroidery down the front. Even though it was an itchy rayon, probably the dangerous kind that would melt in a fire, I was a little sad the next year when it was too small for me.

1974 we received our Chrissy and Kerry dolls. Remember, they're the ones who's hair would grow? I am wear a dress our mom made. It was a nice heavy wool, but wearing a blouse under it would always ride up and be annoying. I wonder why I never thought to tuck it into my underpants?

1975 was our first Christmas with a pet, Duster. He looks much bigger in this picture than he was. Notice we are both wearing store-bought melt-able rayon dresses with Peter Pan collars, but Kathleen has the cute smocking.
So that's a retrospective of a few of our Christmas outfits over the years. This year I will be wearing yoga pants and a Christmas sweatshirt that I made. Did you have snazzy Christmas clothes when you were a child? What do you wear now?
I hope you have the time to visit Suzanne @ ColoradoLady, our Vintage Thingies Thursday hostess. She and the other participants will have all sorts of great vintage Christmas things, I'm sure.

Packages Playing Soccer

2009-12-22T00:35:00.033-05:00

Every autumn my niece participates in a Halloween soccer tournament with each team dressing up and playing in their costumes. This year my sister, their costume designer, decided on Christmas presents. Using those enormous plastic gift bags that are similar to trash bags, she just had to cut arm and head holes and add some bows. The girls all had bows to wear in their hair, also. Notice that Santa and a Christmas tree are their coaches!

They won the costume contest, as well as the tournament; WOO HOO! But, and I don't think this is fair, since they won the tournament the medals for best costumes were given to the 2nd place costume winners, who also happened to be the 2nd place game winners. It wasn't even done to just make the 2nd place team feel better, because it was announced at the little awards ceremony. How lame-o is that?!
I hope everyone is enjoying the final countdown to Christmas! I am at the doctor today, having my final appointment of 2009. Tonight my big Christmas groceries order will be delivered and I will clean and be ready for the guests on Thursday.

Lots from the Library

2009-12-20T21:27:00.008-05:00

It's Monday, the day to share What We're Reading with J. Kaye and what books have arrived at our homes with Marcia @ The Printed Page. The mailbox slowed down last week, at least in the arrival of books. I have been getting packages of things I ordered for Christmas gifts. I also received my Book Blogger Secret Santa package! My super Secret Santa, Amanda from The Blog Jar, sent me a copy of The Bell Jar, some tea, and a beautiful jeweled bookmark.
Since all of my ARCs are not scheduled for release until February or March, I was able to get library books last week and dig into my TBR. I have these four left to read.
The Borgia Bride by Jeanne Kalogridis
House and Home by Kathleen McCleary
Flowers on Main by Sherryl Woods
Portrait of an Unknown Woman by Vanora Bennett

I finished four library books this past week, and enjoyed all of them.
Rumors by Anna Godbersen is the second in the Luxe series, kind of a Gossip Girl at the turn of the 20th century. A quick and fun read.
Falling Out of Fashion by Karen Yampolsky is a fun read, and a look into the magazine publishing industry. A first novel written by a woman who spent many years as the right-hand to Jane Pratt, it is the story about the birth and death of a woman's magazine, and the life of the woman who founds it.

The Ruby Ring by Diane Haeger is historical fiction inspired by a painting by Raffael called La Fornarina (The Baker's Daughter). It's a passionate story of the love between Rafael and Margherita Luti, the baker's daughter who inspires his paintings of the Madonna. Full of intrigue in the Vatican of Pope Leo X, it is a vivid story of Roman life on many level in the early 16th century.
The Fixer Upper by Mary Kay Andrews is the story of a city girl who loses her job and takes on her father's suggestion of fixing up an old family home he has just inherited. I've just started this book, but I know it will be funny, like all of Andrews' books. So far Dempsey has arrived in the small town of and has found the house to be more than a quick fixer-upper, and a crazy old woman is squatting there, refusing to leave.

To see what others are reading or anticipate reading, visit J. Kaye's Book Blog for What Are You Reading On Monday and The Printed Page for Mailbox Monday. You're sure to find lots of great suggestions!

New Author Challenge 2010

2009-12-20T13:44:00.004-05:00

I am going to participated in the New Authors Challenge sponsored by Literary Escapism again this year. I did well in 2009 with this one because of all the great new authors introduced to me with the advance copies I received from Hachette Publishing Group. For 2010 I have added the Mystery & Suspense Challenge, and the Historical Fiction challenge. Hopefully I will have enough overlap to read 25 authors that are new to me and fit into these other categories! I will list my new authors here as I finish their books.

ARC Reading Challenge 2010

2009-12-20T12:00:00.002-05:00

I am participating in the ARC (Advance Reader Copy) Reading Challenge sponsored by Teddy Rose at So Many Precious Books, So Little Time. Participants are asked to choose a level anticipating how many books will be read. I am going to go for the silver and say 24 or fewer. I read more than 50 in 2009, but I am also anticipating returning to work (yay!) and then won't have enough time. I can always move up to gold level if I reach that far!

Right now, the ARCs that await me are:
Get Lucky by Katherine Center
They Found Him Dead by Georgette Heyer
How To Save Your Own Life by Michael Gates Gill
The Stolen Crown by Susan Higginbotham
Young Bess by Margaret Irwin

I will continue to add to this list as they arrive and cross them off as they are read.

Sweet Tradition

2009-12-18T20:17:00.000-05:00

For this last Pink Saturday before Christmas, I'd like to share my nativity set. My mother bought this for herself in the late 1950s. I love it because I haven't seen some of the elements in other nativities. It has a great feather tree and the angels are made of a tulle wrapped around wire. The shepherd is attached to his camel with a reign made of hemp, and there is a woman honoring baby Jesus who is not Mary. I've only ever seen shepherds and kings, so I think she's a neat element. The set is in pristine condition except for a small chip in the baby's manger. You will notice that the woman is wearing a pink dress under her blue robes and one of the kings has a light rose gown under a turquoise robe. And of course most of the figurines have rosy pink cheeks!

As children we had a grand time setting up the nativity. My mother always put out a golden sand-colored tablecloth on top of the hope chest in the dining room to represent the desert. We'd set up the barn and animals right after Thanksgiving, hide Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus behind the barn, and set up the Kings and the shepherds far away, maybe on the hutch or the plant stand. Every day the shepherds would be moved closer. Mary and Joseph came out on Christmas Eve, and Jesus joined them Christmas morning. Then it ws the Kings' turn, moving closer each day until Epiphany, or the Feast of Three Kings, on January 6.
Here's a little something that many people don't know. The Twelve Days of Christmas begin on December 25 and end on January 6.
I wish everyone who celebrates a wonderful Christmas! Be sure to visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for all of the Pink Saturday participants sharing a Christmas tradition with their pink goodies today.

Velvety Soft Visit from St. Nick

2009-12-16T20:13:00.000-05:00

Only one more Christmas Vintage Thingies Thursday after this week. I wonder what Suzanne and the other participants will be sharing today. Be sure to visit ColoradoLady to see all the goodies!

Those of you who have known me since last Christmas might be surprised with this one. I have ANOTHER vintage Night Before Christmas book. It's getting a little ridiculous how many of these keep popping up in the homes of my immediate family! This one belongs to my sister, Kathleen.

This version actually has a little mystery to it. Last year I shared a 1935 version that my father grew up with, published by Whitman Publishers and illustrated by Keith Ward, famous for creating the Dick & Jane characters. On Christmas Eve we always read Kathleen's vintage Night Before Christmas, that she has had for many years now, that we always were told had been my dad's as a child.

However, upon looking at it carefully last year, it was published in 1954, when he was over 20 years old. So how could that be? The 1954 edition has always been stored carefully with striped red and green gift wrap sort of around it, and part of the family legend has been that it was the paper the book was wrapped in when my dad received it as a child.

Then the questioning began. My poor dad! He couldn't remember either one really, or the story behind which was purchased when. It was finally determined that the 1935 version was his as a child. When he left home during the Korean War, my Aunt Kakee moved all the family things to a smaller apartment and threw tons of stuff out. When my dad returned home, the book couldn't be found and it was assumed that it had been tossed.The 1954 version must have been purchased as a replacement.

I think the gift wrap is because Kakee bought it for him as a gift. So that's the new story, and I think we'll stick to it.

The book I showed you last year had kind of a creepy looking father, and this one, illustrated by Louise W. Meyers has a child-like father, which is creepy in a different way. The thing both Kathleen and I loved about this book growing up was that all the red is velvet. You can see it really well if you enlarge the pictures.

For those who are interested, here are last year's postings of A Night Before Christmas:
MY CHILDHOOD BOOK MY DAD'S CHILDHOOD BOOK
Have a wonderful weekend before Christmas and I hope you will be back next Thursday for a Christmas Eve Vintage Thingies Thursday with our hostess Suzanne @ ColoradoLady. Please stop by and see what she and the other participants are showing off this week.

Support Your Local Library Challenge 2010

2009-12-16T13:03:00.001-05:00

I am going to participate in J. Kaye's Support Your Local Library Challenge again in 2010. My goal will be 50 books, because I surpassed my goal of 25 for 2009. I'm a little concerned that I won't make it because I am getting so many ARCs from publishers, but going for 25 would be undershooting.

If you'd like to participate in the Local Library Challenge, the guidelines are pretty easy. It can be any genre or book format, as long as it gets checked out of the library.

I'll list the books I finish here as I read them, and link to any reviews that I write.

CalKat the Jewelry Junkie

2009-12-15T00:24:00.001-05:00

There's still time for online shopping, and I want to share a great etsy shop with you. CalKat the Jewelry Junkie is one of my cohorts on the Etsy Bloggers Street Team and she makes some very cool things.

My particular favorite are the zodiac pendant necklaces. This one is Leo; currently there is no Taurus listed for us bulls!

These crystal chokers are so cute! I would wear it with the button off to the side.
Besides making jewelry and pendants, Calkat has three other etsy shops featuring her various talents. They are all linked in the shop announcements of the Jewelry Junkie. She is offering free shipping through New Year's Eve at all four shops. I'm sure you'd find something that suits your fancy or would make a perfect gift.
In addition to etsy, CalKat can be found at her blog of the same name, CalKat the Jewelry Junkie. Stop by and see what she's up to!

Thriller & Suspense Challenge 2010

2009-12-15T00:01:00.002-05:00

I've got to do another challenge so I don't drown myself in historical fiction in 2010! The Thriller & Suspense Challenge is being hosted by Book Chick City. The challenge is to read 12 books in this genre and it will run from January 1 December 31.

For those thinking they don't read thrillers or suspense, here's what Book Chick has to say:
Now, there are many different sub-genres of thriller, so don't go thinking that you don't actually read these kinds of books because I bet you read more than you think. As I mentioned above you can choose from the numerous sub-genres, from cosy mysteries such as Agatha Christie to the more hard-boiled kind like V I Warshawski by Sara Paretsky, or even supernatural/paranormal suspense written by the likes of Laurell K. Hamilton (Anita Blake) and Kelley Armstrong. So, there you have it, this challenge will have something for everyone I'm sure! :)

This will be my chance to go back through Michael Connolly's books and read any I've missed, as well as any of Sue Grafton's alphabet series. If you think this challenge sounds interesting to you, you can sign up any time. Check out all the (pretty loose) guidelines at Book Chick City.
I will add my books to this post as I read them throughout 2010.

My First Mailbox Monday

2009-12-13T22:46:00.001-05:00

I've been getting daily deliveries of books for the past few weeks, so I think I'm now possibly enough of a book blogger to play Mailbox Monday, hosted by Marcia @ The Printed Page. What I am finding very challenging is that so many of these recent arrivals aren't coming out until February or March and I want to read them NOW! But I also want to be fresh and accurate when I write my reviews, so I think I'll do a little library reading and then hit the ARCs that sound so juicy.
The Wives of Henry Oadesby Johanna Moran
Publisher: Ballantine Books Release Date: 2/23/10
From the Publisher:When Henry Oades accepts an accountancy post in New Zealand, his wife, Margaret, and their children follow him to exotic Wellington. But while Henry is an adventurer, Margaret is not. Their new home is rougher and more rustic than they expected—and a single night of tragedy shatters the family when the native Maori stage an uprising, kidnapping Margaret and her children. For months, Henry scours the surrounding wilderness, until all hope is lost and his wife and children are presumed dead. Grief-stricken, he books passage to California. There he marries Nancy Foreland, a young widow with a new baby, and it seems they’ve both found happiness in the midst of their mourning—until Henry’s first wife and children show up, alive and having finally escaped captivity. Narrated primarily by the two wives, and based on a real-life legal case, The Wives of Henry Oades is the story of what happens when Henry, Margaret, and Nancy face persecution for bigamy. Exploring the intricacies of marriage, the construction of family, the changing world of the late 1800s, and the strength of two remarkable women, Johanna Moran turns this unusual family’s story into an unforgettable page-turning drama.

How to Save Your Own Lifeby Michael Gates Gill
Publisher: Gotham Books Release Date: 12/29/09
From the Publisher: Michael Gill's lemons-to-lemonade memoir chronicled his transformative years working at Starbucks after losing his high-powered job, his marriage, and his health (he developed a brain tumor). In response to overwhelming requests from readers who wanted to know how they, too, could weather downturns, he has distilled his lessons into fifteen meaningful lessons. Offering living proof that extraordinary happiness is found in ordinary moments, How to Save Your Own Life provides empowering words and hope for anyone facing a reversal of fortune. True fortune, Gill discovered, lies not in fate but in discovering the innate capacity we all possess to rescue ourselves.

The Scarlet Lionby Elizabeth Chadwick
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark Release Date: 3/1/10
From the Publisher: A page-turning novel of honor, intrigue, treachery, and love, continuing where The Greatest Night left off, the story of England's greatest knight of the Middle Ages, William Marshal is told by Bestselling author Elizabeth Chadwick, "an author who makes historical fiction come gloriously alive" (The Times of London), is known as a writer of uncommon historical integrity and accuracy. By 1197 William Marshal's prowess with a sword and loyalty with his heart have been rewarded by the hand in marriage of Isabelle de Clare—heiress to great estates— and their brood is growing. But their contentment and security is shattered when King Richard dies. Forced down a precarious path by the royal injustices of the vindictive King John, the Marshals teeter on a razor-thin line of honor that threatens to tear apart the very heart of their family.

Young Bessby Margaret Irwin
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark Release Date: 3/1/10
From the Publisher: This eloquent novel explores Queen Elizabeth's life as a child and teenager, opening just before Henry VIII dies and ending when she is nearly 20. Growing up in the shadow of her mother, Anne Boleyn, young Princess Elizabeth has become adept at dodging the constant political games and royal whims that ensure her situation is never secure. When her distant father, tyrannical King Henry VIII, dies, the future brightens for Elizabeth. She is taken in by Henry's last wife, Katherine Parr, whose new husband is Tom Seymour, the uncle of Elizabeth's brother, the new king. Seymour, however, is playing a risky game. Marrying a widowed queen is one thing, flirting with the king's daughter and second in line to the throne is another. As the adolescent Elizabeth finds herself dangerously attracted to him, tragedy looms ahead for her and her kingdom, and she is forced to face her future alone.

The Stolen Crownby Susan Higgenbotham
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark Release Date 3/1/10
From the Publisher: On May Day, 1464, six-year-old Katherine Woodville, daughter of a duchess who has married a knight of modest means, awakes to find her gorgeous older sister, Elizabeth, in the midst of a secret marriage to King Edward IV. It changes everything—for Kate and for England. Then King Edward dies unexpectedly. Richard III, Duke of Gloucester, is named protector of Edward and Elizabeth's two young princes, but Richard's own ambitions for the crown interfere with his duties...Lancastrians against Yorkists: greed, power, murder, and war. As the story unfolds through the unique perspective of Kate Woodville, it soon becomes apparent that not everyone is wholly evil—or wholly good.
Whew! That's a lot of historical fiction I'll be sharing with you in the months to come! Any sound good to you? Let me know which you'd like to see in an upcoming giveaway.

Historical Fiction Challenge 2010

2009-12-13T11:59:00.002-05:00

The Historical Fiction Challenge is hosted by Royal Reviews.

I love historical fiction and I've been reading a ton of it lately, so I definitely had to sign up for this one. I'm going for the Obsessed level of 20 novels. Since I read more than 20 in 2009 I definitely should be able to do it.

Challenge Guidelines posted by Royal Reviews:

1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.
--Non-Bloggers: Include your information in the comment section.

2. There are four levels:
-- Curious – Read 3 Historical Fiction novels.
-- Fascinated – Read 6 Historical Fiction novels.
-- Addicted – Read 12 Historical Fiction novels.
-- Obsessed – Read 20 Historical Fiction novels.

3. Any book format counts.

4. You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you.

5. Challenge begins January 1st thru December, 2010. Only books started on January 1st count towards this challenge.

I will list my books read on this post as I go along, and link to any reviews I write.
If you'd like to sign up for this challenge, head on over to Royal Reviews.

Roses: a Sweeping Saga

2009-12-13T04:01:00.003-05:00

Leila Meacham's debut novel, Roses, is the tale of three families who found the small town of Howbutker, in East Texas. Spanning one hundred years the reader experiences the joys and heartbreak of the Toliver, Warwick, and DuMont families as they build dynasties in the lumber, cotton, and dry goods industries. Secrets, betrayals, and unwritten rules between the families cause heartache and change the direction of many lives, with the sins of the fathers being visited unto the sons, until one person is brave enough to break the cycle.
The main focus of Rosesis the generation who comes to adulthood in the years of WWI. Miles Toliver, Percy Warwick, and Ollie DuMont return to their childhood friend, Mary DuMont changed; Ollie missing a leg, and Miles with chronic lung disease from being gassed. A supposed betrayal by their father had already destroyed the relationship Mary has with her brother, who quickly returns to a woman he met in France. Mary pours her energy into Somerset, the Toliver family cotton plantation, and a romance with Percy, with Ollie loving her quietly from afar. When one person chooses family tradition over love, and a misunderstanding occurs, all three lives are changed forever. We follow the three into their 80s, as they raise children, make mistakes, and redeem themselves. In the end, Mary and Percy work together to stop their grandchildren's generation from repeating their mistakes.
The book is very long, as you'd expect from something covering this span of time and these many characters, but it is an easy and interesting read. I would have liked more information about the cotton and lumber industries, or fashions and home decorating descriptions, but that would have made the book even longer.
I'm glad I picked Roses as one of the January releases from Hachette to read and review. Roses will be in bookstores January 10, and would be a great way to spend some of your bookstore gift cards you receive as holiday gifts!

Pink Angels

2009-12-12T09:16:00.000-05:00

Happy Pink Saturday! Today we are all sharing a favorite decoration. I have two, both from my childhood, so they not only are pink, they are vintage, from the early 1970s.

This is my sister's pink angel ornament; mine is the blue one. When we were little our Aunt Kakee often gave us ornaments that coordinated. You can see we loved them by the way the wings are all messed up. Don't you love their sexy, kissy mouths?

We also each had a jingle bell decoration that we hung on our bedroom doors. Kathleen's had an elf at the top and mine had an angel on a rosy pink background. They had long cheap-o velvet ribbons with bells on them that hung down. Over the years the velvet had dried up and come off all over the place, so last year I took them apart and modernized them a little. I didn't want the annoying bell on mine, but Kathleen asked for at least one. I hang mine on the powder room door, and she has given hers to her daughter to hang on her bedroom door.
For more wonderful decorations, most in the color pink, visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound, our Pink Saturday hostess.

1st Gift of Christmas

2009-12-11T00:54:00.001-05:00

In the book The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg, the first gift of Christmas was a silver bell from Santa's reindeer harness. For me, the first gift of Christmas arrived yesterday in a gigantic box. It was from my Secret Santa, organized by Georgie from Decisionally Challenged and Amybo @ Life of a Nguyener (Win-ner). Following the rules of the swap, I don't know who my Secret Santa is yet, but I know she's somewhere near Midland, TX.

When I opened the gigantic box, it was full of pink Styrofoam peanuts and two huge gift bags.

Inside the bags were all sorts of nifty looking packages. I loved having so many different things to open and discover what was inside. And, being my mother's daughter, I loved getting so many containers and gift bags that I can reuse. hehehehe

I couldn't believe the abundance of great things when I started unwrapping! A scrapbooking kit, set of 4 Santa ornaments that open like marushka dolls, Christmas socks, bath and body products, wow! See that thing that looks like a giant pea? It opens up to a large tote made of a slippery sport-sac fabric; very cool to keep in my purse. And that weird-looking blue guy? He's a magnet that you can put into different positions. He'll be a great conversation piece in my kitchen along with the magnet words based on the movie Funny People! The striped chenille socks are extra-great because besides being super comfy, they have rubber pads on the bottom so you don't slip. Since I am home all day every day in my socks, they are perfecto for me! And finally, I know you can't believe I didn't mention it first, did you see the two boxes of Shiny Brights! (squeal!) You know what a freak I am for the vintage ornaments, and these are in the original boxes. One even has the original price, 59 cents.
My Secret Santa was generous way beyond the limits that were by Georgie and Amybo. I can't wait to find out who it is and thank her properly!

Vintage Christmas Jewelry

2009-12-09T20:51:00.012-05:00

Welcome to my second installment of a Very Merry Vintage Thingies Thursday, hosted by http://coloradolady.blogspot.com/2009/12/vintage-thingies-thursday-vintage_09.html. Last year I showed off many vintage pins that belong to my mother and myself, and this year I asked my Aunt Kakee, who gave me the turkey platter, if I could show hers. Some of these pictures have a reflection on them. I should have checked them on the computer before she went home at Thanksgiving.

This is a set of 3 hair pins she wears every year. Ever since I was a child Kakee has worn her hair in a beehive and always has nifty hair pins she puts down the back of the twist.

Kakee has three of these corsages to put on coats.

They are all weather resistant.

The holly is store-bought, and she jazzed it up a little, but the peppermint and the green bells she made more than 40 years ago.

I LOVE this holly pin.

Or this poinsettia, which is beautifully enameled.

I always liked the ornament pin because it was different and it moved like a real ornament would hanging from a branch.

The pin I remember most vividly is this beautiful gold tree, with some white-tipped branches. I love that it had so many different colors. I'm very bummed about the fuzziness of this picture. If she wears it for Christmas this year I'll take another picture!
Be sure to stop by ColoradoLady to see what great old things Suzanne and the other Vintage Thingies Thursday participants are sharing this week.

Dear John: Book & a Movie

2009-12-08T01:53:00.066-05:00

Nicholas Sparks published Dear John in 2007, and like many of his books, it has been made into a movie that will be release February 5, 2010. That's just enough time for you to get the book, which has been re-issued, and read it before you see the film. I always prefer to read the book first, it helps understand character motivation and back stories that often are not in the movie. I was lucky to receive a copy of Dear John from Hachette Publishing Group, so I"m all ready to see Channing Tatum [major hottie] and Amanda Seyfried [very pretty, too] in February.

A rebellious teen, John Tyree, joins the Army, but continues his carefree and partying ways. That all changes when he meets Savannah, a sweet girl from North Carolina. Their short acquaintance grows into a deeper love, and Savannah promises to wait for John while he finishes what will be his final tour of duty. That all changes on September 11, 2001, when John is forced to choose between love and country. When he finally returns, John sees that love changes people in many ways. The story is told from John's point of view, skipping around in time, as we learn of his yearning for a home, and the toll war takes on him. The consequences of both John's and Savannah's choices at various crossroads in their individual lives, have long-impacting effects on the other, some they realize, and others they don't see.
Like all of Nicholas Sparks' novels, Dear John made me think about relationships, and get a little weepy, but I was surprised at the ending. I hope you get the b ook before you see the movie; it's all over the place in paperback and at your local library, too, I bet. Here's the official trailer, definitely check it out, if only for the hot factor of Channing Tatum!

Winter Wonderland 4 Blue Monday

2009-12-07T08:15:00.001-05:00

For today's BLUE MONDAY I have a story about my Sunday morning.

Yesterday I awoke at 7:00 to this outside my bedroom window. Yes, I took the picture lying in the bed, just later in the morning so it was brighter.

After a big stretch, I went down the hall to do my morning ablutions. While sitting there, this was the view from the window.

When we have sticky snow like this, I love to take pictures. This is from my deck, still 7 AM, looking down the row of 4 other town homes.

As I drove to meet my friend DeeDee for breakfast there were hardly any cars or people out, although I saw a couple of walkers taking pictures like me. Isn't it cool how the snow is blue in the early light?

Returning home at 10:30, this is the view from the driveway.

Lest you think I live in the middle of the woods in a dreamworld, here is a front view of the house. I wish there was some button to click in Photoshop to get rid of the power lines, don't you?
BLUE MONDAY is hosted by Smiling Sally. Float on over like a snowflake to see what she's got this week!

2 from the Library

2009-12-06T00:22:00.089-05:00

All of the books I have from publishers right now aren't being published until January or February, so I've had time to visit my local library and read some things that I've heard about from other book bloggers. Unfortunately, they've all been on my To Be Read list for so long I forgot where I discovered them.

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen is the first in a series of 4 young adult historical romances. I really couldn't figure out why it was young adult instead of just adult, but I greatly enjoyed it. It's the story of New York high society at the turn of the 20th century. Some of the characters are a little flat, playing the role for which they are needed, while others are more dimensional. I expect as I read each book they will be fleshed out as well. Ms. Godbersen has given her readers romance, intrigue, societal and parental pressures, and back-biting mean girls, kind of like Gossip Girl in big silk skirts. Speaking of skirts, the cover art on these books is gorgeous. Each features a beautiful, full ballgown in different colors. The Luxeis a fast, light read, with a little historical information from 100 years ago. I've already put the next book on hold.
Comfort Foodis by Kate Jacobs, the author of The Friday Night Knitting Club, In the style of much contemporary women's fiction, it is about a group of people, some related, some friends or co-workers, who each have their own set of issues and problems, some involving other characters. They are brought together by a live cooking show, where Gus has been a star chef for twelve years. In the course of the book the group airs 5 shows and go on a bonding/teamwork retreat, fall in and out of love, cancel a wedding, hold a wedding, and confront past demons. Many of the outcomes are surprising, in what could have been a very predictable novel.

Pink Tree Ornaments

2009-12-05T00:25:00.011-05:00

It's a 2-FER post this week. I am participating in Beverly's Pink Saturday, where we have been invited to share a favorite holiday tradition along with our pinks, and Denise @ Bella Dreams is hosting Share the Joy, a holiday decorating and craft idea party.
Every family has traditions, some of which continue on into the next generation. Some are awesome, like my mom's coffee cake that I shared with you the other day, and others may be a pain in the neck, or in some cases slightly traumatizing. :-) For my family that tradition is how to decorate a Christmas tree. At 40 years old my sister still won't decorate her family tree. She'll do the lights, and go cut down the tree, and sit and visit with the family while they decorate, but she doesn't do the ornaments herself. My dad, who is in love with traditions, has certain guidelines, dare I call them "rules", for decorating the tree, although they were never written out until I did a Christmas scrapbook a few years ago. In writing they seem a little intimidating, or rigid, but I never thought they were.I think they make sense, and the first one my dad knows from firsthand experience. The first year he and his sister celebrated Christmas after their parents were gone, They put most of the ornaments on the side of the tree where they could see them, and it fell over, destroying a lot of great German glass ornaments that could have been mine someday! In the bowl above I have 3 vintage ornaments, but they are only from the 1960s.

Evenly distribute ornaments around the tree. If one side has too many, it could fall over.
Every ornament should hang/dangle. They should not be leaning or sitting on branches or other ornaments.
Avoid having too many of the same color right next to each other.
Large ornaments get hung on lower branches.
Items that fly, such as angels and birds, get hung up high.
Hanging shiny ornaments on inside branches makes the tree even more sparkly.
Garland or ribbon should be put on the tree before ornaments, but tinsel should be put on after ornaments.

I follow these guidelines when I do my tree, and I actually look at other folks' trees to see if ornaments are too close together or not dangling. Kathleen watches me like a hawk around her tree because she always thinks I'm going to move the ornaments around. Which I would, if she wasn't watching. But now that her kids are older they know the "rules" and pretty much follow them, so last year there was nothing to try and move. Here is my tree from last year. I don't have this year's up yet.
I hope you enjoyed learning about my family's demented tree decorating and how it can create a scar that reaches into adulthood. I'm sure there are other funny, sweet, and maybe some weird, traditions being shared at How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday. And at Bella Dreams there will be lots of decorating ideas, craft tutorials, and recipes while folks Share the Joy!