Monday Musing

It is Monday Musing time over at Should Be Reading so here I go.  The question is "Describe the last time you were stumped for something to read and you took measures to remedy  that -- either by going to the bookstore, the library or shopping elsewhere.  What book did you choose?  Did it get you out of the your slump?"

I have been an avid reading ever since I learned how to read.  My parents bought me books on a regular basis and we went to the library regularly as well.  I don't remember having this problem but once.  It was when I was first married, in 1972.  Being before cable, DVD's, VCR's, internet, etc. I filled my spare time with needlework and reading.  It didn't take too long to clean that tiny apartment so I had quite a bit of time when I wasn't working.  Well, one evening I found myself bored out of my mind -- nothing on tv or new sewing projects and, for the first time that I could remember, I found myself without a book.  So, I grabbed the new hubby and headed for the grocery store around the corner and grabbed a paperback book.  I don't remember the title but I remember it was a Larry McMurtry work. Yes, it got me past the slump and it taught me to never be without at least one book to read. Of course, these days, it is really easy to have a book with you at all times thanks to e-readers, computers, ipads, even iphones.  So, that is how I solved the problem.

Tuesday 24 May 2011

Teaser Tuesday


I am behind -- on everything and tonight I have just emerged from the "safe room" aka the bathroom as we watch tornadoes plague North Texas.  Nothing quite like hearing hail pound the roof and tornado sirens while you sit in the bathtub with the computer watching doppler weather.  Such an exciting Tuesday evening.

So, it is time for another Tuesday Teaser and I think you will enjoy this one.  It is from "Aunt Dimity's Death" by Nancy Atherton.  This is a nice little mystery series which I began in the middle of the series -- just my style.  So, after I finished the first book that I read I decided to start the series with the first book.  It is a page turner -- sort of a grown up Nancy Drew -- and I am enjoying it immensely.  Let's see if my teaser can get you to take a look at the series.

"There was no way Bill could have known about Reginald.  Not even Meg knew about Reginald.  Having a stuffed bunny as a confidant isn't something a thirty-year-old woman readily admits to.  But someone had known about him.  Someone who needed to get my attention.  I put the shoebox back into the wardrobe and gently closed the door.  I descended the staircase in slow motion, stopped at the doorway of the study, and peeked in.  The fire was snapping, the rain was drumming, a book  of some sort was lying on the ottoman, and Reginald was sitting beside it.  He had moved."

Okie doke -- nothing like a little mystery there -- it is good -- check it out.

W.W.W. Wednesdays from Should Be Reading



Three questions for W. W. W. Wednesdays


1.  What are you currently reading?  I am currently reading "Family Affair" by Debbie Macomber.  It is very short -- I should be finished -- very light romance -- I should be finished -- and it is about a cat -- should be finished as it is only 100 pages!

2.  What have I just finished reading?  I just finished "The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane".  Great book, couldn't put it down.  Just goes to show that sometimes you can just a book by its cover -- especially if you read the synopsis on the cover!

3.  What will you read next?  I will be reading Aunt Dimity Snowbound by Nancy Atherton.  Have sort of already started it but haven't really gotten into it because of the cat book -- I am not able to read two books at one time -- I failed multi tasking a LONG time ago.

Wordless Wednesday 4 May 2011

Booking Through Thursday -- 28 April 2011


If you could see one book turned into the perfect movie -- one that would capture everything you love -- the characters, the look, the feel, the story -- what book would you choose?


While there are several recent reads that I could see made into movies, the one that I would really love to see as a movie is In the Company of Others by Jan Karon.   Since it is set in Ireland, I could see the scenery being gorgeous, the story would make a great mystery and the characters have been strong yet lovable since the very first Mitford book.  In fact, if I had my way, the original Mitford series would make a really fun mini-series.
 

Wordless Wednesday 27 April 2011

 

Teaser Tuesday -- 26 April 2011




Well, it is time for another Teaser Tuesday hosted by MizB at shouldbereading.wordpress.com.  Coming off the heaviness of the Deliverance Dane book, I decided to read something shorter and lighter this week.  So, I chose "Family Affair" by Debbie Macomber.  I haven't read any Macomber, up to now, even though I have a number of her books in my library.  I opted for this one because it was on the sale table at B&N, it is 100 pages long, with two more pages of recipes for your cat, and.....yes, it had a lovely cover.  So, here goes with my teaser --

"Walking into the kitchen, she opened the refrigerator and stuck her head inside, rooting out some sorry-looking leftover, two boxes of take-out Chinese, and the tulip bulbs she'd meant to plant in her balcony flower box last October.  'I'm starved.'  She opened the vegetable bin and toouok out a limp stalk of celery. 'You know my problem, don't you?' " (Page 2.)

25 April 2011

I decided to participate in Musing Mondays hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.  This weeks topic is "Do the members of your family read?  Do you think it was passed down to you?  Who do you think influenced you?

Yes, I come from a reading family.  My father, while not highly educated, was a very well read man.  He loved Egyptology -- he didn't read or tell me stories when I was small, he taught me Egyptian history.  I loved mummies!  He also loved religion, politics and sci-fi.  He taught me that anything you wanted to know was in books.

My mother was a reader.  One of my earliest memories was of my mom reading the newspaper and me sitting on the sofa next to her asking what it was like to be able to know what it said.  I must have been very young when I asked her that because I knew how to read before I was in kindergarten.  As time went on, my mother came to love the library system and by the time my kids were old enough, they made weekly treks to the library bringing home bags of books.  She generally got through all of them before the two week due date arrived. My grandmother read so many library books that she had to put her initials in them so she could tell if she had read them and my aunt had a running list, by author, on a little spiral notebook that she carried in her purse.

I have to say that my biggest influence in reading, after my parents, was my cousin, JLSHall.  She was my "big sister" and even though we behaved like siblings a lot of the time, I still wanted to do everything she did (still do, really) and I loved her books.  As a result, we generally got the same books for Christmas.  We would play "school" with me being the student and she being the teacher -- it was only right since she was in school and I wasn't and I really think that she is the one that taught me to read.  I don't remember a conscious effort on her part but I think that is how it happened since I could read before I went to school.  And, after all these years, I finally got my own copy of "Star Girl". 

Reading was important to my husband and me so I made it a big part of raising my kids.  We always had books in the house, made trips to the local bookstores, bought books at school book fairs, went to the library, etc.  As a result, they are readers as well and both excelled in academics.  I hope that they would say that we were an influence on their interest in reading.

Booking Through Thursday

This week's question asks what is the strangest thing I have ever read.  Well, while it  is technically a book, I would have to say the telephone directory.  Now, before you say that isn't odd -- I guess the circumstances surrounding my reading it are what are odd.  You see, like many teenagers, I had a boyfriend who was the one I hung out with when I was between "real" boyfriends.  I was the same sort of "girlfriend" to him.  Anyway, we would talk  on the phone for hours and when we ran out of things to talk about, we would read the phone book together and find as many funny names as we could.  The funniest that comes to mind was Weldon Rumproast.  I now feel bad about making fun of Mr. Rumproast's name but you have to admit -- it is unique!  As far as teenagers reading the phonebook for entertainment -- what can I say -- we were really innocent!

Wordless Wednesday

I am still reading "The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane" and have posted a couple of teasers from it already so I am going to move on to one of the two newly acquired books.

This teaser is from "The Postmistress"  by Sarah Blake.  I haven't started reading it yet so I will just open the book and start there.



"No, it became clear to them that Miss Iris James's motives were best understood by looking around at the Franklin post office.  As in any of their houses, the spirit of the woman had insinuated itself firmly there." Page 51

So, there you have it.  Not much to go on and not very intriguing but the book looks to be promising.  It takes place in Franklin, Massachusetts in 1940.  It involves the townspeople of this small town during World War II, their attitudes toward the world and to themselves. 

Since I haven't started it, I can't say much more but I am looking forward to reading this one.