It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

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Hey there!  Welcome to It’s Monday, What Are You Reading!

I love being a part of this and I hope you do too!  As part of this weekly meme I love to encourage you all to go and visit the others participating in this meme. Fair warning… this meme tends to add to your reading list! 😉

I was just looking at last weeks post and remembered I was typing up the last few sentences of that as I was on my way out of the hotel in St Paul Minnesota  on my way to Opus and Olives – the BIG author event of Minnesota.  I recall that I had super cute shoes with me, but had neglected to remember that the last time I wore that pair I had been standing and rocking back on the heel (bad habit but I do this) and one fo the heels became lose.  As I put the shoes on last Sunday I recalled that I never had the shoe fixed.  Thank goodness I am an over packer and had a back up pair (yes… that may be odd but it is how I roll), not as cute, definitely more comfy, and they did the trick.

Anyhoo… it was a great event, I still need to post pictures; but it started off a good week that then led into seeing Gone Girl at the theater and book club.  Here is what I posted this past week:

 

Burn by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

Gone Girl book VS. Movie

Not My Father’s Son by Alan Cummings

Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer (I LOVED this one!)

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote – Bookies Book Club Review

Choose Your Own Adventure by Neil Patrick Harris

 

I think it was a good reading and listening week. I had quite a bit of audio time this past week and then after yesterdays readathon, I currently have 2 books and 5 audio book reviews to catch up on.  NICE. As for this week, here is what I am thinking…

For My Ears

the vanishing, wendy webb

Recently widowed and rendered penniless by her Ponzi-scheming husband, Julia Bishop is eager to start anew. So when a stranger appears on her doorstep with a job offer, she finds herself accepting the mysterious yet unique position: caretaker to his mother, Amaris Sinclair, the famous and rather eccentric horror novelist whom Julia has always admired…and who the world believes is dead.

When she arrives at the Sinclairs’ enormous estate on Lake Superior, Julia begins to suspect that there may be sinister undercurrents to her “too-good-to-be-true” position. As Julia delves into the reasons of why Amaris chose to abandon her successful writing career and withdraw from the public eye, her search leads to unsettling connections to her own family tree, making her wonder why she really was invited to Havenwood in the first place, and what monstrous secrets are still held prisoner within its walls.

 

 

Nightmares, Jason Segel, segal

Sleeping has never been so scary. And now waking up is even worse!

Charlie Laird has several problems.

1. His dad married a woman he is sure moonlights as a witch.
2. He had to move into her purple mansion, which is NOT a place you want to find yourself after dark.
3.He can’t remember the last time sleeping wasn’t a nightmarish prospect. Like even a nap.

What Charlie doesn’t know is that his problems are about to get a whole lot more real. Nightmares can ruin a good night’s sleep, but when they start slipping out of your dreams and into the waking world—that’s a line that should never be crossed.

And when your worst nightmares start to come true . . . well, that’s something only Charlie can face. And he’s going to need all the help he can get, or it might just be lights-out for Charlie Laird. For good.

 

 

 

Jodi Piccoult, Leaving Time

For more than a decade, Jenna Metcalf has never stopped thinking about her mother, Alice, who mysteriously disappeared in the wake of a tragic accident. Refusing to believe that she would be abandoned as a young child, Jenna searches for her mother regularly online and pores over the pages of Alice’s old journals. A scientist who studied grief among elephants, Alice wrote mostly of her research among the animals she loved, yet Jenna hopes the entries will provide a clue to her mother’s whereabouts.

Desperate to find the truth, Jenna enlists two unlikely allies in her quest. The first is Serenity Jones, a psychic who rose to fame finding missing persons—only to later doubt her gifts. The second is Virgil Stanhope, a jaded private detective who originally investigated Alice’s case along with the strange, possibly linked death of one of her colleagues. As the three work together to uncover what happened to Alice, they realize that in asking hard questions, they’ll have to face even harder answers.

As Jenna’s memories dovetail with the events in her mother’s journals, the story races to a mesmerizing finish.

 

 

For My Eyes

Khristine

It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—an exclusive house party on Henry Island. Best friends Meg and Minnie are looking forward to two days of boys, booze, and fun-filled luxury. But what starts out as fun turns twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine. And things only get worse from there.

With a storm raging outside, the teens are cut off from the outside world . . . so when a mysterious killer begins picking them off one by one, there’s no escape. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on one another, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?

 

 

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In the lakeside resort town of Port Manitou, Michigan, dedicated teacher and running coach Neil Kazenzakis shoulders responsibilities that would break a lesser man: a tragic accident has left his wife seriously debilitated, he cares for his mother-in-law who suffers from dementia, and he’s raising his teenage son, Chris, on his own. On top of all that, he’s also secretly been seeing Lauren, his mother-in-law’s caregiver.

When Neil breaks up a fight one day after school, he doesn’t give the altercation much thought. He’s got bigger issues on his mind, like the fact that Lauren is ready for a commitment and he has to figure out a way to tell Chris that he’s in a serious relationship with someone other than the boy’s mother. But when an anonymous person uploads a video of the fight to YouTube, the stunning footage suggests Neil assaulted a student. With his job, his family, and his reputation suddenly in jeopardy, Neil must prove his innocence and win back the trust of the entire community—including his son’s.

 

 

I think that is where I am.  How about you?  How is your reading going this fall?  Please add your link to What Are You Reading below where it says click here:

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For those of you who read mainly children and middle grade books, please also feel free to add your link here:

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Choose Your Own Autobiography by Neil Patrick Harris

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Remember those books growing up when you got to the end of a chapter you had a choice to make and then you turned to the page it told you to depending on your choice?  Basically you chose the characters destination… and come what may, you decided for them.  Well, Neil Patrick Harris’ biography is just like that.  Neil narrates (oh yes… it is that awesome!) his own story, yet as he takes us through the life and times of second person Neil Patrick Harris, he gives you choices to choose what Neil decided next, or what kind of family he had growing up… it is funny, and interesting!

 

I have been a Neil Patrick Harris fan since his days as Doogie Howser (which you hear all about how Neil was chosen for that role and what it was like working on a set with adult actors and because of the child acting laws; his parents always within eye shot.

It also discusses ( or he discusses… about himself… in second person…lol) his coming out as being gay, hanging out with Elton John, hosting the Emmys, Tonys, and writing the opening – or in one case middle (there is a reason for that one) – numbers for the award shows.


While the book is good, there are a few areas that are not appropriate for all ages (shoot, I am not even sure if it is appropriate for me).  Neil does get a little crude in a couple of parts of the book.  That said, I have to admit I love his quick wit, his descriptions of changing up award songs to reflect what actually happened during the awards (winners and bloopers…), and his talk about being a part of a great tv series, How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM).  Hearing about his tv career and his award hosting was a favorite part of the book for me.

As I mentioned, I listened to this on audio so I have to say the choose your own adventure theme works a bit differently on audio.  Instead of choosing to go to a certain page, Neil simply gives you the choices and says something like, “to hear more about award ceremonies, stay tuned; to hear more about being the youngest doctor to ever help deliver a baby, that is next!”

All in all, by listening to this audio book I found our more about Neil Patrick Harris. I enjoyed listening to him.  I find him to be a confident, funny, witty, guy.  He knows how to work an audience and he has a brilliant mind.  Fans of HIMYM and/or fans of his hosting award shows will enjoy this listen, or this book.
and….

 

 

  • Audio CD
  • Publisher: Random House Audio; Com/Cdr Un edition (October 14, 2014)Listening Length: 7 hours and 15 minutes
  • Hardcover: 304 pages

 

Morning Meanderings… The Results Are In

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Good morning!  Any readathon hangovers out there?  I actually feel pretty good.I pooped out at hour 17 and a half.  I had started yesterday at 6 am, strong and about to conquer the world and then.. well… here was a few highlights or obstacles:

By late morning my internet started dropping out (no idea what that was) that put any challenges I was working on taking FOREVER.

 

I went to the store in early afternoon to pick up a few things, made a few phone calls, responded to some texts

 

Other than that – I was pretty committed and my final numbers are:

 

371 pages (1 1/2 books)

4 hours of audio.

With what I raised by reading and those who sponsored me – (Thank you so much!) The total donation to $122.20

 

Now, for books that came in this week:

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Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick (audio)

Leaving Time by Jodi Piccoult (audio)

The Innovators by Walter Isaacson (audio)

Ruth’s Journey by Donald McCaig (audio)

The Woman Who Would Be King by Kara Cooney (audio)

Dead Poets Society – movie (I bought this…. love this movie!)

The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

MOO by Jane Smiley – I purchased at Opus and Olives

Memoir Of The Sunday Brunch by Julie Pandl – I purchased at Opus and Olives

Meritropolis by Joel Ohman

Deadly Wandering by Matt Richtel – I purchased at Opus and Olives

 

Some exciting books there!  I am excited to dig in!

Today is a pretty low key day (YAY!).  I will go to church this morning but then am home the rest of the day.  I am going to finish up TEN by Gretchen McNeil which is one I found thanks to checking out blogs yesterday during the readathon.  Creepy good… like 80’s scary 🙂

So that’s my Sunday… I think more reading 🙂

What are you doing this lovely Sunday?

Dewey Read A Thon – Update Post

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This post is the update post I will use today for the Dewey Read A Thon.  To read more about this, please click here and read the sticky post I have up today that tells you about the read a thon and what cause I am reading for.  This post will be used for updates throughout the day – the most current information will be at the top.

Here we go!

Hour 16 – check in…

Seriously… I must have reached that time where time just passes me by.  I was working on the last hours challenge and suddenly, the hour is gone -I have made no updates in the last hour and now here I am again, almost at 10:30 pm and not reading.  SO picture up for the Pet Parade at Estelle’s Revenge.  The challenge was to post pics of what you pet is doing right now.

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Yes – we have three dogs.  I have a weakness for rescue dogs.  As you can see all three are passed out.  Some day.. I will be too 🙂

 

Hour 15 – check in…

Eeep!  Where did the time go?  I am on page 97 of the book TEN.  No audio as hubby is now in bed so do not want to BLAST him awake.  Or… do I?

 

271 pages for the day, 4 hours of audio…. keep on keeping on.

I did not think I had the energy to participate in this hours challenge… but then… I did.  Gail at Ticket To Anywhere presents the challenge of making poetry out of book spines… here is mine:

 

ellen archer 3 - Copy

“While I was gone, far far away, the song remains the same;

songs of willow frost, wounded by God’s people, the color of rain.”

 

Hour 13 – check in…

No progress.  I made dinner for my hubby, I listened to about 15 minutes of audio while I did so.  Talked with hubby for a while before he went to watch tv.  Played on Twitter.  Wrote on a couple of blogs.

 

Hour 12 – check in…

I think I recovered from the grog.  I had a snack.  Drank some water.  And started a new read.  Here is the Mid-Event Survey:


1. What are you reading right now?

TEN by (which is kind of funny as I seen this book on someone elses blog and thought it sounded amazing so downloaded it)


2. How many books have you read so far?

Two and a half.  I cleaned up on two audio books and finished a book and a half so far.


3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?

Not really sure – I have been choosing books randomly by mood.


4. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?

A few phone calls, some texts, nothing too bad.


5. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?

I am always thrilled to see how many participate and from all over the world.  When you think about all of us reading at the same time… its kind of cool 🙂

Listened to:  The Vanishing by Wendy Webb – 15 minutes

Read:  TEN by Gretchen McNeil – 40 pages

Totals:  Audio -3 hour and 55 minutes, book pages – 174.

 

Hour 10 – check in…

Feeling word… a little groggy… or if one word allowed only… groggy.

All visions of cleaning out that spare room today while listening to audio have gone out the window… now I am thinking of doing it tomorrow and seeing if Al (hubby) can handle the trip tot eh cabin tomorrow to work with the construction dude on Monday and Tuesday and I can stay here…. we will see how that pans out.

Updates –

Listened to:  The Vanishing by Wendy Webb –

Read:  I have not started another book yet.  I should this hour.

Totals:  Audio -3 hour and 40 minutes, book pages – 134.

At a Girl That Likes Books, the hourly challenge is to talk about any food within your books or food that is making you hungry while reading.  That is easy since all morning I was reading Delancey – about a restaurant.  The book is filled with awesome recipes that I will be digging into over the next few weeks, here is one from the book:

How about Brownies?  Right out of the book:

My Kate’s Brownies

You’ll need:

1 stick of unsalted butter

2 ounces of dark chocolate

1 cup mines 2 tablespoons of sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup of unbleached all purpose flour (I used normal white flour)

1/4 tsp fine sea salt.

Preheat the oven at 325F.

In a pan warm the chocolate and the butter together till melted.  Remove from the heat and add the sugar, stir well.  Add the eggs and the vanilla extract and stir to blend completely.  Stir in the flour and salt.  Stir till smooth.

Pour it into the baking dish 8×8

Place the dish in the oven and check after 25 minutes.  They can take longer depending on the oven.

Allow to cool completely even if you’re tempted to dive into them sooner.

 

 

Hour 9 – check in…

Whew!  Things would go a lot easier if my internet was cooperating.  Seriously – I went to open an email and I actually recorded it..it took 34 seconds to open… it just kept saying loading.  SO…. the quick fun mini challenges I want to partake in are taking forever to set up.  Eeep!  Oh well… here is what is happening here:

Listened to:  The Vanishing by Wendy Webb (yes back on it… its on my phone, close to me… the cd player the other one is in is all the way across the room.  Yes, it has come to this.  😉  – 10 minutes

Read:  Delancey by Molly Wizenberg – 134  pages – complete!!!

Totals:  Audio – 2 hour and 15 minutes, book pages – 134.

And…. the challenges I am posting:

Name of my readathon:  Of Mice and Book Lovers
Name of my readathon: Of Mice and Book Lovers

Thanks so much Felicia at Geeky Blogger’s Book Blog!

 

and DeadBookDarling asked that we post a picture f a valued book in our collections.  That one is easy, this is the book that my College Son Justin gave me for Mothers Day this year after he graduated from Graphic Design.  He made this cover to the book.

Redesign by my son - inside back cover dedicated to me :)
Redesign by my son – inside back cover dedicated to me 🙂

Hour 7 – check in…

Still going!  I went to the store to pick up a missing ingredient for my soup I wanted to make for lunch.  I listened to audio all the way (the one in my car) and then while cooking I put in a new audio – Nightmares by Jason Segal…. I had to put The Vanishing on hold… it was not fast paced enough for the read a thon.

So… update:

Listened to:  The Iron Trial by Cassandra Clare and Holly Black – 10 minutes

Nighmares! by Jason Segal – 1 hour

 

Read:  Delancey by Molly Wizenberg – 73 pages (no progress… I have been on the movie but picking it up again now!)

Oh… and to show you what I have been doing… I made a chicken and wild rice mushroom soup.  Mmmmm…

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Hour 5 – check in…

Still here… still going!

Listened to:  Choose Your Own Adventure by Neil Patrick Harris  –  45 minutes (Finished!  Woot!)

Quarantine by Joe McKinney – Finished!  (I only had a little left of this one)

 

Read:  Delancey by Molly Wizenberg – 73 pages

Totals:  Audio – 1 hour and 15 minutes, book pages – 73.

I am about to get up and go to the store – I am missing one ingredient I need for my soup I am making today!  I will listen to audio on the way, and audio after I am back and cooking away in the kitchen.

In the mean time… here is the mini challenge for Hour 5:  Book Staging:

Delancey is a great non fiction read about an opening of a pizza restaurant... and yes, they served wine. :)
Delancey is a great non fiction read about an opening of a pizza restaurant… and yes, they served wine. 🙂

 

Hour 3 – check in…

Wow!  3 hours in, that flew by!  I felt at first that I was so tired this morning but now thanks to all that coffee.. and a shower thanks to the picture required for the mini challenge hour 2 (lol) I am feeling pretty jazzed!

I do not have a reading update at this time as I have been messing around choosing a new audio to listen to (I did not realize I was so close to ending the two I had going on my phone).  I listen to audio while I work on mini challenges or am putzing in my kitchen (is it too early for cheese puffs?)…. and so, here is the picture called for in the Hour 3 challenge:  Shelfie:

Shelfie!
Shelfie!

 

Hour 2 – check in…

Listened to:  Choose Your Own Adventure by Neil Patrick Harris  –  45 minutes (Finished!  Woot!)

Quarantine by Joe McKinney – 10 minutes

Read:  Delancey by Molly Wizenberg – 20 minutes

 

Hour 2 mini challenge – Coffee or Tea:

 

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I am about the coffee…. #TeamTrollope – thanks for a fun mini challenge Fig and Thistle!

 

 

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Dewey Read-A-Thon: Pop In and Cheer Me on! There Are Prizes!

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Note – this is a sticky post that will stay on top during the read-a-thon.  Other posts with updates will be below this one today.  🙂

It’s here!  The fall Dewey Read-a-Thon is here and I am so happy I am able to be a part of it!  I love everything that Dewey stands for.

As usual, I like to read for a charity.  This time around I am planning to read for my local Friends Of The Brainerd Public Library.  We are a group of volunteers that work to assist our library with additional literacy programming for children and adults alike, purchase additional copies of best sellers, provide opportunities to participate in events such as author events, book clubs, provide additional seating in our library, the book in a bag program, children’s books, and so much more.  I LOVE being a part of this group and see us working more and more in our community to get the word out how important the local library is.

I will be donating 10 cents per page I read in the next 24 hours, and 10 cents per minute I listen to audio in the next 24 hours.  I invite you to feel free to make a donation to support my cause today by clicking on the button below.  Any contribution is welcome!

As a bonus, I am giving away a book or two to celebrate Dewey.  You receive a chance to win book of choice or a $10 Amazon gift card by leaving a comment here, and an additional change by donating to the Friends Of The Brainerd Public LIbrary.  Here are the books I am offering:

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The books are:

 

Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay (hard cover)

 

Hidden by Catherine McKenzie (hard cover)

 

Code Name Verity (World Book Night version I picked up at our book sale)

 

Ranger’s Apprentice (World Book Night Version I picked up at our book sale)

 

or a $10 Amazon gift card

 

Below is the link to make a donation to the Friends Of The Brainerd Public Library if you choose to do so.  You do not need to make a donation to be entered in the giveaway.

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After this opening meme, I will have a new post put up for updates – I will keep updating the same post, but please, pop in throughout the day to check in… love the company and each comment will put you in the drawing for one of the items above.  I will announce the winner tomorrow with the results of my personal part of the read a thon.

The opening meme:

 

Opening Meme:

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?  Brainerd Minnesota!
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?  Hmmm…. I have been reading Delancey and I am excited to see where that one is going.  From there I do not know 🙂
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?  I loaded up at the store yesterday… I think the cheese puffs will make me happy, but lunch is chicken wild rice soup that I will be making while listening to audio.  Mmmmmmmm
4) Tell us a little something about yourself!  Apparently I am a die-hard reader.  LOL… you probably knew that 🙂  Let’s see, I am Sheila and I have hosted Book Journey since 2009.  I am in an amazing book club that started in 2001 and now has 16 active members, I am President Of Our Friends group – oh and I recently left my job of 10 years to commit to my writing.  EEP!  And randomly, I enjoy a good mud run, and love to ride my bike long distances.
5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? I am going to try to read more.  I tend to get caught up in the social part of the read-a-thon.  I will be participating in the challenges, but trying for a more happy mix 🙂

 

If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to?  Not my first 🙂

 

Ok I am off… starting with Delancey this morning and just having coffee.  It is still early here 🙂

 

 

Are you participating in the read-a-thon?  If not have you in the past?

 

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote – Bookies Book Club Review

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This past week, 13 of the 16 Bookies gathered together for fun food, conversation, and a close up look at October Classic read, In Cold Blood by Truman Capote.  My full review of the book is here. As I had mentioned in an earlier post, I was curious about how a true crime would go over in this group.  We had read an Anne Rule true crime many years ago when we were about 8 or 10 members at that time, but nothing since then.

Our discussion mainly centered around the time and the crime.  We agreed that in the small community where the crime took place, you did not worry about your neighbors or what you said in public about what you owned.  The results of In Cold Blood, changed this community, and many communities forever.  I mentioned to the group that I had recently been speaking to a woman at a dinner I attended about our book club choice.  She said at the time of the crime she was a young girl and her parents told her, “you never tell people about what we have in our house… you do not mention the safe, or anything.”  The crimes of In Cold Blood, put fear in so many.

We also discussed how things randomly happen.  If Richard Hickock and Perry Edward Smith had never met, never spoke with the gut who had worked on the Clutter home…. the crime, by circumstance would never have happened.  We compared this, on a much lighter note to how we all wound up in book club together.  Looking around the room, when book club started I knew only one of the thirteen girls in the room.  We all met by circumstance, someone talked about book club and we agreed to go.  If not for Bookies and our group talking about it… we would not all have been in that room together this week talking about this book.

I love things like that. 🙂

Overall, the book was rated mainly average which is actually a good rating for a classic.   A few rated it higher, and a couple rated it lower.  The overall thought was that most of us do not like to read true crime, but this one worked as it is written in such a fictional way.  This was mainly because of the dialogue in the book compared to just straight facts about the crime.

Our food for the night… we themed a lot of foods from the times – Angie even made from a 1959 cook book a Purple Sea Urchin dish – little hot dogs poking out of a cabbage with Sterno in the middle to cook them!  I made the cucumber sandwiches… I went with the theme of funeral food.

PicMonkey Collage

 

What makes this a good book club choice?

I think it is good for a book club to shake up genres.  A true crime can bring out a different type of discussion, and while it is true crime, In Cold Blood is written in such a way it is not overly horrific, therefore making it a good book club pick – and it is a classic!  In Cold Blood is one of the books i like to be able to say I have read due to its classic status and the fact that Truman Capote is an author you will want to read.

When planning food for a book such as this I loved the idea Angie had of making food from the era.  She also brought (not pictured) old style potato chips and homemade dip with the Liptons onion soup mix, which apparently became popular in 1959.

While decorating for a true crime, or dressing up is hard to do – we did use a little crime scene tape that I had left over from the banned book window at the library.

For the groups that like to go a step further – In Cold Blood is a movie, as well as Capote (newer).  Either of these movies could add to your discussion on book and or author.

Morning Meanderings… What’s Up and What’s New

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Good morning!  🙂  I have been looking forward to today all week-long!  This is my “Low Key Weekend” and lets just add some hashtags as I think they are fun:  #awesomehangingout  #deweyreadathon #dontwanttoanswermyphone.

After a full couple of weeks of great fun, working weekends, and large commitments… I am trying hard to hold on to the sanctuary of this weekend by not over booking myself and refreshing and renewing to be ready to rock and roll again next week. 🙂

So what is on the weekend agenda?

Today -write a couple of reviews, go to the bank, the Library, the grocery store…. meet a friend for lunch, pick up some boxes of goodies at Connie’s home, clean out the downstairs storage and listen to audio.  🙂  (Ok, that may not sound very low-key – but it is)

Saturday – Dewey Read A Thon.  If I plan this right, I want to be home reading for the entire day.  I will read for charity – I usually do, and hope to not leave the house at all.  (Mmmm hmmmm…. there it , low-key day!)

Sunday – church, and home to do a little cleaning, a little audio, maybe going to a friends home to interview her for an upcoming magazine story… but may just put that off.  Al and I may be heading to the cabin to meet up with the guy working on our roof to run by him plans for a front deck (YAY!!!!  I have waited so long for this! And a possible garage.)  If we do go, we will be gone until Tuesday and if he can not go… then I need to go alone.  Either way, it’s not a bad thing, I was hoping to get to the cabin this month and it just had not worked out.

 

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Something new…. last night I created a Twitter account for our Friends Of The Brainerd Public Library.  After last weeks conference for the Minnesota Library Association I sat in on a session on social media.  While it was aimed more at what Libraries can do to connect… I nabbed a couple ideas for the Friends… Twitter was one, as I can attach the feed to our website and I find that super cool.  Yes, I said it… super cool.  And secondly – mail chimp… which I did not know much about but after seeing what a nice email it sends, it will be something I will be looking into for future friends emails.

Oh… and that Twitter account, in case you want to follow… @BrdFriends

I plan to use it to let people know of upcoming Friends events, happenings, etc…  that may not be of interest to you… however if you are a library fan, or a Friend of your local library, you may want to see what we are doing… after all, I look at other Friends and Library sites to pick up ideas for our own 🙂

 

Ok enough of the chatter… you have things to do, I have things to do.  Hope your day is super fab!

Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer – BEST of 2014

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HIgh school student Jam Gallahue is still recovering from the tragic loss of her boyfriend, Reeve Maxfield, the adorable exchange student from Britain. It has been over a year since Reeve died and Jam is still stuck in her thoughts of kissing him in the library, or watching a funny movie together.  Her depression and inability to move on is so deep, her parents feel they have no choice when they send her to The Wooden Barn, a therapeutic boarding school in Vermont for youth of similar struggles.

Jam is selected along with four other students to be in a class called Special Topics.  An English class that turns out to be all about the works of Sylvia Plath.  When the teacher hands each of the students a beautiful leather bond journal and encourages them to try to write something in them once or twice a week, Jam is certain that she will NOT be writing in a journal.

Yet one evening, Jam does decide to try to write a few lines in the book and when she does she finds herself whisked away, back to a time when she is with Reeve once again.  While she fears she may be dreaming, his arms around her are all to real and when she comes back to the present, she finds she has written 5 pages in the journal.  What is even more odd, Jam discovers that the other students in the Special Topics class had similar experiences, each going back to a time when things were right before their personal tragedy happened; and each coming back to find that 5 pages in their journal have been filled.

As the group begins to meet outside of class time to discuss their secret; they all wonder what will happen when they get to the end of the journal… and will that close the door to the past even if they are not ready to let go?

 

 

I LOVED this book.  I loved the idea of a group of teens centered around a class talking about the literary works of Sylvia Plath.  I thought the idea of the journals that give you a chance to go back to before things went wrong was brilliant; and the way this brought the group to open up to one another… seriously I want to just write…

GUSH!  GUSH!  GUSH!

I enjoyed this book on audio and Jorjeana Marie narrated well.  I simply did not want to turn this book off!  Incredibly well done and thought provoking!  Love the title, love the characters…LOVE the book!  While I thought the ending would be a bit more powerful (I had my own ideas of what might have been), it was still an amazing book that I would HIGHLY recommend is one of the best this reader has spent time with in 2014.

*I feel this book would make for a wonderful book club discussion… there are lots of what if’s in this one!

 

Because I want to be able to talk about this book in more detail I am dusting off the Spoiler Button and putting it in play.  Please read (or listen to!) the book and then push the button and let’s talk Belzhar!

 

2aaaaa

 

9

 

  • Listening Length: 8 hours and 6 minutes
  • Program Type: Audiobook
  • Version: Unabridged
  • Publisher: Listening Library
  • Audible.com Release Date: September 30, 2014

 

Not My Father’s Son by Alan Cummings

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It is easy to look at those we see on the tv screen or on the movie screen and think there life must be amazing!  Yet often there is more to the story than what we see in the flash of lights, a funny comment, and a great memorable movie line.  Alan Cummings has just such a story.  ~Sheila

 

Alan Cummings plays a wide variety of roles.  You may know him from the popular series The good Wife, Any Day Now, Spy Kids, Burlesque, X2, Emma, Ghost Writer, and much more as well as Broadway plays.

Yet while Alan appears cool and calm when we see him on the screen; what we did not know was the deep dark pain that he hid deep inside of a painful childhood, a father with a quick temper and who was abusive.  Leaving Alan feeling like he could never live up to the man’s expectations.  Along with this was his mother, a loving gentle soul who never knew what had happened to her own father who she had last seen when she was eight years old.

Alan made the decision to go on the show Who Do You Think You Are?, a show that digs into your family history and then announces their findings on air.  Alan’s curiosity about his heritage and his grandfather led him to make the decision to go on the show – having no idea the Pandora’s box he was about to open…

 

 

While I have this book in paperback, I chose to listen to it on audio.  Not only for the convenience of being about to multi task while listening, but also for the fact that Alan Cummings narrates the book.  Alan’s emotion though the book that opens his life wide open is at times heart wrenching, and at times he is hilarious…. and well worth the listen.

I admittedly knew little of Alan Cummings going into this read.  I knew him from The good Wife, and I recognized him from a few movies, but honestly knew hardly anything about the man behind the acting.  Not My Father’s Son was an honest look into Alan’s life as a child into his teens, and into his life now.  Told in alternating “Then” and “Now” chapters, I found the book well written, thought-provoking, and I am so glad I counted this one in my 2014 reading.

Not only will fans of Alan Cumming find this book worth their time, I feel that those who like me, know little of the man, will also find this memoir of a boy looking for closure on a painful past so he can be the man he knows he is, is a powerful and positive reading choice.

 

 

  • Audible Audio Edition
  • Listening Length: 6 hours and 28 minutes
  • Program Type: Audiobook
  • Version: Unabridged
  • Publisher: HarperAudio
  • Audible.com Release Date: October 7, 2014

 

  • Hardcover: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Dey Street Books (October 7, 2014)

 

 

 

 

Morning Meanderings… Literally Literary Fumes

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I feel as though I have run a literary marathon.  Things, have been quite bookish around here lately, Library conference, Author event, Teen Library meeting, first annual Friends Of The Library retreat and last nights Bookies Book Club.  All this happened within the last week.  It has been fun, do not get me wrong, but I feel a little wrung out, looking forward to a non eventful rest of the week.  My agenda is fairly open the next week out.

YAY!

Last night the Bookies had a great time meeting up and discussing In Cold Blood.  We also handed out our books that we will be reading as well this month for the new Harper Collins Program “Book Club Girls”, this will be books chosen by my group and read in addition to our regular scheduled read.  Our first book through Harper is:

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Super excited about this book!  There is also a box of swag coming that I am excited to see what it is!  🙂

Our book clubs pick for November will be :

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Looks like a good one and the perfect time of year for some Historical Fiction!

Well, off to get ready for my day.  Hope your warm and enjoying fall colors wherever you are!