Sunday Salon - spinning my techno wheels

If it seems like I've not been reviewing too much lately, your perception is correct.  I've been up to the tips of my pierced ears in E- readers, e-books, and technology in general.  First of all, the Tutu Family owns two Nooks-- Simple Touch and a Nook Tablet.  We maintain one family account so we can share books since we tend to have very similar reading tastes.  We've been adding to the e-library since Christmas since all our relatives were kind enough to give us Nook gift cards to help flesh out our libraries, and since we've been hitting the "buy" button on a number of daily/weekly freebies and bargain books, it seemed it was time to get the libraries organized into "shelves."

Now remember, I've had a Nook for over a year.  I had the original Nook (now known as the 1st Generation or 1G and no longer available) but I traded it in for the Simple Touch.   Of course, the wizards in techno world couldn't leave well enough alone, so they completely changed the system for "shelving books" on the new one. Thus making me sit back and wonder if I regret my decision to upgrade.  The old system for organizing still works the same on the Tablet, but not on the Touch. For the past three days I've been going  crazy trying to make it behave like it used to, and even went so far as to spend 50 minutes in an online chat with the Nook friendly helper only to discover that what I wanted to do couldn't be done the way I wanted to do it.  And believe me, the "new" way is totally cumbersome, time-wasting, and STUPID.  So, now that I have learned the process, I've put the Nooks aside and will "shelve" during the Super Bowl (GO PATS!) tonite.

As if the Nook didn't produce enough angst, I'm also responsible for the library's Kindle which we are getting loaded up and ready to circulate.  I wanted to catalog the 40+ books we'd purchased/or gotten in Amazon's free giveaways so they would show up in our online catalog, and people would know a) what we had on the Kindle, and b) if we had a book that it was available on the Kindle.

Unfortunately, almost 65% of these freebies (many of them self-published) do not have MARC records out there in the universe, and our online "cataloging in the cloud" program does not recognize them, so I was forced to either a) grab a MARC record from the print version (if one existed) and do some serious editing or b) just go ahead and completely  compose a new MARC record for the work.  In most instances it turned out to be quicker to just enter all the data and self catalog.  I just realized that some of you may be unfamiliar with the term MARC.  It's the MAchine Readable Cataloging record.  Libraries use this format so that if and when they change cataloging software or systems, or import or export their records they can be easily read and implanted.

Enough techie stuff......for the next few days, I'm sticking strictly to Print (I have to read Farming of Bones for our Book Club next week) and Audio ( I'm listening to another Maisie Dobbs - they are good listens, they have some great info about World War I, and the technology doesn't tax my ancient brain).  I'll get back to my e-reader hopefully by Thursday because I've been participating in Unputdownables "Moveable Feast" Read-along and I need to read the next chapters, as soon as Barnes and Noble can figure out why the download I bought is not reading correctly.  But that's another whole techno story that doesn't bear telling right now.

Anyhow, I do still love the Nook, particularly for helping me organize and keep track of review copies from Net Galley, for enabling me to sample books before buying, and for being able to read library books without having to go out into the windy, icy Maine weather to get them.

In spite of my frustrations, I'm still smiling, because I can smell that beef pot pie in the oven, and the PATS are going to win, and I'll just have to catch this week's episode of Downton Abbey on the re-run later.

Sunday Salon - January 29th

A long lazy day ahead.....it's cold, it's supposed to be partly sunny, until 9:00 tonite, there's nothing to watch on TV (and then all eyes go to Downton Abbey.)  So it will be a perfect day to read, read, read and stitch a bit too.   I've made great progress on those nine books I mentioned last week. I finished four of them, and am really enjoying the others.

I've not had a lot of time to listen to the audios: between bad weather and icy roads and some physical issues I'm dealing with that have kept me from exercising, I haven't spent much time with audios.  I've become so enamored of my Nook that I can't seem to put it down.  The biography of James Monroe, the two World War I books (Guns of August and The Beauty and the Sorrow),  are all huge big chunky books, but so easy to read on the e-reader.  Five Chiefs - the Supreme Court memoir by John Paul Stevens is just the right size print book, beautifully done, not too big, and very easy on the eye. It's also quite readable, and I'm going through it slowly so I'm sure I understand all the legal implications of the discussions.  Then I have a paperback copy of  Farming of Bones to finish for our book club in three weeks.

Finally, yesterday  I succombed to my first case of what my husband fondly calls "eyes bigger than stomach" (for those of us who must overload our plates in a buffet line) and I joined the readalong for A Moveable Feast over at Unputdownables.   I had just gotten the audio of this one from the library, and it will be a great follow-up to A Paris Wife.

So Sunday at Tutu's will be a true day of rest.  We go to church on Saturday evening, and after a nice breakfast of french toast, crisp bacon and some linguicia (Portuguese sausage) and some homemade apple butter and good french roast coffee, I'll be ready to settle into my favorite big chair in front of the fireplace with my two favorite kitties, a pile of books and my Nook.  I'm planning to spend at least 2 of those hours listening to an audio (probably another adventure of Maisie Dobbs) and working on some cross-stitch.  Sure hope your day is as quiet and peaceful as mine promises to be.

Sunday Salon -watching the snow melt!

Last Sunday, we enjoyed watching the snow fall --it was like living inside a snow globe.  By now however, we're getting tired of it, so the temperature in the 40s is most welcome. We've had over 36 hours of rain, and the snow is becoming a memory.  The snow itself is beautiful, but having to plow, sand, salt, and pray that the oil and propane trucks can get down our treacherous driveway-- and that we can get out --was becoming tedious.  And of course, that doesn't even cover the anxiety of knowing that the UPS man has several books that can't be delivered because his truck won't make it down our driveway.  After all, priorities are priorities!

Anyway, this type of pioneer living is wonderful for inducing long periods of quiet reading, and--when I can get out-- long workouts in the pool so I listen to some audio books.  I haven't been blogging much and I can't blame it all on the internet connectivity problem.  I've just been too engrossed in reading.

I've finished and will soon post reviews for  

• Half-Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls - this one is for our book club that meets this week.  It's a great one.
• The Sins of Brother Curtis ,- an excellent piece of reporting on a story of pedophillia in the Mormon Church, due out sometime this month 
• The Last Brother  by Nathacha Appanah- an exquisite little book by already leaping onto the Best of the Year list. 

 In addition to writing reviews, I'm going to be spending the afternoon setting up !!!GIVEAWAYS!!!! for two others that will show up first in tomorrow's Maiilbox Monday:



So check back this week....the individual giveaway posts will  be up for grabs by Friday.
  So as you can see I have lots of great reading to do - I'm about 1/2 through Stacey Schiff's wonderful bio of Cleopatra, and my exercising is being enhanced by yet another great episode in Donna Leon's wonderful Commissario Brunetti series.

And finally, Lent starts this week, so I'll be trying to slide in some more serious reading -- that's  much more life enhancing than giving up coffee and candy.

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEK --CHECK BACK EARLY AND OFTEN!

Sunday Salon - winding up the vacation

I haven't done a Sunday Salon post in quite awhile, but today, as I finally relax at the almost end of my three weeks on the road, I have time to reflect on vacations, leisure time, family time, and of course, a little reading.

As you know, I left Maine on January 31st to drive to Baltimore to pick up my 86 year old Mom so we could drive her car to her condo on Hilton Head Island SC where she has had a timeshare for over 20 years.  Since the condo has 3 bedrooms it means there is plenty of room for various children and in-laws to come and help mom enjoy a respite from the cold winters.  When Dad was alive, it was golf, shopping and day trip time.  This year, two of my sisters joined us for various parts of the two weeks, along with their golfing husbands. 

The girls all spent a lot of time just lounging...we did 'exercise' on the Wii (mom loved it), and I got in several nice long alone walks on the beautiful beach, a luxury I don't get in Maine until much further into the summer season.  We did some power shopping, ate at some excellent restaurants, heard a great sermon at the local church, and did a lot of needlepoint (sister Cheli), embroidery (mom) and counted cross-stitch (Tutu).

We also spent a LOT of time indulging in another family passion--competitive card and board games.  We played HONG KONG Charlie and/or Trivial Pursuit almost every nite.  All of this meant I didn't get a lot of extra time for reading, but I did finish two complete print books, and another 1/2 book on the Nook.  I listened to The Tenderness of Wolves as an audio while I was walking and sewing, and hope to finish it on my drive home in the next two days.  It's an  awesome story, and I'll give you a review when it's finished.

Tonite I'm relaxing at the home of sister #3, after having spent the afternoon with my kids and beautiful grand-daughter.  Tomorrow AM, I have a brunch meeting with old friends from my old job, then I'm on the road back to the land of the snowmen.  Hubbie assures me that the mailman has been generous while I've been gone, so next week's Monday Mailbox post will be full.

The chance to spend quality time with family is (as they say in the Mastercard commercials) priceless.  The books will still be there when the family can't be, so I'm glad I spent this time with all my favorite people.  I may talk to them every day on the phone, and chat online, but there's nothing that beats sitting across the table trumping their HK Charlie pile.

Sunday Salon - Trolling the Blog Feeder

I've been spending a lot of time these past few days getting ready for my presentation later this week at the Maine Library Association conference.  It's about blogging, so I've been trying to be a good blogger and get caught up on all the latest and greatest goings on in the blogosphere.  This morning I've been going through my hopelessly engorged feeder, looking for examples of points I'm trying to explain.

Of course, as any of you know, blog feeders---and blogs in general--can be vortexes that pull you in and never let you out again.  I'm having a great time catching up with my regular friends, and finding some new and interesting blogs to add.

Lisa on Alive On the Shelves pointed out a site that is true eye candy: Bookshelf Porn.  Relax ---it's G rated. Although virtual and therefore calorie and cholesterol free, the goodies on display will stop the heart of anyone breathing. Do pour a cuppa and stroll through this one. I have to agree with a July 9th twitter posted there "..Bookshelfporn.com has dissuaded me completely from buying..." an ereader.

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 Truer words were never uttered than those in this great graphic posted by Michelle - the True Book Addict when she was describing her TBR Pile.

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And it's the last day of the regular baseball season.  The Red Sox are playing the Yankees.  The leaves are turning color in gigantic swatches each day.  It's cloudy, chilly, and time to start thinking about stews and soups instead of salads and outdoor grills.  That batch of apple/beet salsa I made earlier this week is just calling for a nice baked chicken to accompany it, so I'd best get away from the computer and start getting on with Sunday.  Besides, I have an audio download, Fixer Upper by Mary Kay Andrews that's turning out to be a fun listen.  I can do that while I watch the Sox and cook. 

Enjoy your October

Sunday Salon

 

This Sunday, we braved the trip back from Eastern to Western shore of Maryland across the infamous Chesapeake Bay Bridge where traffic has been known to back up for 8-10 miles, and were truly blessed to find NO TRAFFIC!!!  We've completed the first part of our vacation - spending two weeks with grand-daughter both in Maine, and then this past 4 days at Ocean City MD.  I hadn't been to O'City since I was a kid, and it certainly has changed.  The ocean part is still the same.  The gorgeous wide beach, the crashing breakers (made a tad more scary due to rip currents being kicked up by an off-shore hurricane), the soft sand, the shore birds, the para sailers, the sand forts, and lots of sun.

The boardwalk is much more developed with tons of rides, hundreds of food establishments, and enough ice cream establishments that one was never more than 100 feet from the frozen delights.  The best part though was just spending quality time with kids and grand child, a blessing we don't get too often anymore given everyone's busy schedules and distance in residences.

So the grandchild has been returned to parents, and we are spending a quiet Sunday evening watching the SOX and eating take-out Chinese at my sister's house in Northern Virginia.  On Tuesday, we're off to California now for the second part of the trip, so again, the blogging will be limited.  I've been reading, and taking some notes so I can post when I do get to a computer, but frankly friends, posting reviews is not a high priority right now.

I brought a spare suitcase with books, but I'm not making much progress.  I'm not sure if it's the vacation mind-set, but I've started several that just didn't click.  For instance, I'm determined to read Tony Hillerman, but couldn't get past the first 20 pages of  The Blessing Way.

I also have book marks in (and can't seem to get to far with)
The Blind Contessa's New Machine by Carey Wallace
The Day the Falls stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan
Fitzgerald's Ruse - a mystery I really want to read by Mark de Castrique
This is Not the Story you think it Is by Laura Munson (so far it sure isn't and I'm not sure it ever will be.)
All Over the Map by Laura Fraser  (really all over the place, and I can't find a comfy spot in it to grab.)

I've got several on my MP3 to listen to in audio:
Bel Canto by Amy Pratchett
The Island by Elin Hilderbrand (my current "ear-read"--and a true beach book!)
Rituals of the Season and Winter's Child both by Margaret Maron - one of my favorite mystery writers
Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman
The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry
To the Lighthouse by Virginia Wolf, read by one of my favorite narrators, Doneda Peters - a classic I've been trying to get to for years.

The only ones I'm definitely loading in hard copy for now are:
Bury Your Dead - Louise Penny's newest one
The Good Psychologist - my current read and a very good one!!!

Two or three others will probably make the cut, but it will depend on room in the suitcase and my mood.  Stay tuned to see what I end up with.  I feel sorta like I'm choosing American Idol here.  It's making the decision to break down soon and buy an e-reader much more likely.

For now, it's back to the Sox.  Happy Sunday, happy last week of summer, and happy reading.

Sunday Salon - the Perfect Summer Day

 

A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken. – James Dent

  Last weekend, we went touring with friends along the Midcoast of Maine.  We stopped in the beautiful town of Camden Maine, home of many of the Maine Windjammers.


The library sits on a hill overlooking the harbor - and I don't know which is more beautiful the view up the hill or down.  You can be the judge.

This Sunday, we're hoping to give up the deck for a jaunt 'downtown' to the Farnsworth Museum.  We have a membership there and I like to check out what's new.  Right now there are four different exhibitions we really want to see: Homer to Hopper, American Watercolors; N.C. Wyeth: Poems of American Patriotism; Rug Hooking in Maine; and The Wyeths' Wyeths.  The Museum is world renowned for its collection of works by the Wyeth family of painters and there's always something new to see.  Then we can come home, lounge on the deck, pop the top on the pop, grill something to go with the tomatoes, and have some blueberries for dessert.  Who could ask for more?

Sunday Salon - Summer Snoozing

This Sunday is lazy day and an alliterative bonanza. Soccer, Sox, Sewing, Snoozing, Sunshine, and spectacular summer scenery.

What it is not for is bloviating about anything...so enjoy your day. Sunday's meant for recharging batteries- go get a mental energy re-charge.

Sunday Salon

I'm late posting, but I just came up for air. I was determined to finish two books that had been hanging, and I wanted to get some needlework done as well, so I stayed curled up in bed to finish one book, and then being unable to handle any more "kitty kisses", I got up to fix breakfast. Tuna and salmon for the beasties, and blueberry buttermilk pancakes for the humans. With the World Cup, and later the Red Sox muted on the TV, I've been camped in in my recliner working on the Great Blue Heron cross stitch, on this foggy, misty Sunday (actually my favorite kind) listening to an incredible ending to a fabulous book . What a great way to spend a lazy Sunday!

I can report that I'm finally over my reading funk and have had an exceptionally great week. Friday, we had our quarterly Mid-Coast Maine librarians meeting - this time out on one of the islands. There is nothing as head-clearing as a brisk breeze on a ferry boat crossing Penobscot Bay, and as you can see, you sure can't beat the scenery.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

One of our favorite parts of these meetings is going around the room and reporting on what we personally are reading. I get so many great suggestions from this group, I need to start a whole separate wishlist just for them.

In addition to some chit-chat, I'm trying a more structured format for this post for the next few weeks. I must give some credit for Alyce of At Home with Books for her style which has influenced my own.

Books I read this week (reviews will be posted during the upcoming week - we hope!)
The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry - best of the week by far (the one I just finished !! FABULOUS)
The Serpent's Tale by Ariana Franklin - the sequel to The Mistress of the Art of Death (both worth reading)
Burma Chronicles by Guy DeLisle - my first Gothic Novel
The Executor by Jesse Kellerman - an ARC for a book that was released in April (and a good one!)

Currently reading This week I'm again 'ear-reading' two and print reading at least two others:
The Wettest County in the World by Matt Bondurant (recommended by a friend).
A Killer Plot by Ellery Adams (an ARC I received from the author).
No I Don't want to Join a Book Club: Diary of a sixtieth year by Virginia Ironside (recommended by my sister, who never steers me wrong)
Out of the Deep I Cry by Julia Spencer-Fleming (another Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyn mystery) - I can't stop reading this series, so I may as well keep going til I catch up.

Recommendations from my fellow librarians
These are at the top of my TBR/wishlist pile, and I plan to work as many as possible into the everlasting gob-stop pile of ARCs wanting reviews:
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonsen
Every Last One by Anna Quindlen
The Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst (her newest one The Nobodies Album is up for giveaway here)
The Irresistible Henry House by Lisa Grunwald
The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ by Phillip Pullman
Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann (I'm in the queue at the library- maybe by the end of the summer!)

So off to enjoy what's left of the day....how was your Sunday?

Sunday Salon -

This Sunday, Mother's Day, promises to be a rather disjointed one for me.  I'll be spending the day with my darling spouse of 42+ years, but not with either my children, grandchild, or my own mother--all of whom are out of town.  We do plan a 'belated' Mom's day trip later this month, so we'll catch up on all the hugs at that time. 

Hubs and I plan to spend the morning at Church--we have the bishop coming for First Communion and Confirmation and since we're in the choir, we'll be busy singing our hearts out.  Then we'll be helping with the reception afterwards.  Once we get home, we plan to prop our feet up, and have a simple meal of pasta and salad, along with a nice glass of wine. Later, we'll have a dish of homemade icecream from our favorite stand down the road.  Hopefully, the Red Sox will put on a better performance that they've been producing lately.

I'm sure we'll delve into a few books, and I may do a little stitching (I'm still doing canvass prep for the heron).  I'm actually hoping to spend a little time rearranging my TBR shelf to sort out the books I am determined to get to in May and June, and I also need to sort out all the books my sister Cheli (of Cheli's Shelves) wants me to bring down to Maryland to trade later this month.

To all of you who are mothers, god-mothers, step-mothers, grand-mothers, aunties, daughters, nieces, and   nurturers of others, I wish you a restful, love-filled, Happy Mother's Day, and send a huge virtual hug.

And Remember to Call Your Mama today!!!

Sunday Salon..Let's talk Book Clubs

Since I've moved to Maine (6 years ago next month), I haven't made time to participate in any live book clubs, or book discussion groups.  I have had plenty of discussion/feedback from my buddies over on the threads at LibraryThing.com, and many of you have provided some lively discussion here in the blogosphere.  Still, there's nothing quite like a face to face discussion with real people in a civilized setting.

Acting like the over-achiever I'm sometimes accused of being, I took the plunge this month and joined not one, but three different groups.  The first meets at a local senior center once a month.  It is a small group, but one I found offered the chance to discuss the chosen tome in a low key and non-structured manner.  April's book was Plainsong, which I read and reviewed earlier this month.

Then later that same week, I joined a group at one of our local libraries (not where I work) to discuss Cutting for Stone.  This was a much larger and more structured, but still fun, group whose leader kept us on track, but who allowed the group to have a very intellectual discussion of several aspects of this award winner.   I  found myself really enthusiastic about re-reading  the book to plumb everything that everyone got out of it.  The leader even sent out a follow-up email to group members re-capping our discussion. (Gosh Jenni, if I'd known you were going to do that, I'd have waited and copped your comments for my review---just kidding.) It was a great way tho to review what we talked about, and I printed out the email and tucked it in the book so I'd have those thoughts available when I do get around to re-reading.

Lastly I've joined  a Mystery Book Club at another local library.  This one sounds really fun.  Instead of picking a specific book to read each month, they simply pick a mystery writer.  We have to read anything written by that author and then will come together at a member's house to discuss.  As you know, I'm a mystery fanatic, and will have no trouble with this one.  Of the twelve scheduled this year, I unfortunately missed the first three:  Robert Crais ( I just read his Monkey's Raincoat earlier this year), Louise Penny - whose Fatal Grace I read and reviewed the end of January, and Kate Flora, a Maine/Massachusetts writer who has been on my radar screen for awhile now.  I'm going to have to check out one of hers (we have several at the library) soon.

So what's up next?  The Mystery Club is meeting the end of April, and this month's author is Jeremiah Healy, a new author for me.  I've just gotten Blunt Darts from the library and can't wait to get into the adventures of Boston investigator John Francis Cuddy.  I'll keep you posted.

The Senior group alternates fiction and non-fiction and for the May book has chosen West with The Night, the critically acclaimed memoir of Beryl Markham, a pioneering aviatrix who was the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic from east to west, and who spent thousands of hours flying people, mail and cargo in eastern parts of Africa.  I'm a really looking forward to this one.  It was a totally unplanned read about someone I'd never heard of.  The book looks fascinating, it's well reviewed and I just love finds like this one.

Finally, the library group has chosen the read The Sixteen Pleasures by Robert Hellenga. This one is the fictional story of a young woman who travels to Florence in 1966 to help save rare books damaged in the horrible floods that afflicted the area at that time.  Having just been to Florence for the first time last summer, this one is really ringing out "read me read me" so I was thrilled when the group chose it.

I've put Heretic's Daughter back into my queue for the time being to finish these up first.  Also want to finish Paul Johnson's excellent bio of Winston Churchill. I'm about 1/2 way through.  And I've got several brain candy cozies lined up for audio while I watch the SOX play this afternoon and work on my needlework.

Enjoy spring..if you are fortunate enough to have it. We're still on the edges of wintah up here, so I'm delighted to have such good reads to make the waiting bearable.

Time to lighten up.

After reading the big chunksters, Wolf Hall, Cutting for Stone, and the serious Man from Saigon (review later this week) I spent my weekend watching ball games (GO SOX, and the Bruins), doing some cross-stitch, working out  and listening to delightful audio books that were the perfect antidote to the heavier reading I'd been subjecting my brain to.  I'm still reading an excellent biography of James Madison, and the narrative history of Henry Hudson's voyage on Half Moon, so I really did need to lighten up just a bit.  Both of these are from two of my favorite authors: Donna Leon and Patrick Taylor.  After finishing them, I can't decide where I want to go first: Ireland or Venice.  Either will do.  If you haven't read these (or even better, listened to them) get thee to the public library as quickly as you can..


Dressed for Death

Author: Donna Leon
Format: audio book (8 discs, 9 hr 45 min) 278 pgs equivalent
Characters: Guido and Paola Brunetti
Subject: murder and crime
Setting: Venice
Series: Commissario Brunetti
Genre: police procedural mystery
Source: public library
Challenge: Audio Books, Support your Local Library

Another great episode of Commissario Guido Brunetti and his crew as they solve the murder of an alleged transvestite prostitute, and the criminal activities of a large non-profit involved in the murders.  This is the 2nd of the series, and in this one we meet the Senorina Electra, Brunetti's secretary and admin assistant extraordinaire.  More great scenes of Venice, and the surrounding area.  More wonderful tempting descriptions of Italian eating , and a well developed plot with great characters.
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An Irish Country Doctor

Author: Patrick Taylor
Format: audio 9 discs (10 hours, 48 minutes, 352 page equivalent
Characters: Dr. Barry Laverty, Dr. Fingal Flahertie O’Reilly, "Kinky" Kincaid
Subject (non-fiction)
Setting: rural Irish village of Ballybucklebo
Series: Irish Country
Genre: fiction
Source: public library
Challenge: Audio Books, Support your Local Library

This is the first in this really fun series.  Think James Herriott without the animals.  It's the story of Dr. O'reilly, the curmudgeonly but loveable small town GP who knows everyone and their secrets, and who isn't afraid to use placebos when he thinks they'll solve the problem.  He is getting on in years, however, and the workload is increasing, so he advertises for an assistant.  Enter Dr. Barry Laverty, fresh from medical school, full of book learning and under-tested people skills.  The two strike up an immediate if grudging respect for their different styles, and Dr. L settles in. Like most small GPs of the era (probably mid 70's) the office (or surgery as it is called in Ireland) is co-located with the living quarters, ably presided over by the housekeeper-cook, Kinky Kincaid.  The story is one of love, respect for people, and small town life.  The adventures of the "Doctors Dear" as Kinky calls them, are heartwarming and just the  things for a quick, loving read.  If you liked Jan Karon's Mitford series, you'll love these.

Sunday Salon

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Normally on Sundays, during any kind of sports season, we like to curl up in the great room after a late leisurely breakfast and read. In cool seasons, we have a big fire in the fireplace, in warmer times we open the sliders to get the benefit of the breeze off the river right in front of us.

Today, in my church, it's Palm Sunday.  That meant choir at our morning Mass (8:00) and then more choir practice for all the services coming up this week.  By the time I got home for breakfast it was after 11!  Hubs had already done the fruit and chopped the ingredients to put together a nice frittata.  So by the time we settled down to watch basketball (we're rooting for West Virginia) and the Red Sox, I was ready for a nap......and with a big fat cat in my lap and a comfy recliner in front of the fire (it's only 34 outside right now), I was in lala land quickly.

I was planning to read big chunks of my two current reads:

Half Moon: Henry Hudson and the Voyage that redrew the Map of the New World, by Douglas Hunter.
This is a slow but very interesting read.  There is a lot of historical detail, it is obviously well-researched, and full of explanations about the trade and policitics of the early 17th century, as well as the details of sailing ships and voyages.  It will probably take me another month to finish it, but I'm certainly enjoying what I'm reading so far.

The Man from Saigon by Marti Leimbach.  This is my latest LT Early Reviewers book and I've just started this one.  It begins well  drawing the reader right in, and has me itching to get into it.  I hope to get this one done during the week.


In the late evenings before I nod off for good, I've also been listening to Wolf Hall, this year's Man Booker Prize winner by Hilary Mantel.  This is an absolutely gorgeous read, and I'm planning to buy a print copy for our personal library.  The audio is well done, and really brings the characters into focus.  I'm about 2/3 done on this one and it is definitely deserving of all the raves it's been getting.

Finally, I've been listening to Noah's Compass by Anne Tyler.  I've never been able to get into her other books: Accidental Tourist and Back When we were Grownups are two others that come to mind.  I was really hooked on this one from the beginning however, and had great hopes.  But as I discussed with my husband at breakfast this morning, it has suddenly gone flat.  It's like someone brought a big pot of stew to a potluck supper, and it smelled so delicious you ladled out a huge helping and prepared to gorge yourself, but as you ate you kept looking for the beef.  I'm quickly getting tired of the main character, a weak willed, namby-pamby high school teacher named Liam.  The only thing holding my interest at present is the Baltimore setting.  Don't be surprised if this one shows up on an Unfinished Friday post.

So  tonight, I plan to get some serious reading done, both the eye and the ear variety.  I hope your teams win, your spring is warmer than ours, and your reading is rewarding. Be sure to let us know if you drop by.

Sunday Salon

In spite of my good intentions last week, I ended up taking a long nap. The fire was warm, the wind was blowing, and the cat curled up in my lap. I made the mistake of flipping the handle on the recliner and ZONK....I was gone.

This week, even after losing an hour's sleep, I'm enjoying a true reading Sunday. I have to backtrack about a week....I had seen so much press about Henrietta Lacks and her incredible cells, that I put a hold on at our local library. I was told I was 48th on a list for 37 copies in the system. So I mentally put that one in the queue for sometime in May, figuring it would be a good one to slide in when I finished my lenten list. Then I was talking to my mom and we somehow got onto the subject of cruising, and I was looking up the name of one of the Holland America Lines ships that our family loves to sail on whenever they scrape up enough money to take a cruise. One of the tidbits that appeared in my google search was a book about a Holland America ship THAT SUNK....and voila....that one was also available by inter-library loan, so I put in a request for it, thinking that when it ever arrived from that far distant library in upper Maine, I'd just page through it, show it to my husband, the old sailor, and then send it back to the library.

Yesterday....the library called.....

Well....today I have spent five hours reading FOUR (repeat) FOUR wonderful pieces of non-fiction.  A new first for me. Haven't finished any of them yet, but by this time next week, I'm sure they'll all be done.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (I missed the piece on today's CBS Sunday Morning and as of 3:30 today they haven't posted a replay yet).  I figured I would just sort of page through this one.  NOT---it is fascinating, well-written, and of course, since it is largely set in Baltimore, my hometown, I'm sure I'll have lots to chat about with all my relatives.  I have to finish this one because with that many holds at the library, I know I won't be able to renew it.  It will not be a hardship to finish it  ( I suspect I may even be up late tonite --choir practice after dinner will take out a time chunk-- to get to the end.)

Burning Cold: The Cruise Ship Prinsendam and the greatest sea rescue of all Times.   This is another one that is really easy to read.  I started to say fun, but I suspect since we haven't gotten to the fire that resulted in the disaster, that the fun of boarding, dining, and enjoying the cruise is about to end.  I'm looking forward to seeing how the Coast Guard and Holland America managed to save EVERYONE (mostly elderly).  Believe me, I'll definitely pay big attention next time to the lifeboat drills!

The Woman Who Named God This is one that I won in a blog contest several months ago and started reading about 10 days ago.  I thought it was fiction, I thought the title referred to Sarai (Sarah) Abraham's wife, but now in the middle, I'm finding it may refer to someone else.  It's fascinating reading, and Charlotte Gordon, the author has done a great research job to present material that could have been very dull in a very easy to read and understand story.

The Seven Storey Mountain - an autobiography.  I believe this is the first book written by the very prolific monk Thomas Merton. We inherited an entire collection, and I've been determined to read at least one.  I have been taking it slowly, savoring it.  Published years ago, the font is small and tightly packed, the writing is fairly formal, and Merton isn't going to miss telling us about every little detail of his life before he became a cloistered monk.  It is interesting though, and I'm about half-way through.  I'm hoping to finish by Easter.

Now....during the week I plan to listen to more of  WOLF HALL--- a book that deserves every accolade it's been receiving.  I thought I knew a lot about the era, but I'm finding much new information.  The narration on the audio is fantastic, and I almost look for excuses to exercise, clean house, or do my cross-stitch so I can listen.

Finally, spring training has begun, and the Red Sox game is on the TV (muted) so we can keep track of how they're doing---winning of course!  Let's just hope choir doesn't drag on forever tonite.....

Sunday Salon

This week I'm taking it easy after a long morning choir practice --we're getting ready for Easter, so will be having long practices on Sundays after early Mass when everybody's in town.  When  I get home, I'll have a leisurely breakfast (I'm thinking croissants, Canadian bacon, poached eggs and cantalope), and then settle down for some cross-stitch avec audio book, and then some reading.

It's been a good reading week, although I've not finished too many.  Two that I have finished are The Singer's Gun by Emily  St John Mandel and The Poacher's Son by Paul Doiron.  I'm going to post the review for the Mandel book  for the The Spotlight series being hosted by Aarti at Booklust.  It was a fun read, so stay tuned for this one.

The Poacher's Son is an outstanding debut work by a fellow Mainer, Paul Doiron, who just happens to be the editor of DownEast Magazine.  This one is a winner, so look for it when it pubs in May.  In the meantime, we have a lively discussion going on at the Barnes and Noble First Look club, so I don't want to get ahead of the group  with a posted review.  We'll wrap up by Easter, so I'll post in mid to late March.

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Then I've been plugging away at the Lenten Reading pile. I browsed (fairly intensely) through  Rome Has Spoken, a book I'd started years ago, and periodically picked up. I finally got it finished.  The subtitle really says  it all:  A Guide to Forgotten Papal Statements and How they Have Changed Through the Centuries.
It's a very academic but interesting volume reviewing various "issues" that seem to have been interpreted and enforced differently over the two centuries of Roman Catholicism. The topics cover the range from evolution to the slavery, from Galileo to usury, and include the current buzz topics of contraception, women's ordination and divorce.  It's not recreational reading but it's been personally enriching.
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So what's up for this week? 

I'm listening to Al Roker's Morning Show Murders- it's a slow starter, but I'm not ready for any intense audios right now. Roker reads his own work and it's an easy listen while I'm stitching.

I'm still plowing through Merton, and I started two new books---very different, but both really good:
The Woman Who Named God is one I won in a contest last year.  Although it's different from what I expected, (for some reason I thought it was fiction and it's not), I'm really impressed with the first 50 pages I've read.  It is not a quick read, but neither is it ponderous.
 
I was so enchanted with the Leighton Gage's Inspector Silva book that I read last month (Buried Strangers) that I got the first book in the series (Blood of the Wicked) from the library this week, and dove right in.  If anything, it's better than the other one.

And finally I need to get started on one of my LT Early Review books --Lake Magic by Kimberly Fiske since I just found out I was selected for another: Man from Saigon by  Marti Leimbach.  So Sunday's Salon looks to be a wonderful one.

Sunday Salon...The Magazines are piling up!

I had planned to do this one last week, but spent most of the day reading and watching Olympics. In fact, that is the main reason my posting has been a bit thin this week. Blame it on the big "Os". We are certainly having fun, in spite of being a bit sleep deprived these past two weeks. Add to that the Lenten reading I've been trying to do, a hard drive crash, and the horrible Nor'easter that knocked our power out for over 12 hours, and there's not been much chance to sit and post.

Last Sunday, I also decided to attack the magazine pile which seemed to have decided to breed indiscriminately (perhaps to get my attention?). I found several articles to read in National Geographic (particularly a very interesting article on modern day Polygamy), Atlantic Monthly (a marvelously timely article on Walmart's attempt to introduce local/organic produce into its grocery line), DownEast (several pieces giving me a heads-up on new places to visit when we break out of our self-imposed winter hibernation). I also took the time to leaf leisurely through several cooking magazines I get and pulled out two or three promising recipes to try very soon. The article on Walmart was quite interesting since I'd just finished reading Barbara Kingsolver's Animal Vegetable Miracle. I hope to get a review of that one posted in the next few days.

Today, while I watch the hockey game, I plan to browse through the latest issue of MONEY magazine, do some more cross-stitch, and of course read some more.....

Current reads are:

Thomas Merton's Seven story Mountain ---I'm taking this one slowly and will finish by the end of Lent.
Eastern Stars - be sure to enter the giveaway.  This one is really getting me in the mood for spring training to start next week after the Olympics are over.
Shot to Death, a collection of mystery short stories.
The Cruelest Month - the only Louise Penny Three Pines Mystery I haven't read---this one is on audio --have to have something to listen to while working out!

And a final note on the BIG storm. Once again, we seem to have dodged a bullet. We did have really strong hurricane force winds, and a lot of rain, but there's no water in the basement,and we only lost power for 12 hours. We have a lot of firewood to 'harvest' from downed trees, but none of them did any damage (although there is one that is going to have to be brought down quickly because it's leaning dangerously across the driveway). We have a wood burning stove, we cook with gas, and we're just fine. Thanks everyone who asked. We hope you all are safe, warm and dry also.

Enjoy your Sunday! Can you believe February is over?

Happy ?!? Valentine's Day

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Well...thanks to a local establishment's awesome Valentines/Presidents Day sale, I bit the bullet and got a new laptop. Now I will have to spend the next several days living at our public library as I install and download updates on all the stuff I want to load back on this new one. As you can see Bruiser (our 15 lb FIV+ rescue kittie) thinks he is going to do this for me!

Not exactly how I'd planned to spend Valentine's day, but I figured at least I could sit and watch the Olympics and the Uof Md (sibs + inlaws are grads) vs Clemson (daughter's alma mater) ladies basketball game while I made backup discs, and did basic installs.  These I can even do while listening to an audio book.  However...........NOT to happen on the TV end....

Suddenly our TV satellite has decided to dump all the network TV stations leaving us a screen that says:

No need to call us- we are aware that this TV station is temporarily unavailable.  We'll have this channel back as quickly as possible.  Sorry for the interruption.

How quickly we become dependent on technology.  I don't watch much TV, but really do enjoy the Winter Olympics and women's basketball.

Anyway, I did manage to get some reading done. Right now, I'm reading two different books and listening to a third. They all seem to have a rather depressing premise: corruption is part of everyday life in each of these. I'll have post reviews when I finish each of them, but this premise of humans having to be immoral to get something done is handled differently in each.  I'm currently reading

• The Singer's Gun by Emily St. Martin .  Here the protagonist (and perhaps murder victim?) is dealing in stolen goods, black market documents, etc.  The setting is NewYork and the island of Ischia off the coast of Italy (although we haven't spent much time on the island yet)  With over 1/2 the book finished, I'm still not sure if I'm supposed to like or feel sorry for this gentlemen, and I'm certainly not likely many of the other characters or their morals.  This is a book that had better show me more in the second half if it's ever going to get me to recommend it to anyone. It's an ARC from Unbridled books, and it's readable enough that I'll finish it and give it an honest review.

• Buried Strangers by Leighton Gage.  This one is set in Brazil, and I checked it out of the library having seen it recommended someplace, but can't remember where! Chief Inspector Mario Silva seems to be the only honest person in the entire country's crime fighting bureaucracy and while it's interesting, this is not yet a Brazilian Commissario Brunetti (by Donna Leon).  The plot is riveting enough, and the settings well drawn, so I'll probably get this one finished tonite (particularly if there's no TV!)

• The Case of the Missing Servant: A Vish Puri Mystery by Tarquin Hall  I just finished this one on audio, and it was delightful.  Private detective Vish Puri leads a motley crew of cunningly named operatives (Tubelight, Flush, FaceCream) as they try to find a missing servant named Mary who has disappeared from the household of a wealthy attorney who has been accused of her murder. Quite different than his normal business of screening prospective spouses for India's numerous arranged marriages, Puri must wend his way through layers of bribes, payoffs, and corrupt doctors, lawyers, cops, judges, etc.  Tarquin Hall gives us a picture of present day India by juxtaposing the haves with the have-nots.  At one point, I wondered if anyone was above palm-greasing, but in the end, the reader should be satisfied with the outcome.

So, the rest of my Sunday is going to be spent trying to get pills down Bruiser's throat-he' suffering from a severe upper respiratory infection and his wheezing sounds like a coffee pot as it perks its last drops into the pot.  He likes to sit in my lap while I do needlework and/or read, so maybe, just maybe he'll let me con him.

Wish me luck...........

Sunday Salon

We got SNOW!!! Just a nice 3-4" dusting that coated everything in crystal clean gorgeous white. Now it looks like winter, and really makes us ready for the upcoming holidays.

So, today, we're unpacking the Christmas angel collection to put up the foyer display, we're making our final baking list, we're watching a football game, and I'm reviewing 2009's reading to prepare my BEST OF THE YEAR list.  I'm also trying to catch up on reading all your wonderful blogs (I'm a week behind), and decide which of all these wonderful challenges I'm going to do for 2010.  Hubby has woodstove duty (and he's very good at it.) In the meantime, I'm listening to a terrific audio (I'll fill you in Wednesday in my weekly post), and periodically sitting down to read a chapter of each of my hard copy books.

Speaking of big hard cover books: I'm really being challenged by one of my current reads The Evolution of God, by Robert Wright.  I got this as an ARC back in late June, and have finally gotten around to feeling like I was ready to tackle its 500+ pages.  It's very deep, pretty interesting, but a bit too academic to suggest as a 'read it in one sitting' book.  Fortunately, it's written in short (3-5 page), well delineated sections so that I can read 15-20 pages at a time, and then put it down.  It may take me until next June to finish it!  So, in the meantime, it will remain in the 'currently reading' slide show in my sidebar, rotating with others I'm reading to lighten the load.

My other true blessing this Sunday is to report that thanks to my son-in-law, I have a huge 'doggie bag' of leftoever REAL southern ham (cooked in Dr. Pepper and crusted with gingersnaps) to have for dinner tonite.  All I have to do is whip up another batch of wicked good southern biscuits, breakout the mustard and cranberry sauce, and dinner is served! 

The sun is out, and it's almost half-time.  We're going to try to get some wreaths up on the windows outside...just keep thinking snow.  For those of us who choose to winter over in Maine, there's nothing better.

Sunday Salon

What a delightful Sunday it was....we decided to drive about 2 hours north to see the Bicentennial exhibit "Abraham Lincoln, Self-Made in America" at the Castine Historical Society in Castine Maine.  This is a traveling exhibit featuring reproduction artifacts from the Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield Illinois.  We had both been to the actual Illinois complex many, many years ago but wanted to refresh our memories. What was so special for me however, was the exhibit next door.  The Castine Historical Society is restoring the Noah Brooks library in the Nelson House.  For a book lover, it was a wonderful journey into the past.

Here is a quote from the Bangor Daily News of 11/09/09:

Brooks was a Castine native, born just a few doors away from the Abbott House, the home of the Castine Historical Society, where the exhibit is located. He became friends with Lincoln while he was still in Springfield, Ill., and before he entered politics. Brooks was a newspaper reporter, editor and author who worked in Washington, D.C., and he and Lincoln renewed their friendship after Lincoln became president. He was one of the last people to see the president on April 14, 1865....

Brooks was a welcome visitor to the White House, according to the display at the historical society, and the two met at Lincoln’s office on the afternoon of April 14 to discuss the possibility of Brooks becoming the president’s private secretary. There is some indication that, if not for a bad cold, Brooks might have been with Lincoln at the Ford’s Theatre later that night when Lincoln was fatally shot in the theater.
Although he lived in California for a time, Brooks lived much of his later life in Castine at a home on Main Street. He died in 1903 in California and is buried in the Castine Cemetery beside his wife.

 While I wasn't reading in a salon this Sunday, I was certainly still connecting with books.  Being able to see the role a good library plays in the lives of important people in our heritage is affirming.  And taking a drive through Maine's peninsulas on a crisp, clear, sunny autumn Sunday is downright warm and fuzzy.

Sunday Salon

Sundays are supposed to be the day we relax, enjoy friends and family, take stock of what's been accomplished in the past week, and plan what's coming this week.  I don't even usually do a SS post because I'm generally too wrapped up doing whatever you're supposed to post about.  HOWEVER.........

This Sunday finds me trying to take a breath after a rather busy book week, and trying to get my mental arms around an upcoming ROAD TRIP this week.  So here's a quick splash of what's been happening and what's planned.

In the past two weeks I've gotten 8  books in my mailbox (either ARCs or contest winnings):

When Everything Changed by Gail Collins
Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
The Calligrapher's Daughter by Eugenia Kim
Secrets of a Christmas Box by S. Hornby
The Gift of Murder (A Holiday Crime Anthology I bought to benefit Toys 4 Tots)
The Recipe Club by  Andrea Israel and Nancy Garkinkel
Who Turned out the Lights by Scott Biddle and Jean Johnson
The Gift of an Ordinary Day by Katherine Kenison


I'm trying to decide what to take with me on this trip.  How much reading can I realistically expect to get done while visiting my Mom in Baltimore  (none--it's a fix the computer visit!),  my children (not much--too much food and catching up to do) and my granddaughter (none-girls are supposed to go shopping!).  So much for the first 5 days...

Then there's a week in Florida attending a Navy reunion (reading??? I don't think so) seeing old friends ("excuse me, I know we haven't seen each other in over 20 years, but there's a cozy mystery I need to read!!"), and then more friends on the way back north from FL to Maine.  We even have a planned stop in NJ to have lunch with hubbie's agent for his book (keep your fingers crossed!), so my only reading time will probably be early AM, late evening and in the car. Since there are a total of almost 60 hours in the car, I should be able to knock a couple off the TBR pile.

I'm trying to finish up my 2nd 999 Challenge over on LT, and decided at the last minute to re-arrange my categories to include a Christmas category.  So between now and Dec 31, I have 4 food books, 2 historical fiction, and 7 more Christmas books to finish up.

I think my New Year's Resolution is going to be NOT to add any more challenges to the two I have already for 2010: to read 75 books (that's a no-brainer), and to get at least bios read toward the US President Challenge.  So...here's what going with me when we leave town

• Calligrapher's Daughter and The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane for the historical fiction category.
• Irish Country Christmas (audio), for the Christmas category
• The Recipe Club for the food category
• Aunt Dimity Slays the Dragon and The Dead Cat Bounce for a feature I've been working on about amateur female cozy sleuths
• If You Need Me-- just because I want to read it.

Also my MP3 has 11 mysteries, 9 novels including The Shadow of the Wind which is my current 'ear-read', and 5 non-fictions loaded up, so I'll be able to dip into whatever floats my boat along the drive.  Hubbie and I have similar tastes so we often listen to either a non-fiction or a mystery in the car. In any case, there will be plenty of reviews coming in late November.

So it's going to be a busy week....I know I'll get at least 4-5 hours of listening in while I pack, and run errands around town, so stay tuned.  The laptop is going with me, and we'll be sending back a few pictures of our adventures.  In the meantime, enjoy the crisp autumn air, the beautiful colored foliage, and the smell of wood burning in the fireplace or woodstove. 

I think it's time for a walk ---where's my MP3?