THURSDAY POTPOURRI: BOOKISH SURPRISES — APRIL 18

 

Do you ever preorder books and then forget that you did?

That happened to me today.  I know that I had added this book to my TBR list on Goodreads…and I even had the book cover.  But when it showed up on Sparky, I was totally gobsmacked. 

Not that I didn’t want to read it at some point….but it wasn’t on the preorder list that I keep in my journal!  I must have been “out to lunch” that day…lol.

But the book looks intriguing…and I am now remembering why I preordered it.

Virgin Soul, by Judy Juanita, is a ’60s tale.  You know I love those!

From a lauded poet and playwright, a novel of a young woman’s life with the Black Panthers in 1960s San Francisco

At first glance, Geniece’s story sounds like that of a typical young woman: she goes to college, has romantic entanglements, builds meaningful friendships, and juggles her schedule with a part-time job. However, she does all of these things in 1960s San Francisco while becoming a militant member of the Black Panther movement. When Huey Newton is jailed in October 1967 and the Panthers explode nationwide, Geniece enters the organization’s dark and dangerous world of guns, FBI agents, freewheeling sex, police repression, and fatal shoot-outs—all while balancing her other life as a college student.

A moving tale of one young woman’s life spinning out of the typical and into the extraordinary during one of the most politically and racially charged eras in America, Virgin Soul will resonate with readers of Monica Ali and Ntozake Shange.

***

In the early ’60s, I lived in SF and attended university there.  I didn’t get involved with much back then, however; it would be a few years later, in Sacramento, that I would join some groups.  But I love remembering those times and what I knew about the events that defined a decade.

 

TUESDAY POTPOURRI: BOOK LUST — APRIL 16

 

Tapestry of Fortunes  (above) came in the mail last week.  My first instinct is to forget about all the books on my list that are ahead of this one in the queue…and dive in.

But that kind of behavior would definitely knock me right off track.  Especially since I have so many more lovely books arriving in the next few weeks and months.

Yesterday I found two new titles from one of my favorite authors:  Sarah Jio.  She has The Last Camellia coming out on 5/28/13, and Morning Glory on 11/26/13.

On the eve of the Second World War, the last surviving specimen of a camellia plant known as the Middlebury Pink lies secreted away on an English country estate. Flora, an amateur American botanist, is contracted by an international ring of flower thieves to infiltrate the household and acquire the coveted bloom. Her search is at once brightened by new love and threatened by her discovery of a series of ghastly crimes.

More than half a century later, garden designer Addison takes up residence at the manor, now owned by the family of her husband, Rex. The couple’s shared passion for mysteries is fueled by the enchanting camellia orchard and an old gardener’s notebook. Yet its pages hint at dark acts ingeniously concealed. If the danger that Flora once faced remains very much alive, will Addison share her fate?

 

New York Times bestselling author Sarah Jio imagines life on Boat Street, a floating community on Seattle’s Lake Union—home to people of artistic spirit who for decades protect the dark secret of one startling night in 1959

Fleeing an East Coast life marred by tragedy, Ada Santorini takes up residence on houseboat number seven on Boat Street. She discovers a trunk left behind by Penny Wentworth, a young newlywed who lived on the boat half a century earlier. Ada longs to know her predecessor’s fate, but little suspects that Penny’s mysterious past and her own clouded future are destined to converge.

***

I’m drooling over these…but I mustn’t forget that I have lovely books on my stacks, even the ones I’m reading this week…so patience!

What do you do when you find out about lovely books coming in the future?  How do you deal with the wait?

A Cozy Book Room

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SATURDAY POTPOURRI: EDITING THE COLLECTIONS — APRIL 6

Over the years, I have edited my various collections.  Mostly I’ve just rearranged them, or maybe added or removed a shelf, a chair, etc.

But yesterday I decided to take things a step further and remove a few items.  By removal, I mean storing them in bins in the garage.  As a first step toward actually letting go of some of them.  Ouch!  Did I just say that?

For now, I’m calling it EDITING.

In the photo above, you’ll notice the hat/handbag stand in the corner.  It has been in the living room for awhile.

Hats & Handbags in New Location

And the various dolls have been rearranged.  But here’s what I did yesterday:

I used to have dolls on the nightstand, taking up room.  Now you can see Sparky and another book, plus my coffee and water.  And my ubiquitous mug that holds pens, etc.  I left the Ireland vignette on the desk.

Here’s the BEFORE PHOTO below:

Ireland Vignette & Photos in my Ireland Room

 

These shelves at the foot of my bed once held dolls on every top.  Now you can see dolls on only one shelf.  Progress?  And in case you’re thinking the Red Hat Sculpture on the shelf at your left is a doll…think again.

Atop the bookshelf and the small chest of drawers were various items…clutter.  Between them, on the floor, there once was a Boyds’ wagon full of bears, with dolls sitting around it.  Now gone!

Finally….on this shelf, there once were about four red hat dolls (in addition to the remaining bears) that prevented me from even seeing the book titles!  And there was another red hat bear atop the books on the floor.

Only two hippie dolls now sit next to the lamp on the table at the right.

Okay…it’s not a BIG CHANGE, but enough to fill several bins in the garage.  What next?  Well, I didn’t take photos, but I also removed a few extra dolls from my office…and from the dining room.  I’ve been searching online for consignment shops in the area.  I haven’t actually called or gone yet…but I’m thinking.

What does all of this mean?  Am I acknowledging a HOARDER tendency?  Or just tired of dusting?

What do you think?  And I’m pretty sure my daughter won’t even think anything looks different…lol

 

Have a Cup of Joe and Read!

HUMP DAY POTPOURRI: WAITING FOR “SWEET SALT AIR” — APRIL 3

 

Welcome to Hump Day Potpourri, today’s venue for Waiting on Wednesday.  Check out Jill, at Breaking the Spine, to see all the other books we’re awaiting.

Today I’m waiting for a release from a favorite author, Barbara Delinsky, whose newest book, Sweet Salt Air, will be released on June 18.

On Quinnipeague, hearts open under the summer stars and secrets float in the Sweet Salt Air…

 

Charlotte and Nicole were once the best of friends, spending summers together in Nicole’s coastal island house off of Maine. But many years, and many secrets, have kept the women apart. A successful travel writer, single Charlotte lives on the road, while Nicole, a food blogger, keeps house in Philadelphia with her surgeon-husband, Julian. When Nicole is commissioned to write a book about island food, she invites her old friend Charlotte back to Quinnipeague, for a final summer, to help. Outgoing and passionate, Charlotte has a gift for talking to people and making friends, and Nicole could use her expertise for interviews with locals. Missing a genuine connection, Charlotte agrees.

 

But what both women don’t know is that they are each holding something back that may change their lives forever. For Nicole, what comes to light could destroy her marriage, but it could also save her husband. For Charlotte, the truth could cost her Nicole’s friendship, but could also free her to love again. And her chance may lie with a reclusive local man, with a heart to soothe and troubles of his own.

 

Bestselling author and master storyteller Barbara Delinsky invites you come away to Quinnipeague…

***

What are you waiting for?  Come on by and let’s chat about our upcoming reads.

 

 

TUESDAY POTPOURRI: ICONIC TIMES, IMAGES, & POIGNANT MOMENTS — APRIL 2

 

Earlier today I was grabbing images from Pinterest and found a potpourri of VW cars, from little bugs to buses.  Then my mind traipsed back to the 1970s, and a novel I wrote that spotlighted those times, as well as the decades that followed.  Of course, I had to create this collage to remind me of spring and the times of my life back then.

In this excerpt, which features an incident at the beginning of the 1980s, the MC Lindsay Malone has just gotten off the phone with her younger sister, stunned by the news of her older brother’s mysterious death.

 

Abruptly, Lindsay began grabbing up her keys, her bag, and quickly checked her hair and makeup.  Since she had already changed for the evening, she had only to turn off the lights and head out to her orange VW bug.  She had recently repainted it, so that it now looked shiny and new.  This car represented a time when she had lived more casually.  She fondly recalled those days and, as if in a trance, she drove the two short miles to Promises.

She thought about her brother, the only family member who didn’t judge her.  Who hadn’t judged her, she reminded herself.  He was gone!  He had been her ally in childhood, her mentor in high school and college, and had made her believe in herself back then.  What would she do without him?  Forlornly she drove, and when she pulled into the parking lot at Promises, she sat there for a moment, remembering.  They hadn’t spent much time together over the past few years because of his work and research.  He had recently started teaching at a college in the desert, where he was the new coordinator of environmental studies.  He had kept her updated through letters and postcards.

Jarred back to reality, Lindsay heard the music from the band, pulsing, alive.  Pushing back tears, Lindsay forced a smile onto her face and pulled open the heavy door….(pp. 40-41-Miles to Go)

***

Lindsay’s Vintage VW

When you think of those nostalgic moments in your life, are there images and unique possessions that seem to define the time for you?

 

MONDAY POTPOURRI: MUSING ABOUT A BOOK I HAD TO BUY! — APRIL 1

Good morning and welcome to another Monday Potpourri, in which we must about bookish things.  Click on over to Should Be Reading to find the other participants.

Here’s our list of topics:

Describe one of your reading habits.
• Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).
• What book are you currently desperate to get your hands on? Tell us about it! 
• Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying it.
• Do you have a bookish rant? Something about books or reading (or the industry) that gets your ire up? Share it with us!
• Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!

***

Today I’m going to chat about a book I recently purchased.  I’ve been drawn to it for awhile, and even requested it from the library, but even after several other books came in for me, this one still eluded me!  So when I saw it on Kindle on Saturday, I downloaded it onto Sparky.

The Good House, by Ann Leary, has a tantalizing blurb.  And I have read and enjoyed this author in the past.

Now a New York Times Bestseller!

How can you prove you’re not an alcoholic?

You can’t.

It’s like trying to prove you’re not a witch.

Hildy Good is a townie. A lifelong resident of an historic community on the rocky coast of Boston’s North Shore, she knows pretty much everything about everyone. Hildy is a descendant of one of the witches hung in nearby Salem, and is believed, by some, to have inherited psychic gifts. Not true, of course; she’s just good at reading people. Hildy is good at lots of things.  A successful real-estate broker, mother and grandmother, her days are full. But her nights have become lonely ever since her daughters, convinced their mother was drinking too much, staged an intervention and sent her off to rehab.  Now she’s in recovery—more or less.

Alone and feeling unjustly persecuted, Hildy needs a friend. She finds one in Rebecca McCallister, a beautiful young mother and one of the town’s wealthy newcomers. Rebecca feels out-of-step in her new surroundings and is grateful for the friendship. And Hildy feels like a person of the world again, as she and Rebecca escape their worries with some harmless gossip, and a bottle of wine by the fire—just one of their secrets.

But not everyone takes to Rebecca, who is herself the subject of town gossip. When Frank Getchell, an eccentric local who shares a complicated history with Hildy, tries to warn her away from Rebecca, Hildy attempts to protect her friend from a potential scandal. Soon, however, Hildy is busy trying to cover her own tracks and protect her reputation.  When a cluster of secrets become dangerously entwined, the reckless behavior of one threatens to expose the other, and this darkly comic novel takes a chilling turn.

THE GOOD HOUSE, by Ann Leary is funny, poignant, and terrifying. A classic New England tale that lays bare the secrets of one little town, this spirited novel will stay with you long after the story has ended.

***

How could I resist it?  Come on by and share your thoughts….

SUNDAY POTPOURRI: A TREASURE TROVE OF BOOKS — MARCH 31

Welcome to another Sunday Potpourri, in which I share tidbits of what’s happening, and what is coming next.

Check out my Sunday Salon post for updates from this past week.  And despite my vow to curtail my book purchases, I cannot completely turn away when Amazon sends me one of those “in your face” e-mails that remind us of books we’ve been panting after.

I had tried to get The Good House in the library, but so far, nada….So I downloaded it onto Sparky today.  The fact that it has been hard to capture tells me I’m going to love this one.

How can you prove you’re not an alcoholic?

You can’t.

It’s like trying to prove you’re not a witch.

Hildy Good is a townie. A lifelong resident of an historic community on the rocky coast of Boston’s North Shore, she knows pretty much everything about everyone. Hildy is a descendant of one of the witches hung in nearby Salem, and is believed, by some, to have inherited psychic gifts. Not true, of course; she’s just good at reading people. Hildy is good at lots of things.  A successful real-estate broker, mother and grandmother, her days are full. But her nights have become lonely ever since her daughters, convinced their mother was drinking too much, staged an intervention and sent her off to rehab.  Now she’s in recovery—more or less.

Alone and feeling unjustly persecuted, Hildy needs a friend. She finds one in Rebecca McCallister, a beautiful young mother and one of the town’s wealthy newcomers. Rebecca feels out-of-step in her new surroundings and is grateful for the friendship. And Hildy feels like a person of the world again, as she and Rebecca escape their worries with some harmless gossip, and a bottle of wine by the fire—just one of their secrets.

But not everyone takes to Rebecca, who is herself the subject of town gossip. When Frank Getchell, an eccentric local who shares a complicated history with Hildy, tries to warn her away from Rebecca, Hildy attempts to protect her friend from a potential scandal. Soon, however, Hildy is busy trying to cover her own tracks and protect her reputation.  When a cluster of secrets become dangerously entwined, the reckless behavior of one threatens to expose the other, and this darkly comic novel takes a chilling turn.

THE GOOD HOUSE, by Ann Leary is funny, poignant, and terrifying. A classic New England tale that lays bare the secrets of one little town, this spirited novel will stay with you long after the story has ended.

***

Doesn’t it sound like one I needed on Sparky?  I’ve read another book by this author and loved it.  That’s a definite plus for me.

Also coming this month is Fly Away, by Kristin Hannah.  I ordered the hardcover version of this one, as I need this lovely tome on my bookshelves.  Once, a long time ago, I walked down a night-darkened road called Firefly Lane, all alone, on the worst night of my life, and I found a kindred spirit. That was our beginning. More than thirty years ago. TullyandKate. You and me against the world. Best friends forever. But stories end, don’t they? You lose the people you love and you have to find a way to go on. . .

And later, another one for my shelves is Tapestry of Fortunes, by Elizabeth Berg.  I think I have all of her books on my shelves.  This one explores four women who venture into their pasts in order to shape their futures, fates, and fortunes.

I have several lovely books coming in May…more on those later!  What is grabbing your attention today?  What titillates your book buying urge?

FRIDAY POTPOURRI: BOOK BEGINNINGS & THE FRIDAY 56 — MARCH 29

Welcome to some bookish fun today as we share Book Beginnings, hosted by Rose City Reader; and as we showcase The Friday 56 with Freda’s Voice.

To join in, just grab a book and share the opening lines…along with any thoughts you wish to give us; then turn to page 56 and excerpt anything on the page.

Then give us the title of the book, so others can add it to their lists!

If you have been wanting to participate, but haven’t yet tried, now is the time!

What better way to spend a Friday?

Today I’ve chosen a book from next week’s stack:  The Time of My Life, by Cecelia Ahern, is an ARC, so excerpts may be different in the final copy.

Beginning:  Chapter One

Dear Lucy Silchester,

You have an appointment for Monday 30 May.

I didn’t read the rest.  I didn’t need to, I knew who it was from.  I could tell as soon as I arrived home from work to my studio apartment and saw it lying on the floor, halfway from the front door to the kitchen, on the burned part of the carpet where the Christmas tree had fallen—and landed—two years ago and the lights had singed the carpet hairs.

***

56:  “Okay, so if I was to say that I won the lottery then that would be a barefaced lie because I’d clearly have no money but I would have to live my life as if I was a millionaire which would be complicated to say the least, but if I say I quit my job it doesn’t matter because I no longer work there so I don’t have to keep up the pretence of going there every day.

***

Wow!  This “narrator” talks in long, convoluted sentences!  lol

***

Amazon Description:  Lucy Silchester keeps receiving this strange appointment card and sweeping its gold embossed envelope under the rug. Literally. She busies herself with a job she doesn’t like, helping out friends, fixing her car, feeding her cat, and devoting her time to her family’s dramas. But Lucy is about to find out that this is one appointment she can’t miss, when Life shows up at her door, in the form of a sloppy but determined man.

Life follows her everywhere – from the office, to the bar, and to her bedroom – and Lucy learns that some of the choices she has made and the stories she has told aren’t what they seem. Now her half-truths are about to be revealed, unless Lucy tells the truth about what really matters to her.

***

I have enjoyed several books by this author, so I’m looking forward to this one.  What are the rest of you sharing today?  Come on by and let’s chat.

Ireland Vignette & Photos in my Ireland Room

SATURDAY POTPOURRI: BLOG ACTIVITIES & READING — MARCH 23

I’ve been spending quite a bit of time on this sofa today, reading and watching shows on my DVR.  But I’m also in my office spiffing up some blogs for Bloggiesta.  Check out my plans.

Over at Curl up and Read, I’ve been doing a makeover.  I changed the theme and header (of course!); I uncluttered my sidebar just a bit, updating some of the widgets.

And I’ve been lurking at other bloggers’ sites, trying to find great ideas.

My reading this week has taken an odd turn. Usually I stick to my planned list of reads, occasionally adding a book that wasn’t on the list.

But this week, not only did I add a book, I’ve changed another one completely.  I won’t go into detail about the book I’ve abandoned, but suffice it to say that I just wasn’t connecting to it.  Maybe later.

Meanwhile, I’m enjoying this one:

Ctrl Z, by Danika Stone

There’s a connection brewing between Indigo, the female protagonist, and a computer techie named Jude (think “Hey Jude”).  There is going to be some hacking, I’m pretty sure.  I’m only 50 pages into it so far, interrupting myself periodically to do some blog stuff.

I’m also eagerly anticipating a new book I’ve ordered that should arrive in the mail today…but if not today, surely on Monday.

Lucky Me, by Sachi Parker (Shirley MacLaine’s daughter), was a book I wasn’t certain I wanted to read.

I hope this is not going to be a whiny diatribe of her mother’s choices….but even so, I’m looking forward to the photos.

I’m also expecting two new Amazon Vine reads:

The Time of My Life, by Cecelia Ahern

Lucy Silchester keeps receiving this strange appointment card and sweeping its gold embossed envelope under the rug. Literally. She busies herself with a job she doesn’t like, helping out friends, fixing her car, feeding her cat, and devoting her time to her family’s dramas. But Lucy is about to find out that this is one appointment she can’t miss, when Life shows up at her door, in the form of a sloppy but determined man.

Life follows her everywhere – from the office, to the bar, and to her bedroom – and Lucy learns that some of the choices she has made and the stories she has told aren’t what they seem. Now her half-truths are about to be revealed, unless Lucy tells the truth about what really matters to her.

***

And Life After Life, by Jill McCorkle (I’m also soon getting the book by the same name by Kate Atkinson)

Award-winning author Jill McCorkle takes us on a splendid journey through time and memory in this, her tenth work of fiction. Life After Life is filled with a sense of wonder at our capacity for self-discovery at any age. And the residents, staff, and neighbors of the Pine Haven retirement center (from twelve-year-old Abby to eighty-five-year-old Sadie) share some of life’s most profound discoveries and are some of the most true-to-life characters that you are ever likely to meet in fiction.
There’s retired third-grade teacher Sadie Randolph, who has taught every child in town and believes we are all eight years old in our hearts; Stanley Stone, a prominent lawyer, now feigning dementia to escape life with his son; Marge Walker, the town’s self-appointed conveyor of social status, who keeps a scrapbook of every local murder and heinous crime; Rachel Silverman, recently widowed, whose decision to leave her Massachusetts home and settle at Pine Haven is a puzzle to everyone but her; C.J., the pierced and tattooed young mother who runs the beauty shop; and Joanna Lamb, the hospice volunteer who discovers that her path to a good life lies in helping people achieve good deaths. As each character 
begins to connect with another, the mysteries and consequences of their lives are revealed. What they eventually learn about themselves and one another will profoundly transform them all.

***

I think I’m in for a treat!  So what books are you eagerly awaiting?  What weekend plans are consuming your time?

As a nod to spring, I’ve changed from my dark nail polish to this lavender shade: (Please overlook the weird, wrinkly knuckles!  lol).

HUMP DAY POTPOURRI: TAKING INVENTORY — MARCH 20

 

Okay…it’s Hump Day again.  And at this midweek point, I like to take inventory.  Sort of.

Like today, over at Story Corner, I’m celebrating another great book I’m waiting for.  And I created a new blog header there today, too.

The book I’m excited about?  Well, it’s He’s Gone, by Deb Caletti.

 

A woman named Dani wakes up with a headache and discovers that her husband is gone.  What happens next is a twisty-turny kind of journey that should keep me excited as I turn those pages.  I like this part of the description:

Dani searches frantically for a clue as to whether Ian is in fact dead or alive. And, slowly, she unpacks their relationship, holding each moment up to the light: from its intense, adulterous beginning, to the grandeur of their new love, to the difficulties of forever. She examines all the sins she can—and cannot—remember. As the days pass, Dani will plumb the depths of her conscience, turning over and revealing the darkest of her secrets in order to discover the hard truth—about herself, her husband, and their lives together.

The book is coming on 5/14 to Sparky, my new best friend.  Here’s a photo of Sparky:

 

It’s been a frustrating couple of days.  I’ve been trying to read, blog a bit, and distractions keep interfering.  Like poor Noah is sick with a fever and I’ve been playing nurse.  I don’t think it’s my best role.  But his temperature is down right now…and he ate lunch.  So that’s good.

The book I’m reading today is Messenger of Truth, a Maisie Dobbs book: my first one.  It took me a bit to get into it, but I think the problem was my distractions rather than the book itself.  I’m now starting to connect with the characters.

 

So how is your Hump Day going?  Making progress in your reading, etc.?