SATURDAY POTPOURRI: NOSTALGIA, MOVIES, & BOOKS — MARCH 9

I’ve been feeling nostalgic lately, so I scrolled through my albums again and found these photos from way back in the day….and created this collage for Facebook.

The first shot is of my four children in 1977:  Easter.  We were living in an English stucco house in one of the quirkiest neighborhoods in our city.  I remember loving the house, but soon bored of the neighborhood.

The second shot was later that year, taken in Solvang.  Loved that little village.

And here’s an earlier shot of me with my daughter:  October 1976.

That was another shot in the English stucco house.  There was a bay window in the dining room and French doors leading out to a side porch.  There was also a huge attic that we always planned to turn into a bedroom/playroom, etc.

But moved on before we did anything to it.

Watching movies is another thing I do when I’m feeling nostalgic, and nothing takes me back more than Hitchcock movies.  And I’d been wanting to see this new one about Hitchcock and his wife, and the making of Psycho.  So I watched it last night.

Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren were really good.

Today I’m reading another Jane Green book:  Promises to Keep.  Her books always manage to captivate me…so I’m eager to get back to it.

Over at my Saturday Snapshot post today, I featured my visit to a cozy library that is in the suburb where I used to live….Here’s a glimpse:

What does your day look like?  A getaway, cozy dinners, movies?

EVERYONE DESERVES A HAPPY ENDING — A REVIEW

 

 

In a world of “happily ever after,” there might just be more to the story.

Or so Delilah believes when her strange obsession with a fairytale turns into something totally unexpected. First of all, what fifteen-year-old girl reads fairytales, she wonders? But in a world where she doesn’t quite fit in, Delilah has found her niche with this particular book and feels a special connection to the character of Prince Oliver. So when one day she hears his voice, and begins an ongoing dialogue with him, everything changes. Especially when Oliver asks her to help him escape from the pages.

Between the Lines is a fast paced story that leads the reader into the imaginary world of a book within the book, narrated by Oliver, followed by Delilah’s perspective. We get to see how each of them are inexplicably drawn to each other and the “ever after” they have envisioned.

How do Oliver and Delilah accomplish the impossible task? What unexpected twists does their story take in their effort to spring Oliver from the book? And why does Delilah end up on Cape Cod meeting someone who is surprising and crucial to bringing the story to its rightful conclusion?

I wasn’t at all sure that I would enjoy this book, as I’m not a YA fan. But I did like that I could suspend my disbelief just enough to feel empathy for the characters—both the ones in the fairytale and those in the “real” world part of the book. I would recommend it for young people who are struggling with issues of not fitting in, as well as anyone who enjoys a good unexpected tale. Four stars.

WEEKEND POTPOURRI: NEW PERSPECTIVES, NEW BOOKS — OCT. 19

Yesterday I snapped the photo above…I seldom take shots from the other side of this room, and I wondered why.

What is missing from the photo is the vignette that rests on the top….

It’s like seeing something new when we capture a different version of a room.  So today I sat in the chair facing this cupboard, which has its own story.  I found it in a favorite shop in an adjacent village well-known for its fabulous antiques section.  While this cupboard wasn’t an antique, it captured my interest.  It had a quirkiness.  Plus, it had a small crack in the side (which I’ve covered with that banner), and I got 30% off.

The crack doesn’t affect its function, or even its appearance, with that cute banner hiding the flaw.  And in a condo short of cabinet space in the kitchen, I could display some of my fun stuff.

As you probably know, I have lots of cabinets in this dining room; they encase little trinkets, as well as some of my books.

I like reading at this table in the morning.  Today I finished Blackberry Winter here, while eating my yogurt. (Click link for review).

Next I’ll be reading Tuesday’s Gone, the sequel to Blue Monday.  A grisly thriller.

This morning, after reading for awhile, I made the mistake (perhaps!) of going on Facebook; in the news feed, I saw a link to an Erica Spindler novel that I’d missed.  So naturally, I had to check it out.  And almost with a mind of its own, it downloaded itself onto Sparky…lol

Killer Takes All is another mystery.  It’s about The White Rabbit, who beckons you to follow him, down the rabbit hole, into his world. He’s a deceiver, a trickster. You won’t know what is truth and what is a lie. He aims to best you. Beat you. And when he does, you die.

Now, of course I didn’t NEED this book…but somehow I couldn’t resist.  That’s what happens when my Sparky begs to be fed.

What exciting events are happening in your world?  Books?  Interior design?  Quirky things?

TUESDAY INTROS/TEASERS: OBJECTS OF MY AFFECTION — MAY 22

 

Welcome to another Tuesday celebrating bookish events, from Tuesday/First Chapter/Intros, hosted by Bibliophile by the Sea; and Teaser Tuesdays hosted by Should Be Reading.

Just grab your book and share the opening lines; then find another excerpt that “teases” the reader.

I just received this book in the mail last week, and since this blog is about obsessions, collections, etc., it seems fitting to celebrate it here.  Objects of My Affection, by Jill Smolinski, tells a story about a personal organizer who tries to reform a “hoarder.”

Book Description:

In the humorous, heartfelt new novel by the author of The Next Thing on My List, a personal organizer must somehow convince a reclusive artist to give up her hoarding ways and let go of the stuff she’s hung onto for decades.Lucy Bloom is broke, been dumped by her boyfriend, and had to sell her house to send her nineteen-year-old son to drug rehab. Although she’s lost it all, she’s determined to start over. So when she’s offered a high-paying gig helping clear the clutter from the home of reclusive and eccentric painter Marva Meier Rios, Lucy grabs it. Armed with the organizing expertise she gained while writing her book, Things Are Not People, and fueled by a burning desire to get her life back on track, Lucy rolls up her sleeves to take on the mess that fills every room of Marva’s huge home. Lucy soon learns that the real challenge may be taking on Marva, who seems to love the objects in her home too much to let go of any of them.

While trying to stay on course toward a strict deadline—and with an ex-boyfriend back in the picture, a new romance on the scene, and her son’s  rehab not going as planned—Lucy discovers that Marva isn’t just hoarding: she is also hiding a big secret. The two form an unlikely bond, as each learns from the other that there are those things in life we keep, those we need to let go—but it’s not always easy to know the difference.

Laugh-out-loud humor, heartfelt writing, relatable characters, and a charming premise all come together to make Objects of My Affection the next read for the fans of Jennifer Weiner, Emily Giffin, and Allison Winn Scotch.

***

First Chapter/First Paragraph Intro: 

I remind myself as I enter the coffee shop that it’s actually a good thing I sold my house and, for that matter, almost everything in it.   Sure, some may find my situation pitiful—a thirty-nine-year-old woman reduced to sharing a bedroom with her best friend’s preschooler daughter.  But  for purposes of this particular job interview—I pause to look around to see if anyone is looking around for me—it makes me even more of an expert.  Will Meier is going to be downright impressed that the woman he’s thinking of hiring to clear out his mother’s home barely has a possession left of her own.

Not that I’ll mention anything about it to him.

A man at the counter orders one of those ridiculous coffees that sound as if you should get a cake with several people around it singing “Happy Birthday” rather than something in a paper cup.  Then he turns his attention to me.  “You must be Lucy Bloom.”

This is my guy.  “Hi, and you’re Will Meier!  Nice to meet you,” I say, shaking his hand.  He’s tall, fortyish, clean-cut, and wearing a business suit with the sort of ease that makes it clear he doesn’t usually waste his mornings hanging out in coffee shops.

“I recognized you by your book.”  He points toward the copy of Things Are Not People that I’m clutching.  “What can I get you to drink?”

“Coffee, black.  Thanks.”

***

I’ve been eagerly awaiting this book, so this opener tells me that I’m going to enjoy it.  The narrator sounds like someone trying to make the best of her changed circumstances, even finding a bit of humor along the way.

***

Teaser #1:  (After the interview, the client takes Lucy to meet his mother).

Will starts to unlock the front door, then turns to me.  “I feel I ought to say something to prepare you for this.”
“Don’t worry about it.  I’ve seen messy places before.  I have a teenager.” p. 7

Teaser #2:  I’m braced for what I might see, but what hits me before anything else is the smell.  Although that’s probably because it’s so dark that relying on my sense of sight is pointless.  The smell isn’t horrible.  We’re not talking rotting corpses or anything.  It smells…dense.  As if I need to breathe in deeper to get enough air.  I wonder how long it’s been since anyone’s drawn the drapes and thrown open the windows.  p. 9

***

Okay….now I’m really ready to dive in.

What are the rest of you spotlighting today?  I can’t wait to see!

THE CHARM OF SMALL TOWN LIFE WEARS THIN — A REVIEW

Lily Davis, single mom and Manhattan dweller, is worried about her teen son. On impulse, she moves them to Sakonnet Bay, a picturesque town on the Long Island Coast. She hopes that small town life will be simpler, calmer, and will keep her son safer.

Renting a house, finding a job, and merging their lives with other villagers happens seamlessly. But just when Lily thinks that everything is going great, a series of incidents, beginning with a freaky dog bite, catapult her life into a complex drama. Suddenly she is reminded of everything she enjoyed most in Manhattan.

But because she also likes the quirky charm of the town, and has a new best friend, she hangs in. And her interest is piqued by a handsome cop who has his own appeal and helps her want to stay.

But when things start to heat up, and when a murder investigation, along with the irate protesters who are fighting about the deer in the village, bring Lily and her column into the center of it all, she begins to wonder if everything she has done lately was a big mistake.

In the process of sorting it all out, what will Lily learn about herself, her son, and what she needs? How will the gossip mill help turn the tide for her and lead to some defining moments?

The narration was fun and quirky; there were enough laugh-out-loud moments to keep me turning pages; but other aspects of the book just didn’t live up to my hopes. I would recommend it for those who enjoy a light read with funny dialogue, but don’t expect Ephron’s trademark style in Big City Eyes. I’m giving this one 3.5 stars.

HUMP DAY POTPOURRI: MUGS, MEMORIES, & BOOKISH THOUGHTS — APRIL 4

Welcome to another Hump Day.  Midweek musings and thoughts today stemmed from a couple of things:  a blog tour stop at Rainy Days and Mondays for Whole Latte Life; and a discussion about coffee cups inspired by Sheila, at Book Journey, in Meet the Real Coffee Cup.

Therefore, coffee cups are the centerpiece of today’s post.  In Joanne DeMaio’s book (see my review and author bio at the link above or click on the book cover), the characters meet regularly at a coffee shop they hold dear.

The story is all about friendship and connections.  Beautifully celebrated over coffee.  And about self-discovery, frayed connections, and healing.

***

Now…in Sheila’s blog post, she described an inspiring story about a blue coffee cup, which then reminded me of special mugs in my life.

Naturally I had to grab three of them and spotlight them in a photo.  Here they are, and there’s a story attached to each of them.

Special Mugs

In the middle is a mug gifted to me by my son and his wife a few months after my first grandson Alec was born.  That was in 1995, and that mug has been through some house moves without breakage.  I’m afraid to use it for coffee, so it sits on top of one of my country cupboards.

On the left is a mug “created” by three of my grandchildren a few years later (one of whom was the baby in the center mug).  It also regularly “lives” on a country cupboard (see below).  The one on the right is a quirky mug I bought in Big Bear Lake one year, just because it was something I connected to….

Speaking of mugs, I regularly drink my coffee from a Coca Cola mug that I also feature on blogs sometimes, both in the headers and in my posts.

What does all of this mean?  I guess there’s a big sentimental core in me that attaches wonderful memories to objects.

Do you have special connections to things you own?  Things that remind you of special people or events in your life? 

Thanks to Sheila, I’m going down this memory trail today.

TUESDAY POTPOURRI — BOOKS INTO MOVIES — JAN. 10

Movies Based on Books

I’m a big fan of books, but movies made from books run a close second.

Recent examples for me include the movie/book The Help.  I loved both versions so much, that I saw the movie twice at the theater, and now have the DVD.

Now I’m very excited about another movie based on a book.  Coming January 27, One for the Money stars Katherine Heigl as Stephanie Plum…and guess what?  Debbie Reynolds is the grandmother.

Since I hadn’t yet read this first Stephanie Plum book, and wanted to do so before the movie comes out, naturally I went to the Kindle store and downloaded it!

These are the occasions when having a Kindle comes in really handy.

I love this opener:

There are some men who enter a woman’s life and screw it up forever.  Joseph Morelli did this to me—not forever, but periodically.

Morelli and I were both born and raised in a blue-collar chunk of Trenton called the burg.  Houses were attached and narrow.  Yards were small.  Cars were American.  The people were mostly of Italian descent, with enough Hungarians and Germans thrown in to offset inbreeding.  It was a good place to buy calzone or play the numbers.  And, if you had to live in Trenton anyway, it was an okay place to raise a family.

Since I just downloaded it, I wouldn’t necessarily be reading it right away, considering the size of my stacks, both in my office and my bedroom.  But you know I’m going to read it soon, just to beat that January 27 movie opening.

Probably I’m the only person who has read Stephanie Plum books, but hasn’t yet read the first one.  I started with number eleven, moved to number fifteen…and then stalled.  Again, I blame it on my stacks.

If the movie weren’t coming out soon, who knows how long it would have taken?

Have any of you read this one?  Anyone planning to see the movie?  I love Debbie Reynolds.  Her comedic timing is awesome.  From the trailer, I can tell I’m going to thoroughly enjoy it.  Come on by and share your thoughts…..

HUMP DAY POTPOURRI — CELEBRATING LITTLE TREASURES — NOV. 23

 

Do you ever see something that takes you right back to memorable moments in time?  And when you go there, do all the associated images and nostalgic thoughts flood into your head?

That happened for me recently when I was perusing one of my favorite magazines of flea market treasures.

I saw these colorful tumblers that catapulted me backwards.

 

It was summertime, and I can recall my mom bringing the groceries in, and instead of the usual cottage cheese cartons, she had these colorful tumblers.  After we ate the cottage cheese, she washed the containers and used them as drinkware.

Over time, she collected a nice set of them in all colors.

Now, for this story to really be a vintage treasure tale, I would be able to tell you that I somehow acquired those tumblers from my childhood.  But no, that didn’t happen.  I have no idea where those original tumblers went—and believe me, I don’t think my mom ever threw anything away!—but somehow, they did disappear.

Perhaps she gave them away.  But that’s a story whose ending I will never know.

But when I saw these charming little tumblers, I decided to check out Amazon to see if they had any.  And voila!  There they were.

Of course, they’re new and not the actual vintage ones.  But they do look very cute in my country cupboard.  They arrived yesterday!

Originally, I wrote a little story about them at Story Corner.

Do you ever have any treasures from your childhood that suddenly crop up…maybe when you’re looking through stores with collectibles?  Okay, I know that the only ones who probably do find such things are oldies, like me.

Like finding my Desert Rose Franciscan dishes in an antique store.  Now I bought mine in the 1960s, and at that time, they’d been on the market for around twenty-five years.  But an antique store?

Way to go…knowing just how to make me feel old!  lol

It’s fun, though, and I love remembering the sentimental tales that surround these little treasures.  How about you?  Anything that rings a bell?

 

HUMP DAY POTPOURRI — CHOCOLATE & MIMOSAS — NOV. 9

On a Hump Day, we often think about beginnings and endings, and that spot in the middle…Wednesdays.

But today has been more about reflecting on Monday and Tuesday.  Yesterday I was feeling creative after my shredding/cleaning frenzy here on Monday.

Thoughts of quirky, guilty pleasures had me creating another blog (I know, I said I wouldn’t!); and from those feelings emerged Chocolate & Mimosas.

This new site isn’t just about chocolate, or even about mimosas per se:  it’s really about splurging and enjoying my quirky favorite things, including cozy mysteries.  I have chosen to enter my first challenge of 2012, and will document my progress on this site.  Cruisin’ with the Cozies.  Check it out!

Lovin’ the delicious feeling right about now!  What guilty pleasures do you enjoy?  What are your favorite indulgences?

FOLKSY TOWN WITH QUIRKY CHARACTERS — A REVIEW

Tall Pine, Minnesota has a lot to recommend it: quirky townsfolk who share traits that can be defined as folksy, friendly, nosy, and any number of other adjectives. But what really connects the residents of this town near the Canadian border is their unique gathering place known as the Cup O’Delight Café, made famous for its delicious coffee made with a secret blend known only to its owner, Lee O’Leary.

We meet many of the residents in the opening pages, as they enter the café and order breakfast or lunch, or saunter in for polka night. Residents like Fenny Ness, who is “discovered” by a Hollywood producer, and who eventually stars in a movie made right in Tall Pine called “Ike and Inga.” Mary is known for her bad poetry and her many annoying ways, while Pete is the proprietor of the Shoe Shack and has his special place at the counter every day.

When the movie is shot in their little town, the lives of the residents will change forever. Some changes will include love alliances sparked during that time. What will draw Fenny to a recent newcomer in town known as Big Bill, and what will his presence in town do to the friendship between Fenny and Lee? How will the various comings and goings of the residents as they try to recover after a tragic event in the café ultimately affect the character of the town? And how will things finally settle into some kind of normalcy again?

Filled with colorful characters, The Tall Pine Polka (Ballantine Reader’s Circle) is reminiscent of other such tomes that spotlight a town as if it, too, is a character in the drama. Without the backdrop of Tall Pine, none of the characters would be nearly as interesting. And without the Hollywood presence, the daily lives of the characters might seem intriguing and quirky for awhile, but they would lack that special something. I thought the book went on too long and included too many unnecessary details of the movie-making process. Otherwise, it was pleasant, warm, and even memorable. Four stars.