Fiona Friday - Isabel is Exhausted

Too many hours on the X-Box, obviously.

©2012 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Fiona Friday - Izzy checks out the stag's head decoration

The color is off a bit on that bottom photo and I'm not satisfied with the decorating results just yet, but we bought a "stag's head" from Target to decorate our entertainment center and then I proceeded to embellish the stag's head with a tinsel scarf and some lovely antler ornaments.  Isabel thought the ornaments were for her entertainment, of course.

At least the stag looks happy, possibly because his neck is nice and warm -- and nobody bit off his antlers, although someone in the above photo certainly tried.

©2012 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Fiona Friday - Just watching TV . . . and another update

Just FYI, Isabel was watching Downton Abbey.  She has excellent taste.

I don't know where the time is going, really I don't.  Last weekend, we had the entire family here, as I mentioned over the weekend.  Fiona actually seemed to enjoy having a house full of people and even acted a little bit sad after everyone left, although she did occasionally hide when the dog came in from the backyard.  Fi is gradually becoming my lap cat.  I'm very thrilled about that.

Isabel really disliked feeling obligated to retreat to the closet and occasionally emerged as far as the master bedroom long enough to bat a jingle ball around.  At night, she contentedly slept beside my feet. The moment everyone left, she was out and about.  She's a skittish girl -- probably for good reason.  She was a rescue and judging from where she was found, Izzy was likely dumped from a vehicle.  But, she's slowly gaining trust and now lets me pick her up and pet her without squealing.  She's just wary of strangers.  

We spent a lot of time on the patio/deck of our new house, went out to eat once, ate buffet style another time, and went for a walk in the Cypress Swamp on the Natchez Trace.  It was a great weekend.  This is one of my shots of the Cypress Swamp, where the leaves are just beginning to turn:

On Wednesday, Kiddo's girlfriend, C, came over to "help" hand out the Halloween candy (she really did the work while I kept her company).  C's going to be a teacher and it shows on Halloween.  She asked almost everyone, "Who do we have here?" and then said, "What do you say?" It's absolutely amazing how few of the kids we've had the past two years knew the words "trick or treat".  C often had to prompt them and even then most of the kids, when asked what to say, replied, "Thank you?"  One said, "Um . . . pleaaaase?"

Unfortunately, we had several hundred trick-or-treaters but we stocked up too much and ended up with one super-sized bag of candy left over at the house and another that C took off our hands.  Usually, I just throw the candy away.  I hate to do that, but we certainly don't need to eat it.  I suppose it's just a matter of pep-talking myself about throwing away something I don't need, which feels just a bit like burning money.

In reading news:

I finished reading The Longest Way Home by Andrew McCarthy and absolutely loved it.  The end even made me a bit teary.  If you are a fan of travel memoirs, jump on this one.  It's excellent.  I hope to get around to reviewing The Longest Way Home, soon.

Speaking of reviews:

I honestly have not felt like writing at all, hence my absence.  Sometimes I just have to step away for a while.  I'm not going to go on hiatus.  I'll just write when I feel like it.  In the meantime, I have joined National Novel Writing Month.  So, at least I'm writing fiction, if nothing else.

Back to reading:

I'm currently reading The Count of Monte Cristo for The Estella Society's read-along.  The Count of Monte Cristo has long been one of my favorite books and I've read it repeatedly.  So, I was a little stunned when I opened the book, last night, and realized it had the word "abridged" on the cover in tiny print.  WHAT?  I've been reading an abridged version, all these years?  My copy is so old and battered that I've actually covered it with clear Contact paper to help preserve it.  I suppose it won't hurt to replace the book with an unabridged version, but I'm still shocked that I never even noticed the word "abridged" on the cover.  In my defense, the print is tiny and the color is close to that of the Count's coat, so it's easy to overlook that one little word.

Recent arrivals:

I think it's been nearly 3 weeks since I mentioned arrivals other than the purchases I made at last week's book sale.  Books are not arriving as regularly as they used to.  I'm so far behind on reading the books off my ARC stacks that I can't remember the last time I requested a book.  One review book arrived, last week, but it's been a while since I requested it.  Recently walked in:

The Cat Who Came Back for Christmas by Julia Romp - an impulse purchase
Miss Buncle Married by D. E. Stevenson - for review from Sourcebooks (the single request book that has arrived)
Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller - purchased used at a store that specializes in old vinyl record albums
Cooking at Home on Rue Tatin by Susan Herrmann Loomis - from Paperback Swap
Spot the Animals and
1-2-3 Dinosaur's Bite - both illustrated by Steve Jenkins and unsolicited arrivals from Sterling Kids (they're great -- will review them as soon as I can get myself to sit down long enough to write a string of review posts)
The Walnut Tree by Charles Todd - Accidentally pre-ordered while in an Ambien haze.  Ambien should be outlawed (but, darn it, sometimes I need help sleeping!)
How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read by Pierre Bayard - purchased for F2F Book Club and the day it showed up, I realized I won't be able to make it to the November meeting (but it looks fun, so I'll read the book)
The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton - sent by my delightful and generous friend, Tammy

In other news:

We joined a gym.  It's huge -- three stories including two swimming pools (one for laps; one a "therapy" pool, as it's associated with a hospital), a cold bath and jacuzzi, an indoor track, tons of plated and free weights, a spinning room, two basketball courts, two racquetball courts, a class room (for Zumba, yoga, etc.), one pool table and one ping-pong table.  I actually prefer the smaller gym in our former town.  Unfortunately, it's just too far to drive on a daily basis and I desperately need some kind of routine.  I miss the ladies and it will take some time to get used to our new gym, but there's no denying it's one rocking fine facility.

This week's Haiku:

And, the reason I chose this week's Haiku (which I hear people didn't appreciate during Hurricane Sandy, since the full moon only made tidal issues worse):

Enough for now!  Happy Weekend to all!  And, wishes for quick restoration of power and delivery of supplies to those who are having a rough post-hurricane experience.


©2012 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Fiona Friday returns - I am here for a head rub. Go ahead, rub my head while I check the outdoor happenings.

This is my way of starting out slowly. I had no idea how completely exhausted I'd be when I finished moving house. And there is still, of course, a massive amount of unpacking and organizing to be done. So . . . we begin with Fiona Friday. Hopefully I'll feel like writing a review or two or three, very soon.

©2012 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Fiona Friday (a little early, again) - Izzy is comfy

Isabel took advantage of the new space on Grandpa's shelf, after I emptied it of books.

What I didn't manage to photograph, this week: Izzy snacking on carrot cake crumbs. Seriously, Isabel will eat absolutely anything. It's kind of disturbing.

©2012 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Fiona Friday - Pinks

Every kitty should have a quilt that matches her nose, don't you think?

©2012 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Fiona Friday - Exciting development!

I still don't technically have a "lap cat" but look! Isabel slept on my lower legs, last night! So exciting! I'm determined to eventually turn at least one of my kitties into a lap cat. It's slow going, but I've awakened to find Izzy on or near my feet, several times, and Fiona curled up at my back. Kiddo, home from college for the summer, is a wee bit envious. Miss Sunshine spent a lot of time curled up with him and he still misses having a cat to snuggle with.

Izzy looks like a chubster in this photo but it's really just the angle. She's finally filling out a bit, but she's not as round as she looks.

©2012 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Fiona Friday - Blecch

©2012 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Being Lara by Lola Jaye

Title: Being Lara by Lola Jaye

Copyright: 2012

Published By: WmMorrow - Fiction

Length: 303 pp.

Reason for Reading: I've been thinking I need to branch out and read more books by people of different ethnicities/colors and TLC Tours was looking for tour hosts for Being Lara, just as that thought popped into my head.

Brief summary:

Adopted at the age of 3, Lara has wonderful parents but has always felt out of place. With her dark, Nigerian skin and her British parents' fair skin in contrast, she has been teased and called an "alien". When her parents explain that she's adopted, she becomes eager to meet her birth mother, but a lie by her father convinces Lara that the woman who bore her gave her up because she was unwanted.

Now, at 30, she has a boyfriend she keeps at arms' length and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. When her birth mother unexpectedly arrives at her 30th birthday party, Lara is confused. But, in order to truly learn to accept herself and move forward in life and love, she must confront her Nigerian mother and learn about her past.

What I loved about Being Lara:

Once the author got beyond the initial introductions and early memories, the book began to pick up pace as it jumped back and forth between time and viewpoints -- from experiences Lara had over the years to her mother's days as a pop sensation and then a young mother, to the history of her birth mother in Nigeria. It was around page 60 that I began to take interest in the story. Had Being Lara not been a tour book, I would have given up on it at page 50, as I usually do, but I did hang on a little longer hoping the pace would pick up and I'm glad I finished the reading. I thought the scene changes were handled well and clearly defined; and, I found the storyline interesting once the author began to unfold the stories of Lara's birth and adoptive mothers. In the end, a little tear squeaked out. I was somewhat relieved that my emotions were eventually engaged.

Lara's adoptive mother is an excellent baker and there are a few recipes at the end of the book.

What I disliked about Being Lara:

Those first 60 pages were truly a grind. I found the writing style awkward and the early chapters in desperate need of tightening. There were quite a few scenes that I felt were either unnecessary or over-long. However, as the story picked up speed, I gradually put my feelings about the writing style on the back burner and grew to enjoy seeing how things unfolded.

There were also some odd annoyances that made no sense to me. For example, when Lara's Nigerian mother and grandmother use the word "daughter," it's spelled "dotter". That perplexed me, since "daughter" sounds like "dotter". I don't understand the use of misspellings in Being Lara. If they were meant to reflect dialect, it's possible that they simply didn't work from an American viewpoint because the pronunciation of one is no different than the other. But "dotter" wasn't the only misspelling. At one point, a character says, "Oh. Mi. Gosh." Again, what was the purpose of the misspelling of "my"? Being Lara definitely was in need of some stronger editing.

Update: Apparently, the difference between "daughter" and "dotter" is not just an American dialect issue. At least two of my American commenters have already informed me that they hear a difference that I do not. The "au" sound is just a "short O" sound, in my head. Thanks to those of you who have shared your thoughts with me!

Recommendation:

3/5 - Average writing, decent characterization. Not as believable or revealing as I'd hoped. A tremendously weak beginning is eventually aided by an engaging storyline, but Being Lara needed tightening, throughout. I was disappointed; however, I would not have finished the book if the story hadn't eventually pulled me in, so I do recommend the book if the storyline interests you. I'd say check this one out from your library if you can and be patient with the beginning.

It's Friday!

Since this is a tour post, I'll toss in a couple Fiona Friday pics in the same post rather than keeping the kitty pics separate.

Isabel does not try to escape when we go outside, but she really does hate it when I go outdoors. Here, she was trying to figure out how to get to me through the screen door as I returned from snapping photos of flowers.

If I touch a finger to the door, she'll reach up and try to touch it with her paw. I love that.

©2012 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Fiona Friday - Where's Izzy?

Isabel really thought she'd found a nice, quiet place to hide for a nap. She wasn't banking on the human finding her and saying, "Peek-a-boo!" But, she's a good sport and stuck her little head out to say "hello".

Reminder: I am going on a blogging break for about a week. Because I moderate comments and plan to avoid the computer as much as possible, it may take a day or two for your comment to show up. But, I will approve comments and reply, eventually.

I leave you with a quote from Peace is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hanh:

Everything we do is an act of poetry or a painting if we do it with mindfulness. Growing lettuce is poetry. Walking to the supermarket can be a painting.

Have a happy week!

Smiles from Bookfool

©2012 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Fiona Friday - Isabel Reviews Paranormal

Isabel's one-sentence review: Paranormal is yummy!

Appearances aside, no innocent books were injured or killed in the making of this book review.

©2012 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Fiona Friday - Sniffing Einstein

"Hmm. Smells . . . intelligent."

©2011 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Izzy's Turn and a Reading Update

I am a busy girl, today, so I'm giving Izzy a turn to bury you in an avalanche of cute and then I'll give you a quick update on what I'm reading. Isabel is an avid tunneler and wrapped herself in both the green towel and brown blanket shown below.

You know what I'm reading just by looking in the sidebar, but let me tell you a bit about how far I've gotten and whether or not I'm enjoying the reading. Short version: "Of course I'm enjoying the reading of all of them or I'd ditch them -- I do that, you know."

Voice of America by E. C. Osundu - A book of short stories set in Africa, they're . . . well, kind of whiny. I'm finding it fascinating that I will quickly ditch whiny/desperate/hopeless stories set in the U.S. and yet I'm fine with "whiny in a foreign land where life is justifiably worth a great deal of complaint." I'm about halfway through this one.

Christmas 1945 by Matthew Litt (history) - I've learned some fascinating little tidbits about the WWII years from this book -- how Americans refrained from lighting Christmas trees to save energy for the war effort, for example -- but I unaccountably set this one aside for quite a while. I've just started reading, again, and I'm not far into the book but I'm loving it.

The Shifter by Janice Hardy (fantasy/YA) - I just started reading The Shifter, which is about a young girl who can heal one person and shift the injury/illness to another, this morning. I'm only on chapter 3. This book sucked me right in and I have a feeling it will be a very fast read.

Pemberley Ranch by Jack Caldwell (historical fiction) - You're going to think this is so weird because . . . well, it is. The beginning of this book takes place in Vicksburg, Mississippi (um, here) in 1863 and I had trouble figuring out where the action occurred. I couldn't bear to read on till I had that figured out, so I asked my husband. He told me where the Texas redan was located and now I "get it" and can read on. It was a weird reason to stop because I'm pretty sure the rest of the book takes place in Texas, not Mississippi. At any rate, I'm going to focus on this one, tonight.

Gunslinger by Ed Gorman (Western) - I'm not a Western reader, in general and I'm hard-pressed to figure out how I ended up with this book but I think maybe, just maybe I bought it as a closeout when the bookstore in which I used to work closed and the boss moved the store to Florida. It was on my son's shelf and he put it in the "get rid of" pile, but the book is so shiny and pretty and SHORT that I figured I could whip through it before passing it on. I've read one story, which was set during the Civil War, and it was surprisingly good.

The Mental Floss History of the United States by Eric Sass (history) - This book has very short sections and is perfect for reading in short bursts, and I've been reading it just that way. I'm about 84 pages in and it's shocking me! The lies they told us in history class!! Oh, oh, oh. Also, I'm having an awful lot of fun with the reading. Eric Sass has a terrific sense of humor.

6 books at one time -- that seems like a bit much, doesn't it? I need another readathon day, but I'm going to also require a housekeeping fairy if that's ever going to happen. There's that Christmas thing to consider, you know. We're still pondering. Tree? No tree? Tree somehow tied to ceiling and bolted to wall? It's a dilemma when you have one kitten and one kitten-at-heart who routinely rock their 6-foot kitty tree whilst playing chase-up-and-down.

Happy Tuesday!