This week

Still can't seem to get myself to write reviews, so I've been mostly avoiding the computer, falling farther and farther behind. I may have to go with mini reviews, soon.  We shall see.  In the meantime, I'll just chatter a bit about life.

Gardening:

We thought we were going to have a bumper crop of tomatoes this year because our 5 tomato plants grew like weeds and bore a rather stunning number of buds.  Then, we harvested a few and the crop seemed to slowly disappear.  What on earth was happening to our little green tomatoes?  I found out, yesterday, when I opened the windows and saw a squirrel running from our deck.  He had a little round green thing in his mouth.  It looked like a tiny apple.  I followed his path up the tree for a bit and then I figured it out, of course.  It was one of our tomatoes, just a little over an inch in diameter.  I walked out to the patio and saw that our one decent green pepper was still fine.  There were a couple smaller peppers, still a handful of tomatoes.

Today, the green peppers were gone . . . and there are probably a whopping three tomatoes remaining. Apparently, we're not going to have a bumper harvest, after all. But we did enjoy the few tomatoes that we managed to pick before the squirrels got to them and our single harvested green pepper tasted great.

Books:

One of the books that disappeared during our parcel-theft crisis (which I hope has ended, but I can't say for sure) was The River of No Return by Bee Ridgway. It was sent by a friend in a bubble-wrap envelope with two other books.  One arrived -- the only older title of the three.  I've been particularly mourning the loss of The River of No Return because it's been on my wish list since long before publication.  I couldn't even recall why, but I've read some fabulous reviews and was excited when my friend Paula offered me her copy.  Last week, I tweeted about the fact that it was the most longed-for of the stolen books, completely forgetting that I'm Twitter friends with Bee Ridgway (which is why I originally placed her book on my wishlist -- I looked it up when she posted her image of the upcoming cover).  

Bee saw my mournful post and generously offered to replace the missing book. It arrived safely, yesterday (via UPS).  I can hardly bear to keep my hands off it.  There are two or three books I absolutely must read before I get to it.  But, when they're done, I'm going to bury myself in The River of No Return.

That sounds scary, doesn't it?  Maybe "dive into" The River of No Return would be a better way to put it.

Reviews:

Gah.  You can see how far I'm falling behind by looking at my sidebar.  The trouble is . . . I've read so many fabulous books that I'm afraid I can't possibly describe adequately. They are that good.  The best books are always the most difficult to write about.  That hasn't stopped me from barreling ahead with my reading, though. Wish me luck catching up.

Cats:

Fi and Prissy are still getting along (except when Prissy plays with the laser, which is Fiona's greatest joy in life).  Still no progress with Isabel.  She is clearly not going to accept the kitten anytime soon, if ever.  Yesterday, Isabel managed to sneak into Prissy's room and munched on some of her kitten chow.  Somehow, it escaped her notice that Prissy was present.  I stood between them, watching Isabel occasionally turn her head, thinking that if Izzy made threatening moves I would sweep Prissy off the floor, as always.  Ohmygosh.  Cats sure can move like lightning. Fortunately, Prissy is just as fast as Isabel and much smaller.  She dashed under the West Elm sofa when Isabel finally spotted her and chased in Full Fury mode. I clapped my hands, told Izzy to leave and the crisis ended.  

Friends:

I went to lunch with my new friend, Mary Alice, today.  We met at 11:30 and finally left the restaurant at 3:30.  She is an avid reader.  No wonder we get along so well.

Maybe boring:

We have two Bradford pear trees in front of our house.  I thought they were beautiful when we moved in, but recently 1/4 of one of the trees split off and we realized they're both either diseased or infested.  Kiddo chopped up the fallen portion with the help of our neighbor and I've been hacking away at the limbs I can reach to try to prevent further splitting of the damaged tree.  But last week another chunk fell and crushed our yard lamp (which didn't work, but it was pretty).  The guys hacked away at that mess and cut a few more limbs down over the weekend but the tree is 14 years old -- large enough to take time to remove and the guys aren't always around.  I went out to pick up some small fallen limbs, yesterday, and one of my neighbors came over to ask me how the removal was going.  I told him slowly but surely then he generously offered to bring over his chainsaw when I mentioned my concern about the limbs still hanging over the driveway.

I fetched my clippers and between the two of us, we got another 1/4 of the tree down, chopped and placed at the curb for pick-up.  1/4 to go.  Boy, do I appreciate my new neighbor!  

That's all:

Well, it's not all, but bills, cooking and cleaning are boring and there are only so many cat stories to be shared.  Hope you're having a fabulous week!

©2013 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery  or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Monday Malarkey - Arrivals and not much else

I'm having a whale of a time trying to get images to go where I want them to, so I'll just stop messing with them and tell you about my reading week.  I finished two books, last week: The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley and Festival of Death by Jonathan Morris.  Both were terrific reads for entirely different reasons.  I believe tomorrow is the tour date for Festival of Death (one of the books in the new Dr. Who Classics series), so you won't have long to wait for that review.

Three books arrived:

Simon's book!  Simon's book!  Hardback!  Buy it!

I've already read the ARC and written some thoughts about Simon Van Booy's latest book, The Illusion of Separateness but not a review that discusses plot and all that jazz.  

What I received this week was a finished hardback copy that I pre-ordered as soon as it was possible to pre-order.  It's beautiful and I can't wait to read the book a second time.  I'll take notes.  This always happens to me: The first time I read one of Simon's books, I become so immersed that I can't bear to stop long enough to pick up a post-it.  So, I always have to read them at least twice before I can review.  The Illusion of Separateness is no exception.  

Simon's Tour Dates - Simon's on tour, at the moment.  Go see him if he's near you and tell him Bookfool sent you, please!!!  I will not be able to see him on tour, this time, damn it.  So disappointed.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman came from HarperCollins for review.  I was in the mood for a quick and spooky read, yesterday, so this week's first finished read is already done and dusted.  

I was thoroughly creeped out.

I loved it.

The Bohemian Love Diaries by Slash Coleman came from the publisher after I was contacted by the author.  We had a pleasant conversation and have made an unofficial date for coffee if/when he comes through my area.  

I read the first chapter of The Bohemian Love Diaries and would have happily continued reading but last week was not the best reading week because my entire family was here -- Eldest down from Nashville, Kiddo still home from school (but he'll be leaving for the second summer session, soon), Kiddo's girlfriend already living with us (boy, did it surprise Eldest to find that C. was here, the morning after she moved in; apparently, we forgot to tell him she's staying for the summer). 

That's all beside the point.  The first chapter of The Bohemian Love Diaries is really something.  Looks like Slash Coleman has led a unique, quirky life that will make for delightful reading.  I'm anxious to return to this one.

In other news:

I just checked out one of the local library branches in itty-bitty (but lovely) Raymond, MS.  It was as expected.  The fiction section consisted of mostly Westerns, romance, Christian fiction, a smattering of popular fiction (usually the kind I dislike) and mysteries, exactly like my last library.  Fortunately, there are quite a few branches I've yet to check out, so hopefully I'll be able to find a bit more variety elsewhere.  

It's hot and occasionally stormy.  Progress on the old house is continuing.  The cats are happy.  That's about all the news.  Happy Monday!

©2013 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery  or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Tuesday Twaddle on Wednesday - PB release, new arrivals, la di dah

Today is Yesterday was Paperback Release Day for All Woman and Springtime by Brandon W. Jones!  It's a fabulous book.  I was really quite stunned that the book was this author's first.  You should definitely get a copy.  I'm twitter friends with the author and happy to report that he's hard at work on his second novel.  I absolutely can't wait to see what he comes up with, next.

I'm focusing on finishing up The Pope's Last Crusade:  How an American Jesuit Helped Pope Pius XI's Campaign to Stop Hitler by Peter Eisner.  Very timely, since the selection process for a new pope has been underway, this week.  A pope from Argentina!  Who'd have thought?  If I don't finish tonight, I should be locked up in a library for good.  I've only got a handful of pages remaining.

Recent arrivals:

The Registry by Shannon Stoker - A New Adult title from HarperCollins for review
Black Box by Julie Schumacher - A "young readers" book (looks like middle reader to me) that has been on my wish list at Paperback Swap for several years.  I know I originally found out about this by reading a blog review somewhere, but it's been too long to remember which blog.
Jericho Season 3: Civil War - A graphic novel that continues the TV series Jericho.  It backtracks a bit to fill readers in on the story.  I've already read this and enjoyed it (purchased).
Swimming at Night by Lucy Clarke - from Touchstone Books (Simon and Schuster) for review
Lincoln's Dreams by Connie Willis - from Paperback Swap.  Now that I own a copy, I see that a lot of people really hate this one.  Hmm.
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante - Purchased; a Europa book I've been interested since its release.
Little Wolf Goes to School and Little Bear's Baby Brother by Mary Packard, illus. by Lisa McCue - from Sterling Children's for review with two others in the series

And, now:

Tuesday is on the brink of ending but I hope to get this posted just under the wire.  Kiddo is currently home on Spring Break and Huzzybuns took off the day to get some important things accomplished before they both abandon me -- Kiddo back to school at the weekend and Huz off to Merry Olde England.  I pretty much love having them around so it's going to suck when they both take off.

I suppose their absence should give me a bit more time to catch up on that nasty pile-up of reviews in the sidebar.  Either that or it'll be a good time to host a party.  Shhh!  Don't tell!  We'll read piles of books together and drink something . . . uh, posh?  Like fizzy grape juice!  Yes!!!!

I have to go, now.  I'm getting too excited.


©2013 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery  or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Fiona Sunday Life is Sucking Mash-Up

This was my week.  I kid you not.

I can't even begin to tell you what all went haywire and you wouldn't want to hear it, but pardon my absence.  I was so upset for several days that I couldn't read, couldn't think straight, didn't take any photos, didn't check email, couldn't write and had a Falling Skies streaming marathon.  Oh, that is bad, kidlets.  When Falling Skies is all your brain can handle, you are in dire straits.

Before my life began sucking mightily, I did manage to finish The Art Forger.  I didn't love it, but when I finally came to my senses after this week's fiascos (yes, plural), I picked up Life After Life by Kate Atkinson and I am totally going to tell you to buy, beg for or borrow that book.  I'm only 1/3 in but it's one of the most entertaining, sharply-written books I've read in quite a while.  There's always something to be grateful for, if you look hard enough.  

Meanwhile, since I didn't pick up the camera, apart from the one day I went outside with the goal of capturing a cardinal in motion (sort of a success), Fiona didn't get Friday'd, again.  I know you all desperately need your cat fix, so I'll share a photo I'm pretty sure I haven't put up on the blog:  Izzy in the bathtub.  

Also, there was this, which I call the "Sneaky, sneaky, sneaky, tippy, tippy, tippy, tippy-toe squirrel photo" because this little fellow was trying to get to the bird food without getting swooped upon and pecked by the dozen or so cardinals and finches that were having a party on our deck railing:

He did get dive-bombed at least once.

Actually, now that I'm flipping through the photo files, I'm finding all sorts of treasures.  We have only one bar stool because we there was only one at the Pottery Barn Outlet Store when we went looking, a couple months ago (and we haven't happened across its match-mate).  Eventually, someone may have to fork out the big bucks on a second stool. In the meantime, Fiona has claimed the one we've got:

Other wahoos:

• A meteorite did not land on my head or blow out my windows.
• I've done a reasonably good job of resisting offers for review books (only 1 arrived).  That helps to offset my horrible reading week, although I am well and truly behind on reviews . . . again.
• Several used copies of personal accounts from WWII England arrived at our house, this week (titles forthcoming), and most of them are in terrific shape.  
• I know Easter isn't about bunnies, but it's an excellent excuse to plunk a few bunny-shaped objects on your mantel. 
• Brussels sprouts in cream sherry sauce.  O. M. G. 
• It's already mid-February, but I haven't forgotten this little bit of Christmas fun:

Here's hoping the next week will be a great one, all around.  Feel free to share your wahoos with me.  I can use all the uppers I can get, right now.

©2013 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery  or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Throw Me Off the Bridge Thursday

Kidding about the bridge.  But, wow.  One day you say you're going to skip your regular post because you're planning to dash out a million reviews and the next day it's . . . not the next day. Suddenly, three days have passed and you haven't written anything, you're about to finish another damn book and you've started referring to them as "damn books" because reviews are starting to feel like a burden.  I'm sure you've had days like that, right?  

So, I've been busy.  If you're a regular here, you probably surmised as much.  I think I'm almost done decorating for Christmas.  I hope.  We do have a tree, now.  It's an artificial, pre-lit thing.  I couldn't talk the spouse into a real tree.  It has about 7 ornaments hanging from its plastic branches.  The cats think the branches are chew toys.  "Don't eat the tree," is a sentence they recognize, now.  When stated with authority, it produces immediate and satisfactory results (aka, a look of shock along with a halting of action).

Here's what I've done, this week -- well, some of what I've done (not necessarily an exciting list):

• Cleaned my kitchen (this is harder than you might expect; I'm married to a man who can make a meal look like an explosion -- but he cooks, so I'm okay with that) and placed a three-branch candelabra with metallic red candles, wrapped in a swag of little clear crystals, on the counter.
• Cleared off my desk whilst watching live streaming of the London premiere of Les Miserables.  That was awesome and sucky at the same time because we were going to be in London, this week, but had to cancel the trip.  It was fun to watch the stars' teeth chatter while they signed autographs, though.
• Decorated my desk with the thingy in the picture, above.  
• Took the above photo of a Christmas desk decoration against the background of a yellow wall (yeeurgh -- not a good combination), added bubbles and turned the background green, et voilà.
• Received two books in the mail:  Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin and Shipbreaker by Paolo Bacigalupi.
• Watched a full episode of Castle for the first time, ever.  Seriously.  Reported viewing on Twitter.  Received enthusiastic replies.
• Got a few more gifts knocked out of the way but have not yet located wrapping paper.  The situation is becoming critical.  I had to cover the gifts with a blanket when one of the recipients showed up.
• Watched the movie Hugo whilst folding the Mt. Everest of laundry piles.  Okay, it was just a mole hill but it felt like a mountain.  Great story, Hugo: visual feast, awfully melodramatic. Liked the book better. 
• Ate lunch with my best friend, who came to see the new house and hang out for a bit.  She approves.  
• Shopped with best friend and bought her Christmas present, then handed it to her in a green plastic bag because she chose it and is about to zip off to Florida -- no point to wrapping.
• Went out to eat with Kiddo's girlfriend, got stuck in a remote corner and had to wave a white napkin to get the attention of a server.  
• Accidentally spent the night on my new couch.  
• Ate a piece of strawberry cake; subsequently developed an obsession with finding the perfect strawberry cake recipe.  If you have the perfect strawberry cake recipe in your possession, please share.
• Rotated the cat repeatedly.  Fi likes to chase the laser in circles. I have not yet figured out how to photograph a rotating cat whilst manipulating the laser, but trust me, it's hilarious.  

Honestly, I'm getting exhausted just thinking about my week.  We'll stop there because I have a book to finish. How is your week going?


©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.

Yes, I know I am being a bad, bad blogger . . .

. . . but I have several excellent excuses.

NaNoing, for example. So far, life seems to be occasionally getting in the way of the novel writing (you know, sleeping -- my current Life Focus -- and working out, appointments and errands and bill-paying, etc.) but I've completed about 20% of my 50,000 required words and it's been ridiculously, stinking fun. My hero was dreadful in that, "Good grief, he has absolutely no flaws . . . I think I'm going to heave," way. So, I turned the first 8,000 words into a dream sequence and now I'm being just flat mean to my characters. It's such a hoot. Where else can you have that kind of fun without actually hurting anyone?

I've also been driving around town, snapping photos of fall color. We knew a storm was coming after Oklahoma's freaky weekend "Quakenado" (first the quake, then the tornado -- I didn't come up with that cute coined word, unfortunately) because Oklahoma's messes tend to land in our yard, so I rushed out to capture as much as possible. We are having an unusually beautiful fall, probably thanks to several unseasonably early and sharp cold snaps.

We did lose quite a bit of foliage in the storm, but not enough to end the beauty completely, so I'm still at it. Today, I took some pics in the Big City because I had to go there anyway, so I figured I might as well drag the camera along and look for more photo-opportunities.

And another thing! I've been playing with my cats. They are very demanding, but how could you possibly turn down a face like this one?

Impossible. Incidentally, Isabel's perched on top of our entertainment center in the photo above; and, shortly after I snapped that picture and several others, she rolled off. Poor Izzy is really bad with heights. I worry about that girl. Fortunately, I had a bin full of clothing to break her fall. It sometimes pays to be a lousy housekeeper.

I've been trying to sort through my million squillion photos of Japan, but to be honest I'm just intimidated. Between the two of us (Huzzybuns and I), I'm pretty sure we took about 2,500 photos. There's a lot of tossing-out to do -- neither of us is brilliant at photography, I'm afraid -- but plenty of decent photos will remain and there's much to tell. I've set up a travelogue blog, but at this point in time I'm keeping it private. I'll sprinkle photos into this blog, now and then. Never fear.

Yes, we rode the bullet train!!! Did you know it's actually easier to eat salad with chopsticks than with a fork, once you get the hang of eating with them? I learned a lot in Japan. Also, if you're going to order spaghetti at a Japanese Italian restaurant, for heavens sake don't order the kind with tomato sauce. White cream sauce is good.

I do everything I can to keep you informed. Gotta go. We'll talk books later, 'kay?

©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.

Insomniac's Digest: Because when you can't sleep, you might as well do something useful or at least do something, period

Photo came from this insomnia site.

Ramblings of an insomniac:

11:21 PM - Not bad, but it feels ridiculously late and I'm wired. Both son and I have maddening but limited cases of hives. There must be something in the air. Mold, maybe? All that rain can cause evil things to grow. Evil things that itch.

11:22 PM - I'm going to tell you about all the books I'm reading, now. I hope this doesn't keep you awake unless you need to be awake and doesn't put you to sleep unless you're having a bout of insomnia, too.

11:23 PM - To Serve Them All My Days by R. F. Delderfield - a fictional, classic chunkster about a man who returns to England severely shell-shocked after 3 years of service in WWI (life in the French trenches = misery) and becomes a teacher at a remote boys' school as therapy. Oh, man, am I ever loving this book. You should read this book. I'll review it in about the year 2014, at the rate I'm going, but still . . . you should read it.

11:25 PM - Milky Way Marmalade by Michael DiCerto - A humorous sci-fi tale about a hunter of meaty delicacies who plans to retire until he's offered a chance to make money by capturing the Wisest Substance in the Universe: a gelatinous, pillow-shaped blob known as L'Orange. He decides to save it, instead (according to the cover -- I haven't quite reached that point). So far, this one falls into my Loads Of Fun category. We'll mention the rock 'n roll references later.

11:30 PM - The Interrogative Mood by Padgett Powell - Don't hate me if I haven't read your book, yet, and I shoved this one to the head of the queue, okay? It's just that it's skinny and it looked really, really interesting. Also, apparently I was magnetically attracted to it. I can't locate the magnets at either end, but trust me . . . they are there. I can feel the tug.

Kiddo had to do abdominal exercises poolside, today, because he can't swim for a day or two after his cortisone shot. So I alternated between timing his leg lifts and reading aloud from The Interrogative Mood. It's written entirely in questions and it is . . . humble opinion, here . . . a bit of quirky brilliance. We laughed a lot. I want to laugh more, so I'll keep reading.

11:38 PM - The Treasures of Venice by Loucinda McGary - A romance (gasp!) that takes place in two separate time periods in Venice. Samantha is caught up in an adventure involving a handsome Irish rogue, his kidnapped sister, and some valuable jewels. There's a connection between the historical lovebirds of 1485 and the contemporary couple, but I'm too tired to explain it. This book was sent to me by mistake. I love this kind of error; Bookfool needed something a little light and atypical to toss into the mix.

11:41 PM - $20 Per Gallon by Christopher Steiner - A nicely researched forecast of how our lives will change in America as the remaining gas supply dwindles and prices sharply rise. Fascinating stuff. All those airplanes parked in the desert! Will we end up sailing the Atlantic if we're in the mood for a European jaunt? Will there be a modern Jamaica Inn, where people go rushing off to salvage the goods of ships wrecked on the craggy shore? I don't know, but I'm enjoying the book. And, those were just my questions. Steiner hasn't mentioned sailing or shipwrecks, just FYI. He did mention planes parked in the desert.

11:44 PM - The Unlikely Disciple by Kevin Roose - Brown University student Kevin Roose decided to go undercover at a Christian university (Jerry Falwell's) in order to write about it. I haven't gotten far on this one because I keep burying it, but what I'm getting from it, so far, is a "They're human like us," vibe. I'm anxious to read more. I should possibly attach a neon flag to this book.

11:52 PM - Went on a mental tangent that intersected with a heavy, anomolous brain fog.

11:53 PM - The Mosaic Bible from Tyndale House - You should read yesterday's post; I don't want to describe it, again. And, then come back later in the week because I'm going to have a drawing. One lucky person will win a certificate redeemable for a copy of The Mosaic Bible. I have to ask whether or not it can be redeemed from any place on the planet, though. So, bear with me.

11:55 PM - Aha! Benadryl is beginning to take effect. I prefer oral to topical for hives, don't you? Especially at night, when you're all goggle-eyed and need sleep because somebody is going to come to your house to measure your room for carpet installation and they're planning to call between the Ridiculously Ungodly Hours of 7-9 AM. Too, too early for this gal. Waaay too early.

11:57 PM - Giving up. Think I'll review a couple of children's books, tomorrow. The cat and I always have such fun reviewing children's books.

12:03 PM - Editing your blog posts is obviously time-consuming. I am really going to stop, now. This moment. I'm not going to say another word. Not one. Okay, maybe one or two.

Good night.

She whose eyes were wide, whose stacks are likely to be featured in a horror film and whose cat has given up on her, quietly retreating to a dark spot to meditate.

Sunday Pie - a day with a light, buttery crust

I am much relieved to declare that my husband has safely returned from Portugal and (possibly the most important bit) he quickly fixed the dishwasher. It's likely that I'm more than a tiny bit envious that he got to see scenery like this without me:

Okay, yes, I confess. I'm green as Ireland. Maybe I can weasel a trip to Portugal, someday, but in the meantime I've enjoyed looking at his photos.

I finished The Blood of Lambs by Kamal Saleem, two nights ago, and I'm not sure . . . maybe I've already said too much about it. I seem to be having difficulty writing a decent review. I'll keep working on making the review worthwhile because the book is excellent, beautifully written and I think he gets his point across (we need to pay attention to what's happening under our noses if we're to keep the terrorist influence under control) without going so far as to bash Muslims in general. It's one of the most fascinating memoirs I've read, this year.

Since I was up very late, two nights in a row (the first night due to insomnia; last night because huzzybuns arrived at the airport quite late and I had to fetch him), I haven't read a word, today. I did, however, watch the first two installments of the Colin Firth/Jennifer Ehle version of Pride & Prejudice. Ah, refreshing. No wet Mr. Darcy, yet. That's far ahead in the future, but I did admire his dark, twinkling eyes. To think, Colin Firth's friends assured him that he would ruin Pride & Prejudice. It's hard to fathom anyone saying or thinking such things.

I am on the verge of finishing Living Fossils, if I can just talk myself into locating a place to read. All the usual places are occupied either by a sleeping husband, a zonked teenager, a comatose cat, or a pile of laundry. And, it's so quiet! Okay, I'll go move the laundry. You convinced me.

Happy Sunday!

Bookfool, off to seek a reading spot