Monday's Postcard: Blue Ridge Parkway

The Blue Ridge Parkway stretches for 469 miles through North Carolina and Virginia. I grew up on the coast of North Carolina about 300 miles from Asheville and I was already 12 years old and had seen the Rocky Mountains before I made it up to the mountains of North Carolina and the "blue ridge". Several trips to Cherokee, NC and Asheville, NC when I was younger had been cancelled or postponed. When we were driving up there, I was told by my more experienced cousins that we were going to the MOUNTAINS. I expected something a little more majestic, having been to Colorado the previous year. But the Blue Ridge have their own quiet beauty.
Since then, I have been hiking a lot along the Blue Ridge and it is so much fun. In August, I will be doing a lot of hiking for the Washington Trails Association. Be sure to check out my WTA page and make a donation, every little bit helps! WTA Hike-a-thon

For Pete's Sake!!

I just went on my second ever backpacking trip!  Ryan is currently on a week long volunteer trip with the Washington Trails Association to help maintain a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail in the back of beyond near Roslyn, WA. I went out with him to do an overnight hike to Pete Lake the day before he was set to meet up with the trail crew. I have posted about Roslyn, WA in the past. There is tons of great hiking around there and it was great to get back out to the Alpine Lakes Wilderness again. I got to plant 5 letterboxes (and found one).

It was a 4 mile hike out to Pete Lake. I insisted in bringing a tent because all reports said that there were mosquitoes at the lake and on the trail. Well, Ryan made me carry the tent. But my pack was still about 10 pounds lighter than his because he was packed for a whole week on the trail and I was only going for an overnight.

I actually forded a river! I took off my socks and replaced my shoes to walk across the Cooper River. It only came up to about mid shin, but boy was that water COLD! So glad I had dry socks to put back on when I got to the other side!! Here you can also see the remains of snow still on the trail. And here is a shot of Ryan going across the river carrying his shoes.

Once we got out to the lake, we found it was over run with boy scouts. Not really the back country peace that we were hoping for, but we continued a few more yards around the lake and found a nice secluded site for our tent.

Unfortunately, when we opened up the tent and started to put it up, we found out that the tent poles were shot, the elastic inside the poles was totally rotted and we could not put up the tent! I had carried it for 4 miles for nothing! Boy was I upset!! I had to start drinking my wine early. Luckily there was a nice breeze that kept away most of the mosquitoes and by the time it got dark it had cooled down enough that they were not a problem. A flock of bright yellow Evening Grosbeaks kept us company flittering around our campsite. We also had a little fire for a bit after sundown to amuse ourselves and with the smoke to keep the bugs at bay. We had fantastic views of the stars and fell asleep stargazing with no tent or tarp or anything to restrict our view. I even saw a meteor!

The next morning, we hiked out. Me to go back to work and Ryan to meet up with the rest of the WTA volunteers and to get started on fixing that trail. Ryan won't be back home again until after the weekend. And was I glad to have a Jacuzzi Tub to come home to!

Don't forget that Washington Trails Association needs our help to keep the trails in Washington State maintained and protected. We will be racking up the mileage in August for the Hike-a-thon. Follow that link to donate to our cause. :-) And check back here to Amanda from Seattle Dot Com for updates on our hikes and mileage in August. I want to thank Krista, Moira, Diane and John, Jennifer and Ann for already donating via the website! We have already collected $185 for Washington Trails.

Monday's Postcard: Yukon

A postcard from my Granny. Fireweed is usually the first flower to appear after forest fires. It is the floral emblem of the Yukon Territory. In Alaska, they make candies, jellies and syrups from fireweed. This postcard came to me when my Granny went on a trip to Alaska. We don't plan any hikes in Alaska this year, But both Ryan and I will be participating in the Washington Trails Association Hike-a-thon again. Ryan will be hiking the Camino de Santiago across France and Spain and I have several international layovers that will provide me with opportunities to do some hiking overseas. Be sure to check out my WTA page and make a donation, every little bit helps! WTA Hike-a-thon

Books I read in June 2012

Christmas circa 1975 Holly Hobbie doll, Malibu Ken and a Clue game, but a good book is always the best present!


The Spellman's Strike Again by Lisa Lutz (library) These mysteries are by a San Francisco Author and quite funny
Inflight Entertainment by Helen Simpson (library) great short stories by British author
Nightwoods by Charles Frazier (library) I liked it better than Thirteen Moons, but not as much as Cold Mountain, Like Sharyn McCrumb, Frazier does a good job of evoking the Appalachian Mtns of NC
The Odds by Stewart O'Nan (library) HUGE fan of this man's work. If you have never read anything by him, go now and get something anything by him. Very eclectic, he has something for everyone. Nonfiction, fiction --mystery, drama  READ this Author!!

The Rope by Nevada Barr (library) Much like John Sanford did with his Prey series, Nevada Barr is looking back at an adventure that Anna Pigeon had when she was a new ranger. I think this is a great way for these authors to get some more mileage out of their aging protagonists!
My Long Trip Home by Mark Whitaker (library) the author is a successful journalist and a bi-racial child born in the midst of the civil rights era to a black american man and a white European mother. He was always labeled "African American" but he tries to come to terms with his identity when he is part of both black and white society
Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult (library) so-so I'm a fan, but I might be getting tired of Picoult
Ghost Flower by Michele Jaffe like the Pretty Little Liars series if you like that sort of thing
A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron  recommended to me when I loved The Art of Racing in the Rain so much. Told from the Dog's Point of View, have hankies on hand!!
Hush Now, Don't You Cry by Rhys Bowen (library) the latest Molly Murphy Mystery
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (library) great fun, if you like 80's pop culture and/or video gaming
Trail of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz (Library) Opp's last in this series,  now I gotta wait for her to write another one!
Friends Like Us by Lauren Fox (library) love triangle ruins a friendship
Sisters by Nancy Jensen (library) a misunderstanding divides the sisters
The Cove by Ron Rash (library) If you like Sharyn McCrumb  and Appalachian stuff like Nightwoods I read earlier this month! Also reminded me of Summer of my German Soldier
The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan (library) Titanic if Rose were convicted of murder because she was the only survivor from her lifeboat, I liked it
The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes (library) another love triangle story reminded me of Friends Like Us
This is Your Captain Speaking by Jon Methven (library) super over the top humor like Carl Hiaasen or Bill Fitzhugh
Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones (library) the story of a girl in Atlanta whose father is a bigamist
Murder Follows Money by Lora Roberts rereading an old favorite
The Shelters of Stone by Jean Auel rereading in anticipation of her new book, The Land of Painted Caves
21 books read this month

abandoned book: Dear American Airlines by Jonathan Miles-I always like airline related stuff even derogatory, but I started this one and in the first few pages, he keeps stopping to smoke or complaining about not being able to smoke at airport (having to go all the way out to the curb) and my sympathies just were not with him anymore. sorry all you smokers out there...


Ryan and I are again participating in the Washington Trails Association Hike-a-thon. Be sure to check out my WTA page and make a donation, every little bit helps! WTA Hike-a-thon We will be doing all kinds of hiking in August and of course I will be blogging about our adventures and progress here :-)

Monday's Postcard: Skerries

Skerries is a fun day trip from Dublin. Lots to do in this village. There are windmills to visit, a lovely walk along the beach with views of a lighthouse and Martello towers. Lots of great restaurants and pubs on the waterfront.
And news closer to Seattle, I am again participating in the Washington Trails Association Hike-a-thon. Be sure to check out my WTA page and make a donation, every little bit helps! WTA Hike-a-thon

Monday's Postcard: Guatemala

When I first met Ryan, we were separated for several months while he studied Spanish in Central America. He wrote me lots of postcards during this time and here is another one. This is Lake Atitlan. I visited Ryan in Guatemala, but I missed seeing Lake Atitlan. His adventures hiking around Lake Atitlan can be found HERE

Monday's Postcard: Florida

This is a postcard from my Dad circa 1975. It is from the Miami Seaquarium and has a 13 cent stamp on the back, but no postmark. The note on the back says, "This looked like me looking for your loose teeth--Love, Daddy" I would have been about 9 years old a the time.

Wild Card: Sagamore

A postcard from my stepmom from last year while she was visiting Lake George, NY. It is of the Sagamore Hotel. The name is the title for the chief of  the Mohicans, Sagamore was a featured character in The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper. The book has many scenes set in the Lake George area.

Monday's Postcard: Thailand

Another postcard from my Dad during his time in the Far East. This is a card of street vendors selling dried salted fish on a footpath near Wat Po. The salting of fish is one of the oldest forms of preserving food and it is still very popular in Asian and Scandinavian cuisine.

Monday's Postcard: New Hampshire

I love these "BIG LETTER" postcards. My sister sent me this one in 2005. Very Retro and I love it!

Books I read in May 2012

A postcard from the Tattered Cover Book Store in Denver, CO.




That Woman by Anne Sebba (library) The woman who said, "You can never be too rich or too thin" First time I have read anything about Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor. Photos
The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl (audio book) very gory descriptions of the murders--listened to in car on our CA roadtrip
The Italian Secretary by Caleb Carr (audio book) A sherlock holmes story--soso
The Price of Murder by John D MacDonald
1493 Uncovering the New World Columbus Created by Charles C Mann (library) loved it so much, I went right out and bought:
1491 New Revelations of the Americas before Columbus by Charles C Mann loved it too
How it All Began by Penelope Lively (library) liked it
The Flame Alphabet by Ben Marcus (library) so-so
Tempest by Julie Cross (library) The Time Travelers Wife for the YA set. Also reminded me of the movie, The Butterfly Effect.
Snobs by Julian Fellowes -the guy who wrote Downton Abbey, enjoyed it
Working the Skies: The Fast Paced, Disorienting World of the Flight Attendant by Drew Whitelegg -one of the best books I have ever read about being a flight attendant. If you want to know more about my job, read this book.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (library)  YA This is definitely a 10 hankie weeper. I bawled my eyes out. Glad I did not read it at home in front of Ryan. Kids with Cancer, Fall in Love, you've seen Love Story, you know what happens. Really enjoyed it though

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill (library) spooky, made into that movie with David Radcliffe

Death comes to Pemberley by P. D James (library)--Jane Austen as a murder mystery

Franny and Zooey by J. D. Salinger rereading for the umpteenth time. It is still a favorite. I like to check back in to make sure I still love it. :-)

Hemingway's Boat by Paul Hendrickson (Library) I tend to read more ABOUT hemingway than actual hemingway!! Great, with photos, it's about his life while he had his boat Pilar.

Heads You Lose by Lisa Lutz and David Hayward--gimmicky mystery where one author writes a chapter and then another author writes a chapter. so you get the mystery and you get the conversation between the two authors. Not as good as the Spellman books by Lutz, but kinda fun

Only 17 books read this month, busy busy, almost too busy to read :-)

Monday's Postcard: Lisbon

Yet another favorite layover....really are there any that aren't my favorites??? Lisbon is a fun city with lots of history and great weather!! USAirways only goes to Lisbon in the summer, so I have to take advantage of these layovers while we have them.  This is the Belem Tower, a symbol of Portugal's great age of exploration. It was built in the 1500's as a fortress at the entrance to Lisbon on the Targus River and it is a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Monday's Postcard: Falling Water

Another place that I have not been to YET! This card is from my Granny.  I have visited several Frank Lloyd Wright properties all over the USA, but I have yet to visit Falling Water.  I can highly recommend the book, Loving Frank by Nancy Horan.

Monday's Postcard: Silver Lake

Lovely camping in the Sierra Nevada's in California, this postcard was from friends who were here in 2001

Wild Card: Alaska

A postcard from friends of mine on a cruise to Alaska July, 2011.
I still have not been on a cruise to Alaska, maybe next summer!!

Monday's Postcard: Kentucky

A postcard from a visit to Louisville, KY in 1991. Did your favorite win the Derby this past weekend?? My pick was Gemologist.

Books I read in April 2012

Books with a view! A used book cart at a store in the Ferry Building, Embarcadero, San Francisco.

The Curse of the Spellman's by Lisa Lutz -more fun mystery, I read the first of this series in February and am totally enjoying these. They were recommended by my friend, Lea.
A Box of Darkness The Story of A Marriage By Sally Ryder Brady (library)

The Good Thief's Guide to Vegas by Chris Ewan --I'm on a roll reading all of these!

Seven by John D. MacDonald (short stories)

Below Stairs by Margaret Powell- A kitchen maid's memoir that inspired UpStairs/DownStairs and Downton Abbey.

Crossed by Ally Condie YA dystopian fiction, I loved the first one in this series, this one not so much...

End of the Tiger by John D. MacDonald (short stories)

Nancy Drew Girl Detective Close Encounters by Carolyn Keene

The Flying Saucer Mystery by Carolyn Keene I am comparing and contrasting new Nancy Drew books with older Nancy Drew books

The Good Thief's Guide to Venice by Chris Ewan
Never Eat Alone and other secrets to success, one relationship at a time by Keith Ferrazzi (library)

The Ultimate Hiker's Gear Guide by Andrew Skurka (library) This was actually Ryan's book and I did not mean to read it, but it was sitting on the coffee table and I would pick it up and found myself fascinated with it. Ryan and I have seen Andrew Skurka do a talk here in Seattle about long distance hiking.
Judge Me Not by John D MacDonald
The House at Tynesford by Natasha Solomons (library) for fans of Downton Abbey and stuff like Sarah's Key. I really enjoyed this one about a Jewish girl from a wealthy Vienna family who is a refuge in England, her family sends her to be a house maid at a Manor house along the Dorset coast.

Believing the Lie by Elizabeth George. I am a huge fan and this is her latest, loved it
Wild: From lost to found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed (library)

Ed King by David Guterson (library) this was the writer of Snow Falling on Cedars
No Angel by Penny Vincenzi (library) Downton Abbey fans, this one is for you!! I enjoyed it.
The Crown by Nancy Bilyeau (library) if you can't wait for the next Phillipa Gregory about the Tudors! This would be a good one. I quite enjoyed it.

abandoned books:

Hour of the Hunter by J A Jance--Jance is always being recommended to me, I started this one, but did not get into it--it is still sitting around the house, but I do not know when/if I will get back to it.

Hidden Star by Nora Roberts--found on airplane after I had finished all the books and magazines in my possession. Got home and threw it in the "used book store" pile without finishing it!!

19 books read this month

Monday's Postcard: Costa Rica

Another postcard from Ryan while he was learning Spanish in Central America.

Monday's Postcard: Chester

In April 2010, I got stuck in Manchester, UK for 9 days while the Icelandic volcano erupted. One of those days, I took a day trip to Chester, a walled city and did the usual touristy things.

Wild Card: La Jolla

This postcard was sent to me in 2004 from my stepmom while she was on a Quilting Cruise, they were leaving out of San Diego and she sent me this postcard before she left while she was visiting La Jolla, CA

Monday's Postcard: Stockholm

One of my all time favorite places to layover. Had a fantastic time in this city and can't wait to go back!

Monday's Postcard: Grand Teton

Grand Teton

Monday's Postcard: Cats

The Alfred Mainzer Company has published these cards for 50-60 years. These funny cats are drawn by European artist Eugen Hurtung. The images were popular and used on postcards which are still sold today. They are usually called Mainzer Cats after the name of the publisher. I received this postcard from my Grandmother Arkebauer, who lived in Fort Wayne, IN. She often sent Mainzer cards to me and my sister.

Books I read in March 2012

From Powell's bookstore in Portland, OR comes this image of a "tattoo"...

There but for the... by Ali Smith (library) enjoyed it
I am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley this is the latest Flavia de Luce Novel and I think she is an EXCELLENT successor to Nancy Drew. These books have been so much fun to read and I absolutely LOVE Flavia as a heroine.

Red Ruby Heart in A Cold Blue Sea By Morgan Callan Rogers (library) coming of age in Maine-liked it
Sybil Exposed The Extraordinary Story behind the Famous Multiple Personality Case By Debbie Nathan (library)
Finding Everett Ruess The Life and Unsolved Disappearance of A Legendary Wilderness Explorer By David Roberts (library)-liked it If you liked "Into The Wild" you might try this one too.

Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon by Mark di Vincenzo

Why We Broke up By Daniel Handler (library)

Trixie Belden and the Sasquatch Mystery by Kathryn Kenny

The Good Thief's Guide to Paris by Chris Ewan another by this author and I am enjoying them immensely!
Her Fork in the Road edited by Lisa Bach (short stories) gift from a friend
The Neon Jungle by John D. MacDonald
The Invisible Line by Daniel J. Sharfstein (library) very interesting about African Americans and mixed race African Americans passing as white in America.

Man in the Woods by Scott Spencer (library) mystery

Haunted Hikes by Andrea Lankford, serendipity, one of the hikes in this book concerns the disappearance of Everett Ruess that I read about earlier this month!

The Scottish Prisoner by Diana Gabaldon

Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich (library) yeah, my excuse is that Ryan had it laying around the house. Like a pint of Ben and Jerry's, I couldn't resist

We bought a Zoo by Benjamin Mee (library) the book that the movie is based on
Murder for the Bride by John D. MacDonald

When in Germany, do as the Germans do by Hyde Flippo

The Bountiful Container by Rose Marie Nichols McGee and Maggie Stuckey--getting tips about growing veggies on my deck

20 books read this month

Monday's Postcard: Indianapolis

This postcard is from a layover in Indianapolis in 1991.

Wild Card: Nancy Drew

Today's wild card is from Applewood Books. They published reprints of the original Nancy Drew books, and I always loved getting their postcards! A great addition to my Nancy Drew collection. And appropriate because of the Nancy Drew convention going on in Phoenix, AZ this coming weekend!!

Monday's Postcard: Tikal

I visited Tikal in 2002 and sent this postcard to my Granny.

Monday's Postcard: Newport Beach, CA

A postcard from my family visiting Newport Beach, CA. Thanks so much!!

Monday's Postcard: Plymouth Rock

Plymouth Rock, yes there is an actual rock and here is photographic proof!!

Books I read in February 2012

The Children's section of the Camarillo, CA public library! I just love those columns that look like stacks of books.

The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz--fun if you like Evanovitch, try these

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer (library) and incredibly sad, I have to make sure I don't read stuff like these around Ryan. He hates it when I cry and I do cry while I read. I also cannot watch sad movies around him. In fact, he has already forbidden me to watch this movie. And I don't know if I can watch it after reading the book. --might have to wait a year or so.

Mad Love by Suzanne Selfors (library) YA Romance/literary fun read it for valentine's day

Pauline Kael A Life in the Dark by Brian Kellow (library) Bio of New Yorker film critic

Sister by Rosamund Lupton (library)

Talk Talk by T. C. Boyle (library)-thriller with a deaf protagonist who is a victim of identity theft enjoyed it

V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton (library) love these, unlike Evanovitch, Grafton seems to grow with each book, her mysteries are unique and not the same old same old

Shine by Lauren Myracle (library)

The Paper Garden by Molly Peacock (library)-wonderful!

Life as We Knew it by Susan Beth Pfeffer (library)-YA dystopian fiction--good

The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler (library) Fun YA timetravel

20 Times a Lady by Karyn Bosnak (library) book was the basis of the movie "what's your number"

Feng Shui for Beginners by Richard Webster -wanted a little info while decorating the new condo :-)

Barry Manilow The Biography by Patricia Butler -yeah, I'm a fan

Unwind by Neal Shusterman (library)-YA really good

The Children of Men by PD James (library)--a bit different from the movie of course

Adverbs by Daniel Handler--Handler is Lemony Snicket and I love those books. These are short stories

Bad Haircut by Tom Perrotta (short stories)Perrotta wrote Election which was made into the movie with Reese Witherspoon. So I love his stuff. If In Zanesville was teenage girl angst, this is teenage boy angst. Great

The Good Thief's Guide to Amsterdam by Chris Ewan-fun reminded me of the Donald Westlake novels about Dortmunder (a thief) and very good in their own right.

The Last Town on Earth by Thomas Mullen (library)-Thumbs Up, Spanish Flu in small town in 1918

I'm Not the New Me by Wendy McClure -very cute memoir about weight loss and life of a single gal in Chicago

Favorite quote from a book this month: From Mad Love, they are talking about romances that have happy endings:

"'Bella and Edward have a happy ending', I said...'Bella ends up an undead, married teenage mom. If that sounds like a happy ending to you then you've got issues,' Realm said."

Part of what makes it funny to me is that the Realm character is such a dark, goth character and number two, I feel the same way about the Twilight books!!

21 books read

abandoned books:

A Small Hotel by Robert Olen Butler (library) too sappy romantic for my taste at the moment
Swan Song by Robert Mc Cammon (library) got tired of post-apocalyptic fiction but might give this one another go at another time.

Monday's Postcard: Mono Lake

Happy Birthday to my sister and this postcard is from her! She visited here in 2008 on a photography field trip. The crazy rock formations are called tufa towers, they are made of limestone.

Monday's Postcard: Malaysia

A postcard of some palaces in Penang, from my Dad in 1993. Penang has a huge expatriate population from many other Asian countries and the UK. Many folks from other countries retire to Penang, they promote this through a special visa program that allows people to stay for 10 years at a time.

Monday's Postcard: Casares

A postcard from the Costa del Sol in Spain.

Burts Bees Shimmer equals puffed up Lips!!

I love Burts Bees lip balm. I use it all the time. And the other night I could not find a single tube in the house, so instead, I used what I thought was the next best thing, the Burts Bees Shimmer.

The one on the left in this photo that has some red color to it. Well, I walk back into the living room and Ryan asks me what's wrong with my lips. "They look all puffed up," he says. "It's just chapstick," I say. "I don't like it," Ryan says. "Looks like Clown Lips," he says. Seriously, I thought that puffed up lips was what guys wanted. After all, why do all the movie stars get their lips pumped up? Why is Angelina Jolie so popular? Supposedly, it is all about the pouty lips. But not in my house. My boyfriend likes plain old chapstick lips. :-) Good, cause that is what I like too!

Monday's Postcard: Peabody Ducks

The Peabody Hotel in Memphis is famous for it's ducks who live on the roof and march through the hotel to frolic in the fountain in the lobby.

Books I read in January 2012

I know you guys were wondering if you would see this again this year!
I really wanted to quit posting my reading list, but I had emails from so many people asking me to continue.

Writing the little "reviews" of each book was so much work and that was what I was resisting, so this year, I am not going to review EVERY book that I read. I will give you the list and perhaps write a bit about the books that were my favorites each month.

Also, I want to add the books that I abandon. These are books that I start that I never finish. There were many every month last year. Often I get a recommendation and I start the book and I don't like it, so I don't bother to finish it. So this year, you will get that list too.

Photo is from Kansas City, KS public library.

Miracle Cure by Harlan Coben

The Cutie by Donald Westlake
First Cases ed. by Robert J. Randisi (short stories)
Make the Bread, Buy the Butter by Jennifer Reese (library) ***great, I recommend to my foodie friends!!
The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbol (library) dark thriller

Haunting Jasmine by Anjali Banerjee (library) romance with a literary twist very cute
The Distant Hours by Kate Morton (library)
The 13th Hour by Richard Doetsch (library)-time travel thriller
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks By Rebecca Skloot (library)
The Piano Teacher by Janice Y. K. Lee (library)-- set in Hong Kong, if you like Empire of the Sun/Lisa See etc.
The Faculty Club by Danny Tobey (library) fantasy
Walk the Blue Fields by Claire Keegan (library)-short stories
The Exile by Diana Gabaldon (graphic novel)--cartoons for adults :-)

Nancy Drew The Legend at Miner's Creek by Carolyn Keene

Nancy Drew The Legend of The Emerald Lady by Carolyn Keene
Three Day Town by Margaret Maron (library) one of my favorite authors, but I prefer when her protagonist is in NC. In this one, they visit NYC.
What the Night Knows by Dean Koontz
Swamplandia by Karen Russell
Clemmie by John D MacDonald

The Total Tragedy of a Girl named Hamlet by Erin Dionne (library)-YA fun

Murder One by Robert Dugoni (library)

Abandoned:

Veracity by Laura Bynum (library)--scifi fantasy and I just got tired of this stuff too, couldn't finish and got other books from the library that I wanted to read more!
Smoking Poppy by Graham Joyce--just got tired of this author

21 books, Hard to pick a favorite.

Wild Card: Yosemite

Today's wild card is from my good friends, Diane and John Steele. They were visiting Yosemite last year and sent me this gorgeous card. I just love these retro advertising posters for the National Parks!!

Monday's Postcard: Point Pleasant, West Virginia

Point Pleasant, West Virginia, this park is the site of the first battle of the American Revolution! I received this postcard from my Granny.

Monday's Postcard: Sebastian Inlet, Florida

Florida is where you want to be in January! I love the beaches along the east coast of Florida. I could walk them for miles.

Wild Card: Isle of Wight

This wild card is from my good friends, Slade and Tammy Lewis when they visited the Isle of Wight in 1991! A blast from the past! They were having a wonderful time and waiting to board a ferry when they wrote this card to me. Thanks you guys!!

Monday's Postcard: La Ceiba

I received this postcard from Ryan in 2002 while he was in Honduras learning Spanish.

Monday's Postcard: Snowmass

I received this postcard from my parents while they were vacationing at Snowmass in 2005.

New Year's Resolution: December Update

My final post for my reading in 2011! This is a used bookstore in Chester, UK. When I was stuck in Manchester, England during the Icelandic Volcano eruption in April of 2010, I traveled to Chester to do a little sightseeing and of course I visited all the used bookstores!

From Those Wonderful Folks Who Gave You Pearl Harbor by Jerry Della Femina (library)
Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen
Dreamside by Graham Joyce
The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin (library)
The God of Animals by Aryn Kyle (library)
The Ballad of Tom Dooley by Sharyn McCrumb (library)
This Beautiful Life by Helen Schulman (library)
Next to Love by Ellen Feldman (library)
A Good Hard Look by Ann Napolitano (library)
Maine by Courtney J. Sullivan (library)
The Maid by Kimberly Cutter (library)
11/22/63 by Stephen King
The Accident by Linwood Barclay (library)
Furious Love by Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger (library)
The Mysterious North ed. by Dana Stabenow (short stories)

The Partly Cloudy Patriot by Sarah Vowell

I am a huge fan of the TV show Mad Men and 'From Those Wonderful Folks..." is about NYC advertising agencies in the glory days of the 60's and 70's. Like the book, "Coffee, Tea or Me" which was about the glamorous airline business of that era, "From Those Wonderful Folks..." tells about the advertising world from a fellow who lived it. If you like Mad Men, give it a whirl.

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress is a memoir about a girl who was raised Mennonite, but rebelled a bit. And how her family and her faith are there for her when she is in her forties and getting divorced and hitting rough patches in her life. I was reluctant to read this thinking that she was going to just be all about rebelling and trashing her upbringing. But it was refreshing to hear her acknowledging that it was not such a bad way to grow up. And she explains the difference between Mennonite and Amish :-)

Dreamside, another creepy book by Graham Joyce and I think I am getting tired of his stuff. I really liked Silent Land and had such high hopes for his other books, but I am just not enjoying them as much. Dreamside is a bunch of college kids who get involved in some dream experiments and the line between the dream world and the real world is dissolved. Odd stuff.

The American Heiress is a romance novel plain and simple. It was pretty good. But basically a bit of fluff.

The God of Animals is another "young girl coming of age" novel. The protagonist lives on her family horse ranch and there is all sorts of dysfunctional family stuff going on, I enjoyed it quite a lot.

The Ballad of Tom Dooley is a fictionalized account of the true story that inspired the song. Loved it.

This Beautiful Life is a cautionary tale of the damage that can be done by sending videos over the internet. In these days of bullying and facebook and everyone's personal business being sent over the internet for the whole world to access, it is worth thinking about the things that could go wrong. Very similar to another book I read this year, "Want to Go Private?" by Sarah Darer Littman Very Good

Next to Love is a novel about WWII, the women who are left behind when their husbands go off to war and how they respond when their men come back...or not. It reminded me of the Elizabeth Berg novels about the same time period. So if you like Elizabeth Berg, I would recommend this one too.

A Good Hard Look is a southern novel about Flannery O'Connor. It is a fictionalized account of the last years of her life through the eyes of her neighbors in Georgia. I enjoyed it more than I do O'Connor's own novels. Very melodramatic.

Maine is one of those sprawling novels about a dysfunctional family. It was recommended to me as a great beach read. It features a large Irish family full of alcoholics and repressed emotions. They have a summer house in Maine that features in the plot. I enjoyed it.

The Maid is about Joan of Arc and I enjoyed it. Another historical figure that I did not know that much about (like Cleopatra, who I read about earlier this year). So it was good to learn about her.

11/22/63 is the newest Stephen King novel. I loved it. Of course I am a huge fan. I got this one for Christmas and read it immediately. I loved the time travel part about life in late 1950's early 1960's. It got a little boring for me when it delved into the minute details of Lee Harvey Oswald's life prior to his actions on 11/22/63. For those that do not like horror or are afraid of the horror aspect of Stephen King, there was not anything worse than the "everyday horror" of men who beat their wives and children. The only supernatural part of the book was the ability to time travel. And yes, I read it in about 8 hours. I can't be sure, probably less. I was at work and had to keep getting up to answer call bells and get people drinks etc. :-) I read it in two days, first day on a 4 1/2 hour redeye flight and the next day a couple of hours while waiting to go to work and then about 2 hours on the 5 hour flight back to the West Coast, After all, I was WORKING! They don't pay me to sit around reading all day (if only!! :-)

The Accident is Linwood Barclay's latest thriller. I liked it a lot, his books move quickly and get you swept up immediately in the story.

Furious Love is the story of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. The Original "Brangelina" who originated the Paparazzi. Before them scandal was the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Taylor and Burton lived their romance totally in the public eye. They got together at the end of the Hollywood studio system and the beginning of the swinging 60's. A fascinating story.

Mysterious North is a collection of short stories about Alaska lots of famous mystery authors contributed. Sue Henry, John Straley, Anne Perry and more. I love to read these on the plane, I can read a story and then do some work then read another story.

Another Sarah Vowell book, this one is a collection of different essays on all kinds of subjects. I kept wanting to read stuff aloud to Ryan.

Only 16 books read this month. 250 books read in 2011.

favorites were:

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

At Home: A short history of private life by Bill Bryson

The Borrower by Rebecca Makkai

Buried Prey by John Sandford

Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell

InZanesville by JoAnn Beard

and 11/22/63 by Stephen King

Monday's Postcard: Rome

Happy New Year! The Weekly postcards on Monday's were so popular last year, I have decided to do them again in 2012. The Spanish Steps in Rome, one of my favorite layovers.

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