Thursday, June 30, 2016

June 2016 Reading



The Spider Sapphire Mystery by Carolyn Keene  Yes, I still read Nancy Drew books. This one was actually written by Harriet Adams in 1968.  I belong to a book club that reads the Nancy Drew books and discusses them!!
Agatha Christie's Miss Marple by Anne Hart A "biography" of the fictional Miss Marple. If you are a fan, this is a must read. She has one about Hercule Poirot that is now on my TBR list as well.
Winterkill by C J Box There is nothing better than reading a book set in the Snowy Winter of Wyoming during a hot summer day!!
Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart (library) Oh I really enjoyed this one and highly recommend it. Set in NJ in the 1900's so if you are a Downton Abbey fan give it a try, also if you are a Girls Series Collector, this one is a lot of fun,
Empire of Things by Frank Trentmann (library) I liked this one, although often it felt like homework, like I was reading a textbook. But I found the subject very interesting. The history of the consumer and how we are compelled to buy and collect things.
They Do it with Mirrors by Agatha Christie (audiobook) One reason I like to "hear" books that I have already read before on audiobook, is like why I can watch a Shakespeare Play over and over again. I like to hear the different voices of the book done differently and I sometimes see something new in the plot or characterization that I might have missed reading. I like how it becomes a little different in my head, my imaginings of the place or the people.
The Longest Night by Andria Williams (library) a fictional account of a nuclear accident in Idaho Falls, ID in 1961. I liked it and I am often intrigued by so much of the history of the USA that we do not know about. Three Mile Island you know about, but 3 people died at the accident at Idaho Falls and no one knows about it.
Girl About Town by Adam Shankman (library) a fun book (I think this is a YA title) set during the depression in Hollywood. With a fun heroine and hero who join forces to solve a murder mystery. I liked it
Breaking Wild by Diane Les Becquets (library) another cold weather book to read on a hot day. It is about a female hunter who gets lost in the Colorado Wilderness and the female BLM search and rescue ranger who hunts for her. I really liked all the detail about the search process and the hunting process (not being a hunter myself)
The Wind Done Gone by Alice Randall (library) a spoof of Gone with the Wind, from the point of view of the slaves. Very interesting/entertaining
Extreme Prey by John Sandford (library) The latest Lucas Davenport thriller. It concerns a threat against a presidential candidate. I liked it as usual and read it in about 6 hours!
My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell (library) I recently watched the TV series based  on this book and really enjoyed it. About an English Family who go to live on a Greek Island.
The Life and Times of Hercule Poirot by Anne Hart. This one is the Biography of Hercule Poirot. If you are a Christie fan, check these books by Anne Hart out. Very enjoyable.
Pilgrim with No Direction by Brian R. Murdock  In anticipation of hiking the Portuguese Camino de Santiago later this year. I got this book about a guy hiking the trail It is wonderful. I loved it and now I am looking forward to the hike so much more!! The guy is really funny and I laughed out loud several times and had to read parts aloud to Ryan, I am even going to give you a link where you can buy the book (Kindle or paperback) cause I liked it that much!! Just click on the name of the book!!
Hang a Thousand Trees with Ribbons by Ann Rinaldi So my car breaks down and I was lucky that I have a few books in the car that I save to trade into Little Free Libraries that I see around town. This book had come out of a Little Free Library and had not made it into the house yet!! So I was happy to read it while I waited for the AAA guy to come save me. It is a YA book about Slavery
The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey (audiobook) I had not read this book in several years and it is really really interesting. It concerns the murder of the boys in the tower by Richard the Third.  Tey's Inspector Grant is laid up with an injury and spends his convalescence trying to figure out the truth of this historical murder.
Trespassing Across America by Ken Ilgunas (library) So I saw this one at Third Place Books in Seattle and picked it up thinking that it was going to be mainly about his hike from Canada down to Texas across America...well, it is really about the XL pipeline that they are proposing to build to bring oil down to the ports in Texas from the oil fields in the north. So I was ready for a lot of environmental preaching. Surprise!! This is still a very interesting hiking story and I learned about the pipeline and why it is a bad idea.
Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben (library) I am a fan of Harlan Coben and this book no exception. He writes a good thriller.
Manzanar to Mount Whitney by  Hank Umemoto (library) This is a book about a Japanese American man who was interned at Manzanar as a boy and dreamed of hiking Mount Whitney (which you can see from the camp) and the hike he makes later in life to fulfill that quest.
The Girls by Emma Cline (library) one girl's story of getting swept up by a cult. I am always amazed at what people will do to be liked and accepted as part of a group. Maybe because I am introverted, I never felt this aching need to be part of a group. I could be content to be by myself.
Like a Beggar by Ellen Bass (library) a book of poetry and if you have been following my blog entries for some time, you don't see much poetry here. I am not really a poetry reader. I LIKE poetry. But it takes slow and contemplative reading and I just don't do that. I usually tear thru books just soaking them up like a sponge. Poetry wants you to wallow in it. Or at least that is my take on poetry. So WHY am I reading poetry all of a sudden? Well, I am participating in Reading Book Bingo at the Seattle Library this summer. It is a cool summer reading program for adults where you have to read certain things to fill in your bingo card. So I needed Poetry and I needed "something out of my comfort zone" and I needed something by Seattle Art and Lectures participants. What this means is that you are going to see more poetry in my reading list next month as well!! LOL cause Poetry will help fill all three of those squares! So about these poems. I really liked them. I LIKE the classics like Frost, Yeats, Longfellow, Wordsworth, etc. But usually the "modern" poets I don't like so much. exceptions are Sylvia Plath, Dylan Thomas and Robert Service. So I was not prepared to really enjoy these as much as I did!! I would definitely read more Ellen Bass.

Monday, June 27, 2016

Monday's Postcard 2016: The Far Side


 A couple of my favorite Far Side comics on postcards. The Ship of Fools/Car of Idiots has been on my bulletin board for YEARS!!

Monday, June 20, 2016

Monday's Postcard 2016: Weddings






                                    These postcards were sent to me to announce weddings!

Monday, June 13, 2016

Monday's Postcard 2016: Cats






                          These Cat postcards were sent to me from a friend in Europe.

Monday, June 06, 2016

Monday's Postcard 2016: Antique Aircraft






                 I love these old aircraft themed postcards and I am always looking for cards that are        aviation related when I am at antique malls. I just had an opportunity to have empathy for those of you who have trouble finding postcards. Ryan and I were vacationing in Dallas, TX and we visited several touristy spots and the postcards were either very expensive ($1) or they were not very interesting and I had trouble finding anything that I wanted to send to anyone!! 

Wednesday, June 01, 2016

May 2016 Reading



Heat Lightning by John Sandford A Virgil Flowers mystery. I enjoy these and I usually have a few paperbacks in my luggage when I travel. This was one that I turned to while flying at the beginning of May.
Because of Winn-Dixie by Katie DiCamillo Some friends were discussing this book and I realized that I had not read it! So easily remedied. Read it quickly in one day.
Journey To Munich by Jacqueline Winspear (library) the latest Maisie Dobbs novel. Love it
Savage Run by C J Box another Joe Pickett novel as I make my way thru this series
The Road to Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson (library) I always enjoy Bryson's observations about life
Mrs. Houdini by Victoria Kelly (library) I like the book and the story from Houdini's wife's point of view, however, I was a little annoyed at the back and forth from the story of how they met and lived with the things going on after Houdini's death. I would have prefered a more linear story. I would just be getting into their relationship and the author switches to the flimflam artists that duped Mrs. Houdini later in life. Just start understanding that and switch back again. Annoying.
Maphead by Ken Jennings (library). Yes the Ken Jennings who won at Jeopardy!  Loved this book. Totally awesome, all my Letterboxing friends need to run out and get it ( if only to get mad over the geocaching chapter). And I thought of my friend, John, who used to work at Caltrans when I read the Roadgeeks chapter!
Coronado by Dennis Lehane  a collection of Short Stories by one of my favorite authors
The Widow by Fiona Barton (library) good suspense and pseudo mystery Not as good as Girl on a Train or Gone Girl, but not bad
Inspector Cadaver by Georges Simenon I recently saw Maigret Sets a Trap on ITV in the UK and so now I am intrigued by Inspector Maigret. This is one of many books featuring this sleuth by Georges Simenon
Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon. This is the guy who wrote The Strange Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. I liked this book too.
Boar Island by Nevada Barr ( library) the latest Anna Pigeon mystery. This one takes place at Acadia National Park in Maine.
The First Time She Drowned by Kerry Kletter ( library) story of a girl who spent her teen years institutionalized and her life as she tries to live in the real world, Coming to terms with the mother who had he locked away
A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin (library) this is a collection of short stories and it is wonderful.  I loved just about every single story love love loved her prose, her use of words to paint a picture in my head.
Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown   My sister gave me this book and I had to hurry and read it before the movie comes out!! About the University of Washington crew team and their journey to the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Very Good I went back and forth from reading the book and listening to the audiobook in my car. The audiobook is awesome just because it is read by Edward Hermann.
Face Off  ed. by David Baldacci an awesome collection of short stories. From the Thriller Writers of America. Each story has a famous protagonist from one author combined with the famous protagonist of another author, with the two authors combining forces to write the story. I thought it was a pretty interesting gimmick and really enjoyed it!!

Monday, May 30, 2016

Monday's Postcard 2016: Sock Monkeys





Very Silly Sock Monkey Postcards....Just more examples of postcards that are not really from any place, but are just for fun! 

Monday, May 23, 2016

Monday's Postcard 2016: Recipes





Now it could be argued that you can only get recipe cards from cities that have a great culinary reputation....like New Orleans or Paris...but these recipe cards could really be found anywhere.

Monday, May 16, 2016

Monday's Postcard 2016: Gameshows



                                      

  I thought these Game Show Postcards were funny

Monday, May 09, 2016

Monday's Postcard 2016: Floral


                            

 Just some decorative floral postcards that I found at a bookstore

Monday, May 02, 2016

Monday's Postcard 2016: Quotes


         

Just random postcards that I pick up in card shops because I think they are funny

Saturday, April 30, 2016

April 2016 Reading



Barbarian Days by William Finnegan (library) The story of a surfer from California to Hawaii and the rest of the world
Catherine by April Lindner A modern retelling of Wurthering Heights
Nuts by Kevin and Jackie Freiberg The story of Southwest Airlines unusual management style and why it has been so successful
The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kiernan The story of the women who worked at Oak Ridge, TN during WWII ...a part of the Manhattan Project. I really enjoyed this one! And I will be doing some more research about Oak Ridge and maybe reading some more about this part of the war effort in the USA. I am especially fascinated with Ed Westcott's photos of the area.
The Last Painting of Sara De Vos by  Dominic Smith (library) very interesting following the history of a painting by a woman (gasp) thru it's history of sales and fraud
Kill the Boy Band by Goldy Moldavsky (library) so much fun, a group of friends stalking their favorite Boy Band end up kidnapping the most lame member of the band
Bettyville by George Hodgman ( library). So sad. But very good.  I enjoyed reading it, but it was really depressing. Be warned, if you are feeling fragile.
Open Season by C J Box the first of the Joe Pickett game warden books.   I'll be going thru all these in this series.
The Mystery of the Martello Tower by Jennifer Lanthier fun kids mystery by a Canadian author. There is another Hazel Frump mystery and I will try to track that one down too!
Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld (library) so much fun a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice. I really enjoyed it!!
The Secret River by Kate Grenville (library) the story of a family sent to Australia as convicts in the 17th century. After their prison terms were served most stayed in Australia and joined the other settlers, with some rising to prominent positions in Australian society. Approximately 20% of modern Australians are descended from transported convicts. Once deemed the "convict stain", it is now considered by many Australians to be a cause for celebration to have a convict in one's lineage.
Be Frank with Me by Julia Claiborne Johnson (library) about a reclusive author and her quirky son Enjoyed very much, the author is a cross between JD Salinger and Harper Lee
Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann This book is just too precious. I loved it. It is a murder mystery and it is told from the point of view of Sheep!! They wake up one morning and their shepherd is dead, it is foul play and they decide to find out what happened. There is another book by this author, but as she is German, it has not been translated into English yet!!  Bummer. Another reason I should have learned German!!!

Monday, April 25, 2016

Monday's Postcard 2016: Horses









When I was a kid, I had a bit of horse fever like every other adolescent girl. Reading Black Beauty, The Black Stallion and Misty of Chincoteague and these antique postcards were probably acquired during that era.

Monday, April 18, 2016

Monday's Postcard 2016: Barbie







       I love aviation themed postcards and these Barbie Flight Attendant cards are awesome!!

Monday, April 11, 2016

Monday's Postcard 2016: Floral Ships







                                      I just love these antique postcards of Floral Ships.

Monday, April 04, 2016

Monday's Postcard 2016: Books







     As a reminder, this years collection of postcards are just to illustrate that you don't have to travel to exotic places to find postcards. I bought a bunch of these postcards several years ago at a bookstore. Lots of images of books.

Thursday, March 31, 2016

March 2016 Reading



The Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benjamin Truman Capote among the rich and famous in NYC I enjoyed it
Blues of a Lifetime The Autobiography of Cornell Woolrich Ed. by Mark Bassett  I have been fascinated with this Author once I found out that he wrote so many books that were made into Films during the 30's and 40's, but how many recognize his name?
The Big Short by Michael Lewis (library) made into a movie, about the bursting of the housing/loan bubble. I could barely keep up with all the financial wheeling and dealing. Basically, only a few saw it coming and no one else thought there was anything wrong?
Not my Father's Son by Alan Cumming (library) Very interesting Autobiography of one of my favorite actors
The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty (library) I really really enjoy this author and this is now one of my favorites by her
The Unfortunate Importance of Beauty by Amanda Filipacchi (library) There was a lot in this book that was just plain silly, but the message is looks are not everything.
Ghostman by Roger Hobbs (library) a heist book. I really liked it. About a casino robbery gone wrong in Atlantic City and the "fixer", the Ghostman who comes in and cleans up the mess.
Chosen by a Horse by Susan Richards (library) dealing with grief by helping an abused horse
What was Mine by Helen Klein Ross(library) about a woman who kidnaps a baby and raises it as her own and what happens when the child finds out when she is 20 years old.
My Sister, My Love by Joyce Carol Oates (library) thinly disguised re-telling of the Jon Benet Ramsey tragedy from the point of view of a sibling.The format was a little odd...very disjointed and that bothered me reading it. Lots of weird footnotes and so forth.
Looking for Andrew McCarthy by Jenny Colgan Fun Chic Lit Ellie thinks that Andrew McCarthy can solve her relationship problems. something Kinda weird....both this book and What Was Mine had scenes in an Ikea store at the beginning of the book. Such a weird coincidence !

Monday, March 28, 2016

Monday's Postcard 2016: Sailboats






  These postcards were advertising for these sailboats that were available for charter in the 1970's. I found them in a bunch of my Dad's papers after he died.

Monday, March 21, 2016

Monday's Postcard 2016: Daiso






I bought these postcards at Daiso...what I call the Japanese Dollar Store. They have quirky things from Japan and everything is $1.50  Check them out and see if there is a Daiso store near you!! Daiso

Monday, March 14, 2016

Monday's Postcard 2016: Bears







I got these postcards as examples of an artist in California many years ago. I could not afford to buy a painting, but I can buy postcards. I love these!