Welcome to another day to talk books, chat about our blogs, and share snippets of our lives.

It’s been a really great week, despite the rain—or maybe partly because of it—and I’ve enjoyed some blogging and reading moments.

The weekend has been really great, too; my granddaughter Fiona came over, and we had lunch, did some shopping, and saw the movie One for the Money.  Loved it!

As you may (or maybe not) recall, I had downloaded the e-book a couple of weeks ago, so I could read it beforehand.  I’m glad I did.

I loved Debbie Reynolds in her characterization of Grandma Mazur.

We’re still hanging out, so I’ll be quick today.

Here are some of the week’s blog posts:

THE CREATIVE JOURNEY – BLOGS, BOOKS & PHOTOS

ON SEEING THE FOREST

I HAVE “MILES TO GO”

EXAMINING OUR DEFINING MOMENTS

SURROUNDED BY COZINESS

DESIGN IS IN THE DETAILS-OR RATIONALIZING 101

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Books Read/Reviewed – Click Titles for Reviews:

1.  Quick and the Thread, The – Amanda Lee –

2.    One Day at a Time - Danielle Steel

3.    Diana:  In Pursuit of Love – Andrew Morton

4.     Mudbound (e-book) - Hillary Jordan

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And that’s my week!  Loved its variety.  As you may notice if you check out my blog posts, I added another writing blog, My Forest Journey.  Hope you join me there.

What are your plans for the day?  I hope you’ll stop by and share….

Welcome to another edition of Teaser Tuesdays, hosted by Should Be Reading.

To join in, here’s how it works:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

Today I’ve grabbed a book that’s been on my stacks for awhile:  a story about unexpected events and seeing the world and the people in it in new ways.  One Day at a Time is by Danielle Steel.

Blurb:  Coco Barrington was born into a legendary Hollywood family, her last name loaded with expectations. Her mother is a mega-bestselling author who writes under the name of Florence Flowers—and her sister, Jane, is one of Hollywood’s top producers. They’re not your typical family by any means.…Jane has lived with her partner, Liz, for ten years, in a solid, loving relationship. Florence, widowed but still radiant, has just begun a secret romance with a man twenty-four years her junior. And Coco, a law school dropout and the family black sheep, works as a dog walker, having fled life in the spotlight for the artsy northern California beach town of Bolinas.

But when Coco reluctantly agrees to dog-sit in Jane’s luxurious home, she soon discovers how much things can change in just a matter of days.…It turns out Jane’s house comes complete with an unexpected houseguest: Leslie Baxter, a dashing but down-to-earth British actor who’s fleeing a psycho ex-girlfriend. Their worlds couldn’t be more different. The attraction couldn’t be more immediate.

Suddenly Coco is seeing things differently: Leslie is not just a celebrity, he’s a single dad to an adorable six-year-old girl. Her mother is not just a self-centered walking advertisement for great cosmetic surgery, she’s a woman in love, with vulnerability and new insight. And Jane and Liz are about to take the bravest plunge of all—into parenthood. As Coco contemplates a future with one of Hollywood’s hottest stars, as her mother and sister settle into their lives, old wounds are healed and new familes are formed—some traditional, some not so traditional, but all bonded by love.

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Teaser:  “We have a strike on the set, sound technicians.  Liz left last night.  I’ve got to get there by tonight for a meeting with the union, and I have no one for Jack.  My house-sitter’s mother died, and she’s got to stay in Seattle with her sick father indefinitely.  She just called and bagged on me, and my flight’s in two hours.”  Coco frowned as she listened.

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What are you excerpting today?  I hope you’ll pop in here and share your thoughts and links.

Good morning, Sunday Saloners.

Welcome to another day to talk books, chat about our blogs, and share snippets of our lives.

Today was a rainy day here, but not the stormy kind of day.  Just a light, gentle sprinkling that encourages me to curl up and read.

Noah was here, and curled up with his video games.  We watched a movie, too.

A Good Day to Curl up and Read

This past week, I finished my usual number of reads, but one of them was a chunkster from my TBR stacks!  How pleased was I.

Even more so, since it was a delightful read that seemed to breeze along.

I did a little blogging, too, in addition to the usual memes.  Here are some of the posts:

EXPLORING FAVORITE AUTHORS

HUMP DAY POTPOURRI -LIFE’S IRRITATIONS

POIGNANT MEMORIES: AN EXCERPT

SATURDAY POTPOURRI

Here is my week’s reading-click titles for reviews:

1.   Unraveling Anne, by Laurel Saville

2.  Almost a Crime, by Penny Vincenzi

3.   Henry’s Sisters (e-book), by Cathy Lamb

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Sunday will be more reading, a little writing, and some movie watching.  I’m curious about this movie that I saw on On Demand.

The Ides of March is available on DVD.

What are your plans today?  Any books that are really grabbing your attention?  Stop on by and let’s chat….

Welcome to another edition of Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by Jill, at Breaking the Spine.

Today I’m excited about a book I’ve preordered for Sparky, my Kindle, to be released on 2/7/12.  Spin, by Catherine McKenzie, is a fresh, sassy and compelling novel delivered with pitch-perfect humor.

Product Description

Kate’s To-Do List:

Go to rehab
Befriend/spy on “It Girl”
Write killer expose
Land dream job

Piece of cake!

When Kate Sandford lands an interview at her favorite music magazine, The Line, it’s the chance of a lifetime. So Kate goes out to celebrate—and shows up still drunk to the interview the next morning. It’s no surprise that she doesn’t get the job, but her performance has convinced the editors that she’d be perfect for an undercover assignment for their gossip rag. All Kate has to do is follow “It Girl” Amber Sheppard into rehab. If she can get the inside scoop—and complete the thirty-day program—they’ll reconsider her for the position at The Line. Kate takes the assignment, but when real friendships start to develop, she has to decide if what she has to gain is worth the price she’ll have to pay.

***

This one sounds like a lot of fun to me.  Here are some blurbs from reviewers:

“Imagine if Bridget Jones fell into a million little pieces, flew over the cuckoo’s nest, and befriended Lindsay Lohan along the way….” (Leah McLaren, Globe and Mail columnist, author of The Continuity Girl )

“McKenzie’s tale of girls gone wild and gone to rehab is ripped straight from the latest tabloid headlines and will keep readers intrigued to the very last page.” (RT Book Reviews (top pick) )

“Catherine McKenzie, in her debut novel, ably invites the reader into the story… For readers who enjoy a light, breezy love story, this book clips along well and satisfies. Many will likely find this book enjoyable and a worthy debut effort by Catherine McKenzie.” (New York Journal of Books )

***

What new and exciting tomes are you awaiting?  I hope you’ll come on by and share….

Grab some coffee and let's talk!

Good morning!  Let’s welcome in our third Sunday of the year by joining in another Sunday Salon.

I started off Saturday lounging around in bed.  Today (Sunday), I thought I’d have breakfast in bed.

Now that I’m feeling cozy, let’s talk books and blogging.

Here are some of my favorite blog posts this week:

MONDAY POTPOURRI:  READING THOUGHTS

TUESDAY POTPOURRI:  BOOKS INTO MOVIES

AUTHOR INTERVIEW OF L. J. GARDNER

THURSDAY POTPOURRI:  ATTITUDE

FAVORITE MEMORIES: EXCERPT FROM INTERIOR DESIGNS

SATURDAY MEANDERINGS

Books Read-Click Titles for Reviews:

1.      So Pretty It Hurts – Kate White

2.  I’ve Got Your Number, by Sophie Kinsella

3.  Hot Chocolate (e-book), by Dawn Greenfield Ireland (Review will be posted on 2/2/12 at Chocolate & Mimosas)

4.  One for the Money (e-book), by Janet Evanovich

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That was my week…it was a nice mix of mystery and women’s fiction.  Next week is going to be unique in that I’ll be reading the first of my chunksters from the TBR stacks.

Hope you all have a great day…and a wonderful week!  What did you read and blog about?

Welcome to another edition of Waiting on Wednesday, our wonderful bookish event hosted by Jill, at Breaking the Spine.

To join, just click on the the logo and add your blog direct link to the list.  Celebrate with your own upcoming releases and visit everyone else, too.

Today I’ve decided to talk about Barbara Delinsky’s newest book, due out on 3/1/12:  First, Best & Only.

A passionate tale of love, tragedy and forgiveness by a best-selling author – Marni Lange was just seventeen when she fell passionately in love with the irresistibly sexy Brian Webster. Then a tragic accident tore them apart. Fourteen years later, Marni is now a successful businesswoman, about to appear on the cover of a national magazine – and come face-to-face with the world-famous photographer profiling her . . . Brian Webster. As Marni struggles with her attraction to the man who haunts her past, is she now brave enough to follow her heart and fight for what matters most?

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When the accidental events in our lives separate us from our loved ones, is there hope for a reunion?  Or is it serendipity when the loved ones find each other again?  Whatever is happening, isn’t it great to read such a story?

I hope you’ll stop by and share your own exciting books today.

As Poppy and her techno-buddy Sam gradually learn more about each other, what, if anything, will happen between them? What will Poppy discover about her fiancé Magnus that could turn everything in a different direction?

Even though my version of the book was an ARC, I want to share an excerpt that sums up how a small piece of another person’s world, as seen via texts and e-mails, is just that. A very small piece.

In this excerpt, Poppy is drawing some conclusions, as she reflects on the e-mails and text messages she is privy to:

“All this time I’ve thought I could see Sam’s entire life. But it wasn’t his entire life, was it? It was one in-box. And I judged him on it.

“He has friends. He has a life. He has a relationship with his family. He has a whole load of stuff I have no idea about. I was an idiot if I thought I’d got to know the whole story. I know a single chapter. That’s all.”

A reminder to all of us who rely on the impressions we glean through social networks, e-mails, and texts: we are subjected to snippets of people, a version they choose to present to the world technologically. What does all of this say about us? And with this kind of communication, is there a way to form a real and lasting commitment?

The story is told in Poppy’s first person voice, and it didn’t take very long for me to root for her. I enjoyed this character even more than Kinsella’s famous Becky Bloomwood. I could relate to her in ways that I could not connect with Becky, even though I also adored that series. There was one annoying aspect of the writing style that subtracted from my enjoyment: An ongoing series of footnotes. Therefore, four stars!

Grab some coffee, and let's chat!

Welcome to the 2nd Sunday Salon of the New Year!  We are full of our new goals, resolutions, and plans….I wonder how it will all play out?

So far this year, I’ve done some blog posts focused on New Year’s issues:

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS

INTERIOR DESIGNS:  EXPLORING CHARACTERS/EXCERPTS

HUMP DAY POTPOURRI:  NEW YEAR CHANGES

During the week, my youngest grandson celebrated his ninth birthday, so he is feeling full of energy and ready to take on the newest video games:

We celebrated with dinner last night at the restaurant of his choice.  Antonio’s Mexican Restaurant…I’m stuffed!

The reading week was pretty varied, ranging from a book by Adriana Trigiani to a Sophie Hannah thriller.

Books Read and Reviewed-Click Titles for Reviews:

1.    Brava, Valentine - Adriana Trigiani

2.     One Voice Too Many – Paul Martin Midden

3.  Room Swept White, A - Sophie Hannah

The Sophie Hannah book had 591 pages, so it went on my Chunkster Challenge list!

Today I’ll be reading So Pretty It Hurts, the newest Kate White mystery from Amazon Vine.

The first week of the New Year flew by for me….I would love to see a slightly slower pace, and I guess I could savor the moments a bit more.  What about you?  How do you enjoy the moments?

Welcome to another edition of Teaser Tuesdays, hosted by Should Be Reading. 

Here’s how it works:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

The book I’ve grabbed today is Just Breathe, by Susan Wiggs, and it’s an exploration of life and love.

Chicago cartoonist Sarah Moon tackles life’s real issues with a healthy dose of sharp wit in her syndicated comic strip Just Breathe. As Sarah’s cartoon alter ego, Shirl, undergoes artificial insemination, her situation begins to mirror Sarah’s own difficult attempts to conceive. However, Sarah’s dreams of the future did not include her husband’s infidelity: snag number two in Sarah’s so-called perfect life.

With Chicago and her marriage in the rearview mirror, she flees to the small Northern California coastal town where she grew up, a place she couldn’t wait to leave. Now she finds herself revisiting the past, an emotionally distant father and the unanswered questions left by her mother’s death. As she comes to terms with her lost marriage, Sarah encounters a man she never expected to meet again: Will Bonner, the high school heartthrob she’d skewered mercilessly in her old comics. Now a local firefighter, he’s been through some changes himself. But just as her heart is about to reawaken, Sarah discovers she is pregnant. With her ex’s twins.

It’s hardly the most traditional of new beginnings, but who says life and love are predictable or perfect? The winds of change have led Sarah here. Now all she can do is just close her eyes and breathe.

***

Teaser:  The door to the master suite was ajar, and the friendly glow of the fire glimmered across the freshly carpeted floors.  She hesitated, sensing…something.  p. 27

***

I think we could say that this was a pivotal moment.  What happens next will have me turning those pages quickly.  What about you?  What tempting excerpts are you sharing today?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  Welcome to The Sunday Salon, New Year’s Day style.

I hope everyone is feeling somewhat well and together this morning, tired and happy, and full of good plans for the New Year.

Before we get started, grab a cup of coffee and let’s chat.

Yesterday was lots of fun, catching up on family stuff, like spending the day and evening with my granddaughter Fiona.

We shopped, had lunch, watched some movies, took some photos, like these:

New Year's Eve lunch

And here’s another one at my house.

Fiona at Nana's House

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Now for the Year in Review!  Instead of doing my usual post about what I read during the week, here’s the whole year:

YEAR 2011 IN REVIEW

In that post, I included total books read, pages read, challenges completed, etc.

I did a separate post of my 2011 Favorite Books (top ten).

I also included the Month of December Books Read, with some favorites, like Best Kept Secret, The Kingdom of Childhood, and Dirty Secret.

Today I plan to finish reading Balancing Acts, by Zoe Fishman.  I’m almost at the end!  Can’t wait to see what happens next in this unique novel about single women who find a way to balance their lives.

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HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Come on by and chat for awhile….