Welcome to Thursday, a day that once seemed lost, with nothing exciting happening anywhere. But then that changed, and today I am celebrating some of the bookish events around the blogosphere, like Lexxie’s Thirsty Thursday & Hungry Hearts; Kimberlyfaye’s TBR Thursday; and Christine’s Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts.
My foodie excerpt today comes from One True Loves, by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
Our MC, Emma, lost her first love, presumably, in a helicopter accident a few years ago. She is starting over with an old high school friend-turned-love, Sam. They are enjoying an outing of a symphony and dinner. Emma is our first person narrator.
“I’m ravenous,” I said to him. “I realize we ate dinner but I just had that tiny salad and now I feel like I could eat a full meal.”
Sam laughed. “Should we stop somewhere?” he asked.
“Please,” I said. “Somewhere with french fries.”
Soon enough, I was eating a hamburger with the wrapper still half on as Sam and I walked down the street in black-tie attire. Sam was holding the rest of the bag in one hand—I’d already eaten the carton of french fries—and drinking a chocolate milk shake with the other.
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My TBR book today is The Life List, by Chrissy Anderson, which I downloaded in March 2014. Again, like many books hanging out on Pippa endlessly, I don’t know why I have not yet read this book.
Synopsis: When she was just sixteen, Chrissy Anderson made a life list…
…The outcome is a dream husband, a career to envy, and the kind of best friends every girl wants. Then out of nowhere…an affair. What would you do if you realized the life you created wasn’t right for you? You think you know the answer? Think again. Follow Chrissy as she lies and cheats and ultimately learns to tell the truth to herself and those that she loves.
At twenty-eight, Chrissy has been steadily checking off the boxes on her life list as she mocks the style and life choices of everyone around her. She’s got it all—or so everyone thinks. Her life begins to fall apart when she unexpectedly meets a much younger man, Leo, who makes her question just how perfect her “perfect life” really is. With the help of her no-nonsense therapist, Dr. Maria, Chrissy learns more about herself than she anticipates. But it isn’t until she stares an untimely death in the face that Chrissy is catapulted into an overdue reality check. Only then does she scramble to correct the mistakes of her past…trying to figure out if it’s her husband Kurt, her lover Leo, or both that she has to leave behind to make everything right.
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What do you think? Should I toss it? Or read it soon?
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- What a week! Last Friday, I spent an hour-and-a-half Skyping with my son in Prague. It was a wonderful chat, catching up. We don’t Skype as often as we once did, due to scheduling and time differences.
- This week, I finished reading Vinegar Girl, by Anne Tyler…and loved it. (Click for my review).
- Yesterday I started reading One True Loves, (see above). A captivating read about choice…and unexpected events.
- I opened an e-mail today, and found an ad from Grove Atlantic, sharing that a 50-year-anniversary edition of Valley of the Dolls is being released!
- Some of you may have read about my Cricket Saga…yes, a couple of crickets appeared, days apart, but they freaked me out enough to lead to calling the exterminator. The last straw was that, even though I saw no more than two, I heard a chorus of them coming from behind the washer and dryer! Yikes! So he came yesterday, and I had to vacate the house for a few hours afterwards.
- I hung out at Barnes & Noble for a bit…sipping coffee and reading. I even bought a bargain book (Lisa Gardner), but then later got home (after I could go home again) and had a strange feeling as I looked at it again. I have already read it, and my copy is in the Kindle Cloud. Have you ever done that?
- In the afternoon I went to my daughter’s salon, where she trimmed and colored my hair, and it was another opportunity to chat with her. Even though we live only a few miles apart, her schedule is very time-consuming. And next month, her birthday month, she and her fiance are going on a cruise to Ensenada, etc. I was invited, but I have this thing about boats and too much water….
- After not being obsessed with any Netflix show at all for a couple of weeks, I found myself addicted to another British drama: The Last Tango in Halifax. Loved it. Stayed up until midnight last night finishing the final episodes of the last season (there were three). I cried, I laughed, I shouted….yes, there were wonderfully flawed and sometimes annoying characters in unexpected situations.
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That’s it for this week…I think I’ll try not to find another Netflix show for a few days, anyway, so I can resume reading. What did your week look like?
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SERENDIPITY 
I hope your uninvited houseguests (crickets) are gone for good. I watched Last Tango in Halifax when it was on PBS last year (maybe the year before too). Fun series. Nice to have more mature main characters.
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Oh, I hope those house guests are gone for good, too, Mary; so far so good.
I did love the whole family drama of that show…and those older characters. I especially enjoyed how Alan sang and danced for his bride at their “second” wedding.
The settings were lovely, too; I find myself drawn more and more to BBC shows. Thanks for stopping by.
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I think I would toss The Life List. Too many good books out there right now for an unknown that sounds overly melodramatic. I have bought the same book after I’ve read it or even after I just have a copy. Prague is one of my favorite cities! My husband and I went there 12 years ago and didn’t want to leave. Happy Reading!
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Yes, I was also thinking of tossing it. I must have liked the sound of it once upon a time…but it doesn’t grab me now.
I am so envious of anyone who has gone to Prague. I should have gone, especially since my son and DIL live there now. But I am a terrible traveler and hate flying! Not good, right?
Thanks for stopping by, Heather.
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I have definitely bought books that I already own. I try really hard to keep my owned books marked in goodreads so I can double check but sometimes I forget and wind up with duplicate copies. Oops!
I hope the crickets are long gone! Have a great week!
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Yes, and for some reason, I have a hard time checking Goodreads from my iPhone, while I’m in the store. I need to work on those settings! Thanks for stopping by, Denise, and so far….no crickets in sight.
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I’ve always meant to read Valley of the Dolls. Maybe I’ll have to pick it up. It seems like a good one for floating around the pool with.
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I haven’t read the book in ages, but not that long ago, the movie (with Sharon Tate, Patty Duke, etc.) was on, probably because Patty Duke had just died.
I ordered the book this morning! Can’t wait. Thanks for stopping by, Christine.
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Vinegar Girl sounds great! And I like the contrasting image of strolling around in black-tie attire, with a burger in one hand and a milkshake in the other ^^
Thanks for stopping by my blog!
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So do I, Mia….that was just one of many things I liked about the book One True Loves. Thanks for visiting.
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lt sounds like she had been too nervous to really eat when they actually had dinner, Laurel-Rain. Plus, there’s no way you can go wrong with fries, hamburger and chocolate milkshake 🙂
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Yes, definitely nervous! She was starting over, after her husband had gone missing. And yes, fries, hamburgers, and milkshakes are the best! Thanks for stopping by, Lexxie…and for hosting.
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