Bookish (& Not So Bookish) Thoughts

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Posted on July 31, 2014

Bookish & Not So Bookish Thoughts

is a weekly meme hosted by Christine over at Bookishly Boisterous, where we post things that are on our minds. Head over there and check it out!

Haven’t been able to join in for so long!!

1. I finally cave and bought my own Kindle. Teen daughter was not very keen on sharing any longer, and I cracked my iPad trying to kill a fly. I had about 5 ebooks waiting to be reviewed, so I gave in and bought a refurbed paperwhite. I REALLy wish I didn’t like it.

2. On the same topic, I actually got my mom to start using a Kindle. I gave her my daughter’s old one (while I was happy with my as yet uncracked iPad) and loaded tons of books on there for her. This was on Mother’s Day, and she just now read a book on it. Mind you, she reads about 4-6 books a week. She hates change. Now I know where I get it from.

3. My yellow Lab,Katie, is getting on in years (11+) and has started showing signs of advanced arthritis in her back legs, so at the last vet visit, we put her on Glucosamine and Prevacox (an NSAID). Now she is a BAD BAD dog again. She ran away from us while we were vacationing in Maryland (sorry grumpy farmer who was not happy she came to visit) and just last night she got into a pretty nasty fight with a raccoon. No blood was drawn, but there was lots of hissing and plenty of hurt feelings. I think we were better off when she wasn’t so spry. This is the dog I thought Marley was based on, only a little worse behaved and not as cute.

4. I know I am about a year behind, but I am finally reading The Cuckoo’s Calling and I love it! I had my doubts about Rowling’s future after The Casual Vacancy :-0, but this is great. What is the sequel called??

5. I am thinking about signing up for Bout of Books this August. The dates work very much in my favor, as that is the week that practice starts for fall sports at the kids’ high school, and they are playing field hockey and football. Their practices are over 3 hours each and the school is about 45 minutes away, so I see myself with LOTS of time to kill.

6. I thought the polar vortex was only supposed to happen in the winter! Yesterday there high only reached 75 here, and it went down to 53 at night! This is supposed to be the hottest part of the summer. Upside is of course the lower electric bill-love open windows!!

7. We recently vacationed in a small town in Maryland called Cambridge, where we happened upon a little shop called A Few of My Favorite Things. They sell wine, gourmet cheese, and gourmet chocolates. Heaven! We went back almost every day. Now if only they sold books too, I would never have left.

Bookish (& Not So Bookish) Thoughts

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Posted on May 15, 2014

Bookish & Not So Bookish Thoughts

is a weekly meme hosted by Christine over at Bookishly Boisterous, where we post things that are on our minds. Head over there and check it out!

1. I just ordered a bathing suit online, because I prefer to suffer in the privacy of my own home when I try it on, rather than in a store, with awful lighting and god knows what on the dressing room floor. I didn’t pay for shipping, so I will only have to pay once when I inevitably return it.

2. In order to fit in said bathing suit, I have upped my running. I ran 5 miles yesterday- then I was totally done for the day. I didn’t even have energy to read. There has to be a better way.

Speaking of which- any recommendations for good music to run to? I am getting bored of my playlist, which makes the running harder.

3. The appearance of the blogged has changed-hopefully for the good. I was in that place where I needed a change, and it was the appearance here, or cutting my hair. Every time I think of cutting my hair, I remember that line from Little Women, after Jo cuts her hair to raise the money so Marmie can go visit their father-

“Jo, your one beauty”

That Amy was a bitch.

4. Speaking of hair, I am not sure if I have found my first grey hair or not. It’s either there, or my eyesight has gotten worse. Either way, I don’t want to know.

5. I think I might try writing mini reviews for the books I read for fun, you know- light reading?

6. Took my daughter to a sort of pre-orientation to her high school and they talked a lot about the dress code. Instead of freaking out, she was happy about all the shopping she is looking forward to.

7. Kind of bummed I will not make it to BookCon after all. Son has plans that will take him all around that day and he doesn’t feel like walking.

8. I started playing a stupid game that down loaded to my phone when my son got it for his, called 2048. Have you ever played this?? I am totally addicted. I might need an intervention8

9. Why Books Stink- a GIF. This is hysterical!

10. I guess this was mostly “Not So Bookish” today. So what going on with you? Bookish or not.

Bookish (& Not So Bookish Thought)

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Posted on May 8, 2014

Bookish & Not So Bookish Thoughts

is a weekly meme hosted by Christine over at Bookishly Boisterous, where we post things that are on our minds. Head over there and check it out!

1. I kind of feel like a fraud writing this post, as I do not feel like I have a thought in my head today.

2. I am in the middle of Schindler’s List. Have any of you read this? It is a tough read, to be sure, but I actually had a hard time getting into it at first. It felt more like a documentary than a novel. I am loving it now, though.

3. Hubby and I have been trying to have the teens watch some good movies-like Schindler’s List. So far we have kept it light- like The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (love John Hughes), but last week we watched 12 Years A Slave-very heavy.

Any suggestions of good (even old) movies for 14 and 16 yr olds?

4. Happy Mother’s Day to all you mamas out there! Hope you have something awesome planned- at least tell me you will sleep in! Going to see my mom on Sunday, but we are planning to do something with just our family on Saturday. If the weather holds, we are going into the city- kids have never been to Central Park. I am thinking- carousel, zoo, maybe the Guggenheim-then a nice dinner. And of course-Serendipity 3! Love that we are only about an hour away.

5. I have just spent the last 2 hours on this computer trying to get some posts written and scheduled. Now all I want to do is go finish my damn book!

6. My son took his first AP test yesterday, in Calculus. When he got home we had to scrap him off of the floor.

7. I have read 3 out of the 12 books I got at the library sale almost 2 weeks ago, and now I have to settle myself down to read some ARCs that have been sitting there making me feel guilty.

8. She Reads has announced their May book club selection- it is The Shadow Year by Hannah Richell. I am excited, and have it waiting for me on the iPad.

Congratulations Christine!-Bookish (& Not So Bookish) Thoughts

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Posted on May 1, 2014

Bookish & Not So Bookish Thoughts

is a weekly meme hosted by Christine over at Bookishly Boisterous, where we post things that are on our minds. Head over there and check it out!

Most importantly-

1. A big CONGRATULATIONS to Christine over at Bookishly Boisterous on the birth of her beautiful son!

2. I went to my library’s semiannual book sale and I SCORED big time! I got over a dozen books for just over $5. But then I got home and looked at my bookshelves and realized I needed a little self improvement. So I reshelved everything and I realized I have a WHOLE shelf of books I haven’t read- just sitting there. I resolved I would read at least one from that shelf every week. I am heading to the library after my run- let’s see how my will power holds out!

3. I love Book Riot as you might know. They had an article on books that were ruined by school. Mine was The Canterbury Tales, but really not many others-thank you again Mrs. Chapman.

4. The Harris Poll real eased it’s Top Ten Most Liked Books in America. – When they break it down into sub categories. it’s so funny! I never realized so many (maybe too many) people liked GWTW so much. Maybe they’re lying? What do you think?

TABLE 2

TOP BOOK AMONG DIFFERENT GROUPS AFTER THE BIBLE

AMONG:	2014
Men	The Lord of the Rings (series)
Women	Gone with the Wind

Millennials (18-36)	Harry Potter (series)
Gen X (37-48)	The Lord of the Rings (series)
Baby Boomers (49-67)	Gone with the Wind
Matures (68+)	Gone with the Wind

White	Gone with the Wind
Black/African American	Moby Dick
Hispanic	The Great Gatsby

Republicans	Gone with the Wind
Democrats	Gone with the Wind
Independents	Gone with the Wind

Conservatives	Gone with the Wind
Moderates	Gone with the Wind
Liberals	Harry Potter (series)

East	The Lord of the Rings (series)
Midwest	Gone with the Wind
South	Gone with the Wind
West	Harry Potter (series)

High School or less	Gone with the Wind
Some College	Gone with the Wind
College Graduate	Gone with the Wind
Post Graduate	The Lord of the Rings (series)

5. A big THANK YOU to Rory at Fourth Street Review for choosing me as the winner of her King’s March Giveaway! I can’t wait to read Bag of Bones!

( So much for my TBR shelf resolution)

That’s about all I have today- need to get outside now that the epic rainfall has ceased- have a great day!

Bookish ( & Not So Bookish) Thoughts

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Posted on April 24, 2014

Bookish & Not So Bookish Thoughts

is a weekly meme hosted by Christine over at Bookishly Boisterous, where we post things that are on our minds. Head over there and check it out!

1. It was finally nice the other day, so I grabbed the book I was just starting (Blood & Beauty by Sarah Dunant) and sat outside. A few hours later I came in half way done with the book and nicely sunburned. Ouch. Now it’s cold again and I am hot.

2. I managed to finish 2 books so far this week-including the afore mentioned Blood & Beauty, which was about the Borgias. Now I want to get to the bottom of this question- were they as awful as I have always heard in history classes, or, as in the book, were they just as awful (if not slightly more so) than everyone else around during that time?

3. Can anyone recommend a place where I can get some really awesome bookmarks? I used to have so many, but those evil fairies who always come in the house and throw things out must have targeted them.

4. I read this article on Book Riot about whether you have ever read a book that haunted you, one that really stayed with you, and I got to wondering which books really stayed with me. This was a tough question for me. I think The Stand will stay with me for awhile. What about you- what book haunts you?

5. My local library is having their semi annual book sale this Saturday and I am SO excited!!!

6. I finally ran more than 5 miles this week, and of course the next day my achilles was aching. Thank god darling hubby put KT tape in my xmas stocking this year.

7. I finished the She Reads April Book Club Selection- The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry and I loved it. Unfortunately, I kept having to pick it up and put it down, and it was really bothering me that I just didn’t have a chance to read for any good block of time.

8. I posted a review of a wonderful book this week that was sent to me by the author, fellow blogger Andra Watkins. She is an amazing person and a wonderful writer and you should really look for her book To Live Forever: An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis.

9. This is the first weekend since November that we don’t have something to do-yeah!! I see a lot of reading-and some playoff hockey- in my future. Let’s Go Rangers!

10. I am tired of the appearance of my blog and want to spruce it up. I am thinking of taking the plunge and actually paying $ for a new Theme. Any suggestions?