Teaser Tuesday & Other Thoughts

I LOVE Teaser Tuesday.
Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
"Frank wanted to know what a man like Sharpe was doing at a seance in Greenwich Village, but he refrained from asking. There would be time for that later."
Murder on Waverly Place
Victoria Thompson
page 70


I blogged about this novel awhile ago for Waiting on Wednesday. I really love these mysteries. They aren't great literature and they won't change my life but they are solid mysteries with believable characters, my favorite era and a flourishing relationship at its foundation. It's a fast read and I know I'll be satisfied when I'm finished reading it. Sometimes, that's all I need in a book :o)


I know every Mom can relate but I've really noticed, especially in the last couple of days, that M is growing up. Too fast, if you ask me. Not in a bad way, really, but she's my baby and I just wish time would stop! I think it's because she spent a lot of time with her cousins the last two weeks. B is 13, A is 18 and great, great girls so some of their "teenage-ness" wore off on her. We went to the bookstore and she headed directly for the young Adult section... didn't even want to go into the children's section. I'm really loving the young woman she's becoming but I miss the cute little girl that she was. I won't even start on my son and how he's taller than me...


While we were at Barnes & Noble, I was browsing the day planners. I am almost as addicted to planners as I am to bags. I found a great purple one. My friend, Lori, has the same one. Since we live 1000 miles apart and she knows that I love purple planners, I knew she wouldn't mind if I bought it. But, alas (cool word! It's not often that I can use it... so, I will!), it was not be! It had a big thumbprint on it. The display is right next to the cafe so, I'm thinking someone had a croissant and then just had to open that planner... argh! Things like that just tick me off. So, I made my way around the table and found another one that I loved. It's black and white with a fleur-de-lis pattern. This doesn't mean I won't end up with the purple one. I probably will... like I said, it's an addiction.


My bag today was a multicolor tote that I bought at Forever 21 (quit laughing... I only shop there for bags and earrings!) a few years ago. It's what I call a "dump" bag... I just dump all my stuff into it... there's no organization, at all. That's okay, though, I don't carry a lot and need even less :o)


Since tomorrow is July 1st, I'm going to try to blog every day for a full month. Not because what I have to say is all that important, I just want to see if I can do it. it would be fun if I received 31 comments, too. It might just be a month of my bags :o)...we'll see!

First Line Friday

FIRST LINE FRIDAY...First lines have always intrigued me since I heard an author say that writing the first sentence is, by far, the most difficult part of writing a novel. The reasoning was that a first sentence can make the reader continue reading or cause the book to be tossed aside. So, go to your To Be Read Pile, choose as many books as you want and share the first line. Be sure to include the title and author so that if your reader also finds it intriguing, they can find the book. Also, share your thoughts about the first line. Does it draw you in? Is it...exciting...thought provoking...scary...funny?


"The fancy-dress theme was refuse and waste paper."
The Shoe Queen
Anna Davis

Not quite the first line I imagined for this novel. It actually took a second reading and forcing myself not to read ahead, to figure out what this meant.
I love the idea of a fancy-dress ball.

I picked this book up at the Friends of the Library bookstore. As I've mentioned before, I read the back, then checked to see if it was in the stacks. This one wasn't, so, I bought it. I love the title, although, I'm definitely more of a handbag girl (see blog title...lol), how could I pass on this novel? The covers (both front and back) are perfect. The book "immerses readers in the glitter and excitement of 1920's bohemian Paris"...from the back of the book...and the covers have that feel. There is a beautiful woman on the back who, in my opinion, is very reminiscent of Angelina Jolie in The Changling.

I also found another book by this new-to-me author. It's called The Jewel Box and set in 1920s London. I placed an order with my library and, hopefully, they will purchase it. I really like that era and novels with strong heroines have always appealed to me.


I'm so happy it's finally warm enough to carry some of my summer purses. They've more color and usually, a lot of texture. Today, however, I chose a white hobo bag. I love white bags in the summertime. They epitomize the hot, carefree days. There are silver studs on the side of the bag as well as across the strap so, it's not as plain as some white bags. I think every woman should have a white bag for summer.
I don't think you need to spend a lot. Find a cute one and wear it through Labor Day... or longer if you follow Clinton and Stacy's rules. Don't worry about a little dirt...bags are made to be worn. Besides, baby wipes work wonders... just don't scrub too roughly. Believe me, carrying a white bag on a hot summer day will make you smile!

My Favorite Reads & 70s Icons

My Favorite Reads is hosted by Alyce from At Home With Books every Thursday. What a great way to read reviews of books that were mainstream (or not!) a while back but have faded off the radar of what is "hot" right now in the land of literature.

This is my first My Favorite Reads. I have been wanting to do one for a few weeks. I thought about several books I wanted to review and just yesterday decided on one. I was in Borders waiting for my son to buy his book...Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke. He's on a big Clarke kick right now. He read and loved the Rama series. Since then, he's read a few of his novels and is now reading The Collected Stories.
Anyway, I saw a reissue copy of Shogun by James Clavell.

Here's a short summary from Amazon...This is James Clavell's tour-de-force; an epic saga of one Pilot-Major John Blackthorne, and his integration into the struggles and strife of feudal Japan. Both entertaining and incisive, SHOGUN is a stunningly dramatic re-creation of a very different world. Starting with his shipwreck on this most alien of shores, the novel charts Blackthorne's rise from the status of reviled foreigner up to the hights of trusted advisor and eventually, Samurai. All as civil war looms over the fragile country.


I first read Shogun as a Junior in high school. I took an Eastern Religions and we had to read this and write an essay about it. While it was a daunting novel at over 1200 pages and with a lot of Japanese dialougue, I LOVED it! It had everything... war, a love story between Blackthorne and Mariko, ceremonial scenes and even seppuku (ritual suicide). I remember just cruising through this book. Not only was it well-written but it was just fascinating. Granted I was young, but I knew nothing about feudal Japan. In the years since high school, I've read it probably five times and each time, it just awes me. I have also read Taipan by Clavell and it is also a great read. I highly recommend Shogun as well as Taipan and have already dug out my old copy. It's on my TBR pile and I might just have to read it again.

I'm watching the news about Michael Jackson's death and thinking about my childhood. Farrah Fawcett's passing today and Ed McMahon's death earlier this week also have me thinking about the 70s.

While the Michael Jackson of late was, most certainly, not my cup of tea, I will always have fond memories of the little boy fronting the Jackson 5. I'm sure I'm not the only one who remembers singing with the hairbrush microphone to "ABC" and "One Bad Apple" while looking at the posters of Michael, Donny Osmond and Bobby Sherman cut out of Tiger Beat magazine... dreamy :)


I never had the iconic Farrah poster but I sure rocked the feathered 'do she inspired, even carrying a comb in the back pocket of my embroidered bellbottoms. I was too cool! I remember Wednesday nights were big in my house... if I finished my homework, I could watch Charlie's Angels at 8 then stay up to watch Starsky & Hutch! Starsky was such a FOX (said in my best 7th grade voice).


Spending the night with my Grammie(my daughter is named after her) and Poppa was always a treat. Not only were we allowed a big dish of ice cream in special bowls (that my mom now has) but we ate it while watching Johnny. We felt very special when we heard Ed McMahon say "Heeeeere's Johnny!". I will forever think of my Grammie and Poppa and those late night bowls of ice cream when I hear Ed's famous introduction.

First Line Friday & My First KVZ

FIRST LINE FRIDAY...First lines have always intrigued me since I heard an author say that writing the first sentence is, by far, the most difficult part of writing a novel. The reasoning was that a first sentence can make the reader continue reading or cause the book to be tossed aside. So, go to your To Be Read Pile, choose as many books as you want and share the first line. Be sure to include the title and author so that if your reader also finds it intriguing, they can find the book. Also, share your thoughts about the first line. Does it draw you in? Is it...exciting...thought provoking...scary...funny?


"She had never killed so many people in so many ways."
Posed for Murder
Meredith Cole

That is a fantastic first line. It has completely drawn me in. Even though I know the premise... from the Macmillan website..."Lydia McKenzie is an artist whose medium is the camera. She’s having her first one-woman show. It is a series that ties to actual murders committed in the city’s past. Her method is to find a model—someone who can match in a general way the actual female victim—and pose her in the clothes and position in which the actual victim was found. The night of her showing, however, is disappointing; the owner of the gallery makes her pay for the invitations down to the stamps, hang the whole show herself, and rush for the usual wine and snacks. But what happens next is much worse: two plainclothes policemen shut down the event and take Lydia in for questioning. A young woman whom she knew well, and who was the model in one of her photographs, has been murdered. Worried that the police aren’t doing what they should, Lydia and another friend set out to find the killer."... I definitely want to know who "she" is. I hope this mystery is as good as the first line. I haven't read a lot of contemporary mysteries lately and this one looks like it will be engrossing. Most of the contemporary mysteries that I have seen lately are "niche"...you know...knitting, scrapbook and the like. The other side of that coin are the more suspenseful, lone male rogue agent looking for revenge, absolution, etc, kind of suspense mystery. Not that either are bad, I read all kinds of mysteries, it's just I've been looking for something like this. It won The Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery Novel competition. There is also a very positive blurb from Julia Spencer-Fleming. She won six awards for her first mystery, In The Bleak Midwinter so she knows of which she speaks..
I carried a purple Kathy Van Zeeland today. It was the first one I ever bought. I had never even heard of her...I know, I can't believe it either! We were in Kansas City visiting my BFF and her family. M and I went shopping and as we were cruising handbag department as we always do, when M said that there was a purple purse with my name and pictures of purses (her logo) on it. It was handbag karma :o) and the start of my Kathy Van Zeeland collection.

Hey, Lori!!!

It's Teaser Tuesday!

I LOVE Teaser Tuesday.
Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!

"Harry finds itsurprisingly easy to maintain a normal tone while cutting his toast into smaller and smaller circles. It strikes him that he and Helen must sound, and look, and seem, like an ordinary couple."
page 98
The Sealed Letter
Emma Donaghue

I checked this out at the library the other day. I think I read about it on a blog. The cover is perfect for this novel and my favorite thing is that there are handwritten letters in the book. It makes me feel a little voyeuristic.

A Fabulous Friend, First Line Friday & Flabbergasted!

I love getting packages in the mail! Today, it was two books from my friend, Karen. She sent the first two books in the Tales of London series by Lawana Blackwell. I read The Widow of Larkspur Inn by the same author. It was a very light read and I enjoyed it. Karen and I were discussing it and she decided to read the author's other series, which she also enjoyed. I received an email the other day that the books were on their way to me.

Karen, thanks so much! I'm I will love them as much as I loved the one I read. The covers are fantastic. The dresses are beautiful.


FIRST LINE FRIDAY...First lines have always intrigued me since I heard an author say that writing the first sentence is, by far, the most difficult part of writing a novel. The reasoning was that a first sentence can make the reader continue reading or cause the book to be tossed aside. So, go to your To Be Read Pile, choose as many books as you want and share the first line. Be sure to include the title and author so that if your reader also finds it intriguing, they can find the book. Also, share your thoughts about the first line. Does it draw you in? Is it...exciting...thought provoking...scary...funny?

In honor of the books I received today and that have been added to my TBR pile, my First Line Friday comes from The Maiden of Mayfair by Lawana Blackwell.


"The privilege of joining Mrs. Abbot's weekly forays to the green grocer's was granted with the understanding two rules be obeyed without exception."

Well, of course, I hope that the next sentence will explain those two rules. These novels are fast, easy reads that are perfect for me after I've read something darker.

M just came to me yelling "Flabbergasted, Flabbergasted, Flabbergasted!" Flabbergasted is her favorite word :o) Every time she sees it in print, she has to let us know. I think it's very cute. Right now, she's reading Lulu Dark and the Summer of the Fox.
How many of us actually have a favorite word? Do you? If you do... I'd love to hear what it is!

I carried my black and white zebra bag today. I love that bag more every time I carry it. I think it also helps that I get compliments every time!

Teaser Tuesday

I LOVE Teaser Tuesday.
Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!

"Outside, I seethed with frustration, pacing angrily back forth. "She knows something-something substantive that she refuses to tell us," I said."
page 161
In The Shadow of Gotham
Stephanie Pintoff

I'm really enjoying this mystery. I blogged about it earlier and have since noticed a few things about it. First, there's a blurb on the back from Marcia Muller. She's one of my favorite authors and doesn't give out a lot of dust jacket praise. That makes me believe it'll be a good book. Secondly, it was chosen as the inaugural winner of the Minotaur Books/MWA Best First Crime Novel award. Also, the main character and I share something in common. I also share something near and dear with the author. Last but definitely not least...it starts on Tuesday November 7, 1905 which in the novel is an election day. My son was born on Tuesday November 7, 1995 which in real life was an election day. I love things like that!

First Line Friday and Agatha Christie

FIRST LINE FRIDAY...First lines have always intrigued me since I heard an author say that writing the first sentence is, by far, the most difficult part of writing a novel. The reasoning was that a first sentence can make the reader continue reading or cause the book to be tossed aside. So, go to your To Be Read Pile, choose as many books as you want and share the first line. Be sure to include the title and author so that if your reader also finds it intriguing, they can find the book. Also, share your thoughts about the first line. Does it draw you in? Is it...exciting...thought provoking...scary...funny?
"At first it seemed the Ripper affair had scarred my friend Sherlock Holmes as badly as it had the city of London itself."
Dust and Shadow
Lyndsay Faye

I blogged about this book yesterday. It's on my TBR pile because I started "In The Shadow of Gotham" last night. I'll read this one next.

This first line definitely sets the tone for this novel. Any book about Jack The Ripper will be intense and dark. I think this novel will encompass a lot more than just the hunt for The Ripper. Holmes is a complex character and to include him in this horrific tale will be interesting, if executed well.

My mother-in-law is starting to downsize. My husband was with her yesterday and brought home three bags filled with paperback Agatha Christie mysteries. Wow! I have yet to go through them but I'm sure I'll keep most of them. I hadn't read an Agatha Christie in quite a while until a few monthes ago. We read And Then There Were None for my mystery book club. I'm pretty sure I had read it before but was surprised at how good it was. So, I'm looking forward to reading some more. They're fast reads and stand the test of time.

Booking Through Thursday

“This can be a quick one. Don’t take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you’ve read that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes.”

1. The Scarlet Letter
2. Pillars Of The Earth
3. In Cold Blood
4. Maisie Dobbs
5. Not A Penny More, Not A Penny Less
6. Lucia, Lucia
7. A Great Deliverance
8. Gone With The Wind
9. A Tree Grows In Brooklyn
10. Lonesome Dove
11. Rebecca
12. Are You There God, It's Me, Margaret
13. Morning Glory
14. Outlander
15. The Handmaid's Tale

Great BTT! There are so many that have stuck with me but those are the first ones I thought of in the 15 minutes allowed.

J, M and I went to the library today. Our favorite librarian was there. We love her!She turned J on to a book called The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. They both loved it and are eagerly waiting for the sequel, Catching Fire, which should be pulished in September. It's not yet in our library system but Allison said she would put J's name on the list, even before her own, when it hits the system.

I checked out two holds... In The Shadow of Gotham by Stephanie Pintoff. It is set in NYC in 1905. I have said before that period, especially in mysteries, is my favorite. This debut novel has gotten great reviews and the author recently signed a two book deal featuring the same detective.


The other novel is Dust and Shadow by Lyndsay Faye. It is also a debut novel getting great reviews. There are blurbs from Caleb Carr and even the Conan Doyle Estate. The premise? Sherlock Holmes's attempt to hunt down Jack the Ripper. I'm not necessarily a Holmes or Ripper fan but that story is always intriguing and a different take on it may be a good read.

My bag today was my Louis Vuitton Speedy 35... not the best choice to take to the library. It's handheld and I had a tote bag full of books. But, I have two healthy children so I pawned the tote bag to each of them at different times and carried my Speedy. It's too beautiful not to be the center of attention.

Waiting On Wednesday

My "Waiting on Wednesday" is Locked In by Marcia Muller. This is the Amazon description..."Shot in the head by an unknown assailant, San Francisco private eye Sharon McCone finds herself trapped by locked-in syndrome: almost total paralysis but an alert, conscious mind. Since the late-night attack occurred at her agency's offices, the natural conclusion was that it was connected to one of the firm's cases. As Sharon lies in her hospital bed, furiously trying to break out of her body's prison and discover her attacker's identity, all the members of her agency fan out to find the reason why she was assaulted. Meanwhile, Sharon becomes a locked-in detective, evaluating the clues from her staff's separate investigations and discovering unsettling truths that could put her life in jeopardy again. As the case draws to a surprising and even shocking conclusion, Sharon's husband, Hy, must decide whether or not to surrender to his own violent past and exact fatal vengeance when the person responsible is identified."
I love Marcia Muller's mystery series and her main character, Sharon McCone. Muller has been widely credited with creating the female detective genre when her first novel, Edwin of the Iron Shoes was published in 1977. I have read most, if not all, of her books, obviously, though, not starting in 1977. While they are character-driven mysteries, they are suspenseful and extremely well written.


I carried my Dooney and Bourke Bucket Bag. According to Ebay and other "handbag" sites, it's considered "vintage". It's in absolutely pristine shape. I've toyed with the idea of selling as I really don't carry as much as I should. I know, though, that if did sell it, I would regret it. I have quite a few (probably more than I should admit to) Dooney and Bourke All-Weather Leather handbags and I like carrying bags that are part of my history. Because I'm such a purse fanatic... okay, geek... I can pretty much remember where and when I bought each of my bags. If possible, I even tuck the tags and labels in an inside pocket.


Right now, I have a cat walking on my desk and sniffing the moniter. Her name is Seven. She is a yellow DLH and the baby of our three cats. We actually drove to Kansas City to adopt her. Crazy, yes but even crazier is that J agreed to it :o)
We really didn't like the name she had, so we spent the ten hour drive home trying to find something that suited her. I came up with Seven because we adopted her on 7-07-07 and we were road-tripping on I-70. Kind of cool, I think!

Teaser Tuesday, Book Club and My Bag

I LOVE Teaser Tuesday.
Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!

"I first came to The Pines when I was seven years old, accompanied by my mother and my new nurse, Tllly. It was in the late 1880s (that's how ancient I am)."
page 35
Rebecca's Tale
Sally Beauman

I blogged a while ago about Rebecca by Daphne DuMarier. So, I read it again. It was just as wonderful this time! So, I'm taking a chance and reading Rebecca's Tale. I know it won't be as good as Rebecca but it sounds interesting.

My book club met tonight and we had a great discussion about In The Woods. We were all on the same page (pun intended) in our dislike for it. We had a new member who loved it so we'll see if she returns next month. we might have scared her away. One of the girls is creating a website for our group... something about posting our thoughts about the books we read. I'm not quite sure why we need one... that's what we do at our book club already. We discuss the chosen book but, as in most other book clubs, the conversation generally turns to what we're all reading. I come away with a lot of suggestions. We are a group of women with diverse reading tastes so someone is always reading something interesting.

My purse today was a plain handheld satchel in a kind of green brown color. it's from Aldo. I love their bags. My friend, I, turned me on to them and I have since bought several. My friend, I, is German and has the BEST style. She epitomizes "Euro-Chic". She puts these great outfits together and looks absolutely effortless. I totally admire her... not just her style but her, as well. She is just a fantastic
person and I love having her as my friend.