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 fire was only a spark at first."
Grania
Morgan Llywelyn

This is an intriguing first line. I don't know what kind of fire it is. Is it a campfire being prepared to cook a hot meal? Is it an out-of-control forest fire that is set to destroy something precious? Or could the fire be something more sinister? Because this novel is set in the 16th century, could it be used to torture someone?
I'm very interested to find out.

This novel is about Grace O'Malley, a 16th century Irish pirate, seafarer, trader and chieftain. Grania is Celtic for Grace. I had never heard of her until I read Michele's (http://readersrespite.blogspot.com/) post about her. Michele is on a quest to find a good book about her. One of her readers, Texas Red (http://www.texasredbooks.com/), left a comment about this book. So, what did I do? I looked it up on my library's website and placed it on hold, of course! I picked it up today, along with a few other titles.

I have heard of the author, Morgan Llywelyn, but I don't think I have read any novels that she has written. Grace O'Malley sounds like a fascinating character. She was all things that were, at that time, reserved for men. The subtitle of the novel is even "She-King of the Irish Seas". She did, however, marry and raise a family. This novel, I hope, will combine her family life with her legendary adventurous life on the high seas.

Today was the last day of school before Spring Break. I spent part of it shopping for last-minute items J will need on his trip. He is going on a school trip over Spring Break. Is he excited? Well, let's just say that "understatement" does not even remotely begin to describe it :D His very favorite teacher, his science teacher, is one of the chaperones and he is in her group. This is his first plane ride since he was three, so, in his opinion, it's his first one. His three closest friends are also going... that should be fun for the teachers...lol. Not really, he and his friends are pretty good kids. He is also so excited to see the ocean for the first time. Of course, I'm excited for him. Of course, I will miss him. Of course, it will be fun just M and me for the week (well, Dad will be home at night). Of course, I'll be excited to pick him up when he returns home. But, I think, I'm most excited to know that he's becoming such a responsible young man that his Dad and I feel comfortable sending him across the country to have an experience he'll remember forever.


My bag today was a Paisley laptop bag, although I use it as a handbag (I don't have a laptop). It has black patent trim that I love. It served its purpose today as I did a lot of shopping and threw all kinds of things in it. I usually leave my purse in my car in the garage but I brought it in to clean it out. It was full of today's lists, receipts and library hold slips. Because I switch my bags every day, it has to be completely organized. Now, it's back in my bag closet and the contents (less today's "trash") are waiting to be put in tomorrow's choice. Which one will that be? I'm not sure but, of course, it'll be great!

Book Blogger Hop!!

Hosted by Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books.com. From her blog... "Every day I seem to find another book blog that I start following. In the spirit of the Friday Follow, I thought it would be cool to do a Book Blog Hop to give us all bookies a chance to connect and find new blogs that we may be missing out on! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs that they may not know existed!
So, if you'd like to participate, just repost this on your blog, sign MckLinky below, and check out other blogs in MckLinky! Let's connect and make new book bloggy friends!! So, if you consider yourself a book blogger, come join the fun!
Pretty please - Your blog should have content related to books, including, but not limited to book reviews.
There were 129 links the first week, so don't forget to stop back and check out the new blogs that are added during the week!!
Please feel free to add me (Jennifer) as a friend on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads! See right (her) sidebar.
Instructions: Add your BLOG NAME in the Title with a link to your book blog Since this is just getting started, spreading the word would be awesome!!!

IT'S TIME TO PARTY!! HAVE FUN HOPPIN' AROUND!!"

Please check out her blog for a list of great book bloggers! Leave a comment so they know you've visited because of Jennifer's Book Blog Hop! And if you've found my blog, through her... Thanks, I'm happy you found me! I love new visitors! Please leave a comment for me... I'd love to visit your blog, too.

Please check back here later today as I will be posting my weekly meme, "First Line Friday" and blogging about other things, too! See you soon!

My Favorite Reads

Each Thursday, Alyce at http://athomewithbooks.blogspot.com/ features a favorite book from the past. I love this idea and often participate. You can, too! Don't forget to leave a comment on her blog with a link to yours.


From Amazon... "In "Heart of Texas", Debbie Macomber's six-book series, readers are taken to the ever-popular state of Texas to share in the lives and loves of residents in the ranching community of Promise, Texas."

I love to read books that are part of a series. Each novel focuses on the romance of one couple but, because it's set in one community, the end of that book is not the end of their story. Couples are mentioned in future books as well as tidbits about their life... children, jobs and, sometimes, how they help the main charecters in the next book get together. There is also some foreshadowing. Characters may be mentioned in one book but their love story does not take "center stage" until a few books later. There are many times when I've finished a book and wondered about the future of characters or hoped I'd see a compelling character again. With a series like this, it's a complete "package". These were quick, easy reads and by the end of The Heart of Texas series, I felt like I knew everyone's story... start to finish. Apparently, I was not the only one loved Promise, Texas. Debbie Macomber wrote a novel to take readers back to Promise and give us one more glimpse into the lives of characters we loved.


I carried my huge zebra bag today. It is kind of an off-white and black bag. I'm not trying to fool people into believing it's "real" zebra :o) but whenever I see a zebra (or for that matter, any animal print) bag with colorful handles and/or trim, all I can think is how that is so not natural. Yeah, and my bag is ...NOT... ROFL!!!Oh well, I like it.

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!
"On the mayor's walnut desk, in addition to a copy of all fifteen of the city's newspapers, was a set of blueprints. These depicted a soaring suspension bridge, anchored by two gigantic but marvelously thin towers."
The Interpretation of Murder
Jed Rubenfeld
page 86

This teaser really says nothing about the crux of the novel, the murders of young society girls and Sigmund Freud's only visit to America. It does, however, speak to another aspect, and one of my favorites, the architecture and atmosphere of 1909 New York City. As I have read and listened (more about that later) to this novel, I am enjoying the vivid descriptions of the city at that time. Even this cover... not the one I have, though... shows an iconic NYC building.

From Amazon.com..."It has been said that a mystery novel is "about something" and a literary tale is not. The Interpretation of Murder has legitimate claims to both genres. It is most definitely about something, and also replete with allusions to and explications of Shakespeare, to the very beginnings of psychology, to the infighting between psychoanalytic giants--all written in a style that an author with literary aspirations might well envy.
In 1909, Drs. Freud and Jung visit Manhattan. They no sooner arrive when a young socialite is murdered, followed by another attempted murder, bearing the same characteristics. In the second case, the victim lives. She has lost her voice and cannot remember anything. The young doctor, Stratham Younger, who has invited Freud to speak at his University, soon involves Dr. Freud in the case. Freud, saying that Nora's case will require a time commitment that he does not have, turns her over to Younger. The rudiments of Nora's case are based on Freud's famous Dora, complete with sexual perversions, convoluted twists and turns and downright lies.
That is just one of the myriad plot lines in the novel, all of which are intricate, interesting and plausible. All it takes for all of the incidents to be true is a great deal of bad will--and it is abundant here! There are politicians who are less than statesmen, city employees at work for themselves and not the city, doctors who will do anything to undermine Freud's theories, thereby saving the neurotics for themselves, and opportunists at every level of society, seeking psychological or material advantage. Carl Jung is portrayed by turns as secretive, mysterious, odd, and just plain nuts, while Freud remains a gentleman whose worst problem is his bladder.
Not the least interesting aspect of the book is all the turn-of-the-century New York lore: bridge building, great mansions, the Astor versus Vanderbilt dustup, immigrant involvement, fabulous entertaining, auto versus carriage. Despite the tangle of tales, debut author Jed Rubenfeld finishes it with writerly dexterity--and the reader is sorry to see it all end. --Valerie Ryan"

As I said, I'm listening to this as well as reading it. I listen to quite a few audiobooks in my car. I put both the audio and book version on hold and they came in at the same time. So, I listen to it in the car and read from where I left off... works for me. The narrator is great and I think I've heard him before but I can't figure out what novel it was. I even googled his name and nothing familiar showed up.

I found a book trailer with the author, Jed Rubenfeld. I enjoy hearing about how authors create their novels.



My handbag today was my huge black woven purse. I switched my day planner and my wallet to Dooney & Bourke. They are both fairly large items... bigger than average, really so a bigger bag works best. Although, I think a big bag works best on any day.

Ahh, March in Colorado... yesterday, my son wore shorts to school... tomorrow, school's cancelled because of a snowstorm that, since 6:30pm, has left nine inches in our yard. The forecast calls for about five more inches. The forecast at our house calls for a snowfort in the backyard :o) My kids are in HEAVEN!!! Both stayed up way past their bedtime to read. M is reading The Lightning Thief and J finished 2001: A Space Odyssey.

First Line Friday and Twenty Two Years!

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?

"Ladies and gentlemen. For my final illusion I will perform a feat that will amaze and astound you—a feat never before attempted in the history of magic, a feat fraught with danger and horror.”
The Last Illusion
Rhys Bowen


How fun is this first line? When I think of Houdini and other illsionists that were so popular at the beginning of the twentieth century, this line is exactly what I imagine one would say. I can almost see the handlebar mustache and the black cape!

Oh, by the way, while I was book blog hopping, I found another blog that does a version of "First Line Friday". If you love first lines and I know you do, check out Carin's "Book Beginnings" at http://carolinebookbinder.blogspot.com/ "Book Beginnings" was started at http://pageturnerbooks.blogspot.com/... Thanks for the correction, Carin. I definitely want credit to go to the correct blog!

This is the latest in the Molly Murphy series. From the Macmillan website.. "Irish immigrant and PI Molly Murphy is thrilled to have a ticket to the theater to see a trio of illusionists that are all the rage. Indeed, headlining is Harry Houdini, the most sensational of them all; he has just returned from entertaining European kings and queens for a brief run on Broadway.
But before Houdini can even take the stage, the opening act goes horribly wrong and to the crowd’s shock the illusionist saws into his assistant. In the aftermath, the stunned performer accuses Houdini of tampering with the equipment he keeps under lock and key. And he’s not the only one critical of “The King of Handcuffs.” Risking his life every night, Houdini has raised the stakes to such a perilous level that he’s putting lesser acts out of business.
With everyone on edge, Houdini’s wife hires Molly to be part investigator/part bodyguard, but how can she protect a man who literally risks his life every night? And how is she going to uncover whether these masters of illusion are simply up to their tricks or if there truly is something much more treacherous going on.
With sparkling wit, charming characters, and historic detail, multiple award winner Rhys Bowen brings early-twentieth-century New York City and the fantastic performers of the time vividly to life in The Last Illusion."

I really like this series. One of my favorite mystery sub-genres are novels that feature a strong, independent female protagonist in the early 1900s, usually in New York City or on the East Coast. There are several series that come to mind... The Gaslight Mysteries by Victoria Thompson, The Deadly Series by Brenda Joyce, The Sarah Woolson Series by Shirley Tallman (although these are set in San Francisco in the 1880s, I still count them) and the Fremont Jones Mysteries by Dianne Day (although these are also set in San Francisco and, I think, out-of-print). Also, to some extent... The Thomas & Charlotte Pitt Mysteries by Anne Perry as well as the Kate Ardleigh & Charles Sheridan Mysteries by Robin Paige. The latter two are set in England in the 1880s but English mysteries are a subject for another day as I simply adore (said in my best English accent) British mysteries. If you've read and enjoyed other mysteries like these that you'd think I'd also enjoy, please let me know!


Today is our 22nd wedding anniversary! It's been snowing all day but, on our wedding day, it actually looked like this picture... a glorious Spring day! How did my husband wish me "Happy Anniversary"? By singing this beautiful anniversary song, of course! I think he loves me as much as Fred loves Wilma :D




My bag today had to brave the elements, because, in Colorado on March 19, it could be sunny and warm or, like today snowing, foggy and freezing. I chose my Kathy Van Zeeland leopard satchel with a lot of "bling". I wore my black leather jacket... love it but kind of boring and I wanted a "pop" on such a dreary day. This bag was perfect!

Welcome Book Blog Hoppers!

Hosted by Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books.com.

From her blog... "Every day I seem to find another book blog that I start following. In the spirit of the Friday Follow, I thought it would be cool to do a Book Blog Hop to give us all bookies a chance to connect and find new blogs that we may be missing out on! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs that they may not know existed!
So, if you'd like to participate, just repost this on your blog, sign MckLinky below, and check out other blogs in MckLinky! Let's connect and make new book bloggy friends!! So, if you consider yourself a book blogger, come join the fun!
Pretty please - Your blog should have content related to books, including, but not limited to book reviews.
There were 129 links the first week, so don't forget to stop back and check out the new blogs that are added during the week!!
Please feel free to add me (Jennifer) as a friend on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads! See right (her) sidebar.
Instructions: Add your BLOG NAME in the Title with a link to your book blog Since this is just getting started, spreading the word would be awesome!!!

IT'S TIME TO PARTY!! HAVE FUN HOPPIN' AROUND!!"

Please check out her blog for a list of great book bloggers! Leave a comment so they know you've visited because of Jennifer's Book Blog Hop! And if you've found my blog, through her... Thanks, I'm happy you found me! I love new visitors! Please leave a comment for me... I'd love to visit your blog, too.

Please check back here later today as I will be posting my weekly meme, "First Line Friday" and blogging about other things, too! See you soon!

St. Patrick's Day is Waiting on Wednesday!

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!


Waiting On Wednesday is hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. What book are you waiting for to be released?
My WoW is Claude and Camille by Stephanie Cowell. It will be released April 6, 2010. From her website... "In his early twenties, Claude Monet came to Paris, determined to make a success in painting. He quickly found poverty, obscurity and a beautiful upper-class girl Camille who threw away a life of privilege to be with him. He also made friends with a group of likewise unknown painters, often as poor as he was: Renoir, Pissarro, Degas, Bazille, Manet and Cezanne and somehow through every obstacle in the world kept them together until they began to be known as impressionists. But the years of struggle and life in wretched rooms with little food began to wear on his patience and Camille's endurance until even as he was beginning to sell his work, their passionate love was descending into tragedy and he was beginning to understand that he had never completely known her.
CLAUDE AND CAMILLE begins when as an old man in Giverny, Claude discovers a letter from Camille’s sister written nearly forty years earlier, holding him responsible for her death. Through the book, traveling back and forth between the young man so in love and the old man remembering, the reader will decide for herself if the terrible accusation is in anyway true and if so, does the great work he gave the world including the many water lily paintings make up in beauty and perfection for what he could not give others in his life?"

If you've read my blog, you probably know that I love art... especially when the subjects are women. Monet's paintings of Camille are, most definitely, my favorites of his. I have this print, "Camille Au Metier" in my hallway. It was one of the first prints I purchased when I had my first apartment. My love of Monet must be genetic because one of M's favorite books is Linnea in Monet's Garden by Cristina Bjork. She also asks for a Monet calendar every Christmas.

I am so excited to read this book! I love art, I love historical novels, I love love stories :D and Claude and Camille seems to have all of those. It's written in a "back and forth" style... when Monet is an old man as well as when he and Camille are contemporaries. I'm sure this will add an even deeper dimension to the story. I've read about this novel on several blogs whose authors' opinions I find mirror my own. It seems to be getting a lot of positive "buzz". Amy who writes the great blog, Passages to the Past (http://www.passagestothepast.com/), posted a wonderful book trailer... one of my most favorite things about YouTube and the internet! Head over to her blog and check it out.

Because today is St. Patrick's Day, you'd think I'd carry a green bag. Well, I didn't, I couldn't, really. I wore a green shirt and jeans and none of my green bags looked quite right with the outfit. They were neither a perfect match nor a coordinating shade. So, I carried my striped Coach tote. The green stripe was matched the shirt and the dark blue stripe went great with my jeans.

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!

"Deep characters do not interest me," Douglass answered, and he looked at Arabella closely. "A man is defined only by his actions."
Scandal of the Season
page 184
Sophie Gee
The cover of this book caught my attention. It is simple but almost a little provocative. I think, though, this was the point of the cover. The novel is about a love affair between Lord Petre and Arabella Fermer that inspired Alexander Pope to write his epic poem, The Rape of the Lock. Because this affair caused The Scandal of the Season, the book's cover had to be a little scandalous. I also found two other covers that were a bit scandalous, too. Honestly, I like them all.



My bag today was my blue suede hobo bag. It was just the right size to carry that book into Panera where I enjoyed a quick lunch before I did carpool. I wanted to sit on the patio which actually overlooks a small pond but, because it was 60° and beautifully sunny and everyone else had the same idea, there wasn't an empty table. The food was still good, though.

Bookmarks

It's Bookmark Day hosted by Monica at http://www.bibliophilicbookblog.com/ Head over to her blog and check out some incredible bookmarks as well as fun giveawys!


I thought I'd share some (really...these are just about half of what I have) of my bookmarks, too. As you can see, I have a slight problem... I LOVE bookmarks! I don't discriminate between ones I buy or the freebies I just pick up. If it catches my attention, I will use it. I also use cute postcards and fronts of greeting/birthday cards.

If you look closely at the picture, there are two of the same bookmarks... purses and shoes! They were each gifts from different friends, friends that know me all too well! Lori at http://lori-thequeensnewthrone.blogspot.com/ was one of those friends :D

There are also two bookmarks that I use only for bookclubs. The blue crocheted bookmark was a Christmas present from my purse-loving friend in my mystery book club. She made one for every one in the group. since there is not one crafty bone in my body, I gave out lotion... lol! The other bookclub bookmark (the one with the French girl riding a moped...Ooh La La!) was a gift from a woman in my other bookclub. She gave them to all of us the first night we met. That was July 2003. I've used it for every book we've read.

There are stories for most of the other ones, too. I try to coordinate my bookmarks with the books I read. There's an Inspector Lynley bookmark that use with the Elizabeth George books. There's a bookmark that I received from Stacy at Stacy's Bookblog http://stacybuckeye.wordpress.com/ I use that one when I read a book that I specifically found on a blog.

If you a bookmark aficionado, too, leave a comment for me. If you feel like it... blog about your bookmarks. Make sure to include pictures, if you can. Next time you're in line at the bookstore, look at the bookmarks. I'll bet there's one that catches your attention.


I carried a black quilted patent hobo bag today. Although, it's bright and sunny now, it was cloudy and gloomy this morning. This bag was the perfect choice as it's impervious to any rain but the texture and shine were, maybe, a prelude to the beautiful day that is Monday in Colorado :D

March 14 or 3.14

3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375105820974944592307816406286208998628034825342117067982148086513282306647093844609550582231725359408128481117450284102701938521105559644622948954930381964428810975665933446128475648233786783165271201909145648566923460348610454326648213393607260249141273724587006606315588174881520920962829254091715364367892590360011330530548820466521384146951941511609433057270365759591953092186117381932611793105118548074462379962749567351885752724891227938183011949129833673362440656643086021394946395224737190702179860943702770539217176293176752384674818467669405132000568127145263560827785771342757789609173637178721468440901224953430146549585371050792279689258923542019956112129021960864034418159813629774771309960518707211349999998372978049951059731732816096318595024459455346908302642522308253344685035261931188171010003137838752886587533208381420617177669147303598253490428755468731159562863882353787593751957781857780532171226806613001927876611195909216420198...and so on and so on!

In honor of math geeks everywhere...especially the one I love most, my son... I want to wish you a Happy Pi Day!

Today is also Albert Einstein's birthday! What a great day for math geeks! Someone for all of us to be amazed by and some of us... my son... to admire and aspire to be like!

A Day Late...

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?

"Ronald Evering was in his study, watching a mechanical toy bank go through its motions, when the idea first came to him."
A Matter of Justice
Charles Todd

Of course, the thing that grabs my attention is... what idea?!? This is a mystery so this as yet unnamed idea could be anything! It could be the idea of who to murder, how to murder this person, when to murder... well, you get the idea. It also could be
an idea that has absolutely nothing to do with the plot. It's a very intriguing first sentence.

First Line Friday on a Saturday? Well, that's intriguing, too, isn't it? Not really... I had every intention of doing it on Friday but the day just got away from me. I decided to do it today for a few reasons...
~ Karen at http://grabitgraphics.blogspot.com/ made another fun First Line Friday graphic that I wanted to use.
~ I left my blog link at Jennifer's blog... crazy-for-books.com. She's hosting a Book Blog Hop and I hope other bloggers will read this and maybe want to participate :o)
~ I like my "meme" and want to share first lines from books in my TBR. As the "meme" says I love first lines!


My bag today was my vintage (I still smile when I use that word... vintage...really?) Dooney and Bourke rouge AWL satchel. It also makes me smile when I look at this bag as it has aged beautifully (wouldn't it be nice if we all did!). It looks almost brand new and the patina'd handles are the perfect caramel color.

Book Blogger Hop

Hosted by Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books.com. From her blog... "Every day I seem to find another book blog that I start following. In the spirit of the Friday Follow, I thought it would be cool to do a Book Blog Hop to give us all bookies a chance to connect and find new blogs that we may be missing out on! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs that they may not know existed!
So, if you'd like to participate, just repost this on your blog, sign MckLinky below, and check out other blogs in MckLinky! Let's connect and make new book bloggy friends!! So, if you consider yourself a book blogger, come join the fun!
Pretty please - Your blog should have content related to books, including, but not limited to book reviews.
There were 129 links the first week, so don't forget to stop back and check out the new blogs that are added during the week!!
Please feel free to add me (Jennifer) as a friend on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads! See right (her) sidebar.
Instructions: Add your BLOG NAME in the Title with a link to your book blog Since this is just getting started, spreading the word would be awesome!!!

IT'S TIME TO PARTY!! HAVE FUN HOPPIN' AROUND!!"

Please check out her blog for a list of great book bloggers! Leave a comment so they know you've visited because of Jennifer's Book Blog Hop! And if you've found my blog, through her... Thanks, I'm happy you found me! I love new visitors! Please leave a comment for me... I'd love to visit your blog, too.

Wow! Wow! Wow!

Did I say Wow! I really meant to say WOW!!!!!!

Bon Jovi was AMAZING Monday night!

The best part, though, was to share it with my daughter. It was her first "real" concert. I took her to see The Cheetah Girls a few years ago but that was really a kids concert. She was literally bouncing off the walls beginning on Sunday. We arrived at The Pepsi Center about an hour early. So, we sat in the car and listened to Bon Jovi CDs, of course.

While waiting in line with my Rock Star daughter in her Bon Jovi shirt, we talked to a couple. She was an even bigger Bon Jovi fan than I am...how is that even possible?!? They were so excited to talk to M about this being her first concert. When they asked her what her favorite song was, she started singing "Livin' on a Prayer". Of course, that's her favorite...she's my daughter! As we're talking to them, the woman hands M a large book, one of two in her arms. She explained that they had VIP fan club tickets and had just been at a special "meet & greet" where they were given these autographed books. She wanted M to have one as a remembrance of this special night. What an amazingly kind gesture! I truly hope Karma rewards them for making my daughter's night even more special!

Dashboard Confessional opened and, while I had really didn't really know any of their songs, they were really good. M knew a few of their songs and has since downloaded a few onto her iPod.

When Bon Jovi took the stage, it was really electric. The crowd went WILD and M was right there with them. She was mesmerized! Later, she told me she cried when they came out.... awwww! I just love that! She sang and danced almost every song. She even knew a song that I didn't. Jon sang "Hallelujah". M told me she knew it from Shrek. I've seen that movie countless times and didn't make the connection. Her favorite song in the show was "Love's The Only Rule". It was a great song with Jon leading the crowd in some acapella singing. It was the last song they sang... before the encore. When the band returned to the stage, he said that it's 1984 again and sang some of their greatest hits from their hair band glory days! They, of course, ended with "Livin' on a Prayer". I have a feeling they end every show with that song... and why not? It's their "signature" song. The coolest thing, though, was that the video background while they were singing was a huge complilation of what I assume to YouTube fan videos of the song. I love that they pay homage to their fans who are paying homage to them. If you watch this video I found on YouTube, you can see those fan videos behind the band.

I saw Bon Jovi for the first time just two years ago. I know, I know... how is that even possible?!? I've loved them for decades! I told my husband, after that first night, that I would NEVER miss seeing them in concert again. After Monday night, I can safely say that neither M or I will EVER miss a Bon Jovi concert!

It was just WOW!!!

Tonight... Bon Jovi!!!

BON JOVI...in less than three hours!!

M is already dressed! We are SO excited!

I'll blog all about it tomorrow!

For those of you who aren't able to see them in person... I'll leave you with this...

First Line Friday & Fine Art

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?

"Generale Taddeo Bottando walked up the staircase covered in stolen works of art slightly before the of San Ignazio struck seven in the morning, as usual."
The Raphael Affair
Iain Pears

Two things really stand out about this first line. The first being the part about the staircase covered in stolen works of art. Because this novel is about art thefts, it's not beyond the realm of possibilty that the police would showcase the art before it's returned to the rightful owner. The second thing that catches my attention in this first line are the words "as usual". I can make a fairly educated guess that the rest of his day will be any thing but "usual".

This novel is the first in a series. I just learned about this series from my friend, L. It's a new "sub-genre" for me. I read a lot of mysteries ( a lot...lol) but I've never read one set in the art world. I LOVE art and, although, I feel fairly knowledgable, I look forward to learning more.

I have to say I love this cover. I am drawn to paintings of women. My favorite artist is John Singer Sargent. My absolute favorite painting of his is "Mr & Mrs Isaac Newton Phelps Stokes.. I have it in my sidebar as well as a print above my nightstand. I've toyed with the idea of purchasing an oil or glicee print to hang in either my living room or bedroom.



His most notable subject was Madame X. This painting was considered very scandalous in its day. The combination of the provocative dress, the off-the-shoulder strap as well as the stark white of her skin (it was rumoured that she ingested arsenic to achieve that look)created a furor at the 1884 Paris Salon that threatened to ruin both artist and subject. While googling images, I found this picture of Sargent painting it as well as Julianne Moore's contemparary take.


I have several framed Sargent prints in my guest bathroom. I also use the Sargent calendar every year. I hang it on the fridge but NEVER write on it. It's really just art for my kitchen. I have saved several prints from the calendars. I want to hang them in the hallway to the bedrooms. I have every intention of matting and framing them. What I don't have is a creative gene. I know it's really just a quick trip to Michael's. I know it's not a great excuse but it's all I have :o)


My handbag today was my black motorcycle bag. At one point or another, I've contemplated which bag I would carry, if I had to carry only one. This could, possibly, very possibly, be it. Although, if you ask me tomorrow, or next Wednesday or a week from Thursday... I'm sure my answer would be different. Thank Goodness, I NEVER have to make that decision!

Today is...

Today is Jon Bon Jovi's birthday!

Today is less than a week away from the concert!

Today is book club night...love the club, hated the book!

Today is the release date for Pamela Clare's latest... Naked Edge!

Today is the day I purchased it!

Today is the day I'll start it!

Today is 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!
"Gabe stared. Kat was on the sofa, leafing through Jill's photo album."
Naked Edge
Pamela Clare

Today is the day I carried my Liz Claiborne cheetah print tote with red patent trim! I haven't carried it a while. Even though it's not really a "summer" bag, I don't carry it when the weather is "wintry". It was almost 60° today... perfect weather to carry it!