Thank You, Karen!

I want to thank my friend, Karen http://karenintx.blogspot.com/.

She has made some really great graphics for me. The Dorothy Kilgallen quote has always been one of my favorites. She took some pictures I sent her and made the fantastic graphic that sits below my blog title. Look closely, she even used PURPLE for the best word... Extraordinary! I love purple!

She also created my First Line Friday graphic. The biggest surprise was that she used the line, "It was a dark and stormy night." as part of the graphic. Every mystery reader knows that line.

Thanks, again, Karen. I wish I had your talent!

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?

"In my favorite portrait of myself, I am wearing an opaque eyelet dress, layered, with scalloped edges of the hemline barely whispering across the studio floor."
A Flickering Light
Jane Kirkpatrick

This is from the prologue titled, "Subjects". It is a wonderful first line! My favorite era to read about, right now, is the early 20th century. This novel is set in 1907 and this first line epitomizes that time period. I love it! There is also a picture of, I'm guessing, the main character, Jessi Ann. It is a perfect complement to the first line. It really gives me a sense of her, even before I read this novel. I also like that Jessi Ann has a favorite portrait of herself. It speaks to her self-confidence. According to the back cover, she is trying to become a photographer in a time when working women were not the societal norm. She needs to have that confidence.

I love summer and the bags I carry when it gets warmer. They are more colorful and fun. Since it's now past Memorial Day and I can carry white bags (yes, I'm "old-fashioned" like that), I carried this great floral bag with black trim. It is a beautiful bag with so many colorful flowers and cute little lady bugs and dragonflies. I bought it on Ebay a few years ago. When I received it, there was a note from the seller that there was a small mark on the bag and, because of that, he was enclosing a free matching wallet. What an unexpected surprise! It took me quite a while trying to find the mark. It was microscopic and on the back of the purse. How nice of the seller to include the matching wallet!

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!

"Well, fine. I'll take the bus home."
page 182
Can You Keep a Secret?
Sophie Kinsella

I'm re-reading this for book club on Thursday. We decided to keep it light as one of this time of the year is very busy for all of us. I read it the frst time after I read Cofessions of a Shopaholic. I'm really not a fan of Sophie Kinsella. Confessions of a Shopaholic was cute and I did read the next one but found it too much like the first one. I remember thinking the same thing about Can You Keep a Secret?. Kinsella has a successful formula... if it isn't broken... etc., etc. Well, it's the same on the second read. Luckily, it's a fast read and I know we'll have a quick discussion. Then, it's on to the important things... good food and good friends! We have very deep and enriching discussions about some novels, but, this won't be one of them. That's OK, though, sometimes it's fun to keep it light and just enjoy being with fiends.

Speaking of friends...I had a leisurely lunch with my friends, K and I. We were lamenting... lol... the last day of our freedom. Our kids get out of school tomorrow. So, we sat in Panera and enjoyed the day. We'll definitely meet over the summer for Girls Night Out but there's something almost decadent about having a two hour lunch.

I carried my Kathy Van Zeeland cheetah print satchel. Like most of her bags, it's very "blingy". It's a fun bag, it's deceptively big and I can carry it as a shoulder bag or a handbag. Does it get better than that?!? It does, in my world :o)... every day I choose a different bag!

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?

"Two thirty in the morning and it was sweltering."
Miss Fortune
Sara Mills

The author couldn't set the scene better that, could she? That sentence pretty much says it all. It's almost a cliche to start a mystery in the "sweltering" summer. However, in a good writer's hands, it can be the start of an intense story.

I found this title on another blog. The blogger gave it a great review and that intrigued me. After reading the first chapter on the author's website, I knew I wanted to read it. I listened to another book set around that same time period (1940s NYC)and was really disappointed. It was so heavy on period slang that it was distracting. I hope this one is better. There is a sequel... so that gives me hope. Although, any reader knows that just because a book has a sequel, doesn't make it something worth reading.

I love the cover, too... very retro. It goes along with the Rebecca cover I blogged about yesterday.

Hey, Karen (http://karenintx.blogspot.com/) ... thanks for doing "First Line Friday" for these past weeks! You rock, my friend!

My purse today was my black and white peace sign bag. Yes, I still feel like it's a bit young for me but it's cute and looked good with my outfit.

Booking Through Thursday

This question is making its way around some of the book blogs that I read. It's a great question.
What book would you love to be able to read again for the first time?

I read this questions a few hours ago and have been thinking about it. I just can't narrow it down to one... so I won't :o)

In no particular order...

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
~ This was my first "grown up" novel. I read it the summer between third and fourth grade. It took most of the summer. I not only loved the story and Francie but I was so proud of myself for finishing it. The picture above is from my original copy that, I think, was my grandmother's. It was published in 1943, which is the original publication date but I think it's a book club edition rather than a first edition.

Little House on the Prairie series
~ I remember wanting to be Laura. I thought she had the best life. This was, of course, before I knew the realities of life on the prairie. The best thing about reading these novels was ordering them from The Weekly Reader and the anticipation of waiting for them.

Nancy Drew series
~ This was, like a lot of girls, my first introduction to mysteries. To this day, they are my favorite genre to read. Not only did she solve mysteries but she did it with her two best friends, Bess and George and boyfriend, Ned and in her cute blue roadster.

Rebecca
~ Where to start? This is a stunning read. It has everything...a great first line (and you know how I love first lines), a gothic setting, first person narration by the second Mrs. DeWinter, surprising twists and, best of all, Mrs. Danvers! I remember thinking how can this book get any better? And then, it does! Better and better until the climatic end. I've read this novel many times and as much as I love it, I'd love to read it again for the first time. I just googled to find a cover of Rebecca and found this one. Seriously... the BEST cover I've ever seen for this novel!! It completely embodies the story. I now want this copy!

I carried my Liz Claiborne black and white cheetah print hobo with deep red patent trim and handles. I hadn't carried it quite a while and it's been calling my name.

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!

"Out in the corridor, we didn't look at one another. Nobody made a any move to go back to the incident room."
page 355
large print edition
In The Woods
Tana French

I'm kind of cheating with this novel. I'm reading it at home but I'm also listening to it in my car. That way, I can still finish it before book club and not feel guilty about not reading it at home, if I don't want to. Like I've said before, I've not heard great things about this book but, so far, it's not horrible. I would not read past page 100 if it wasn't for book club, though. It's a little confusing. The narrative has shifted a few times and I'm finding it distracting.

My bag today was a beige Dooney & Bourke Sac. I have this style in this beige as well as denim and I LOVE them! The denim bag is a little slouchier than the beige one. This bag hold its shape pretty well and, of course, it's big. I love how it sits under my arm. I haven't carried it a lot lately as I kind of feel like it's a summer bag. Well, today was 93°... that qualifies as summer in my book.

I'm watching "Night at the Museum" on FX. I'm not a Ben Stiller fan(at all) but this movie is so fun. We will definitely see the new one but not until next week... after the kids are out of school.

Bookmarks and Solar Cell Cars

This is from Weekly Geeks. I think I'm a week late but I like the prompt...

Do you use bookmarks or just grab whatever is handy to mark your page? Do you collect lots of different bookmarks or do you have a favorite one that you use exclusively? If you're not someone who uses bookmarks on a regular basis, have you ever used anything odd to mark your place?

Like most bibliophiles, I LOVE bookmarks! I have a lot of them. Of course, it's not a coincidence that there's always a rounder of them at the bookstore's cashwrap. More often than not, I end up buying one or two. I especially like the ones with tassles. My cats love to play with them. so, while I'm reading, I can play with the cats, too :o) I always buy one when I buy a bookstore giftcard for someone. I try to tailor it to their tastes. I play Mah Jong with a couple of women in my book club. We do a small gift exchange at Christmas and I found bookmarks with Mah Jong tiles. So cute!

I'm kind of a geek, too. I try to "match" the bookmark to the book...either by color, theme or sometimes, title. Like many others, when I read the Harry Potter series, I used a Harry Potter bookmark. I belong to two book clubs and when we started one in July 2003, one of the girls made everybody cute bookmarks. I used that one specifically for book club books. Recently, though, it has disappeared. I'm still hoping it will turn up... buried in a book. I think, however, it probably was accidentally returned in a library book.

For a few years, the company that did my kids' school pictures included a bookmark with their picture. It was laminated and very durable. I still use those.

The bookmark I'm using right now is, technically, not a bookmark. It's a postcard. my friend, Cyndy, sent a Spring Gift Exchange gift that did include a bookmark (with a wonderful quote from Mother Teresa) but also a postcard. This postcard is now my bookmark of choice. It's from Florida and has a close up shot of very colorful seashells. I think it's so cute so that's what I've been using.

I am also guilty of using freebie bookmarks from the library and bostores. While the ones from the library are, generally, utilitarian... the bookstore freebies are, quite often, fun. A local indie bookstore has a bookmark contest every year for kids. Those are always colorful and very creative.

J is in 7th grade and is, most definitely, a science geek...YAY! Today was the culmination of his Solar Cell Car project. It was sponsered by NREL (National Renewable Energy Lab). He and his team worked all semester to build a car that was powered by a solar cell. There were three heats. Their car didn't get off the starting line twice and, in the last heat, it only made it about half way. They were undeterred! They figured that every thing that failed today was one less mistake they would make next year. What a great scientific way to think! They had a blast, too. That makes it all worthwhile.

I carried my huge brown woven tote to the competition. It was definitely a "Mom" bag today. Besides all my day-to-day stuff, I had a water bottle, an umbrella and a paperback book. Add to that, later,... two hoodies and assorted solar cell repair equipment, you can see why I had to carry one of my biggest bags.

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?

"Picture a summer stolen whole from some coming-of-age film ser in small town 1950s."

"What I warn you to remember is that I am a detective."

In the Woods
Tana French

I chose the first sentences from the prologue and the first chapter because they are both very intriguing to me. Both sentences are dramatic in their own way. I like how the prologue is third person narrative while the first chapter is first person. I have a feeling the the prologue is the crime and the first chapter begins the investigation.

My thoughts on this novel...

The cover is horrible. Seriously, it looks like something a grade schooler would hand in. If we weren't reading this for book club, there is no way I would have picked it up. I checked it out at the library and accidentally reserved the large print edition. The cover of that is better...but not by much.


My friend who has almost the same taste in books, did not like this. She hasn't told me a lot of details because we're in book club together but i know that if she didn't like it, I probably won't either.

I have read some of the Amazon reviews and they are very mixed. I really hope I do like it as I hate wasting my time on a bad book. I do have a 100 page rule but because this is a book club book, I really try to finish it... whether or not it's a wall-banger. some of our best discussions are on novels we hated :o)

Get this?!? I "carried" the same bag two days in a row! Why, you ask? Because I was a total homebody today. Besides taking and picking up J and M from school, I didn't leave the house. Therefore, my bag from yesterday was still in my car. J has his solar cell car "derby" tomorrow... an all-day event so, I will definitely carry smething different tomorrow :o)

I've seen this on several book blogs and thought I'd participate.

Book Gluttony! Are your eyes bigger than your book belly? Do you have a habit of buying up books far quicker than you could possibly read them? Have you had to curb your book buying habits until you can catch up with yourself? Or are you a controlled buyer, only purchasing books when you have run out of things to read?

I am most definitely a book glutton :o) I've even worked in and managed a bookstore.
Having said that, though, I try... lol... to only buy books that I know I will love and want to keep to re-read. That means I generally only buy hardbacks by authors who I love. If it's a hardback by a debut author or a new-to-me author, I will check it out at my library. However, paperbacks are a different story... pun intended :o) I don't feel like it's a big loss if I don't like it. I will just pass it on. Because my reading tastes are pretty varied, I can always find a friend who might like it. If not, they can pass it on or donate it. I've been toying with the idea of a Kindle but not being able to pass books on, is making me think twice.

As for "only purchasing books when you have run out of things to read?"... I think that would send me into a tizzy (I love that word and don't often have a chance to use it. So, I will now!). Like most book gluttons, I have a huge TBR pile. I can't imagine only buying (or checking out) books when I have run out of things to read. I've even trained my kids to have a TBR pile :o) I have a dedicated section in my day planner for book titles. Yes, I'll admit... I have written down titles at the bookstore to check out at the library. I also have my library's website in my favorites. Since I have discovered book blogs, I am constantly finding intriguing titles. A few clicks and it's on hold for me...my virtual TBR pile!

I carried a very simple black leather hobo bag. Three fabulous things about it... a great braided strap, a turquoise satin lining and, the best... I paid $24.99 for it at TJ Maxx! A great bag is a great bag but getting a great deal makes it even better!

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!

"And so he looked upom the remainder of his days as a cruel life sentence to endure. He could not go back and undo the event of his birth."
page 163
Widow of Larkspur Lane
The Gresham Chronicles Book One
Lawana Blackwell


I found this book and two other books in the series at the Friends of the Library bookstore. They are "feel good" reads... you know, books that will be a fast, easy read and don't require a great deal of thought. I love this kind of novel. I usually read one after I've read something a little more thought-provoking.

According to her website, the author has written this series..."Newly widowed and forced from her London home, Julia Hollis and her three children flee for their only place of refuge—an abandoned coaching inn still owned by her family at the outskirts of the small dairy village of Gresham. Without resources otherwise, Julia chooses to turn the inn into a lodging house for affluent men and women seeking an escape from the city. Her adjustment to country life is sometimes difficult, sometimes humorous, but soon you’ll be just as charmed as Julia is with the citizens of this sleepy town. From the elderly busybody down the lane to the charming vicar to the new schoolmarm, the population is filled with engaging personalities you’ll treasure knowing."

There is also The Tales of London series..."This series by Lawana Blackwell revels in the life and times of Victorian England, taking readers from an orphanage where devoted workers do their best to offer lonely children a good life to the elegant Mayfair district where a widow with a secret attempts to right a wrong. Entering the lives of the servants and wealthy alike, the series is romantic, humorous, and compassionate. It offers readers a glimpse at the power of grace and the hope and joy that come through an understanding of redemption."

If the Gresham Chronicles are as good as I hope they will be, I will definitely read that series, too.

Happy Mother's Day!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

To all my friends...I hope today is filled with love and joy!

First Line Friday & A Few Other Things

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?

"On Wednesday, July 10 1910, as a light fog drifted along the River Scheldt, Cap. Henry George Randall prepared his ship, the SS Montrose, for what should have been the most routine of voyages, from Antwerp direct to Quebec City, Canada."
Thunderstruck
Erik Larson

This is a very descriptive first line because it hints at what's to come. The words "for what should have been the most routine of voyages" tells me this voyage will be anything but. Although, I know the stories and the outcome, I look forward to see how Larson weaves them together.

I've wanted to read this novel for a while. I loved "Devil in the White City" and have heard great things about this novel. It's the seperate stories of how Guglielmo Marconi invented the telegraph as well as Dr. Hawley Crippin's flight from justice after murdering his wife. The stories come together as the new invention is used to capture Crippin and his accomplice... his lover, Ethel le Neve, who posed as his son on the trans-Atlantic voyage.

I have to say, also, that I love the cover. It's dark and foreboding with a lightning bolt (divine justice, perhaps?) looking like it's hitting the ship. As I love novels set in the early 20th century, the cover is also appealing because it is a photograph so it's historically accurate.

Larson's note to reader's before the novel begins also struck a chord because he quotes from a wonderful mystery we just read and discussed for my book club... The Murder Room by PD James. She is an author that I had read years ago and truly enjoyed but had not read recently. Several women also agreed with me and we all decided she is an author whose books deserve a re-read. So, to read his note just solidifies that I will most definitely pick up another Dalgliesh or Cornelia Grey in the near future.

The last sentence of his note is genius. It reads, "If, for example, you learn more than you need to know about a certain piece of flesh, I apologize, though, I confess I make that apology only halfheartedly." I can just imagine Mr. Larson at his keyboard, typing that. What a way to suck the reader in! I'm really not one for "gore" but I know that he researched the subject and felt it was necessary to include. Authors like that are what make reading, even reading the gory parts, so worthwhile.


Today, I will carry my Dooney & Bourke Medallion Satchel. I'm wearing a silk shirt with multicolored threads sewn throughout. The colors in the bag are a perfect complement to the shirt. The inside of the bag is sky blue and makes me happy every time I open it.

Because the title of my blog is Bags, Books & Bon Jovi...
Because I've already discussed both... bags and books...
Because I haven't blogged about Bon Jovi in a while...
Because I recently found this picture...
And because it just makes me VERY HAPPY...

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!

"Florence and Warren brought in a fresh pot of coffee and a large plate of sugar cookies. Betsy knelt on the floor and poured coffee for everyone as she and Ted kept talking about their experience at Time."
page 94
Fast Copy
Dan Jenkins

I found this book in the Friends of the Library bookstore with the first cover. I was definitely intrigued but being the financially responsible (read...cheap...lol) person that I am, I went to the stacks to find it. The library edition had the white cover. Honestly, I judged this book by its cover. Had I seen the white cover first, I probably would not have even picked it up. It's interesting, though, Texas during the Depression.

I pulled out another "vintage" Dooney bag today. It's an iconic Dooney color... British Tan. It's so small, compared to what I now normally carry. I could only fit my wallet, keys, phone and, of course, my ever-present chapstick. I know that is what most women carry in their bags but I'm old-fashioned I still carry a day planner. I have a "smart phone" but cannot bring myself to use the calendar in it. I know I should but I would feel completely lost without my planner.

First Line Friday and Lost &Found

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?

"Maisie Dobbs, Psychologist and Investigator, picked up her fountain pen to sign her name at the end of a final report that she and her assistant, Billy Beale, had worked late to complete the night before."
Among The Mad
Jacqueline Winspear

This sentence is very straight forward...much like the novels, themselves.

I LOVE,LOVE,LOVE the Maisie Dobbs series! I bought this book a few weeks ago but it's still on my TBR pile. Although, it's been "bumped" for other books, I know it'll be a real treat when I do read it. These books are, quite possibly, in my top five favorite series. Maisie is an amazing character but, better than that, the novels are so well-written. Jacqueline Winspear is an extraordinary storyteller. I blogged a while back that she was in town and I was going to see her. Luckily, I've seen her before because, I completely forgot to go. HUH? I am a slave to my day planner and it was written down. I could not believe that I had forgotten... it was in my day planner :o)

I met a friend for lunch today. I hadn't seen her in a while even though our kids are in the same class. We had a fun lunch at California Pizza Kitchen. It was not without a little drama, though. As I was getting out of my car, I felt the chain of the necklace I always wear fall away. I found the chain but could not find the Cross that was on it. After tearing my car apart, I started thinking it probably fell in my bra. Yeah, very surreptitiously, I checked...no luck. I was almost in tears. At home and after another thorough search of my car, I finally found the Cross in the pocket of my jeans.

I carried my black woven tote today. Even though it's huge and M says (every time...lol) "I can put my whole body in here", it's one I use a lot. My everyday bags have to be big enough to carry my book and this one could carry all the Harry Potter books with Gone With The Wind thrown in. Yes, its contents were dumped TWICE in the search for my Cross pendant. Had it been smaller, i would have probably felt the need to only check it once :o)

Waiting on Wednesday

I know the rule for Waiting on Wednesday is to talk about a book that I am waiting to be published. I've done it before and, now, I'm doing it again :o) My WoW is a book that I'm on the waiting list at my library.

"Schemers" is the latest "Nameless" Detective novel by Bill Pronzini. There are forty titles in the series and I (think) I've read them all. They are written in first person so the narrator never reveals his first name. It's not gimmicky. He's not trying to hide it. Because of the first person narration, he says things like," I gave him my name" or "I introduced myself". It's very natural and I never felt like I really needed to know it. Or maybe it was like a good friend's name... you know it but don't feel the need to use it all the time.
Bill Pronzini is married to Marcia Muller. She writes the (also fantastic) Sharon McCone mysteries. They collaborated on "Double"... a mystery told from each detective's point-of-view. In that book, "Nameless" was called "Wolf" by Sharon because he's a "lone wolf". In some of her novels, Sharon mentions "Wolf". I love things like that. I feel like the authors are "thanking" the readers for reading both series.
My bag today was a Bath & Body Works pale turquoise bag. I kept the sides zipped so it carries more like a purse as opposed to a tote bag. I bought one for M to carry to school. She has decided that tote bags are very "7th grade" and as a 5th grade fashionsta, she must be on the cutting edge :o) I "borrowed" this picture because I'm lazy and the internet is easy.

I had my hair highlighted on Saturday. It looks great even though it's two shades lighter than normal... very summery! The new buzz word at the salon was sulfate-free (or is that two words?). I guess sulfates are very damaging to color-treated hair. I've tried salon brand shampoos and have never been impressed. So now, I'm looking for a moderately priced sulfate-free shampoo. I think I'm heading to Target tomorrow and trying L'Oreal Ever Pure shampoo. If anyone uses any other great sulfate-free shampoo, let me know!