Wednesday's Feb Finish

 The Lost Wife by Alyson Richman      What's in a Name 6      LOST

I am at a loss for words to describe this story. It is beautiful story of love between a man and a woman, of love between a father, mother and daughters, of love between those who spent time in Terezin. The writing is wonderful, with colors describing scenes to make them feel real. In the authors notes at the end of the book, she explains that some of the characters were actual people in Terezin. All the while, reading this story, they all felt "real" to me. Having the story go full circle was a...moreI am at a loss for words to describe this story. It is beautiful story of love between a man and a woman, of love between a father, mother and daughters, of love between those who spent time in Terezin. The writing is wonderful, with colors describing scenes to make them feel real. In the authors notes at the end of the book, she explains that some of the characters were actual people in Terezin. All the while, reading this story, they all felt "real" to me. Having the story go full circle was a wondrous journey. Somehow knowing that Lenka would survive the horrors of the Nazi ghetto of Terezin, enabled me to continue to read. This is my first finish for the What's In A Name 6 Challenge sponsored by Beth Fish Reads. You can go there to her sidebar to see other postings of the challenge.

First Chapter First Tuesday Feb's Last Tuesday

Every Tuesday, Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea posts the first paragraph or maybe two of her current read. Anyone can join in. Go to Diane's website for the image and share the first paragraph (or2) of the current book you are reading.

Scarlet was descending toward the alley behind the Rieux Tavern when her portscreen chimed from the passenger seat, followed by the automated voice, "Comm received for Mademoiselle Scarlet Beboit from the Toulouse Law Enforcement Department of Missing Persons."

Heart jumping, she swerved just in time to keep the ship's starboard side from skidding against the stone wall, and threw down the brakes before reaching a complete stop. Scarlet killed the engine already grabbing for the discarded portscreen. Its pale blue light glinted off the cockpit controls.

I hope to start this "traveling book" this week. It is the second in the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer and I really enjoyed the first in the series, "Cinder".

This last weekend was so fun.  We traveled to Colorado to spend the weekend with our daughter and her husband. Our 2 granddaughters live there too, so they were around most of the weekend. We "girls" had a great time, shopping, doing lunch, spending quality "girl time". We shopped for the new great-grandbaby expected in late August, we shopped for quilting stuff, we shopped for books. Doesn't get any better than that, except when we got home my DH, SIL and GrandsonIL  made enchiladas, fajitas and margaritas for my birthday supper.  Winter storm Rocky hit on Sunday morning, so we stayed an extra day and drove home on Monday. The road were mostly good, though there were some blowing snow and slick spots periodically.  The wind always blows in Wyoming and so when there is loose snow, that is expected.


Until Next Time

Stay Busy and Stay Happy

Wondrous Words Wednesday 2-20

Wondrous Words Wednesday is hosted by  Bermuda Onion's Weblog each week. It's an opportunity to share new words you've encountered in your reading or highlight words that you particularly enjoy. 

Here are a few of my favorite new-to-me words from my most recent read, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan  by Lisa See.  All definitions come from my online dictionary,  Webster's New World Dictionary.  

vituperation: noun

1. the act of vituperting
2. abusive language

"Today I will sing a Letter of Vituperation, " Snow Flower announced.   pge 227.


After reading the context I still wasn't sure of the word. Then the dictionary meaning did not help a lot so I went to the Thesaurus. The synonyms for vituperation are censure, disapproval, scolding, verbal abuse. These helped my with the word. 

perfidy: noun

the deliberate breaking of faith; betrayal of trust; treachery

"Perhaps your perfidy is why your husband, your mother-in-law, your children and yes, the betrayed old same before you, do not cherish you as they might."     pg 229

These words are both in the same chapter of the book and as you see are certainly related.  They are strong words, words not used much in our language these days. At least I was not familiar with them. 

Ebook Challenge #3

The Park Service by Ryan Winfield. finished 2/4/13  I gave it 3 of 5 stars.

Synopsis:  Publisher - In the distant future, a pristine Earth is protected by a worldwide park service. But there’s one problem: no humans allowed.

Aubrey Van Houten just turned 15 and everything he thinks he knows is about to change. Aubrey lives five miles underground in a government facility called Holocene II where he has been taught that his people are the only survivors of a global nuclear war. Believing Earth’s surface uninhabitable, the residents of Holocene II begrudgingly live and work assigned jobs on separate subterranean levels until they can retire at 35 to a virtual reality paradise.

Aubrey aces the test that will determine his career and is called up to work at Level One—a welcome adventure for Aubrey, and an honor for his father who is soon to retire. But when a chance accident derails Aubrey’s first trip away from home, he stumbles onto the surface and discovers a real paradise off limits: a pristine planet where humans are hunted and killed by a mysterious Park Service.

Alone in a world he never dreamed existed, Aubrey must learn to survive while searching for answers to why everything he was taught is a lie



I don't normally read dystopian fiction, but there is a proliferation of it around these days. Sometimes I stumble upon it and give it a try.  The book was a feature on Good Reads so I thought I would download it. I enjoyed the story and as long as I just "went with it", and did not analyse it too much I enjoyed it. The characters were well developed. I really could feel what Aubrey was going through. The settings , though in a time we don't know, were described in a believable fashion. There is a sequel and I liked this story well enough to check  out the next one. That, I think, is what the publisher and author hope will happen when they offer a book for free or nearly free.

The author uses this story to try to tell us what he thinks may happen if we continue to use up our resources and fight with each other. He also alludes to the fact that sometimes, no matter what the circumstances, people care about each other enough to risk their own lives to save another.

Mailbox Monday 2-17

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week(s) and explore great book blogs. Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia at Hooked by A Book (formerly The Printed Page) and is on tour for the month of February and hosted by Audra at Unabridged Chick

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

This week one book found it's way into my house. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer is a traveling book from Dini at Ladies and Literature group on Goodreads. I have participated in their traveling book adventure twice now. Cinder by Marissa Meyer and People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks.  I really enjoyed the ability to  have the print book in my hand with the only output of dollars being the $4-$5 it costs me to send it on. When Scarlet showed up as the newest traveling book, I  jumped at the chance. Thanks Beth for sending it on to me. It started in AR from Dini, then Beth in TN sent it to me.  When I am finished I will send it on to Shannon in NC. We kind of keep track as to where each title has traveled. Much fun!!.

I am still working on last weeks large mailbox stash. But I will get to Scarlet very soon. Just a hint for those of you who haven't heard of this series, "The Lunar Chronicles"  This time, it's Little Red Riding Hood set in the distant future. And yes, there is a big, bad Wolf. 
I don't read much dystopian fiction, but I enjoyed Cinder and I assume I will feel the same way about Scarlet.  I'll let you know.

Until next time,

Stay Busy and Stay Happy

Saturday Snapshot Feb 16

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by At Home With Books. To participate in the Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky (at At Home With Books). Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don’t post random photos that you find online.

This photo was taken by my brother-in-law. He is an avid fisherman. He is close to retirement, and his dream he says is to fish every lake in Montana.Looks like he is starting already this winter. Does this look like fun to anyone?  Not me, though I went with my dad when I was a girl. I skated while he fished. I'm too much of a "wimpy kid" now.  BRRRRRR!

Wordless and Wondrous Words Wednesday 2-13

Desolate tree in northern Montana. Montana Rockies in the background. Taken by my brother-in-law.




Wondrous Words Wednesday is hosted by BermudaOnion each week. It's an opportunity to share new words you've encountered in your reading, or highlight words that you particularly enjoy. This week I only found 1 word during my reading that was unfamiliar.  We just don't use this word in our area. Asphalt, or tarmac are more familiar words in our part of the country. Roads are usually resurfaced with ground up asphalt mixed with new asphalt or even concrete is used. 



macadam:    - noun

1. small broken stones used in making roads; esp., such stones combined with a binder such as tar or asphalt
2. macadamized pavement

Origin: after John L. McAdam (1756-1836), Scot engineer

Webster's New World College Dictionary 

I'm reading Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Three to Get Deadly by Janet Evanovitch. Two totally different stories bu I am enjoying them both. 

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday and a Finish

 

Every Tuesday, Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea posts the first paragraph or maybe two of her current read. Anyone can join in. Go to Diane's website for the image and share the first paragraph of the current book you are reading. My first 2 paragraphs are from the first chapter of  The Mountains and the Fathers: Growing up on the Big Dry by Joe Wilkins.

The story goes that it was the heat of August, that on a whim they'd packed their fishing gear and filled the cooler and drove north all day to meet my father's friend Jack Peters at Current Lake, a deep pool of the Missouri shadowed by the Little Rocky Mountains.

The whole place was crawling with rattlesnakes. Snakes sliding through the tall grass, snakes curled in the outhouse,snakes draped like question marks across the rocks. My mother walked everywhere with a long, stout stick to sling them off the footpath. My father carried a shove and with it sliced the heads and rattles from those that twisted too near their tents. Jack Peters piled the dead snakes away from camp, for the flies and to keep from scaring my five-year-old sister. 

Except that I hate snakes I am going to continue this book. The writing is "picture making" and I want to know what happens after this.  What about you, would you keep reading? 


Also, yesterday I finished my Valentine Block of the Month. It is blackwork embroidery with a pieced border and made to fit in a table stand. I am happy to have finished it, as I am generally "the Queen of Unfinished Projects". I have joined the BOM and there will be a similar small block each month. The one for March has already arrived....I haven't even opened it.  Wish me luck!

Until next time

Stay Busy and Stay Happy

BIG Mailbox Monday 2-11-13

 Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week(s) and explore great book blogs. Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia at Hooked by A Book (formerly The Printed Page) and is on tour for the month of February by Audra at Unabridged Chick

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

These 3 books were downloaded to my Kindle this week. They were on special from BookBub. 

 The Driving Lesson by Ben Rehder

Charlie Dunbar had big plans for the summer break, but becoming a fugitive was nowhere on the list. Even more unexpected, his partner in crime is his own ailing grandfather. Now they're on the run, trying to make it across the country to see a special kind of doctor, while the world becomes mesmerized by their journey. They are the subject of heated debates on cable news channels. Thousands of people voice their support on Facebook fan pages. And Charlie's own parents appear on live TV to plead for him to come home safely. But Charlie isn't ready yet. He's determined to get his grandfather to Seattle. The only question is, will the police stop him first? 

Merle’s Dog    by Ted Kerasote

While on a camping trip, Ted Kerasote met a dog—a Labrador mix—who was living on his own in the wild. They became attached to each other, and Kerasote decided to name the dog Merle and bring him home. There, he realized that Merle’s native intelligence would be diminished by living exclusively in the human world. He put a dog door in his house so Merle could live both outside and in.A deeply touching portrait of a remarkable dog and his relationship with the author, Merle’s Door explores the issues that all animals and their human companions face as their lives intertwine, bringing to bear the latest research into animal consciousness and behavior as well as insights into the origins and evolution of the human-dog partnership. Merle showed Kerasote how dogs might live if they were allowed to make more of their own decisions, and Kerasote suggests how these lessons can be applied universally.

Through Smoke

by J.R. Tate

T

Firefighter Michael McGinnis is no stranger to intense situations. Veteran of New York’s Ladder Twenty-One Company as a search and rescue man, he has seen his share of burning infernos, high-rise saves, and intense emergency situations. Despite McGinnis’ years on the job, nothing can prepare him for getting tangled in his brother’s mistakes as a drug addict and gambler, es...moreFirefighter Michael McGinnis is no stranger to intense situations. Veteran of New York’s Ladder Twenty-One Company as a search and rescue man, he has seen his share of burning infernos, high-rise saves, and intense emergency situations. Despite McGinnis’ years on the job, nothing can prepare him for getting tangled in his brother’s mistakes as a drug addict and gambler, especially when a blood thirsty bookie gets involved. A romance sparks between him and fellow paramedic, Eva Crisante, catching him even more off guard. Morals are tested, lies are told, and relationships are built and then torn to ruins. The problems ahead are more challenging than any fire McGinnis has experienced. He learns that bravery is not only needed in his job with the department, but also in dire situations away from work. His tough love for his brother is tested, proving that there truly are things more dangerous than a five-alarm fire.

 

Also I received a copy of:    The Mountain and the Fathers explores the life of boys and men in the unforgiving, harsh world north of the Bull Mountains of eastern Montana in a drought afflicted area call the Big Dry, a land that chews up old and young alike. Joe Wilkins was born into this world, raised by a young mother and elderly grandfather following the untimely death of his father.

This book is a suggested read for my F2F book club. A friend has loaned me her copy. I am really looking forward to this one. The setting is in Montana, a neighboring state and one I really like to visit. 

I visited the library too this week, to check for copies of the February reads for The Love of Reading group on Good Reads. My library does not have either, The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly or Me Before You by JoJo Moyes. So I picked up these two.

Both I have been wanting to read for some time. Yay!!

I guess I have my reading time pretty much planned out for the next few weeks. I also am working on my quilting. The Clickedty Clack Quilt Challenge entry is off to the next participant and I have finished a Valentine Block of the Month. I'll show you that tomorrow ( Tuesday)

Until Next Time
Stay Busy and Stay Happy

Judy