First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros 11-22-63

Every Tuesday Diane at Bibliophile By the Sea shares the first paragraph or two of a book she is currently reading or plans to read soon. You can link up to her Tuesday posts with the first chapter and first paragraph of your current read. It is a great place to get a taste of a new book, or explore further one you may already have on your bookshelf and haven't yet opened. See what the rest of us are reading, come join us. 

This week I started, finally: 

11/22/63

Stephen King

Scribner a division of Simon and Schuster

I have never been what you'd call a crying man.
    My ex-wife said that my "nonexistent emotional gradient" was the main reason she was leaving me (as if the guy she met in her AA meetings was beside the point). Christy said she supposed she could forgive me not crying at her father's funeral; I had only known him for six years and couldn't understand what t wonderful giving man he had been (a Mustang convertible as a high school graduation present, for instance). But then, when I didn't cry at my  own parent's funeral - they died just two years apart, Dad of stomach cancer and Mom of a thunderclap heat attack while taking a walk on a Florida beach - she began to understand the nonexistent gradient thing. I was "unable to feel my feelings," in AA-speak. 

So, would you read on? Have you already read this one?  Are you a Stephen King fan?




Until next time
Stay Busy and Stay Happy

Dreaming of France through eyes of a special young couple

Today I am joining Paulita at An Accidental Blog for her Dreaming of France meme. 

The following are pictures were taken by my nephew and his wife on their recent honeymoon. I will never be able to travel to France, so it was exciting to see these sights from their perspective, and read her # comments. 

 The Gardens at Versailles - her hashtag   #wonderhowmanygardenersittakestokeepthatplacetiptop

 The cafe where they ate their last meal while in Pairs = #bestfood

Is this the Louvre?  She had mentioned both the Louvre and the Musee d'Orsay in her post of this amazing hall. #paris #lourve #orsay

This was at the Love Lock Bridge= #ifoughtforourlove

 
And Notre-Dame de Paris = ididntseethehunchbackthough

And finally the Eiffel Tower

#istillcantbelieveit.

I know this was a trip of a lifetime. I am anxious to hear their commentary and see all their pictures. My #suchluckyyounglovers

Until next time

Stay Busy and Stay Happy

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? New Month New Goal

Join us at Sheila's blog, Book Journey, where we share the books were are currently reading or want to start soon. Some of us will share the books we recently finished also, with maybe a link to a review. It is great fun, but fair warning, you will add to your TBR read list for sure.

This week I am still listening to :

I am enjoying this book just as I enjoyed The Life of Bees by the same author. The narrating of this one is superb. 

And I am also reading on my Kindle:

As I said in the past I am not a Stephen King fan, do not read his books, but so far ( and I have just started) I am involved with this one. It is of course, very well written.

My goal this month is to get caught up on my challenge to read 72 books this year. Goodreads says I am now 2 books behind. So I must pick up the pace. As of today I have 4 months, or 122 days to finish 27 books. If my calculations are correct, that means I must read 1 book every 4.5 days. That is pushing it for me. I always thought I was a fast reader, but compared to some I am not. And the older I get, the harder it gets. But I will work at getting to this goal.


Until next time,
Stay Busy and Stay Happy

Saturday Snapshots Oh to be in love and in Paris

Saturday Snapshots is hosted by Melissa at West Metro Mommy Reads. Log on to her blog to grab the button, read the few rules and link back to share your Saturday Snapshots.

I haven't been taking photos much lately. I seem to always forget to grab a camera and my cell doesn't take good outside pictures at all. But I did want to share one photo today taken by my niece-in-law. (Is that what you call the young women married to your nephew). They are on their honeymoon. Their wedding was the end of May, but they waited until now to go on their honeymoon. They have been in London and now are in Paris. I know there is controversy regarding the Love Lock Bridge in Paris, but I just had to share this photo anyway. Made me smile. They are so in love.

I am loving that she is sharing their travels with the whole family by posting on Facebook. They live in St Paul MN and my husband and I do not get to see them often. So it's fun to kind of peek in on their lives. 

Hope you are having a great weekend. Tomorrow we are celebrating our youngest great-grandson's 1st birthday. I should have lots of photos to share next Saturday! 

Until next time

Stay Busy and Stay Happy

Wondrous Words Wednesday 8-27

Kathy at BermudaOnion's Weblog gives us the opportunity to share wondrous words that we have encountered in our reading or to share words we are particularly fond of. If you wish to join us, link up your wondrous words at BermudaOnion's Weblog and to quote another blogger, "get wordy with us".

This week I am listening to the audible version of The Invention of Wings  by Sue Monk Kidd. There are some interesting words used, but they are hard for me to make note of because I am listening and can't go back to the written word for spelling etc. I did catch one word though,

crenulated- noun    Sarah is speaking about "crenulated clouds".

Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines crenulated as : having an irregularly wavy or serrate outline


Also this week I was reading several blogs that shared the first paragraph of their current read and ran across this word quotidian. 
 It means:
1. occuring every day
2. belonging to each day or commonplace, ordinary.

Joann at Lakeside Musings was sharing about her current read, Why I Read: The Serious Pleasure of Books by Wendy Lesser.

 From the Goodreads summary :
"As she examines these works from such perspectives as 'Character and Plot,' 'Grandeur and Intimacy,' and 'Authority,' Why I Read sparks an overwhelming desire to put aside quotidian tasks in favor of reading.


and this one:  oligarchy   a government structure where a small and elite group have power

Sarah at Sarah's Book Shelves was sharing her current read, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot by David Shafer and the plot summary from Amazon.
"Three young adults grapple with the usual thirty-something problems- boredom, authenticity, and omnipotent online oligarchy - in David Shafer's darkly comic debut novel"


These words were all unfamiliar to me, but I am going to try to use them in my quotidian speech in the coming week. How about you, did you come across any new and unusual words?



Until next time
Stay Busy and Stay Happy

First Chapter First Paragraph Ttuesday Intros - The Invention of Wings

Diane at Bibliophile By The Sea hosts First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros as a place to share the first paragraph (or two) of the first chapter in a book you are currently reading or hope to start soon. Join us by linking up a post of your First Chapter First Paragraph to Diane's blog.

The Invention of Wings
Sue Monk Kidd
Viking
my edition is an audible. com version


Part One
November 1803 - February 1805

Hetty Handful Gremke

There was a time in Africa the people could fly. Mauma told me this one night when I was ten years old. She said, "Handful, your granny-mauma saw it for herself. She say they flew over trees and clouds. She say they flew like blackbirds. When we came here, we left that magic behind."


I've just started this novel. It is really good so far. I am sure it will continue.
Would you continue if you just read the first paragraph?
Have you read this one yet?



Until next time,
Stay Busy and Stay Happy

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 3 new starts

It's Monday! What Are You Reading is hosted every Monday by Sheila at Book Journey. This is a very active meme and one sure to entice you to add to your list of books to be read. Join us at Sheila's blog and check out what other bloggers are reading this week 

I finished all the books I had been reading, so started 3 new ones this week. 

First on my Kindle:

This one has been on my Kindle for a while. In fact I think it was the second one that I downloaded. I am not a Stephen King fan. I have not read any of his other books, but I thought maybe I could get through this one.  I was a senior in high school on November 22, 1963 and I remember the day in great detail.  This book will fill two challenges that I am working on too. One is the 2014 Ebook Challenge hosted by 

Sarah at Workaday Reads  and the other is the Mega Mix Challenge II on Goodreads. I need a book with a title that starts with E to spell out the title of my favorite TV show. When I started the challenge I selected Downton Abbey. You wouldn't think it would be so hard to find a book title that starts with E, but I have had a difficult time. So creative license, Eleven/Twenty-two/Sixty-three!. 

I also started Copycat Killing, #3 of the Magical Cats Mystery by Sofie Kelly. This one has been on my TBR shelf for a long time. I decided I needed a book to carry in the car and I may need a diversion from the Stephen King novel. 

I really enjoyed the other Sofie Kelly book I read earlier in the month, Sleight of Paw. I own(or am owned by) a black and white cat, who looks very much like Hercules in this series. He cannot,  however, walk through doors. Thank goodness!. 

And just to round things out, because heaven forbid that I should have time to clean or sew, I decided I had better start on the first book in the fall lineup for my bookclub. We chose 

I read The Secret Life of Bees and bought the movie in preparation for this one. I have it as an audible on my kindle and given the trouble I had finding listening time when I was "reading" The Goldfinch, I wanted to give myself a time cushion. This one is only 13 hours as opposed to 30 hrs, so maybe I will be fine. 

Until next time, 

Stay Busy and Stay Happy