Saturday Snapshot 3/21/15

Joining up again finally. We are travelling today, home from 10 days in Arizona. Here are some pictures taken on our trip down to AZ and while we were there. Share your snapshots on Melinda's blog, West Metro Mommy Reads. There are a few rules, check them out at Melinda's site.

In northern New Mexico, on a side trip to Taos. We were not in a hurry to get to Phoenix, so enjoyed a little excursion.

Scultpure in the Ladies Room at 5Star Burgers in Taos. Love those purple walls.

Peach bellini at Fez , Sunday morning before the book signing with C.J. Box at The Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale.

We had pizza at The Mellow Mushroom on St Patrick's Day.

Lemons left on the front porch of our son's house. Lemons are falling off the trees all over here.
 I am beginning to see a "food" theme here.

We had a really good time.


Until next time
Stay Busy and Stay Happy

Wondrous Words Wednesday 3-18-15

Wondrous Words Wednesday is hosted by Kathy at BermudaOnion's Weblog. It is a place to share or highlight words encountered when reading or listening.


My word of the day email from Merriam-Webster gave me this word:

controvertible:  adj.   capable of being disputed or opposed by reason.


After  a meal enjoyed at The Mellow Mushroom, I have controvertible evidence to argue the statement, "There is no such thing as a good gluten-free pizza ."


We are in Phoenix this week, and spent yesterday visiting friends from home, who snowbird here. Then we ( our son driving) picked up our DIL after her classes at ASU and had an early St. Patrick's Day supper of pizza and beer and wine at The Mellow Mushroom.

The long drive across Phoenix to the west valley, where they live, was capped off by dessert and 

a short  marathon of Longmire on Netflix. 

Until next time

Stay Busy and Stay Happy

It's Monday. What Are You Reading? 3/16/15

This week we are traveling so the reading is at a minimum. I could read while riding in the car, but feel like I then exclude my DH and time spent together. So we almost always opt for an audio book. This trip is a 1200 mile each way, so we checked out 2 books from the library. On the way to Arizona we listened to Winterkill by C.J. Box.

 It is the 3rd in the series, and I usually shy away from reading out of sequence, but Mr Busy has read the first 2 in the series, so I thought I could cope. It was fine. Then as it turned out, I was reading Cathy's blog, Kittling Books, the other day and she mentions book signings at The Poisoned Pen in Phoenix often. Since we were going to be in Phoenix I check the bookstore website and C .J. Box was doing a book signing on Sunday, the 15th.  My son, DIL and DH said they would go with me to the book signing. That was good because there was no way I was going to drive across Phoenix and try to find the store in Scottsdale. We got there, bought his newest book, listened to the interview with the owner and Mr. Box and then took our numbers for the actual book signing. I enjoyed it very much. Now, C.J. Box lives in Wyoming as do I and he has been at our local book store doing a signing, but I wasn't reading his books then. So it was kind of serendipitous that we are both in Phoenix on the same weekend.

I am still reading

 but not getting very far. Reading of a print book has been limited to bedtime and I have been tired enough to fall asleep after 5 or so pages.  Not very productive.


Until next time
Stay Busy and  Stay Happy

First Chapter, First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros is hosted by Diane at Bibliophile By the Sea. Join us to share the first paragraph ( or a few) of the book you are currently reading, or hope to begin soon.

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore  A Novel

Robin Sloan

Farrar, Straus and Giroux  2012

Help Wanted
     Lost in the shadows of the shelves, I almost fall off the ladder. I am exactly half way up. The floor of the bookstore is far below me, the surface of a planet I've left behind. The tops of the shelves loom high above, and it's dark up there - the books are packed in close, and they don't let any light through. The air might be thinner, too. I think I see a bat.
     I am holding on for dear life, one hand on the ladder, the other on the lip of a shelf, fingers pressed white. My eyes trace a line above my knuckles, searching the spines - and there I spot it. The book I'm looking for.
     But let me back up. 

I am anxious to get started on the book. I recommended it to my book club and they have decided to read it for discussion in April. I hope it is as good as the reviews I have been reading. This is also a library book, so I will add it to my list for Readers to the Rescue Library Challenge. 

I finished On Hummingbird Wings by Lauraine Snelling. You can see my review here on Goodreads. 

Stay Busy and Stay Happy

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, A Novel by Robin Sloan

Sheila at Book Journey hosts this opportunity to share what you are reading in the coming week. Write a post of what you are reading and link up at Sheila's blog.

I expect to finish

tonight. I will have a review in the next few days. 

On deck this week is 

This book is the April read  for my F2F book club. I won't be at the meeting in March, I will be in Phoenix. They will be discussing The Secrets of Mary Bowser by Lois Leveen. I have not read that book, I haven't been able to get it from the library and I am not willing to purchase it. I will read it in the future. I am looking forward to reading Mr, Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore A Novel by Robin Sloan. It has been on my to-read list for some time. If I finish this while away from home, I will choose a book on my Kindle. Maybe The Rosie Project or maybe, Bellman and Black. 

I hope to be able to post while we are away, but it will depend on how busy our family keeps us. "smile". 

Until next time,

Stay Busy and Stay Happy

First Chapter First Paragraph Intros - On Hummingbird Wings

Hoping to link up with Diane at Bibliophile By The Sea to participate in First Chapter, First Paragraph. Diane is having laptop troubles, so we will see if she can get her post to publish.

On Hummingbird Wings

Lauraine Snelling.

Faith Words, div of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

2011

Chapter One

"But Mother is always dying." Why had she ever let the call come through? "I'm putting you on speaker." Gillian Ormsby clicked the SPEAKER button without waiting for her sister's reply. At least this way she could continue to flip the screens on the computer. Glancing at the clock, she mentally allowed Allison two more minutes before returning to the report in front of her.
  "No, this time it is really serious, I can't make her get out of bed."


Right away you dislike Gillian don't you?  Well, read on, I think you will change your mind. I am just about 1/3 of the way into this book. So far, it reads like most of Lauraine Snelling stories. Good character development, a story with a lesson and not a bit of sex, violence or bad language.  I have read quite a few of  Snelling's books and I am a big fan. Would you read on?



Stay Busy and Stay Happy

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

  I'm linking up with everyone at Sheila's blog, Book Journey to share what I am reading this week.

Last Friday Mr Busy and I drove to our hometown to attend the retirement party of my sister-in-law. We rented an audio book to listen to on our way. We are in the middle of :

Although this is the 22nd in the Alex Cross series from James Patterson, it does not feel like we missed anything in story. There is mention of Dr. Cross's first wife, but it doesn't change how we understand the story.  It is an intense murder mystery/thriller.


I am also reading

to fulfill a book challenge and also 

This one has been on my shelf for almost a year. I picked it up at Hastings on the clearance rack. It is really good. A story about two sisters struggling with the job of caring of an aging mother and trying to find their way. 

Also, yesterday was the day we had show and tell at my quilting group. See my post about that non reading challenge here. 

So, until next time

Stay Busy and Stay Happy