Secret of the Stone

Secret of the Stone by Barbara Delinsky
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

If you enjoy soap opera, you will probably enjoy this book.

View all my reviews

Miss Zukas

Turn to page 56 of your current read. Blog a sentence or two from that page. Share your blog post at http://fredasvoice.blogspot.com .

"Would it kill you to give out just a teensy bit of information, like is the guy dead or alive?" She stopped when she saw Helma. "So how is he?"

Hmmmm, I wonder? How is he any way? I know I'll read on! Would you?

Murder on the Cote d'Azur

  

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader

 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grabs you.

*Post it on your blog.
*Add the URL of your post it at http://fredasvoice.blogspot.com/

From Murder on the Cote d'Azur by Susan Kiernan-Lewis:

Over the garden wall, she could see the Mediterranean Sea, just a patch of it but enough to fill her with delight. The air was fragrant with the scent of lemons and roses.

Does this description engage your senses? 

George Wier

First Paragraph Tuesday Intro, where we share the first paragraph or two of a book we are reading or thinking about reading soon.  Care to join us? Feel free to grab the image and link your post.

What's an Austin boy (transplanted from deep East Texas, can you say Amen?) supposed to do when he finds himself deep inside a maximum security prison in Huntsville, Texas in an interview room with a kid who is facing one turned-down appeal after another before they put a series of needles into his arm that will finally do what no amount of legal deterrence could do before--stop him for good? What's he supposed to do when this kid nonchalantly drops a little tidbit of information that he shouldn't know, couldn't know unless what he says is true? And it's information that may very well bring down a Governor. Bring him down, that is, only if someone like me is willing to push it.

The powerful, and long, first sentence packs quite a wallop as part of an information laden initial paragraph. The gritty opening gave me pause, but of course I was pulled in by curiosity about the governor.  Despite the toughness of the opening, this writer adds just enough Texas humor to elicit chuckles and smiles from the reader.

Would you keep reading? Why or why not?

To participate in Teaser Tuesday, post two sentences from a random page in your current read. Share your post and enjoy those posted by others. Join in!

p. 71:  I parked down the block and fed a couple of quarters into a parking meter. The meter maids were trained to take no prisoners.

Hoping you'll leave a comment and say hello!

Happy Reading! 

Liebster Award

Thanks so much to Funky Mom for the delightful Leibster button!! What a lovely surprise!! The Leibster Award is a way to show that we value and appreciate other bloggers. What a lovely thing to do! Be sure to visit her at http://funkybugsknits.blogspot.com.au/

• After you receive the award from a fellow blogger, you then answer 11 questions sent with the award.
• Select 11 of your favorite bloggers with less than 200 followers and create your list of 11 questions for them to answer.
• Leave a message on their blog telling them about the award from you. Direct them to your blog for the award and their list of questions.
• Urge them to pass the award along to others.
• Smile all day!!

Here are my responses:

1. Name a place you have visited or would love to visit that is a great inspiration to you.

My visit to Tuscany was very memorable and emotional because of family connections. I treasure  the time I spent there with my sister. The natural light amazed me. It was like a golden haze enveloping the atmosphere in a way I had never seen.

2. Finish this sentence: I create because .......... I can. It's what I do!

3. Tell us something interesting about where you live.

I live in the simply beautiful state of Colorado where the temperate climate and sunny days bless us. The majestic Rocky Mountains cut through the state creating an arid climate to the East and a verdant, lush area to the West. Denver is an exciting city with plenty of activities in sports, the arts, and shopping. Other Colorado cities that I enjoy are Loveland, Estes Park, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs, and Steamboat Springs. Have you ever been to our fair state?

4. What are you reading right now?

I always have two or three books going. At the moment, I am reading It's Classified by Nicole Wallace, Farewell, Dorothy Parker by Ellen Meister, and The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin.

5. Finish this sentence: I couldn't live without........... love. The love of God, from my husband and family, and my friends truly sustains and blesses me every day.

6. What do you like to do for laughs?

I like to spend time with my two sons and all the grands for real fun!  :)  I wish I could spend more time with my daughter.

7. Finish this sentence: I can't wait until someone invents a ............... robot to clean up after my cutie Boxer, Lailah. Enough said.

8. What do you love to cook?

My own recipes, for example, a nice piece of pork with thyme, sage, rosemary, mustard, olive oil, ...well, you get the idea!

9. Most fun you've ever had?

I hope it hasn't happened yet!

10. What do you look for in a friend?

Common interests, kindness, compassion, confidence.

11. Do you ever hand write letters and send them off in the mail?

Not any more. I did enjoy "pen pals" in the dim and distant past!

This is the Leibster button that I will post at the bottom of this page and pass on to the following blogs:

http://andallthatyarn.blogspot.com/

http://crochetagain.wordpress.com/

http://mylifeinflipflops.blogspot.com/

http://lilymaycarol-crazy4yarnandneedles.blogspot.com/

http://chalkygilbert.blogspot.com/

http://pompomsponderings.blogspot.com/

And, dear bloggers, here are your questions from me. Can't wait to read your responses!!
 1. What was the deciding factor that led you to start your blog?
 2. How much time do you spend blogging and reading blogs?
 3. What blogs do you read unrelated to knitting or crochet?
 4. Tell us about your use of Facebook and/or Pinterest.
 5. What is your preferred color palette?
 6. Do you enjoy repeating a given pattern or do you like to make it, file it, and move on?
 7. In what way do you multi-task?
 8. What are your go-to sources for yarn purchases?
 9. Do you have a preferred yarn fiber for your projects?
10. What are you currently reading?
11. Are you tired of answering questions?

Cotton and Linen Afghan

I'm still working on this cotton/linen neutral ghan that I first mentioned here. Some of the squares are put together in strips now. I decided to use a cream color Rowan summer tweed that has been in my stash for a few years to add a final round to each square and slip stitch them together.

The horizontal strips are not stitched together. I can see more dark shades clustered on the left side, so I'm going to try to manipulate those to balance the neutral shades. I started with dusty pink and blue for the centers, but decided to add a peapod green center every here and there. You know, just for kicks! ;)

Are you working on a project?

The Aviator's Wife

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences.
• Share the title & author so that others can add the book to their TBR lists!

: : : : : : :

'Welcome back, sir.' The Great Aviatrix saluted my husband and flashed her toothy grin.'

This fictionalized account of Anne Morrow Lindbergh is fact-based and somewhat disturbing to me at 89 pages into the book. At this point, I find "Lucky Lindy" to be an unlikable man. Ann seems to be making all the wrong choices regarding this man. I hope things improve as the story unwinds, however the foreshadowing does not bode well.

: : : : : : :

Every Tuesday is First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where we share the first paragraph or two of a book we are reading or thinking about reading soon.  Care to join us? Feel free to grab the image and link your post.

He is flying.

Is this how I will remember him? As I watch him lying vanquished, defeated by the one thing he could not outmaneuver, I understand that I will have to choose my memories carefully now. There are simply too many. Faded newspaper articles, more medals and trophies than I know what to do with, his accomplishments; schools and institutions proudly bearing his name. 

Hoping you'll leave a comment and say hello!

Happy Reading!

The Chaperone

  The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty

*****
This is a marvelous fictional account of the life of the chaperone, Cora, who accompanied teen-aged Louise Brooks from Kansas to New York City for one summer in 1922.  Cora's story from the age of three to her death is one of flexibility amidst great and shocking change. Her strength and adaptability is the heart of this riveting story, a true gem that I greatly enjoyed.

What have you read lately?

Neutrals are Nice

Visit Tami's Amis for lots of great project ideas!

The squares in neutral colors are stacking up. Some have blue centers, some pink, all have three rounds of neutral.

 I have ordered peapod green CotLin from Knit Picks for the edging and borders. Hope it isn't too bright! I wanted a light sage, but didn't see it on the shade charts. (Fingers crossed!)

  

 This cotton/linen blend is nice to work with. I don't know how well it will hold up, but I'll find out! Thinking I might keep this one, though it could end up going to my son in Florida.

Have you used CoLin? What did you think of it?

Cozy Reading

From https://www.facebook.com/CozyChicksauthors

"Nothing like curling up with a good book, a cup of tea, and your kitty on a lazy weekend."

http://www.cozychicksblog.com/p/cozy-chicks-backlists.html

Do you enjoy cozy mysteries? There are times when I am in the mood for a cozy read and look to the "Cozy Chicks" for some of the best stories.

Of Queen Victoria

Becoming Queen by Kate Williams
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

While the narrative held my interest, it is straight, well-documented history. Perhaps I missed the "novelistic flair"? It took me a while to get through it due to its textbook tone. If you enjoy history, particularly the childhood and young adult life of Queen Victoria, this might be the book for you.

View all my reviews

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• Share the title & author, too, so that other participants can add the book to their to-read lists.

From The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty:

"Still, girls were now sporting skirts so short that their knees showed every time the wind blew, and there was no practical reason for that. Viola was right: a girl who wore a skirt that short just wanted to be looked at, and looked at in that way."

I am enjoying this clever story about a lady who chaperoned Louise Brooks on her first trip to New York City. The whimsical story is presenting an interesting peek into life during the Jazz Age of the 1920s.

What are you reading?

Great Grand Blanket

 The blanket for my first great grandchild is now finished and ready to mail for the baby shower.

 I used this pattern as my guide, though I don't think either blanket appears to be plaid. The baby is a boy to be named Andrew Michael. As my friend commented, that's a good, strong name.  :)  This is made with Plymouth Encore and some mystery yarn from stash. I hope it will keep the little bundle nice and warm, wrapped in love and prayers.

Great Grandchild???!! Me?? How can that be??!

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

"This book doesn't work."
"You mean, in your opinion."
"I mean in English."
......................................

The Italian setting is immensely appealing as the story opens with an ailing movie actress and the people of a tiny village on the Ligurian coast. We travel to assorted locales that set the tone of the story of love, life, and relationships. This is essentially a romantic story of how messy and how wonderful life can be.

The cast of characters is so diverse and entertaining that I feel as though I know each one, with their quirks and unique positions in this well-crafted story.
Their intricate stories are woven together in a sometimes over-drawn narrative that remains compelling. This is a story of living, of life. The conclusion, the ending is so beautifully drawn that it alone is worth the read.

View all my reviews

Becoming Queen by Kate Williams

"Share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. 

Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name."

From Becoming Queen by Kate Williams, 

"The Prince of Wales was drunk. It was his wedding day, he was disgusted by his bride, 

and he was the most inebriated he had ever been outside of a brothel."

Beginning in the 18th century, this is the historical fiction version of how Victoria came to be Queen of England. A sketchy beginning to the story!

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader

 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

From Becoming Queen by Kate Williams, page 56: "As her grandfather was incapacitated and her father constantly assailed by bouts of serious ill-health, it was not entirely unlikely that she would become Queen in two or three years' time. She was woefully unprepared to govern Britain, the most powerful country in Europe, if not the world."

~~~~

What are you reading? 

Is this stash busting?

The thing about working through stash is that one, that is I, cannot do so without finding the need to purchase more yarn to complete a project! Let's say that someone (me) decided to make a version of the beautiful "Misty Autumn Morning" seen at Little Cotton Rabbits and here. 

So someone merrily begins crocheting stash DK and works in a bit of Cotton Ease which decidedly is not DK, but--as we all know-- is WW. Someone then tries a final round with a too dark yarn that completely destroys the desired color palette thereby deciding that light gray will work beautifully! Alas, someone has a bit of gray DK cotton in the best possible shade, but it is only a bit, which would necessitate a purchase, you see?

Then again the stash DK cotton is of a small quantity, too small even for a lap ghan. In addition to the gray yarn, someone must also purchase complementary shades to complete the project.

And that is the thing about working through stash..."must purchase".

Is this stash busting?

Teaser Tuesday ~ Beautiful Ruins

I am enjoying the sense of place and a touch of philosophy in Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter. Here is a tease for Tuesday:

“A writer needs four things to achieve greatness, Pasquale: desire, disappointment, and the sea.”
“That’s only three.”
Alvis finished his wine. “You have to do disappointment twice.” 

Seeing Things by Patti Hill

Rose City Reader, "Please join me every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name."

from Seeing Things by Patti Hill:

"You're talking to the queen of skepticism right here.
I roll my eyes over newspaper stories where teary-eyed folks report they've seen Jesus in a potato chip. That sort of hogwash sends me straight to the comics for a dose of reality." 

Though I read this with some trepidation, my concerns about launching into a book with a little too much cutesy and folksy were allayed by the the humor, wit, and charm of the unfolding story. Birdie, who is recuperating with a broken leg at the home of her son and family, is forced away from her mountain life in Ouray, Colorado, and into their very busy, shallow life in Denver. Despite macular degeneration, she is able discern much more than is apparent to the eyes of her son and wife as their neglected son struggles through his stormy teen years. Birdie befriends the maid, Lupe, who faces challenges with plain spoken realism. With interwoven stories lines keeping my interest, I am anticipating the denouement of the challenges the characters face at their assorted stages of life.

<> <> <> <> <>

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your e-reader

 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Add your URL post here.  It's that simple.

" 'Can you Talk? Are things going well with your son and daughter-in-law?'... 'There's no easy answer to that question.' "

<> <> <> <> <>

Do leave a comment and tell me what you'll be reading this weekend!

:)

Wednesday Reading WWW

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

• I am currently reading Mr.Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, by Robin Sloan, and Seeing Things by Patti Hill.
• I finished The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker.
• My next book might be The Receptionist by Janet Groth.

How about you?

Hello, Mr. Penumbra!

I have started reading a most wonderful book, Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, by Robin Sloan, which is an enchanting blend of genres that I am still discovering. The following is a bit of the author's engrossing,  gifted writing:

“But I kept at it with the help-wanted ads. My standards were sliding swiftly. At first I had insisted I would only work at a company with a mission I believed in. Then I thought maybe it would be fine as long as I was learning something new. After that I decided it just couldn't be evil. Now I was carefully delineating my personal definition of evil.” 

I just may finish this book today!

Read On!

CAL: A Crochet Welcome to the New Year

 I've begun the new year with new crochet projects and haven't picked up knitting for a few weeks! I "destashed" some skeins of DK Plain & Fancy from the Sheep & Wool Company in Texas. I bought this yarn at Stitches West a couple of years ago and decided to stop saving it and start using it!  The colors are so beautifully subdued in shades of grape and moss.

 the 8th of the 8th and  Little Bird Knits are posting patterns for squares weekly, so I plan to check in with those web sites and make one or two blocks each week.

At some point, I will block the wonkiness right out of these two squares!  :)

These strips of grannies are going to be joined to create a blanket for our first great-grand, due in April. The pattern for this baby blanket is here. I've had my eye on this clever design and pinned it as a reminder. It has now become a WIP for baby who is also a WIP, little Andrew Michael.

Are you knitting, crocheting, or both to begin the new year?