Tuesday-Top Ten and a Teaser: Beach Reading

A Midsummer's Night Dream

by

William Shakespeare


"When in that moment, --so it came to pass,--
Titania wak'd, and straightway lov'd an ass."

location 389

Tuesday Teaser hosted by Miz B at Should be Reading

Top Ten hosted by the Broke and the Bookish

I'm going on vacation next week, and while I won't be reading on the beach I'm sure I'll be reading poolside while the girlies three swim and splash.  So I looked through my kindle downloads and found 10 books I'd like to read while on vacation this summer.

1.  Life From Scratch by Melissa Ford

2.  Cottage by the Sea by Ciji Ware

3.  Dreaming Anastasia by Jy Preble

4.  The language of Souls by Lena Godfinch

5.  The Last Letter by Kathleen Shoop

6.  Prayers for Sale by Sandra Dallas

7.  Where the Sun Rises by Frank Richardson

8.  Halts Peril by John Flannagan

9.  The Emperor of Nihon-Ja by John Flanagan

10.  Austenland by Shannon Hale

Book Review: Invisible

Invisible
(Ivy Malone Mysteries #1)

by

Lorena McCourtney


Kindle Edition, 320 pages
Published August 1st 2004 by Fleming H. Revell
ASIN: B002B3YBZO


About the book:
She's not your average crime fighter! Ivy Malone has a curiosity that sometimes gets her into trouble, and it's only aggravated by her discovery that she can easily escape the public eye. So when vandals romp through the local cemetery, she takes advantage of her new found anonymity and its unforeseen advantages as she launches her own unofficial investigation. Despite her oddball humor and unconventional snooping, Ivy soon becomes discouraged by her failure to turn up any solid clues. And after Ivy witnesses something ominous and unexplained, she can't resist putting her investigative powers to work again. Even the authorities' attempts to keep Ivy out of danger and her nosy neighbor's match-making schemes can't slow her down. But will the determination that fuels this persistent, quirky sleuth threaten her very safety? 

learn more about the author from her web page

My thoughts:
I enjoyed reading "Invisible".  Maybe because I identify with the main character Ivy Malone a LOL (little old lady).  The book was a well written mystery  and was rather endearing with all of the references to the idiosyncrasies of the aging.  The author had a good sense of humor I found myself laughing out loud at some of Ivy's thoughts, sayings and antics.  And although I thought Ivy was a bit on the "super-hero" side of old age--she definitely made an interesting character.  I loved the way the book ended, " One invisible lady should surely be able to live a safe and uneventful life hidden in the bosom of a loving family in small-town Arkansas.  Right?"  Apparently Ivy finds herself back into investigating the unusual because this is the first book in the Ivy Malone Mysteries.  I think I'll be picking one up from time to time.

book #26

book #26

book #5, downloaded from Amazon.com Dec. 16, 2010

Memorial Monday

in honor of my father who fought in the Korean Conflict

I'm visiting graves today

my dad (army) and his brother (navy) with their parents and sister

first photo by

this weeks theme "memorial"

Photo Story Friday: A Day at the Beach

the beach goes "on and on" theme for foto friday



"vibrant color" theme for Live Every Moment

To walk along the beach,
The sun against your face,

Feels every bit as sweet,
As the warmth of an embrace.

~unknown

photo's by


taken at Swaysey's Beach in Green River, Utah

Mama Kat's very famous writers workshop
prompt: A photo essay of a day on the beach

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

 

Thursday's with Tolstoy: Week 21

Book 8 Chapters 1-7

Blaaaaahhhh! one word that describes this week’s reading!

The Peace:

We are in Moscow

Pierre—is still moaning about life. He’s so jealous that Andrew is engaged (why I can’t figure out) that he’s abandoned all his newly adopted principles and taken to drinking heavily and entertaining lavishly. His pocket is open to everybody and everybody thinks of him as a man without gender—only a pocket.

Mary—is having a pity party as well. Her father the old Prince has taken her to Moscow. She misses the country and the pilgrims; her father abuses her and refuses to let her out of the house. She hates that Andrew is getting married and when Natasha comes to meet the family Mary is mean to her and makes her cry.

Natasha—is still crying for Prince Andrew to come home especially after the disastrous encounter with his family! On the plus side some rich old lady bought her trousseau.

Boris—is on the hunt for a wealthy heiress and has made a goal to be engaged before his months leave is up. He decides on Julie and forces himself to propose despite her melancholy attitude, her red pimply face and the fact that she is an old woman (at the age of 27).

The War:

I wish it would start already . . .

(so sorry for the whining . . . but since everybody in the story whined in these seven chapters I thought I'd join in)

Wednesday Wanderings: Photography

This is my mother on the porch of her home, I captured this in a moment when she was unaware I was photographing her.  This image of her with her stroller (as she calls it), her boots and white socks (to protect diabetic feet), her Sunday dress and an apron will be one that forever stays in my memory as I think of "mom"

Photo by

this weeks theme "photography"

Tuesday-Top Ten and a Teaser: Lies? who's lying?

Invisible
(Ivy Malone Mystery #1)

by

Lorena McCourtney

I'm including a paragraph because I like the way it sounded.  Ivy's best friend Thea has just passed away.  Ivy has called the ambulance and as she sits and waits with her long time friend she sips coffee from one of Thea's china cups.

"I wrapped my hands around the familiar cup and tried to draw strength from it.  It was from Thea's old Moss Rose set, remnant of careful scrimping and saving in her first year of marriage.  Yet the mellow old cup now brought me no comfort, only a feeling of helplessness, of time slipping away.  Sunday-best dishes gone to everyday and now to mismatched pieces.  Like Thea and me." (location 219 on my kindle)

Teaser Tuesday hosted by Miz B at Should be Reading

 

Top Ten Tuesday hosted by the Broke and the Bookish


Today's Top Ten . . . Books you lied about (or your dirty little secrets)




This was a hard one for me because I don't really see any reason to lie about the books I read. I do have one dirty little secret . . .  I enjoy the occasional Harlequin Romance (gasp).  Our library has a rack of them in the foyer and you can just go in and borrow them without checking them out.  It's also the borrower's responsibility to re-shelve them, I guess they don't really care if they come back. Readers can also donate their previously read Harlequins by leaving them on the shelves.  The best graduation address I ever heard compared life to the plot of a Harlequin Romance--I laughed through the whole thing (mostly because it was true).

I just realized I haven't read a Harlequin Romance since I got my kindle--I'm going to have to see if they are available.

Book Review: A World Without Heroes

A World Without Heroes
(Beyonders #1)

by

Brandon Mull

Kindle Edition, 464 pages
Published March 15th 2011 by Aladdin
ASIN: B003VPWXWO.



image and information courtesy goodreads

About the Book:
Jason Walker has often wished his life could be less predictable—until a routine day at the zoo ends with Jason suddenly transporting from the hippo tank into a strange, imperiled world. Lyrian holds dangers and challenges unlike anyplace Jason has ever known. The people all live in fear of their malicious wizard emperor, Maldor. The brave resistors who once opposed the emperor have been bought off or broken, leaving a realm where fear and suspicion prevail.

In his search for a way home, Jason meets Rachel, who was also mysteriously drawn to Lyrian from our world. With the help of a few scattered rebels, Jason and Rachel become entangled in a quest to piece together the word of power that can destroy the emperor and learn that their best hope to find a way home will be to save this world without heroes.

About the Author:
"Brandon Mull resides in a happy little valley near the mouth of a canyon with his wife and three children. He spent two years living in the Atacama Desert of Northern Chile where he learned Spanish and juggling. He once won a pudding eating contest in the park behind his grandma’s house, earning a gold medal. Brandon is the author of the New York Times bestselling Fablehaven series and The Candy Shop War."

Courtesy of www.brandonmull.com


my thoughts:
The thing I like best about Brandon Mull is that he is highly imaginative, creating great worlds and great characters. He jumps right into his story and moves it along at a fast pace right until the very end.  His stories also have wonderful morals and teach great lessons.  The lesson in this story is how to be a hero.  Jason  and Rachel find themselves in Lyrian, a world in a parallel universe.  Lyrian is controlled by an evil wizard and finds it has no hero to oppose him.  This story is how Jason finds himself being chosen to be a hero--and deciding that he can be one.

"A hero sacrifices for the greater good.  A hero is true to his or her conscience. In short, heroism means doing the right thing regardless of the consequences.  Although any person could fit that description, very few do.  Choose this day to be one of them." (location 2069)

Jason finds himself facing many difficulties and always the question is--will he choose to do the right thing regardless of the consequences.  There are plenty of opportunities to turn aside and choose the easier way, but somehow he digs in and finds the courage to continue on his "heroic" path.

book #8

Beyonders #1

book #25

book #25

book #12

Monday Movies: All about Authors



Monday Movies



hosted by Molly at the Bumbles
Molly selected this theme because this week she is participating in Armchair BEA--I'm not sure what it's all about but you can check it out here.

Today's Topic is . . . movies about people who write

 

   

Finding Neverland (2004) starring Johnny Depp as James Matthew Barrie the Author of Peter and Wendy

 

Becoming Jane (2007) starring Anne Hathaway as Jane Austen author of Pride and Prejudice.

 

Miss Potter (2006) starring Renee Zelwegger as Beatrix Potter the author of The Tale of Peter Rabbit

(and many more)

Eat Pray Love (2010) starring Julia Roberts as Elizabeth Gilbert the author of Eat Pray Love

 

Cheaper by the Dozen  (2003) starring Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt in a story originally written in 1948

by Frank Bunker and Lillian Moller Gilbreth about their life with 12 children.

Tolkien Remembered (1992) A documentary about the life of J.R.R. Tolkien

the author of The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings