Summer Reading

by Linda

Well, the kids are out of school and the temperature's up. It must be summer! I still look forward to summertime with as much glee as I did as a child! Certain aspects can appear not so fun but all in all, summertime is fun.

It doesn't matter if you stay in town or plan a get-away trip, there's nothing like longer days and backyard BBQ's with family and friends. And fireflies, oh yes fireflies! Those magic little creatures that appear for an instant. I remember spending many summer evenings chasing those little flying insects. This is something I have been able to do with my grands and to see them delight in it as much as I do just warms my heart!

Summer's more leisurely pace (and high temperatures) often has me looking for a book to get buried in while I wait for the oven outside to cool down, at midnight, or 2 AM.

But I digress...

There is an app called Overdrive that I enjoy. It connects with my local library and allows me to check out books, audiobooks and videos. They stay on my device for 14 days then they go away. While the selection is not as extensive as what is actually available in the library, new titles are added daily. It's getting there. It is just so convenient to just do the whole thing online. No trips to the library to check out/return books. If a title I want is checked out, I can place a hold on it, just like at the library, when it is available I get an email and it pops in on my bookshelf. (virtual bookshelf)

Anyway...

Overdrive has partnered with Big Library Read. This is like a giant book club all online. The selection of the month is available for immediate download. I was somewhat interested in this when I got the email but didn't look at which book was selected. Then I started watching Genius on the National Geographic channel. Are you watching it? It's about Albert Einstein from his higher education to the end of his life. 2 different actors play him. I think they did a great job. His name has become synonymous with genius. I'm no Einsten but Albert Einstein is a well known name but how much do we really know about him? We know he was a scientist, but who was he? And for that matter, how much do we know about his first wife? Mileva Maric?

Here's a spoiler-she was from Eastern Europe at a time when Eastern Europeans where looked down upon and she was a women at a time that women were forbidden to attend school and she was born with a handicap. She was also quite a genius herself, having managed to attend school and do very well in the face of a male dominated society. Extremely well, she was a physicist and mathematician, a lone woman in a male dominated profession. She was at least at bright as Albert Einstein and perhaps, more, and there is much discussion about how much input she had on the many papers he wrote and published during their marriage and how much input did she have on his most famous paper - the Theory of Relativity.

You know, that one. The one that involved lots of physics and math.

The paper he won a Nobel Prize for, and interestingly gave Mileva the prize money, was a paper he wrote in 1905, while married to Mileva, was an explaination of the photoelectric effect.

You can imagine how surprised, and interested, I was when I took a look at which book was selected for the Big Library Read.

"The Other Einstein" by Marie Benedict. This book is based on facts but there are so few facts about Mileva Maric Einstein, the author did have to use her imagination to fill in some of the gaps, a fact she acknowledges. Mileva did not keep a diary but there were numerous letters written between Mileva and Albert that capture the nature of their relationship. A relationship initially based on intellect and equality as well as passion. This book was very thoughtfully written. It was not written to discredit Albert Einstein in any way. It was written to show Mileva and her life with Albert Einstein, her struggle with choosing between an intellectual life and a domestic life which is probably one of the reasons their marriage did not last. And it's fascinating. She was fascinating.

If you're looking for an online book club, or a good summer read, check out Big Library Read through Overdrive.

All you need is a library card.

Do you have one?

...

Spend Time With a Children's Book

by Cathy

During the spring and before the summer heat becomes unbearable, you’ll find me eating my lunch outside with a good book. Not an adult book, but a children’s book. I have a love affair with children’s books and own quite a large collection of them. I ran across this quote recently at Read Brightly. 

"Children's books are a fascinating blend of simplicity and life lessons. They're like security blankets - all warm and fuzzy on the outside, but deeply symbolic on the inside. They can be funny,  touching, deep, dark, poignant, or charming, but in the end, they're just the books we love. That's why they so often stay with us well into adulthood."     ~ Devon Corneal

Over the years of reading and rereading my children's books there are two characters that stand out above the others, steal my heart, and bring me joy . . . Peter Pan and Anne of Green Gables. Peter because he refuses to grow old and loves adventures. Anne because she has such an optimistic spirit and the most original view of the world. I’ve revisited my “bosom buddies” (as Anne would say) by rereading their stories while eating lunch.

After reading four books about Peter, I began rereading the Anne of Green Gable series. Lucy Maud “L. M.” Montgomery, a Canadian author, wrote these beloved tales of a young orphan who stole the hearts of a rather conservative brother and sister, Matthew and Marilla. As I mentioned above she stole my heart, too! Published in 1908, the first book sold 19,000 copies in its first few months and went to print 10 times in the first year. The book would ultimately sell over 50 million copies. This was truly an amazing feat since it was written by a female author about a female protagonist and sold without Amazon!

Montgomery’s character Anne has a unique way of expressing her optimistic spirit and her delight in the world. She is grateful . . . she is hilarious . . . and she is wise. I’d like to share just a few of her lovely words accompanied with some pictures. 

“That is one good thing about this world . . . there are always sure to be more springs.”

“Isn’t it good just to be alive on a day like this?

I pity the people who aren’t born yet for missing it.”

“One can’t stay sad very long in such an interesting world, can one?”

“I like the lane because you can think out loud

there without people calling you crazy.”

“I have a conviction that there are scores of beautiful nooks

that have never really been seen although they may have been looked at.”

“Life is rich and full here . . . everywhere . . .  if we can only learn to open our whole hearts to its richness and fullness.”

I would encourage you to pick up a children’s book this summer and read it. There are so many wonderful choices out there. If you have any suggestions for a good children’s book for my summer lunchtime reading, let me know in the comment section. I’d love to add them to my list.

In case you’re not interested in reading children’s books, Deanna gave us a great list of summer reading material last week in her post. I’ve added several of those to my grownup reading list.

Happy Summer Reading to you all!

More Than Books

By Cathy

When I was a child, libraries had a reputation for being an oh-so-boring place to visit. I didn't get to visit a library very often. The nearest one was waaaaaay downtown! I do remember using the school libraries, but usually only to check out a book for a book report or required reading. There were times we had to go to the downtown public library to do some research for a school project. I remember fearing the big library. The vast amount of books overwhelmed me and I knew I  must tip-toe and speak no louder than a whisper or I would get the famous librarian’s “shhhhhhhh!” As a child, that terrified me! The best library experience of my childhood was when the bookmobile parked across the street from our home. Those are some good memories; climbing the steps into an air conditioned bus filled with books and more books, finding the perfect ones for me, and using my own library card.

It’s different today. When you walk through the doors of the library you will find they are not boring or quiet and there are many more things available; computers, study rooms, classes, exhibits, and book sales. You might think from the picture above that our libraries are very busy, but they're not. The picture was taken at a book sale in the basement of our main library. Aren't the paintings on the huge concrete columns fun?

I have visited the thirteen libraries scattered throughout the county where I live. I will be honest, I think these modern buildings of steel are ugly, stark, and cold. This type of architecture does not appeal to me, nor does it seem inviting. There are a couple though, that I think are beautiful and welcoming. One of them is in an old building that was built in 1930. It was originally a post office. I think the city made a wonderful choice to renovate it for use as a library. They kept as much of the old interior as possible; doors, windows, and flooring.

I may not like the outside of most of the libraries, but when I go inside it’s a different story. Each library has a unique feel and decor. When I go inside I forget all about what the outside looks like.  Of course, there are the expect rows and rows of books on metal shelving, but there's so many other things to enjoy.

My favorite libraries are the ones that are cozy, that have creaking floors, and strong smells of new and old books. Their walls are decorated with quilts, art, and photographs. Scattered among the books you can find pottery, historical artifacts, and sculptures. Several of the libraries have special rooms that feature traveling exhibits and children’s sections with reading nooks, pillows, furry critters, and kites hanging from the ceiling. One library I visited even had a tall sculptured tree where you could sit beneath the branches and read.

I’ve seen many beautiful and even unusual things in libraries, but my favorite find was a shadow. A fascinating shadow created by a wire sculpture.  I look at the wire and cannot figure out how it can cast such an amazing shadow. This unexpected shadow fits well with our photography theme this month . . . shadows.

You never know what you’ll find when you open the doors to the library. I hope you’ll take the time to do more than look for the next good read. I hope you’ll look around, see their beauty, and enjoy what is offered.

Winter Hibernation Plans

by Linda

It may not be winter where you are, but it is winter where I am. And even though winter where I am doesn't mean snow and ice and extreme cold, it's still dreary and cold enough that I tend to hibernate through it. Winter is the time I do the most reading so I thought I would share a few of my fave reads with you today.

(slow clap)

I gravitate toward murder/mystery/detective books with an occasional not so dark and dramatic book thrown in. I do like books that are part of a series. I'm one of those people that always wants more from the characters in the book.

I'm not going to start with my personal fave, I'm going to start with what I'm reading now.

The Secret Place by Tana French

Tana French is an American born novelist living in Dublin. The Secret Place is part of her Dublin Murder Squad series. There are currently 6 books in the series, this being #5.

I read this book on my iPad using an app called OverDrive. OverDrive lets me check out books/audio from my local library. Their selection continues to grow but sometimes I have to break down and actually go to the library or even (no! don't say it!) buy a book. An advantage of reading on my iPad is it allows me to look up a word. There are a few Irish slang words in these books I did not know so this feature came in handy.(nothing dirty, get your mind out of the gutter!) 

sidebar-

when you read a book where the characters obviously speak with the accent of the setting, do you read in that accent?

I totally read these books with an Irish accent. Yeah.

A little lighter murder/mystery and a fast read are the Under Suspicion Series by Mary Higgins Clark.

You probably know all about her. She is quite a prolific writer. This series is a fast read mainly because everybody has a motive. You can't put it down till you find out who done it and its usually a surprise.

There are currently 4 books in this series.

Close to #1 on my fave list is the Cormoran Strike Series by Robert Galbraith.

Robert Galbraith is a British author (coughjkrowlingcough) living in Scotland. There are currently 3 books in this series and I have read them all and I am anxiously awaiting the next one. I listened to the audio version of one of these books. It was read by Robert Glenister and was quite enjoyable. He has a rich voice and a nice British accent, which he could easily switch between it and a Scottish one. Delightful!

When murder/mystery gets too intense, I switch to something lighter like the Love & Inheritance Trilogy by Faye Weldon.

Faye Weldon is a British author. She has quite a list of other books. I chose this because it was like Downton Abbey. And I chose to check out the audio of the book. It was my first audio book and I truly enjoyed it. It was of course narrated by a British actress so I didn't have to use my imagination for my terrible British accent.

Ready? Drum roll please,

My fave murder/mystery series are the Navajo Tribal Police novels written by Tony Hillerman.

Tony Hillerman is an American author. Most of his books revolve around Native Americans and Southwestern themes. Specifically, the Navajo Nation that covers part of Utah, Arizona and New Mexico.

His stories tell more than just who did what to who. His stories paint a picture of the beauty that is the Southwestern desert and the Native people that live there on the Navajo Reservation. He describes daily life for these people as well as their beautiful ceremonies. He knows what he is talking about too since he lived in that area and taught at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, before becoming a serious writer. While teaching, he became friends with a fellow instructor and  archeologist and was able to accompany him on "digs". These excursions brought him closer to the Navajo people where he began to understand the customs and habits he so vividly brought to life in the pages of his books. While the story and all characters are fiction, the landscape and ceremonies are real. He will describe a place, call it by name and even sometimes give directions. Ceremonies are richly detailed and explained. Only when he is telling a story that involves sacred land or sacred private ceremonies, he will first disclose that information then describe the area/ceremony without giving the location away and he will change some of the details that would be unknown to the average reader. I guess if you wanted to you could figure it out but you would have to be very familiar with the Navajo Reservation. It is sparsely populated, has few roads and is roughly the size of West Virginia. I think I'll just take his word on it.

There are 18 books in this series. I have not read all of them but I am getting close. I will probably re-read these books, something I never do, as he passed away in 2008. His series had 1 additional book added after his death, written by his daughter. I can only hope she continues.

So there you have it. My list of books to hibernate with.

What's on your must read list?

...

Keep Calm and Read a Book

by Deanna

As I am writing this it is January 31st, the last day of the 1st month of the year. And what do I have to say about this past month....good riddance, get the heck outta here, so long and I certainly won't miss you. I think in my last post I complained about the weather, I'm doing it again. The longest dreariest month so far this year (giggle). Which means me and my camera have not been spending much time together, which is really sad since she is one of my best friends. There is a prediction for snow on Sunday, so maybe we will resume our loving relationship and be together once again. Fingers crossed.

So, if I haven't been taking pictures what have I been doing besides trying to get all the Christmas decor back in their resting bins for another year? That task, putting up and taking down is becoming more of a challenge with each passing year.

What have I been absorb in, I have been reading.  So, today I'm sharing with you my latest reads.  I am not a romance novel reader, and I tend to shy away from "chick-lits" altho an occasional light read is needed. I love good character studies, descriptions of places that I feel as tho I am there, good stories that tell a tale that's never been told before and learn a thing or two along the way. (Oops, I just checked Linda's post for tomorrow and she is also doing a "to read" post but I promise her list and mine differ so between the two of us, you will not lack for reading material this winter.)

I read two books recently that involved plane crashes...probably don't want to read either one if you are planning a plane trip somewhere in the near future (just kidding).

BEFORE THE FALL by Noah Hawley  This plot centers around the 10 characters that debark on a short trip in a small private plane. Within 16 minutes after takeoff the plane falls into the ocean. There are two survivors, one a painter and the other a four year old boy who is now the remaining member of a wealthy and powerful media-mogul's family. Weaving between the aftermath of the crash and the backstories of all on-board makes for an intriguing read. What caused the crash?

AFTER THE CRASH by Michel Bussi  On the night of December 22, 1980, a plane crashes on the French-Swiss border engulfed in flames with 168 of the 169 passengers killed instantly. The miraculous sole survivor is a three-month old baby girl. Two families, one rich, the other poor, step forward to claim her, sparking an investigation that lasts 20 years.  In today's world we could quickly and easily identify which family the child belonged to thru DNA but this occurred in 1980 and DNA testing did not begin until 1986.

THE SECRET CHORD by Geraldine Brooks   Brooks peels away the myth to bring David (of the David and Goliath) to life and traces his journey from obscurity to fame, from a simple shepherd to a soldier, from hero to traitor, from a beloved king to a murderous tyrant. David was a paradoxical character between a warring soldier to a writer of more than half of the Psalms, playing and singing them with a harp. And let's not forget his great love affair with Bathsheba. Our bible study group is studying David this season, I thought this book would give me a better insight into the man and the myth.

NEWS OF THE WORLD by Paulette Jiles  After the Civil War, an aging traveling news reader agrees to transport a young captive of the Kiowa Indian Tribe back to her people. Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd travels through northern Texas, giving live readings from newspapers to paying audiences hungry for news of the world. He enjoys this life of solitaire until he is offered a $50 gold piece to deliver a ten-year-old girl who had been captured 4 years earlier by the Kiowa back to her only remaining family an uncle and aunt. It is a treacherous 400 mile journey filled with unforgiving terrain and at times dangerous. Short read but powerful in its exploration of the boundaries of family, responsibility, honor and trust.

THE BRIDGE LADIES by Betsy Lerner (a memoir) A fifty year old bridge game and the secrets it held, provides an unexpected way to cross the generational divide between the author and her mother. Ms. Lerner takes us on an intimate and powerfully personal literary journey where we learn a little about bridge and a lot about life.

THE WONDER by Emma Donoghue  An English nurse is brought to a small Irish village to observe what appears to be a miracle-girl said to have survived without food for months, soon finds herself fighting to save the child's life. Eleven year old Anna O'Donnell believes herself to be living off manna from heaven. Lib Wright, a veteran of Florence Nightingale's Crimean campaign, is hired to keep watch over the girl. This tale of two strangers who transform each other's lives is a powerful psychological thriller, a love pitted against evil.

THIS IS YOUR LIFE, HARRIET CHANCE  by Jonathan Evison   With her husband Bernard now in the grave, seventy-nine year old Harriet Chance sets sail on an ill-conceived Alaskan cruise only to discover through a series of revelations that she's been living the past sixty years of her life under entirely false pretenses. Harriet is forced to take a long look back, confronting the truth about pivotal events that changed the course of her life. Harriet is an endearing heroine with great warmth, humanity and humor.

VICTORIA by Daisy Goodwin  In 1837 less than a month after her 18th birthday, Alexandrina Victoria - sheltered, small in stature and female - became the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland. She surprised everyone by abandoning her hated first name in favor of Victoria, insisting for the first time in her life, on sleeping in a room apart from her mother, resolute about meeting with her ministers alone and taking Lord Melbourne, the Prime Minister as her private secretary. Making blunders along the way, nothing stops her from becoming one of the greatest profiles in English history. Enjoy the series on PBS currently playing.

THE TROUBLE WITH GOATS AND SHEEP by Joanna Cannon  A delightful, quirky, and charming read about a community in need of absolution and two girls learning what it means to belong. It is England, 1976, summertime and a heat wave has the area simmering with more than just the heat. Mrs. Creasy has disappeared with two ten year olds, Grace and Tilly looking for clues to find her. They believe if they can find God they can find Mrs. Creasy. As the search begins, the young detectives uncover much more than they ever imagined. The lives of all the neighbors begin to unravel, and not just from the heat.

I hope you find a good read among this list. I enjoyed each and everyone and can't pick a favorite. They each held a happy spot in my reading heart.  I have almost completed THE LAST PAINTING OF SARA DE VOS by Dominic Smith  The author bridges the historical and the contemporary in this novel about the rare admission of a female as a master painter to the Guild of St. Luke's in Holland in 1631. Now 300 years later only one work is attributed to de Vos and is hanging over the bed of a wealthy descendant of the original owner. An Australian grad student, struggling to stay afloat in NY agrees to paint a forgery of the painting, a decision that will haunt her.  Jump ahead 50 years where she is curating an exhibit of female Dutch painters, and both versions the real and the forgery threaten to arrive.

Now, tell us which books you have read recently and have enjoyed. I think all of us love a good book and recommendations are always welcome.

Don't Keep Your Pictures in the Dark!

by Linda

Raise your hand if you scrapbook! Good for you! You are well schooled in the art of printing your pictures! Your hobby requires you to take it, print it, scrap it. I quite admire your creative talents and look with envy upon the pages you create! Such genius! Such imagination! Your books are amazing!

Sadly, I posses none of the talents that make a good scrapbooker.  I have always been pretty good at getting the pictures printed but then they were put in one of those generic nameless/faceless books. But I did (usually) put dates and events to each photo. (breaking my arm patting myself on the back here!)

But, oh you many scrapbookers, but what do you do with the pictures on your phone? Quick, go grab your phone and tell me how many pictures are in your camera roll. I'll wait.......

I currently have 2065.

what!

Yes, 2065 just in the past 2 years.

So, how many do you have? And how many have seen the light of day? Do they just reside quietly on your phone? Do you ever think "I should print that one"

Now, turning to Instagrammers, how many pictures are in your gallery? I have 1326. I started Instagramming in 2011. How many of your Instagram pictures have seen the light of day?

I am going to rock your world and tell you that you too can print ALL the photos hiding on your phone and/or Instagram. And you don't have to do anything! (well, not anything much)

One word- Chatbooks

It's an app, it's in the App Store and Google Play, and it's free. (my favorite thing!) Get it now! I'll wait...

You can set it up to create books from your photostream on your phone or Instagram. I choose Instagram. Each book has 60 pictures. I got 23 books, so far.

You can choose soft or hard cover. I chose hard cover for $2 more per book. My total for each book was $8.

Each spine will have the volume number with the date range. How fun is that!

But, Linda, I don't like EVERY picture in my stream! No problem! You can choose to skip any picture you don't like. Chatbooks keeps track up to 60 pictures and creates a book.

Each book is 6"x6" and your pictures are printed 4"x4". And BONUS! the date of each pictures is printed in the top left and if you added a description when you put it on Instagram, the description prints below the picture!

If you decide to print all your photostream/Instagram but don't feel like robbing a bank, Chatbooks will ship out however many you want at whatever interval you want. Once you are all caught up, Chatbooks will keep track of your pictures and when you hit the magic number-60-Chatbooks will ask you if you are ready for your next book. You can look at it and take out any photos you deem inappropriate.

If you take a vacay or go to an event and/or you have pictures from that, you can make a Chatbook with those pictures!

Chatbooks also offers beautiful 5"x5" prints on heavy cardstock.

Easy peasy! What are you waiting for? Get those pictures out of the dark! It's fun to look through the books!

...

you're welcome!

...

disclaimer: the people at Chatbooks don't know me from Adam. I'm just a happy camper and wanted to share

...

Mockingbird

by Dotti

Let’s have a show of hands –

How many of you have read, “To Kill a Mockingbird”? Yes, I see a lot of hands, as I expected. Is there anybody out there today who hasn’t read it? If so, you may want to think about getting a copy either at your bookstore or on your Kindle/e-reader.

I have totally lost count of how many times I’ve read the book and watched the movie but it’s definitely in double digits. When the movie first came out, I was a young teen ager and my mother took me to see it. When it came to the courthouse scene where Tom Robinson is on trial, I remember sneaking a sideways glance at my mother – was she really letting me watch this movie? (Remember – this was the 60’s.) I knew she’d read the book even though I hadn’t at that point; she read everything. It was also the occasion of my falling in love with Gregory Peck.

It’s always hard to answer when people ask me what my favorite book or movie is. It’s kind of like asking me to choose my favorite photograph. Or child (even though I have only one). Or song. Or whatever. Is it really possible to have only one favorite anything? There are so many that we love. But when pressed, I answer that “To Kill a Mockingbird” is my favorite book and movie.

The prose in this book captured me in the opening chapter as Scout describes the small town of Maycomb. “A day was twenty-four hours long but seemed longer. There was no hurry, for there was nowhere to go, nothing to buy and no money to buy it with … “. But it wasn’t just the beautiful writing, there is much more inside this gem of a story.

Perhaps the most compelling reason I can think of for my answer is that each time I read the book or watch the movie, there is some other kernel of wisdom that I learn, that I somehow missed the other thirty three times I read the book.

Take a walk down memory lane with me to talk about just a few of my favorites.

We’ve all heard Atticus telling Scout that, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view […] until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”  I often think about this although we tend to characterize it as walking a mile in another man’s shoes. I think I like Atticus’ characterization better.

And then there is the passage when Atticus is speaking to Scout about the trial of Tom Robinson, “This time we aren’t fighting the Yankees, we’re fighting our friends. But remember this, no matter how bitter things get, they’re still our friends and this is still our home.” Gosh. Do you think maybe, just maybe, we should remember that in this prickly society we seem to find ourselves living in here in the 21^st century?

During a family Christmas, after he evaded a question from Scout, Atticus’ brother Jack tells Atticus what happened and how evasive he was in answering her too-grown up question. Atticus tells his younger bachelor brother, “When a child asks you something, answer him, for goodness’ sake. But don’t make a production out of it. Children are children but they can spot an evasion quicker than adults, and evasion simply muddles ‘em.” Oh, my! Now that is wisdom every parent and grandparent should know, something we should repeat to ourselves daily. Maybe more than once!

And, then, of course, the iconic quote; again, Atticus speaking to Scout, “Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ‘em. But remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”

Oh, there are so many more! But I know you have other things to do today so I’ll stop here. I re-read the book last fall but after reading all the recent articles after Harper Lee’s passing and reminiscing on some of my favorite parts, I may have to read it again soon. After all, I’m sure there is still something for me to learn.

I have not read, “Go Set a Watchman”. In fact, the release of that book is what prompted me to re-read “Mockingbird” for the ump-hundredth time. I wanted to visit it again before deciding whether or not I should read “Watchman”. After reading this dear-to-my-heart story yet again, I decided to forgo “Watchman”. But tell me - have you read “Watchman”? What did you think?

My Week

by Dotti

This week is Fall Break week around here and my daughter and granddaughter have been spending the week at Walt Disney World. That meant I HAVE A WHOLE WEEK TO MYSELF! Yes, you read that correctly. No pick up lines, no after school snacks, no homework, no piano practice, no chauffeur service.

Now, don't get me wrong. I love my granddaughter and having her in my home each afternoon after school is a delight. But ...

A WHOLE WEEK TO MYSELF!

So, what did I do? Whatever I darn well pleased.

For starters, I left the breakfast dishes on the counter ...

... grabbed my camera and headed outside into the intoxicating morning light.

There were flowers in my garden.

There were the remains of flowers from the summer past.

I had lunch on my back porch with my Kindle and, of course, a wee dessert afterwards while I read my book a while longer.

 A pause here to tell you about my book. I'm a huge fan of Louise Penny and if you like mysteries that are not your cozy British mysteries but something with very likable characters and plenty of suspense, you'll like her, too. Usually I'm right on top of a new book when it comes out but this time I set it aside saving it for a time when I knew I could savor it. This was the week. And I am so glad I did. It is her best book in the Inspector Gamache series. I'll finish it this evening and as I suspect we all do when we come to the end of a well-loved and much-enjoyed book, we're conflicted about finishing it and putting the characters back within the covers. And that's exactly how I feel right now.

Anyhow, moving right along, to tell you about my week.

I went shopping. No pictures.

I walked around the neighborhood and each time met up with friends and neighbors, taking time to visit. Too often it's just a nod of the head. This week I spent time. It was delightful. No pictures.

What I didn't do: cook and clean. Fortunately, my husband is not a person who demands dinner on the table at 6:30. In fact, as I write this, he's outside mowing the grass and will fix his own snack later. If we wanted a real supper, I told him he was taking me out. After all, this was my week.

I visited the garden in the evenings and found this as well as the photo uptop, which is SOOC.

Oh! I baked a cinnamon coffee cake. Just because.

And today, after having lunch with a friend, I bought myself some sunflowers.

So, is there a point to this post? Yes, there is. 

We've said it here before, we'll say it again: take time for yourself. Self-care is so important. There's no question that five days to do exactly as I pleased was a real luxury, not something that will happen often, maybe never again. But whether it's a day, a half day, an hour, or just lunch with a friend, take time for yourself.

It will recharge your batteries, lift your spirits, help you be more patient and loving, help you see the sunshine through the gloom. When we don't take care of ourselves, we're cheating ourselves and those we love. We are better care takers when we take care of ourselves first.

Promise me you'll do at least one thing for yourself this weekend. You'll be glad you did.

Let's Read

by Deanna

Summer is just around the corner and my thoughts drift toward the hours I will spend on the screen porch.  It is still just a might cool here, 50’s and 60’s, so the porch is still closed but soon, very soon that summer warmth will be upon us and those lazy days of spending time in my favorite chair in my favorite summer room will commence.  There are various activities that take place in that favorite chair, drinking my morning coffee in the AM, enjoying a glass of wine in the PM, checking e-mails on my I-Phone, perusing the newspaper, napping, praying, pondering, and napping some more….but one of my most treasured activities sitting in that gem of a spot is reading.   And that’s what I want to talk about today….good summer reading.

When I was much younger, chick flicks and romance were my go-to type of books, but as I “matured” (sounds so much better than growing older) I realized that there was a world of really great stories that had absolutely nothing to do with romance.  Joining three book clubs, I know that seems a bit excessive, also continues to expand my reading genres, reading books that I never would have thought to choose for myself.  Listed below are some recommendations for great summer reads in whatever favorite spot you find yourself in.  These are not in any particular order, just my thoughts.

ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE by Andrew Doerr.  If you haven’t read this, you need to.  I read it last summer when it was first published and so far it has been on the bestseller list for 52 weeks and recently won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for fiction.  An amazing book that alternates the story of a blind French girl and a German boy during WWII.  As their lives spiral out of control you await the moment when they will come together.  Beautiful language and masterful storytelling.

THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN, by Paula Hawkins. A psychological thriller set in the environs of London.  Not the most appealing characters but certainly a page-turner.

BIG, LITTLE LIES by Liane Moriarty.  Both Liane Moriarty and Jojo Moyes are fast becoming my favorite authors for a good read.  Both are from Australia and both create fascinating characters.  In Big Little Lies, three moms meet on the first day of school and become unlikely friends.  It is a brilliant take on ex-husbands and second wives, mothers and daughters, schoolyard scandal, and the dangerous little lies we tell ourselves just to survive. 

THE ART OF HEARING HEARTBEATS by Jan-Philipp Sendker. A poignant and inspirational love story set in Burma that spans the decades between the 1950s and the present. When a successful New York lawyer suddenly disappears without a trace, neither his wife nor his daughter, Julia has any idea where he might be until they find a love letter he wrote many years ago, to a Burmese woman they have never heard of. Intent on solving the mystery and come to terms with her father’s past, Julia decides to travel to the village where the woman lived . There she uncovers a tale of unimaginable hardship, resilience, and passion that will reaffirm our belief in the power of love that can move mountains.  Truly inspiring.

MISS HAZEL AND THE ROSA PARKS LEAGUE by Jonathan Odell.  If you liked “The Help” then you will love “Miss Hazel”. Odell tells the story of two young mothers, Hazel and Vida set in pre-Civil Rights Mississippi. One is wealthy and white and the other is poor and black who have two things in common: the devastating loss of their children, and a deep loathing for one another.

THE FIFTH GOSPEL by Ian Caldwell.  In 2004 as Pope John Paul II is nearing the end of his time leading the Roman Catholic Church, the curator of the Vatican Museum is found dead just as a new exhibit is set to open. The leading suspect is Alex Andreou, a Greek Catholic priest, who is a friend of the curator and an expert in the Gospels. Ten years of research by Caldwell have produced a deep and satisfying mystery.  Nothing like a good “religious” murder mystery to whet your summer read appetite.

THE NIGHTINGALE by Kristen Hannah  The Nightingale tells the stories of two sisters, separated by years and experience, by ideals, passion and circumstance, each embarking on her own dangerous path toward survival, love, and freedom in World War II German-occupied, war-torn France --a heartbreaking novel that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the durability of women. Well-done but doesn't quite match the incredible writing and story telling of Anthony Doerr in "All the Light We Cannot See." 

DESCENT by Tim Johnston.  A Rocky Mountain vacation turns to terror as a family's 18 year old daughter disappears while out running. The parents are filled with dread and remorse, while Caitlin's brother tries to remember how it happened.  And Caitlin? She is being held hostage by a mad man and she tries to find an escape. How long will her family keep searching?  I have not read this yet, and this short review is by my book-lover friend, Bonnie, but it is on my "to read" list.  

We would love if you would share some of your favorite reads or what you are planning on reading during those lazy, hazy days of summer. 

Summertime and the Reading is Easy

by Carol

Summer is here, and to me that means some good, good readin' (to paraphrase the Beach Boys.) When I was growing up my mother's house had a screened in porch where I could be found with my nose in a book from morning to late night. I always enjoy Dotti's pictures of her grand daughter reading - because that was me. And the porch allowed the comfort of inside with the air and smells and birds of outside - what bliss! My house has a deck - but I am not screened in, so come evening, the bugs chase me inside.

Fairy Tale cottage
La Pluie de Roses, Giverny, France

But I have a new fantasy now. On my recent trip to France, I stayed in a perfect guest house. From the intriguing sign on the flowered wall; to the first  fairy tale view as you open the iron gate. From walking down my little stone path to entering my lovely room (which was really almost a suite!) Throw in a neck-deep bathtub and a beautiful breakfast room for we guests, it was almost perfect. 

I followed one of many paths around the property. Each path was different. You might walk on soft pine needles, or view the restored barn-house next door You might visit a pond with frogs so loud that we thought it had squealing a pigpen in the back.

The frog pond

Breakfast is served.

 But one path in particular took the almost right out of that sentence above! For I discovered - a reading room in the woods! It had billowing white curtains, and a big warm comfy love seat, a pile of blankets and pillows, and a tiny wood burning stove for when there is a chill in the air. But it also opened up onto a patio for warm summer nights. And it was stocked better than a fishing hole - ! - stocked with magazines and books and news clippings. Our hosts Phillippe and Elizabette told us to use it anytime, - even sleep there if we chose to leave our gorgeous rooms. Philllippe brought us some fresh white wine when we did. Sigh.... it's really just short of a miracle that I ever came home!

How great is this????

So, I'm just telling you now - that if I ever win the lottery, I am going to fly Carol Hart and Leigh Love out to my house and have them build a garden with paths leading to my own personal reading room - and then, unless you all join me there, you may never hear from me again.......

How about a picture or a comment about your favorite book you've read this summer? We all love to read here and it's always great to add to our reading lists. Some of my summer reads are pictured above. My absolute favorite this summer is not pictured because I read it on my Kindle. It's called  All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. What a GREAT read!

The welcoming committee!

Art Library

by Carol A.

The snobbish truth is that I thought that there were reader-writers and visual artist types in this world. I suspected that the right-brained types maybe weren't so interested in communicating with words, and maybe were not quite as talented in getting their point across. But my viewpoint wasn't intentionally snobbish since, as a reader-type, who could casually throw off a college essay in an afternoon, I also felt that I was useless in the art world - and unable to even draw a straight line. (The grass is always greener....)

Then I started to grow into and with the internet. I started to see it as the miraculous teacher that it is. In the privacy of my home, I can try anything out - without the hassle of the commute, the peer pressure of other students, or having to persist through the occasional bad teacher. If you don't like a course you're taking or your enthusiasm for a subject wanes as you get deeper into it, you can simply stop with no explanations due. On the other hand, I'm not a total recluse - I do believe in human interaction, and the happy accidents that happen with real communication. Even in a disappointing class, you can meet a mentor, friend or contact that furthers your goals in life, and you can learn from the other students; from having the access to materials. Sometimes you learn life lessons from all the machinations you go through just to get to class! So when I do find a subject that I enjoy in an internet class, I pursue real world classes and opportunities with greater focus and passion.

What I have discovered is that I could not have been more mistaken about the differences between visual artists and wordsmiths. I should have known from my occupational expertise, and my years of child study team consultations, that learning is an individual pursuit and that there are as many pathways to learning successfully as there are people. For the most part there are not bad teachers - just people who teach in a way that is not conducive for your personal learning style.

The rise of the blogging world or at least my discovery of the blogging world that I can relate to, just puts the "final nail in the coffin" of my out-dated conceptions. I mean really, with teachers like Kim Klassen, Tracey Clark, Matt Kloskowski, Xanthe Berkeley, Scott Kelby, Julieanne Kost to name just a few - can anyone discount the ability of artists to teach? With writing out there, like our own Kelly's month-long writing exercise challenge (happening right now here), like that in my favorite photography journals Stone Voices, and Lenswork  and with engines like Google, Goodreads and Pinterest to help you search out someone with expertise in just about any topic, you can find more instruction, passion and inspiration  than you could read in a lifetime. Even if an artist writes only one wonderful essay about his or her personal passion - we all have access to it! That's why I love blog posts like Dotti's last one, that offer favorite blog suggestions.

At the last workshop I went to, art and photography books and journals were scattered on the coffee tables for us to page through whenever we had a minute. I purchased several when I got home. I have also spent some lovely afternoons at the library paging through some beautiful art and photography books and exploring new journals. An afternoon like that can open a whole new world to you.

So this post is just a long way of asking you for your book and journal recommendations, as a follow up to Dotti asking what your favorite blogs are. Would you add to my winter reading list? I'd be grateful!

"Everyone is a reader. Some just haven't found

 their favorite book yet."

                                     Ashley Lighthizer