Talk about the social network, if you'd like to meet up with book bloggers such as yourself, hurry over to Jennifer's at Crazy for Books. There are tons of kindred spirits I'm sure you'd like to meet. I am only number 241, but there are many, many more wandering souls out there who will be signing up soon. With Halloween approaching, you'll be able to find tons of paranormal book review sites to explore. So get moving!
This week's question from Suko at Suko's Notebook:What's your favorite beverage while reading or blogging, if any? Is it tea, coffee, water, a glass of wine, or something else?
My Answer:In the morning coffee, in the afternoon something tall and cool or in the evening probably hot tea. Definitely nothing alcoholic as I would proably fall asleep! And there you have it!
In honor of Halloween,
let me re-introduce our sixteenth president, Abraham Lincoln...VAMPIRE HUNTER!
A word of caution, if you faint easily at the sight of blood, perhaps you should turn away!
I was honored earlier this week to find myself (and the gato!) nominated for One Lovely Blog Award! It was bestowed upon us by The Crazy Cat Lady's Library.
To accept the award I must:
Add the logo to my blog (check)
Link to the person from whom you received this award and thank them (check, check)
Pay it forward to 15 more blogs (hmmmm)
Leave a message on their blog letting them know they are One Lovely Blog
Here is my dilemma, how do you nominate one over the other with so many great blogs out there? How do you choose? So I have come up with my own solution to this predicament...if you follow The Literary Gato consider yourself nominated. If you would like to accept this award just follow the instructions above and congratulations!
Time to join Jennifer at Crazy for Booksand her Book Blogger Hop! Join with us for a chance to meet new people and blogs and have fun at the same time!Meme runs from Friday through Monday.
This weeks question come fromTina at Book Couture: How do you spread the word about your blog?
My answer: When I started blogging I wasn't sure how to go about building a readership. I thought maybe following blogs might make a difference and it did but I have to say things really didn't heat up until I participated in the Book Blogger Hop. This meme and others like it enable you to discover other like minded people and therefore expand your readership as well.
* * * STOP THE PRESSES * * *
You can now add Mini Shopaholic to your library as the latest installment to the brilliant Shopaholic series! I can't wait to read it, can you?
Oh, apologies that the gato and I are late to the hop but I do believe in the old axiom, better late than never! If you are up for a little blog hopping today would be the last day as Jennifer at Crazy for Books runs her meme from Friday through Monday so hurry up!
Not only are we late to the party but just realized the gato and I have been absent since Sept. 9th! Guess real life just took over, stuff like...birthdays...excitement in the neighborhood. If you ever want to see what we are up to, visit with us at our other blog Diamonds and Daisies. We'd love to have you take a peak into our "regular" life! Speaking of which, here are some books I picked up at a recent library book sale:
The Secret of Shadow Ranch by Carolyn Keene: Yey! Nancy Drew, teen detective, a childhood favorite of mine.
National Velvet by Enid Bagnold: I was enamored of horses when I was a young girl and read all manner of horse stories including this one. Another childhood favorite and I absolutely adored the movie with a young Elizabeth Taylor.
Can You Keep a Secret by Sophie Kinsella: I do *HEART* a good chicklit and Sophie Kinsella writes the best of the genre. This is one of the first SK books I read and managed to find a nice copy to add to my ever growing library.
Buckingham Palace Gardens by Anne Perry: Anne Perry is a familiar name but surprisingly I have never read her books. I'll start with this one because: a) it's a mystery and b) it takes place during my favorite time period and place, Victorian London.
Something Blue by Emily Griffin: Of course I've seen her best-selling books around but never got around to reading them. I decided on this one because it is my niece's favorite.
When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris: A friend recommend this to me sometime ago and I have finally gotten around to picking it up! Looking forward to reading this one.
Dracula the Undead by Dacre Stoker: Imagine you are the great-grandnewphew of Bram Stoker! Now imagine you are writing a sequel to the classic, Dracula, originally pubished in 1897. The audacity! But, hmmmmm, interesting!
Atlantis Found by Clive Cussler: Because I love a good adventure yarn and enjoy visiting with old friends like Dirk Pitt! Bartender, another Corona please.
It's Monday, and you are able to make a fresh new start! So, get on it!
Hello book bloggers! I invite you to follow along with the Book Blogger Hop brought to you by Jennifer at Crazy for Books. Just follow the link and you'll be on your way to a huge universe of bloggers who just happen to like books.
This week's question is more of a topic submitted by Anne at My Head is Full of Books. She invites you to post a link to a favorite post or book review that you have written in the past three months. Actually, my favorite post is one I did in February on the cozy mystery genre I called I *HEART* a Good Cozy! I've picked this post because a few people are unaware of what a cozy mystery is. It's one of my fave genres.
I've Won Another Contest, I know I can't believe it!
On August 23rd Tammy at Mug of Moxie posted the three winners of her contest. Thanks so much Tammy and Candlewick Press. The other two winners were: Jennifer at Pink Peony Blossom and Amber at Down the Rabbit Hole. We won a copy of Another Pan a new take on the familiar story of Peter Pan by brother and sister team Daniel and Dina Nayeri.
Here's a little teaser from the website: An ancient Egyptian spell is turning the tony Marlowe School into a sinister underworld. Will all hell break loose?
Sound like an adventure? Off we go, second star to the right and straight on 'til morning! J.M. Barrie (Peter Pan)
I am happy to be blog hopping again this weekend! If you want to join in on the fun go visit with Jennifer at Crazy for Books and join the rest of us as we circle the globe to seek out new, interesting and fun book blogs.
This week's question is from Sarah at Sarah Reads Too Much: Do you judge a book by its cover?
My answer: Yes, at least most of the time and especially if it's chicklit. I am drawn to those covers through the color and subject matter which is usually girly.
What are you doing this long holiday weekend? The gato and I plan on doing our best to take advantage of the weather and maybe do a little BBQing!
A Little Background:I love Mary Russell and her world. The first Mary Russell book, The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, was published in 1994 and I’ve been following her ever since!
After months abroad, Holmes and Russell are back in Sussex with a perplexing mystery, the disappearance of a colony of bees from Holmes’s hives. But before Holmes has time to investigate the disappearance, his past abruptly shows up at his door in the form of one Damian Adler, a surrealist painter who is also Holmes’s son with Irene Adler. A very troubled young man, Adler intends on engaging Holmes to solve the sudden vanishing of his wife and child.
Russell will find her relationship with Holmes stretched to its limit as they each set about investigating the disappearance. It’s a familial affair as Mycroft Holmes is brought into the thick of it. What the trio uncovers is chilling and takes them from the teeming streets of Shanghai to Bohemian London of the 1920s. They must traverse bizarre religious cults, sadistic rituals and suicides putting all in grave danger.
To be continued…
My Take:The Language of Bees has a great cliff-hanger of an ending which has me primed for The God of the Hive its follow up. King’s writing reminds me somewhat of Elizabeth Peters in that I get lost in the worlds they conjure up. I cannot miss one word not just for fear of missing anything pertinent but just for the sheer glory of reading. Both authors engage their readers to distraction. Forget the dishes in the sink and the laundry piling up! Just let me sit quietly in a comfortable chair for the rest of the day to simply read.
About the Author:
Laurie King is the bestselling author of four contemporary novels featuring Kate Martinelli, the award-winning Mary Russell series, and the bestselling novels A Darker Place, Folly, and Keeping Watch. She lives in northern California. You can Facebook with Laurie and Twitter with her as well.
I must take my hat off to Jennifer at Crazy for Books for hosting the Book Blogger Hop. If you are new to this meme, now's your chance to discover all the varied book blogs that are out there. Oh the places you will go! You'll find YA, mystery, classics, historical romance, chicklit and if you like your books with a little bite, there are the paranormals! All genres are brilliantly represented, simply follow the link to enter your info and join in the fun. I am number 299 this week! You are bound to find a blog or two or 299 that you will enjoy!
My answer: OMG - about 109 - I'm astounded I follow so many blogs! BUT, after doing a brief and thoroughly unscientific survey, it seems like there are a few people that follow 300-400 blogs! Wowzer!
And on another note!
Last month I won a contest sponsored by
Cheryl at CMash Loves to Read. Can I just tell you how excited I was, I really was! About two weeks ago the book arrived at my doorstep delivered by a very gorgeous UPS guy I might add! And here it is...
The Imposter's Daughter is a memoir by Laurie Sandell a contributing editor at Glamour magazine. She asks:if the man whose identity is the basis of my own is a fraud, then who am I? What I didn't realize was that this is a graphic memoir, an intriguing way to tell her amazing story.
A heap of praise:
Sandell's wit shines through her clever illustrations and honest prose. ( USA Today)
An eloquent graphic novel. (Time )
The Impostor's Daughter is funny, frank, and absolutely engaging. It's about truth and consequences and families and men and women and fame and, well, life itself. It's wonderful. (Susan Orlean, author of The Orchid Thief )
I can only say the gato and I are looking forward to a great read!
A recent trip to the Friends of the Library yielded these fab finds...
The First Time: Cher as told to Jeff Coplon. A compilation of first times i.e. first time meeting her real father, first public performance, etc. Lots of great photos! I love Cher!
Mrs. Dalloway: Virginia Woolf. details a day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway in post-World War I England.
Do It! Let's Get Off Our Buts: Peter McWilliams. You can probably guess what this self help book is all about, get off our buts and butts!
The Year of Magical Thinking: Joan Didion. The author explores the portrait of a marriage in good times and bad.
Epilogue: Anne Rolphe. Anne is not quite 70 when her husband of nearly 40 years unexpectedly passes away. This is a jouney into the unknown world of life after love.
The Thrifty Decorator: Jocasta Innes. Lots of great DIY projects
Living Well: Edited by Carrie Donovan. A collection of noteworth spaces singled out by The NY Times' editors, reporters, critics and contributors.
Looks like the gato and I have a lot of interesting reading ahead of us!
Just for fun, why don't you consider joining in the Book Blogger Hop started by Jennifer at Crazy for Books!It's a fun way to meet people with similar interests, namely BOOKS! This week I am number 179 on a list of, so far, 223 book bloggers. While there, submit a link to your blog and see how many people you can meet and support!You'll enjoy yourself.
This week's question:Do you listen to music when you read? If so, what are your favorite reading tunes?
My answer:No, I really do prefer peace and quiet when I read. In just taking a quick glance around the hop, most people seem to prefer the quiet too so I am not alone!
The Literary Gato and I wish you a fun and fabulous weekend!
PS - if you know any bookish felines who would like to join the Book Fiends Gallery on the right, let us know!
A Little Background: I only recently discovered that Elizabeth Peters also writes as Barbara Michaels whose books I have read in the past and enjoyed. As Elizabeth Peters I have seen her books but for some reason, and I am remiss to say, never picked them up. I will have a grand time now discovering the Amelia Peabody series.
This adventure, the tenth in the series, starts with Amelia becoming involved with the suffragette movement. Amelia, not one to hold back, is an advocate of the equality of women but there is something vaguely wrong with the protest she has joined in front of No. 10 Downing Street. Amelia soon receives a jolt as she recognizes a nefarious someone from her past in the crowd. Is this sighting a portent of things to come?
With her beloved husband (and esteemed archeologist) Emerson by her side, Amelia and family embark on their journey to Egypt in what is hoped to be a successful archeological season. Husband and wife are accompanied by their children, Ramses, Nefret and David who each have interesting background stories of their own.
Unfortunately, trouble seems to have found the Emerson family beginning with a mutilated body found in the Nile as they cruise towards their compound. This is only the first of many unsettling incidents. While the clan struggles to solve the mystery, the story deepens and a few of the characters will find themselves mere inches from death.
By the way, the ape in the title refers to Thoth, one of the more important deities of the Egyptian pantheon. He was often depicted as a man with the head of an ibis or a baboon as these animals were sacred to him. Thoth was the divine scribe who waited for the heart of the dead to be weighed on a scale so that he may record their fate.
My Take: Reading this book was like watching a first rate episode of Mystery or Masterpiece Theatre on PBS where I long ago became accustomed to viewing some fine acting, grand period costuming and of course a great story. There is a good deal to like about this book. It’s at once suspenseful, full of intrigue, contains a good deal of humor and there is romance.
Although I started midway through the series, it was still very easy to follow along and in fact merely serves to whet your appetite to start at the beginning and follow through to the latest edition. Yes, I really do highly recommend this book. Can't you see me smiling?
About the Author:
Barbara G. Mertz (aka Elizabeth Peters and no relation to Ethel!) was born and raised in Illinois in 1927 and received her Ph.D from the University of Chicago in Egyptology at the age of 23.
She has written a plethora of books but most would fall under the category of mystery and suspense novels. She has been a published writer since 1964.
If you want to join the fun and meet your fellow book bloggers, visit Jennifer, add your link to the list, and choose a blog to visit. I am no. 272 on the list so you can see there are a lot of blogs to visit and though we all share the same interest in books we are diverse enough to make it really interesting.
Today's question: Who is your favorite new-to-you author this year?
Hands down easy question for me. It's Elizabeth Peters and having just finished The Ape Who Guards the Balance, I plan on following her Amanada Peabodyseries to the hilt. Peabody, as she is called by her husband Emerson, is an Egyptologist and amateur sleuth and her stories are told behind the country backdrop of Kent, the teaming streets of London, the ancient temples of Egypt, and simmering religious tensions of Palestine on the eve of World War I.
The love fest just keeps rolling on! I have been gifted The Versatile Blogger Award by Jazz at About Books Blog!
Thank and link back to the person who gave you this award
Share 7 things about yourself
Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic.
Contact the bloggers you’ve picked and let them know about the award.
It has occurred to me that when I was given the award the first time around by Kika at The Book Bluff , that I never got around to listing the 7 things about myself. So here they are in no particular order…
I love all things vintage.
I have a dog and a cat, Sadie and Kitty, who keep me on the straight and narrow.
I do not care for marmalade but will occasionally buy a bottle because it reminds me of my dad who has passed away. It also reminds me how much I hate marmalade.
I love The Mummy Returns, Independence Day and Lara Croft and can watch them over and over again.
Spent a summer in Japan and loved every minute of it.
As a child my favorite color crayon was Periwinkle Blue
Here is something you all know, I LOVE BOOKS!
Here are 15 (that's a lot baby!) bloggers that I adore reading...
I know 15 bloggers is a lot to name and I may not always leave a comment but I do follow all of you and read your reviews and fun posts. Thank you for passing along some great reads.
Please realize that you are under no obligation to accept this award and that it is done in the spirit of recognizing and acknowledging really great book blogging!
Simple rules really, thank the person who passed the award on to you with a link back and pay it forward by listing four other rocking bloggers who deserve the award and post a note to them in their comments. In no particular order, here are my fab four:
To my fab four, I'd like to say that I really do enjoy reading your blogs. They are fun, creative and a joy to read. And to those of you that vlog - I LOVE IT!
Please realize that you are under no obligation to accept this award and that it is done in the spirit of recognizing and acknowledging really great book blogging!
I came back from today's visit to the Friends of the Library with three books for $1.50! The books have been thumbed through but they look to be in great shape. They also appear to be chicklit which I dearly*HEART.* I find chicklit to be romantic without being bodice rippers and they are usually a fun and sometimes frothy romp.
So, I am familiar with Jane Green having read Jemima J (loved it), Mr. Maybe and The Beach House (review here). The other two authors are new to me but you can check them out on their websites at Sally Koslow and Sheila Curran.
The books are sitting on an old but sturdy wicker night stand with a Tracy Porter runner that was thrifted. The rabbit, who is named Paisley, was a gift from my mom and was the genesis of my bunny collection. The little mouse is still without a name, maybe you could help me with that?
It's Friday so that means it time to shake your booty over to the Book Blog Hop. Go visit with Jennifer at Crazy for Books to see what it's all about and add your book blog to the hop! You'll meet tons of like minded people and make lots of new friends. You'll have a blast!
Here are three blogs that I have recently discovered:
Ok, this week's question: What are you currently reading? For me it's The Language of Bees by Laurie R. King. I am loving it!
Brief overview: Mary Russell and Holmes (as in Sherlock) return home to the Sussex coast and find an entire colony of Holmes' bees have taken flight and disappeared. Soon, however, death comes knocking and they have a bigger mystery to unravel.
Here is a summary from Goodreads:How many lives do you need to live before you find someone worth dying for? In the aftermath of what happened at Sword & Cross, Luce has been hidden away by her cursed angelic boyfriend, Daniel, in a new school filled with Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans.
Daniel promises she will be safe here, protected from those who would kill her. At the school Luce discovers what the Shadows that have followed her all her life mean - and how to manipulate them to see into her other lives. Yet the more Luce learns about herself, the more she realizes that the past is her only key to unlocking her future...and that Daniel hasn't told her everything.
What if his version of the past isn't actually the way things happened...what if Luce was really meant to be with someone else?
I know, you can’t wait to enter the contest, right!
I have to admit that I have yet to read Fallen, the first in the series, but I am excited to start.
Carly says she’s already read Torment twice (presumably from her tub with a glass of wine – well, that would be me anyway) and thinks it’s BRILLIANT!
Visit with Carly to have the chance to win a copy of Torment!
A Little Background: Sharing a love of reading, a young middle school friend of mine proposed this book as something I might enjoy. I took her up on Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Sideand here is what I think of suggestion…
What if you had a secret identity? What if it was so secret even you didn’t know about it!
Jessica has always known she was adopted but the exact circumstances were not clearly known. Jess’s parents, a laidback, vegan and tofu loving couple have got quite a story to tell. To put it succinctly, Jessica is a vampire princess from Romania who was betrothed at birth to one princely Lucius Vladescu. Tell me if that wouldn’t knock your sox off!
Lucius travels from Romania to claim Jessica as his betrothed but instead of finding a royal princess finds a slightly geeky, high school "mathlete" more interested in doing her muck raking chores on the family farm than dressing and acting royally. Think of it this way, he’s a little bit country and she’s a little bit rock and roll.
Indeed, the imperious Lucius is at a loss and sends off letters to his Uncle Vasile back in the old country. These little missives provide a lot of biting (hehe) and prickly humor for me. A few examples….
On Making Do: I write to you from my “loft” above the Packwood’s rundown garage, where I am housed, not unlike some sort of unwanted automobile or forgotten piece of luggage, no doubt breathing in stale vehicle exhaust day and night.
On American Cuisine:And do not speak to me of “Jello-O” and “sloppy joes.” FOR GOD’S SAKE, VASILE. How much must I endure in the interest of peace between the clans?
On School:Can I ever again be happy in our soaring Gothic castle after walking the halls of Woodrow Wilson High School, a literal ode to linoleum?
On Holidays:Best wishes as we approach All Hallows’ Eve. You would so enjoy the universally naïve but ubiquitous depictions of vampires the Americans somewhat compulsively display at this time of year. One would think our entire race consisted of pale, middle-aged men with a genetic tendency toward “widow’s peaks” and a penchant for the over application of hair gel.
On Jessica:In sum, Jessica Packwood is not a vampire. Living in America seems to have cleansed our future princess of all traces of the royal blood that we know must have coursed through her veins at birth. She has undergone a terrible cultural dialysis, so to speak.
Lucius tries his best to impress upon Jessica the importance of their union to prevent an all out war between their two clans, the Vladescu’s and the Dragomir’s. But will Lucius manage to convince Jessica in time and will Jessica acknowledge the growing feelings she has for Lucius. You will find out what pluck this all American girl/vampire princess has and what she will do to prevent pending bloodshed.
My Take: I enjoyed it! It is a book good enough to satisfy Twi-hards and other lovers of the paranormal genre. Now where can I get a copy of a Teen Vampire's Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions? That sounds like an interesting read!
About the Author:
Beth Fantaskey was raised and still lives in rural Pennsylvania, a place that features prominently in her books. Apparently there's nothing unusual about getting stuck in Amish buggy "traffic" where she lives.
Fantaskey has slung her share of burgers, was a teenage tax collector, a journalist, and now a part-time professor at Susquehanna University. But her most fun job is "YA author," because she gets to interact with so many interesting readers.
You can visit Beth at her websiteand also via Twitter and Facebook. Interested in reading Chapter One of Jessica’s Guide, just click here.
If it's Friday, it must be time for the Book Blogger Hop! Go visit with Jennifer at Crazy for Books to see how you can participate and get your blog out there!
Here's this weeks Hop question: Right this instant, what book are you dying to get your hands on (past, present or future)?
Oh, good one! I have just been thinking I'd like to purchase the collected works of Rudyard Kipling. For me, the author's name alone conjures up the vibrant colors, spicy foods and colorful bazaars of India. To read Kipling, is to be swept away to a different time and space and exotic locale. Everyone is familiar withThe Jungle Book and Kimbut my favorite story is Kipling's Rikki-Tikki-Tavi having read it as a very young bibliophile. I recall that I was mesmerized by the actions of a very brave little mongoose and I've never forgotten the story.
Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind. Rudyard Kipling
I could go on but there wouldn’t be room for anything else! Why not play along, it’s a great way to meet your fellow bloggers.
Speaking of which, Alison atAlison Can Read is having a great Twilight giveaway. Go visit with her and you’ll have a chance to win Twilight Saga Eclipse: Official Illustrated Movie Companion plus a Twilight collector’s beaded bookmark! So are you Team Edward or Jacob? Contest ends July 15th.
The Literary Gato and the Head Librarian wish you a great weekend!
I just finished Lethally Blondeby Kate White and discovered a new heroine, Bailey Weggins. I am now obsessed with wanting to read all the books in the series and as If Looks Could Kill is the first in the series what better place to start?
Purchased at the Friends of the Library:An interesting memoir titled Summer at Tiffanyby Marjorie Hartcaught my eye. Adriana Trigiani said of this book "Charming and delicious...I loved every moment." For a scandalous look at the fashion industry I bought Fashion Babylon by Imogen Edwards-Jones & Anonymous.What really goes on in the fashion industry - I'm about to find out! Total cost for these two books: $1.50...not bad.
Speaking of the Library: thought I'd share a few shots of the Mission Valley Library where I like to hang out. I'm there at least once a week and maybe twice.
A look down from the second floor balcony
Shot taken from the back lanai with a glimpse of the San Diego trolley
Here's the courtyard just off the children's section of the library
Hope you enjoyed your visit. But before you go, just two more things...
File this one under when will it ever end: We had another earthquake today that registered 5.4. Not as high as the one we had over Easter, a 7.2, but believe me it provided quite a jolt!
And, I'd like to wish Ringo Starr Peace & Love and a happy 70th birthday!
...I'd like to introduce my sidekick, the Head Librarian of The Literary Gato, the lovely Bonnie, who discovered her joy of reading with a slightly tattered book from a local thrift shop. The book, Anne of Green Gables, remains one of her sentimental and favorite reads!
This week's question from Suko at Suko's Notebook: What's your favorite beverage while reading or blogging, if any? Is it tea, coffee, water, a glass of wine, or something else?
