Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings #65

It's Friday . . . time to share excerpts from a current or upcoming read with:

• Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.  
• The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice, where you grab a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% of an ebook), find one or more interesting sentences (no spoilers), and post them.

Today I'm featuring a book I downloaded from the library.  Meet Your Baker is the first book in the new Bakeshop cozy mystery series . . .

 

Beginning:   They say it takes a while to recover your land legs after years spent at sea.  I sure hoped mine would come back soon.

 

It had been twenty-seven hours and forty-two minutes (not that I was counting) since I left the ship, my husband, and everything I'd known for the last ten years.

 

******************** 
Page 56:  "She ran her hand up and down Andy's arm.  'I'm going to grab you a Kleenex.  Would you be willing to tell Juliet what you shared with me?'"

*********************   

 

My thoughts: I'm always thrilled to discover a new cozy mystery series.  After seeing this one on many, many blogs, I thought I'd give it a try. 

 

 

Which book are you reading now or about to start?
 

Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings #65 was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com. This post cannot be republished without attribution.    

Waiting on Wednesday: A Touch of Stardust

 

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature of the Breaking the Spine blog.  It's a great way to share information about forthcoming books with other readers.  Today I'm featuring A Touch of Stardust by Kate Alcott.

   

Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group

Publication Date:  February 17, 2015

From barnesandnoble.com:  From the New York Times bestselling author of The Dressmaker comes a blockbuster novel that takes you behind the scenes of the filming of Gone with the Wind, while turning the spotlight on the passionate romance between its dashing leading man, Clark Gable, and the blithe, free-spirited actress Carole Lombard.  

When Julie Crawford leaves Fort Wayne, Indiana, for Hollywood, she never imagines she’ll cross paths with Carole Lombard, the dazzling actress from Julie’s provincial Midwestern hometown. The young woman has dreams of becoming a screenwriter, but the only job Julie’s able to find is one in the studio publicity office of the notoriously demanding producer David O. Selznick, who is busy burning through directors, writers, and money as he films Gone with the Wind.

 Although tensions run high on the set, Julie finds she can step onto the back lot, take in the smell of smoky gunpowder and the soft rustle of hoop skirts, and feel the magical world of Gone with the Wind come to life. Julie’s access to real-life magic comes when Carole Lombard hires her as an assistant and invites her into the glamorous world Carole shares with Clark Gable, who is about to move into movie history as the dashing Rhett Butler. 

Carole Lombard, happily profane and uninhibited, makes no secret of her relationship with Gable, which poses something of a problem for the studio because Gable is technically still married—and the last thing the film needs is more negative publicity. Julie is there to fend off the overly curious reporters, hoping to prevent details about the affair from slipping out. But she can barely keep up with her blond employer, let alone control what comes out of Carole’s mouth, and—as their friendship grows—Julie soon finds she doesn’t want to. Carole, both wise and funny, becomes Julie’s model for breaking free of the past.

 In the ever-widening scope of this story, Julie is given a front-row seat to not one but two of the greatest love affairs of all time: the undeniable on-screen chemistry between Scarlett and Rhett, and offscreen, the deepening love between Carole and Clark. Yet beneath the shiny façade, things in Hollywood are never quite what they seem, and Julie must learn to balance her career aspirations and her own budding romance with the outsized personalities and overheated drama on set. Vivid, romantic, and filled with Old Hollywood details, A Touch of Stardust will entrance, surprise, and delight.

Which book are you waiting for?

...Will you add this one to your list of must-reads?

Waiting on Wednesday: A Touch of Stardust was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  This post cannot be republished without attribution.

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #89

It's Tuesday . . . and I'm participating in . . .

                                                      

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros hosted by Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea, where bloggers post the first paragraph(s) of a book they are currently reading or planning to read sometime soon.

Today I'm featuring the opening from an upcoming read for one of my book clubs . . .

  

The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters 

***This excerpt is from an advance uncorrected proof***

Copyright © 2014 Sarah Waters

Part One

One

The Barbers had said they would arrive by three. It was like waiting to begin a journey, Frances thought. She and her mother had spent the morning watching the clock, unable to relax. At half-past two she had gone wistfully over the rooms for what she’d supposed was the final time; after that there had been a nerving-up, giving way to a steady deflation, and now, at almost five, here she was again, listening to the echo of her own footsteps, feeling no sort of fondness for the sparsely furnished spaces, impatient simply for the couple to arrive, move in, get it over with.

She stood at a window in the largest of the rooms—the room which, until recently, had been her mother’s bedroom, but was now to be the Barbers’ sitting-room—and stared out at the street. The afternoon was bright but powdery. Flurries of wind sent up puffs of dust from the pavement and the road. The grand houses opposite had a Sunday blankness to them—but then, they had that every day of the week. Around the corner there was a large hotel, and motor-cars and taxi-cabs occasionally came this way to and from it; sometimes people strolled up here as if to take the air. But Champion Hill, on the whole, kept itself to itself. The gardens were large, the trees leafy. You would never know, she thought, that grubby Camberwell was just down there. You’d never guess that a mile or two further north lay London, life, glamour, all that.

What do you think?  Would you continue reading?  

 

What are you reading now or planning to read soon?

 

 

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #89 was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  This post cannot be republished without attribution.

Weekly Book Recap #93

This past week has been all about dismantling and storing the holiday decorations and getting the house back in order.  While I've made good progress on those fronts, it hasn't left much time for reading.  The return of a few favorite television programs (most notably Downton Abbey) has also cut into my reading time.  During the coming week I plan to fine tune my routine to create a better balance.

The weather has been bitterly cold here and we had two dustings of snow during the week, with more in the forecast.  The snow has been very manageable--the light fluffy kind that disappears quickly from the roads and sidewalks.  I don't mind this kind of snow at all, but I am not a fan of the arctic blast.  How many days until spring???


Here's my second recap of the new year, which is being shared on these blogs:
 

Sunday Post hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer  

Showcase Sunday hosted by Vicky at  Books, Biscuits, and Tea
It's Monday! What Are You Reading? hosted by Sheila at Book Journey 

 

Reading now . . .

    A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler

 

Downloaded . . .

                              

Hoist on My Own Petard  by Dan Harris; Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte

Borrowed from the library . . .

                              

As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust by Alan Bradley; Saving Grace by Jane Green

Reading next: The books I hope to finish during the month of January . . .

                              

                                

What did you read this week?  

. . . What did you add to your shelves or wish list?  

. . . . . . What are you reading next?

Enjoy life with books . . .

Catherine

Weekly Book Recap #93 was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  This post cannot be republished without attribution.

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #88

It's Tuesday . . . and I'm participating in . . .

                                                         

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros hosted by Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea, where bloggers post the first paragraph(s) of a book they are currently reading or planning to read sometime soon.

Today I'm featuring the opening from an upcoming read that I checked out of the library last week . . .

   

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendia was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice.  At that time Macondo was a village of twenty adobe houses, built on the bank of a river of clear water that ran along a bed of polished stones, which were white and enormous, like prehistoric eggs.  The world was so recent that many things lacked names, and in order to indicate them it was necessary to point.  Every year during the month of March a family of ragged gypsies would set up their tents near the village, and with a great uproar of pipes and kettledrums they would display new inventions.  First they brought the magnet.  A heavy gypsy with an untamed beard and sparrow hands, who introduced himself as Melquiades, put on a bold public demonstration of what he himself called the eighth wonder of the learned alchemists of Macedonia.  He went from house to house dragging two metal ingots and everybody was amazed to see pots, pans, tongs, and braziers tumble down from their places and beams creak from the desperation of nails and screws trying to emerge, and even objects that had been lost for a long time appeared from where they had been searched for most and went dragging along in turbulent confusion behind Melquiades' magical irons.  "Things have a life of their own," the gypsy proclaimed with a harsh accent.  "It's simply a matter of waking up their souls."  Jose Arcadio Buendia, whose unbridled imagination always went beyond the genius of nature and even beyond miracles and magic, thought that it would be possible to make use of that useless invention to extract gold from the bowels of the earth.  Melquiades, who was an honest man, warned him: "It won't work for that."  But Jose Arcadio Buendia at that time did not believe in the honesty of gypsies, so he traded his mule and a pair of goats for the two magnetized ingots.  Ursula Inguaran, his wife, who relied on those animals to increase their poor domestic holdings, was unable to dissuade him.  "Very soon we'll have gold enough and more to pave the floors of the house," her husband replied.  For several months he worked hard to demonstrate the truth of his idea.  He explored every inch of the region, even the riverbed, dragging the two iron ingots along and reciting Melquiades' incantation aloud.  The only thing he succeeded in doing was to unearth a suit of fifteenth-century armor which had all of its pieces soldered together with rust and inside of which there was the hollow resonance of an enormous stone-filled gourd.  When Jose Arcadio Buendia and the four men of his expedition managed to take the armor apart, they found inside a calcified skeleton with a copper locket containing a woman's hair around its neck.  

What do you think?  Would you continue reading?  

 

What are you reading now or planning to read soon?

 

 

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #88 was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  This post cannot be republished without attribution.

Weekly Book Recap #92

The holidays have come and gone, and it was very nice to be off the grid while celebrating with family and friends.   Now it's time to resume the usual routine, getting back to work and blogging.  My 2015 reading goals have been set, and I am looking forward to diving into the books that have been languishing on my shelves for too long, as well as some intriguing new releases.

Here's my first recap of the new year, which is being shared on these blogs:
 

 Sunday Post hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer  

Showcase Sunday hosted by Vicky at  Books, Biscuits, and Tea
It's Monday! What Are You Reading? hosted by Sheila at Book Journey

Reading now . . .

       

 

The Ship of Brides by Jojo Moyes; A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler

Downloaded . . .

 

                  

 

The Sea Wolves by Lars Brownworth,  Operation Cinderella by Hope Tarr, Silent Run by Barbara Freethy, Dying to Read by Lorena McCourtney, and Midnight Cabernet by Elaine Ambrose

Borrowed from the library . . .

 

The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan, Blood Magick by Nora Roberts, and One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Reading next: The books I hope to finish during the month of January . . .

                              

                              

What did you read this week?  

. . . What did you add to your shelves or wish list?  

. . . . . . What are you reading next?

Enjoy life with books . . .

Catherine

Weekly Book Recap #92 was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  This post cannot be republished without attribution.

New Year . . . 2015 Reading Goals

 

Source: happynewyearimages.net

 

 

 

 

Happy new year, one and all.  I hope that your holidays were filled with special moments and meals shared with friends and family.  While it's hard to believe a new year begins today, I always like the feelings a new year evokes for me:  the promise of a clean slate and new beginnings, the desire to do things differently and/or better, the motivation to be more organized . . .  I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea.

As I take stock of my 2014 reading history, I'm pleased that I completed the four challenges I set (although I did set the bar relatively low after not meeting my goals in 2013).  Here's a recap:

Good Reads Challenge

Goal:   62 books

Read:  63 books 

This is an improvement over 2013, when I read 53 books (my 2013 goal was 52 books).  Before I began blogging, I averaged 100 books per year.  For 2015, I'm aiming for 75 books. 

Cruising Through The Cozies

Goal:   7-12 books

Read:  10 books

  Library Book Challenge

Goal:   12 books

Read:  41 books

Surprisingly enough, almost all of the books I read in 2014 came from the library.  With 28 library books in my possession right now, and many hold requests, it appears this trend will continue in 2015.

   Women Challenge #2

Goal:   20+ female authors

Read:  42 female authors

Though not as surprising, these results are nearly identical to my Library Book Challenge results. 

My reading plan for 2015 . . .

An increase in the overall number of books read, but drawing more books from those already in my numerous piles.  I'll probably join a few challenges hosted by other bloggers along the way, but at this point, I am taking a relaxed approach.

 

I wish each of you good luck with any reading challenges you undertake and lots of reading time and good books throughout the year.

Enjoy life with books . . .

Catherine

New Year . . . 2015 Reading Goals was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  This post cannot be republished without attribution.