Saturday, March 31, 2012

Sunday Salon: ¡Olé!


¡Olé!

It is time once again for Bloggiesta!

The idea behind Bloggiesta is
to spend these next two days working on
(1) perfecting our blogs, and
(2) connecting with other bloggers doing the same thing.


Photo by Search Engine People Blog


My Bloggiesta goals:

1. Create a template for the two memes I do each week.
2. Brainstorm ten blog posts to publish this year.
3. Touch up my new header.
4. Visit at least 25% of the participating blogs,

steal...oops! that is, borrow good ideas, and leave a comment.
5. Rethink widgets on sidebar.
6. Read a book.
7. Create a template for book reviews.
8. Participate in at least one Bloggista mini-challenge.
9. Participate in a Bloggista Twitter party.
10. Backup my blog.


Happy Day!
Everything is crossed off my list.
¡Bloggiesta Olé!




Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Spring Fever: Top Ten Books I'd Like to Read About Italy


I've got spring fever.
I've got it bad.

We are contemplating a trip to Italy this summer.
So my reading is turning to all things Italian.
Here's what I am hoping to read in the next few months:


The Cloven Viscount by Italo Calvino

On the 1001 Children's Book list.




That Fine Italian Hand
Another travel memoir



A Room with a View
Classic






Do you have other recommendations for me?
They will be much appreciated.

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?





 


What I Finished Last Week


Lipstick in Afghanistan by Roberta Gately
it was ok (my current rating) really liked it
Lipstick in Afghanistan doesn’t make any pretense of being factual and 
it’s a darn good thing. The back cover promises it is “inspired by experiences ...more


Treasure Island!!! by Sara Levine
liked it liked it liked it really liked it
Don’t take anything in this book at face value; it’s all a farce of the highest order. 
Either that or our main character and heroine is the...more


How It All Began by Penelope Lively
really liked it (my current rating) really liked it (my current rating) really liked it (my current rating) really liked it
An elderly woman gets mugged.
That’s how it all began...more


Zazie in the Metro by Raymond Queneau
really liked it really liked it
It is hard to read a book when you do not like the main character. At all. 
And what if the book is written in some sort of odd Ulysses-ish ...more


 
What I'm Reading Now

A Room With a View by E. M. Forster

A lot of wonderful children's picture books 
(reviews coming soon)



What I Received in the Mail


Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson





What are you reading today?!



It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between!  This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

I love being a part of this and I hope you do too! As part of this weekly meme Book Journey loves to encourage you all to go and visit the others participating in this meme. Book Journey offers a weekly contest for those who visit 10 or more of the Monday Meme participants and leave a comment telling BJ how many you visited.

Odds and Ends

MAMA NEEDS SOME NEW SHOES
I did it. Late last night, when I was barely awake enough to type the numbers on my credit card, I went online and ordered a new iPad.

Indulgent. I already have a desktop, a large laptop, a medium-sized (pink) laptop, a mini, a Kindle, an iPhone, and an iPad.

But I love technology the way some women love shoes. And I stick to one pair of shoes.

I'm working on a post about it.

CYBILS ANNOUNCED
Yes, I'm that far behind. The Cybils were announced mid-February. I'm working on a post.

INDIE LIT AWARDS ANNOUNCED
Last Monday, the Indie Lit Awards were announced. I'm working on a post.

ANDIAMO IN ITALIA!
Incredible as it sounds, it looks very promising for a trip to Italy this summer. Mio marito has gotten his passport. I got a 99 cent app for learning Italian. I went to the bookstore last night and got three books on Italy. We are as good as there.

I'm working on a post about it.


BOOK REVIEWS
I have an enormous stack of books I've read and have yet to review. I'm working on a post.


DEWEY'S READ-A-THON
I hope to join for Dewey's 24-Hour Read-a-Thon. It will be on Saturday, April 21st. I need to write a post about it.

BLOGGIESTA OLE!
Which all brings me to my final odd (or end): the need to blog. Next weekend is Bloggiesta and I plan to blog and blog and blog.

And get caught up on all of these things.

How about you? Will you be bloggiesta-ing next weekend? I hope that you will and that you will stop in and chat about good books or with blogging tips or about Italy even.


Monday, March 19, 2012

Top Ten Books On My Spring To-Be-Read List

Top Ten Books I'm Looking Forward to this Spring...

 
Some Assembly Required
by Anne Lamott
(Happily, I've already read this one as an ARC.)

 
Paris My Sweet: A Year in the City of Light
by Amy Thomas

 
Storybound by Marissa Burt

 
No Cheating, No Dying:
I Had a Good Marriage.
Then I Tried to Make it Better
by Elizabeth Weil

 
Paris in Love
by Eloisa James

 
Insurgent
by Veronica Roth

 
The Mindful Writer: Noble Truths of the Writing Life
by Dinty W. Moore

 
The Dovekeepers
by Alice Hoffman

 
Lots of Candles,
Plenty of Cake:
A Memoir
by Anna Quindlen

 
Drop Dead Healthy
by A. J. Jacobs


The Beginner's Goodbye: A Novel
by Anne Tyler

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?






 

What I Finished Last Week


Turn Right at Machu Picchu
(review coming soon)

The Lost City of Z
(review coming soon)


 
What I Received in the Mail Last Week

Five beautiful picture books from iPg:



Story of a Cockroach

Zaira and the Dolphins

Manual de brujas


What I'm Reading Now






What are you reading today?!



It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between!  This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

I love being a part of this and I hope you do too! As part of this weekly meme Book Journey loves to encourage you all to go and visit the others participating in this meme. Book Journey offers a weekly contest for those who visit 10 or more of the Monday Meme participants and leave a comment telling BJ how many you visited.