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!

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.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

 

What I Finished Last Week Lipstick in Afghanistan by Roberta Gately 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 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 An elderly woman gets mugged. That’s how it all began...more Zazie in the Metro by Raymond Queneau 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.

• 
  

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.

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:

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.