Sunday, May 31, 2015

Sunday Salon-ing, Post-Armchair BEA, with a Giveaway!





I went crazy in the last few weeks, agreeing to read and review books, and signing up for BookCrossing bookrings, and using my gift cards at B&N, and swapping books at PBS, and requesting books from the library, all in preparation for those Lazy Days of Summer that start at the end of next week. 


The books, in response, have been pouring in. I have a huge stack of library books awaiting me now, with titles I've had on my wish list for a year, like I Dare Me and Supersurvivors and H is for Hawk and Cartooning: Philosophy and Practices. I have Second Reading and Uncle and O's Little Book of Happiness from B&N cards. I have Savory Baking and The Secret Life of Salvador Dali here from Paperback Swap. And oodles of review books, including World Food Alphabet from Frances Lincoln and 40 Fun Fables from August House. I have pulled a few from my TBR that I'd really like to read this summer, like As I Lay Dying and Lone Star.

Gracious alive. Where do I start?





Hope you'll enter my $15 Book Depository Giveaway.
It runs through next Saturday.



What is the Sunday SalonImagine some university library's vast reading room. It's filled with people--students and faculty and strangers who've wandered in. They're seated at great oaken desks, books piled all around them,and they're all feverishly reading and jotting notes in their leather-bound journals as they go. Later they'll mill around the open dictionaries and compare their thoughts on the afternoon's literary intake....That's what happens at the Sunday Salon, except it's all virtual. Every Sunday the bloggers participating in that week's Salon get together--at their separate desks, in their own particular time zones--and read. And blog about their reading. And comment on one another's blogs. Think of it as an informal, weekly, mini read-a-thon, an excuse to put aside one's earthly responsibilities and fall into a good book. Click here to join the Salon.

The Sunday Post is a meme hosted by Kimba at Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It's a chance to share news and recap the past week.

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia at The Printed Page. We share books that we found in our mailboxes last week.  It is now being hosted here.

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews in which you can share the books you've acquired.


Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Armchair BEA...with a Giveaway!


ARMCHAIR BEA...with a Giveaway!


Day 4

GIVEAWAY!


Now we're talking!

I will be giving away 
any book from Book Depository
which is open to worldwide entries. 
The book chosen must have a value of $15 or less.




Rules for the giveaway are simple:

(1) You must follow me at Google Friend Connect.
(See sidebar.)
(2) You must leave a comment 
that includes an e-mail address 
(posted in an elusive way to thwart the wicked).



BONUS:
If you really, really want to win this giftcard,
you are welcome to receive extra entries by:

Following me at Twitter
and leaving a comment +1 

Befriending me at Goodreads
and leaving a comment +1

Befriending me at Facebook
and leaving a comment +1

I will randomly choose one winner
from comments left today through next Saturday
on this post.

I will leave this giveaway open for one week, 
until Saturday, June 6, 2015 at 11:59 pm.

Good luck!




Day 3

CHARACTER CHATTER

There is no question in my mind who my favorite book character is.

Let me give you some clues and see if you can guess his identity....


(1) He's a person who always does the right thing, even when it is the difficult thing.

(2) He's a dad, with two children, raising them alone.

(3) Here's a quote about him, from one of his children:  
"He did not do the things our schoolmates' fathers did....He sat in the living room and read."


Have you figured out who he is yet? How about another clue:



(4) Here's a quote from him: "I wanted you to see what real courage is...It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what."


Got it? No? Here's a big clue, a conversation between my favorite book character and his daughter, one that includes his name:


"...if I didn't I couldn't hold up my head in town, I couldn't represent this county in the legislature, I couldn't even tell you or Jem not to do something again."

"Atticus, are we going to win it?"

"No, honey."


You know who he is now. Yes, it's Atticus Finch, from To Kill a Mockingbird.


Who's your favorite book character? Why do you love this character?





INSTAGRAM CHALLENGE - CHARACTER QUOTES

Post a picture of your favorite character quote.
#CharacterQuotes



Day 2

SOCIAL MEDIA



I do all social media:

I'm at Twitter.

I'm at Goodreads.

I'm at Facebook.

I'm at Instagram.

But here's the truth:  Social Media feels like overload a lot of the time. I love people. But I also like my quiet times. 

Are you like me? Or do you love to be going all the time?





INSTAGRAM CHALLENGE - SPINE POETRY
#spinepoetry
Organize a bunch of books into a beautiful spine poem.




Spine Poetry Instagram Challenge, 

(using only blue-cover books obtained from recent library conference):  




My Diary from the Edge of the World 

from the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess



Summer by summer, 

those girls, last in a long line of rebels, 
kissing in America the boy who knew everything, 
betting on hope. 
Listen to the moon. 
Gone crazy in Alabama. 
Survival strategies of the almost brave into the dangerous world. 







Day 1

It's yet another year that I miss BEA. (very sad face)

Why?

(1) Our school is open until June 4. BEA is always at the end of May.
(2) NYC is a long way from Alvin, Texas.
(3) NYC is expensive for this small-town girl.

So I once again settle myself down into my oh-so comfy chair and settle in with the next-best-thing, Armchair BEA.

INTRODUCTORY QUESTIONS



Tell us a bit about yourself: 

I'm Deb Nance at Readerbuzz. 

I've been a book blogger for seven years. 

I work as a primary school librarian. 

I started reading spontaneously when I was two, and it's my favorite thing to do. 


What is your theme song?

Here's one I like:

"It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...a beautiful day for a neighbor....Let's make the most of this beautiful day...since we're together we might as well say...would you be mine...could you be mine...won't you be my neighbor?"


What is one book everyone should read?

I wish I could tell you the one book everyone should read. 

I don't know what it is, but I know there's a book out there for everyone.


What is your favorite genre and why?

I'm deeply interested in happiness and spirituality and education and creativity. 

Not sure what genres those are.


Take a picture of your bookshelf and share it with us! :) #ABEAShelfie #Shelfie 


Sunday, May 24, 2015

Looking for Beach Reads?

Summer is when I dip my toes into lots of beach water.


The Côte d'Azur.



The Oregon Coast.



The Chicago lakeshore.



Whew! Beaches so cold I need a coat and gloves.


And our own beautiful Galveston Island beaches.


So, trust me.
I know beaches. 
And I know beach books. 


A lot of people like mindless books for beach books.

Light romance. Light mystery. Light travel.


That's okay.

I like light.
But I also like to take something with me when I go.


Here are some you might consider popping into your beach bag this summer:


An old favorite to reread. (To Kill a Mockingbird)

A western. (Lonesome Dove)
A classic you've always wanted to read. (The Glass Bead Game)
Some gentle poetry. (Ron Padgett)
Sci fi. (The Hobbit. And then The Lord of the Rings)
Popular fiction you've missed. (Girl on a Train)
A how-to book, to get you started doing something new. (Art Before Breakfast)
A huge nonfiction chunkster. (A Short History of Nearly Everything)
A self-help book, to get that peace-of-mind thing going. (The Happiness Project)
Something spiritual. (Traveling Mercies)



Here are some other Beach Books Lists I've made in the past:

Best Beach Books

Top Ten Books I'd Recommend as Good Beach Reads


Books That Should Be in a Beach Bag



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 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 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.

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Snack





For more wordless photos, go to Wordless Wednesday.

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by West Metro Mommy ReadsTo participate in Saturday Snapshot: post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken and then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky at West Metro Mommy Reads.

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Best Moving-and-Starting-Over Books

I fantasize about it sometimes, and I bet you do, too. Moving-and-starting-over. A brand new life. A redo, if you will.

It's a genre I call Moving-and-Starting-Over books. I've read and tagged fifty-five books at Goodreads as such.

Now I'm not talking about people who take a trip for a couple of weeks or months or even a year or two. Nor am I talking about people who have to move somewhere for a couple of years, knowing they will eventually be returning home. No, I'm talking about really Moving and Starting Over. Selling your home. Moving off to a place where you know no one. Buying a house and starting completely over.

Here are some of my favorites:


Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik



Driving Over Lemons: An Optimist in Andalucia by Chris Stewart



The Olive Farm: Life, Love, and Olive Oil in the South of France by Carol Drinkwater



A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle



Spanish Lessons: Beginning a New Life in Spain by Derek Lambert



Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes



And I Shall Have Some Peace There: Trading in the Fast Lane for My Own Dirt Road by Margaret Roach



Gringos in Paradise: An American Couple Builds Their Retirement Dream House in a Seaside Village in Mexico by Barry Golson



Still Life With Chickens: Starting Over in a House by the Sea by Catherine Goldhammer



Country Matters: The Pleasures and Tribulations of Moving from a Big City to an Old Country Farmhouse by Michael Korda




Have you read any of these? Do you ever think about moving and starting a new life? Have you read any moving-and-starting-over books I have left out?








Sunday, May 17, 2015

Summer Goals


*Truth in packaging:  Photo is not actually me looking ahead to summer, but it is a photo I took of my friend last summer.

Summer Goals



I love this time in May. School is field trips and play days and end-of-year parties and summer is almost here. I'm thinking ahead to those endless warm days of sunshine and happiness and filling in a few of the time slots. 

A personal essay writing class one night a week. Walking each weekday morning. A water aerobics class twice a week at the Y. Cooking a nice meal each day. A little kitchen remodeling. A half-hour a day for my Rosetta Stone Spanish. An August trip to Yellowstone. Maybe some drawing or photography. I'm hoping to open my school library once a week. And, of course, reading.

That's about it. A nice block of time to rest and get restored. 

How about you? Do you have big plans for summer? Any book recommendations for me? 




What is the Sunday SalonImagine some university library's vast reading room. It's filled with people--students and faculty and strangers who've wandered in. They're seated at great oaken desks, books piled all around them,and they're all feverishly reading and jotting notes in their leather-bound journals as they go. Later they'll mill around the open dictionaries and compare their thoughts on the afternoon's literary intake....That's what happens at the Sunday Salon, except it's all virtual. Every Sunday the bloggers participating in that week's Salon get together--at their separate desks, in their own particular time zones--and read. And blog about their reading. And comment on one another's blogs. Think of it as an informal, weekly, mini read-a-thon, an excuse to put aside one's earthly responsibilities and fall into a good book. Click here to join the Salon.

The Sunday Post is a meme hosted by Kimba at Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It's a chance to share news and recap the past week.

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia at The Printed Page. We share books that we found in our mailboxes last week.  It is now being hosted here.

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews in which you can share the books you've acquired.


Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Wicked Wine Run



























Amazing Authors I Have Met

I can't count all the authors I have met. I can't rank them either, but I will say that here are a few memorable author visits:

I've been lucky enough to meet Rick Riordan many, many times.
One of these days I'll tell you the story of the first time I met him,
at a conference,
when he was desperately trying to give away copies of 
a book I'd never heard of...The Lightning Thief.


Aaron Reynolds really knows his subject.


Jon Scieszka and Mac Barnett introduce the Bluebonnet nominees in style.


 
Dav Pilkey and Jarret Krosoczka show how everything looks better
in underpants


Anne Lamott comes to Houston. Unforgettable.


I stumbled on this photoshoot of children's book winners
at the state capitol. Lucky me!



Kate DiCamillo tells how she became an author.



I was assigned to escort Jewel at the Texas Book Festival one year. She spoke about her children's book in the Texas Capitol. But it was when she sang that I saw her magic.


I'll never forget having children's author/illustrator Jon Klassen at my school,
just before he won the Caldecott.

Here are more authors I have met:
Row 1, l to r: Brian Selznick, Patricia Polacco, Lani Taylor
Row 2, l to r: Katherine Paterson, Tamora Pierce, Jacqueline Woodson
Row 3, l to r: Lois Lowry, Mo Willems, Cynthia Voight.



For a look at all the authors I've met, take a look at my Pinterest board: Authors I Have Met.



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 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 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, May 10, 2015

Reviews, Reviews, Reviews

Just popping into Sunday Salon to catch up a little on reviews. Happy Mother's Day, everyone! 



What I Finished Recently






covertitleauthorreview
Stormbreaker (Alex Rider, #1)
Alex Rider, in rapid succession, learns (1) his guardian uncle is dead, (2) his uncle was a spy, and (3) Alex himself must take his uncle’s place...more
Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World
Here are a few you should add to your personal dictionaries:
gezellig...a positive warm emotion, connoting time spent with loved ones…
meraki...pouring
 ...more

Looking for Alibrandi
Looking for Alibrandi takes me to a part of Australia I didn’t know existed and includes characters I never suspected were part of Australian life...more
Happiness for Beginners
I love the way Katherine Center tells a story. Her characters are people that inhabit my world; they suffer yet they laugh, too. This is the story of ...more
Just Kids
I didn’t know much about either Patti Smith or Robert Maplethorpe except the sort of murky rumors that always surround celebrity, and most of that tawdry...more


Year of the Dunk: A Modest Defiance of Gravity
I can certainly see my own sons at Price’s age attempting this feat. Something in the male soul longs to compete even as the male body is starting to ...more
My Life in Middlemarch
Perfect timing. This book arrived in the mail from the publisher only days after I finished Middlemarch. It’s a book of reflections upon Middlemarch. ...more
Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End
It’s coming for us all. We choose to ignore it, forget about it, laugh it off, distract ourselves. But, nevertheless, we are all headed for those last ...more
The Detective's Assistant
Nell heads off to her only living relative, her aunt Kate, but Kate’s not inclined to taking in the orphan girl. Kate’s pretty busy herself, as the fi ...more
Middlemarch
I started Middlemarch on January first and lingered over it for weeks, months, before finally finishing it off during the twenty-four hour readathon. ...more


The Promise
A disgraced woman, with no other options, agrees to marry an old suitor who has recently become a widower. She arrives in Galveston in August of 1900. ...more


What are you reading today?!



What is the Sunday SalonImagine some university library's vast reading room. It's filled with people--students and faculty and strangers who've wandered in. They're seated at great oaken desks, books piled all around them,and they're all feverishly reading and jotting notes in their leather-bound journals as they go. Later they'll mill around the open dictionaries and compare their thoughts on the afternoon's literary intake....That's what happens at the Sunday Salon, except it's all virtual. Every Sunday the bloggers participating in that week's Salon get together--at their separate desks, in their own particular time zones--and read. And blog about their reading. And comment on one another's blogs. Think of it as an informal, weekly, mini read-a-thon, an excuse to put aside one's earthly responsibilities and fall into a good book. Click here to join the Salon.

The Sunday Post is a meme hosted by Kimba at Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It's a chance to share news and recap the past week.