Saturday, October 8, 2022

Solito and How to Live

 





Two weeks ago I was in Chicago visiting family and last week I was in North Texas visiting family. Whew. A lot of traveling.

A story: I raced home last Monday so I'd make it to hear author Javier Zamora speak about his new memoir, Solito, that night. I got home after driving for five hours, rested for a bit, and then drove into Houston to hear Zamora. Just as I was about to arrive at the venue, my husband called. "I think you better come home," he told me. I left immediately for home. His blood pressure had been a little high when he visited the doctor while I was gone, and, after I left for the Zamora event, he went to Walgreen's and bought a blood pressure monitor. He took his blood pressure and it was over 200! So he called me to come home and then he called his sister, a nurse. Chris immediately recognized that he was taking his blood pressure wrong and showed him how to take the pressure correctly. His blood pressure, when taken correctly, was a little elevated, but nowhere near 200! By that time, I was home. 

So that's why I missed the Zamora event. But, hey, I'd much rather come home to a husband with a red face than one that had dangerously high blood pressure.

And here's Zamora's interview on the Today show:


It's a fantastic read. I encourage you to look for Solito.





What I Read:


Solito: A Memoir by Javier Zamora 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝

The links will take you to my reviews.




What I Am Reading:

Villette by Charlotte Bronte (Chapter-a-Day)

Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser (Classic)

Bake: My Best Ever Recipes for the Classics by Paul Hollywood (Cookbook)

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell (Author Event)






Last week I posted here at Readerbuzz:

Wrigley Field in Chicago: My First Real, Outdoor Baseball Game!
Bookstores I've Visited
The Sunday Salon: Other Birds and Lucy by the Sea



It's your opportunity to nominate your favorite children's books and young adult books of 2022 for the Cybils Award. Please take a look at the guidelines and nominate here on or before October 15. Need ideas for what to nominate? Take a look at our idea boards here








Good Thing #1, 2, and 3
I spent a week with these lovely family members in the wilds of North Texas.
I slept in a little cabin my son has down the hill from his house.
The kids and I did some drawing and I read a million books to them
and I helped my daughter-in-law sell her art at Canton.
Great fun!





I'm happy you joined us here at the Sunday Salon. Sunday Salon is a place to link up and to share what we have been doing during the week. It's a great way to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there. 


Some of the things we often talk about at the Sunday Salon:

  • What was your week like?
  • Read any good books? Tell us about them.
  • What other bookish things did you do? 
  • What else is going on in your life?

Other places where you may like to link up over the weekend are below. Click on the picture to visit the site.

        

My linkup for Sunday Salon is below. 

Wednesday, October 5, 2022

Wrigley Field in Chicago: My First Real, Outdoor Baseball Game!

 

The Uber driver let us out a few blocks away, but it was soon obvious that we were in baseball land.


And soon we were there...Wrigley Field!


My husband and I took a photo with a statue of baseball legend, Harry Carey.


Then we took a photo with our whole group: our beautiful daughter-in-law, Lisa (center, with Cubs hat); Lisa's parents (far left); my husband and I (other side of Lisa); and our son, Ben (taking the selfie for us).


There was no shortage of Cubs memorabilia for sale.



Wrigley Field is magnificent...






Fun on the scoreboard...



But you better come with your wallet full of money...a beer is 13.49!



We had a fantastic time! 










For more photos, link up at Wordless WednesdayComedy PlusMessymimi's MeanderingsKeith's RamblingsCreate With JoyAmanda's Books and More, and My Corner of the World.

Tuesday, October 4, 2022

Bookstores I've Visited


Sandmeyer's Bookstore, Chicago, Illinois. 


City Lights Bookstore, San Francisco, California. 2008.


The King's English, Salt Lake City, Utah. 2009.


Shakespeare and Company, Paris, France. 2010.


The Strand, New York City, New York. 2011.


Blue Willow Bookshop, Houston, Texas. 2012.


Front Street Books, Alpine, Texas. 2013.


Ocotillo Enterprises, Alpine, Texas. 2013.

Powell's Books, Portland, Oregon. 


Strange Maine, Portland, Maine. 


Marfa Book Company, Marfa, Texas. 2016.


The Red Wheelbarrow, Paris, France. 2020.


The Abbey Bookshop, Paris, France. 2020.


Montana Book Company, Helena, Montana. 2022.


Elk River Books, Livingston, Montana. 2022



Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Each Tuesday That Artsy Reader Girl assigns a topic and then post her top ten list that fits that topic. You’re more than welcome to join her and create your own top ten (or 2, 5, 20, etc.) list as well. Feel free to put a unique spin on the topic to make it work for you! Please link back to That Artsy Reader Girl in your own post so that others know where to find more information.   

Saturday, October 1, 2022

Other Birds and Lucy by the Sea

 







What I Read:
Other Birds by Sarah Addison Alley 🐝🐝🐝🐝
Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝




What I Am Reading:

Villette by Charlotte Bronte (Chapter-a-Day)

How to Live: What the Rule of St. Benedict Teaches Us About Happiness, Meaning, and Community by Judith Valence (Happiness)

Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser (Classic)

Bake: My Best Ever Recipes for the Classics by Paul Hollywood (Cookbook)

Solito: A Memoir by Javier Zamora (Author Event)








Last week I posted here at Readerbuzz:





It's time to nominate your favorite children's books and young adult books of 2022. October 1 will be here before you know it, and the Public Nominations Phase will begin. Here's what you need to know about nominating a book for the 2022 CYBILS Awards. 
  • Books must be published between 10/16/2021 and 10/15/2022.
  • Books must be written for a youth audience.
  • The books must be published in the US or Canada.
  • Bilingual books are accepted.
  • ONE nomination per category.
    • A book can only be nominated 1 time, and
    • you can only nominate 1 book in a category.
  • ANYONE can nominate a book.
To nominate a book, visit Cybils.com.









I just can't seem to stay home. No sooner am I home from Chicago than I head up to East Texas. I will be hanging out with my grandchildren, Annie and Wyatt, while my daughter-in-law runs a booth at a big fair in Canton, Texas. It should be fun.




I've been baking...


Good Thing #1
Lemon-Blueberry Bread



Good Thing #2
Pumpkin-Cream Cheese Roll



Good Thing #3
Chocolate-Chili Pepper Cookies





I'm happy you joined us here at the Sunday Salon. Sunday Salon is a place to link up and to share what we have been doing during the week. It's a great way to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there. 


Some of the things we often talk about at the Sunday Salon:

  • What was your week like?
  • Read any good books? Tell us about them.
  • What other bookish things did you do? 
  • What else is going on in your life?

Other places where you may like to link up over the weekend are below. Click on the picture to visit the site.

        

My linkup for Sunday Salon is below.