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Thursday, May 31, 2012

follow friday - Pairings

What a fun question this week on

Parajunkee & Alison Can Read
Featured bloggers this week are: Sinnful Books and Books of Love.  Put these two together and you get a question like:

Q: You are a matchmaker - your goal, hook up two characters from two of your favorite books.  Who would it be?  How do you think it will go?

A: I think I would take Evie from the Paranormalcy series with Jackson from Tempest and put them together.  At first, I think it would take Jackson a little while to turn away from his girlfriend, but once he gets to know the quirky Evie, things would go swimmingly.  Evie needs a guy like Jackson to put a little 'normal' into her life and she can help Jackson with his whole time traveling conundrum and who is behind it - and maybe Evie can use tripping with Jackson to get some answers of her own!

This was hard - as you like who the characters are with in their series - but it would be interesting to change things up a bit!

Notice how I didn't do anything with Jane Austen's characters? I felt that they were pretty good matches - but it might be a fun exercise to mix up couples in those stories... now you will have to check back to see who I matched with whom!

Who would you pair up from your favorite stories?  Thanks for stopping by!


Wednesday, May 30, 2012

saluting hodge podge



1. What can the average citizen do to honor a military veteran and/or those currently serving?

If you see a military member at a restaurant, offer to pay his or her meal.  I live in a military town, and you will see people do that once in a while around here.  Better yet, simply tell them Thanks for serving their country.  Sometimes, all the military personnel hear are negative things, and it's nice to tell them you appreciate that they are serving their country!

2. Besides a flag what is something you own that is red, white and blue?

My All-American All-Stars!  I usually wear them on patriotic holidays - and whenever I feel like it.  I have had these for about 20 years (OMG - has it been that long?!) 


3. Does love really conquer all?

I would love to say yes, but not always.  You can love someone but are not a good person when with them, or cannot stand to be with them (take my parents - they loved each other but weren't good together.)

4. Strawberry shortcake or blueberry pie?

Definitely Strawberry Shortcake!


5. Do you share personal stuff with your hairdresser?

Do I have a hairdresser?!  The answer would be no - but I know my mom was like a Confessional for her clients way back when!

6. Does money lead to selfishness?

I think that it definitely can!  There are a few altruistic people out there who will use their money for good, but if you've got it, it seems to create a bad case of 'I Want's'!

7. What piece of furniture in your home most needs replacing or refinishing?

I would say our bookcases.  We just bought them, but they are cheap, they lean, and I need more space!

8. Insert your own random here.

Woo-Hoo!  I have a day off!   
            So, it's cleaning house, shopping and blogging all day...
                     ....after I go in to work to fix something - unfortunately, I have learned that if I want something done right, do it myself.  A sad thing as a manager...

review: Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde

 Stevenson's famous exploration of humanity's basest capacity for evil, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, has become synonymous with the idea of a split personality. More than a morality tale, this dark psychological fantasy is also a product of its time, drawing on contemporary theories of class, evolution, criminality, and secret lives.

I very much enjoyed this classic and am sorry I hadn't read it sooner.  I have seen movies and plays based on this story, but after finishing this novella, they did not do the book justice!  It is an intriguing Victorian tale of the duality of man, and how the doctor was able to unleash his darker side with, what he thought at first, little effect to his normal, staid self.  However, it seemed as if the darker aspect of him had taken control at random and had destroyed his life.

I quite enjoyed the first part of the story with Mr. Utterson, walking around with Mr. Enfield and their banter as they were talking about a particular door, and the strange goings-on behind that door.  Then the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde came out.

"Men have before hired bravos to transact their crimes, while their own person and reputation sat under shelter.  I was the first that ever did so for his pleasures.  I was the first that could plod in the public eye with a load of genial respectability, and in a moment, like a schoolboy, strip off these lendings and spring headlong into the sea of liberty.  But for me, in my impenetrable mantle, the safety was complete.  Think of it - I did not even exist!"

I would highly recommend this quick and insightful read to everyone.  It is a classic for a reason and an interesting look at the duality of man.

Quick note about this novella:  It was first published in 1886 - "Stevenson had long been intrigued by the idea of how personalities can affect a human and how to incorporate the interplay of good and evil into a story."

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

totally tubular Hodge Podge



1. What's something you miss about the 1980's? If you're too young to miss the 80's how about the 90's?
Believe it or not, I miss the clothing... and how I looked in the clothing!  We had pants that went up to our waists with pleats and tapered ankles.  We could wear parachute pants with torn up sweatshirts hanging off of one shoulder and big puffy hair.  I was a dancer in the 80's - so these clothes looked like, totally awesome!

2. Do you have a library card? If so, how often do you visit?
I do have a library card, and I don't visit often enough - as the library fines I have recently racked up can attest.  It's a very small library in a small library system, so there aren't too many books to choose from.  You go in for a series, and several books from the series are missing...  But, at least we have a library!

3. What's the secret to success?
Don't sweat the small stuff - and it's all small!

4. This is National Backyard Games week...what's your favorite backyard game?
Either Bocce Ball or Croquet - especially with big floppy hats and ice cold drinks in hand!

5. If I dropped by today what would I find on your coffee table?
Nothing, as I don't have a coffee table :(.  We have a small house and no room for one.  In the past (about three years ago) it would have been a cool book on Arizona or the National Parks, remotes, cracker crumbs and ice cream cup rings!  Oh, and coasters no one bothers to use!

6. Do you own a bicycle? When was the last time you rode a bicycle? Is that something you enjoy?
I do have a great bike and I haven't been on it for months!  I even have a neat  Aloha drink holder and a helmet with flowers - and it's still sitting in the garage.  I need to get out there and RIDE as I do enjoy it, once my muscles stop burning from all of the hills and I get in to shape... but like the lottery, you can't win if you don't play!

7. What's your favorite cheese?
Being lactose intolerant, I am not a huge cheese fan... but I have been known to throw caution to the wind if someone places a hunk of Jarlsberg in front of me - especially paired with French bread and Granny Smith apples!  YUM!

8. Insert your own random thought here.
Okay - now I need to start riding my bike!  The weather went from chilly to hot like that and I just need to do it.  It just might help me get closer to my 80's physique... now we just need to find those pants from the 80's - get away from the stupid low rise jeans that gives everyone a muffin top.  (that's why I buy boy jeans... they at least fit better!)

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Top Ten Mish Mash



This is where I take several different topics, because I couldn’t think of ten for any one of them!

Books I’d love to re-read.

Once and Future King by TH White.  I remember reading this one freshman year in high school and absolutely loved it.  It started a King Arthur fetish for me for some time afterwards.  I thought it was so wonderful, the lessons learned by Arthur at the direction of Merlin.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.  I remember that this book was rather impactful for me at the time I read it (tween years), but to be honest, I don’t remember the details of the story too well.

Persuasion by Jane Austen.  I have already read this one at least three times, but want to re-read it again, as I simply love the story of Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth.

Emily and Einstein by Linda Francis Lee.  I cried when I finished this book and sat there and hugged it for about 15 minutes – my family was wondering what was wrong with me.  I want to re-read it to see if it was as good as I thought it was.

Why I love Book Blogging

…because I find a ridiculous number of books I must possess, but never get around to reading them, because there is a new one to grab and read…
…because I love seeing what others think of the books I have read, to see if I am totally off-base with how I thought of the book….
…because there are giveaways, and my book shelves are burgeoning because of all of the wonderful books I have won…

Bookish Resolutions
To not buy any books for myself for the year of 2012 (unless it is under $3.99)
To read some classics – I have got to start on that list… right after I read all of those galleys I have grabbed….

Where I want to read
…on the beach, or by the beach so I can hear the roar of the ocean in the background…



Tuesday, May 8, 2012

my Hodge Podge, part Deux


1. What is a pet peeve you have when vacationing?

Tacky tourists (usually American, but most likely Russian) who disregard common courtesies that ruin the experience wherever you might be.

2. Would you describe yourself as a light packer or do you need everything in your closet plus the kitchen sink? 

Somewhere in between.  I like to be prepared, but also have the adage that if we forgot it, we can buy it... a bit more difficult in a foreign country, but nothing like buying 'feminine protection' in Turkey (for a teenager!)!

3. What's the best lesson a child ever taught you? 

Only hire babysitters who can stay awake longer than your children!  We came home to 'redecorating' of the hall bath - toothpaste EVERYWHERE with Q-tips stuck in the toothpaste - even in the underside of the step-stool!

4. Share one piece of advice you'd give a recent graduate as they attempt to enter the job market?

Persistence is key!  Be positive and Be yourself!

5. What's your favorite lemon something?

Tough call - I would probably have to go with a Lemon White Chocolate Cake!

Subtle meets Sassy

6. Flat sandal, wedge, heel...your favorite footwear? 

Barefoot first, then would have to be one of my fav pairs of Converse - one of the Aloha styles!
Cool Shoes!

7. What do you like best about a beach holiday? If you're not a beach lover (GASP!!) what do you dislike the least?

Best thing?!?  It has to be an uncrowded beach - as the beach is a place for peace and tranquility for me.  The roar of the ocean - the constant waves - is so soothing to me... it speaks directly to my soul!  
A true beach holiday?!?  My ideal beach vacation would be a Northwest Beach with Southern Cali weather - a rustic beach house - need at least one good storm for massive waves (luckily we would be up on a cliff) - fluffy blankets, great food and copious amounts of tasty wine!  Lots of climbing/scrambling, tidal pools, great sunsets with cloudy skies for depth.  Books, my HOney and PEACE!

8. Insert your own random thought here. 

All this beach talk makes me want to squidge my toes in the sand!  Kind of hard in the middle of the desert - I fear scorpions....

top ten Favorite Quotes from Books


....well, maybe a few more than TEN!

Featured Meme from The Broke and The Bookish

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...”
Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You'll Go!

“I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago. Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you. Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant. You alone have brought me to Bath. For you alone, I think and plan. Have you not seen this? Can you fail to have understood my wishes? I had not waited even these ten days, could I have read your feelings, as I think you must have penetrated mine. I can hardly write. I am every instant hearing something which overpowers me. You sink your voice, but I can distinguish the tones of that voice when they would be lost on others. Too good, too excellent creature! You do us justice, indeed. You do believe that there is true attachment and constancy among men. Believe it to be most fervent, most undeviating, in F. W.

I must go, uncertain of my fate; but I shall return hither, or follow your party, as soon as possible. A word, a look, will be enough to decide whether I enter your father's house this evening or never.”
Jane Austen, Persuasion

“I must learn to be content with being happier than I deserve.”
Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

“Elizabeth’s journey taught me I should listen to my brain and my heart and to neither exclusively.  Love does not demand perfection because imperfections make each of us unique.  Appearances can be false, and what is important comes from the inside.”
What Would Jane Austen Do? By Laurie Brown

“I will woo her with some spirit when she comes.  If she rails at me, why then I will tell her she sings as sweetly as a nightingale; and if she frowns, I will say she looks as clear as roses newly washed with dew.  If she will not speak a word,  I will praise the eloquence of her language; and if she bids me leave her, I will give her thanks as if she bid me stay with her a week.”
Tales from Shakespeare – Taming of the Shrew by Charles Lamb

That if adventures will not befall a young lady in her own village, she must seek them abroad
Northanger Abbey Jane Austen

He lowers his head and his lips touch mine.  His mouth presses softly, tender but firm, so that I have no doubt it’s happened.  Then I feel that same electric current, the one I felt that night at my house, only this time multiplied by a thousand.  My eyes snap shut, and I am transported like those people on Star Trek, blown into a million pieces and floating weightless through outer space.  And my brain begins to process what is happening: Jack is kissing Sheridan.
The Sweetest Thing by Christina Mandelski

Because I know that I want to be here.  Even with the pain.  Even with the ugliness.  I’ve seen the other side – marching side by side down city streets with people who all believe they can change the world and the view of the sunset from Fridgehenge and Tom Waits lyrics and doing the waltz and kisses so hot they melt into each other and best friends who hold your hand and stretching out underneath a sky draped with stars and everything else.  There is so much beauty in just existing.  In being alive.  I don’t want to miss a second.
Saving June by Hannah Harrington

“I understood so much in those minutes,” he said.  “I felt love and I felt loved.  I was connected to everyone who has ever lived or died.  And we are connected, Julia, because even though we speak different languages and live in different places, we all experience the same joy and grief and anger and embarrassment and love.  Emotion is the only thing we all share, and it’s the only thing we take with us when we go.”
Skipping a Beat by Sarah Pekkanen

I tried to imagine an enchanted world where fairy godmothers existed with magic wands and fairy dust up their sleeves.  Brownies were the solid, chocolaty base of the food pyramid, my A-cups overflowth, and roaches worked like Roombas.  I felt my lips curling into a smile as I imagined the impossible, but that entire impossible world disappeared in an instant as my eyes flashed open, and I remembered that it wasn’t’ the imagining but the believing that got you in trouble.
 -Austentatious by Alyssa Goodnight

I remember the first time I saw real stars, through the hatch window.  They were beautiful then, but now, seeing them here, all around me, beautiful feels like an inadequate word.  I see the stars as a part of the universe, and having spent my life behind walls, suddenly having none fills me with both awe and terror.  Emotion courses through my veins, choking me.  I feel so insignificant, a tiny speck surrounded by a million stars.
A Million Suns by Beth Revis

After a frustrating half hour, I finally caught sight of a glamoured corpse head in the middle of a crowd waiting for the Ferris wheel.  He had his arm around a pretty young thing in an incredibly weather-inappropriate outfit that showed off her very slender, very blood-filled neck.  She stared at him in that vapid, intoxicated way employed only by women under a vamp’s control.  Or the way I sometimes get when faced with cupcakes.
Mmm. Cupcakes.
-Supernaturally by Kiersten White

“I created the OASIS because I never felt at home in the real world. I didn't know how to connect with the people there. I was afraid, for all of my life, right up until I knew it was ending. That was when I realized, as terrifying and painful as reality can be, it's also the only place where you can find true happiness. Because reality is real.”
Ernest Cline, Ready Player One

“That's what I love about reading: one tiny thing will interest you in a book, and that tiny thing will lead you onto another book, and another bit there will lead you onto a third book. It's geometrically progressive-- all with no end in sight, and for no other reason than sheer enjoyment.”
Annie Barrows, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society



Thursday, May 3, 2012

Yay for Friday!

This feature is for Fridays to re-cap the week's posts & to answer a question.
TGIF is hosted by GReads

I finished up the A to Z Blog Challenge and had a blast doing it!  Now it's time to go visit all of the other 1721 blogs (about halfway through the list)...

 and this is the first time I am doing TGIF!
This week's TGIF question: Literary vacations! If you could take a trip this summer to any place within a fictional book, where would you go?
What an easy question!  ALL of Jane Austen's novels!  I have been to Bath and London, and many of the homes used for filming the movies.  But it would be so interesting to visit these places at the time she wrote about them.  To go to the circulating libraries, to go to a ball at the Assembly Rooms in Bath.  Now that would be wonderful!  It was interesting walking in the Pump Room, for instance, but what about people in pelisses and Army coats, talking with people haven't seen in some time with the civility of the time!    *wistful sigh*

Then, there is - 
Follow Friday which is hosted by 


Featured blogs:
This week's Follow Friday question: What is one thing you wish you could tell your favorite author?

Besides how awesome she is?!?  I would probably tell Jane Austen that I want to thank her for making me a better person (especially right after reading one of her novels) due to the civility and wit of her characters.  I would also like to tell her that her stories have made me wish that time travel was possible, so that I could visit the England of the Regency period.  Then, I might warn her that if she were to visit the circulating library, to be prepared for all of the different versions of her Mr. Darcy that are out there!

What about you?  
                      Where would you like to go?  
          What is one thing you would say
                                 to your favorite author?


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