Saturday Snapshots And Thinking Of Maine...

I am not ready for summer...I grew up with lake effect snow and I love winter!!!  Ice skating and sledding and snow piled so high you can't even believe it...we are all snuggled on sofas or chairs and have on warm toasty clothes and fuzzy socks and we are sipping hot herbal tea in big mugs.  Soup is simmering in the slow cooker and we are settled inside with Kindles and laptops...a fire is in the fireplace and movies are ready for later.

But my thoughts are on Maine...we are planning our first 2011 Maine getaway...so...the above photo is Lucy perusing the room service menu at the Mariott in Portland before heading on to Camden the following day.  We had great plans to go to dinner at one of our favorite Portland restaurants...Street And Company...local bistro...amazing fish...the best ever blueberry crisp...but as we walked out of our room...we stopped to listen to make sure Lucy was content...and she began screaming...either she knew we were right outside or she knew she was being left for a few hours.  Lucy is a Tonkinese with one of the loudest wails you have ever heard.  So...we gave up, walked back into our room and all three of us ordered room service. 

What is on your mind this cold snowy Saturday?

Cheers To The Winner...

Kathy!!!

You are the winner of Kath Russell's new book and some lovely chocolate treats...

Kathy has been notified!!!

I am in contest mode...so I am thinking of another one!!!

Across The Universe...Short Book Talk...And It Is Really Snowing Here...

Just a few thoughts about this book…I am not sure whether or not to be brilly or frexing over this book…and I still am not quite sure what a chutz is although I think I have an idea. But I loved this book. This is one of those books that has the capability to carry you away and allow you to get lost in this unbelievable centuries long story of life on the spaceship Godspeed.  Being frozen for three hundred and one years...the process involved in being frozen...the author's description of being frozen...so unbelievably nightmarish and yet so fascinating.  
It is a totally captivating story that also has the ability to make you stop and think about what we value and what we are doing to our world. 

 Elder...student of Eldest and next to rule Godspeed... lived in a world of monoethnic people. He has spent his entire 16 years on Godspeed and was being prepared to take over from Eldest when Eldest died...at the ripe old age of fiftysomething.  He has been told distortions about the past history of our Earth or what is known as SolEearth.  Amy…another main character who was formerly frozen…was different…the only person on board who had red hair and green eyes and a questioning attitude. The story is exciting and believable and mysterious and deadly. It was one of those books that I always begin to read in a relaxed manner…allowing myself time to get used to the characters, the oddness, the weird reality…and by the time I was halfway through…I had to speed read to finish it. I just couldn’t stop…it was that good. And now that I am finished with it…I miss it…I want more.

Thank goodness it is a trilogy.

I Love Mail...Real And Virtual...

 This past week brought these lovely books into my home and library.

This came from Lucille Rettino at Simon And Schuster.

Kat, Incorrigible by Stephanie Burgis

The Unfinished by Tara Maya...this was a delightful gift from the author.

 Next...these sort of magically appeared on my Kindle...thank you Patty's virtual credit card...quite a reading range!!!

I have to bump this up my list...I have read quite amazing things about it.

The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown

 I just saw the movie trailer for this...it was provocative to say the least.

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

 This just sounded like a total package fantasy.


13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison

 This is the U.S. cover version...I love the U.K. cover so much better but I still am excited to read this book.
The Children Of The Lost by David Whitley

This is the U.K. cover...isn't it just more appealing?

There you have it...I have these books tucked away neatly and ready for me...I am not sure where my reading mood will take me next but I am definitely ready for a snowstorm!!!  I have an avalanche of books ready to read. 

So...have you thought about this at all...if you were housebound for a while...snow...rain...whatever...how long would it be before you needed to buy a new book?