Friday 56 - Descriptions

This is a cool weekly thing from Story Time With Tonya.

1. Grab the book nearest you right now.
2. Turn to page 56.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like).
5. Post a link with your post to Storytime with Tonya and Friends.

"The bathroom was vintage Partridge family with mustard yellow amenities and French provincial trim on the vanity."

-One For The Money by Janet Evanovich

Can you just picture this bathroom? I'm not a lover of a lot of description but Evanovich makes it fun!

Monday Musings - Picture Books

Thanks for Rebecca's blog 'Just One More Page' for Monday Musings...



Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about picture books.
Do you have a favourite picture book, either from your own childhood, or reading to you children?

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Musing Mondays post, or share your opinion in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks.

I remember picture books better from babysitting than my own childhood. (I was reading Agatha Christie in grammar school, of course.) I babysat a four year old who always corrected me if I skipped a word - I thought she could read. The mom laughed so hard - the little girl had memorized every book! She'd make you point at the words as you read them.

I don't remember specific titles...

I do remember a lion over a blue background and he was down in the dumps (I think this made up the title). I used to read it as a child over and over when I went to my grandparents house. (They've since given it to me!)

I loved it because this guy (this lion) was down in the dumps and I learned that meant he was sad and everyone tried to cheer him up but he just wanted to be sad.

It taught me that everyone gets "down in the dumps" and it's okay. It's a natural human event and you'll get over it and if people are bugging you when you feel miserable - it's only because they care.

So I guess that's my favorite in the sense it's the only one I can recall impacting me.

I think it's called, 'Lionel is Down in the Dumps'...

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Edit - Here is the picture of the book.

'Lion is Down in the Dumps'.
I must have gotten 'Lionel' from Thundercats.


He looks so sad!

Friday 56 - Nakedness!

This is a cool weekly thing from Story Time With Tonya.

1. Grab the book nearest you right now.
2. Turn to page 56.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like).
5. Post a link with your post to Storytime with Tonya and Friends.

"You two were great chums when you were five years old. I remember you stripped off your clothes together and went romping in the fountains."

-Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen

This is such a great book! I'm really enjoying reading it. It's so cute and so charming and so British!!

Monday Musings - Dust Jackets

Thanks for Rebecca's blog Just One More Page for Monday Musings...



Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about dust jackets.

Do you prefer books with a dust jacket? What do you do with your dust jacket while reading? Leave it on or take it off? (Question courtesy of Kim from Page after Page)

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Musing Mondays post, or share your opinion in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks.

I either use one flap of the dust jacket as a bookmark or take it off for safekeeping. I then promptly lose the dust jacket and end up putting the rather bland-looking book back on the shelf when I'm through.

Somewhere, there are a bunch of cool-looking dust jackets hiding in my house.

My Dad has a good tip and by coincidence, just reminded me of it yesterday.

He said to keep the dust jacket of a book you lend for two reasons:

1.) for safe keeping

2.) to affix a sticky note on it stating who you leant the book to

Great tips, I think.

How did this come up, you might ask?

My Dad said he had this great book I might like and started telling me about it.

"Dad! I leant that to you!"

Gotta watch that man like a hawk...

The Friday 56 - White Desert

This is a cool weekly thing from Story Time With Tonya.

1. Grab the book nearest you right now.
2. Turn to page 56.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like).
5. Post a link with your post to Storytime with Tonya and Friends.

"His eyes never left me. 'Ye'll not take offense when I say ye don't look like that such of a much.'"
'There's more to me than meets the eye. Except when it comes to billiards.'
'Billiards?'
'It's a story I don't feel like telling.'

-White Desert by Loren D. Estleman
I might explain that the first person character, Page Murdock, has been sent to Canada by the U.S. to bring back two violent outlaws - it all started with a game of billiards.

You should see the cover of this book - it's awesome!
(Second book down.)

Monday Musings - Story Format

Thanks for Rebecca's blog 'Just One More Page' for Monday Musings...

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about a story format.

How do you feel about books written in a differing format – whether this be journals or letters (epistolary), verse novels, or any other form? Is this something you enjoy? Or do you prefer straight forward chapter prose.

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Musing Mondays post, or share your opinion in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks.

I find that I can get into about any format but the problem I run into is reading the same format book after book after book (by coincidence) and then pick up a book that happens to be in a different format.

THEN I get in that place where I have to "get into it" instead of just reading.

I haven't read one in a while but I LOVE journal-type books and autobiographies. The author is talking to ME and I feel him/her. I laugh as if they were in the room telling me a joke. I cry as if I was there - I had trouble reading Robert Clary's autobiography because there was a point in his life (his childhood) with horrors you can't imagine anyone (especially a child) going through and tears come to my eyes within a few paragraphs.

I don't think I'd have been as affected if it was in a different format because there'd be that extra veil, protecting me from that man's pain. But then I'd lose out sharing his excitement and cheer and his humor, too.

So, my quick answer is: I like pretty much any format. I just might have to clear my mind if I've been reading the same one over and over, much like that little dollop of plain sherbet they give you in the fanciest restaurants to clear your palette between meals.

Nothing wrong with the first course or the food in the second but they’re different.