WORSE?

Here's today's question from Booking Through Thursday:

What's worse?

Finding a book you love and then hating everything else you try by that author, or

Reading a completely disappointing book by an author that you love?


Wow - both scenarios are bad. But for me, I hate reading something disappointing by an author that I've come to enjoy. It's happened a few times.

One example - the James Patterson series about the Women's Murder Club. I liked the first couple of books, but it seems the last few have been phoned in. I keep reading them, though, hoping that they will get better.

Another example - Janet Evanovich and the Stephanie Plum series. I had just about given up on the series after #13 - it just didn't have the same sizzle. #14 was better, so now I'm looking forward to #15 coming out in June. But I really don't like the "between the number" books.

John Grisham is another author whose books have lost their appeal for me.

I guess authors run out of steam, just like the rest of us. The storylines get old and repetitive - how many ways can you say the same thing? But it it's an author that I feel has written very well in the past, I'll usually keep reading, hoping that the spark will come back.

Stop over here to read more answers to this question.

CHANGE IS COMING

Have you heard about AT&T U-Verse? It's a new TV/internet/phone system.

Right now we have Comcast cable and Vonage for our phone. But tomorrow, I'm having U-verse installed. For about the same price we're paying now (actually $12 more each month) we'll have more channels including Showtime and Starz, a DVR, and faster internet. The DVR can record 4 shows at the same time and they can be watched on the same TV or our second TV. Everything is controlled by a "gateway receiver" which is similar to a cable modem. This receiver also acts as a router (as do the TV boxes I think), so I won't need a separate router for the wireless printer and laptop. I think we might also be able to configure the desktop computer as wireless also.

The phone part of U-verse isn't available here yet, but even when it comes, I think I'm going to stick with Vonage. U-verse would give me 250 minutes of outgoing calls a month for $25 or unlimited for $30 - with Vonage I get 500 minutes for $18 or unlimited for $25.

So this morning, I'll be emptying all the books and movies from the big entertainment center in the living room so it can be moved out from the wall tomorrow. And I also have to empty the big computer desk in the office so that can be pulled out. Dom got me some of the discs that you put under furniture to make them easier to move. I've used them before and they work, so hopefully these heavy pieces will move easily.

Oh, I forgot the best part. I'll be getting a $250 rebate!

I might even start watching TV again.

THE MONSTER STRIKES GOLD!

We lost our bid for a Palm Pilot last night, but I found another one with a buy-it-now price of $80 or make an offer. I put in an offer of $60, not expecting it to go through. But it did!

The insurance I had on the old one, for which I paid about $7, will reimburse me $68, and this new one will cost $70 with shipping. So I actually got it for $2. Then I took out another warranty for $11, so the full out-of-pocket is $20 counting the first warranty. Not too bad!

Now the monster wants to look for a Garmin. No way - I'm not giving him my e-Bay log-in information!

I'VE CREATED A MONSTER!

My trusty little Palm Pilot died last week. I had insurance on it, and I was able to return it and get a full refund. So I've been looking on e-Bay for another one.

Today, I was bidding on one and Dom decided to come into the office to see what I was doing. I explained to him how I was able to put a maximum bid but other bidders wouldn't be able to see that bid.

Right away, he jumped in and started telling me how much to bid. He turned on the other computer so that we could put a bid (on one computer) and when the timing was right, hit the "confirm bid" button while we were watching the bidding on the other computer. I had already reached the maximum I wanted to pay, but he was so gung-ho on this whole idea, we would up putting in a bid of more than $20 over what I planned to spend. Luckily, we were overbid at the last second.

Now he wants to look for other things and see how he can do with bidding and winning. I'm trying to clear things out of the house - and he'll just start filling it up again with "stuff."

I think he needs EBA - eBay Anonymous!

LOOK AGAIN

LOOK AGAIN by Lisa Scottoline was read for the Pub 2009 Challenge.

From the book jacket:

When reporter Ellen Gleeson gets a "Have You Seen This Child?" flyer in the mail, she almost throws it away. But something about it makes her look again, and her heart stops. The child in the photo looks exactly like her adopted son, Will. Could the child in the photo really be her son?

Everything inside her tells her to deny the similarity between her son and the boy in the photo, because she knows her adoption was lawful. But she's a journalist and won't be able to stop thinking about the photo until she figures out the truth. And she can't shake the question: If Will rightfully belongs to someone else, should she keep him or give him up?

She investigates, uncovering clues no one was meant to discover, and when she digs too deep, she risks losing her life - and that of the son she loves.

In this emotionally charged, heart-pounding thriller, Lisa Scottoline has broken new ground. LOOK AGAIN questions the very essence of parenthood and raises a moral quandary that will haunt readers long after they've finished the last page, leaving them with the ultimate question: What would I do?

I have read every book written by Ms. Scottoline. She is on my short list of authors whose new books I will buy without a second thought. She has outdone herself with this one.

On Ms. Scottoline's website, www.scottoline.com, she has posted some of the early reviews of this book. Author James Patterson wrote: "LOOK AGAIN, if I may be so bold, is probably Lisa Scottoline's best novel. It's honest and hugely emotional, with very real characters who you care about, and will remember long after you finish this terrific book."

I echo Mr. Patterson's thoughts completely. I think this is the best book she has written.

GALWAY BAY

GALWAY BAY by Mary Pat Kelly was read for the Pub 2009 Challenge, the New Authors Challenge, the Support Your Local Library Challenge, and the Chunkster Challenge.

From the book jacket:

One family's epic journey captures both the tragedy and triumph of the Irish-American experience - and echoes the myths and legends of Ireland herself ...

In a hidden Ireland where fishermen and tenant farmers find solace in their ancient faith, songs, stories, and communal celebrations, young Honora Keeley and Michael Kelly wed and start a family. Because they and their countrymen must sell both their catch and their crops to pay exorbitant rents, potatoes have become their only staple food.

But when blight destroys the potatoes three times in four years, a callous government and uncaring landlors turn a natural disaster into The Great Starvation that will kill one million. Honora and Michael vow their children will live. The family joins two million other Irish refugees - victims saving themselves - in the emigration from Ireland.

Danger and hardship await them in America. Honora, her unconventional sister Máire, and their seven sons help transform Chicago from a frontier town to the "City of the Century." The boys go on to fight in the Civil War and enlist in the cause of Ireland's freedom.

Spanning six genertions and filled with joy, sadness, and heroism, GALWAY BAY sheds brilliant light on the ancestors of today's forty-four million Irish Americans - and is a universal story you will never forget.

One of my grandmother's favorite songs was "Galway Bay" so when I saw this book, I knew I had to read it. Mary Pat Kelly tells the story of her great-great-grandmother and her family based on stories told to her by a cousin.

I enjoyed this book, reading more of the potato blight and how so many people had to leave Ireland to survive. I learned a few new things along the way - about the Irish fighting units during the Civil War and an unsuccessful invasion of Canada by Irish nationalists trying to form a republic from where they could help liberate Ireland from the British.

I think my favorite part of the book was the ending, where Honora gathered her entire family together at the Chicago World's Fair of 1893. She wanted them to visit the Irish exhibition to learn about their homeland, a place most of them had never seen and probably never would. The exhibit proved to be less than she expected, but the interest in learning about Ireland was awakened in her great-granddaughter.

I believe I have a little bit of Irish blood and I love reading books about Ireland. This was a good one!

Here's a little bit of "Galway Bay" sung by Frank Patterson:

SOMEBODY - CALL A DOCTOR

I must be deathly ill.

I went to our library's book sale this morning ...

AND DIDN'T BUY A THING!

YOU GOTTA CHECK OUT THIS BLOG!

You just have to check out Cake Wrecks! Pictures of really pretty cakes, but also some real disasters. I've been laughing all morning. Go through some of the older posts to see some really funny cakes.

AWARD TIME

Bookfan-Mary just gave me this lovely award. Thanks so much, Mary.

I think I'm supposed to pass it on to 15 bloggers, but since every blog I read is lovely, this goes to everyone on my blogrolls.

You're all lovely!

PORCH - ALL FINISHED

As promised, here are some pictures of the porch, all cleaned up with new rugs on the floor.




Since Dom hates to eat outside, we don't have a dining table on the porch. Just chairs to sit and relax, read, or whatever. I have plenty of flower pots, but no flowers yet. I'll have to get some. The one rug in the second and third pictures still doesn't lie flat, but it will in time.

In the second picture, see how big our fenced yard looks? It's not really that big - we fenced our yard and Donna's together to have a big area for the dogs to run. But it looks good!

Now, it's starting to rain a little - great, get my rugs wet! Thanks, Mother Nature!

TODAY - THE PORCH

Remember how I deep-cleaned my house before we went to Hilton Head? The only "room" I didn't do was our screened porch.

So today, I moved all the furniture out onto the back yard. I took up the rugs that were there (one is going in the garage to go under the cars), and finally put our Christmas tree down in Donna's basement (our personal storage area).

Our porch has screens from about 3 feet up. Below the screens are panels that are made of a white metal. But they were so dirty and covered with pollen. So I got a couple bucketfuls of Simple Green and went to work. I wish you could have seen how black the water got when I was finished! After doing the panels and the door, I washed the ceiling fan and the lights.

Dom came out with a big stiff push broom and helped me wash the floor (concrete). I used Simple Green and bleach to get the mildew that had formed around the edge of the rugs. So the floor is now done and drying.

I need to go back outside and start cleaning the "wicker" furniture. Everything is yellow from the pine pollen but I'll take care of all that. When the floor is completely dry, I have 2 new carpets to put down. They'll cover almost the entire areas, leaving only about a foot on each side. I've had these rugs for a few months, but didn't want to do anything with them until I could really clean the porch.

After I'm finished, I'll take pictures. I think it should look nice. Hope so - the rugs cost an arm and a leg!

WEDNESDAY STUFF

I took Shelby and Mike grocery shopping yesterday. They now have a pretty well stocked refrigerator and pantry in addition to trashcans, laundry baskets and cleaning supplies. Poor Mike had to carry all the bags and things up to the third floor! They have all their boxes unpacked and things put away, so it's starting to look like home for them. They're still waiting for their bed which is back ordered - right now their box spring and mattress are on the floor.

We have our meeting for the summer bowling league today. It looks like we'll have enough bowlers for 10 teams of 3 each. We'll start next week. Unless anyone else really wants the job, I'll be the secretary again.

I brought a gallon of ocean water home last week - I'm using it to give Teddy a bath today. His skin is all broken out again and I'm hoping the salt water might help dry it out. He gets terrible skin infections from his allergies. Little scabby areas will form all over and when the scabs come off, he's left with bald spots for a while. He looks like a polka dot dog right now. I might need to get him an antibiotic if it doesn't look better in a day or so.

I'm still reading GALWAY BAY and enjoying it - I just haven't had much time to read in the last couple of days.

Nothing else exciting going on around here. What's going on in your neck of the woods??

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY - U IS FOR UNDERTOW

U IS FOR UNDERTOW is the latest book in the Kinsey Millhone series by Sue Grafton. It will be released on December 1, 2009.

There is no cover pictured yet for this book, nor a description of the book. But it's already on my wish list. I've read all the previous books and really liked them. Only 5 more after this one. I read that the last one will be titled Z IS FOR ZERO.

Check out Breaking the Spine for other Waiting on Wednesday books.

MONDAY STUFF

Dom and I helped Shelby and Mike move today. Luckily, they had one other person helping also. Do you know how hard it is to move boxes and furniture up to the 3rd floor?? Everything is in the apartment - now Shelby and Mike will have the fun of unpacking boxes and putting things away. I saw the number of boxes - I don't envy them.

Tomorrow I'm taking Shelby to Costco and Walmart for groceries. She has a nice little pantry and a good size refrigerator that we should be able to fill. She's going to need canisters or something to store some things too.

The crack on my heel is finally starting to heal, but the area is still semi-tender. I've been wearing my Birkenstocks for the plantar fasciitis, but going up and down the stairs (concrete) didn't help much.

Tonight I'm putting my feet up, covering up with a throw and reading more in GALWAY BAY. It's a library book and I want to get it finished as soon as possible. I got a couple of books in the mail last week while we were gone - DWELLING PLACE (Erskine Clarke) and THE QUILTER'S HOMECOMING (Jennifer Chiaverini) - and I think I have a few more on hold at the library. Along with a bookshelf full of books I need to read for challenges.

NOBODY BETTER DISTURB ME TONIGHT!!

MOVING DAY - AGAIN

Shelby and her boyfriend Mike are moving tomorrow into their own apartment. I can't believe Shelby is so grown up!

Dom is getting a truck for them early in the morning, packing up a few things that are here, then heading up to Gainesville. Shelby and Mike will be loading the truck - Dom is only doing the driving. Then down to the new apartment where a friend will be helping them take the things up to the 3rd floor.

I'm going down there in the afternoon to help with small things, then on Tuesday I'm taking Shelby grocery shopping. I promised her that I would do her first shopping for her, getting all the staples that she will need.

Another change - these past 12 months have been full of them.

OH, MY ACHING FOOT

My right heel is killing me.

While we were in Hilton Head, I naturally went barefoot all the time. And because my heels were so dry, I developed a big split on the bottom of my heel. I soaked my foot, slathered on Vaseline, covered up in a big thick sock, and continued to hurt.

Last night, I soaked again in a hot tub, then used a foot-thingy I had that ground off the dry spots. The dry skin was so thick that when I finished, the split looked like it had disappeared. But it still hurt. More vaseline, more socks.

And just to make matters worse, my plantar fasciitis has kicked up again - probably from not wearing shoes enough. So I'm back in my Birkenstocks, trying to relieve the heel pain. But since there's no padding in the Birks, my heel split is banging against the hard shoe with every step.

Looks like I'll be sleeping with my night splint on again until this goes away. Ouch!

HOME AGAIN

We got home from Hilton Head around 3:15 this afternoon. Everything is put away and I'm ready to sit and relax.

We had such a great time. It was terrific spending the week with my sister Anne and her husband Sy and my brother Paul and his wife Joann. It took me so long to find them - I want to spend as much time with them as possible.

We were having so much fun, we forgot to take many pictures! I do have a few on the camera - I'll have to look at them and see if there are any good enough to post.

But right now, I'm headed to my favorite chair with a new book. It's good to be home.

IN A GILDED CAGE

IN A GILDED CAGE by Rhys Bowen was read for the Pub 2009 Challenge and the Support Your Local Library Challenge.

From the book jacket:

Irish immigrant Molly Murphy and her New York City P.I. business are in the midst of a sweeping influenza epidemic and a fight for women's suffrage that land her in jail. Her betrothed, Police Captain Daniel Sullivan, finds her, but he hardly has time to bail her out, what with Chinese gangs battling for control of a thriving opium trade. The only consolation Molly can take from her vexing afternoon in the clink is that it made her some new friends among the Vassar suffragists - and brought her a pair of new cases.

For the first, Emily Boswell is convinced her miserly uncle stole her inheritance and wants Molly to uncover the truth behind her parents' lives and deaths. Second, Emily's college roommate, Fanny Poindexter,wants Molly to find proof of her husband's philandering so that she can leave him without one red cent. But when Fanny dies and her husband claims she's a victim of the epidemic, it's more than Molly's conscience can take.

Rhys Bowen's Agatha and Anthony Award-winning historical series continues to breathe life into the past with its wit and charm and its complete sense of early-twentieth-century New York, and IN A GILDED CAGE is her most accomplished mystery yet.

I first read a Molly Murphy book last year for a challenge and loved it. I immediately got the rest of the series from my local library and finished them in record time. When this book was announced, I checked my library to put it on hold. But the library hadn't planned on getting this book. I placed a couple of calls, and they finally order the book. I was the first one to get a copy.

Molly is full of spit and vinegar. She has an independent streak and is determined not to become like the Vassar women she has met when she marries - controlled by their husbands, not allowed to think for themselves, kept "in a gilded cage."

Molly takes on these two cases, solves both of them, and in the process, helps Daniel solve a case of his own. The mysteries weren't deep - I was able to figure out "whodunnit" - but it was another charming book.

I'm definitely a Molly Murphy - and Rhys Bowen - fan.

OOPS

We're down here in Hilton Head. It's a great house - has everything we need and is very comfortable.

Dom and I are using the master bedroom on the first floor because it has a door that leads to the deck. That way, when the dogs need to go out in the middle of the night, we can go right out without walking through the house.

So last night, we're all sound asleep. Paul and Joann are in the bedroom upstairs. Around 1:00 AM, the dogs decided it was time to go out. So Dom and I get up, put the leashes on the dog, and walk out the bedroom door. I close the door behind us.

I'll bet you can see where this is going!

Yep, locked out. We put the dogs on the screened porch and we start knocking on the door. I'm ringing the front doorbell. Dom is shining the flashlight into the windows. No response at all from upstairs.

Finally, after what seemed like an hour (probably about 10 minutes), Joann woke up and heard the doorbell. She woke Paul and sent him downstairs to find out what was going on and he let us back in the house.

Dom was - to put it mildly - a little peeved.

All I can say is - it's a good thing we don't sleep in the nude!

HILTON HEAD

We're on our way to Hilton Head, SC.

My brother Paul and his wife Joann will be there later this afternoon, and my sister Anne and her husband Sy will be joining us tomorrow.

Paul and Joann have to leave on Wednesday - Joann is a teacher in West Virginia and needs to be back at school on Friday.

This is the first time the 6 of us have had a vacation together. Even though it won't be a full week with everyone, we're planning to have a great time.

We have no definite plans for the week - just going to play it by ear and do whatever we feel like doing at the moment. It's just going to be nice to spend the time with them.

I'm taking the laptop with me, so I might be able to post some pictures during the week.

If not - I'll "see" you on Friday night when we get home!

PLUM LUCKY

PLUM LUCKY by Janet Evanovich was read for the Support Your Local Library Challenge and the Celebrate the Author Challenge (birthday April 22).

From the book jacket:

Stephanie Plum has a way of attracting danger, lunatics, oddballs, bad luck ... and mystery men. And no one is more mysterious than the unmentionable Diesel. He's back and hot on the trail of a little man in green pants who's lost a giant bag of money. Problem is, the money isn't exactly lost. Stephanie's Grandma Mazur has found it, and like any good Jersey senior citizen, she's hightailed it in a Winnebago to Atlantic City and hit the slots. With Lula and Connie in tow, Stephanie attempts to bring Grandma home, but the luck of the Irish is rubbing off on everyone: Lula's found a job modeling plus-size lingerie. Connie's found a guy. Diesel's found Stephanie. And Stephanie has found herself in over her head with a caper involving thrice-stolen money, a racehorse, a car chase, and a bad case of hives.

PLUM LUCKY is an all-you-can-eat buffet of thrills, chills, shrimp cocktail, plus-size underwear, and scorching hot men. It's a between-the-numbers treat no Evanovich fan will want to miss!

I usually don't care much for the between-the-number books, but I actually enjoyed this one. Maybe it was because there wasn't that much hanky-panky between Stephanie and Diesel. Or maybe because it had a lot of fun characters, including my favorite - Grandma Mazur. Or because it was nice and short.

I'd still rather have the "regular" Stephanie Plum books with Ranger and Morelli - I'm looking forward to FINGER LICKIN' FIFTEEN coming out in June.

BENEATH A MARBLE SKY

BENEATH A MARBLE SKY by John Shors was read for the Read Your Own Book Challenge, the New Authors Challenge, and the 9 Books for 2009 Challenge (pretty cover).

From the back of the book:

Journey to dazzling seventeenth-century Hindustan, where the reigning emperor, consumed with grief over the tragic death of his beloved wife, commissioned the building of a grand mausoleum as a testament to the marvel of their love. This monument would soon become known as the Taj Mahal - a sight famous around the world for its beauty and the emotions it symbolizes.

Princess Jahanara, the courageous daughter of the emperor and his wife, tells their mesmerizing tale, while sharing her own parallel story of forbidden love with the celebrated architect of the Taj Mahal. Set during a time of unimaginable wealth and power, murderous sibling rivalries, and cruel despotism, this impressive novel sweeps you away to a historical Hindustan brimming with action and intrigue in an era when, alongside the brutalities of war and oppression, architecture and the art of love and passion reached a pinnacle of perfection.

We've all seen pictures of the Taj Mahal - what a beautiful building. I knew a little of its history, but very little. I don't think I've read any books before about the history of India.

This book is subtitled A Love Story. It's the story of love between parent and child, friends, men and women, siblings. There is also a story of hatred between siblings and the quest for power. The stories are told by Jahanara and Mr. Shors does a terrific job writing in her voice.

This was Mr. Shor's first book, and I'll be looking for further books written by him.

THURSDAY TIDBITS

Bowling yesterday - we didn't take first place for the half. We won the first game by 118 pins (after giving 83 pins handicap), but we lost the last 2 games. They were both close - we lost one by 16 and the other by 22. But we needed to win 2 games and total pins - we only took the one game and total.

But that's OK. We'll still wind up with almost $500 prize money for the team. And next week, the guys can just bowl for fun - no pressure.

I finished deep cleaning the house. I did our bedroom early in the morning along with a couple loads of laundry. It's so nice to have all the rooms in the house clean and bright at the same time! Now when we come back from Hilton Head, all that will be needed will be a quick dust and vacuum.

I need to be at the bowling alley - again - this morning at 10:00 when they open. I have to pre-bowl my games for my Monday morning league. As this is spring break week here, all the kids flock to the bowling alley early to bowl and play games. And the day care centers send bus loads of little kids in their matching shirts. They look cute, all lined up to roll a ball, but they sure can be loud. So hopefully I'll get finished before they all descend on the place. Then I'm off to have my hair highlighted - my last haircut took most of the color out of my hair.

Tomorrow we do the bowling prize money, then I'll be playing cards in the afternoon. A little bit of laundry, then packing for our trip. I can't wait to get to Hilton Head and spend time with my brother and sister and their spouses. This will be the first vacation the 6 of us have taken together.

But right now, a little time for some quiet reading before Dom and the dogs wake up!

NUMBERS GAME

For something different, I’m borrowing a question from … here! One of the very first questions ever at Booking Through Thursday. Back from 2005 when Laura owned the blog but, because it was so new, it didn’t get as many responses as it does now … so, why not revisit?

Here’s the question:

Some people read one book at a time. Some people have a number of them on the go at any given time, perhaps a reading in bed book, a breakfast table book, a bathroom book, and so on, which leads me to…

1. Are you currently reading more than one book?
2. If so, how many books are you currently reading?
3. Is this normal for you?
4. Where do you keep your current reads?

Right now, I'm only reading one book at a time. A while ago, when I was posting on another booklover's site, we would read one book each month as a group and another book (called a BOB - big ol' book) that would be read over a 3 month period, both with specific pages to be read each day or week. So at that time, I'd be reading 3 books at a time. I had no problem with this, as long as the books were not too similar.

But for now, I'm content with reading one book at a time, and when it's finished, starting immediately on the next book on my list. I keep my current book and usually the next to be read on a table by my favorite reading chair in the family room. And I have a couple of bookshelves stacked with books to be read.

Head over here for more answers.

AND THE FUN CONTINUES

I was only able to get the bathroom cleaned yesterday. And it was quite a job. Kneeling on ceramic tile is not one of my favorite things to do. But the room shines and smells so fresh and clean.

Clueless - knowing I wanted to clean the bedroom - decided to sleep later in the morning. Then, after going out for a little while, he decided he needed to take a nap in the afternoon. In the bedroom. Consequently, when I was ready to tackle the bedroom cleaning, the bedroom wasn't available. So I cleaned the office instead.

Now the bedroom cleaning is scheduled for Thursday afternoon. Dom is working 12-9 that day so he won't be in the way. When that room is finished, the whole house will have been deep cleaned. It's going to be a lot easier to keep up with now.

Today is our last regular bowling day. This week is position round, which means the number 1 team bowls the number 2 team, 3 bowls 4, and so on. Our team is currently in second place, 2 points out of first. If we can take 5 points today (2 games and total pins), we'll be in first place. If (when) that happens, next week (when I'm not there), they'll bowl the first half winners for the league championship. No extra prize money involved - just bragging rights.

Time to wake up Dom - he works early today. As soon as he leaves, I can start the laundry - and maybe even get working early on the bedroom.

WHAT A FUN DAY I HAVE PLANNED

This will be me today. I'm doing the office, my bedroom and bathroom - and then the entire house will have been deep cleaned.

We're leaving Saturday morning for a week at Hilton Head, SC. So I'm trying to get everything done before we go. I hate to come home to a dirty house. So today it's cleaning and laundry.

Tomorrow I bowl. It's the last regular bowling week and I have to have all the scores finished so we can determine who gets what prize. We picked up the check for the prize money and had it cashed yesterday. On Friday, we'll have to stuff the envelopes and list the winners.

On Thursday, I have to pre-bowl for next week then get my hair highlighted. And I still need to do a little more shopping for things to take with us. And pack.

And my dear husband - clueless as he is - asked me if I would have time to give both dogs a bath before we leave! Of course, dear - and in my spare time, I could pressure wash the house and cut the grass too!

TO BE READ LIST

Over at Just One More Page, the Musing Mondays question for this week is:

As a follow up to last week's question, Joseph asked how you keep track of your tbr list. Do you have a paper list or on your computer? Do you take it with you when you go shopping? How do you decide what gets added to it?

I keep a wish list over at Amazon.com. Whenever I read a book review post that makes me want to read the book, I just go over and add it to my list. I'll also read through Amazon's recommendations and find new books that way.

I also have a program on my computer called Splash Shopper which syncs to my Palm Pilot. I'll add the books that I want to read there and then do a hot sync so I'll have the list with me when I go into a bookstore. However, I'm not as good at keeping this list up to date as I should be.

My library lets me keep a list of books that I want to borrow, so some books that I know I can get there are added to that list. From there I can put them on hold and pick them up when they come in.

At home, I keep the books that are waiting to be read on a separate shelf in my bookcase. This includes books that I have put aside for challenges and others that have been sitting here for a while. Whenever a new book comes into the house, it goes on that shelf. That's the first place I look when I need a new book to read.

Visit Rebecca for more responses to this question.

TOMATO GIRL

TOMATO GIRL by Jayne Pupek was read for the Every Month is a Holiday Challenge (April is Florida Fresh Tomato Month) and the New Author Challenge. I won an autographed copy of this book on a drawing at Novels Now.

From the book jacket:

For Ellie Sanders, her father was always the rock that she could cling to when her mother's emotional troubles became too frightening. He was the one constant in a world that seemed to be forever changing. But when he comes under the thrall of the Tomato Girl, who raises vegetables for sale at the general store that he runs, Ellie sees her security slowly slipping away as she is forced to deal directly with her mother's gradual slide into madness.

TOMATO GIRL journeys into the mind and soul of a terrified young girl who is forced into adulthood years before she is ready, and who, to compensate, retreats into a world of fantasy in which there are only happy endings. But when the realities of her life finally become inescapable, Ellie finds the strength to let go of the past and to deal with the future. As she says at the end of her story, "I am tired of carrying so many dark and broken things inside me. I can never do magic with so many fears, hurts, and secrets. They weight down my heart like a stone."

TOMATO GIRL is an exciting debut by a writer with a great talent for storytelling and a haunting voice that will linger long after the last page is turned.

I really enjoyed this book although it was a tough book to read. Such a sad story of a young girl, probably around 11 or 12 years old, who is forced to keep family secrets and deal, on her own, with a seriously disturbed mother. I could feel the pain and fear and guilt that Ellie was experiencing.

I'll be watching for more books by Ms. Pupek.

THE DANCE IS OVER

The NCAA Tournament ended last night for the Villanova Wildcats. They were beaten - badly - by the North Carolina Tar Heels.

But, it was a great season. They got to the Final Four for the first time in 24 years and had their best season ever.

Congratulations to Jay Wright and the Wildcats. I've got my lucky shirt ready - I'll see you again next year!

TENDING ROSES

TENDING ROSES by Lisa Wingate was read for the Read Your Own Books Challenge.

From the back of the book:

"The best times of my life, the times that passed by me the most quickly, were the times when the roses grew wild."

The lessons that most enrich our lives often come at unexpected moments and from unlikely places. That's what Kate Bowman learns when she moves temporarily - with her husband, Ben, and baby son - to her grandmother's Missouri farm. She arrives at a time of crisis and indecision - struggling with the demands of being a new mother, a not-so-new wife, and a well-meaning but often impatient granddaughter. The family has assigned her and Ben the job of convincing Grandma Rose, who's becoming increasingly stubborn and forgetful, to move off the land that means so much to her and into a nursing home. Kate knows such a change would break her grandmother's heart. But what is right for her grandmother? And what is right for her family and herself?

Just when Kate despairs of finding answers, she discovers her grandmother's journal. A beautiful handmade notebook, it is full of heartwarming stories that celebrate the virtue of patience, the power of love, and the importance of family, friendship, and faith. Stories that make Kate see her life - and her grandmother - in a completely new way ... and lead her toward a new, more meaningful future ....

I had read another book by Ms. Wingate - THE LANGUAGE OF SYCAMORES - that I enjoyed. When I went looking for more books by this author, I found that the book was part of a series. TENDING ROSES is the first in the series and sets the stage for the following books.

The characters in this book are real. Grandma Rose is a manipulator, but in a good way. Kate loves her grandmother but at times gets very upset with her. Just at the time that Kate is having a problem understanding Grandma Rose, she finds the journal and reads the stories that are written within. Through these stories, she learns more about her grandmother's family history and learns to appreciate her more. The lessons she learns are good for all of us to learn.

Ms. Wingate wrote the stories in this book based on stories she had been told by her own grandmother. We should all be so lucky to have such a wonderful, wise grandmother.

LIBRARY WEEK

Suggested by Barbara:

I saw that National Library week is coming up in April, and that led to some questions. How often do you use your public library and how do you use it? Has the coffeehouse/bookstore replaced the library? Did you go to the library as a child? Do you have any particular memories of the library? Do you like sleek, modern, active libraries or the older, darker, quiet, cozy libraries?

I've been using the library more recently. There are a lot of books that "sound" interesting but I'm not sure enough about them to put out the money to buy them. So I've been using the library for those books. Some of the books I've borrowed have actually been good enough to buy.

I have a problem with the new bookstores with their little cafés. I go in there and see people taking books off the shelf and sitting down to read them. Then, when they're finished, they put them back on the shelf. Now, when I go into a bookstore, it's to buy a new, unread book. If you want to just sit and read a book, go to the library.

I used to ride my bike to a library when I was a kid in Philadelphia. I loved going there - it seemed so big with different floors and different "rooms." When I moved away from Philly, our little town didn't have a library for the longest time. When they finally started one, it was tiny and the selection was poor. The town I'm in now has 2 branches of the library, but there still aren't quite enough books. The library has just been remodeled - it's not too "modern" but still not the old style library that I really like.

Visit Booking Through Thursday for more responses.

OH MY ACHING BACK ...

And it's all Barb's fault!

Dear Barb, sweet Barb - she recently quit smoking and went on a tear - cleaning her house from top to bottom, inside and out to get rid of any traces of smoke. She put us all to shame!

I would read her posts, then look around my house. It was in dire need of a good, deep cleaning. No smoke smell - just dust and stuff.

So I've been cleaning. I've tried to not do to much at one time. One day last week, I did the two spare bedrooms and hall bath. Another day, the dining room.

But yesterday, I tackled the kitchen. I was on a step stool, cleaning the tops of the cabinets and refrigerator. I cleaned all the cabinets, inside and out. Scrubbed those counters and backsplash. Cleaned the appliances until the shine almost blinded me. (Here's a hint - never buy black appliances!) Then down on my hands and knees washing baseboards and scrubbing the floor. I did manage to take a couple of breaks during the day.

Now the kitchen is spotless and smells so fresh and clean. I used Barb's favorite cleaner, Simple Green, and it did a great job.

But oh, my aching back!

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY - FIRST FAMILY

I love reading all the posts for Waiting On Wednesday - lots of new books being released soon. You can go to Breaking the Spine to check them out.

Here's one that I'm waiting on - FIRST FAMILY by David Baldacci


The latest Baldacci book concerns a Washington child-abduction. Mr. Baldacci brings back two of his memorable characters - Sean King and Michelle Maxwell - to help solve this mystery.

This book will be released on April 21. I've already pre-ordered my copy!