Monday, September 28, 2015

Moon over my porch...



                  Last night I watched the entire lunar eclipse from my porch. I found it fascinating. The earth so slowly came between the moon and the sun then just as slowly  moved away. This will not happen again until 2033. I could not stop observing. I stayed out on the porch til near midnight. I took a lot of pictures. Some turned out many did not. I realize I need to learn more about the the settings on my camera. It was a lovely night in da U.P. Mild weather for late September.

I finished Stephan King's 11/22/63. I held my breath, felt sympathy for the characters and was horrified by the turn of events. Mr. King at his storytelling  best.

The next ten books on the POPSUGAR 2015 book challenge:

A book that scares you~gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
A book more than 100 years old~Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (currently reading)
A book you chose based entirely on it's cover~Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstien (read with, Haven-8 year old grand, we solved the puzzle and recieved a note from the author!)
A book you were supposed to read in school but didn't~
A memoir~Just Kids by Patti Smith
A book you can finish in a day~Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote
A book with antonyms in the title~{Beautful Chaos by Kami Garcia}TBR
A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit~Lovers at the Chameleon Club,Paris 1932 by Francine Prose
A book that came out the year you were born~{The End of the Affair by Graham Greene or The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger}TBR
A book with bad reviews~The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

I have added two more books to my must be read by the end of 2015 list bringing the total to five MBRs.





Sunday, September 27, 2015

More books on the porch...


                     My new boiled wool coffee slippers and one of my favorite coffee cups

The next ten books on my  POPSUGAR 2015 reading challenge list:

A book with a one word title~Landline by Rainbow Rowell
A book of short stories~Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
A book set in a different countries~The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri
A nonfiction book~Still Foolin' Em by Billy Crystal
A popular author's first book~The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (1979)
A book from an author you love that you have not read yet~[Fates and Furies by Lauren Goff] TBR
A book  a friend recommended~[Meet Me in Venice by Suzanne Ma] TBR (Christine, friend and niece)
A Pulitzer Prize winning book~All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (2015)
A book based on a true story~Bring Up The Bodies by Hilary Mantel
A book at the bottom of your to read list~[Molokai'i by Alan Brennert] TBR This book is also on my Summer/Winter reading challenge for Our Novel Escape

I  need to read three of these books before December 31st.

Phyllis, I am going to answer your questions posted on your blog just for fun.

1. Do you collect anything other than dolls? Camera equipment, I am obsessed. Santa ornaments.
2. Why did you start a blog? I found myself turning sixty and I wanted to ruminate on the experience.
3. What is your grail doll? The 1959 Barbie black haired pony tail.
4. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you travel to? Scotland, the British Isles
5. What kind of music do you like? Folk Rock, Sixties soft rock, coffee house unplugged
6. How did you get started collecting doll? I was trying to replace the Barbies of my childhood.
7. (Linda's #7) Where is your most favorite place you've ever been? Mexico with my three daughters.
8. (Linda's #8) what is your favorite thing about yourself? I am eternally optimistic. I  can't help it.
9. (Linda's #9) Favorite book or movie? Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo, unforgettable book. My movie is UP, I loved it.
10. (Phyllis' #9) what type of dolls do you collect? I  collect Barbie dolls with the vintage face sculpt. This includes the Fashion Model silkstone dolls with the vintage face. I have many authentic articles of (1959-1964) clothing. I also have the entire collection of Barbie Millicent Roberts fashions from 1997.




Thursday, September 24, 2015

Reading on the porch...

I am currently reading 11/22/63 by Stephen King. Oh, my. It is a long book but I am into it. He has me almost believing. I say I am not a fan of horror or King but the last couple of his books have been so good. The Green Mile for example. I am listening to the Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. Very interesting but so depressing. Claire Danes' voice has taken on such a hopeless tone.

I am working on my POPSUGAR 2015 Book Challenge. I have completed most of the books except for the really hard to find or read ones, like a book from the year you were born or a book that is 100 years old. I will wait until a week before New Year's Eve to cram those in...that is how I roll. Here are the first ten challenge books and me reading in the hammock:

A book with more than 500 pages~Written in My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon
A classic romance~The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
A book that became a movie~The Martian by Andy Weir
A book published this year~At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen
A book with a number in the title~Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
A book written by someone under 30~Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
A book with non human characters ~We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler
A funny book~Nature Girl by Carl Hiaasen
A book by a female author~Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
A mystery or a thriller~The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins


Does it seem like all I do is read? Hmm...