READ THIS BOOK!

'Nuff said.

Where In the World...

have I been??? Well, nowhere really. Just not blogging. I think I lost my mojo. I still don't really have it back. But I just wanted to touch base to say that I will be back soon with some reading updates. And hopefully pictures of the giant bag of books I picked up for $3 at the library sale yesterday!

Also, this blog may become even more inactive (is that possible???) after the first of the year as I got accepted to my master's program and between that and working full-time, I have a feeling there's not going to be much reading, let alone blogging, going on. But we'll see. I'll try to touch base as much as possible.

August Reads

It is entirely too hot here to be September. I am ready for fall with it's crisp days and red, orange and yellow hues. But it's not to be. At least not yet. Darn Mother Nature or global warming or what have you!

I have been in a bit of a blogging slump but definitely not a reading slump. I read 11 books in August and listened to 3 audio books. Here are some of the highlights:

All Unwary and Last To Leave by Clare Curzon - I have found a new mystery author. Well, actually my mom found her and turned me on to her but you get the idea. Well plotted British mysteries with an interesting recurring cast headed by Superintendent Mike Yeadings. Her plots are twisty, which I like. I hate when I figure out the murderer early on. (3-1/2 out of 5 Bookmarks for both)

What Was Lost by Catherine O'Flynn - I am not sure where to start about my feelings on this book. In a nutshell, this is the story of a young girl's disappearance and the mystery surrounding it. But it's much more a psychological novel than a mystery. At times I found myself weighted down by this book but was determined to get through to the end. The ending was definitely satisfying but I did not thoroughly enjoy the journey. I did like the beginning of the novel which is told through Kate Meaney's eyes (the young girl who disappears). While there was still somewhat of an oppressive feeling to this section as well, I enjoyed the character of Kate. Maybe that's what made the rest of the book so tough, knowing something terrible must have happened to her. (3 Bookmarks out of 5 - well written but depressing)

Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris by Paul Gallico - This was definitely the right book for me to read after What Was Lost. Completely uplifting and brought to life a lonely charwoman with a dream - to own a dress by Christian Dior. Her journey to Paris and what happens to her while she is there was a joy to read. I whipped through this book and then happened to come across the film version at the library starring Angela Lansbury and Diana Rigg. While there were some significant changes from the book, I did enjoy the movie as well and recommend seeing it after you've read this delightful novel. (4-1/2 Bookmarks out of 5 - Charming!)

Where Memories Lie by Deborah Crombie - I adore the Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series. I don't think I've been let down once by them. Great mysteries and a throroughly enjoyable partnership between the main characters. This latest installment is no exception. If you are a mystery fan and you haven't read this series yet, I highly recommend you pick it up. (4-1/2 Bookmarks out of 5)

Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich - Stephanie Plum. What more can I say? Funny as always though not my favorite of this series. (3-1/2 Bookmarks out of 5 - Perfect beach read)

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See - This book is amazing and beautiful and everything I could possibly want in a novel. Great story, wonderful characters, beautiful writing. I can not say enough about this book. Definitely in my top 5 reads this year. I loved this book. Go read it. (5 Bookmarks - Perfect)

There you have some of the standouts from my August reading fest. I will leave you with a few pictures of my trip to the Russian River.

The foggy California coast

The Russian River

Ducks!

Rocks!

Summer memories...

It's Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaack...

Once again it's time for Carl V's RIP Challenge! Last year I didn't do as well as I had hoped. But I have a bunch of possible books to read for this year's challenge. I am not sure which Peril I will participate in...can I just see how many books I actually read? But I think I will definitely read at least 2 books from my "pool" (great idea, Carl) listed below:

Seven Gothic Tales by Isak Dineson

The Woman In Black by Susan Hill

Ghostwalk by Rebecca Stott

The Ladies of Grace Adieu by Susanna Clarke

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

Among the Shadows by L.M. Montgomery

The Arthurian Omen by G.G Vandagriff

I have been looking forward to this challenge all year. For me, the start of the RIP Challenge now ushers in the fall season just like the start of school used to do. I am ready for summer to be over and for those crisp autumn days where I can snuggle under a blanket with a good book to begin!

Book Revew with Product Placement

I love product. And by "product" I don't mean "products" as in all things we consumers can purchase with our hard-earned cash and/or our not-so-hard-earned plastic. I mean product as in all things beautifying. From lipstick to lotions to powders to perfumes, if it's guaranteed to make you less shiny, more sparkly, less stinky, more dewy then I am all over it. It's a bit of an obsession really though I have learned to control myself more now than when I was oh, say a teenager and would buy a new moisturizer with the frequency most people buy milk.

Which is why Claire Cook's Summer Blowout (which I received through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program) was right up my alley! I am usually quite picky with my "chick lit" as they call it these days. I often find the characters to be unlikeable or wishy-washy. Bella Shaughnessy is neither of those. As the story begins, Bella is newly divorced and her ex-husband is now in a relationship with her half-sister. Bella works for a chain of salon's run by her eclectic father, Lawrence "Lucky" Shaughnessy who is obsessed with all things Italian (even though the family is of Irish descent). Things get interesting quickly as Bella meets a local entrepreneur named Sean Ryan, semi-kidnaps a dog from a bride and starts setting up her own business.

Now I won't say that the plot isn't predictable. It is. You can see the happy ending coming a mile away. Even the plot twists are predictable. BUT...

There was something incredibly, dare I say it, likeable about Bella. She matches her lipstick shade to her particular mood, she starts picking up the pieces of her life even though the failure of her marriage is being constantly thrown in her face and she really starts to come into her own BEFORE she gets her man.

Now, onto product placement. I am sure this element of the book may have annoyed some people. I would not be one of them. Max Factor Lipfinity in Passionate, Sephora Fresh Gloss and OPI's My Chihuahua Bites are just a few of the product names dropped in this book. And they are just a few of the items I will be checking out on my next visit to the beauty counter.

If you are looking for a light and fluffy beach read with a likeable leading lady and even more likeable dog, then I definitely recommend Summer Blowout.

Friday Fill-In!

I have been reading Literary Feline's Friday Fill-Ins for some time now and thought I would do one for the first time. So without further ado...

1. The last meal I had at a restaurant was country fried chicken with mashed potatoes - yum!

2. Intolerance is something I intensely dislike.

3. The full moon brings out the werewolves so watch out.

4. The City* is one of my favorite local expressions. (*This isn't an expression really but it's the term we use here in the Bay Area when we are referring to San Francisco. Please, out-of-towners, we beg of you not to call it "Frisco". Thank you for your support.)

5. Sometimes it's best to curl up on the couch with the cat and a good book.

6. Sex and the City is the best movie I've seen so far this year!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to ordering pizza and watching the Olympics, tomorrow my plans include trying to get to a matinee of Mamma Mia and running some errands and Sunday, I want to hang out at home, read, and get all my laundry done for the week!

Quick Catch Up

Ok, here's a quick list to catch everyone up on the happenings over here at Jenny's Corner. So instead of blogging for the past oh month or so, here's what I've been up to:

Went on a fabulous vacation to Lake Tahoe. Pictures to come (hopefully this weekend if I get them downloaded off my camera).

Took another trip up to the Russian River this past weekend. We even stumbled upon The Village Inn which happens to have been where some scenes of the movie Holiday Inn were filmed. Adorable little inn. Would love to stay there sometime.

In Bookish News...

I have been doing quite a bit of reading and I will do an update of my recent reads in another post.

Currently I am reading the new Deborah Crombie, Where Memories Lie, which is so good that I stayed up way too late last night reading it. I have about 40 pages to go and should finish it today.

Then I am moving on to Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich. I am definitely in the mood for some Stephanie Plum!

I have received a couple of early review books including Summer Blowout, which I plan to start in the next couple of days so I can get my review up on LibraryThing.

Other than reading, I have been busy doing some organizing and clean up of my apartment. I have made quite a bit of progress and I am planning to get a bunch more done this weekend. Oh, and look what I just got:

This is my brand new TV stand! I am very excited about it since for the past few years I have been using a hand-me-down IKEA stand which, while it served it's purpose, didn't really work in my new space. This one is perfect and I even put it together all by myself. Ok, so there may have been a few leftover screws, a couple of stubbed toes and quite a backache but I still did it myself. That's satisfaction for you!

So that's what's new with me. What's new with you???