New reading list from R&J

Tomorrow (1st Sept) sees the launch of the New Richard and Judy Book Club choices.
New R&J Book website

For those of you who don't know who Richard and Judy are, they hosted a daytime magazine/chat show here in the UK for many years and were the faces of the Richards and July Book Club.backlist
 
I have always looked out for the R&J stickered books and do like their choices.

Channel 4  have continued with The TV Book Club with great book choices, which replaced the original Richard and Judy Book Club. Again I look out for  their choices and have read a few.Channel 4 The TV Book Club

So now even more book recommendations, can't be bad!  :)

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Holiday Stash

Picked some bargains up at a discounted book store whilst on holiday to add to my TBR shelves.

Ha, Ha - very topical - just noticed from the photo that Sacred Hearts is a TV Book Club stickered book.

DizzyC

Table Talk Tues - CMash

CMash has a fab blog and is hosting her first meme
Table Talk Tues




CMash says
Hope you join in, tell your friends, get to know more about old friends, meet new friends (possibly even becoming a new follower of their blog...if you do...leave that in your responses so that they know and hopefully will follow you back), get to know more about old friends, meet new friends and more importantly.....HAVE FUN !!! So lets grab a table, sit down, order a coffee and start gabbing !!!!

Follow the coffee cup above, join in, answer the q's then set some of ur own.

Todays questions from CMash were

1. How do you take your coffee?  With Semi skimmed milk and half a sugar, please!




2. Are you artistic, can you draw/paint? I'm not but have always wished I had that talent. I have so many craft ideas and love to do crafty things with the kids, but I cannot draw, I am rubbish.  I have to use stencils.  I can knit (my nan taught me by sitting me on her lap aged 8 as I am left handed and could not mirror copy), I can sew and I used to cross-stitch large projects and small



3. I am not a big tv watcher, but one night I was surfing the programs and found a show, I think, it is called Hoarders...have you seen it?  Dont get that show here in UK but I am a hoarder big time.  I keep the house clean but it is cluttered.
 
 
My questions to you all are
 
1.  What music do you like and is there a particular era u prefer?
2.   What would be your dream home?
3.  Where was your last holiday/special day out and did you enjoy it?
 
DIZZYC

Messy Monday!

Beautiful day on Portland, Dorset.

OK, have been back from hols since Saturday lunchtime.  Spent most of Sunday feeling tired and needing another holiday.  We were straight on the internet looking for next year's holiday.  What is it with this tradition!  We don't even savour the wonderful hol we just had......we are looking for the next!

I have been trying to catch up on facebook, blogger and RiSi but it just can't be done!  A week online is not as easy to catch up on as the local weekly Journal. I haven't read a book in over a week....this must be sorted.  I want to share a few of my hols pics with u, but so much to do. 

Count to 10, Carol.........as much as I cannot catch up on the week I have missed, I cannot share my week with u all in one sitting.....so hol thoughts to follow sometime later in the week.

Washing is almost caught up despite the usual UK summer weather of rain, rain, rain.  I feel very guilty using the dryer in August.

The kids are back to school this week.  Youngest son (2.5 yrs) officially starts playschool on Tuesday, eldest son (13 yrs) is starting senior school on Thursday and eldest daughter is starting her final compulsory year (15 yrs), and her most important exam year, on Friday.  I say her final compulsory year as here in the UK education is from 5-16 yrs old and anything after that is considered further education, at present.  Under the last govt, this was to be extended to 18 years, but with our new coalition govt making many changes and cuts in spending I am not sure when this will happen.

My daughter is expecting to stay on at school next year to do A levels in 6th Form.

I am ready to get my routine back but still have polo shirts to buy and school bag for eldest son, labelling of all new uniform and all by Wednesday!  I had been so looking forward to our week away that I didn't account for only having part of a week when we returned before school starts. 
I have flutterbys in my stomach already thinking bout it all.....my little baby going to playschool, my middle baby starting senior school and my big baby thinking bout her further education options.  All at very exciting stages in their education.

What does this week hold for u?

Enjoy ur week!

DizzyC

Meet me on Monday

Meet me on Monday is hosted by the lovely Java at Never Growing Old
Pop over to see Java on her busy blog and join in to meet new friends








This weeks questions are :

1. What is your favorite kind of potato chip?  Sour Cream and Chive


2. Do you make your bed everyday? NO.  My partner works nights so he gets into bed as I get out.  We meet up at weekends ;)

3. How often do you go to the hair salon? I have a trim about every 6 to 8 weeks.  My hair is so unruly it doesnt seem to make much difference. :(

4. What do you dip your French fries in?  Mayonnaise, of course!  If it is steakhouse chips then salad cream.

5 Do you shop with coupons? Yes, every little helps.  Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves.

DizzyC

I'm back!

Portland Bill, Dorset

I'm Back from my hols in Weymouth, Dorset.

What have I missed????

Had a lovely week, although the weather was rather wet first half of the week.
I didnt get any reading done AT ALL.  Will have to make up for that this bank holiday
weekend whilst the washing machine goes into overload.
I reckon the reason we could not get everything back into the car to come home
was because we brought another family's washing home too!!!

Looking forward to catching up on a weeks worth of blogging I have missed.

A wet day at the Beach - Weymouth

Holiday reads sorted...

Holiday reads sorted..........holiday packing......ooooppss!  Well the suitcases are out of the wardrode but that's as far as I got.  It's ok got 2 days to pack for 5 of us!  Piece of cake.. NOT!

I have decided on very easy reads for hols this year as there are 7 of us in a Lodge this year.  I don't anticipate much quiet reading time for difficult reads.

I picked these up in the library today

Hol reads

Temptation Strett by Shari Low

Fairytale of New York by Miranda Dickinson

Wild Things by Jo Carnegie

These are all new authors to me and the only book I had heard of before was Fairytale of New York.

Have you read any of these?

Alfie's Preschool pick 17/8/10

Alfie's Pre-school pick for this week is

Are We There Yet? Jan Fearnley (2007)

This was my little one's library choice for  his SpaceHop Summer Read along. 

Meet the Tibbles Family of Cats.  They are on their way to Gran and Grandad's and it is the usual type of family journey.  Dad has to turn back three times because they have forgotten something.   At least Little Eric has been no trouble!  Hold on where's Eric!

Funny story with repetitive verse that little ones love to go over and again.

4/5 for us!

Monday - Hosted by Bookjourney

It's Monday, what are you reading!

Found a 'new' (to me)  blog this morning hosted by BookJourney

This week I am reading Footsteps by Katharine McMahon

I am only 20 pages into this novel but am anticipating a good read.  I was in tears by page 10.  I can see this one being picked up when I should be doing something else, and of course, I have nothing much else to do in week 4 of the school hols ;)  Well, maybe the packing for 5 for our week away starting Saturday!

1930's Gem

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day - Winifred Watson (1938)

What a gem!

Don't judge this book by it's cover. It is much more fun.


Miss Pettigrew is desperately looking for a new position, as a governess, when she is sent by mistake to Miss Fosse who is looking for a maid.


She feels like she has stepped into the set of a Hollywood movie when she meets Miss Fosse in the middle of a sticky situation.


This Cinderella style story takes us through the day and Miss Pettigrew, usually very reserved, throws caution to the wind and gets caught up in the adventures of the day.


Chick lit written in the 1930's. Fab!

4.5/5 for me!

One Day - David Nicholls

One Day - David Nicholls (2010)

From Amazon

'I can imagine you at forty,' she said, a hint of malice in her voice. 'I can picture it right now.' 

He smiled without opening his eyes. 'Go on then.'
15th July 1988. Emma and Dexter meet for the first time on the night of their graduation. Tomorrow they must go their separate ways.
So where will they be on this one day next year?
And the year after that? And every year that follows?
Twenty years, two people, ONE DAY. From the author of the massive bestseller STARTER FOR TEN.


Following Emma and Dex  over 20 years in a will they/wont they story. If you were an 80's child you can identify with the characters. Great rom com tinged with sadness. Will it have a predictable ending?


I can see this one being made into a film like Starter for Ten.


I loved it!


5/5

Monday, Monday

I am having one of those weeks where I cannot get into anything I try to read!

So frustrating.  I picked up Ellis Island and got over 100 pages in and there were parts of the story that were just not adding up for me.  I gave up.

My time for reading is so limited I do find it hard to persevere with a book if I am not enjoying it.

I decided to go for a very light read and so next came Sugar Queen.  Just not what I want to read right now.

BACK TO THE TBR SHELVES!

Do you give up on books, and if so at what point do u decide enough is enough?  Would you revisit the book again at a later date? Do u have different genres for different moods. 

 I will go back to Sugar Queen at a later date.

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 Pop over to About Happy Books to help Sabrina celebrate 2 years of book blogging. Congratulations Sabrina!        

Meet me Monday

I am off out again on a social date via the blog :)



 Hosted by Never Growing Old 

Hi I am Carol, stay at home mum of 2 teens and a toddler. Questions:



1. Do you watch any Soap Operas? Yes, Emmerdale, Coronation St, Eastenders, Doctors

2. What appliance is used the most in your house? The washing Machine! 

3. Do you wear make-up every day? If I am leaving the house, yes. Usually just eyeshadow and mascara. Full makeup is saved for days I need a boost or special occasions

4. What is your worst pet-peeve? People being late...they usually dont mean it when they turn up and say 'sorry I'm late'

5. What is your favorite lunch meat? Corned beef but tuna if I take the healthier option

Alfie's choice

Alfie the Giraffe's choice for this week :)


Busy Baby First 100 Things That Go by Sarah Creese 

This is a firm favourite for  my youngest son.  Boys just love information books (though girls will love this too).  This is a handy size board book  to pop into changing bag or large handbag  for those moments you need to entertain or distract a toddler whilst out and about.

Suitable for 0+ years - As it says in the title, this book is full of colourful photographs of all types of transport.  Great resource for teaching toddlers the names of vehicles and helpful with their speech.

5/5 for us

My first award - Versatile Blogger

This award was given to me by Laurel-Rain Snow and I am now proudly displaying it here.

Thank you Laurel-Rain.

The award comes with some rules, which include these:

1) Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them when creating the award post                 2) Share seven things about yourself

3) Pass the award on to 15 recently discovered blogs
4) Contact the bloggers to let them know about the award

Seven things about me.........

1. I have had many jobs over the years including office work, sweet shop assistant, lingerie shop assistant and Insurance clerk but the most rewarding was my last job as a Primary School Teaching Assistant. I was a teaching assistant specialising in Literacy and numeracy for 7 years, but am a SAHM again for now until my youngest goes to full time school.

2. I have a few phobias like heights, open water and the dentist, but the weirdest is bare feet!

3. I love history and have a couple of very thick files of family history that has had to be shelved due to work and family commitments.  Maybe one day I can continue with it.

4. My favourite flowers are Stargazer Lillies, Freesias, Irises and fushias.  Freesias being my favourite scented flower.

5.  I still live in the town I was born in.  Although it is a town, I am only a mile each way from wonderful countryside.

6. I am left handed.  I am sure this accounts for some of the chaos in my kitchen. I have tried left handed scissors and can openers but after so many years as a child having to use right handed utensils I am useless with them. 

7. Last year was the first time, at 40 years old, that I had a holiday abroad and flew on a plane.

I am now passing this award on to...........

'Til we read again

about happy books

Bookinwithbingo

Celtic ladys reviews

Cmash loves to read

Crazy for books

desert book chick

thetometraveller

thoughts from a serial daydreamer

domestic goddess

bookingmama

crazy bookworm

random bookish ramblings

curled up with a good book and a cup of tea

bookalicious-ramblings.

Question for u....

I spend an awful lot of my computer time looking for new books to read which is how I got hooked on book blogs and finally blogging myself. I like to find USA book sites and have read several books before they become popular over here in the UK. I have a couple of fav UK book sites listed in the right hand bar including ReaditSwapit, Book Shelf at Netmums and The Book Club at iVillage.



Can you share your favourite book sites and forums worldwide with me here?

Enjoy ur weekend, folks!

Domestic Goddess

I have been trying my hardest to be a Domestic Goddess straight from a 1950's advert today!

Up with the youngest son early this morning . 

With Gluten

Net curtains washed, line dried, and back up at the windows.   Nets are so unfashionable but I am sorry, I like my privacy.  I feel exposed when the nets are being washed!

Gluten Free

2 loads of washing done whilst I tackled Mount Ironing!

Lunch for the family, then youngest down for nap.

Baking session including Gluten free cupcakes for eldest son who has an allergy, Low fat Key Lime Pie from SlimmingWorld recipe, regular cupcakes for the rest of the family (the batches have to be made separately to eliminate cross contamination for gluten free variety).


I believe I have earned my 'me' time today! 

Friday @ The Hop

Friday is here again!

Please come and join the Friday Book Blog Hop hosted by Crazy for Books



In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read!


This weeks question.......

Do you listen to music when you read? If so, what are your favorite reading tunes?

No I don't listen to music whilst reading....there is an array of background noise when I am reading in a house with 3 children :)

I like to read whilst my partner watches the football and find that an acceptable background noise.  If other programmes are on the TV tends to catch my attention every now and then.



Happy hopping!
Carol

The Letter in the Bottle

Did anyone else see this author on the BBC breakfast programme this morning?


I have added this book to my wishlist, sounds like a wonderful read.

Karen Leibriech was given a letter, written in French, to translate for a friend who found a colourful blue bottle washed up on our shores. The letter was written by a mother who had tragically lost her 13 year old son. Karen set about finding this mother and this book follows her story.

The Letter in the Bottle - Karen Leibriech

From Amazon

On a winter's day in 2002, a bottle shaped like a tear washed up on the Kent coast. It contained a letter written in French, a lock of hair, and a mystery. Only one thing could be known for certain - that the writer of the letter was a mother, grieving for her lost child, Maurice. Moved by the woman's heartache Karen Liebreich sets out on an epic journey to piece together the mother's story. Her book is the amazing true story of one woman's search for another, and a poignant reflection on love, loss and motherhood. In this revised edition Liebreich concludes her epic quest, finally meeting the woman who sent the bottle years before and coming to understand the loss that was at the heart of one mother's impulse to communicate with the unknown.

Karen Liebreich website

What Alice Forgot - Liane Moriarty

What Alice Forgot - Liane Moriarty


From Amazon

Imagine losing the most important ten years of your life … Alice is twenty-nine. She adores sleep, chocolate, and her ramshackle new house.She’s newly engaged to the wonderful Nick and is pregnant with her first baby. There’s just one problem.All that was ten years ago … Alice has slipped in a step-aerobics class, hit her head and lost a decade.Now she’s a grown-up, bossy mother of three in the middle of a nasty divorce and her beloved sister Elisabeth isn’t speaking to her.This is her life but not as she knows it. Clearly Alice has made some terrible mistakes.Just how much can happen in a decade? Can she ever get back to the woman she used to be?


I love the style of writing, part narrative, part diary (emotional account of Elisabeth's struggle) and part blog from Alice's "adopted" Grandmother. Funny in places, thoughtful, sad and happy. Couple of twists in there that I really enjoyed (X for example and the ending).

Touching on some emotional subjects that I have been affected by, which I could say of other books I have read, but this account made me feel like the author had been through these struggles too. The author didnt make me feel sad to recount those emotional subjects I felt her empathy.

It made me envy the fact that Alice could take stock of what she had become. Made me think about how I have changed gradually and think whether myself 10 years ago would like the Carol of today.

5/5 for me

Liane Moriarty Website


Update Nov2010 - have added as my fav book review for this year at busymomswholovetoread book club

Beach Read Challenge 2010

My challenge update

3/8/2010 - What Alice Forgot - Liane Moriarty  Finished

Now reading

Ellis Island -Kate Kerrigan  (gave up)

The Sugar Queen - Sarah Addison Allen

Beach Read Challenge 2010

My first sign up for a challenge......



hosted by A Fanatic's Book Blog
Quote :
I'm sure you're asking yourself, but Jessica, what exactly is a "beach read"? A beach read by my definition is any book you'd choose to take with you to a day at the beach. Think something light, airy, perhaps a romance or two? It's really all up to you! Beach reads are what you make them! I've been known to take a vampire novel with me to the beach.... vampires and sand? Yes!


I am joining in for fun and to keep a log of my summer reading
My first read is

What Alice Forgot - Liane Moriarty

Monday, time for a rest!

I had high hopes of finishing my current read What Alice Forgot this weekend.  Not even one page!

We had last minute plans to go to Newmarket Nights - James Morrison was playing.  Newmarket Nights are evening horse racing meetings followed by a concert.  We went to see Spandau Ballet a few weeks ago (my teen pin up band) .  Absolutely fab night with James Morrison (I always find last minute plans are the best) and didnt even mind the fact that we got drenched, I mean drenched.

Not great quality!

A little wet!

Saturday was a day for visiting family and Sunday flew by in a haze of housework, washing and ironing.  Beats me why I end up with more housework on a Sunday than the rest of the week! 

So, with Monday here I intend to get back to routine and hopefully get to open my book today. :)

I had an addition to the bookshelf last week Angel of Brooklyn by Janette Jenkins.

From Amazon

It is January, 1914 and Jonathan Crane returns home from his travels with a new American bride, former Coney Island showgirl Beatrice. In the remote Lancashire village Beatrice is the focus of attention, the men captivated by her beauty, the women initially charmed by tales of her upbringing in Normal, Illinois with her father, an amateur taxidermist, and her brother, a preacher, although she will take the story of how she became the Angel of Brooklyn to her grave. But when the men head off to fight in the Great War the glamorous newcomer slowly becomes an object of suspicion and jealousy for the women who are left behind and as the years pass, and their resentment grows, Beatrice's secret proves to be her undoing. Beautifully observed, tragic, funny and so evocative that you can taste the candy floss at Coney Island and feel the chill of wartime England, "Angel of Brooklyn" is an extraordinary, heartbreaking story.  

I read a review of this on Read It Swap It and decided to get myself a copy.  I have read a few novels recently on the subject of migration to USA such as Brooklyn by Colm Toibin and The Songwriter by Beatrice Colin. Looking forward to this one.

Happy Monday, folks!