Tag Archives: Summer Reading

Bookish Talk

The Sunday Salon: Reading, Cooking and Hanging Out Edition

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Backyard
Pimm's Cup, My Kindle and The View

On Friday I posted a recipe using Pimm’s liqueur and made a promise to do something summery and just for me this weekend. Well, I’m happy to say that I made good on my promise. I prepared a traditional Pimm’s Cup which is basically Pimm’s, ginger ale and lemon, fired up my Kindle and spent a good chunk of the day in my backyard. The little one was with dad who was visiting his brother across town. The big one was grounded and carrying out his sentence in the privacy of his bedroom, so that left a sunny, afternoon all to myself. And yes, that is a jelly jar. I drink out of mason jars all the time.

I put a large pot of spaghetti sauce on the stove to simmer away for tonight’s dinner and read The Stand while sipping my refreshing drink. Later, a friend of ours is coming over for dinner, but it will be real casual with good conversation and yummy food. Sigh. I only wish that my son had behaved himself and that he wasn’t grounded, but I can’t really dwell on that too much. Kids have to learn the hard way sometimes.

I am a bit off kilter with my reading schedule. I had planned to finish Tinkers, but it’s sort of a heavy book even though it’s so short. It’s not the type of book to read on a beautiful, sunny day but then again, neither is The Stand! I checked out Homecoming by Schlink for this month’s book club meeting so at some point I am going to have to start reading it. It’s not calling my name right now though.

Book Download – Kindle Survey Results

You know how I was making such a big deal about downloading my first paid Kindle book? Well, apparently 44% of you agree that the first download is quite important:

Kindle Survery Results
Kindle Survey Results

For the record, my first FREE download was Emma by Jane Austen.

My first PAID download was You Couldn’t Ignore Me If You Tried by Susannah Gora

I picked YCIMIYT because the Brat Pack totally defined who I am today. I was in high school when those movies came out. I dressed like them, I listened to the same type of music. Those movies felt like they were based on  my life. I still watch them today and my iPod is filled with music from that era.

What I learned? If you see a book you want, just download it because with all of my waiting, it fell off the bestseller’s list and ended up being $4 more. Lesson learned.

Happy Sunday to you!

Bookish Talk

My Date with Stephen King

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The Stand Graphic 2

One of King’s best books to date is (in my opinion), The Stand. In my college days, I read them all. Some were more readable, but The Stand is the one that stayed with me all these years. After reading The Passage, which arguably was very similiar in theme, I just found myself wanting to read The Stand again, so I am kicking off the start of summer by re-reading this epic novel and today is the day!

I’m not alone. Two other bloggers are doing it with me (Jill and Michele). This isn’t a formal read-along because sometimes with a book of this size, a formal read-along just seems like too much work. I just want to have fun re-living the world that King created. I will blog about my thoughts here and there but what I’m hoping, is that the book is just as wonderful as it was when I read it in my much younger days.

There probably won’t be too many nights where I stay up all night to read it because let’s face it, those days are gone, but I look forward to getting to know King again. So pardon me if I spout off about King for the next month or so. For those that have never read King before, perhaps you’ll want to, after our little, summer rendezvous. You think?