"What is the Sunday Salon? Imagine some university library's vast reading room. It's filled with people--students and faculty and strangers who've wandered in. They're seated at great oaken desks, books piled all around them, and they're all feverishly reading and jotting notes in their leather-bound journals as they go. Later they'll mill around the open dictionaries and compare their thoughts on the afternoon's literary intake...."
AHHHHH.... it's a gloriously gorgeous and warm Sunday here in Sunny Texas, without a chance of rain which has been rare lately. A perfect day to sit outside and listen to the birds as you read your favorite book... or in my reality, a day to sit outside with the sun in my eyes and my 7 year old whining to go play with her friends elsewhere as the toddler throws sand in my face while I re-read the same paragraph for the umpteenth time because I can't concentrate. AHHHH
MAY 31st today! This day marks my step-daughter's 15th birthday. Happy Birthday to her! And coincidentally enough, this day also marks the 15th anniversary of me stepping on Texan soil and calling it home sweet home. It was just a few years later that I met the love of my life, and then brainwashed him into loving me back and later marrying me in Vegas, baby.. But he doesn't like me getting all personal in my blog posts so I'll stop here but I'll add a big I love you to the husband.. I am so glad that I made that decision to leave New York and make my life here. I have never regretted it and never will.
It is also Lenore's birthday at Presenting Lenore! Happy Birthday, Lenore!
As many of you know, this was the weekend for the Book Expo America Event in New York City. I wish I could have gone just to meet up with the other bloggers that have been lucky enough to attend. I cannot wait to read some of the blog posts about who everyone met there and what books they have received! Apparently the BEA will have its home in NYC for quite awhile, but if it ever gets out of NY and closer to Texas, I would love to go. I did participate some in the BEA Twitter Party on Friday night, and on June 2 BlogTalk Radio will broadcast their Book Bloggers Panel at BEA with Book Club Girl. Sarah at Reading the Past has already posted about her Day One, and she was picky with the books she chose to bring home with her. And I must say she picked some wonderful ones! I need to go put all those on my wish list that aren't there already!
There is also an article about Book Bloggers and the BEA called "BookExpo America 2009: Bloggers Draw a Crowd" at Publisher's Weekly. Here is a great quote from it: "With the huge number of books being published, book bloggers are becoming even important gatekeepers, increasing awareness for readers and building buzz. To that end, publishers and authors are working more closely than ever with them, and on new ways of promotion, such as blog tours."
In other news, a wonderful thing happened to me this week. A NEW BOOKCASE!! (That should be in rotating electric lights)..And maybe a little one on the way (a bookcase mind you!) for my bedroom. I want to put my Jean Plaidy's in that little one, I have about 52 of those so far, still looking for some of the harder to find ones. I need most of the Plantagenet era, and 3 of the Georgian era and just a few more scattered throughout Plaidy's different series.
I've moved around some books and I've got ORDER to the mayhem. Medieval on top shelf, Tudor Era on second, and French Revolution on the third, etc. I have a special bookshelf in my bedroom that has my favorite Wars of the Roses and Tudor Era books, which there are still many to read! The other bookcase for the general fiction and the shelf of ARC's to review.. And with my new addition, I have room to expand... yeppers, I've got some holes to fill now WEEEEE.... And I also wondered how I'd accumulated 3 different books on Marie Antoinette that I've yet to read... didn't know I was that interested!
This week I have read The Sitting Swing by Irene Watson. The review will post on June 8 as Irene stops by for a virtual book tour. Some of you may recognize Irene as the managing editor from Reader Views. The book has been revised from an earlier edition but is a touching story of how Irene survived a rough childhood and what she has done to come to terms with that. She shares her insights without preaching and offers hope to the rest of us. This is a very good read, I recommend it. Be sure to return June 8 during her tour, because I will have an author post and a book giveaway for you which is for an autographed copy!
I also finished The Indiscretions of The Queen, by Jean Plaidy, (review here) which was book #6 for the Jean Plaidy Reading Challenge hosted by the lovely ladies Arleigh and Lucy at Royal Intrigue. This book was the Jean Plaidy Reading Group pick for the month of May, for which we have a little forum where we can talk about the book. The pick for the coming month is Victoria Holt's (pseudonym) My Enemy The Queen. I have already read that one, and it is AWESOME for any of the Elizabeth I fans out there. IF I had some extra reading time and wasn't bogged down in ARC books I would be re-reading this one for the discussion. But I'll definitely still be there to discuss it, I really enjoyed the characters in this book. (Lettice Knollys, Penelope Deveraux, Robert Dudley..)
Off my beaten path, I am now reading The Osiris Alliance by Jack Ford. It is a crime novel that reads like a Law and Order episode, with a historical twist regarding the Charles Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping Case. It is a debut novel by Ford, who was a Emmy and Peabody award winning news anchor. If you like crime novels then this is a pick for you, although you can make little comments to pick the writing style apart, but I won't. It is still a good read despite small flaws. I'll probably have my review later this week, God willing!
A new author, Anna Elliott, has done a guest post on Backstory last Thursday. She is a really sweet person and I cannot wait to read her book, Twilight of Avalon, which centers around Arthurian lore. Her second novel Dark Moon of Avalon is in the copy editing process now! Anna's website is here.
***AWARD TIME!**
I have gotten a few more blog awards lately, such as the Lemonade Award, The Kreative Blogger Award, The Literary Blogger Award... Check out my sidebar for links to who awarded them to me. I really appreciate you thinking of me and mentioning me in your award posts, it does mean a lot to me.
The Kreative Blogger Award is one that has not been three-peated throughout the blogosphere so I've picked that one to go ahead and redistribute. I know that are so many of these things it gets a bit cumbersome, although everyone loves the recognition! So today I am going to pass along the Kreative Blogger Award. Thanks to Melissa at Melissa's Bookshelf for thinking of me!
Rules:
Post 7 things you love.
Give award to 7 other bloggers who are creative.
Here are seven things I love:
My little Texan family!
My Blog Buddies
My books
The Texas Sky
A cup of tea
A slow day at work
Italian cannolis
I am awarding:
Sheri at A Novel Menagerie
Susie at All Things Royal
Amy at Passages to the Past
Teddyrose at So Many Precious Books, So Little Time
Claire at The Anne Boleyn Files
Dolleygurl at The Maiden's Court
Virginie at Virginie Says...
**Congrats to these wonderful blogger ladies!!**
**GIVEAWAY WINNERS**
The giveaway for Wild Highland Magic ended last night. I had a winner for an Advance Reader's copy, and a winner from the publisher Sourcebooks for the released version.
The ARC Winner is: HeatherZilla
The New Released winner is: Marie Lay
Congratulations!
And ONE more thing... tomorrow, June 1st begins a new reading challenge.. see my post about it here... I would love for you to join us! It is The Four Month Challenge, and pretty simple to participate :) Jean Plaidy is even mentioned!! Hope to see you there! Have a great day! (I feel like I just wrote a book!)
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