Bookish thoughts...

On the vanishing blog.  Have you ever visited a blog one day, maybe even posted a comment or two, only to have 'WEBSITE CANNOT BE FOUND' come up when you search for it a few days later? Or, more disconcertingly, 'BLOG HAS BEEN REMOVED'? It's happened to me a couple of times in the past year, and it always leaves me a little flummoxed. I mean, I can understand someone deciding to take a blogging break, or even stopping altogether, but to make your blog vanish without a trace from the internet?  What makes someone decide to do that?

My 11-book splurge!

On the irresistible library book sale.  All the sign has to say is Paperbacks--5¢ and I suddenly find myself with an armful of books I wouldn't normally buy. But when they cost so little I just can't seem to resist. Ten books for 50¢! Could you resist that?  Even if I never read any of them I'm only out two quarters. That's the kind of risk I can afford. And sometimes I get lucky and find a book or two by an author I love. Like last month when I found four Fred Vargas novels, an Agatha Christie mystery, and my favorite Molly Harper fantasy. I love the bookish serendipity that can occur at these sales, but I hate the sense of urgency I sometimes feel knowing that this may be my last chance to read any of these books. Which is probably why I also ended up buying 5 other paperbacks I've never read but that looked good, adding to my ever-growing TBR pile. But let's not talk about that. So, happy splurging at the next library sale near you.

And happy reading!

Red Hill

"With all the television shows, comics, books, and movies about the undead, it shouldn't have been a surprise that somebody was finally both smart and crazy enough to try and make it a reality. I know the world ended on a Friday. It was the last day I saw my children."

Scarlet, a single mom, is at work at the hospital when it all begins; her two daughters are with her ex-husband. Now all she can think about is finding her daughters and getting them to safety at Red Hill Ranch.

"I couldn't do this if I wasn't with them. I needed to see Jenna roll her eyes at me again, and for Halle to interrupt me. They needed me to tell them that everything would be okay. We couldn't survive the end of the world without each other. I didn't want to."

Miranda and her sister, Ashley (and their two boyfriends) are also trying to get to Red Hill Ranch. It's their father's country house and a beckoning sanctuary from all the chaos and violence surrounding them. But they're miles away, and the roads are clogged with cars, terrified people...and zombies.

"We passed more people, unsure of who was running and who was chasing. A couple of times people screamed at me to stop, begged me to help them, but stopping always meant dying in the movies, and I was barely eighteen. I wasn't sure how long we would survive, but I knew I wasn't dying on day one of the f**king zombie apocalypse."

Nathan's wife chose this day of all days to leave him. Now it's up to him to keep his young daughter, Zoe, safe. But how is he supposed to do that when nothing in the world is safe, or even sane, any more?

"Watching a movie about zombies is one thing. Watching zombies outside your windows was another. The movies didn't talk about that...how terrifying each moment truly was. I tried not to think about tomorrow, or that we would still be fighting for our lives every day from now on. I glanced back at Zoe, and choked back the sadness welling up in my throat. I didn't want her to grow up in a world like this."

Page-turning action and suspense, along with some pretty good characters, make this novel by Jamie McGuire a better-than-average zombie read. I was rooting for the whole group to survive. (Never a realistic hope in any zombie novel; someone you like always dies!) The first half reads the best; the story slows a bit towards the end, especially in regards to Scarlett and her daughters. Overall, though this novel offers lots of tension and violence, smart survival, sad deaths, humor, friendship and hope.

Happy Reading! 

A bookish update...

Almost through reading:

I've never read an Elizabeth Bowen novel before, and while I probably won't be blogging about this one, I did like it enough to want to try some of her other books.

Highlights from the St. George Winter Bird Festival:

Jan. 26-27th turned out to be an awesome birding weekend for me. I saw 17 birds that I'd never seen before, which was a lot of fun. My favorite? The Vermillion Flycatcher.

(Female)

Isn't this bird cute?  It's common in places like Texas, but it is very rare in Utah. There are only a few that winter over here. And I got to see two of them!!! I also saw several Great-tailed Grackles.

Apparently, they like to hang out in the Wal-Mart parking lot. But that's not where I saw them; I spotted these birds walking along the Virgin River and at Tonaquent Park along with one Hooded Merganser, a dozen Wood Ducks, two Verduns, three Kestrels, a Rock Wren, Bewick's Wren, Wilson's Snipe, Northern Mockingbird, Black Phoebe, Abert's Towhee, several Gambel's Quail, a Ladderback Woodpecker, some Black-tailed Gnatcatchers, and a Crissal Thrasher (which has a long curvy beak and a very lyrical song). And on our very last day at the bird festival we finally spotted this sleepy screech owl.

All in all, it was a very good birding trip!

Recently checked out of the library:

Blood Mist by Mark Roberts

Red Hill and Among Monsters by Jamie McGuire

Stalking Ground by Margaret Mizushima

Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper by J.L. Bryan

Mobile Library by David Whitehorse

Wickedly Wonderful by Deborah Blake

Recently viewed on DVD:

Traitors, an Arabic movie with English subtitles, is set in Tangiers, Morocco, and follows Malika, the lead singer of an all-female punk rock band, as she tries to earn enough money to pay for her band's first demo and keep her mother from being evicted from their apartment. It's written and directed by Sean Gullette. And I loved it. The setting. The tough and fiesty main character. The music. Everything.

 Happy viewing.

And Happy Reading!

  

A Gentleman In Moscow

For the crime of having been born an aristocrat, Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov is sentenced to spend the rest of his life confined to the Metropol Hotel in Moscow. It is 1922. The Tzar has fallen, the Bolsheviks are in charge, and the life Count Rostov once knew is gone forever. So begins Amor Towles' A Gentleman in Moscow.

I loved this book! I have a feeling that it might end up being my favorite read of 2018. Towles' writing is amazing, and Alexander Rostov is such an unforgettable character. I never got tired of his quiet reminiscences or his perceptive observations of the changing world outside his window.

Having acknowledged that a man must master his circumstances or otherwise be mastered by them, the Count thought it worth considering how one was most likely to achieve this aim when one had been sentenced to a life of confinement.

His inward journey as he creates a life for himself within the walls of the Metropol Hotel is an act of courage, dignity, grace, and above all, humor. He even manages to find love. That along with the varied acquaintances he meets, and the deep friendships he makes over the 30 years he is confined to the Metropol, make this book something to be savored. Near the end of the novel, one of Rostov's friends says this to him:

Who would have imagined when you were sentenced to life in the Metropol all those years ago, that you had just become the luckiest man in all of Russia.

I know I feel very lucky to have read this book, even more so because I got to read it with Bettina. This is the third book we've read together, and I think it's the best. But be sure to check out her review to see what she thinks. And then go check out this book!!

Happy Reading!

Urban Fantasy Fun...

The Who:  

Barbara Yager -- one of the Baba Yagas. (It's a title, not a name.) She rides a motorcycle; she can heal and do magic; and she can kick some serious ass. She's been summoned to Clearwater County to help find a missing girl.

Liam McClellean -- the small town sheriff who is leading the investigation into the recent disappearances of three young children. He's doing everything he can, but there are no leads and no clues. Then Barbara Yager shows up out of nowhere and not only is she beautiful, she's also stubborn, odd, mysterious, and infuriating. And Liam is not quite sure what to make of her.

The What:   

Barbara is sure there's Otherworldly magic behind the children's disappearances, but she doesn't know why, or who's responsible. Although she does have a suspect. Now if only she had some proof to go along with her suspicions,  and a way to counter the spell and recover the missing children. Then there's Liam. He's determined and sincere and not entirely sure he can trust her.  And she wants to tell him the truth about who she is and what's really going on in his town, she's just not sure how to do it so he'll believe her. But she's got to figure it out fast, because they're running out of time.

The Fun:  

Wickedly Dangerous by Deborah Blake is an entertaining mix of mystery, magic, and mayhem, with just the right amount of romance. Liam and Barbara are great characters, but I also really liked Chudo Yudo, the dragon disguised as a dog who lives with Barbara and guards the Water of Life & Death. (Not only does he read historical romances, but he finds Barbara's attraction to Liam--a first for her--very amusing.) There's great magic in this book, too:  rusalkas, and spells, and a hidden door to the Otherworld. It's a good escapism book and a fun fantasy read. I liked it a lot.

Happy Reading!

Bookish thoughts...

On finding a bookish balance.  Sometimes I have trouble finding the right balance between the library books I want to read and the books on my TBR shelf at home; between the series I want to finish and the new books I've recently discovered. (I have to admit, the newer reads usually win.)  But there ought to be a better way--a way to balance ALL the different kinds of books I want to read. I just wish I knew what it was. Got any suggestions?

On the lottery.  There's no lottery here in Utah, so I never play it, which means I'll never win it. But every once in awhile I like to imagine what I'd do if I did win all that money. I'd for sure quit my job and replace my old car with a brand new one. And maybe I'd buy a house at the beach, or take a yearlong trip around the world, flying first class, of course. There's so much I could do if I had a little extra money! It's a nice dream, isn't it? I know people say that money can't buy happiness, but I'd sure like the chance to prove them wrong.

On my weekend plans: 

So this weekend I'm headed to the Winter Bird Festival in St. George, Utah, with my sisters. I'm hoping to spot some birds that I've never seen before, as well as enjoy the sunshine and scenery of Southern Utah. Along with my hat and my binoculars--my essential birdwatching accessories--I've packed a couple of books:  How To Be A Bad Birdwatcher by Simon Barnes (for laughs) and Doubletake by Rob Thurman (for fun). So if you don't hear from me 'til Monday, that's where I'll be.

Have a great weekend everyone!

And Happy Reading!

Bookish Suspense At Its Best...

Dr. Jenna Ramey sees colors when she talks to people; she has grapheme-color synesthesia.  "Where for most people, traits blended in, the colors that flashed in her mind at certain statements or mannerisms could make a quality stand out like a brunette in a sea of bald heads."  Purple for narcissism. Red for wrath or love or a very dominant type A personality. That's what color she sees when she talks with Isaac Keaton, a sociopathic serial killer.  He may be behind bars, but he has at least one partner still on the loose and a much larger game set in motion. It's up to Jenna to figure out what that deadly game is and who all the other players are before more innocent people die.

Color Blind by Colby Marshall turned out to be a 4-star read for me. It's compelling and unexpected and Jenna's synesthesia gives this psychological thriller an interesting and unique twist. Isaac Keaton is a very formidable opponent, but he's not Jenna's only problem; there's also her sociopathic mother, Claudia, who's in a mental hospital awaiting trial. (She only tried to kill Jenna's father and younger brother 17 years ago.) Then there's her ex, FBI agent Hank Ellis. He's also working the Keaton case. It gets a little complicated, but in a good way. I have to say, I liked all the layers in this book. It's fast-paced and suspenseful. And Jenna Ramey is a character I would gladly read about again. (Now if only I can convince my library to buy the next 2 books in this series!)

Happy Reading!