Tag Archives: weekly features

Thursday Quotables: In the Unlikely Event

Posted in Thursday Quotables by

quotation-marks4

Welcome back to Thursday Quotables! This weekly feature is the place to highlight a great quote, line, or passage discovered during your reading each week.  Whether it’s something funny, startling, gut-wrenching, or just really beautifully written, Thursday Quotables is where my favorite lines of the week will be, and you’re invited to join in!

NEW! Thursday Quotables is now using a Linky tool! Be sure to add your link if you have a Thursday Quotables post to share.

In the Unlikely Event

In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume
(published 2015 )

Holiday season, New Jersey, circa 1951:

Miri Ammerman and her best friend, Natalie Osner, were sprawled on their bellies on the thick, tweedy wall-to-wall carpet of Natalie’s den, waiting for the first-ever televised lighting of the famous Christmas tree. The den was Miri’s favorite room in Natalie’s house, not least because of the seventeen-inch Zenith, inside a pale wood cabinet, the biggest television Miri had ever seen.

One of the things I’m really enjoying about this book is the amount of detail the author uses to bring that particular time to life — all the clothes, the brand names, the cars, the foods. Even little things like a girl taking the phone into the bathroom with her for privacy, the long cord stretched down the hallway!

On a more serious note, here’s the stark scene of a plane crash a few days later:

He’d had to elbow his way through the crowd to where the plane lay on its back in the Elizabeth River, belly ripped open, rubble spilling into the frozen stream and onto the banks. The river was a mass of roaring flames shooting a hundred feet into the air and surrounding the mangled wreckage, one wing pointing straight up.

Firemen, policemen and other rescue workers swarmed to the scene, armed with cutting torches, grappling hooks, blankets, stretchers and bags. A white-clad intern, stethoscope around his neck, went with them, but he didn’t stay long — just long enough to know he wasn’t needed.

I’m about a third of the way into this book, and I’m really getting swept up in the drama as well as the period detail. Such fun to be reading a Judy Blume novel again after so many years!

What lines made you laugh, cry, or gasp this week? Do tell!

If you’d like to participate in Thursday Quotables, it’s really simple:

  • Write a Thursday Quotables post on your blog. Try to pick something from whatever you’re reading now. And please be sure to include a link back to Bookshelf Fantasies in your post (http://www.bookshelffantasies.com), if you’d be so kind!
  • Click on the linky button (look for the cute froggie face) below to add your link.
  • After you link up, I’d love it if you’d leave a comment about my quote for this week.
  • Be sure to visit other linked blogs to view their Thursday Quotables, and have fun!

The Monday Check-In ~ 8/10/2015

Posted in The Monday Check-In by

cooltext1850356879 My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.

What did I read last week?

Uncommon ReaderThe Uninvited

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett: This novella is such a treat for bookworms! It’s a sweet, funny, charming piece of short fiction about what might happen if the Queen of England suddenly became an obsessive reader. The writing itself is such fun, as well as the storyline. I featured a few passages from this book for my Thursday Quotables post last week — check it out here.

The Uninvited by Cat Winters: Done! Watch for my blog tour post and review, coming up on Thursday. Want a hint ahead of time? This one is getting high marks!

And in graphic novels:

Kingsman

After watching the movie Kingsman a couple of weeks ago, I thought I should check out the comic it was based on. The movie is over-the-top violent, but worth it to see Colin Firth kicking major butt (while impeccably dressed, of course.) The comic was originally issued as The Secret Service, and this paperback volume collects the whole story in one edition. It’s a fun, goofy way to spend an afternoon.

And if you haven’t seen the movie and want a little taste:

 

Fresh Catch:

New goodies this week!

FC0815a

Okay, I got a little silly playing with images… Here, with colorful critters, are my new arrivals — including three bought, one ARC courtesy of Goodreads FirstReads (yippee!), and a library book.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:
In the Unlikely EventWhat You Left Behind

I’ve just started In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume, which jumps to the top of my priority list since it’s a non-renewable library book. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a Judy Blume book — I still have fond/embarrassing memories of how into Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret, Deenie, and Forever we all were back in the day.

I’m behind on my ARCS. Still. Again. Forever. But in any case, I’m very determined to read What You Left Behind by Jessica Verdi this week.

Now playing via audiobook:

Mansfield Park

Just finished Mansfield Park! I could have sworn that I’d read Mansfield Park before, but the further I went in the audiobook, the more I realized that it was all pretty new to me. I’m glad to have filled in the gap in my Austen reading! Little, meek Fanny Price definitely grew on me, and despite shipping the wrong couple for a while, I was overall pretty charmed by this book.

So what’s next? I think it’s about time to shake things up and listen to something very different from all the Austens I’ve been spending time with lately… so, to get as un-Austen as might be possible, my next audiobook will be a collection of Dresden shorts by Jim Butcher:

Working for Bigfoot

Ongoing reads:

ABOSAAN&S

Two chapters per week for each of these, for my online book group discussions. Both books should be done by December!

So many book, so little time…

boy1

 

 

Thursday Quotables: The Uncommon Reader

Posted in Thursday Quotables by

quotation-marks4

Welcome back to Thursday Quotables! This weekly feature is the place to highlight a great quote, line, or passage discovered during your reading each week.  Whether it’s something funny, startling, gut-wrenching, or just really beautifully written, Thursday Quotables is where my favorite lines of the week will be, and you’re invited to join in!

NEW! Thursday Quotables is now using a Linky tool! Be sure to add your link if you have a Thursday Quotables post to share.

Uncommon Reader

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
(published 2007 )

This slim novella is such a delight for a bookworm like me! What would happen if the Queen of England suddenly become an avid reader? In this fictional account of the Queen’s love of books, it’s all-consuming, highly inspirational (to her), and highly annoying (to everyone else). Here are a few snippets that I found so amusing:

1 – From a conversation with a servant about the Queen’s first book borrowed from the bookmobile near the palace grounds:

“How far did your Majesty get?”

“Oh, to the end. Once I start a book I finish it. That was the way one was brought up. Books, bread and butter, mashed potato — one finishes what’s on one’s plate. That’s always been my philosophy.”

2 – On why she’s so hooked:

The appeal of reading, she thought, lay in its indifference: there was something undeferring about literature. Books did not care who was reading them or whether one read them or not. All readers were equal, herself included. […] … and this took her back to the beginning of her life. As a girl, one of her greatest thrills had been on VE night when she and her sister had slipped out of the gates and mingled unrecognised with the crowds. There was something of that, she felt, to reading. It was anonymous; it was shared; it was common. And she who had led a life apart now found that she craved it. Here in these pages and between these covers she could go unrecognised.

3 – On how irritating her Majesty’s reading is to her usual companions:

This dislike of the Queen’s reading was not confined to the household. Whereas in the past walkies had meant a noisy and restrained romp in the grounds, these days, once she was out of sight of her house, Her Majesty sank onto the nearest seat and took out her book. Occasionally she threw a bored biscuit in the direction of the dogs, but there was none of that ball-throwing, stick-fetching and orchestrated frenzy that used to enliven their perambulations. Indulged and bad-tempered though they were, the dogs were not unintelligent, so it was not surprising that in a short space of time they came to hate books as the spoilsports they were (and always have been).

What lines made you laugh, cry, or gasp this week? Do tell!

If you’d like to participate in Thursday Quotables, it’s really simple:

  • Write a Thursday Quotables post on your blog. Try to pick something from whatever you’re reading now. And please be sure to include a link back to Bookshelf Fantasies in your post (http://www.bookshelffantasies.com), if you’d be so kind!
  • Click on the linky button (look for the cute froggie face) below to add your link.
  • After you link up, I’d love it if you’d leave a comment about my quote for this week.
  • Be sure to visit other linked blogs to view their Thursday Quotables, and have fun!

The Monday Check-In ~ 8/3/2015

Posted in The Monday Check-In by

cooltext1850356879 My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.

What did I read last week?

DemelzaNever Always Sometimes

Wow, this has been a really slow reading week. Somehow, the time just slid away, and there was just too much else going on. I hate when that happens.

But I did manage to finish:

Demelza by Winston Graham, book 2 in the Poldark series. And if you want to hear more about the books or PBS’s Masterpiece production of Poldark, check out my very enthusiastic post, here. There’s even some delicious eye candy…

Never Always Sometimes by Adi Alsaid: This was my weekend read, and I ended up really enjoying it. My review is here.

Fresh Catch:

Heartbreak! The very last volume in the wonderful Fables series arrived this week… and I’m holding off on reading it for a few more days until I feel really ready to see how it all works out.

Fables v22

Sharing the big version of the cover image — because it’s the last volume of Fables and it deserves all the love!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:
Circling the SunWhat You Left Behind

Ack! Having a hard time deciding what to read next, between all the ARCs glaring at me whenever I turn on my Kindle and the new stack of library books. (Can I help it if all my hold requests come in at the same time?)

As of this moment, I believe my next two books will be:

  • Circling the Sun by Paula McLain
  • What You Left Behind by Jessica Verdi
Now playing via audiobook:

Mansfield Park

I’m approaching the halfway mark in the Mansfield Park audiobook. At this point, I’m not loving this one as much as the other Austens I’ve listened to this year. It’s been so long since I read the book, and I really don’t remember much of the plot. So far, there’s a lot of walking about in gardens and parks, plus a real lot of planning for a play. I hope it picks up soon!

Ongoing reads:

ABOSAAN&S

I’m dropping Eldest (by Chris Paolini) from my currently reading list for now. I was reading it with my son, and he just doesn’t seem interested anymore — and I’m not sure that I’m interested enough to keep going without his participation.

So, for now at least, my two ongoing reading projects are my group reads with Outlander Book Club. Still enjoying the heck out of these!

So many book, so little time…

boy1

Thursday Quotables: Never Always Sometimes

Posted in Thursday Quotables by

quotation-marks4

Welcome back to Thursday Quotables! This weekly feature is the place to highlight a great quote, line, or passage discovered during your reading each week.  Whether it’s something funny, startling, gut-wrenching, or just really beautifully written, Thursday Quotables is where my favorite lines of the week will be, and you’re invited to join in!

NEW! Thursday Quotables is now using a Linky tool! Be sure to add your link if you have a Thursday Quotables post to share.

Never Always Sometimes

Never Always Sometimes by Adi Alsaid
(upcoming release – August 4, 2015 )

I literally started this book an hour ago — and on the very first page, I found a description that I really like:

Dave looked up just as Julia was sitting down. She was wearing her usual: shorts, a plaid blue shirt over a tank top, the pair of flip-flops she loved so much that they were now made up of more duct tape than the original rubbery material. Her light brown hair was in a loose ponytail, two perfect strands looped around her ears. If the lights ever went out in her presence, Dave was pretty sure the brightness of her eyes would be more useful than a flashlight.
Don’t you just love that last sentence? It captures so perfectly how crazy this boy must be about this girl.

BONUS THURSDAY QUOTABLE!

I can’t resist adding one extra quote from a very different source.

I’m continuing my romp through Jane Austen’s novels, and this line from Mansfield Park really cracked me up today (spoken by an incredibly self-centered and self-satisfied character):

“Selfishness must always be forgiven, you know, because there is no hope of a cure.”

For whatever reason, listening to this bit via the audiobook was just too perfect.

What lines made you laugh, cry, or gasp this week? Do tell!

If you’d like to participate in Thursday Quotables, it’s really simple:

  • Write a Thursday Quotables post on your blog. Try to pick something from whatever you’re reading now. And please be sure to include a link back to Bookshelf Fantasies in your post (http://www.bookshelffantasies.com), if you’d be so kind!
  • Click on the linky button (look for the cute froggie face) below to add your link.
  • After you link up, I’d love it if you’d leave a comment about my quote for this week.
  • Be sure to visit other linked blogs to view their Thursday Quotables, and have fun!

The Monday Check-In ~ 7/27/2015

Posted in The Monday Check-In by

cooltext1850356879 My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.

What did I read last week?

Maybe in Another LifeGo Set A Watchman

Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid: Done! My review is here.

Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee: I read this book during the past week, and shared some thoughts about it here.

Elsewhere on the blog:

I shared some highlights and photos from my trip to the Canadian Rockies, here. (I know, I know… other people’s vacation pics!)

I also wrote a bit about revisiting Jane Austen’s books without really planning to. Check out My Year of Austen!

Fresh Catch:

One new book added to my toppling stacks this week:

Northanger Abbey 3

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:
Demelza

Continuing on with the Poldark series by Winston Graham, I’m in the middle of the 2nd book, Demelza. The fact that the BBC production is so unbelievably gorgeous is definitely a contributing factor to my interest in these books! But really, I’m just truly enjoying the story.

Now playing via audiobook:

Sense and Sensibility 2Mansfield Park

My year of Austen audiobooks continues! I just finished Sense and Sensibility over the weekend, and I’m now starting Mansfield Park. I’m loving “re-reading” these books via audio.

Ongoing reads:

EldestABOSAAN&S

My kiddo and I have completely stalled out on our Eldest reading project. I should check to see if he’s still interested in continuing (because if he’s not, I’m not sure that I’ll bother with it either). Also ongoing, my two group reads with Outlander Book Club — two chapters per week from now until we’re done!

So many book, so little time…

boy1

 

Thursday Quotables: Ross Poldark

Posted in Thursday Quotables by

quotation-marks4

Welcome back to Thursday Quotables! This weekly feature is the place to highlight a great quote, line, or passage discovered during your reading each week.  Whether it’s something funny, startling, gut-wrenching, or just really beautifully written, Thursday Quotables is where my favorite lines of the week will be, and you’re invited to join in!

NEW! Thursday Quotables is now using a Linky tool! Be sure to add your link if you have a Thursday Quotables post to share.

Ross Poldark

Ross Poldark by Winston Graham
(published 1945 )

I was originally going to go with a more action-oriented passage or quote, but this little paragraph caught my attention instead. I love how visual the description is:

The formal dance went on. The soft yellow candle light trembled over the colours of the dresses, the gold and cream, the salmon and the mulberry. It made the graceful and the beautiful more charming, the graceless and the ungainly tolerable; it smoothed over the tawdry and cast soft creamy-grey shadows becoming to all.

I really like the mood created, painting a picture of an enchanted evening. The rest of the paragraph is as follows:

The band scraped away, the figures pirouetted, moving and bowing and stepping, turning on heels, holding hands, pointing toes; the shadows intermingled and changed, forming and reforming intricate designs of light and shade, like some gracious depictment of the warp and woof of life, sun and shadow, birth and death, a slow interweaving of the eternal pattern.

Anyone else watching Poldark on TV? The landscape alone can make me sigh…

What lines made you laugh, cry, or gasp this week? Do tell!

If you’d like to participate in Thursday Quotables, it’s really simple:

  • Write a Thursday Quotables post on your blog. Try to pick something from whatever you’re reading now. And please be sure to include a link back to Bookshelf Fantasies in your post (http://www.bookshelffantasies.com), if you’d be so kind!
  • Click on the linky button (look for the cute froggie face) below to add your link.
  • After you link up, I’d love it if you’d leave a comment about my quote for this week.
  • Be sure to visit other linked blogs to view their Thursday Quotables, and have fun!

The Monday Check-In ~ 7/20/2015

Posted in The Monday Check-In by

cooltext1850356879 My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.

What did I read last week?

Sweetheart DealAll the LightRoss Poldark

The Sweetheart Deal by Polly Dugan: Done! My review is here.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr: Done, just in time for my book group discussion later this week. Some brief thoughts on this lovely book are here.

Ross Poldark by Winston Graham: Done! Okay, I’ll admit that Aidan Turner was a big part of what drew me to the PBS airing of Poldark, but I ended up really loving the story itself, so I had to give the book a try… and really liked it! It’s my understanding that the 1st season of the TV show covers the first two books in the series, so clearly, I need to keep going! C’mere, book #2!

Off-line:

I just got back from a glorious 10-day trip to the Canadian Rockies. Mountains! Lakes! Incredible natural beauty! I’ll be sharing some highlights and photos in the next few days. Man, it’s hard to return to real life!

Fresh Catch:

A few new books came my way right before I left town:

Canada 433

And… I came home from my trip to find a library notice, saying that my request for Go Set A Watchman is ready for pick-up!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:
Maybe in Another LifeGo Set A Watchman

I’m just finishing up Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid, and will post some thoughts in the next few days.

With some trepidation, I’m about to start Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee. I’m almost tempted to pass it by, but I feel like I need to read it for myself to see what all the uproar is about.

Now playing via audiobook:

Northanger AbbeySense and Sensibility 2

My year of Austen audiobooks continues! I finished Northanger Abbey while on vacation, and have just started Sense and Sensibility. I read all these books so many years ago; getting a refresher via audio is delightful.

Ongoing reads:

EldestABOSAAN&S

One with the kiddo, two with Outlander Book Club. All three should last a good long while.

So many book, so little time…

boy1

 

 

Thursday Quotables: All the Light We Cannot See

Posted in Thursday Quotables by

quotation-marks4

Welcome back to Thursday Quotables! This weekly feature is the place to highlight a great quote, line, or passage discovered during your reading each week.  Whether it’s something funny, startling, gut-wrenching, or just really beautifully written, Thursday Quotables is where my favorite lines of the week will be, and you’re invited to join in!

NEW! Thursday Quotables is now using a Linky tool! Be sure to add your link if you have a Thursday Quotables post to share.

All the Light

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
(published 2014 )

 

It strikes Werner just then as wondrously futile to build splendid buildings, to make music, to sing songs, to print huge books full of colorful birds in the face of the seismic, engulfing indifference of the world – what pretensions humans have! Why bother to make music when the silence and wind are so much larger? Why light lamps when the darkness will inevitably snuff them?

Slightly gloomy, I know, but so fitting for the mood of this wonderful and beautiful book. Here’s another I really like:

Open your eyes and see what you can with them before they close forever.

What lines made you laugh, cry, or gasp this week? Do tell!

If you’d like to participate in Thursday Quotables, it’s really simple:

  • Write a Thursday Quotables post on your blog. Try to pick something from whatever you’re reading now. And please be sure to include a link back to Bookshelf Fantasies in your post (http://www.bookshelffantasies.com), if you’d be so kind!
  • Click on the linky button (look for the cute froggie face) below to add your link.
  • After you link up, I’d love it if you’d leave a comment about my quote for this week.
  • Be sure to visit other linked blogs to view their Thursday Quotables, and have fun!

Thursday Quotables: In honor of the 4th of July

Posted in Thursday Quotables by

quotation-marks4

Welcome back to Thursday Quotables! This weekly feature is the place to highlight a great quote, line, or passage discovered during your reading each week.  Whether it’s something funny, startling, gut-wrenching, or just really beautifully written, Thursday Quotables is where my favorite lines of the week will be, and you’re invited to join in!

NEW! Thursday Quotables is now using a Linky tool! Be sure to add your link if you have a Thursday Quotables post to share.

ABOSAA quote

A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon
(published 2006 )

I’ve highlighted this quote before, but the timing couldn’t be better for a repeat!

I’m re-reading A Breath of Snow and Ashes with my book group, and we just happened to arrive at this particular chapter this week, set in May 1775, as the events leading up to the Declaration of Independence are getting more and more intense.

Perfect for this 4th of July holiday week!

What lines made you laugh, cry, or gasp this week? Do tell!

If you’d like to participate in Thursday Quotables, it’s really simple:

  • Write a Thursday Quotables post on your blog. Try to pick something from whatever you’re reading now. And please be sure to include a link back to Bookshelf Fantasies in your post (http://www.bookshelffantasies.com), if you’d be so kind!
  • Click on the linky button (look for the cute froggie face) below to add your link.
  • After you link up, I’d love it if you’d leave a comment about my quote for this week.
  • Be sure to visit other linked blogs to view their Thursday Quotables, and have fun!