Author: travelingwitht

travelingwiththttps://travelingwitht.wordpress.comBook blogger, picture-taker, baseball lover. She Reads Online Book Club Twitter chat host.
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Literary Friday ya’ll…

Friday. YES!

My brother is in Washington DC today- a little road trip planned with a friend. He reports that it’s quite cold in our nations capitol.

Other #literaryfriday news:

1. Deep South Mag has their weekly #literaryfriday- as always it’s quite good. Talk of Kevin Bacon’s new show The Following and it’s Edgar Allan Poe connection, Gone Girl (the movie) may have found a director, and much more!

Today was also the day of the Amy Hill Hearth chat on Twitter (sorry I did not post blog before it happened!) If you want to know more about her, please read the interview that Deep South Magazine posted. Also, look for #southernlit on Twitter to see some of the talk!

2. My #fridayreads is Me Before You by JoJo Moyes and Gods of Mischief:My Undercover Vendetta to Take Down the Vagos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang by George Rowe. Both are good- and at opposite ends of the book world! Me Before You has already made several books lists and is creating quite a buzz. Look for Gods of Mischief (Touchstone Publishing) in February!

3. Had a lovely book weekend last weekend. Met with some ladies- spent the entire weekend discussing books and things (look for a blog post ASAP). While on my book weekend, I bought 2 books from Lemuria Bookstore- Deep South by Nevada Barr and Heartsick by Chelsea Cain. Any thoughts on these?

4. I should have my chick lit fan club card revoked for this: I saw a Madeline Wickham book on the bargain book table at Barnes and Noble- and upon first glance I thought it said “by Sophie Kinsella and Madeline Wickham”, but it turns out- they are the same person, which I did not know. Silly me. #pleasedonttakemychicklitfancardaway

5. Oh and my copy of Kinsey and Me by Sue Grafton arrived this week. Guess who’s tap dancing around the house? This girl, that’s who!

Happy Reading- wherever you are!

 

Literary Friday ya’ll…

Friday! I’m off for a weekend of books and foods and friends- don’t be jealous!

1. Deep South Mag is back with their Twitter chats today- Attica Locke, author of The Cutting Season (it made the Deep South Mag Fall/Winter Reading List!) Come chat. NOW. 2-3pm EST. Use #southernlit to join in.

Deep South Mag and their #literaryfriday is also posted- Edgar Allan Poe’s birthday and talk of the Pulpwood Queen’s Girlfriend Weekend among other things!

2. My #fridayreads is Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler. Really enjoying it so far!

3. I’ve been hearing such great things about Me Before You by JoJo Moyes that I’m putting that on my “To Read” list!

 

Sorry to cut it short- I’m chatting in the Attica Locke Twitter chat, preparing to leave for my weekend away- and basically trying to do too many things at once! I need about 5 more hands to accomplish all!

List-style Thursday

A round-up of different things on blogs or upcoming events that I have been meaning to post about:

1. The Making of a Writer by B.A Shapiro

2.A Life-Long Love Affair With Books by Karen White

3. Tell Me Something True: A Visit With Lisa O’Donnell

4. Literary First Love by B.A. Shapiro

5. Have You Ever Stood at the Barre?

All the above post can be found at She Reads

To prepare for #literaryfriday, don’t forget that Deep South Mag will be hosting a Twitter chat Friday, Jan 18 2-3 pm EST. Deep South Mag has posted an interview with Attica Locke- but please join in the chat if at all possible. Use hashtag #southernlit to join in.

 

What goes better together than books and chocolate? Wine & Books!

Picture this: You’re sitting at home and have plans for a reading night. Maybe you have a cozy warm blanket nearby or candles lit (if you are like me- I have a pillow to lay my head on, blankets nearby to stay warm and cozy, and usually a mug of hot chocolate to drink). But there are nights when the hot chocolate is not enough- sometimes I want a glass of wine to sip and savor as my mind enjoys a literary treat. For me, this means wishing and hoping I still have a bottle of wine somewhere; anywhere or can make it to the store to buy one.

But what if you picked a bottle of wine based on the book you were reading- and not on just whatever you had in the house or the cheapest bottle you find at the store? This is what today’s post at She Reads is all about: pairing bottles of wine with books!

Be sure and check back at She Reads often- as Caitlin will be picking the perfect bottle of wine to make the She Reads monthly book pick even more enjoyable- Think along the lines of “C’est Magnifique”- which I hope is all you say “it’s magnificient” (side note: it’s times like this that I really wish I had the foresight to master at least 2 other languages- besides the New Orleans style langauge that I wished I spoke!)

 

Fiber and Brimstone by Laura Childs

Fiber and Brimstone by Laura Childs is the 4th book I’ve read in the Cruisin Thru the Cozies Reading Challenge 2013. It is my first Laura Childs book, however.

New Orleans. Halloween. What could be better? When Carmela and Ava discover the body of Brett Fowler- minutes after they overheard an argument between Jeykll Hardy and Fowler, the ladies are distressed. But Carmela puts on her sleuthing hat- all the while running her scrapbook store and vows to make sure the police don’t focus on Jekyll- after all there are many more suspects to consider. Especially when Fowlers’s business practices come to light.

Carmela’s also having to deal with her ex- Shamus and her current lover, Edgar Babcock. It’s a lot for her to deal with, but nothing that Carmela can’t handle. Coupled with her friend, Ava, the two make plans to find the killer, find Ava a boyfriend and figure out the clues for the treasure hunt. While having a spookily good time!

 

Writers- and the peace they bring to lives…(plus escargot)

I’ve talked at length before in previous posts about how growing up, I always thought of an author as “really high up” in the world- walking around NYC, with shiny shoes, meeting interesting people, and cranking out best seller after best seller. I felt envious in the way of their life- pictured them going to fancy restaurants where the drinks and conversations would be free-flowing. I would see them in my mind, walking in a room- every eye on them and sitting down to dinner- perhaps eating escargot (Note: I was not envious of the escargot- I thought it sounded gross. But something an author would eat, no?)

As I’ve grown-up,  my view of an author has changed- while I still think they are “pretty high up”, I realize that not all authors are cranking out best seller after best seller, walking around NYC or eating escargot. There are some that probably are, but just as many who are not.

No matter,though, whether they are super-famous or just a teensy bit famous- reading the works, and finding some peace in my day makes me appreciative of the work. It makes me want to meet as many authors as I can- to hear the “behind the scenes” information on the characters- the inspirations. However, you can keep the escargot.

 

Random thoughts….

It’s Tuesday- and I’ve got a few things to say, but nothing that fits under one cute title- hence the random thoughts!

Giveaways:

Cozy Mystery Book Reviews is still doing the 31 days of giveaways for January. If you are a cozy reader- check it out!

Hallie Sawyer is giving away a copy of The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro- just read the post to find out how to enter- and take some time to look at Hallie’s blog (it’s great!) and check out Great New Books (another great website to help readers find books and book chatter!)

Other news:

MVB Club is celebrating their 1 year Anniversary as bloggers! Join me in extending them congratulations to a great first year- and to many more!

Am I the only one who does not watch Downton Abbey? You’ll be happy to know that I’m downloading the first season 🙂

I’m reading A Good Hard Look by Ann Napolitano. Really enjoying it. However, I’m also reading The End Of Your Life Book Club– and honestly, I’m not enjoying it that much. Perhaps, my expectations were too high as everyone I know was raving about book. Thoughts?

 

Happy 1st year Anniversary to MVBClub! Here’s to many more fabulous years of blogging! Cheers!

MAN VS BOOKS CLUB's avatarMan Vs Books Club!

It’s almost hard to believe that a year has past since the Man Vs Books Club went live in 2012.  It has been a fun, scary adventure blogging.  I couldn’t have done it without the support of my team.  They are ones that made this blog the cool experience that it is. Each one has contributed to it in their own special ways.   The  Man Vs Books Club is a true reflection of our teamwork.

A special thanks to everyone that has guest blogged for us. We sincerely appreciate it.  We can wait for more future collaborations.

Lastly now that 2013 is here, we  are going to post  more great book reviews, interviews, and giveaways.  Hope that you will continue to support us.

Remember Reading is  Sexy

DP~MVBCLUB

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Stuck on Murder(A Decoupage Mystery) by Lucy Lawrence

Stuck on Murder (A Decoupage Mystery) is the first book in the series by Lucy Lawrence. Set in a New England town, the main character Brenna Miller is a recent transplant to the town. She teaches decoupage classes at Tenley’s (her former college roommate) store- Vintage Papers. The town is a perfect place to help Brenna forget a troubling incident from her past- as it’s small and sleepy. However, the small-town charms are questionable when the mayor asks Brenna for help in talking to her landlord, Nate, about selling some of his lake front property to a developer- which will in turn benefit the town. With relunctance, Brenna mentions this to Nate- which starts a feud with mayor when Nate refuses to sell. The situation escalates- then Brenna finds the mayor’s body stuffed into a trunk.

Did Nate kill the mayor to save the land? Or is someone taking advantage of the fact that Nate and the mayor have been seen arguing publicly? Could it be the hungry for fame newpaper editor? Or maybe another disgruntled citizen of the town?

Stuck on Murder is a lovely start to the series. Brenna’s a nice character-and the town and the other characters are great backdrops. The book also has the beginnings of a romance- however, be prepared for another twist in that department. For fans of decoupage- there are also tips.

Recommended.

Literary Friday ya’ll…

Today is a beautiful day. Bright sunshine after a couple of days of dreary rain- temp is in high 60’s/70’s and it’s #literaryfriday!

1. Deep South Magazine will have 2 author chats in the upcoming weeks- so please check back at @deepsouthmag or Deep South Magazine’s Facebook page for more information on that. In other #literaryfriday news, a picture of F.Scott Fitzgerald in drag, a list of 12 Gay Book Characters Turned Straight for Movies ( can you guess who they are?), Pulpwood Queen talk about their upcoming Girlfriend Weekend (Kimberly Brock, The River Witch, will be there!) and much more.

2. What are you reading for #fridayreads? I’m reading Stuck on Murder by Lucy Lawrence ( this will be my 3rd book in goal of 13 for Cruisin Thru the Cozies Reading Challenge 2013).

3. In case you missed the announcement earlier this week, She Reads January Book Club pick is The Art Forger by B.A.Shapiro. Here are some links that you might find interesting.

Literary First Love: B.A Shapiro

B.A. Shapiro on Why She Wrote The Art Forger

January Book Club Selection

The Art Forger: Review by Traveling With T

4. Traveling With T took the plunge and made a Facebook page- facebook.com/TravelingWithT

So come over to Facebook and give Traveling With T a “like”. Blog posts will be posted to the facebook page- but not to worry- if you don’t do the facebook thing, feel free to stick around the blog- I’ll be blogging, commenting, posting pictures and recommending books here as well as there.

5. Want to help a soon to be published author? Read Julie Kibler’s tips- Julie’s debut book is Calling Me Home (release date is Feb 12, 2013). Her book has already been getting some advance praise- hopefully will get much more!

6. Excuse my while my inner child squeals- but on Wednesday Jan 16 at 5:30 pm (EST), Scholastic is hosting a BabySitters Club meeting- talk with Ann M. Martin and test your BSC knowledge! Grab the Kid Kits, find some junk food in Claudia’s room (unless you are Stacey or Dawn) and get ready for a great meeting- and don’t be late or Kristy will give you THE LOOK.  Follow @scholastic and use the hashtag #BSCMeeting to join in.

7. Check in with Cozy Mystery Book Reviews– they are giving away books for the month of January!

8. Peeking Between the Pages is giving away a copy of Allison Winn Scotch The Song Remains the Same– check in with that blog for the rules and details.

Happy Reading!