61 Hours

 

From Goodreads:

Sixty-one hours. Not a minute to spare.

A tour bus crashes in a savage snowstorm and lands Jack Reacher in the middle of a deadly confrontation. In nearby Bolton, South Dakota, one brave woman is standing up for justice in a small town threatened by sinister forces. If she’s going to live long enough to testify, she’ll need help. Because a killer is coming to Bolton, a coldly proficient assassin who never misses.

Reacher’s original plan was to keep on moving. But the next 61 hours will change everything. The secrets are deadlier and his enemies are stronger than he could have guessed—but so is the woman whose life he’ll risk his own to save.

 

From Me:

While I do love Lee Child's Jack Reacher books, I tend to put them on the back burner for other books.  I put them on the back burner for months at a time, and now I'm thinking-- Why?

Full of suspense and mystery and an intriguing main character who always comes out on top.

It was a fun listen!

The Handyman's pick for a long car ride.

 

 

Book Blogger Hop

 

Book Blogger Hop is hosted each week by

Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer.

 

This week's question is:

As you are reading a book, do you take notes for your reviews, write your reviews as you read, or something totally different?

 

My answer is:

I'm not really an official reviewer, so my answer is no.

I just love books and love to read about people who love books and talk with people who love books and read blog posts and participate in book related memes or blog hops or challenges, all related to books.

 

I' m one of those people--- on the fringe.

I hope that's okay.

Nonfiction November - Week 1

Apparently I suck at non-fiction reading.   You'll soon see....
But first...

This is my first year for Nonfiction November.  I'M SO EXCITED!  (because...I just am) I'm looking forward to finishing a couple of non-fiction books I've begun and reading a brand new one too!  In my mind, it will be a wonderful, calm (before the storm),  sitting by the fire, curling up with some good books, drinking good coffee, smelling pumpkin spice and turkey kind of month. In reality I feel November flies by, so I am hoping that this will help me be calm and relaxed---which is what I've always wanted for November.
Thanks to Kim (Sophisticated Dorkiness), Becca (I'm Lost in Books),  Lu (Regular Rumination)  and Katie (Doing Dewey) for hosting!

Our first week is hosted by Kim and the topic is (by the way, there will be different topics each week in November):
Your Year in Nonfiction: Take a look back at your year of nonfiction and reflect on the following questions – What was your favorite nonfiction read of the year? What nonfiction book have you recommended the most? What is one topic or type of nonfiction you haven’t read enough of yet? What are you hoping to get out of participating in Nonfiction November?

As I said, apparently I suck!  I've only read 5--FIVE nonfiction books this year.  And that makes me kind of sad.  Although, I am a fan of coffee table books. Does that count?  I've bought a couple and read them. That could up my count total. Hmmmmm?  Or cookbooks?  Do they count?  I've read a ton of cookbooks!

What was your favorite nonfiction read of the year?
My favorite has to be A River Lost: The Life and Death of the Columbia

 

I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, in the shadow of the Columbia River. And I loved this book and I love this river.

 

 

What nonfiction book have you recommended the most?

I would have to say Amy Poehler's  "Yes Please".   She is brilliant---in a comedic sort of way. And since I've only read 5 nonfiction so far this year, my pickings are slim.  Not to say that I wouldn't recommend this one anyway.  I loved it.

 

I know her humor is not for everyone, but I listened to the audio, narrated by Poehler herself and the timing was spot on--of course.  I have watched the PBS documentary about the Comedians and just find it amazing how women comics broke thru the 'man's world',  so I have a soft spot in my heart, I guess, for women comedians.

AND--I wish I was that witty.  I'm the one who goes home and play something over in my mind for a day or two and THEN, only THEN do I come up with a witty comeback.

 

 

What is one topic or type of nonfiction you haven’t read enough of yet?

Obviously I read more on the lighter side of non-fiction, but I would have to say---Books on Social Justice written by progressive Christians. 

Seriously.  

And that can be a tuff and really deep subject, so I tend to stay away and stick to easier nonfiction like memoirs and cookbooks.  But I  would like to read more of that type of nonfiction some day.  Heaven must be a big library, right?

 

 

What are you hoping to get out of participating in Nonfiction November?

I'm just hoping to get a lot of good recommendations, visit some new-to-me blogs, making new friends and getting enthused about nonfiction!  Adding to my TBR list!!!

 

 

Signing off to read now....  The Oregon Trail!  (it's nonfiction!)   (I know you knew that---I was being silly)  (see?  Not that witty---I feel I have to explain myself--Poehler would never do that) 

Outdoor Wednesday

On Wednesdays I'll sometimes join A Southern Daydreamer and her Outdoor Wednesday meme to share these pictures.

Stop by and check out other great photos of the outdoors!

I was on YouTube looking for stuff about Rhyolite, NV (it's what my post is about) and found a bunch of videos about "That creepy little town in Nevada"

"The creepiest place you'll ever see"

I find this very amusing.

Because,  I guess it's all relative. 

I think those creepy places are really interesting.

Nevada is big.  Really big.  Texas is bigger.  So is Alaska, California and Montana. 

Nevada is the 7th in area but the 37th in population.

We are a Rural state by any standard.

There I am---in the middle of the state, in the north.  That big yellow spot? That's me! I am proud to be with the  100-250 people per square mile.

Don't crowd me in!

And Nevada is full of Boom Towns. Bust Towns.

It all has to do with gold, but I know you don't want a history lesson or an economics lesson (Nevada is the worlds 5th largest gold producer!  There!  I snuck it in.)

Anyway, I love the creepy little ghost towns in Nevada.

Most of them were 'boom' towns.  Booming Metropolises of 6,000 to 10,000 people in their day.

And now... ghosts!

So, now you think you'll get to see a creepy little ghost town called Rhyolite, right?

NO, you get to see some sculpture.

Some religious sculpture at that!

The sculpture, The Last Supper, consists of ghostly life-sized forms arranged as in the painting The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci. Szukalski molded his shapes by draping plaster-soaked burlap over live models until the plaster dried enough to stand on its own. In the same year, using the same techniques, Szukalski also created Ghost Rider, a plaster figure preparing to mount a bicycle.

 Szukalski traveled to the Nevada desert in 1984 to create “The Last Supper” sculpture.

I'm not sure why he chose to put the sculptures in the middle of the Nevada desert---just 5 miles from Death Valley.

Some say he wanted to put them in Death Valley, but since it is a National Park, he couldn't.   So, he moved them down the road to an old ghost town.

Seems fitting.

Other artists are following suit and adding sculpture to what is now known as  the Goldwell Open Air Museum.

I will leave you with these outdoor pics of the Last supper in this creepy little town.

(next week I'll share pics of the town!)

Dollbaby

 

From Goodreads:

When Ibby Bell’s father dies unexpectedly in the summer of 1964, her mother unceremoniously deposits Ibby with her eccentric grandmother Fannie and throws in her father’s urn for good measure. Fannie’s New Orleans house is like no place Ibby has ever been — and Fannie, who has a tendency to end up in the local asylum — is like no one she has ever met. Fortunately, Fannie’s black cook, Queenie, and her smart-mouthed daughter, Dollbaby, take it upon themselves to initiate Ibby into the ways of the South, both its grand traditions and its darkest secret.

For Fannie’s own family history is fraught with tragedy, hidden behind the closed rooms in her ornate Uptown mansion. It will take Ibby’s arrival to begin to unlock the mysteries there. And it will take Queenie and Dollbaby’s hard-won wisdom to show Ibby that family can sometimes be found in the least expected places.

 

From Me:

Everyone knows I just read this book on a long car trip--thanks Instagram, Twitter and Facebook!

(I do like to post pics on car trips---isn't everyone interested in what I'm reading, drinking, and driving by?)

 

I liked it!

The title was a bit confusing to me while I was reading it, but the ending brought it all together for me. (oops--that could be a mini-spoiler)

I wish it had gone into a bit more of Dollbaby and her civil rights involvement (or protests).

The novel touched on a lot of issues of the 1960's --  just touched, didn't dig deep-- but then the story was more a coming of age story about Ibby and her grandmother and their relationships with Queenie and Dollbaby.

 

I loved all the food references.

3 stars from me.  (3.5 if they offered it)

It was good and I enjoyed it.  I think you will too.

An easy read.

 

Friday Friend Recipe #82 -- Carrot Casserole

Friday Friend Recipe #82-- Carrot Casserole

Making my way thru my Friday Friend Cookbook, one recipe at a time.

What is the Friday Friend cookbook: I have about 50 of my closest friends and family on an e-mail forum which I called the Friday Friends (from all over the county). At first, most of them didn't know each other, (they knew me) but over the past 15 years, we've answered and shared silly--and serious---questions, exchanged Secret Santa Christmas gifts, had a dieting contest in which we paid a $1 a week and that money went to a scholarship fund for a Friday Friends son's memorial scholarship, and we went on a great vacation for my 52 birthday.

AND, we contributed recipes for a cookbook.

I was looking at the cookbook the other night and I said, "I should make every recipe in here for my blog."
The Handyman--who knows me better than I know myself (this happened to be a question on the Friday Friend forum once---does your spouse/partner know you better than you know yourself?)--said,  "you'll never, EVER do that."
WELL---maybe I'll show him!  Maybe I will.

Which brings me to this... recipe #82

Barbara's

Carrot Casserole

What can one say about carrot casserole?

If you like carrots, you'll like this.

It was sweet, because carrots are sweet. 

And it's pretty.

Look how pretty it is on the plate.

This is similar to a souffle` or an escalloped something. 

It's a great side dish!

Carrot Casserole

FF Barbara Brown

Buckeye, AZ

Boil and mash 8 large carrots. Saute one chopped onion in 1/4 lb butter.  Add 1/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup milk, and salt and pepper to taste.  Mix with carrots.

Melt 1/4 lb butter. Crush 1/4 pkg saltines.  Mix  together and sprinkle on top of carrots.

Bake 1/2 hour at 350 degrees.

My Friday Friend Story:

Once when we were visiting Barb and her husband Doug, in Visalia, CA, we got tired of playing board games.

See... Barb and The Handyman are dreaming of something else.

(and I was sporting some crazy sun-glasses back in the day)

So, we decided to go see the Big Trees in Sequoia National Park.

The trees are very tall. 

Taller than Barb's husband, Doug.

(yes, I know he is not officially the Friday Friend, but he is close)

We decided to walk up this crazy high mountain.

I don't know if you can see the warning sign behind Mark's (that's my baby) head in the picture below, but it says WARNING! This is one big hike!

The view atop Moro Rock is one of the most spectacular in the Sierra -- the Great Western Divide dominates the eastern horizon. These high-elevation barren mountains can seem dark and ominous, even though snow caps the ridgeline throughout the year. The cliffs appear towering and steep, and with some peaks over 13,000 feet, they are only slightly below the summit of Mount Whitney (14,505 ft.), which is obscured from view. The climb to the top of the Rock takes you up hundreds of stairs, so pace yourself. The summit offers a narrow, fenced plateau with endless views. During a full moon, the mountain peaks shimmer like silver.
 

We did it!

(remember my description of hiking in my last post?  Although this is not hiking, but climbing up stairs. Still.... )

I am basically afraid of falling off a cliff, so this was a big deal for me. 

Then we  had to do the group photo shot.

And for some reason, we had to rearrange ourselves.

That's what Barb does. 

Barb and Doug-- most everything is a game.

And it's fun!

I just had to snap this photo.

Barb is standing exactly like the lady in front of her (well, and to the left a bit)

It struck me as funny.

And that is the 82nd recipe in the Friday Friend Cookbook Countdown.

Whew!

I better up the game and post more, cook more, post more, cook more... it's never ending. 

I am estimating there are around 500 recipes in here.

I am usually wrong in math.  

We'll see.

Until next time.... that is my Friday Friend story and I'm sticking to it.

First Chapter, First Paragraph, Tuesday Intros -- and I'm back! (not that you knew I was away)

I'm back!

I always have perfectly good intentions to write blog posts while I'm gone, but I get distracted---

How can one NOT  get distracted by these cuties?

Luigi and the Bumble Bee.

BUT---more about them later (much much more)

Today is Tuesday--- which means I'll be joining up with Diane at Bibliophile By the Sea and her First Chapter, First Paragraph

Tuesday Intros, 

Where,  bloggers post the first paragraph of a book they are thinking of reading --- and get everyone's opinion to see if it grabbed them from the beginning or not.

Click here to join the fun!

My paragraph:

Fear twisted Dominic Stanton's stomach,compressed his chest until his breath came shallow and quick.

He told himself he was being a fool. A fool and a coward. He was a Stanton, for Christ's sake. In less than two months he would be nineteen years old.  Men his age--younger, much younger--went off to war.

My book?

What do you think?

Should I keep reading?

This is my truth!:  We drove for 13 hours yesterday---back from Arizona and I came to work this morning WITHOUT my book, to copy the paragraph on this post.

BUT, as luck would have it (I live in Nevada, we believe in luck--lady luck and all that jazz) there was an Amazon package waiting for me here at work with this book in it!

It's a regency, romance, mystery. 

Not my usual fare, BUT, there is great character development in the series and they are a quick fun read.

When I was a young bride (I was 18 when I got married) I used to read a lot of historical romances. (Our son Luke is named after a character in a book called "The Wildest Heart".  The Handyman does not know this-- he just liked the name Lucas when I brought it up. Shhhhhh...... )

Where was I? Oh yes, I used to read historical romance and the Handyman liked to camp and hike.  I was 18-- I used to imagine that I was in a historical romance and was being FORCED to hike, and the Handyman would come and save me.

He, of course, didn't know any of this.  He was a much older mature man of 24.(this age difference didn't mean as much in 1977, as it does in today's world. It was more common place)

He just wanted to hike 8 miles up a mountain to look at a lake.

I had to put myself in an imaginary world to do that.

Oh Handyman, Handyman, please give me a drink from your canteen, my lips are parched!  If you give me a drink, I'll give you...

Handyman:  WHAT?? Hurry up there are people behind you--they need to get past. 

Oh Handyman Handyman, there are big old horse flies biting my delicate skin!  If you be nice and shoo them away, I'll be nice and...

Handyman:  WHAT??  We just have a couple miles to go--if you didn't go so slow, we'd be there by now.

(sigh) He's always been much more practical and down to earth than I.

My point is--that I did  used to read romance novels.  And then I quit for some reason. (maybe because they are all basically the same) 

BUT, when I go back today 30+  years later and read them--they are fun again!!

So, YES, I'll keep reading!!

and to bring it all back around---our son Luke/Lucas--named after Half-breed*, Lucas Cord of Rosemary Rogers'  The Wildest Heart,  is the father of  Luigi and the Bumble Bee!

See where books can get you?

*my disclaimer.  In historical romances and well as regency (another word for British historical romances) it is important to point out the 'different than norm' of the main characters.  This seems to give them some kind of 'pull'.  Like we always root for the underdog?  So, yes I was being sarcastic when I wrote Half-breed, but yet... he was. And he was tall, dark and Handsome!!