Author: stacybuckeye

Pretty in Ink, by Karen E. Olson

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Pretty in Ink (Tattoo Shop Series #2)Finished 1-6-12, rating 4.25/5, mystery, 299 pages, pub. 2010

Book 2 of the Tatoo Shop Mystery series (Book 1)

Vegas tattoo artist and shop owner Brett is back!  She and her co-workers ink drag queens for a new show and on opening night one of them ends up dead.  Brett saw the killer and finds herself once again in the crosshairs of some dangerous dudes.  That doesn’t mean that there isn’t time to meet some hunky guy, but when that hunky guy is observing you for ricin poisoning it does take some of the romance out of it.

I loved the first book so much and this has the same fast pace, strong heroine, and complicated yet compelling mystery.  I couldn’t figure out who was killing people or harassing Brett, but that was almost beside the point.  I just loved hanging out with her and her friends for a few days.

I am a little worried about Brett, though.  I mentioned after I read the first book that I am not a huge fan of tattoos.  Between the last book and this one Brett has acquired quite a bit of ink.  She has Napoleon on her leg!  I mean really, that is not something I like to picture when reading.  And if you are uncomfortable with drag queens, be prepared to be uncomfortable, there are lots of them.  I don’t know any drag queens so some of it I found interesting and some of it seemed a little creepy (like those babies in the E-Trade commercials – they creep me out too).  I’m pretty sure if I ever had a friend who dressed in drag or met a baby who traded stock during nap time I would embrace both.

Anyway, I loved the book and can’t wait to read the next one.

This book is from my personal library.

Sundays with Gage- Mothering is hard

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Much like the black eye that Gage got at My Gym this week, being a mother also comes with some bruising.  I am a relatively cheerful person and like I said in yesterday’s post I don’t like airing dirty laundry.  I think putting a positive face on most anything will make you happier.  But, as I started reading the very funny book, I was a Really Good Mom Before I Had Kids, I felt such a release and lightening of my mothering load.  See, mothering is hard.  And the dirty little secret of the book is that we are not always happy, fulfilled or holding it all together.  And if I say this it doesn’t mean that I don’t love my son.

The first year of being a mother was the hardest thing I’ve ever done (as a friend told me at lunch on Friday, Gage put me through the ringer) and I wouldn’t trade it.  It stretched me further than I thought possible and I didn’t break.  I’m stronger and tougher for it.  But, in all honesty, I didn’t always love it.  I always loved Gage, but not my life.

But with distance comes perspective and with time comes competence and here we are at 14 months and life is pretty good.  But the thing that I’m starting to realize is that being a mother (at least for me) isn’t the whole picture, it’s a large piece of the puzzle.  I had grand expectations before giving birth, like all mothers do I’m sure, and the reality to this point has been nowhere close to my vision.  So, with distance also comes a reassessing of expectations as reality hits me in the face.

I’m sure that I will gush about this book after I’m done, but it already makes me feel freer to accept that feeling overwhelmed and having less than positive thoughts does not make me a bad mother.  I mentioned it was funny, right?  If you have a friend (or it’s you) who needs to feel like there are other less than perfect moms out there I think this would be a great recommendation (keep in mind I’m only 30 or so pages in).  I Was a Really Good Mom Before I had Kids by Ashworth & Nobile.

Next week I’ll be back to my regularly scheduled lovefest with Gage 🙂

Today begins year 5!

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On January 7, 2008, I started this blog as a way to keep track of what I was reading and after four years I’ve reviewed every book I’ve read.  That’s 382 books.  As I look at that number and then check my 5 star ratings I see that I’m terribly stingy, only 14 of those reviews earned a 5 star rating.

I’ve enjoyed blogging and like the creative aspect as well as the community of book lovers I come in contact with every day.  I love doing my weekly quizzes (but I’m always hoping more people will participate) and talking about movies.  I plan on doing a few new things with movies this year that I’m excited about.

Blogging used to be something that I could spend hours a day doing, writing and visiting other blogs, but with the arrival of Gage in October 2010 that is no longer a luxury I have. Last fall I had to seriously clean out my Google Reader.  I felt bad eliminating some blogs that I loved, but I had to make time for the people who actual comment or email me directly.  This has helped, although I’m always weeks behind with some of you.  I only have and hour or so a night so sacrifices must be made.  This is the year that I plan to start replying to comments.  I have been hit or miss on this in the past, but it’s a new goal.

The popularity of Sundays with Gage has been a nice surprise for me.  I’m a fairly private person – I hate airing dirty laundry and such, but it’s been refreshing for me to share some of my thoughts on motherhood and have you share yours.  I plan to continue because you seem like it and so do I!  When Gage tells me to stop embarrassing him, I will 🙂

 

I hope that my loyal blogging buddies and new ones alike will stick around this year.  I’m feeling like I’ve still got more to say.  I am inspired everyday when I open up my Google Reader and see what you very smart readers have to say.  Thanks for making me smarter.

If you haven’t entered my giveaway for Thrity Umrigar’s latest, The World We Found, go here.  You have until Tuesday to enter for a signed copy.

*the change is format is just for today, I think.

Thrity Umrigar- signed book giveaway

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Next Tuesday, local professor and acclaimed author, Thrity Umrigar (The Space Between Us, The Weight of Heaven) will be visiting our local Barnes & Noble to talk and sign copies of her latest book, The World We Found.  Bonnie (Redlady’s Reading Room) and I plan on meeting there for the event.

To celebrate a new year (on Saturday Stacy’s Books will be starting year 5!) I’m going to have a copy signed for one lucky blog reader.  I’ll have Gage draw a name on Tuesday before I go so that it can be personalized for the winner.

How to enter-

1 entry – leave a comment with your email address

1 entry – participate in my weekly quiz (Writers Lost in 2011) No need to tell me, I have your names.

1 entry – tweet about it (and let me know)

Deadline to enter- January 10th at noon.  Good luck 🙂

Writers Lost in 2011 Quiz – guessing closed

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Tuesday Quizzes are back!  Are you as excited as I am?  My first quiz of the year is always writers that died the year before.  Writers being loosely defined in some cases 🙂  10 points for each correct answer.

You have until noon Saturday to submit your answers as a comment.  Comment will be hidden until I post the answers.  No Googling! 

This round starts today and will last til the end of March.  The person with the most points will win a B&N gift card (total $ based on # of total participants, so please play) and a randomly selected participant will win a fun prize from me.

Have fun and Good Luck!

1. Siamese cats Koko and Yum Yum are the feline stars of The Cat Who Series created by this author.  Lilian Jackson Braun (6-20-1913/6-4-2011)

2. This English author wrote the beloved Redwall series.  Brian Jacques (6-15-1911/2-5-2011)

3. She won both the Hugo and Nebula awards as well as being inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame.  Her most recognizable series was set on the planet of Pern.  Anne McCaffrey (4-1-1926/11-21-2011)

4. This journalist, author and famous atheist was a regular contributor to Vanity Fair.  His autobiography, Hitch-22, was published in 2010.  Christopher Hitchens (4-13-1949/12-15-2011)

5. This American expatriate YA author is best known for his book Ridley Walker.  Russell Hoban (2-4-1925/12-15-2011)

6. Famed comic book writer who co-created Captain America.  Joe Simon (10-11-1913/12-14-2011)

7. This Irish-born British author wrote 7 books including Damage, the basis of the 1992 Jeremy Irons film of the same name.  Josephine Hart (3-1-1942/6-2-2011)

8. A British author best known for writing The Sheep-Big, the book the movie Babe was based on.  Dick-King Smith (3-27-1922/1-4-2011)

9. This beloved cartoonist wrote the long-running comic, Family Circus.  Bil Keane (10-25-1922/11-8-2011)

10. The screen legend wrote a few books about weight loss and jewelry and a children’s book titled Nibbles & Me about her time as a child star.  Elizabeth Taylor (2-27-1932/3-23-2-11)

Free Books for January – new rules

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Every month for the past 3 years I’ve given away 3-4 books a month from my boxes/shelves and they’ve always gone to he first commenter.  This year I’m going to try something just a bit different.  If you want the book, let me know by a comment and at midnight tonight if more than one person wants the same book I’ll draw a name out of a hat.

After a day, it’s first come, first booked!

1 & 2 Cherry Ames, The Mystery of Rogue’s Cave & The Case of the Forgetful Patient by Helen Wells.  These mysteries (originally published in 1959,1960) are in decent shape.  There is a whole series and it looks like there are still fans since they are selling boxed sets!  Both are 180 pages.  for Kim (Gage chose the 3 puzzle piece over the 1.  Very scientific)

3 The Theban Plays by Sophocles. This was a college book so there are a few notes inside, but you can just consider them helpful hints.  Includes the stories Oedipus and Antigone.  168 pages.

4 My Antonia by Willa Cather.  I just reviewed this classic here. It’s in good shape.  for Harvee

Obviously I was feeling very obscure this month.  Why not ring  in the New Year with books written a really long time ago, LOL!

Happy Reading!

2012 with Gage

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We spent a week away from home for Christmas and we had lots of fun, but we are glad to be home!  We spent most of our time in the Columbus area with my family and then headed up to Michigan (Flushing & Livonia) to visit Jason’s parents.  Jason’s dad was hoping to take him sledding, but with only a dusting of snow this is as close as they got 🙂

Here are Gage’s top 11 Accomplishments of 2011…1. Smiling  2. Laughing  3. Crawling  4. Walking  5. Clapping  6. Dancing  7. Pointing at everything!  8. Waving Hi  9. A mouthful of teeth (he’s got 16 out of 20 and I am positive at least one more will showing up in the next few days)  10. Saying a few words.  He says Up, Hello when he picks up a fake phone (although it’s very British sounding) and Meow (often missing the M).

and most importantly 11. Survived 5 visits to the ER.  The first 3 last February culminating in his scary hospital stay.  Another in July when he got sick after eating cheese cracker.  And the week before Christmas he fell into the metal part of a day bed…

You can see the bump on his forehead.  Doctor told me he was all boy and likely to have more accidents such as this one. Oh, the joy.

On to the 12 things we  are looking forward to in 2012…1. Swim lessons  2. Napping in his own bed  3. Day care a few hours a week  4. Brushing his own teeth.  5. Playing ball with daddy  6. Jumping  7. Washing Hands  8. Using a spoon  9. Getting all his teeth so we can be done with this teething thing.  10. Making new friends  11. Hopefully drinking milk and eating cheese (we’ll be trying again at 18 months)  and…12. Reading and reviewing more books 🙂

We hope everyone has a fantastically happy 2012!

Challenging Year

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Goals achieved with little effort are seldom worthwhile or long lasting.

from My Personal Best by John Wooden with Steve Jamison

I signed up for 5 new challenges this year.  I completed 4 of them easily, but the States Challenge became a bit of an obsession.  I only managed 76 books this year and still visited all 50 states!  In the month of December I had to finish a book every 2.5 days to check this challenge off my To Do list.  The Agatha Christie Challenge is ongoing so I hope to get more done on that in 2012.

I had one challenge holdover from 2010.  I asked you all to choose 50 book from my TBR piles for me to read and I read 36 in 2010 and another 11 in 2011, leaving me with 3 left for 2012.  Weird that I have had no desire in 2 years to pick up the one that garnered the most votes!

Except for those three books and the Agatha Christie challenge I am making 2012 a challenge free year.  I need to take some of the pressure off of myself and have a more relaxed reading year.  I do have a toddler running around here, you know 🙂

Here’s the challenge wrap up…

1. She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb – 12 votes (Mary, Marce, Jo-Jo, Amanda, Calico Critic, ‘Nise, Jo Ann, Allesandra, Piroska, Mom, Literary Feline, Melissa)

2. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving – 10 votes (Mary, BermudaOnion, Word Lily, Linda B, Em, Literate Housewife, Ms. Mazzola, Jessica, Mille, Margie)

4. Life of Pi by Yann Martel – 10 votes (Gofita, Carol, Staci, Ms. Mazzola, Heather, Kerri, Rebecca, Alita Reads, Julie H., Rhapsody)

9. The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley – 7 votes (Carol, Staci, FleurFisher, Vasilly, Ms. Mazzola, Angie, Amanda)

11. Emma by Jane Austen – 6 votes (Candice, Jennifer, Ms. Mazzola, Alita Reads, Kathrin, Literary Feline)

14. Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire – 5 votes (Shanyn, Jo-Jo, Calico Critic, Donna S, Lisa-Marie)

19. Roots by Alex Hailey – 5 votes (Cee-Cee, Staci, Literate Housewife, Sarah E., Angie S.)

35. Good Grief by Lolly Winston – 3 votes (Staci, Jenners, Margie)

36. Testimony by Anita Shreve – 3 votes (Marce, Allesandra, Mystica)

40. Three Junes by Julia Glass – 2 votes (Golda, Soft Drink)

42. Skinny Legs and All by Tom Robbins – 2 votes (Carol, Mille)

46. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett – 2 votes (Golda, Heather)

49. The Human Stain by Philip Roth – 2 votes (Jackie, Mille)

50. A Room With a View by E.M. Forster – 2 votes (Candice, Jenny girl)

Book Obsessed

Alabama  The Hellion by LaVyrle Spencer

Alaska  Emerald Dreams by Caroline Bourne

Arizona  Sprinkle with Murder by Jenn McKinlay

Arkansas Shakespeare’s Landlord by Charlaine Harris

California The 9th Judgement by James Patterson, Th1rteen R3asons Why by Jay Asher

Colorado  The Invitation by Jude Deveraux

Connecticut  Mating Rituals of the North American WASP by Lauren Lipton

Delaware  Hawke’s Harbor by SE Hinton

Florida  Black Out by Lisa Unger

Georgia  Quicksand by Iris Johansen

Hawaii Kona Winds by Janet Dailey

Idaho  Killer Summer by Ridley Pearson

Illinois The Litigators by John Grisham

Indiana  My Personal Best by John Wooden with Steve Jamison

Iowa Laughing Through Life by Connie Corcoran Wilson

Kansas The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard

Kentucky  Foxfire Light by Janet Dailey

Lousiana Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Maine  Carrie by Stephen King

Maryland  Earthly Possessions by Anne Tyler

Massachusetts  Just Above a Whisper by Lori Wick

Michigan  What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day by Pearl Cleage

Minnesota  Buried Prey by John Sandford

Mississippi Third Degree by Greg Iles

Missouri  Little Black Dress by Susan McBride

Montana Work Song by Ivan Doig

Nebraska  My Antonia by Willa Cather

Nevada  The Missing Ink by Karen E Olson

New Hampshire A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

New Jersey  Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty

New Mexico  The Secret of Everything by Barbara O’Neal

New York  Hush by Kate White, After Isaactown by Ward Jones, Deadly Vows by Brenda Joyce, Live Wire by Harlan Coben, The Fountain by Emily Grayson, Shut Your Eyes Tight by John Verdon

North Dakota A Christmas Blizzard by Garrison Keillor

North Carolina  The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen, Husband and Wife by Leah Stewart

Ohio  The Lake Effect by Les Roberts

Oklahoma Six White Horses by Janet Dailey

Oregon  HeartSick by Chelsea Cain, Good Grief by Lolly Winston

Pennsylvania Someone in the House by Barbara Michaels

Rhode Island The Witches of Eastwick by John Updike

South Carolina  What So Proudly We Hailed by James Howard

South Dakota  Black Hills by Nora Roberts

Tennessee  The Glass Flame by Phyllis Whitney

Texas  Call Me Irresistible by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Echo Burning by Lee Child, Women on the Edge of a Nervous Breakthrough by Ruth Pennebaker

Utah The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams

Vermont Testimony by Anita Shreve

Virginia Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani

Washington  The Snow Globe by Sheila Roberts

West Virginia Skipping a Beat by Sarah Pekkanen

Wisconsin  Afraid by Jack Kilborn

Wyoming Open Season CJ Box

Washington DC  The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

1.  What So Proudly We Hailed by James Howard.  Reviewed here.  Gave away here.

2. The 9th Judgement by James Patterson.  Reviewed here.  Gave away here.

3. After Isacctown by Ward Jones. Reviewed here.  Gave away here.

4.  Third Degree by Greg Iles. Reviewed here. Gave away here.

5. The Hellion by LaVyrle Spencer.  Reviewed here.  Gave away here.

6. Testimony by Anita Shreve. Reviewed here.  Gave away here.

7. The Glass Flame by Phyllis Whitney. Reviewed here. Gave away here.

8. Emma by Jane Austen. Reviewed here.  Gave away here.

9. Carrie by Stephen King. Reviewed here. Gave away here.

10.  The Invitationby Jude Deveraux. Reviewed here.  Gave away here.

11. Open Season by CJ Box. Reviewed here.  Gave away here.

12. Skinny Legs & All by Tom Robbins. Reviewed here.  Gave away here.

1.  Call Me Irresistible by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

2. Deadly Vows by Brenda Joyce

3. The Hellion by LaVyrle Spencer

4. A Room with a View by EM Forster

5. The Fountain by Emily Grayson

6. Emerald Dreams by Caroline Bourne

7.  Emma by Jane Austen

8.  The Invitation by Jude Deveraux

9. Foxfire Light by Janet Dailey

10. Kona Winds by Janet Dailey

11. Black Hills by Nora Roberts

12. Six White Horses by Janet Dailey

1. The Mysterious Affair at Styles reviewed here.

2. The Secret Adversary reviewed here.

Finish 100 miles in three months, July 1-September 30. I finished my 100 miles on September 14th!!!

R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril VI   September 1-October 31st.

1. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

2. Buried Prey by John Snadford

My Antonia, by Willa Cather

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My Antonia (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)Finished 12-30-11, rating 3/5, classic fiction, 266 pages, pub. 1918

“I came to ask you something, Tony.  Grandmother wants to know if you can’t go to the term of school that begins next week over at the sod schoolhouse.  She says there’s a good teacher, and you’d learn a lot.”

Antonia stood up, lifting and dropping her shoulders as if they were stiff.  “I ain’t got time to learn.  I can work like mans now.  My mother can’t say no more how Ambrosch do all and nobody to help him.  I can work as much as him.  School is all right for little boys.  I help make this land one good farm.”

Chapter 17

Let me start by saying that we listened to the first half of this in the car on our holiday travels, but I could not make Jason listen to more.  He hated it.  He told me there was a good chance of him falling asleep while driving if we listened to more.  I had to agree that the audio wasn’t good.  The Bohemian accents were laughable to me and really ruined Antonia.  And it was fairly boring on the Nebraska farm.

Once home, I picked up the book and finished.  I am happy to report that it got better for me.  Jim, the narrator, who had crushed on Antonia since he was a boy on the farm moved to town with his grandparents and Antonia soon followed him, working at the house next door.  Their friendship had its ups and downs, but remained the dominant relationship in Jim’s life even decades later.

This is a great study of early Nebraska and the people who settled there, many foreigners who didn’t understand the land, the language, or the people. Foreigners like Antonia and her family.   Life working the land was hard and it could make people mean, but not Jim’s grandparents.  Jim went there to live with them after his mom and dad died back in Virginia and was blessed with a relatively easy life compared to some.

I thought this was alternately boring and interesting.  Just when something interesting would capture my interest it would be followed by pages of details that didn’t move the story along for me.  I think it’s a good study of one Nebraska farm girl’s life, but it may have been more compelling told from her point of view so that she was not just seen on the fringes of Jim’s life.

I would rate the first half/audio a 2 and the second half/paper a 3.5.  I read this for the states challenge and I do feel like I’ve been there.

This was from my personal library.

My 2011 Book and Movie Favorites

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I read 76 books this year and these are my favorites (only 2 of them were published this year)…

Cover ImageGood Grief by Lolly WinstonCover ImageRoots by Alex Hailey

The Chosen OneThe Chosen One by Carol Lynch WilliamsBig Stone GapBig Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani

Husband and WifeHusband and Wife by Leah StewartLive Wire (Myron Bolitar Series #10) by Harlan Coben: Book CoverLive Wire by Harlan Coben

The Missing Ink (Tattoo Shop Series #1)The Missing Ink by Karen OlsonBuried Prey (Lucas Davenport Series #21)Buried Prey by John Sandford

A Room with a View and Howards EndA Room With a View by EM ForsterHeartsick (Gretchen Lowell Series #1) by Chelsea Cain: Book CoverHeart Sick by Chelsea Cain

 

I watched 44 movies this year and these are the ones I feel good about recommending…

Bridesmaids (2011) A

The Help (2011) A

Sherlock Holmes:A Game of Shadows (2011) A-

Horrible Bosses (2011) B+

Gidget (1959) B+

Inside Man (2006) B+

Holes (2003) B+

Definitely, Maybe (2008) B+

Desk Set (1957) B+

Strangers on a Train (1951) B+

The Kids Are All Right (2010) B+

In April I asked that you all participate in my 5 word reviews by adding 5 words of your own.  For each review posted I would contribute $1 to charity.  When we reach $100 the person who contributed the most reviews would get to choose the charity.  Well, we are up to $99 and I’d like to get that check out!  So, please contribute your reviews (list here).  Since I’ve still got the holiday spirit I’ll keep contributing $1 for a week, even if we go over $100.