THURSDAY SPARKS: THEMES & BOOKING THROUGH THURSDAY — FEB. 23

Good morning!  Welcome to another Thursday event, in which we spark some creativity and dig into the books we’re reading for our Thursday Themes, hosted by Reading Between Pages ; or explore our thoughts and feelings about bookish topics in Booking Through Thursday.

Our themes give us a wonderful opportunity to explore and understand different writing styles and descriptive approaches adopted by authors.

Today’s Theme:

 

This week’s theme is related to the nose – any action that you do with your nose. I can only think of SMELL and BREATHE for now, but go ahead and come up with something more innovative.

SMELL Breathe, Anything else you can come up with the nose’s functions

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Today I’m excerpting from Whole Latte Life, by Joanne DeMaio.

Would you leave everything behind to know who you are?

Sara Beth Riley never dreamt she’d walk straight out of her life.  Actually she’d never dreamt a lot of things that had happened this year … From being kidnapped by her own best friend, to throwing her wedding rings into the Hudson River, to calling an old love in France, to getting inked with said best friend, painting the passionate constellation of these choices into permanence.  But mostly, she could never have dreamt what started it all.  How could it be that her mother’s unexpected death, and the grief which lingered painfully long, turned her into the woman she was finally meant to become?

Sara Beth’s escape begins a summer of change – of herself, of marriage, of the lives of those around her.  In a story that moves from Manhattan to the sea to a quaint New England town, Whole Latte Life looks at friends we never forget, at decisions we linger with, at our attempts to live the lives we love.

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Theme: (After his wife goes to New York, Tom spends some time in the attic, reflecting).   He slides the rocking chair close to the crib and sits there, watching.  Before you know it, Owen won’t be a baby; this peaceful time in the night won’t happen forever.  Tom hears the sigh of his son’s breathing and then he does what he’s been doing more and more for the past year:  He figures out how to do this reading thing, how to fill in for his wife, his voice whispering about ducks and happiness and spring and puddles. p. 38

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Booking Through Thursday:

What do you look for when reading a book blog? Does the blogger have to read the same genre? Do you like reviews? Personal posts? Memes? Giveaways? What attracts you to a book blog?

And–what are your favorite book blogs?

There are a variety of characteristics that draw me to a blog and combine to make it a favorite.

First, I like a blog that is designed creatively with a header that appeals to the eye; I like sidebars that have interesting photos to tempt me into clicking on them, to see where they might lead; I like blogs that load fairly easily, so I don’t have to wait FOREVER for them to “settle down.”

Secondly, I like a mix of posts that feature books, but also other topics that show the reader who the blogger is.  Life moments, if you will.  And lots of photos.  It helps if the blogger is a little bit quirky and has a sense of humor.

Finally, I enjoy it if the blogger reads some of my favorite genres, so I can find new books that I’m going to love to read.

Now…that said, I also like knowing that there will be a post that feels cozy and warms me up in the morning with my coffee, like Book Journey, with the Morning Meanderings.

Socrates has a lot of cute and cozy mysteries that intrigue me; Bibliophile by the Sea usually finds just the book I’m wanting to read; and, at Life in the Thumb, I’m also able to connect with books and add them to my shelves.

Book’d Out showcases books that sound so good I can’t help but want to read them, plus she poses interesting questions and dilemmas that make me think.

Reading Books, Thoughts and a Few Adventures is like having a conversation with a friend over tea or a nice martini, with lots of cute moments with Lucy (her cat-person).

There are more sites, too, like Bermudaonion or Book Fan Mary, but I can’t name them all!  I enjoy participating in certain memes that allow me to connect with familiar blogs and sites:  These two memes, of course; Sheila’s It’s Monday:  What Are You Reading?; and Alyce’s Saturday Snapshot.

What do you like about the book blogs you read?  What draws you in?