CREATIVE SPARKS: SATURDAY SNAPSHOT — SUMMER DAYS — JULY 28

Welcome to another creative opportunity to showcase photos, via our weekly Saturday Snapshot event, hosted by Alyce, At Home With Books.

This past week, I spent most days hanging out with grandson Noah, enjoying some movies, some lunches, and some time curling up on the sofa.  Here he is watching a movie.

Still watching the movie, he continues enjoying his snack.

While he was engrossed, I was snapping shots of other parts of the room.  Like the new arrangement of decorative items on the sofa table….

Or the halltree by the front door….

Meanwhile, in LA, my three grandchildren (Alec, Aubrey, and Aaron) welcomed another sibling (to join Silas) in their home.  A baby sister named Sidney.

And here she is with her adoring big brother Silas.

Looks like a great summer all around, doesn’t it?  And next week, Alec, Aubrey, and Aaron will accompany their father (my son Brett) to London, for the Olympics.  I can’t wait to see those photos!

What are the rest of you sharing today?  Come on by and leave some comments and links!

THURSDAY SPARKS: THEMES & BOOKING — JULY 26

Welcome to another day of bookish delight, as we celebrate two events.

Theme Thursdays, hosted by Reading Between Pages, is all about finding themes in the books we read and enjoying the writing styles of the authors we explore.

Booking Through Thursday is like a conversation amongst bloggers in response to a prompt issued each week.

Come on by and join in the fun!

Theme Thursdays:

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

The theme for this week is

TIME , Clock, Hours, Minutes, Seconds

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Today’s snippet comes from What I Did For Love, by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.

How did this happen? Georgie York, once the costar of America’s favorite television sitcom, has been publicly abandoned by her famous husband, her film career has tanked, her father is driving her crazy, and her public image as a spunky heroine is taking a serious beating.

What should a down-on-her-luck actress do? Not go to Vegas . . . not run into her detestable former costar, dreamboat-from-hell Bramwell Shepard . . . and not get caught up in an ugly incident that leads to a calamitous elopement. Before she knows it, Georgie has a fake marriage, a fake husband, and maybe (or not) a fake sex life.

***

Snippet:  Bram had spent eight miserable years rescuing Georgie from thorny situations, but his days of playing gallant Skip Scofield to Georgie’s spunky Scooter Brown were long behind him.

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Booking Through Thursday:

Prompt: 

Two questions about your reading habits that just seem to go together.

GigiAnn asks:

Do you have a favorite season of the year that you read more? (Example: during snow storms, rainy weather, or sunny and warm weather) Sorry, that was the best I could come up with.

Lisa asks:

Where is your favorite place to read? On the beach? Inside/outside?

 

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I like to read in all seasons, but I must admit that there is nothing quite as cozy as curled up on a sofa under an afghan, with cups of hot liquid nearby.

Unless, of course, it’s on a sunny deck facing the ocean and hearing the lapping of waves nearby.

There you go…reading goes with all seasons for me!

As for where I prefer reading, I guess I’d say indoors, unless it’s beautiful out…like in the aforementioned beach scene.  I also enjoy having lunch at an outdoor cafe (in nice weather) with a book as my companion.

What about the rest of you?  Inquiring minds want to know!

 

 

A MAGICAL CONNECTION THAT ALTERED DESTINY: A REVIEW

Like a true-to-life fairytale, The Shadow Queen: A Novel of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor portrays the early life of Wallis Warfield Simpson, the woman who captivated the King of England, leading to his abdication from the throne.

Early childhood was one in which she was the “poor” relative dependent upon the largesse of a wealthy uncle, whose rules and expectations often led to times of doing without. Perhaps having to charm those in control of her destiny helped create the lively companion she became throughout her early and later life.

I loved this story, richly detailed with the fictional imaginings that made it spring to life and morph into a true fairytale. The real-life outcome for Wallis lent an extra magic to the story.

I was disappointed that the ending of this book occurred before Wallis and Prince Edward, who would be King, actually united. What the story did show us was the very special and magical connection between them.

While it was difficult to tell how much was fiction, the factual aspects drew me in. Now I want to know more about this historic love match. Four stars.

CONNECTIONS THAT HEAL — A REVIEW

 

 

“No man is an island…”

The famous quote is a reminder of the connections between people, no matter what their circumstances, and no matter how much they may isolate themselves.

In Island Apart, Claire, a book editor, stays in the cottage owned by her friends after her husband leaves her. She is already struggling with cancer treatment and needs the time away. Time to heal.

The island of Chappaquiddick seems like the perfect spot.

Meanwhile, a mysterious “hermit” moves around the perimeter of the islanders’ lives, quietly taking his own respite from whatever life has hurled at him.

Beautifully portrayed, the island setting, the people, and the foods they prepare draw the reader into what can best be described as a portrait of the sparks that unite people in unexpected ways.

But just when everything begins to seem wonderful again for the two lost souls, a secret from the past threatens their newly developing connections. What will happen to heal the breach between Claire and the Hermit? Will they find a way to get past their mistakes?

I couldn’t put this book down…it was a quick and delightful read that earned four stars from me. The uplifting premise and the beautiful language kept me reading throughout the day.

WEDNESDAY SPARKS: WAITING ON WEDNESDAY — THE LANGUAGE OF SISTERS – JULY 11

Welcome to another Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by Jill, at Breaking the Spine.

Today’s feature is coming very soon!  On July 31, I expect to receive The Language of Sisters, by Amy Hatvany.

 

Ten years ago, Nicole Hunter left her troubled home behind her, unable to cope with the demands of a life with her disabled sister, Jenny. Though her search for happiness—both in career and in love—has fallen short of her dreams, Nicole pretends that all is well. Then a shattering event turns her world upside down, and suddenly, she is back in her hometown, caring for her pregnant sister and trying to heal her embattled relationship with her mother.

Reunited with her family and forced to confront the guilt that haunts her, Nicole finally has the chance to be the sister she always wished she’d been. And when she is faced with the most difficult choice of her life, Nicole rediscovers the beauty of sisterhood—and receives a special gift that will change her life forever.

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What are you waiting for?  I hope you’ll stop by and share….

CREATIVE SPARKS: SATURDAY SNAPSHOTS — JULY 7

Sparks are flying around the blogosphere again today, as we join in with Alyce, At Home With Books, to showcase our Saturday Snapshots.

This past couple of weeks have brought some changes, like my new laptop.

While cruising around the online community, I found some photos shared by my granddaughter, Aubrey; her baby brother Silas has certainly changed a lot since the last time we saw him.

He will be two in September.

Hope you all are enjoying your summer so far.