WWW Wednesdays

Posted on January 5, 2011 by pagesofjulia


Hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

I’m currently reading Running Blind by Lee Child, simultaneous with The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. That’s right, last night I was so disappointed to have left Running Blind at work that I had to start a new book while the Husband watched some television that I didn’t want to watch. And then I continued it during commercial breaks when Criminal Minds came on. 🙂

What did you recently finish reading?

I recently finished Frederica and Maisie Dobbs, as you know.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Always the hardest one to answer. I’m still tempted by Room, and The Count of Monte Cristo (reread), and frankly I’m feeling uninspired about The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo although I do expect to get around to it one of these days. But as you’ve perhaps noticed, I’m not terribly disciplined about what to read next, so stick around and we’ll all find out together!

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Challenge: What’s In a Name 4

Posted on January 4, 2011 by pagesofjulia

Well I’m just thrilled to have found this. What’s In a Name is hosted by Beth Fish Reads, and it works like this:

Between January 1 and December 31, 2011, read one book in each of the following categories:

  1. A book with a number in the title: First to Die, Seven Up, Thirteen Reasons Why
  2. A book with jewelry or a gem in the title: Diamond Ruby, Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Opal Deception
  3. A book with a size in the title: Wide Sargasso Sea, Small Wars, Little Bee
  4. A book with travel or movement in the title: Dead Witch Walking, Crawling with Zombies, Time Traveler’s Wife
  5. A book with evil in the title: Bad Marie, Fallen, Wicked Lovely
  6. A book with a life stage in the title: No Country for Old Men, Brideshead Revisited, Bog Child

The book titles are just suggestions, you can read whatever book you want to fit the category.

A whole year to do it? I’m in. What fun. In fact, ahem, I daresay my current read, Running Blind, will work for category 4 above, so there you go!

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Teaser Tuesdays: Running Blind by Lee Child

Posted on January 4, 2011 by pagesofjulia


It’s time for Teaser Tuesdays with Should Be Reading!

From page 212 of Lee Child’s Running Blind:

“A male hitchhiker standing six feet five and weighing two hundred and thirty pounds is on the cusp of acceptability for easy rides. Generally, women won’t stop for him, because they see a threat.”

Fans of Child’s serial character, Jack Reacher, will recognize our burly hitchhiker. I picked this up on a whim today, short on time and heading out to lunch, and so far it’s another solid Child. I like it!

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catching up: Frederica, Maisie Dobbs, and Running Blind

Posted on January 4, 2011 by pagesofjulia

Oh my, I’m so sorry! I’ve gotten behind. I didn’t know the holidays would throw me so hard; I really didn’t expect it; but they did. I owe you several book write-ups now!

First of all, over the holiday weekend for New Year’s I finished Georgette Heyer’s Frederica, and enjoyed it so thoroughly! The characters were so cleverly drawn, and the dialogue was so witty and fun, I just giggled and hated to put it down. I will definitely seek out more Heyer. Who knew what I was missing all these years? I have never considered myself a reader of romance, but I shall have to either amend this statement or somehow define romance around Ms. Heyer, which I don’t think the reading world will permit. My only complaint would be that it ended rather abruptly. You know, what we look for in romance is not surprise: we know from the beginning, more or less, who’s going to end up together. We don’t need to be surprised. We just need to sigh in satisfaction at the union being competently arrived at. And at the end of Frederica, when the appropriate couple finally couples, it’s sort of abrupt, brief, and not very well-described. I didn’t need graphic sex or anything, but I wish we’d gotten a bit more declarations of sentiment. Ah well. I’ll be back for more all the same. The witty banter throughout were the best part anyway, that and the “scrapes” of the younger Merrivilles.

Then I was home sick yesterday, and didn’t blog (ack!) but I *did* get to read a whole book cover to cover: Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear. This is in thanks to Book Club Girl, who’s hosting the Maisie Dobbs Read-Along. I signed up for this challenge/read-along out of curiosity, not having encountered Maisie before, because she sounded interesting in the blurb provided. I figured I would sign on for just this first book and see how it goes. Well, I found Maisie delightful!

I really enjoyed the WWI history and the feeling for that time-and-place setting that was evoked. I actually cried a bit at some of the wartime farewells and hopeful loves and deaths – am I getting sappy in my old age or what?? – find myself crying a lot at books these days. I thought Maisie was remarkable for her poise and dignity in a number of strange situations, from childhood onwards. What a story of movement between classes in a time of change. The flashbacks and back-story on Maisie were some of my favorite parts. But I also enjoyed the up-to-date relationship she formed with Billy Beale, too. I hope he sticks around. I liked the characters and I look forward to more of them. So, I’ll be sticking with this read-along!

Today I was caught off-guard at lunchtime without a book, gasp, and picked up the nearest-to-hand Lee Child book: Running Blind. As you might have noticed before this, I’m becoming a fan of Jack Reacher. This one is right in line with Reacher’s vigilante loner style. See my Teaser Tuesday. Go Reacher!

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How to Start a New Year!

Posted on January 1, 2011 by pagesofjulia

I’m very excited today to be beginning 2011 with a reading challenge: Where Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila over at Book Journey. (See my original post, if you like, here.) It involves reading a book set in each of the 50 United States, with bonus points for books set in other countries, too. Nonfiction or fiction count the same, and the definition of setting is up to me, with an honor-system understanding. I have all of 2011 to complete the reading of 50+ books. I don’t expect this to be too terribly hard but I’m not sure I’ve kept track of books read before, so it will be interesting to see. I don’t plan to pick and choose books by location, at least not at first; but we shall see in 9-10 months how poorly I’m doing! I’m sure I’ll be cherrypicking a few locations by the end of the year.

I will be keeping track of the books I read and “where” I’m reading at this map:


So! We start today with… the continuation of Frederica. The more I read, the more I enjoy! I would never in 2011 years have believed I would enjoy a romance this much. But really, Heyer’s writing style and sense of humor remind me rather much of Austen, and there are worse things! I love the dialogue. Thanks so much Amy for encouraging this!

I’m going to be MIA all day tomorrow, but look for me on Monday with Plans for the New Year. 🙂 Have a great start!

Filed under: book reviews, challenges | 2 Comments »

book beginnings on Friday: Maisie Dobb by Jacqueline Winspear

Posted on December 31, 2010 by pagesofjulia

This meme is hosted by Katy at A Few More Pages.

Maisie Dobbs, by Jacqueline Winspear.


“Even if she hadn’t been the last person to walk through the turnstile at Warren Street tube station, Jack Barker would have noticed the tall, slender women in the navy blue, thigh-length jacket with a matching pleated skirt short enough to reveal a well-turned ankle. She had what his old mother would have called ‘bearing.'”

I like this start! Not only do we have a description, and a second character interested in the first, but we know she’s last into the station. Why?

I’m not starting this book today, because I have a busy day ahead of me, because I’m going mountain biking, because I’m still reading Frederica, and because I don’t want to start any new books until tomorrow, 2011, for the sake of the Where Are You Reading? challenge. 🙂 BUT I’m glad to have it here, thank you HPL!

I also picked up Mr. Playboy: Hugh Hefner and the American Dream, by Steven Watts. So today is my library loot day. Yay local library for having what I want/need.

Y’all enjoy your new year’s eve and please BE SAFE out there, people are crazy. See you in the next decade!

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one new book

Posted on December 30, 2010 by pagesofjulia

Before you get worried, I’m still reading and still enjoying Frederica, and I’m taking her home for the long weekend! But I’m also excited because I got a new shipment here at the library today, and one book that I am particularly and personally excited about arrived:


Dethroning the King by Julie Macintosh. As you can see, this is a story of beer and business. It will of course be a very different story from Brewing up a Business which I also enjoyed very much:


The latter is written by none other than Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head Craft Brewing, a personal hero of mine and now the star of Discovery Channel’s “Brewmasters” show.

But at any rate, both are of interest to me because I’m a fan and amateur connoisseur of beer (see my personal website here for personal tidbits or specifically here for beer-related ramblings). While not a fan of the *beers* that Anheuser-Busch produces, I do think they have a business model that deserves consideration if you’re into beer at all, and this story is relevant to serious beer drinkers the world over, regardless of whether you prefer their products. When I have a spare moment (ha) I do intend to read this one.

Onward to another long weekend and a new year! I will be mountain biking, celebrating with friends (thanks Rossis for hosting) and reading good books! Cheers!

Ahem. I should have pointed out as well that while I wrote this post the Husband was off with the Brother-in-law making beer.

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WWW Wednesdays

Posted on December 29, 2010 by pagesofjulia

I’m following MizB at Should Be Reading for another meme today just because I think it sounds fun. And I guess I don’t have much more to say right now, so thanks MizB for the content. 🙂

• What are you currently reading?

I’m reading Frederica by Georgette Heyer right now, which is out of character for me, but it’s going pretty well. I like the witty dialogue.

• What did you recently finish reading?

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens, a psychological thriller/mystery that I really enjoyed. Mowed through it in a day.

• What do you think you’ll read next?

I’m pretty flighty about these things, but I did read a chapter of This Book is Overdue! how librarians and cybrarians can save us all by Marilyn Johnson last night, and it’s pretty great. (It was a gift and I love it!) But then, I found a copy of The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas this morning, and I LOVED it years ago and have been meaning to reread, so there you go. We’ll all have to wait and see!

If you care to participate in this meme, just repost these questions with your responses and leave me the link in a comment; also you might go see the original here. Or just leave a comment with your answers in it. Thanks!

Filed under: miscellaneous | 2 Comments »

Teaser Tuesdays: Frederica

Posted on December 28, 2010 by pagesofjulia


It’s time for Teaser Tuesdays with Should Be Reading!

From page 250 of Frederica by Georgette Heyer:


“The humble note in his voice touched her, but she shook her head; and when he began, in rather stilted language, to enumerate and describe the various excellent qualities in her character which had excited at first his admiration, and then his ardent desire to make her his wife, she checked him even more decidedly, saying kindly, but with a little amusement: ‘I am very much obliged to you, cousin, but pray say no more! Only think how much your mama would dislike such an alliance!'”

And now I shall explain how I ended up in a Heyer, of all places. I’m not a reader of romance novels normally – although I’ve experimented with a few, it’s normally been for readers’ advisory (RA) purposes or general education, rather than enjoyment. When I took my first RA class in grad school, I had my friend Gala to call upon for help with romance, and she gave me a short stack of paperbacks that are mostly still on my TBR shelf (to be read). Frederica was among these. Then, just this morning, I got an email from another friend, Amy, mentioning Georgette Heyer and asking did I know she – Heyer, not Amy; Amy writes sci fi- Heyer wrote mysteries as well as the regency romance she’s famous for? How about that. I did not know, but I’m interested.

Frederica has been sitting alongside my life for months now, but I had only made a halfhearted effort before I got the email from Amy. So it made my lunchtime reading today, and do you know? I’m really enjoying it! There is a witty, playful tone to the dialogue and humor that reminds me, dare I say, of Austen! So keep checking in. If I were to read a romance novel *just* for fun it would be a first, but this one shows promise.

Filed under: tuesday teasers | Tagged: | 5 Comments »

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens

Posted on December 27, 2010 by pagesofjulia

I started this book last Thursday and read it all the way through before bed, with the Husband very tolerant and occasionally (as necessary) sympathetic as I cried on the couch.

I had read the various reviews and blurbs (see amazon and the dust jacket, etc.) and thus grasped the concept: Annie is abducted and held captive for a YEAR before her escape, and we meet her in therapy as she tries to put her life back together. But I still wasn’t quite prepared for the graphic and disturbing descriptions of what she went through. That probably makes me naive; what, did I think it was going to be a cozy? (No.) But it was definitely on the dark side. I cried over what she went through; but I also cried over her attempts to recover, particularly her failed reunions with her well-meaning but bumbling boyfriend.

I read some not-so-favorable reviews of this book – luckily, after I had read it and formed my own opinions! But I do give Still Missing a strong review. It may not be terribly “serious” or literary, but since when is that all we look forward to? I found it moving – lots of tears – and I was still thinking and talking about it days later. While the story is fictional, we live in a world with lots of bad, and I bet this very thing has happened, and I bet the psychology is not far off. It certainly got to me.

I was surprised at how similar it ended up feeling to my understanding of Emma Donoghue’s Room, and I may decide not to read that one next for this reason! Although I’m also interested in the comparison. Hm. Time to go browsing. Check in tomorrow and see what I come up with…

Filed under: miscellaneous | Tagged: , , | 3 Comments »

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