Scene of the Blog Featuring Marcia of The Printed Page!

It's with a great deal of pleasure that I introduce this week's featured blogger. I think all new bloggers at one time or another experiment with weekly memes. Let's face it-- there are dozens and dozens of them out there. At one point I think I'd signed up for a meme-a-day until I found my voice and the direction in which I wanted this blog to go.

But through all of the growing pains, there is one meme that I will never willingly let go of, and that's the "Mailbox Monday" meme you can find on Marcia's blog, The Printed Page. I am insatiably curious about the books other people bring into their homes, and Marcia has a wonderful group of people who show up every week to share their new acquisitions.

Although I never leave my Google Reader when reading most posts, I make a point of visiting The Printed Page regularly because Marcia is quite adept at changing the look of her blog. She has one of the best blogs for appearance and ease of navigation, which makes the excellent content that much easier to consume. If you haven't had the pleasure of visiting Marcia and The Printed Page, I hope you'll take the time to stop by and say hello. I'll bet you add her to your reader of choice just like I did almost two years ago!

This week there was a slight glitch with the photo. It's a bit smaller than you're used to, but it shows what it needs to show. Let's take a look at where Marcia does the majority of her blogging!

Welcome to The Printed Page's corner office, literally. I have an open door policy as you can see. I occupy the back corner of the family room. It comes with a recliner, laptop computer, very limited desk space and a beautiful bookcase.

Not pictured are the office's other features such as windows (to my right), executive cafeteria, private bathroom, the requisite chair warmers (8 felines), and entertainment center. This is where the action and the inspiration take place.

I spend hours in this little corner reading, blogging and providing a warm lap the the lords and ladies of the Larsen manor.

I can just picture Marcia sitting there, can't you? There's plenty of light and a comfy chair in which she can read or blog, and having chair warmers sounds like the perfect luxury necessity!

Thank you so much for sharing your creative space with us, Marcia. We really appreciate it!

On a little side note, did you know that this is the first anniversary of Scene of the Blog? It was just a year ago that our very first featured blogger, Dorte of DJ's Krimiblog, shared with us her creative blogging space in Denmark.

Next week, Scene of the Blog will have a brand-new button to celebrate, and since I'm about to come to the end of the list of bloggers who were the first to agree to participate, don't be surprised if you get an email from me asking you if you'd like to take part. What are the criteria? (1) Have a blog that focuses primarily on books. (2) Make sure your blog posts are current. (3) Make sure you have some way for me to contact you by email. I won't leave a comment on one of your posts.

Whose blogging space will we see next Wednesday? Stop by to take a look!

Wordless Wednesday

Click on photo to view full size. More Wordless Wednesday.

Prolific Blogger Award-- Thanks, Kerrie!

I'd like to thank Kerrie of Mysteries in Paradise for thinking of me!

Receiving this award means:
A Prolific Blogger is one who is intellectually productive… keeping up an active blog that is filled with enjoyable content.

I am honored by this award, and I intend to honor its precepts of keeping up an active blog that's filled with enjoyable content. Once again... thank you, Kerrie. Your blog is one that I use as inspiration.

What Continent Are You?

You Are Africa

You are unpredictable, chaotic, and a bit of an underachiever. People say you don't live up to your potential. You have so many resources at your disposal, but you haven't figured out how to use them yet. You've had a hard (and possibly even violent) life, but you've remained beautiful and even tranquil at times. You are a mystery to most people, but that doesn't stop them from wondering about you. You are alluring and magical in many ways.

What Continent Are You?

Mailbox Monday-- Nice and Quiet

Sometimes nice and quiet is just what the book doctor ordered, especially during weeks as momentous as this one was for me. When I get over being stunned, I might just tell you all about it.

To get back on track, Mailbox Monday is my favorite meme which is hosted by Marcia on her blog, The Printed Page. Thank you so much, Marcia! How do you get to The Printed Page to see what books others have received? Just click on that redhead over on the left... the one having trouble with her skirt. She'll take you right over to the heart of the action!

Last week I sent 6 books to new Paperback Swap (PBS) foster homes, and received 3 books. Let me tell you about the ones I received:

1. Benjamin Pratt and the Keepers of the School: We the Children by Andrew Clements (Shelf Awareness). "Benjamin Pratt's harbor-side school is going to be bulldozed to make room for an amusement park. It sounds like a dream come true... or is it more like a nightmare? Something about the plan seems fishy, and Lyman, the new assistant janitor, seems even fishier. When Ben and his friend Jill start digging for answers, they find things that the people with money and power don't want them to see. Could the history hidden deep within an old school building actually overthrow a multi-million dollar real estate deal?"
2. March Violets by Philip Kerr (PBS). "Bernhard Gunther is a hard-boiled detective in 1930s Berlin who has been hired by a wealthy industrialist to find the murderer of his daughter and son-in-law, killed during the theft of a priceless diamond necklace."
3. 
   The Wings of the Sphinx by Andrea Camilleri (PBS). "Bestseller Camilleri's sublime and darkly humorous 11th whodunit featuring Chief Insp. Salvo Montalbano finds the 56-year-old Sicilian policeman in the midst of a serious crisis with his significant other, Livia. Montalbano is uncertain what he can and should do to repair the rift that has developed between them. Meanwhile, the inspector must tackle a difficult case—the gunshot murder of an attractive young woman whose nude body was left in a dump. As Montalbano and his team first attempt to identify the victim based on a butterfly tattoo on her left shoulder, they learn of a possible link to an influential Catholic charity. Soon they start to feel political pressure to steer the inquiry in a different direction."

Now I'm off to see what everyone else found in their mailboxes. See you next Monday!

I Want One of These!

What Looks Like Crazy by Charlotte Hughes

Title: What Looks Like Crazy
Author: Charlotte Hughes
ISBN: 9780515144239, Jove Books, 2008
Genre: Cozy Mystery, #1 Dr. Kate Holly mystery
Rating: B-

First Line: As a clinical psychologist, I've spent most of my time trying to convince my clients they're not crazy.

You might be more familiar with Charlotte Hughes from the series she co-wrote with Janet Evanovich. I admit to reading the first, Full House, and not being very impressed.

This time, the South Carolina writer is all by her lonesome and introducing us to clinical psychologist Kate Holly. Kate lives in Atlanta in a house with mood swings that she calls "Mad Ethel". She's afraid to say too much about the house to her landlord in case all the repairs are made and the rent is raised. She has an eccentric receptionist who drums up business by such schemes as offering free manicures. and her mother and aunt collect junk art. (They recently installed a vaguely sexual sculpture in her front yard, and Kate's neighbors are up in arms.)

Her psychiatrist ex-boyfriend keeps referring all sorts of "interesting" cases to her, and Kate begins to receive mysterious threats. If she weren't so busy chasing after everyone, she just might be able to take these threats seriously.

Kate is an extremely likable character. She has a good turn of phrase (I blushed so hard that I was certain I'd singed my eyebrows), and we tend to see eye-to-eye on things: Despite my Ph.D. in clinical psychology, I had yet to figure out why Popeye and Brutus were constantly coming to fisticuffs over a woman like Olive Oyl.

I also liked the care and concern Kate showed with each of her patients. What did wear a little thin with me throughout the first section of the book was her reason for divorcing her firefighter husband-- she literally cannot stand the thought of his being in danger every single day. That's the only reason. Kate's explanations carried on a bit too long for me, to the point where I wanted to tell her to put on her big girl panties and deal with it. Good thing I'm not the psychologist, eh?

Other than being mildly irked with Kate for the first quarter of the book and wondering about a practically non-existent mystery, I greatly enjoyed this book. Hughes' skill in characterization will have me looking for the second book in the series, Nutcase, when I need something light and fun.

[Source: Paperback Swap.]

Weekly Link Round-Up

Another week has gone by at the speed of sound, and it's time to see what goodies I can pull out of my link basket!

Bookish News

• Sam Baker's Top Ten Literary Stepmothers. (Sometimes I think I've never met a book list I didn't like!)
• Dodging bombs for a good book in Pakistan. (Just that one sentence reminds me of how good I've got it.)
• Books are a must-have, even in a sluggish economy.
• Manchester's sending a million books to the salt mines. What'd they ever do to Manchester?
• Fun Literary Look-Alikes.
• The largest book in the world goes on display for the first time.
• Ten best romantic novels for people who hate romance.
  
• The importance of cats during the Siege of Leningrad. (Not book-related... so sue me!)

Around the Water Cooler in the Book Blogosphere

• Pam of Bookalicious talks about Book Bloggers Are a Waste of Time?
• The Big Green Bookshop in the UK has asked book bloggers to recommend their favorite reads. You'll recognize the names of at least some of the bloggers!
• Simon of Stuck in a Book wonders What's in a Name? (of a book blog).
• Jackie of Farm Lane Books wants to know what makes author interviews good?
• Aarti of Booklust wonders how much impact our blogs have.
• Liz of A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy states Don't Should On Me.
• Debbie of Debbie's World of Books wonders What Makes a Great Blog?
• Anastasia of Birdbrain(ed) Book Blog talks about the futility of reviewing old books.
• Anysia of Booklorn calmly states Enhance This, Publishers.

Blogging Tips

• How to Conduct an Interview.
  

New to My Google Reader

• Mental Foodie
• Reading On a Rainy Day
• Crazy For Books

That's all for this week. Don't forget to stop by next Friday for another heapin' helpin' of links for your weekend surfing pleasure!

The House on Tradd Street by Karen White

Title: The House on Tradd Street
Author: Karen White
ISBN: 9780451225092, New American Library, 2008
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Rating: C+

First Line: Pewter reflections of scarlet hibiscus colored the dirt-smudged windows of the old house, like happy memories of youth trapped inside the shell of an old man.

Realtor Melanie Middleton hates old houses. She also specializes in them in her business, which may make you raise an eyebrow. In an ironic twist of fate, Melanie meets an old man who dies days later and leaves her his historic Tradd Street home in Charleston. Melanie does everything in her power to avoid accepting the house, but she fails. Now she faces renovating and living in a wreck for several months, so it's a good thing that two men named Jack and Marc enter her life to take her mind off sawdust and electricians.

I absolutely loved the Charleston, South Carolina, setting of this book as well as the description and renovation of the old house Melanie inherited. Where the book fell flat for me was in the romantic leading men, Jack and Marc. It was all too easy to spot which was the charming rogue Melanie should fall for and which was The Bad Guy. It pains me to say that Melanie reacted to both in very predictable ways as well.

In the sense of place, having a fascinating house with a few resident ghosts, and an interesting central character, The House on Tradd Street was a winner for me. When it came to matters of the heart, it just didn't cut the mustard. However, if romantic suspense is your genre, this may be your perfect cup of tea.

[Source: Book Depository.]

The Lady Was a Gambler by Chris Enss

Title: The Lady Was a Gambler
Author: Chris Enss
ISBN: 9780762743711, TwoDot, 2008
Genre: Women's History
Rating: B

First Line: An attractive, statuesque woman with golden blonde curls piled high on top of her head sat behind a large table in the back of the Pacific Club Gambling Parlor in San Francisco, California.

There's something about the ching of spurs, the slap of the bat-wing doors of a saloon, and the alluring smile of a beautiful faro dealer. They are some of the most common sounds and sights that come to mind when people think of the Wild West. Author Chris Enss provides names and histories to fifteen of these pretty gambling faces, and it's a pleasure to get to know them all.

Alice Ivers ("Poker Alice") was in the gambling profession for more than sixty years. She died broke at the age of seventy-nine. "I gambled away fortunes," she once told a friend, "but I had a ball doing it." She also never sat down at the table without her gun.

The right face, the right name, and the right personality meant added business for gambling houses, and the very best of these ladies could rake in thousands of dollars. (Just ask Doc Holliday who once lost $30,000 to Lottie Deno.)

Speaking of Lottie Deno, many historians claim that the character of Laura Denbo in the movie Gunfight at the OK Corral and the character of Miss Kitty in Gunsmoke are based on her.

Although there are many instances in these ladies' lives that provoke laughter, it wasn't all fun and games. When large sums of money, alcohol, quick-tempered men and pretty women are all in one place, abuse, death and tragedy are frequent visitors.

Enss provides just enough biography, history and photography to make readers want to do their own research and learn more. I've walked down Allen Street. I've walked past the OK Corral, and I've seen the gallows at the Courthouse in Tombstone, Arizona. I've heard the rustle of skirts, the ching of spurs, the shouts of laughter, and the slap of those bat-wing doors when I strolled past Big Nose Kate's Saloon. But it's only now that books like Chris Enss' The Lady Was a Gambler are being written that I'm getting a real feel for the people who lived in these legendary towns.

If you like to read books about the history of the Old West and about women's history, you'll want to read The Lady Was a Gambler. The only real problem I had with this book was that I would've enjoyed an extra 200 pages!

[Source: Paperback Swap.]

Scene of the Blog Featuring Lorin of Arch Thinking!

If you haven't stopped by Lorin's book blog, Arch Thinking, I hope you'll make a point to do so and say hello. Lorin's blog combines three of my favorite things: books, art and architecture.

Lorin reviews books, conducts giveaways, speaks up for good causes, and talks about her passions, which is an excellent mix, don't you think? Like I said, if her blog is new to you, please stop by Arch Thinking, sample her posts, and don't forget to say hi!

I have to admit that the first time I saw Lorin's photo of her blogging space, my reaction was "Wow!" That hasn't changed, so it's time for me to Share the Wow. Don't forget that you can click on the photo to view it full size.

While I sometimes blog from my desk at work, or from my husband's desk at
home, my favorite place is the red love seat in our house. With my head on
one arm and my feet flopped over the other side, I put my laptop in my lap
and write. (If you're wondering about the room, our house was originally a
brick warehouse that was divided up into lofts. During the day, there are
two large skylights that light this room, which has about 17 ft ceilings.
It's an amazing place to live.)

Just this one glimpse of your creative space shows that it is indeed an amazing place to live, Lorin. I love the exposed brick, and that loveseat looks very comfy. I've always loved the idea of converting old factories and warehouses into living spaces. So many have huge windows and skylights to flood the interior with light. Tall ceilings, brick, wood... I'd better watch out or I'll start drooling and I forgot to bring in a bib! By the way-- the floor looks great. Is it concrete? I've seen concrete flooring and countertops that I've really liked. Yikes! I'd better shut up or I'll just keep asking questions!

Thanks so much for sharing your creative (and comfortable) space, Lorin. We really appreciate it!

Who will you see next Wednesday on Scene of the Blog? You'll just have to stop by and find out. See you then!

Wordless Wednesday

Whitewater Draw
Cochise County, Arizona

Click photo to view full size. More Wordless Wednesday.

Both Sides of Time by Caroline B. Cooney

Title: Both Sides of Time
Author: Caroline B. Cooney
ISBN: 0440911737, Laurel-Leaf Books, 1997
Genre: Young Adult, Time Travel
Rating: B

First Line: It was Annie's agenda that summer to convert her boyfriend, Sean, into a romantic man.


Annie Lockwood is a typical fifteen-year-old girl: she wants Romance with a capital R. Trouble is, she's not going to be getting it from her current mechanics-obsessed boyfriend:

I am a romantic in the wrong century, she thought. I live in the 1990s. I should be in the 1890s. I bet I could have found true love a hundred years ago. Look at Sean. All I'm going to find around here is true grease.

When Annie pedals her bike into 1895, she does indeed find true love waiting for her, but her sojourn back in time makes things worse in both centuries. No matter the century in which she chooses to live, she's going to be forced to abandon someone she loves.

I enjoyed the characters and the plot of this book. Annie was very believable, and although she was a typical teenager, she did have a sense of responsibility. She wanted to do the right thing. Cooney's characters, both youngsters and adults, had depth to them-- and surprises. Just when I thought I had them figured out, another layer was revealed, and I had new motivations to follow.

The only thing that pulled me out of the story was my own ignorance. I couldn't quite believe that Annie could ride a 1990s bike into 1895 and no one would notice the difference. No one said a word, so I went online and conducted my own research. Just what did bicycles look like in 1895? Well, it turns out that there were so many different styles of bicycles back then (and a couple looked quite a bit like modern bikes), that the people back in 1895 probably would not have noticed anything all that odd about Annie's bicycle. So Both Sides of Time was not only entertaining but educational. I'll keep that in mind when I look for the author's other titles!

[Source: Paperback Swap.]

What Dance Are You?

You Are the Tango

You are an emotionally expressive person. You can't ever really hide how you feel. Deep and reflective, you need a style of dance to mirror your intensity. You have a taste of the exotic. You crave sounds, smells, and tastes from foreign countries. You are sometimes misunderstood and unappreciated. But you don't really care to explain yourself!

What Dance Are You?

Poll Results Are In!

A big Thank You to all 83 readers who voted in this poll which asked, "Did you make any bookish resolutions for 2010?" I always look forward to your answers because they always provide food for thought.

The greatest number of respondents (24) said that they don't make resolutions. I tend to be in that camp in most things, but books are just a tad different.

23 said that they wanted to read more books in 2010 than they did the year before. I'll go along with that. At the rate I accrue books, I have to read more in order to keep my lower lip above water!

The other higher scoring responses all had something to do with control. 22 said that they wanted to read the books they have and not keep buying more. It's a nice thought, but I sincerely think I could be turned into the only zombie that routinely stumbles into The Poisoned Pen to take a stack of pristine mysteries to the counter to buy. Forget what normal zombies do. Since when have I ever been normal?

Another 22 said that they wanted to read out of their comfort zone more. This is something I want to do as well. No one should let themselves go along unthinkingly with the status quo. (Why am I seeing zombies again, and what got me on zombies in the first place?)

19 folks want to catch up on some of their favorite series, and 18 want to use their local libraries more. 17 just plain want to get their personal libraries under control. I'd like to catch up on some of the dozens of series I've started, and I actually think I have got my personal library under control, thanks to joining Paperback Swap.

Speaking of Paperback Swap, 6 people said that they'd like to start using a book swapping site. If anyone has any questions about Paperback Swap, please feel free to ask me!

9 people want to support their favorite industry by buying books regularly, and 9 more said that they couldn't find their answer from my list. If any of these 9 would like to share the resolutions they made, I'd love to hear them!

It sounds as though many of those who answered do want more control over what they read and how much money they spend on books, but they also want to keep the enjoyment factor as high as possible.

Can't argue with that one little bit!