Weekly Link Round-Up, Spring Fever Edition

Once again I'm a little late with this week's edition of the Weekly Link Round-Up. You see, I have a horrible case...

...of spring fever.

If you don't believe me, take a look at the photo above. I have an entire fence covered with tiny white Lady Banksia roses-- and hundreds more blooms. The soft scent of roses wafts gently through my open windows. So spring is my excuse for being late, and I'm sticking to it!

But it's time for me to get back on track and share the links I did manage to find in the past week. Here goes nuthin'!

Bookish News & Other Fun Links

• Flavorwire talks about their favorite opening lines in literature.
• Ever heard of Book Review Bingo?
• I love this bookstore in Buenos Aires!
• Love crime fiction? Here's a catalog for you to drool over.
• An Aussie bookstore experiences a tempest in a remote control.
• The Guardian thinks short is sweet when it comes to fiction.
• I would love to experience Book Week in the Netherlands.
• Universal Studios in Orlando is all set for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
• Have you seen the trailer for Eat, Pray, Love starring Julia Roberts? (I have to admit that I haven't read the book, but the film does intrigue me.)
• The National Trust has two summer houses available for your garden: the Writer's Retreat and the Reading Room. Take a look. Which one would you want?

Blogging Tips

• RSS feeds: should you offer a full or partial feed to your readers?
  
• The Blog Herald talks about How to Get a Blogger's Attention.
• 5 Copyright Steps to protect yourself-- good for newbies and old timer bloggers.

Around the Water Cooler in the Book Blogosphere

• Author Lonnie Cruse wants to know how we go about finding new authors to read.
• Natasha of Maw Books believes there are two types of book owners and wants to know which one you are.
• There's been a very interesting Weekly Geeks question this week about Author Interviews.
• Eva of A Striped Armchair talks about the validity of audio books.

New to My Google Reader

• The Chocolate Chip Waffle
• Page Turners
• Let Them Read Books
• Between the Pages
• The Cajun Book Lady

Hopefully there was a link or two that tickled your fancy. Don't forget to stop by next week for another heaping helping of links for your surfing pleasure!

Weeping on Wednesday by Ann Purser

Title: Weeping on Wednesday
Author: Ann Purser
ISBN: 0425201430, Berkley Prime Crime, 2005
Genre: Cozy, Amateur Sleuth, #3 Lois Meade mystery
Rating: B
Source: Paperback Swap

First Line: "Hello?"

The villagers of Long Farnden don't quite know what to think of the Abrahams of Carthanger Mill. Wits have likened the Mill to a setting straight from the Hammer horror films, and rumors have always surrounded the Abrahams. But... when Enid Abraham applies for work at New Brooms, Lois Meade decides to give her a try.

While Lois is making sure her two new employees meet her exacting standards, Lois's husband begins receiving anonymous letters insinuating that his wife is having an affair with a local policeman. People begin disappearing and strange things begin to happen, and Lois wonders if Carthanger Mill holds the key to a terrible secret.

I enjoy this series. Lois is a wild child who grew up, settled down, and now has children who are giving her grief. The Meades are a loving family, and Lois extends that caring behavior to the people who work for her.

It's fun to see this series mature. When I read the first book, I saw it painting itself into a corner by having Lois cleaning the houses in just one village. The second book in the series had her broadening her horizons, but it presented another problem: constantly meeting the policeman in the woods to pass along the information she'd gleaned. This third book in the series addresses that. (You simply cannot get away with something like that when you live in a village!) I'm definitely looking forward to book four. Lois is becoming one of my favorite characters.

Anything Goes by Jill Churchill

Title: Anything Goes
Author: Jill Churchill
ISBN: 0380802449, Avon Books, 1999
Genre: Amateur Sleuth, #1 Grace and Favor mystery
Rating: C+
Source: Paperback Swap

First Line: Lily was hot and cranky.

Lily and Robert Brewster enjoyed being members of the idle rich, until their father lost everything in the crash of 1929. Now they're part of the disillusioned poor and very tired of scrimping and saving for every crust of bread. At first they jump for joy when they are told that an uncle has died and left them a Hudson River mansion. They jump higher when they're told that a fortune goes with the mansion. They stop jumping when they learn that they have to live in the mansion for ten years before they can get their hands on a penny of the money.

They pack their bags and arrive at their new home, which they swiftly name Grace and Favor Cottage. They're settling in and getting to know the people in the area when they discover that their uncle was murdered aboard his yacht during a storm. Since Lily and Robert inherited the money, they are now suspects, and when another body turns up in the kitchen of Grace and Favor, they know they have to be the ones to clear their names.

This was a pleasant little read that moved right along. I liked the time period and the Hudson River setting, and Lily and Robert were fun characters who provided a laugh or two along the way. However, the villain was not difficult to spot, and I didn't find Lily and Robert as engaging as I thought I would. Probably because this poor kid has an innate suspicion of rich kids. (I have to admit to a bit of a smirk when Lily moaned about her awful job and working conditions. Poor baby.)

I don't think this is a series that I'll continue to read, but I can certainly see where it would be a favorite of many other readers of cozy mysteries. If you like the time period and are in the mood for a pleasant afternoon's mystery, you could certainly do a lot worse than picking up Anything Goes.

The Pesthouse by Jim Crace

Title: The Pesthouse
Author: Jim Crace
ISBN: 9780385520751, Doubleday, 2007
Genre: Dystopian Fiction
Rating: B
Source: Paperback Swap

First Line: Everybody died at night.

In the fishing village along the riverbank-- a place called Ferrytown that likes to charge exorbitant fees to any stranger traveling through-- Margaret is showing definite signs of sickness. Her head is shaved, and she is taken to a small stone cottage where she is left to recover... or to die. She is found by a young man named Franklin, and together they begin a long journey through an America laid waste by this disease they call the flux. Margaret and Franklin will be traveling through an America reduced to medieval methods of living where everyone hopes to make it to the East Coast to pay for passage on a ship bound for Europe-- the Promised Land. The couple will have many adventures along the way.

Crace swiftly sets the tone of his book and makes his readers uneasy in the prologue: "This used to be America, this river crossing in the ten-month stretch of land, this sea-to-sea. It used to be the safest place on earth." Franklin is young and impulsive, which soon leads to trouble. Margaret is older and used to staying beneath the radar. She is the more observant and adaptable one. As they pass the rusted-out hulks of factories and the weed-choked arteries of disused highways, Crace leads us further and further away from our traditional American values of progress, technology and industriousness.

It is an engrossing journey, but one that I never completely believed. Although I liked the characters of Margaret and Franklin, and I found Crace's view of an America forgotten by history to be quite interesting, I felt as though I were being held at a distance... as though I had the flux. If not for that No Man's Land between the characters and me, I would rate this book even higher. Unfortunately, this lover of dystopian fiction felt a bit quarantined.

Scene of the Blog Featuring Sheila of One Person's Journey Through a World of Books!

This week my guest blogger is someone who always makes me smile, someone who can infuse a bit of energy into these bones of mine whether they want it or not. Who is this guest blogger?

Sheila of One Person's Journey Through a World of Books!

Yes, there are author interviews, book giveaways, memes, book reviews, and many other goodies to savor on her blog, but it's Sheila's personality that I enjoy the most. She's a happy, energetic, and very giving person, and that's what shines through so well on her blog. If you've never visited One Person's Journey Through a World of Books, I hope you'll click on over to say hi!

Without further ado, let's take a look at where Sheila blogs. Luck is with all of us this week because Sheila is a mobile blogger, and we get to take a look at her cold weather blogging spot as well as her warm weather space. Since winter is still with many of us, we'll start there.... (Don't forget that you can click on each photo to view it full size.)

I have "blogged" my book reading thoughts since before there were blogs. I have large three ring journals filled with the books I have read and my thoughts on them. My friends would go through my binders to find a book choice for their next read. You can just imagine my delight when I found out about blogging!

My book blog, Journey Through Books, is all about books I have read, my book club has some great shots in there (be sure to look at July 2008 entries of our annual Queen event. I love to make reading fun and my favorite discussions are around books and authors. I am well known in our community as the book girl and now that I have discovered book blogs, my passion has only grown.

I have fun with a thing I like to call Morning Meanderings which I do about 5 days a week. This is what I call "me unplugged" I share a little bit of my life, maybe a blog I encountered or a book I seen around.... It's pretty lite, usually kind of funny and my readers tell me they enjoy it.

Recently I inherited the incredible It's Monday, What Are You Reading meme from J. Kaye's Blog. I love this meme and I have met so many wonderful bloggers by taking this one and of course added more books from their suggestions to my TBR pile.

I don't know a lot about web design so currently my blog is through WordPress. I like it because it is simple to use, I choose a template and go from there, but I don't have the versatility that I see on some of the book blogs I read. Some of the widgets I covet are also not available for use on WordPress blogs. I try to find new things to keep it looking good and recently have added a couple pages to it.

My blog has grown in leaps and bounds and I can not even believe I have only been doing this since last June. I hope to meet some of Cathy's readers (if I haven't already) so stop by anytime - the coffee is always on!

The first two photos show Sheila and her cold weather blogging space, which looks very homey and comfortable. I wouldn't hesitate to sit in that recliner because I swear I had its twin for years-- I know how comfy it is! I also like the tables on either side which can hold books, laptops, and other tools of the trade.

My favorite thing about Sheila's warm weather space (besides that snazzy mouse) may not be readily apparent. You may have to click on the photo to enlarge it, but take a look at the reflection in the glass behind Sheila's right shoulder. Can you see her blogging companion?

Thank you so very much, Sheila, for letting into your home to take a look at your blogging spaces. We really do appreciate it!

Who's coming up next Wednesday? You'll have to stop by to find out. See you then!

Wordless Wednesday

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

How Boyish or Girlish Are You?

You Are 50% Boyish and 50% Girlish

You are pretty evenly split down the middle - a total eunuch. Okay, kidding about the eunuch part. But you do get along with both sexes. You reject traditional gender roles. However, you don't actively fight them. You're just you. You don't try to be what people expect you to be.

How Boyish or Girlish Are You?

Mailbox Monday-- Not Enough Hours in the Day

Mailbox Monday, my favorite meme, is hosted by Marcia on her blog The Printed Page. If you carry a stack of books, I'm the sort of person who always has to take a look at those books. Mailbox Monday is a way for me to satisfy my curiosity in this virtual world. If you'd like to see more, click on the redhead over on the left. She'll take you right to the heart of the action!

This past week I sent 4 books to new Paperback Swap (PBS) foster homes, and I received 7. (I wasn't as lucky as I was the week before when one person requested 4 of my books!) I'm about to go through a stack of books from my TBR shelves and list those on PBS. I've been enjoying the Midsomer Murders series on DVD. They're based on the mystery series written by Caroline Graham. Something tells me that I'm just not going to ever get around to reading the books the television series is based on. Oh... I've read the first and enjoyed it, but each time I pick up one of the next in the series and think about reading it, I always put it back on the shelf. I might as well list them on PBS so someone else can read and enjoy them.

Here's the scoop on the books I found in my mailbox last week:

1. Sing It to Her Bones by Marcia Talley (PBS). "Hannah Ives, recovering from a mastectomy and recently the victim of downsizing, accepts her sister-in-law's offer to spend some quiet time in Pearson's Corner, Maryland, away from the stress of D.C. Characters in mystery novels should know better. Soon Hannah has discovered a body, become involved in the murder investigation, and must deal with the fact that her husband has been accused of sexual harassment. Talley's debut is a gentle mystery with a likable narrator. Despite the straight-from-headlines nature of the plot, the novel relies not on sensationalism but on quiet character development for its charm."
2. No Moon by Irene N. Watts (LibraryThing Early Reviewer program). "Louisa Gardener is the fourteen-year-old nursemaid to the young daughters of a wealthy, titled family living in London, England, in 1912. Despite the bullying Nanny Mackintosh, for whom she is an extra pair of hands, she loves her work and her young charges. Then everything changes. The family decides to sail to New York aboard the Titanic. An accident to the children's nanny, only days prior to the sailing, means that Louisa must go in her stead. She cannot refuse, although she dreads even the mention of the ocean. If Louisa refuses to go on the voyage, she will be dismissed, and she will never get beyond the working-class life she has escaped from."
3. National Trust Handbook 2010 (Royal Oak Foundation). Detailed information about the National Trust properties in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. To me, this is like getting the new Sears Roebuck catalog in the mail.
4. The Stones Cry Out by Sibella Giorello (PBS). "One forensic geologist. Two dead men. 500 witnesses. And yet no one seems to know what really happened. As the FBI digs into the case, one thing is made clear: if no one else will talk, the stones will cry out."



5. The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova (PBS). "The troubled and troubling figure around which the novel expands is Robert Oliver, a charismatic and hugely talented contemporary American painter in his early 40s with a style reminiscent of the impressionists. Tall and powerfully built, with the near-mythic "great wingspan" of an archangel or a Greek god, Robert suffers from the all-too-human miseries of artistic obsession. He has recently been arrested for trying to attack a painting called "Leda" in the 19th-century collection at the National Gallery of Art, and lands in a psychiatric facility called Goldengrove in Rockville. There he's assigned to a doctor named Andrew Marlow, himself a painter who, until now, has regarded his demanding psychiatric practice as merely his day job. After a brief interview with Marlow, Robert refuses to speak for the 11 months he remains at Goldengrove, expressing himself only by compulsively sketching and painting the same mysterious figure: a beautiful young woman in period Victorian clothing. Baffled and fascinated, Marlow embarks on a not-entirely professional quest to understand the origins of Robert's fixation, traveling to North Carolina, New York and as far as France and Mexico to interview the people who might shed light on the painter's silent mania."
6. Blood Thirsty by Marshall Karp (PBS). "When mega-producer Barry Gerber turns up drained of blood in a trash can, LAPD detectives Mike Lomax and Terry Biggs, who had been hoping to enter a deal with the victim for a movie adaptation of one of their high-profile cases, are assigned to investigate. Their workload doubles when the A-list star of Gerber's last blockbuster, actor Damian Hedge, is abducted, apparently by the same person responsible for the producer's murder."
7. The Ruffler's Child by John Pilkington (PBS). "In the turbulent year of 1586, a murder on the Berkshire Downs draws Thomas Finbow, falconer to the wealthy Sir Robert Vicary, away from the peaceful shire he loves. He finds himself on a trail of danger and intrigue, desperately trying to fathom the mystery surrounding his beloved mistress, Lady Margaret. His investigations lead him to the murky, seething underworld of Elizabethan London, where nothing is as it seems. Soon Thomas' own life is in jeopardy as he digs deeper, breaching the rigid barriers of class and risking everything he has. Finally he must pit himself against one of the most dangerous men in England. Death seems bound to result."

There you have it...er... them. These are the books I found when I opened my mailbox last week. Have you read any of them? Do any of them sound good enough to make it to your own wish list? Do tell!

Now it's time for me to check out all those other Mailbox Mondays!