April 26, 2009
9:30 AM
I hope this finds all of you enjoying your Sunday. We have had a mix of very hot days, broken up by cooler days here in Northern California – but today looks to be in the mid-70s and gorgeous in the mountains where we live. I hope to park myself on the porch later and read while the puppy naps. Speaking of the puppy, Raven experienced her first full day of puppy daycare on Thursday and loved it. I arrived to pick her up at 5:00 PM and she was romping with five other puppies (under the age of 6 months) – she was filthy, happy and exhausted. I’ve scheduled her for two days a week so that I can work longer days and not worry about her. Not only is she getting excellent socialization, but the owner is a certified trainer and is working with Raven on some things she is still having trouble with (like getting over excited and biting or jumping, and not coming to us if she is distracted). The best part is that she comes home tired and sleeps ALL NIGHT!
I finished reading Follow Me by Joanna Scott this week and will be posting a review and give-away tomorrow. I thoroughly enjoyed Scott’s writing – she is a good story teller and her prose transported me to the Pennsylvannia countryside. Although I really liked the book, I did think it went on a little longer than it should have – there were times I found myself impatient for the secrets to be revealed. On the other hand, books like this are not written to be rushed through. Ultimately it is a book I can recommend to those who enjoy character-driven family sagas. I received two other novels written by Joanna Scott from Miriam at Little Brown and Company (Tourmaline and Liberation) and I am eager to read more of Scott’s work.
Today I will be diving into The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire by C.M. Mayo. This is an ARC that came to me from Caitlin at Unbridled Books. It is being released on May 5th and that is also the launch of a week long blog tour, so I imagine you will all be reading lots about this book then. It is an historical fiction and looks wonderful, so I’m looking forward to reading it.
In two weeks I will be heading East for a two week vacation to visit family and friends. So I’ve been contemplating what books I’ll be taking with me. I always get so stressed about what to bring! So far I’ve decided on:
- A Thousand Veils by D.J. Murphy (which was just selected as a finalist for the Colorado Book Awards)
- The Scent of Oranges by Joan Zawatzky
- Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie
- In the Woods by Tana French
Recently I went back to peruse my Friday Finds posts. I was interested to see how many books I’d placed on my wish list (due to great reviews by my fellow bloggers) had actually made it to my physcial TBR pile and been read. Here’s the results:
- 109 books were “wished for” beginning in July 2008 until now
- 21 of those books found their way onto my physical TBR pile (either I purchased them, they were gifted to me, or I received them as ARCs or review books)
- Out of those 21 books, I’ve read and reviewed 6 (read my reviews from the review page):
- Everyone Is Beautiful by Katherine Center
- Months and Seasons by Christopher Meeks
- The Road Home by Rose Tremain
- The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry
- House and Home by Kathleen McCleary
- Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri
- Of the 21 books that made it to my physical TBR pile, 8 are slated to be read within the next 6 months
So how about you? How often do you wish for a book and then actually read it?
Well, I am off to enjoy my Sunday – and I hope you also are enjoying yours. Have a wonderful week full of great books!
= Excellent
= Good/Very Good
= Okay read
= Not recommended
= Ugh! Don't waste your time.
I can’t wait to read your review of Follow Me! Joanna Scott was a great professor so I’m curious about what her books are like.
Puppy daycare – that is so cute! My Sunnie kept going under the porch today and all I could see was her paws and pink nose.
Going back over old Friday Finds posts is such a good idea! I know I get most of the additions to my tbr through other bloggers, although I haven’t been consistent in remembering each one in Friday Finds.
I just started The Last Prince yesterday … good so far! Unfortunately I have to read inside since we’re going to barely reach 60 here in the Pacific NW today.
I don’t do Friday Finds posts because I just glean books off of other people’s posts … I have quite enough of a TBR pile just from those!
I’ve wished for books that I’ve never gotten around to reading more than I can count. I’ve just started getting ARC offers and I’m going to try really hard not to accept any I can’t get to.
Puppy daycare sounds like fun. Enjoy your upcoming vacation. I know how hard it is to decide which books to take.
Every time I read a Friday Finds or Mailbox Monday from you, I wonder, when on earth will she find time to read all those books?! But I guess you do eventually, don’t you?
Great post.
Those are good numbers. Most of the books I put on my wishlist come from blog recommendations.
Including Follow Me, which I am just now adding!
Getting ready to start Follow Me so I will hold off reading your review until I am done. Have never read the author so I am not sure what to expect outside of what I read on the blurb and in the Washington Post review this week.
Your vacation pile looks a lot like a section of my tbr.
Today I am reading The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. Happy reading!
I wish, crave, long for a book then when I finally get it, I don’t read it. Until months maybe years later. I don’t know why I do that. Enjoy for week!
Interesting to go back and look at your wish list like that! I often acquire books and take what feels like years to get to them sometimes!
El Fay: My review of Follow Me is up
Yes, puppy daycare is so funny…it is great for the dogs, and for the people too 
Belle: It was a fun exercise to see exactly which books I followed up on and got…and then which I actually felt motivated to read once I got them!
Kristen: I’m enjoying the Little Prince too. Today looks like we are back to cool weather again, like you!
Kristy: Good luck with keeping on top of the ARCs … they get out of control REALLY fast!
Laura: *laughs* Yes, they all get read…eventually!
Debbie: I was surprised at how many I actually had read – sometimes I need to do this just to reassure myself I am making progress on my TBR pile *laughs*
Frances: I’ve not read The Heart is a Lonely Hunter so I’ll look forward to reading your thoughts. Will be interested in your “take” on Follow Me as well.
Vasilly: *laughs* I think we all do that to a certain extent!
Amy: I know what you mean. There are books I’ve bought that I was so excited about, and yet they still sit unread. Too many good books and not enough time!
Raven is a beautiful pup! I am curious about A Thousand Veils, hope my library has a copy! Have a great week.
Gavin: Thanks for the kind words about Raven
She is turning into a great pup! I should have a review up on A Thousand Veils by mid-May…and I will be giving away my copy because the author asked if I would pass it on. So, if your library doesn’t have it, watch for my giveaway sometime in May 
Can’t go wrong with In the Woods!! If you’re flying, read it on the flight! You’ll never know the plane took off or landed.
Les: Funny you should suggest reading In The Woods on the plane – that is my plan!!! *laughs!!*