BOOK REPORT......

Runny Babbit - Shel Silverstein

Product Description(Amazon.com)
Runny Babbit turns 10! A special commemorative anniversary sticker graces Shel Silverstein's hilarious book of spoonerisms (words or phrases with letters or syllables swapped: bunny rabbit becomes Runny Babbit) to celebrate this momentous event.
Welcome to the world of Runny Babbit and his friends Toe Jurtle, Skertie Gunk, Rirty Dat, Dungry Hog, Snerry Jake, and many others who speak a topsy-turvy language all their own.
So if you say, "Let's bead a rook
That's billy as can se,"
You're talkin' Runny Babbit talk,
Just like mim and he. 
Age Range: 1 - 8 years 
Grade Level: 1 - 3 
Hardcover: 96 pages 
Publisher: HarperCollins; First Edition edition (January 6, 2015) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 0060256532 
ISBN-13: 978-0060256531

MY THOUGHTS:  I discovered the world of Shel Silverstein while I was in school.  I'm not much for poetry, but Shel Silverstein makes poetry fun.  The first book of poetry I read from this author was Where The Sidewalk Ends.  Love this book!  I loved it so much I bought a copy of my own.  I browse through the book a lot.  As for Runny Babbit, it's a little different, but I still like it.  I also love all the little drawings that in the book.  If you haven't read Shel Silverstein, do so, you'll love it too.  I give this book 5.....

This book is also for my Birthday Month Reading Challenge.

I've also completed my Good Reads Reading Challenge.  Check it out.

FRIDAY BOOK MEMES.....

Gillion over at Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings.  Freda over at Freda's Voice hosts The Friday 56 and Billy B. hosts Book Blogger Hop.  Head over to there places to check it out.  You might find your next book to read.

The book I'm sharing today is.....
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

MY Book Beginning...

I AM A COWARD.
I wanted to be heroic and I pretended I was.  I have always been good at pretending.  I spent the first twelve years of my life playing at the Battle of Stirling Bridge with my five big brothers - and even though I am a girl, they let me be William Wallace, who is supposed to be one of our ancestors, because I did the most rousing battle speeches.

That little part of the book got me hooded.  I wanted to know why she thought she was a COWARD.

MY FRIDAY 56....

"Was it you talked down my lads training in the Wellington bomber this morning?"
Maddie gulped.  She had thrown radio protocol to the wind to guide those boys in, bullying them through a ten-minute gap in the low-laying cloud, praying they would follow her instructions without question, and that she wasn't directing them straight into the explosive-rigged steel cables that tethered the barrage balloons meant to deter enemy aircraft.

That is not the work of a COWARD.

BOOK BLOGGER HOP....
Question this week...
What is most rewarding about being a book blogger?

I get to met lots of new people, sharing the books I read and finding lots of new authors to check out.

 

BOOK REPORT.....

The Wonder of All Things - Jason Mott

Product Description(Amazon.com)
On an ordinary day, at an air show like that in any small town across the country, a plane crashes into a crowd of spectators. After the dust clears, a thirteen-year-old girl named Ava is found huddled beneath a pocket of rubble with her best friend, Wash. He is injured and bleeding, and when Ava places her hands over him, his wounds disappear.

Ava has an unusual gift: she can heal others of their physical ailments. Until the air show tragedy, her gift was a secret. Now the whole world knows, and suddenly people from all over the globe begin flocking to her small town, looking for healing and eager to catch a glimpse of The Miracle Child. But Ava's unique ability comes at a great cost, and as she grows weaker with each healing, she soon finds herself having to decide just how much she's willing to give up in order to save the ones she loves most.  
Paperback: 304 pages 
Publisher: Mira; Reprint edition (July 28, 2015) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 0778317854 
ISBN-13: 978-0778317852

MY THOUGHTS:  This is my book clubs choice for September.   The book was kind of slow going for awhile, but I stuck with it.  I'm glad I did.  Very good book and I enjoyed reading it.  At the end of the book it made me rethink everything I see differently.  The smallest thing can be a wonder.  You just have to look for it.  I give this book 4.....

This book is also for my Full House Reading Challenge.

REVIEW OF AUGUST BOOKS.....

Katheryn over at The Book Date is the host of Month in Review.  Hop over and check it out, you could find your next book.

My Books for August....

1. Monday's Lie - Jamie Mason
2. The Murder Man - Tony Parsons
3. Paper Towns - John Green
4. The Museum of Extraordinary Things - Alice Hoffman
5. Death Comes to Pemberly - P. D. James
6. Firegirl - Tony Abbott
7. A Plague of Unicorns - Jane Yolin
8. The Undertaker's Daughter - Kate Mayfield
9. The Queen of Cool - Cecil Castellucci

My top book for August....
This book reminded me so much of To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.  I've read To Kill A Mocking bird 3 times and loved it all 3 times.  The Undertaker's Daughter is set in the south around about the same time period as To Kill A Mockingbird.   The only difference is this is about the author's life as an Undertaker's Daughter.  She told the story with all the good and the bad that was going on in her life at the time.  It's really an awesome book!

The Undertaker's Daughter - Kate Mayfield

NEEDLEWORK UPDATE......

I've been working on my Crazy Quilt Block number 3 and I finally got it done.

I've also started on Crazy Quilt Block 4.  It's all sewed down, now I just have to add the embroidery work, lace and beads.

Not sure I'm leaving this lace on here.  It's too big, so I'm going to go for a smaller piece of lace.  I've also learned a new Embroidery Stitch.  It's called Couching.  With couching, a surface thread is laid on the fabric, and anchored using a second thread. Usually the thread is the same color as the bottom thread.  But I've used a different color to show the stitch.

To find out more about this stitch, visit Sharon over at Pintangle. Sharon is an awesome needlework person.  She has lots of examples of embroidery stitches to learn.  I'm also linking up for Take a Stitch Tuesday.  I'm also linking up with Heather over at Books and Quilts for Needlework Tuesday. 
As usual if you want to see a close up of the pictures, just click on the picture.

SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY.....

Ashley over at Ramblings & Photos is the host for Scavenger Hunt Sunday.  Hop over and check out the photos everyone is sharing.

Here is my interpretations this week.....

Supplies

While working on my Crazy Quilt, I have lots of supplies.  Ribbon, lace, Embroidery Floss, Needles, Pins and scissors.

Shadows

We are surrounded by trees on 3 sides, so there are always shadows to see.

Something I Want

A fountain Coke....this is my coffee.

Open

This is where I keep my camera.  It has a spring lock on it so little fingers can't open it.

Posed

All of the stuffed critters are posed and waiting for Bella and Luke to play with them.  There are monkeys, bears, dogs and lots of Micky Mouse.

BOOK REPORT.....

Suspicion - Joseph Finder

Product Description(Amazon.com)
Single father Danny Goodman suddenly finds himself unable to afford the private school his daughter adores. Then Danny meets Thomas Galvin, the father of his daughter's new best friend and one of the wealthiest men in Boston. Out of the blue Galvin offers a loan to help Danny out. Desperate, he takes the money, promising to pay it back.

But the moment the money is wired into his account, the DEA comes knocking. Danny’s impossible choice: an indictment for accepting drug money, or a treacherous assignment to help the government get close to his new best friend.

As Danny begins to lie to everyone in his life, including those he loves most, he must decide once and for all who the real enemy is or risk losing everything—and everyone—that matters to him. 
Paperback: 496 pages 
Publisher: Signet (April 7, 2015) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 045147256X 
ISBN-13: 978-0451472564

MY THOUGHTS: I was a little skeptical about this book when I started reading it.  It started out kind of slow, but I stuck with it and I'm really glad I did.  The book is full of characters that you either hate or love.  At first I thought for sure Tom Galvin was the bad guy, but I was wrong.  Can't tell you anything else about this as it will give away the whole plot of the book.  Just let me say it's a very suspenseful book.  I give this book 4......

 





This also for the Full House Reading Challenge.

BOOK BEGINNINGS/THE FRIDAY 56.....

Book Beginnings is hosted over at Rose City Reader and The Friday 56 is hosted at Fred's Voice.
Hop over and check it out.  You may find your next book there.

Suspicion - Joseph Finder

Single father Danny Goodman suddenly finds himself unable to afford the private school his daughter adores. Then Danny meets Thomas Galvin, the father of his daughter's new best friend and one of the wealthiest men in Boston. Out of the blue Galvin offers a loan to help Danny out. Desperate, he takes the money, promising to pay it back.
But the moment the money is wired into his account, the DEA comes knocking. Danny’s impossible choice: an indictment for accepting drug money, or a treacherous assignment to help the government get close to his new best friend.
As Danny begins to lie to everyone in his life, including those he loves most, he must decide once and for all who the real enemy is or risk losing everything—and everyone—that matters to him.

MY BOOK BEGINNING.....
Sometimes the smallest decision can change your life forever.  Danny Goodman's nightmare began with a quick handshake and a friendly smile.

I was intrigued by these 2 sentences.  What could possibly be so bad about a handshake and a smile.  So of course I had to continue on to find out.

MY FRIDAY 56....
This is a conversation between Danny and Galvin, which turns out Galvin is supposedly the bad guy of the book.  Can't say more as it would give away the whole plot of the book. 

"Like I can tell Chateau Whatever from Welch's grape juice, right?"  Galvin said.  "But I can tell the fancy kind, because they're in French."  He put a hand on Danny's shoulder, guiding him in, while Celina took his coat. 

AROUND OUR YARD NOW....

I get out and walk around our place.  We have 1.8 acres of land, so there is lots of "stuff" to look at.  I mostly focus on the plants.  But sometimes I find something interesting other than plants.  Today it's plants. 

The Honeysuckle is in full bloom and smells so good.  This is the corner looking out of our living room.  It can get a little wild out there.  But there is always something to see.

Next is an Oak Tree.  Actually its still a sapling.  It started all by itself, we didn't plant it.  The only thing we can figure out is a squirrel deposited an acorn from the neighbors Oak Tree.  It has grown quite a bit in the last 3 years.

Last is the Yucca plant.  I got this from my mom.  It was one tiny plant and now it's grown huge.  There are 4 or 5 plants here.  Don't know if it will bloom this year.  We'll just have to wait and see.

I'm also linking up with Kim over at Little By Little for Little Things Thursday.

BOOK REPORT.....

The Book of Speculation - Erika Swyler

Product Description(Amazon.com)
Simon Watson, a young librarian, lives alone in a house that is slowly crumbling toward the Long Island Sound. His parents are long dead. His mother, a circus mermaid who made her living by holding her breath, drowned in the very water his house overlooks. His younger sister, Enola, ran off six years ago and now reads tarot cards for a traveling carnival.
One June day, an old book arrives on Simon's doorstep, sent by an antiquarian bookseller who purchased it on speculation. Fragile and water damaged, the book is a log from the owner of a traveling carnival in the 1700s, who reports strange and magical things, including the drowning death of a circus mermaid. Since then, generations of "mermaids" in Simon's family have drowned--always on July 24, which is only weeks away.
As his friend Alice looks on with alarm, Simon becomes increasingly worried about his sister. Could there be a curse on Simon's family? What does it have to do with the book, and can he get to the heart of the mystery in time to save Enola? 
Hardcover: 352 pages 
Publisher: St. Martin's Press; 1St Edition edition (June 23, 2015) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 125005480X 
ISBN-13: 978-1250054807

MY THOUGHTS:  New author for me.  I enjoyed this book once it got started.  It was kind of slow getting to a point I could get interested in the story line.  But once it took off it was really good.  It kind of put me in the mind of Sarah Gruen's Water For Elephants.  Simon is worried about his sister.  He has found a link in his family of the women committing suicide.  On July 24th and that time is coming up.  Someone sends him a book and the hunt is on for all the information Simon can find.  He thinks the family line is cursed in some way and decides to burn the book, thus breaking the curse.  But that's not what is cursed.  It's the Taro Cards.  They are handed down from mother to daughter.  And does he save his sister?  You'll have to read the book to find out.  I give this book 4.....

This book is also for the Full House Reading Challenge.

NEEDLEWORK UPDATE.....

I've been working on my Dots Quilt.  Don't remember what that is?  Here is the first one, it's blues and greens.

This is the new one, it's made with red fabric.

Each strip is 17" wide, can't remember what the length is.  I think one more strip will make it wide enough, but I'm planning on putting borders between each strip and around the outside.  Not sure what color I'm going to use, but I'll figure it out.

I've also started working on my 3rd Crazy Quilt block. 

Here is a close up of the upper right hand corner.  I've used some Feather Stitching on this one.  I've also put a version of an Octopus on there. 

I am also linking up with Sharon over at Pintangle for Take a Stitch Tuesday.  Go and check out Sharon's place, she has some awesome needlework to show you.

The stitch this week is.....the Chain Stitch.  And is is my sample of that stitch.

I wasn't actually planning on a J, it just turned out that way.  As usual if you want to see a close up of any of the pictures, just click on them.

MONDAY.......

Tamar over at Random-osity is the host for The Good, The Random and The Fun.  Hop over and check it out.

The Good....
We have this piece of carpet in front of the back door.  Toby, the Dachshund, loves this, he rolls on his back for a good scratch.

The Random....
Toby trying to sneak out the back door.

The Fun.....
What's more fun that playing with the garden hose on a hot humid day.

SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY.....

Ashley over at Ramblings & Photos is the host for Scavenger Hunt Sunday.  Hop over and check out what photos everyone is sharing.

My interpretations this week....

What I'm doing today.....

Watching my hubby at the neighbors rummage.  He is recovering from 6 weeks in the hospital for Colorectal Cancer.  He's doing awesome.

Inside....

This is the hutch and microwave in my kitchen.  It's a little cluttered.  Well, a lot cluttered.

Candid....

Heather walking into the house.  She thought I was taking a picture of the twins.

Yum.....

Our first pepper from our garden.  Yummy.

Natural Light....

The garden in the front yard.  It smells wonderful because of the Honeysuckle.