Theme Thursday

Theme Thursdays is a fun weekly event, hosted byReading Between Pages, that will be open from one Thursday to the next. Anyone can participate in it. The rules are simple:

• A theme will be posted each week (on Thursday’s)
• Select a conversation/snippet/sentence from the current book you are reading
• Mention the author and the title of the book along with your post
• It is important that the theme is conveyed in the sentence (you don’t necessarily need to have the word)

This week's theme is "4th of July celebrations"

However, I have flicked through all the books on my bedside table and have yet to find any snippet relating to 4th of July, so I've instead settled on one to do with "celebrations"

"Already waiters were circling with trays of drinks and platters of food. The tables had been moved aside and people were grouped, laughing and chatting, beside the long wall where the covered photographs were hung."

p96, The Villa Girls, by Nicky Pellegrino

As you can see, I'm still slightly hung up on this book, but it's such a goodie you all just have to read it!

WWW Wednesdays

WWW Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by Miz B of Should Be Reading

To play along, just answer the following three 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?: 

The Fourth Estate by Jeffrey 

Archer - although frantic sub-editing and writing deadlines this week mean I'm not making much progress. Roll on the long weekend!

What did you recently finish reading? 

I have just finished two FABULOUS books - once I get around

 to writing reviews for them, they'll both get 5*+ ratings!! Goodbye Sarajevo, by Hana Reid and Atka Schofield - I can't stop talking about this one! And The Villa Girls by Nicky Pellegrino... who has fast moved up my list of all time favourite authors. She doesn't disappoint!

What do you think you'll read next? 

Quite possibly, When God Was a Rabbit, by Sarah Winman. I started reading it in the shop, put it down, then got home to find Mum had bought it for me. I love my Mum!

Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

--Grab your current read

--Open to a random page

--share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

Be sure NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

--Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

"There are many advantages and some disadvantages in being born a second-generation Australian. It was not long before Keith Townsend discovered some of the disadvantages."

p50, The Fourth Estate, by Jeffrey Archer

I couldn't resist. After devouring Sons of Fortune, by Jeffery Archer a few weeks ago, I was in need of another one and this was has started with a hiss and a roar! It's the story of wealth and corruption, desire and destruction, with two ambitious media moguls as the central characters!

Ten Good Things on a Monday... all about Italy

I've just finished reading The Villa Girls, by Nicky Pellegrino. In fact, if I'm honest, I finished it in on day over the weekend, stopping only to devour an ice cream sundae, topped with hot caramel sauce - delicious! Rather fitting really when a main theme running through The Villa Girls was food - and Italian food at that!

So in honour of a book so good I couldn't put down, and a book with such a strong Italian link to it, this Monday's 10 good things looks at 10 books sitting on my bookshelf, under the category "Italy" - most of which I've read, and loved, and a few of which I've yet to read!

1. The Italian Wedding, by Nicky Pellegrino

Having just read The Villa Girls, another of Pellegrino's tops my list. The story of a wonderfully vibrant Italian family running the 'Little Italy' restaurant in London. However, if you've yet to read one of Nicky Pellegrino's books, start with The Villa Girls (even though this is her latest) and then go on to read The Italian Wedding.


2. Summer at the Villa Rosa, by Nicky Pellegrino
Yes, she's fast become a favourite author of mine and this one is a goodie too. It's the story of Raffaella Moretti who is the new housekeeper at the Villa Rosa in Triento, but as the new housekeeper she's also the new person in town and quickly becomes at the centre of a conflict - and you can imagine what an Italian conflict is like! (NB: This book also goes under the name The Gypsy Tearoom)


3. The Food of Love, by Anthony Capella
This is one of my absolute favourites. Two Italian men out to impress a girl - one can cook, the other cannot! Check out my review here. 


4. Silk, by Alessandro Baricco
This is a beautiful book that I can only describe as being rather sensuous. It's been translated from the Italian and is the story of Herve Joncour, a silk trader who travels to Japan to smuggle out silkworms, and embarks on a secret affair along the way. It is beautifully written and only 100 pages so won't take you long! Perfect to read while sipping a glass of delicious Italian red!


5. The Glassblower f Murano, by Marina Fiorato
I was absolutely captivated by this book, but then it was set in Venice so the setting is romantic to begin with! It's the story of Nora Manin who escapes London to go soul searching in Venice and traces her family history of glassblowing back to the time of the Renaissance, when the greatest glassblower of Italy, Corradino Manin, sells his method - and his soul - to the French King Louis XIV.


6. The Snack Thief, by Andrea Camilleri
This is a great little mystery - one of the Inspector Montalbano series. I think it's the Italian equivalent of The Number One Ladies Detective Agency and is just as much fun. I've also got The Scent of the Night, sitting on my bookshelf to be read too!


7. Miss Garnet's Angel, by Salley Vickers
I bought this when we were heading on holiday to Venice but have yet to get around to reading it. I've been told it's really good but it's yet to make it onto my TBR pile. Any more info on it would be gratefully received!!


8. The Bridge of Sighs, by Richard Russo
In fact, I bought this one too and have yet to read it. Ditto number 9


9. The Floating Book, by Michelle Lovric
Although, one of the great things about writing a list like this for such a meme is that you rediscover books long since forgotten on your bookshelf! This is another one set in Venice, 1468. Sosia Simeon, a free-spirited sensualist, is the love or many men in the fabled city, though married to one she despises.... oh this is sounding good already!


10. Eat, Love, Pray, by Elizabeth Gilbert
And yes I do have this one sitting on my "Italy" shelf as well, but I haven't managed to get past page 6. She came across as too self-centered for me and I've failed to watch and enjoy the movie either, despite Julia Roberts being a favourite actress. Not sure why I have this aversion to this bestseller!


Ten Good Things on a Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Nina and Argh. 

Book Blogger Hop: when reading became a passion

Hosted by Jen at CrazyforBooks, this week’s question comes from Elena who blogs at Books and Reviews! 

“When did you realize reading was your passion and a truly important part of your life?”

I've grown up around books so reading has always been a big part of my life. Shelves in the lounge, in our bedrooms, in the rumpus rooms and at the bach (that's a beach house by the way) have always been overloaded by books. Couple that with the fact that both parents are academics, even if I'd wanted to escape the world of books there is no way I could have done.

I hope I've passed my passion for books and reading onto others as well. As a nanny, I'd always turn up each week with a bag of library books - it was the best way to bribe children to eat their broccoli! "Have another mouthful and only then will I turn the page!" 

However, my book gathering passion really only began about four years ago when I moved to the UK. All of I sudden I realised how cheap books could be and when I could get 3 best sellers for £1 in my local thrift shop!!

My love of books is certainly right up there with my love of shoes and chocolate - and that's saying something!

Book Beginnings...on a Friday

 

A little bit of fun on a Friday, this weekly meme is hosted by A Few More Pages. 
I'll share the first line (or two) of the book I'm currently reading (including the title and author) and let you know what my first impressions are - good or bad!

"I'm happy being single, really I am. There's no space in my life for a man. No room in my cupboards for his socks and jerseys, nowhere for his jars of hair wax or shaving sticks."

p1, The Villa Girls, by Nicky Pellegrino

I haven't yet started this book, but it's on the list of contenders for my next read, and after reading this beginning I am intrigued! I've read a few other books by Nicky Pellegrino and enjoyed each one, so I have a feeling I can't go wrong!

Thursday Tea

I came across this little meme at BirdBrain[ed] Book Blog and as it's Thursday - and tea time - thought I'd make a contribution. Sadly I don't have cucumber sandwiches, or freshly made scones with jam and cream to go with it, but perhaps next week.

The book: 
Goodbye Sarajevo, by Atka Reid & Hana Schofield
I'm halfway through this book and feeling a sleepless night coming along. Something I can ill afford having been up way past midnight most nights this week reading! I just can't put this one down. It's the story of two sisters in Sarajevo during the Bosnian War and the chapters alternate between them.

The tea:
This provided me with a great excuse to take a look through my tea cupboard (and find hoards of tea in half empty boxes!!). But today I've gone for a spicy chai tea, blended with cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, cloves and ginger.

Do they go together?
I think I may have found the perfect match. It's the spices in this tea that go so well with the book and the setting I think. I guess I associate such teas with this part of the world. I can't really explain it. I'm just glad I was able to make a cup of tea so easily though, rather than having to avoid sniper fire to collect water and burn clothes to keep the fire going. What these sisters endured is incredible.

Book #42: An Offer You Can't Refuse

Oh, it feels like a long time ago that I read this one of Jill Mansell's. So long ago in fact that I'm probably due another fix of this wonderful, light hearted chicklit. An Offer You Can't Refuse was just as good as any of Jill Mansell's other books. A quick, light read perfect for a Friday night on the sofa, vino in hand, or to simply flick through a book to get the reading momentum going again.

An Offer You Can't Refuse was the story of Lola and Doug. Well, mainly the story of Lola. Her and Doug are highschool sweethearts, but as the years of university approach, Doug's mother confronts Lola with an offer (one she can't refuse funnily enough!). Doug's mother is prepared to give Lola £10,000 to break up with Doug and leave his life forever.

And does she? Indeed she does - but not for reasons you may initially think. However, as is the predictability of Mansell's books (and why we love them so), Lola and Doug are reunited through an intricate web of circumstances. Yet along the way, there are plenty of colourful characters to keep us entertained and throw us slightly off plot.

Is there a happy ending? Ah - I won't spoil it for you. Suffice to say, you won't be disappointed.

Enjoy!

Theme Thursday

Theme Thursdays is a fun weekly event, hosted byReading Between Pages, that will be open from one Thursday to the next. Anyone can participate in it. 

The rules are simple: A theme will be posted each week (on Thursday’s)

• Select a conversation/snippet/sentence from the current book you are reading
• Mention the author and the title of the book along with your post
• It is important that the theme is conveyed in the sentence (you don’t necessarily need to have the word)

This week's theme is "male"

"Mesha looked taller and broader than I remembered and the typically mischievous and boyish demeanour he once had was now gone. He seemed older and more serious but his hug was just as warm as the one that he'd given me that day on the platform when he left home to serve in the JNA."

p156, Goodbye Sarajevo, by Atka Reid & Hana Schofield

WWW Wednesdays

WWW Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by Miz B of Should Be Reading

To play along, just answer the following three 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've got a couple of books on the 

go at the moment: Blink, by Martin Gladwell, which is about trusting your instincts. It's an ok read - he certainly includes some interesting case studies for examples but then waffles through his explanations. It's likely to get mixed reviews at this stage! The other book I'm totally engrossed in is Goodbye Sarajevo, by Atka Reid and Hana Schofield. This is the story of two sisters, separated during the Bosnian War. It's absolutely gripping!

What did you recently finish reading? 

My latest completed book was Mudbound, by Hillary Jordan.  The story of Lauren, a

 30-something-year-old whose husband moves her and the children to the Mississippi Delta to see his dream of becoming a farm owner through to fruition. An easy, but enjoyable read. The review will come - I just have to get through my stockpile of others first! But in the meantime, if you see it, grab it! Barbara Kingsolver says "This is storytelling at the height of its powers"!

What do you think you'll read next?

I don't know! I have so many books I want to read immediately. The Tapestry of Love, by Rose Thornton is still on my TBR pile, and I've just added The Villa Girls, by Nicky Pellegrino as well. Then last week I managed to come home with two more historical entertainment works by Carolly Erickson - one on Marie Antoinette and another on Mary Queen of Scots, and having seen Should Be Reading's mention of Ciji Ware's A Race to Splendor,  I really want that one too! I think I might have to pick a name out of a hat at this rate! 

Book #41: The Help

I'm always a little wary about reading books that have had such rave reviews - they're that ones that can so easily disappoint. But when two girlfriends, on opposite sides of the world, recommended I add The Help, by Kathryn Stockett to this year's reading list, I figured that was endorsement enough.

And am I glad I did. I loved it. The Help was one of those books that leaves you conflicted. You want to read it as fast as possible, desperate to know what happens over the page, in the next chapter, and how it all comes together at the end - yet at the same time, it is just soooooooooo good, that you don't want it to end, so how can you go about drawing the process out?!

I had no self-control when it came to The Help. I simply had to devour it. Although it took me just a little while to get started, but once I grew accustomed to the different voices of the maids and the conversations began to flow, well, there was no stopping me!

The Help is a wonderful story about the relationships between women and for me, despite the social hierarchy between the different groups in this story, they were both equal. Each had their own strengths and weaknesses, their own advantages and disadvantages.

This is one book I actually can't wait to see transformed into the big screen. I think the characters of each of the woman - cast correctly - will simply come alive. I'm hoping to laugh out loud and be needing to reach for my box of tissues when I eventually head to the cinema, but for now, I'm simply savouring The Help.

Definitely one of my best reads of the year so far!

Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

--Grab your current read

--Open to a random page

--share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

Be sure NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

--Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

"Why is it that a man with hair on his head has more hair than a man with hairs on his head?"

Words Fail Me, by Teresa Monachino

I couldn't resist having a little fun with my teaser today. I've been picking this book up every now and then just for some light relief - and it is light... think 4-5 words to a page on average! It's a "witty and amusing collection of inconsistencies and nonsense in the English language". 

Just perfect for every now and then!

Book #40: 84 Charing Cross Road

Procrastination is at an all time high so I figured I'd put it to good use and catch up on some book reviews. You can take one look at my 111 books in 2011 tab and you'll see what I mean, but better late than never right?!

I began reading Helene Hanff's book, 84 Charing Cross Road, earlier this year. It had been sitting on my bookshelf for quite some time, gathering dust, and to be completely honest, I actually don't even know how it got there. I only wish it hadn't taken me quite so long to pick up.

What a character she was! I was entertained by her, her writings, her thoughts, her antics, the whole way through, and I can only imagine that delight each of her letters bestowed upon its recipient across the Atlantic. I tend to shy away from books where characters, storylines and personalities are developing in letters because I find them to be too stop-start. There is often a lack of flow in this style and it annoys me. But 84 Charing Cross Road was quite different. And there was no stop start... instead I started, read through to the end, then stopped! I simply couldn't put this tribute to a real friendship, that had evolved via penpal correspondence, down.

However, I then came across a dilemma, because I hadn't realised 84 Charing Cross Road was only half the book. Upon getting to the end of the story, I was only halfway through and The Duchess of Bloomsbury confronted me. Would this count as a second book, or were they simply two stories in the one novel? I put them both aside for a while, but it wasn't long before I wanted to be intertwined in - and entertained by - the life of Helene again. 

The Duchess of Bloomsbury was just as enjoyable to read as 84 Charing Cross Road. Her descriptions of London made me homesick for the city, her tales of frustrating travel around the city I could sympathise with, and I just loved her openness and absolute enjoyment of the city. If you've lived, visited or experienced London then this is definitely worth a read.

And to complete the trifecta, I then watched the movie, 84 Charing Cross Road, starring a very young Anthony Hopkins, Judy Dench and Anne Bancroft. Superb!