Friday Morning Bookclub

March 30, 2013

The Book Coco Is Reading Is Bigger Than Her! Perhaps She Bit Off More Than She Can Chew!

Filed under: Four- Legged Readers,Literary Tidbits — susanbright @ 3:12 pm
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1_IMG950030I know exactly how Coco feels.  Here are a few of the books I read which could have used some editing…or not!

IQ84– 1186 pages of STRANGE. I actually enjoyed this book…but 1186 pages…come on!

Unbroken– only 496 pages? It sure seemed longer than that! A fascinating story, but did we have to hear about every single day at sea?

Shantaram– 944 pages. My son made me read it! Really!

Pillars of the Earth– 1008 pages…and I loved everyone!

11/22/63– 880 pages. Although it may have dragged a little in the middle….still loved it and did not want it to end!

Do you ever feel like you bit off more than you can chew? How long is too long?

(Do you have a four legged reader in your house? Please send a pic to Susan@Fridaymorningbookclub.com)

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January 23, 2013

Together, We Can End Intergenerational Illiteracy!

Filed under: Literary Tidbits — susanbright @ 9:21 pm

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This winter The Friday Morning Bookclub collected books to donate to Baltimore Reads, Inc, an organization which provides free books to children, their families and schools. Their goal: “to encourage/improve literacy skills, and develop an intergenerational love for reading and lifelong learning.”

With a truck full of books of all kinds, we headed down town to South Calvert Street.misc 021 Baltimore Reads was easy to find and the young woman who came out to help us could not have been any nicer or any more appreciative. Together we carried our bags and boxes of books to the loading dock which was already crammed so full of books that it was hard to find a place for ours!

On our way back, we couldn’t help but feel good about what we had done and talked about making another trip to Baltimore Reads soon.

The next day as I pulled into my local Giant to run in and pick up a few things for the umpteenth time this week, I notice this HUGE green box! Has it always been there or did it suddenly just appear. I have no idea, but donating books just got even easier!

jan 2013 002Do you have books sitting on your shelves gathering dust? I sure did and was actually thrilled to pack some of them up for someone else to enjoy.

Baltimore Reads, Inc. – Home

 BetterWorldBooks.com – New & Used Books for Sale, Textbooks …

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January 3, 2013

What Is On Your 2013 “To Read” List?

Filed under: Literary Tidbits — susanbright @ 10:59 pm
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I keep reading and reading, yet my “to read” list keeps growing. It seems like everyone has a book recommendation! Here are just a few of the books on my list:

11/22/63 by Stephen King…a very long book, but sounds so intriguing!

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman…Audrey says it is a 3 tissue book!

The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson…..Washington Post says it was one of the best books of 2012

Vaclav & Lena by Haley Tanner…my friend Sharon says it is wonderful

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver…just finished Delirium, now I have to read Pandemonium

Here is what is on some of our blogger’s lists:

City of Women by David R. Gillham
Mudbound by Hilary Jordan
Pursuit of Happiness by Douglas kennedy
The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom
Killing Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly
Killing Kennedy by Bill O’Reilly
Let’s Pretend this Never Happened by Jenny Lawson

Divergent by Veronica Roth

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender

Rules Are For Breaking by Imelda Evans

And The List Keeps Growing!

Defending Jacob by William Landay
Once We Were Brothers Ronald Balson
Still Alice by Lisa Genova
What Alice Forgot by Liana Moriarty
The Roots of the Olive Tree by Courtney Miller Santo

The Angel Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

The L Shaped Room by Lynn Reid Banks

What is on your “To Read” list?

December 3, 2012

What Are You Reading?

Filed under: Favorite Books,Literary Tidbits — susanbright @ 9:31 pm

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So everyone knows what I have been reading. How about telling me what you are reading! Do you have any recommendations? What was your favorite book for 2012? Yup..it is that time of year!

October 26, 2012

Oh…The People I Have Met Through Blogging!

Filed under: Literary Tidbits — susanbright @ 9:00 am

I am having so much fun with this blog and have met many interesting people. There is just so much talent out there. Talented writers, artists, photographers, craftsmen, cooks and so much more.  I love when I have time to just blog hop and see what everyone has to say. If I didn’t stop myself, I could “play” on my computer for hours and get absolutely nothing done!

And then there are all of the people who visit this blog! I love all of the comments, “likes” and book recommendations that come from all over the world. I have received some of the cutest four- legged reader pictures. Lots of smart cats and dogs out there. One day I hope to receive a picture of a rabbit or maybe even a pig reading a book. Anyone have any unusual four- legged readers in their house?

One of our blogger’s Queen’s end is a costume designer and I can’t wait to see her latest project Saturday October 27th. Thank you Resa for bringing this to my attention! Check it out! The Good Witch’s Charm | Hallmark Channel

If you are reading a really good book or working on something interesting, be sure to let us know so we can share in the fun!

As far as an update on my reading…..I am STILL reading IQ84! Will I ever finish this book???  Perhaps I will get some real reading done as Sandy wreaks havoc on the east coast!

October 19, 2012

2012 National Book Award Finalist….Have You Read ANY Of These Books?

Filed under: Literary Tidbits — susanbright @ 10:11 am
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And here they are…….. The Finalists for the 2012 Book Award.

Would you believe that I have not read any of these books?

To make matters worse, I actually started reading Katherine Boo’s Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity and put it down. Now that’s an uplifting title, isn’t it! Yes, it is Non Fiction and I am sure that it is beautifully written, but I was just not in the mood for a depressing book. I guess I should “put on my big girl pants” and read it!

Have you read Any of these books?

The winners in each of the four categories: fiction, nonfiction, poetry and young people’s literature will be announced on Nov. 14!

National Book Foundation, Presenter of the National Book Awards …

September 22, 2012

Two Funny Not To Share!

Filed under: Fifty Shade of Grey,Literary Tidbits — susanbright @ 12:14 pm
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Oh, some people are so clever! F.L.Flower was certainly on the ball. After all timing is everything and “Fowler” jumped right on the Fifty Shades craze and ran with it! Don’t you just love the bound and tied chicken on the cover of this book!  Here is a taste of what you will find inside of this “seductive” cook book which promises to “make every dinner a turn-on”. Dripping Thighs, Sticky Chicken Fingers, Bacon-Bound Wings,  Learning-to-Truss-You Chicken  and Mustard-Spanked Chicken. How many brides to be do you think will be receiving this book at their next shower?

“”Like so many others, Fifty Shades of Grey resonated for me,” the writer – working under the pen name FL Fowler – tells PEOPLE in an email. “It evoked something I’d never been able to express. Then one day as I was tying up the ankles of a chicken for roasting, I realized why some of the scenes in the book were so strikingly familiar. It turns out I’ve been practicing BDSM for years – but with poultry.”

Fifty Shades of Bacon looks tame compared to the bound chicken cover and  according to customer reviews it has some really good recipes for bacon lovers. There are recipes for everything from bacon bits to bacon ice cream (which I put in the same category as garlic ice cream….Why?) Now the bacon mac and cheese….that sounds good!

If you have an idea for a Fifty Shades book, you better start writing today!

August 20, 2012

Where Has The Summer Gone?

Filed under: Literary Tidbits — susanbright @ 2:56 pm

The weeks are flying by Where did the summer go? My friends are taking their teen age children back to school and the stores are full of fall clothing! I haven’t posted anything on the blog for more than a week (the first time that has happened) and I have probably read about half the number of books I normally read during the summer. Somehow life just gets in the way. Especially work! I have read a couple of interesting books recently, but just haven’t had the time to sit down and write about them.  Bear with me! Coming really soon… my review of The Song of Achilles and Still Alice…..If I can remember the book! Just kidding!

Have you read any good books this summer that you would like to tell us about?

So, hear is what we have so far:

A Marriage Made in Mayfair by Tamara Gill

The Herald by Dean J Baker ( a book of poems)….could be interesting!

The Tiger Wife by Tea Obrecht

Paranormalcy by Kristen White (YA)

Daughter of Smoke and Bones by Laini Taylor (YA)

By The Time You Read This I’ll Be Dead by Julie Ann Peters (YA)

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King (YA)

Bared To You by Sylvia Day ( The next 50 Shades?)

What books would you like to add to the list?

July 6, 2012

One More Reason There Will Always Be A Place For Books!

Filed under: Literary Tidbits — susanbright @ 5:25 pm
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Thank you Pat for allowing us to share this wonderful cartoon!

May 30, 2012

A Day At The Gaithersburg Book Festival By Ann

Filed under: Literary Tidbits,Uncategorized — susanbright @ 9:34 am
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Despite turning green at lunch (the salad and quesadillas were delicious –- I just wanted to win an Ipad too!), the day at the Gaithersburg Book Festival was just wonderful. I’m sure the balmy weather helped as it made being outside walking around, people watching, and talking to other book lovers idyllic. The Book Festival was bigger than I expected, but it was not too crowded. We could choose from nine different authors from an array of genres who spoke at different pavilions set up on the lawn of the county seat from 10 am to 4:40 pm.

We attended the presentation from Jim Lehrer of PBS News Hour fame, who spoke about his experiences covering eight presidents for about 30 minutes. Afterwards, I was able to purchase my father-in-law “Jim’s” new book on presidential debates in a tent sponsored by Politics and Prose (small active independent book store in DC) and stood in line less than five minutes to have  “Jim” sign it. I thought this was really cool and a well-thought out process for both the attendees and the authors. Everybody wins! And I have a gift for my impossible-to-buy-anything-for father-in-law, that I think he will actually appreciate and like as a PBS News Hour fan.

Other presentations we attended usually included the authors reading from their last book. We listened to Tom McNeal (To Be Sung Underwater), David Linden (The Pleasure Compass) and Madeline Miller (The Song of Achilles), which we now plan to schedule for Bookclub.

There were tons of kids activities, music at the “coffee house” (pavilion), and, of course, you could win free prizes(!) All in all a great day and I hope to go next year.

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