Auntie Nettie Reads A Lot 2015 - 2nd Quarter

I made a concerted effort to pick up more books this quarter. Though the looks at the local library when I went in to pick up my interlibrary loans "holds" were a tad judgey (look, just because I'm picking up 10-20 books at a TIME...), I did made some progress on my "to be read list" -- at least this month. Once June turned the corner, with Festival ...All bets were off.  

 

The usual caveat applies: If you are just finding the blog, please note that this list was maintained mainly so that I could remember what I've (or NOT) read this year. The record does not fully represent me or all of my interests, so don't judge my reading habits. My interests change quite frequently. Also, as a general rule, I don't do book recommendations or link to major retailers or publishers. Except for the ARCs listed below [thanks major publishers!], most of these books came from MY library (now noted) or a public library.  Go forth and READ! 

April through June 

The Cookbook Collector: A Novel by Allegra Goodman (reread) 
The Yarn Whisperer: My Unexpected Life in Knitting by Clara Parkes (didn't finish) 
Eat Cake by Jeanne Ray 
The Collector by Nora Roberts 
Northern Lights by Nora Roberts 
Love by the Book: A Novel by Melissa Pimentel 
First Impressions: A Novel of Old Books, Unexpected Love, and Jane Austen by Charlie Lovett 
Light of the Moon: A Novel by Luanne Rice (reread) 
The Book Mobile: A Novel by David Whitehouse 
Cure for the Common Breakup by Beth Kendrick 
The Week Before the Wedding: A Novel by Beth Kendrick 
A Pinch of Ooh La La: A Novel by Renee Swindle 
The Deep Blue Sea for Beginners: A Novel by Luanne Rice 
The Ashford Affair: A Novel by Lauren Willig 
Winter Street: A Novel by Elin Hilderbrand (didn't finish) 
The Lodger: A Novel by Louisa Treger (didn't finish) 
How to be a Heroine, Or What I've Learned from Reading Too Much: A Memoir by Samantha Ellis 
Impulse & Initiative: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Abigail Reynolds 
A Murder of Magpies: A Novel by Judith Flanders 
A Scent of Triumph: A Novel of Perfume and Passion by Jan Moran 
Kitchen Chinese: A Novel About Food, Family, and Finding Yourself by Ann Mah 
Mastering the Art of French Eating: Lesson in Food and Love From a Year in Paris by Ann Mah 
Not My Father's Son: A Memoir by Alan Cumming 
Spinster: Making a Life of One's Own by Kate Bolick (didn't finish) 
Life from Scratch: A Memoir of Food, Family, and Forgiveness by Sasha Martin 
My Mad Russian: Three Tales by Steven Key Meyers (didn't finish) {1st tale read, was about Caramoor and the founders, HIGHLY Hopefully fictionalized) 
Pemberley by the Sea by Abigail Reynolds 
Sister of Shiloh: A Novel by Kathy & Becky Hepinstall 
Amherst: A Novel by William Nicholson (didn't finish) 
I Heart New York: A Novel by Lindsey Kelk 
Mrs. Grant & Madame Jule by Jennifer Chiaverini (didn't finish) 
The Guest Cottage by Nancy Thayer 

This Book is Overdue! How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All by Marilyn Johnson 

The Dead Beat: Lost Souls Lucky Stiff and the Perverse Pleasures of Obituaries by Marilyn Johnson 

Travels in Vermeer: A Memoir by Michael White 

The Royal We: A Novel by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan 

Behind the Scenes: A Memoir by Judi Dench 

Oh! You Pretty Things: A Novel by Shanna Mahin (didn't finish) 

Love and Miss Communication: A Novel by Elyssa Friedland 

Northanger Abbey by Val McDermid (didn't finish) 

Find the Good: Unexpected Life Lessons from a Small-town Obituary Writer by Heather Lende

A book or two I forgot to write down 
The Girls of Mischief Bay by Susan Mallery

Promises, Promises

If only I really believed in horoscopes:

Aquarius (Jan. 21-Feb.19)

Your workload is likely to increase during the early part of the new week but there is no need for concern. You will be able to deal with it and you will still have time leftover to do the things that make you happy. ~ Sally Brompton, The New York Post, 6/14/2015

Here's the thing:

My workload will increase during the latter part of the week as Opening Night and Gala and the Festival kicks off. As of Friday, I already have started the 9am to 11:30pm+ cycles, which lead me to staying up until 3am and then being a zombie on my one day off, with naps, and cleaning, and laundry, and nap no. 2.

Unless napping in that "thing that makes me happy"? I'm a little concerned for next week - and then next 7.

Color me skeptic.

At least the grounds are pretty. Here's a peek.

Photo of the Day: Shadow Selfie

~photo by iTouch

Photo of the Day: Dining al Desco

 I call this: Dining Al Desco, a still life

I don't always have time for a lunch-hour, or even a lunch break. Some people get to dine al fresco.

I dine al desco, so I keep my supplies handy. 

When it's not "dining" time, they are the props for my desk calendar.

 en situ

My desk is a mess.

~photos by iTouch

Quote of the Day: Friendships over Centuries

Phone and emayle and skype allowe us to maintayne friendshippes over many miles. Bookes allow us to maintayne friendshippes over centuryes.

— Chaucer Doth Tweet (@LeVostreGC) June 8, 2015

Stop and smell the peonies

 The peonies are finally in bloom again. Why is their season so fleeting?

Forget the roses. Stop and smell the peonies.

 ~photos by iTouch

Photo of the Day: Art Direction Questions

Spotted on the train: this ad. I have to wonder about the art director on this shoot trying to justify, "Yes. I want a barefoot guy in a nice suit to ride his bike through a flooded swamp. Make it happen people." How many times did they have to shoot this? How many times did the bike get stuck? How many times did the bike fall over? How cold and squishy was the mud?

I apparently have too much time to think on the train in the morning. At least on this day I didn't fall asleep and miss my stop. That was NOT a fun morning panic attack.

~photos by iTouch

Quote of the Day: Defering to Age

"One of the great things about getting old is that you have no problem deferring."     ~ Ron Darling, The New York Times, 06/2/15

Article here:
 http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/05/fashion/mens-style/ron-darlings-piece-of-the-sky.html?smid=tw-share

Quote of the Day: Invisible People

"Who knows how many people are invisible because their stories don't fit our categories?" ~Marilyn Johnson, This Book is Overdue!