The Boston Public Garden and a few other fun spots...

I had a very nice time in Boston recently.  My husband was at a work conference and I spent a lot of two days walking all over Back Bay.  Yesterday, I featured a few pictures of the Boston Public Garden.  Today, I want to share a few more of that location and also a couple of other spots that took my fancy.  I learned that the Boston Public Garden was established in 1837 and was the first public botanical garden in the US.  It was so lovely!  I enjoyed the flowers and blooming trees.  We don't have too many tulips and daffodils this far south and I loved their colors.  The pond, the swan boats, the winding trails - so, so pretty.  Hope you enjoy them too.

I'll also add a couple of other locations I found on my long, long walk.  I didn't go in to the Harry Potter Store, but I should have.  I did visit the Trident Booksellers and Cafe - a very nice little independent with a coffee shop included. 

I took a bunch more pictures of the beautiful churches that were on practically every corner.  I know that I only scratched the surface of what was available in Boston, but I thoroughly enjoyed walking and exploring the streets that I did.  Perhaps another trip is in order at some point.  

Tuesday - First Chapter - First Paragraph - Make Way For Ducklings

Each Tuesday, Diane at Bibliophile By the Sea shares the first part of a book that she is reading or thinking about reading.  This week I'm sharing:  Make Way For Ducklings by Robert McCloskey. Awarded the Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children in 1941, it has since become a favorite of millions.  I remember reading this book when I was a little girl and I read it my daughter as well.  I loved getting to visit Boston recently and seeing the Boston Public Garden.  See what you think:

     Mr. and Mrs. Mallard were looking for a place to live.  But every time Mr. Mallard saw what looked like a nice place, Mrs. Mallard said it was no good.  There were sure to be foxes in the woods or turtles in the water, and she was not going to raise a family where there might be foxes or turtles.  So they flew on and on.
     When they got to Boston, they felt too tired to fly any further.  There was a nice pond in the Public Garden, with a little island on it.  'The very place to spend the night,' quacked Mr. Mallard.  So down they flapped.

Blurb:

Mrs. Mallard was sure that the pond in the Boston Public Gardens would be a perfect place for her and her eight ducklings to live.  The problem was how to get them there through the busy streets of Boston.  But with a little help from the Boston police, Mrs. Mallard and Jack, Kack, Lack, Nack, Ouack, Pack, and Quack arrive safely at their new home.

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Here's a few more pictures for your viewing pleasure:

Boston Public Gardens - Pond and Swan Boats

Make Way For Ducklings Sculpture

Robert McCloskey Tribute

Kay and Nan together again after almost 20 years...

The very first thing I wanted to share about my recent trip to the East Coast was the time spent with my dear friend, Nan, who writes at Letters from a Hill Farm.  We met about 20 years ago on a book site that no longer exists.  We (and a few others - including Les from Prairie Horizons) progressed through various means of communication over the years.  We've shared our love of reading, our trials and tribulations, tips and help in raising our kids, joys, sorrows, and much, much love.  I consider Nan one of my closest friends, even though this trip was only the 2nd time I've met her face-to-face.  Nan and her family came to Texas in 1998 and we met at a bookstore in downtown Austin.  This time was in her part of the world.

My husband and I planned our trip so that I could attend Malice Domestic 29 and so that he could go to a work conference in Boston.  I knew I had to visit Nan and her family because they live only a few short hours from that part of the world.  It was a wonderful time together.  We visited for less than 24 hours, but so many hugs, words, and smiles were shared.  I'm delighted that we were able to take this trip.  Here are some pictures:

Nan, Kay and Hazel Nina (Nan's granddaughter)

Hazel Nina - so full of energy and joy - Raya, the cat in the background

Lucy (held by Tom, Nan's husband) - also full of energy and joy

Nan and Tom's donkey and sheep

Ate some great pancakes with lots of maple syrup here for dinner - Yum!

The weather was rainy and misty/foggy, but there was sunshine in our hearts.

If you go to Nan's blog here, you can see more pictures of our visit.  I'll be showing some Boston pictures later this week and on Friday, I'll tell about the wonderful Bed and Breakfast where we stayed.  Next week - Malice Domestic 29 - all week long!!

A great spring trip...back next week with details!!

Hello everyone!  Yes, I'll be back next week with details of a great trip I recently took.  Lots to share.  Here's a taste of where I ventured...(hint - east of where I usually wander about).

I've been to the Malice Domestic 29 Convention - fans and authors and the Agatha's (mystery awards) held in Bethesda, Maryland.  I've been to Boston.  I've visited a dear, dear friend in New Hampshire - Nan at Letters from a Hill Farm!  And then I returned to Texas with not only a respiratory crud thing (travelling is a 'petri dish' of germs), but have a tooth problem and our refrigerator 'died' while we were gone (a yucky mess!).  Plus, our air travel home was fraught with problems.  Sigh.  I'm still managing those issues.

Hope to have several upcoming posts about the mystery convention (it was great!), but also a look at where I ventured in Boston.  The picture is 'Make Way For Ducklings' at the Boston Public Garden.    I'll tell a bit about our New Hampshire visit (too short).  We'll see what I can come up with.

I'll leave you with a picture of what's been trekking or rather 'slithering' across my front yard (can you see the snake skin?).  Yes, it's from a rattlesnake.  Yay for Texas in spring!  Ha!  See you soon!

 

Spring Break...Back Soon-ish!

I'm going to take a break for a while from the blog.  I'll likely be back in mid-May.  We've got a couple of trips scheduled and some other things planned.  Just makes it easier to 'officially' sign off for a bit.  Don't have too much fun without me!!

Waiting on Wednesday - The Lying Game

Waiting on Wednesday was a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. Although Jill is no longer hosting this event, I am continuing to post one soon to be released title each Wednesday that I can't wait to read.

I've really enjoyed Ruth Ware's books - all two of them - In a Dark Dark Wood and The Woman in Cabin 10.  In fact, our mystery group will be discussing In a Dark Dark Wood at our April meeting.  And we'll be talking about why we think these types of books, the psychological thrillers, are so popular right now.  I was excited to find out that this author will have a new book coming out soon.  This week, I'm waiting on:

The Lying Game

by Ruth Ware

Publication Date:  July 25th

On a cool June morning, a woman is walking her dog in the idyllic coastal village of Salten along a tidal estuary known as the Reach. Before she can stop him, the dog charges into the water to retrieve what first appears to be a wayward stick, but to her horror, turns out to be a human bone.

The next morning, three women in and around London—Fatima, Thea, and Isabel—receive the text they had always hoped would NEVER come, from the fourth in their formerly inseparable clique, Kate, that says only, “I need you.”

The four girls were best friends at Salten, a second rate boarding school set near the cliffs of the English Channel. Each different in their own way, the four became inseparable and were notorious for playing the Lying Game, telling lies at every turn to both fellow boarders and faculty, with varying states of serious and flippant nature that were disturbing enough to ensure that everyone steered clear of them. The myriad and complicated rules of the game are strict: no lying to each other—ever. Bail on the lie when it becomes clear it is about to be found out. But their little game had consequences, and the girls were all expelled in their final year of school under mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of the school’s eccentric art teacher, Ambrose (who also happens to be Kate’s father).

Tuesday - First Chapter - First Paragraph - Home

Each Tuesday, Diane at Bibliophile By the Sea shares the first part of a book that she is reading or thinking about reading.  This week I'm sharing:  Home by Harlan Coben.  I've enjoyed many books by this author, who writes gripping standalone thrillers, as well as the Myron Bolitar series and the Mickey Bolitar series for young adults.  I always loved Myron Bolitar, sports agent and ex-pro basketball player and it's been 5 years since we had a new Myron book.  Home is that book.  Oh, and don't forget Myron's friend and quasi-bodyguard/enforcer/very scary dude - Win.  I have a crush on Win.  I'm considering including this book in our mystery book group's schedule for the second half of 2017. See what you think:

     The boy who has been missing for ten years steps into the light.
     I am not one for hysterics or even feeling much of what might be labeled astonishment.  I have seen much in my forty-plus years.  I have nearly been killed--and I have killed.  I have seen depravity that most would find difficult, if not downright inconceivable, to comprehend--and some would argue that I have administered the same.  I have learned over the years to control my emotions and, more important, my reactions during stressful, volatile situations.  I may strike quickly and violently, but I do nothing without a certain level of deliberation and purpose.  
     These qualities, if you will, have saved me and those who matter to me time and time again.
     Yet I confess that when I first saw the boy--well, he was a teenager now, wasn't he?--I could feel my pulse race.  A thrumming sound echoed in my ears.  Without conscious thought, my hands formed two fists.
     Ten years--and now fifty yards, no more, separated me from the missing boy.


Blurb:

A decade ago, kidnappers grabbed two boys from wealthy families and demanded ransom, then went silent. No trace of the boys ever surfaced. For ten years their families have been left with nothing but painful memories and a quiet desperation for the day that has finally, miraculously arrived: Myron Bolitar and his friend Win believe they have located one of the boys, now a teenager. Where has he been for ten years, and what does he know about the day, more than half a life ago, when he was taken? And most critically: What can he tell Myron and Win about the fate of his missing friend?

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I always enjoy books by Harlan Coben.  He wrote 7 Myron and Win books and then decided to try something different - a standalone.  Since that time, his books have skyrocketed to fame.  I have missed Myron and Win though.  So happy to have another chance to catch up with favorite characters in this 11th book in the series.  It's why I love mystery series, you know - the characters and their lives - and the puzzles.  I think I've made my decision - Home will be on our mystery group schedule for July.  Have your read any books by this author?

kay's week - 3.11.17

Did you know that tonight is the night to 'spring forward' into Daylight Savings Time (well, unless you live in Arizona or Hawaii or some US territories)?  Does it mess up your inner clock?  I think it does for me a bit, but not too horribly.  My husband is always delighted because this means that there is more daylight at the end of his work day and he can stop and hit golf balls or even play a few holes.  So remember, 'spring forward' tonight!


I've been reading...

I had a good reading week - 2 books in print and 1 on audio.  All were enjoyable.

I started with The Widow's House by Carol Goodman and I was pleased with it.  This book was published this week, but I had an advance copy.  I read Goodman's previous book River Road earlier in the year and liked it well enough, but her latest was full of Gothic goodies.  Set in the same area as the previous book, The Widow's House tells of a young couple, Jess and Clare, who move from New York City to be caretakers of Riven House, owned by their former college professor.  The house has a history of being haunted and the family is said to be cursed.  There are cries in the night, spooky apparitions, and the weather plays a big part in the story. The reader isn't sure if Clare, who is telling the tale, is quite right in her mind or if there are indeed supernatural goings-on.  I had a good time with this one and plan to read more of this author's books.

Meanwhile, I was listening to The Woman Who Walked Into the Sea by Mark Douglas-Home.  This is the 2nd in The Sea Detective series and it was narrated by David Monteath.  Set on the Northwest coast of Scotland, this book was lovely.  Cal McGill is an oceanographer and a unique investigator.  He studies sea currents and is able to predict where they might take anything that finds its way into the ocean.  This could be oil spills, other things dumped into the water or even a body.  In this book, Cal meets a young woman named Violet.  She has come to this area to discover what she can about her mother, Megan Bates, who abandoned Violet as an infant and then walked into the sea.  There is more going on in the small village of Poltown and secrets abound.  Someone or several someones have a vested interest in hiding what actually happened to Megan Bates.  I read the first book in this series last year and, though this one doesn't have a storyline that is as personal to Cal's life, I found it very interesting.  I look forward to trying the next in the series, The Malice of Waves, soon.

I was very happy to turn to another book that I've been looking forward to reading - Ink and Bone by Lisa Unger.  This is the latest in Unger's loosely connected series set in an upstate New York town, The Hollows.  And this continues the story of investigator Jones Cooper and renowned psychic Eloise Montgomery, who have helped many people find their 'lost' loved ones.  Ink and Bone introduces us to Finley Montgomery, Eloise's 20-year-old granddaughter, also gifted with the ability to see things that others can't.  A young girl, Abbey Gleason, has been taken from her family and her father and brother shot and left on a hiking trail.  Months pass with no clue as to what has happened.  Other girls have gone missing in the past and Finley finds herself connected to these tragedies in a way that her grandmother is not.  Is it time to pass the torch from Eloise to Finley?  Everyone that lives in this area knows - what The Hollows wants, it gets.  I've loved this series - part mystery, part supernatural, but not always in a way the reader expects.  As long as Lisa Unger keeps writing about The Hollows, I'll keep reading.


A little project...

I decided to start a little project this week that I'd been thinking about.  I've shared that I've kept notebooks with almost all my reading choices detailed since 1993 - 24 years now.  I used to have a spreadsheet that I was able to update, manipulate and sort, but when my computer hard drive died late last year, my spreadsheet was gone.  I thought about recreating it, but decided it was too much work.  However, I have had occasions to wish that I could check where I left off in a series or determine if I had indeed read a book that I was thinking of.  I had not joined Goodreads in the past, as it seemed like just one more 'social' thing to keep up with.  However, this week, I joined and have started marking all those books 'read' and 'date finished'.  It will take me a while, but I can do this at my leisure and it's been very interesting actually seeing the covers of the books I read in 1993, 1994, etc., and not just a column in a spreadsheet.  I've found that I didn't even remember some of the authors, much less the books.  Do you 'do' Goodreads?  I think I'll like being able to sort and check what I've read again.


Personally...

My husband returned from his trip to Arizona last week having sat next to a guy who coughed all the way back to Texas.  And, yes, it was a cold that gentleman shared and we both were 'lucky' enough to get it.  Happily, it hasn't lasted too long.  I was able to attend a 'Friends of the Library' meeting on Monday and take the picture below before I went inside.  I've shown this little sculpture before.  It's a great one.  The kids who come to the library for storytime love it and you can often find moms standing around visiting and kids sitting near and crawling all over it.  I think that the flowers are wisteria and I also believe it's blooming earlier than usual.  Love the purple!  Have a great week - wishing all lots of reading and relaxing!

   

Waiting on Wednesday - Song of the Lion

Waiting on Wednesday was a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. Although Jill is no longer hosting this event, I am continuing to post one soon to be released title each Wednesday that I can't wait to read.

I have been very pleased with Anne Hillerman's continuation of her father's acclaimed mystery series.  I loved the books that Tony Hillerman wrote with their spare, Southwestern settings and their wonderful Native American characters.  His daughter does him proud, and I also love the fact that she has put a large part of her focus on Bernadette Manuelito, wife of Jim Chee, and colleague of Joe Leaphorn.  This week I'm waiting on this author's 3rd book in her series:

Song of the Lion

by Anne Hillerman

Publication Date:  April 11th

A deadly bombing takes Navajo Tribal cops Bernadette Manuelito, Jim Chee, and their mentor, the legendary Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn, back into the past to find a vengeful killer in this riveting Southwestern mystery from the bestselling author of Spider Woman’s Daughter and Rock with Wings.

When a car bomb kills a young man in the Shiprock High School parking lot, Officer Bernadette Manuelito discovers that the intended victim was a mediator for a multi-million-dollar development planned at the Grand Canyon.

But what seems like an act of ecoterrorism turns out to be something far more nefarious and complex. Piecing together the clues, Bernadette and her husband, Sergeant Jim Chee, uncover a scheme to disrupt the negotiations and inflame tensions between the Hopi and Dine tribes.

Retired Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn has seen just about everything in his long career. As the tribal police’s investigation unfolds, he begins to suspect that the bombing may be linked to a cold case he handled years ago. As he, Bernadette, and Chee carefully pull away the layers behind the crime, they make a disturbing discovery: a meticulous and very patient killer with a long-simmering plan of revenge.

Tuesday - First Chapter - First Paragraph - In Farleigh Field

Each Tuesday, Diane at Bibliophile By the Sea shares the first part of a book that she is reading or thinking about reading.  This week I'm sharing:  In Farleigh Field by Rhys Bowen.  This is a standalone book by an author that continues to win awards year after year for several of her mystery series - the Royal Spyness series, the Molly Murphy series, and the Evan Evans series.  Bowen, who is part of the group of women authors who blog at Jungle Red Writers, shared that this is a book she's been thinking of writing for many years.  When she first proposed it, she had an agent who told her that no one wanted to read about World War II.  Hmmm....see what you think (by the way, I'm skipping over the prologue and sharing a bit of the first chapter):

Bletchley Park
May 1941

     Lady Pamela Sutton stared at the dreary government-issued posters on the wall of her small cubicle in Hut 3.  Some of them cheerful exhortations to do one's best, to soldier on with a stiff upper lip, and others dire warnings about letting the side down.  Beyond the blackout curtains that covered the windows, dawn would be breaking.  She could hear the chorus of birds in the woods behind the hut, still chirping madly and joyfully as they had done before the war began and would keep doing after it ended--whenever that would be.  It had already gone on too long, and there was no end in sight.  Pamela rubbed her eyes.  It had been a long night, and her eyes were stinging with tiredness.  According to civil-service regulations, women were not supposed to work on the night shift with men, in case their morals were compromised.  She had found this amusing when the shortage of male translators meant that one of the girls had to do night-shift work.  'Frankly, I don't think my honour is in danger from any of the chaps here,' she had said.  'They are more interested in maths problems then girls.'
   

Blurb:

World War II comes to Farleigh Place, the ancestral home of Lord Westerham and his five daughters, when a soldier with a failed parachute falls to his death on the estate. After his uniform and possessions raise suspicions, MI5 operative and family friend Ben Cresswell is covertly tasked with determining if the man is a German spy. The assignment also offers Ben the chance to be near Lord Westerham’s middle daughter, Pamela, whom he furtively loves. But Pamela has her own secret: she has taken a job at Bletchley Park, the British code-breaking facility.

As Ben follows a trail of spies and traitors, which may include another member of Pamela’s family, he discovers that some within the realm have an appalling, history-altering agenda. Can he, with Pamela’s help, stop them before England falls?

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This book and synopsis reminds me of the TV series, Foyle's War.  I've been fascinated by anything and everything I hear about Bletchley Park, and I'm also intrigued by reading about the folks at home in Britain during WWII.  I read recently here on Jungle Reds that the people who were stationed at Bletchley Park had to sign an official secrets document that wasn't lifted until the 1990's.  So, many families had no idea of the work their loved ones performed during that time.  Also, noted here was Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, had a grandmother who was a Bletchley Park girl.  I'm looking forward to reading this book!