Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Where Is My Bookmark? (05/20/2014)

My recent reading has taken me to New York's Grand Central Station where I spent time with my old friends deputy district attorney Alexandra Cooper and Detectives Mercer and Chapman in Terminal City by Linda Fairstein.  Before that I was glued to Claire Kendal's The Book of You, which had me wondering if I would survive the attentions of a stalker.  I confess I haven't made much more progress in Margaret Atwood's The Blind Assassin, and, after beginning The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins, I realized my attention span, which is that of a gnat right now, is much more in line with something of the brain candy variety.  And so the romantic The Millionaire Affair by Jessica Lemmon it is.  

What are you reading at the moment?  Is it something you would recommend?



Why is my brain so addled, you ask? May has proven to be a good month for stress. Some of it good, some not so good. A little of what has been going on in my life lately:

The good is that we have a new (used) car. Well, my husband does. His car served us well for 15 years, but its time had finally come. Car researching and shopping is not a favorite past-time, let me tell you. We're not looking forward to having to make car payments again, but such is the way of the world.

On a mixed note, I have had ongoing health issues the last several months, and finally there seems to be some resolution in sight, although it may involve major surgery. There by again the internet and I have been spending a lot of research time together as I try to parse the good information from the bad, as I figure out the best questions to ask the doctor.

On a much sadder side, my cousin lost her husband to cancer this past weekend. My cousin has been a rock through it all.  She has to be as they have two daughters.  My heart is breaking for her and the girls.  My complaints and stressors seem so small in comparison.

My hope is that you all are having a good week so far, and are finding yourself lost in a good book.


Every Tuesday Diane from Bibliophile By the Sea hosts 
First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where  
participants share the first paragraph (or a few) of a 
book they are reading or thinking about reading soon.


I adored Wilkie Collins' The Woman in White, and so am excited to finally be reading The Moonstone.  Here's a taste of the first paragraph:
THE STORMING OF SERINGAPATAM (1799)
Extracted from a Family Paper
I address these lines--written in India--to my relatives in England.
My object is to explain the motive which has induced me to refuse the right hand of friendship to my cousin, John Herncastle.  The reserve which I have hitherto maintained in theis matter has been misinterpreted by members of my family whose good opinion I cannot consent to forfeit.  I request them to suspend their decision until they have read my narrative.  And I declare, on my word of honour, that what I am not about to write is strictly, and literally, the truth. 


A now a sample from the beginning of my other current read, The Millionaire Affair by Jessica Lemmon:
Landon Downey clutched the baby name book From Abba to Zed to his chest and knocked on his girlfriend's dorm room door.  While he was certain he didn't want to name their child Abba or Zed, he was also certain he couldn't show up empty-handed.  Not after the ugly way they'd parted last week.  He should have shown up with something nicer than a book with a bent corner and a bouquet of half-dead flowers, but the twenty-four-hour convenience store on campus hadn't offered many options. 
 Would you continue reading?


© 2014, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

44 comments:

  1. Wendy, so sorry about your cousin's loss -- very sad. I hope when you do have your surgery, so make a quick recovery,

    As for the intro, I like it and I still have not read this book, although I own it and have for some time. Thanks for joining in this week.

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    1. Diane - Thank you for your kind words on both counts. :-)

      I am enjoying The Moonstone so far. There's a lot of rambling, which might explain why the book is so long, but that's not new to Collins.

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  2. Such a bitter sweet post full of good news and well, not so good news.

    I'm glad to hear your health issues are being sorted even if it may involve some major surgery.

    Hmm, my stubborn streak that dictates I must finish a book aside I'm really not too sure if The Millionaire Affair appeals to me or not.

    About to start Witch And Wizard by James Patterson, the synopsis of which souds great.

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    1. Tracy - Thanks, Tracy. I am hoping the specialist I will be seeing will have more options for me than the doctor I met with yesterday suggested. It's nerve-wracking to say the least.

      I wouldn't be reading at all if I just stuck with one book at a time and it was a book I wasn't quite in the mood for. I rarely have three books going at once though.

      I hope you enjoy the Patterson book! I like the title. :-)

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  3. So sorry about your cousin. I can't imagine. How great that there may be a solution in sight for your health problems! Hope all goes as planned and have fun with your new car! I'm hoping mine will make it a few more years because I don't want payments either but new cars are such fun!

    I don't think I've ever read any Wilkie Collins! I will definitely have to give The Woman in White a try! Sometimes brain candy is all I can handle too - I've found it's best just to go with it otherwise I end up grumpy and in a reading slump. Hope the rest of May eases up a little for you!

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    1. Katherine - Thank you. I can't imagine either. It's just all so terrible. I really feel for my cousin and her family.

      My husband loves his new car so far. It's very different than his old one--much more modern--so he's having to learn as he goes.

      Do give The Woman in White a try. It's such a good read!

      Yes, it's nice to fall back on lighter reads when our brains just need a break, and just for the reasons you mention. :-)

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  4. Glad you found answers to your health issues! There is so much information out there to digest. Sorry for your family's loss.

    I love Coop and her gang! The Book of You just arrived and I am anxious to get to it soon.

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    1. Nise' - Thanks! Yes, way too much information and so many different opinions! At this point, I just want to be able to ask some smart questions and know what all my options are.

      I've really enjoyed the Fairstein books too. :-) I hope you enjoy The Book of You! I hope to post my review of that one on Thursday.

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  5. I'm not sure if I'd keep reading, I need to read a bit more. I'm sorry about your cousin and I hope you get feeling better. kelley—the road goes ever ever on

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    1. Kelley - Thank you, Kelley.

      So far, I've enjoyed reading both The Moonstone and The Millionaire Affair. They are such different reads from one another--it's a good balance. :-)

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  6. No wonder your attention span is suffering... so sorry for your family's loss and your ongoing health issues. Probably a good idea to read something a little lighter.

    I loved The Moonstone!

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    1. JoAnn - Thank you so much, JoAnn for your kind words of support. Yes, lighter is definitely better right now. It's a good escape, not to mention keeping me reading. :-)

      I'm looking forward to reading more of The Moonstone. I am glad you loved it.

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  7. Love your eclectic reads. Hoping there are better days and better health ahead for you. Take care.

    My post: http://www.bookclublibrarian.com/2014/05/first-chapter-first-paragraph-61.html

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  8. A lot of tension involved in contemplating surgery; hope a resolution is in sight. Sorry about the grief involved in losing a family member.

    I just finished Terminal City. Eager to hear what you thought about it.

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    1. Jenclair - When the doctor first mentioned the surgery, I went into a sort of shock. The good part is we know what's wrong. At least mostly. It's just a matter of finding the right fix now. If it means major surgery, than so be it, but part of me is hoping it won't come to that.

      I need to write something up about Terminal City. I'll be eager to hear what you thought of it too. :-)

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  9. So sorry about your family loss....and it is definitely the time for light reading. Love the sound of The Millionaire Affair...and The Moonstone has such a lovely cover.

    Here's mine: “EYES ON YOU”

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    1. Laurel-Rain - Thank you. I think once my brain clears a bit, I'll be able to dive back into the more serious reads, but for now, light is perfect. :-)

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  10. I am sorry for your loss and wish you good luck with your health and car. Many books you've mentioned I've seen recently on blogs. The first paragraph of The Moonstone sounds interesting. I would keep reading.

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    1. Pat - Thank you, Pat. I need all the good luck I can get. :-)

      The Moonstone is proving to be quite interesting!

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  11. Sorry to hear all you are going through. I will keep you and your family in my prayers.

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  12. Here sending good vibes for you. I like Wilkie Collins and The Moonstone is a great book.

    Here is my teaser post which is about a book of poetry!!

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    1. Gautami - Thanks, Gautami. I'm hoping to love The Moonstone by the end. I've heard such good things about it.

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  13. I'm so sorry for your loss.

    Both books sound good.

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  14. I'm sorry about your cousin and great news about your health! Not sure either of these books is for me. Thanks for stopping by today!

    Here's Mine: http://www.sarahsbookshelves.com/fiction/first-chapter-first-paragraph-tuesday-intros-accident-chris-pavone/

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  15. I am so sorry for your cousin - my thoughts go to her and her daughters. Hope your health issue gets resolved, although surgery would be a bummer.

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    1. Athira - Thank you on all counts. I really would prefer not to have surgery, but if it's the only way to really resolve the problem, then that's the path I'll take. :-S

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  16. Wendy, I'm so sorry about your cousin's loss. And I hope your health will be better; I'm sending good vibes for the surgery. (Hugs)

    I've heard so much good things about The Woman in White and The Moonstone but have yet to read them, though they're sitting on my shelf. I suppose I'm waiting for the right mood to read them.

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    1. Melody - Thank you. I really appreciate it, my friend.

      You really do need to be in a certain mood for Collins' books, I think. :-)

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  17. Sorry for all the stress in your life. I hope you're able to escape into a good book. Here's Mine

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    1. Paulita - Thanks. I know mine is low compared to what many others are going through. Thank goodness for books, right?

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  18. I like the Wilkie Collings intro and want to read that one.

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    1. Margot - I am anxious to read more. I just need to be able to focus. :-)

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  19. The way I see it sometimes you just need to indulge a whim for something sweet, whether it's candy or a book. The book is probably better for you. I hope things are on an upswing now. I know what you mean about taking stock of your life--a close friend's husband was just diagnosed with cancer, and it really makes you think about what's important.

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    1. Rachel - Yes, I think so too. It can be comforting in its own way.

      I think I'll feel even better once I meet with the specialist and have a chance to ask some of my questions. But it's definitely a relief to finally have some validation in what is wrong.

      I am so sorry your friend and her husband. Cancer is such an ugly illness. I hope his prognosis is good even despite the diagnosis.

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  20. ooooh, I'm sorry that you are going through some stressful times. I'm sorry to hear about your prognosis and the eventual surgery. That can always be frightful but I hope that it all goes smoothly. I've been putting off some medical things lately (mostly preventative) and I really need to get into the various doctors. I'm so sorry to hear about your cousin's husband. How tough it must be for everyone.

    I liked The Moonstone and it's at least shorter than The Woman in White. Though I absolutely know what you mean about brain candy. I've been devouring the Outlander books and really they just provide a bit of an escape. I do want to get back to East of Eden but I don't think I'll get to it by the end of the month.

    Hope you have a great holiday weekend!

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    1. Trish - Thank you. I'm hanging in there and hoping to get into see the specialist soon. It's been a bit of an emotional roller coaster for me, and I think knowing all my options will help with that some. It'll be my second specialist, but I'm trying to be hopeful. I keep telling myself at least it isn't life threatening.

      I'm back to reading Blind Assassin again. I love the writing and I'm finally really getting into the story, so maybe I'll finish it before the end of summer after all. :-)

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    2. Blind Assasin took a while for me, too, but the payoff was worth it. The science-fiction sections were the toughest.

      I'll be keeping you in my thoughts. xo

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  21. Wendy, I'm so sorry to hear of your family's loss and your health issues. I sure hope it doesn't come to major surgery though. I do imagine it's a relief though to at least know what's wrong. You've got a lot going on right now so be sure to take good care of yourself with all the stress. Big hugs to you.

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    1. Darlene - Thank you. I met with the doctor this morning and surgery is definitely in my near future. Fun times.

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    2. I'm sorry to that Wendy. I'll be praying for you.

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