Thursday, June 22, 2017

Where Is Your Bookmark? (Secret Societies/Interruptions/A Little Friday Fun)

I nearly finished with Jenna Blum's Those Who Saved Us, and have been enjoying the read-along discussion over at at the War Through the Generations Challenges blog this month, which wraps up in another week. In order to pace myself with that book, I am also reading The Lost Girls of Rome by Donato Carrisi, but June TBR List winner. It is about a forensic analyst with the police recently lost her husband. The authorities believe it was a suicide, but his wife isn't convinced. She begins her own investigation into his death, which leads her into dangerous territory, including a possible centuries-old secret society. And that's only a part of it. I'm halfway in and enjoying it quite a bit.




A weekly meme where readers share the first sentence of the book they are reading and say what they think. Hosted by the wonderful Gillion Dumas of Rose City Reader.

The corpse opened his eyes. 


My thoughts: That first sentence certainly grabs one's attention doesn't it? One might assume from the first sentence this is a zombie book. I admit, it gave me pause at first, and I had to stop and ask myself, "Aren't I reading a mystery?" Which, of course, reading on, I quite clearly am.


A weekly meme in which readers share a random sentence or two from page 56 or 56% of the book they are reading. Hosted by the wonderful Freda of Freda's Voice.


Taken from 33% of my Kindle edition of The Lost Girls in Rome:
"What about my husband, did you know him? Did you kill him?" There was no anger in her voice, just despair. "If you know something you have to tell me. Or I swear I'll kill you." She seemed sincere.


This is a quite tense scene with one character pointing a gun at the other, although it is also a very telling moment. Is he the one who killed her husband? Will she shoot him? It's obvious how much emotional pain she is in.

What do you think? Would you keep reading?


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Every Friday Coffee Addicted Writer from Coffee Addicted Writer poses a question which participants respond on their own blogs within the week (Friday through Thursday). They then share their links at the main site and visit other participants blogs.

If you are at a really good point in a book and the phone rings or the door bell rings, do you stop reading or let the phone or door bell go unanswered?

I do not like talking on the phone at all if I can help it. So there is that. Luckily, I do not receive a lot of phone calls. At least on my cell phone. Most people know to text me instead if they need my immediate attention. Although that can be futile too if I am busy with my family, at work, do not have my phone on me, or do not notice the text when it comes in. If I did remember to turn the ringer back on my cell phone (I keep it on silent at work), even while reading a good book, I will likely, at a minimum, look to see who may be calling. If it is my husband, my daughter's school or my mom, chances are good I will answer it. Anyone else . . . probably not. I'm going back to that book instead.

If it's the land line, I rarely, if ever, answer it at all. Chances are, it is someone wanting me to buy something, donate money, or the IRS threatening to send the police to arrest me for not paying my taxes (a scam, obviously). Most of the time, I do not even register the landline is ringing when it does ring. It is set to a generic song which doesn't sound like an actual ringing phone (to avoid waking up the baby during a nap--when she was a baby, anyway; I just never changed the ring once she got older). So, yeah, the good book will win out every time when it comes to the landline ringing.

I am not one of those people who likes unexpected drop in visits. As it is, most people who knock on my door are people trying to sell something. Frankly, I'd rather not be bothered.  And so, admittedly, there was a time when I never answered the door unless I was expecting someone. Just over six years ago someone tried to break into my home. The man knocked on my door and rang my door bell. Thinking I wasn't home, he tried to kick down the door. This was a month after someone had already broken in when we weren't home and robbed us. Except, this time, I was home. He ran away after I yelled through the door I was calling 911, thankfully. But I have never completely gotten over the experience.  Now, anytime my door bell rings or someone knocks on the door, anxiety shoots through me--even when I'm completely lost in a good book. So, whether I open the door or not, my attention from the book will be broken. I have to get up and see who is at the door. Besides, it might be the mail person with a book I ordered!

What about you? Do you bother to answer the phone or door while engrossed in a good book?
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Every Friday Ellen from 15andmeowing.com and Ann from McGuffy’s Reader get together to host the Friendly Fill-Ins. You can be serious or funny--the idea is just to have fun.


1. A recurring dream I have is of me exploring a house: sometimes familiar but other times unfamiliar; it might be big or rather small; I may be afraid and trying to hide or full of curiosity and wonder, excited to see what's behind the next door.

2. Turning my favorite book  into a movie can either make me very happy or especially disappointed.

3. My daughter's daycare summer camp program schedule is driving me crazy!

4. Lately, I have been feeling extra stressed and overwhelmed.


I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Be sure and tell me what you are reading and are up to!




© 2017, 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.

58 comments:

  1. She put it right out there...
    sherry @ fundinmental Friday Memes

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  2. We hardly ever answer our landline either. I sometimes wonder why we even have it at this point. Stay cool!

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    1. Kathy - If it wasn't for the fact it was cheaper to bundle, I would get rid of that landline in a heartbeat. Although, it is kind of nice to have a useless but active phone number to give for those store rewards cards. . .

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  3. The Lost Girls of Rome sounds good. I do check caller ID and answer the door no matter how good the book is. This week I'm reading Sky Dragons by Anne McCaffrey and Todd McCaffrey. I want to finally finish this series. Happy reading!

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    1. Kathy - I enjoyed The Lost Girls of Rome quite a bit and can recommend it. Thank goodness for caller ID. What did we ever do without it?

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  4. Your book does sound intense...and I am now very curious.

    As for people knocking on the door, I hate it! People I know don't drop by unannounced, so I am always afraid. And your story terrified me!

    As for the phone scams, I got that IRS one, too! What a horror, right?

    Enjoy your weekend, and here's mine: “THE SUNSHINE SISTERS”

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    1. Laurel-Rain - I ended up enjoying it quite a bit!

      I really hate it when people come to the door. Fortunately, it doesn't happen often.

      I'm sorry you get those IRS calls too. Today we got one of those Windows ones (telling me my license expired). I feel bad for the people who fall for them.

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  5. Thank you for participating in the fill-ins great answers. I know what you mean, sometimes a film about a book is great, but many times it is disappointing. I noticed above you said you don't like the phone- I hate talking on the phone except to my Mom.I hope you have a nice weekend and that it cools off. 109 degrees, I would melt.

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    1. Ellen - Thank you for hosting the fill-ins! I was so glad to find your meme. :-)

      I hope you have a nice weekend too! This weekend fortunately is much cooler, thankfully.

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  6. The Lost Girls of Rome looks fabulous. That first line sends shivers.

    I can so relate to your feelings about doorbells. A few years back my young son and I were home playing, so I didn't answer the doorbell when it rang. A few minutes later a guy came in through the kitchen window in the back of the house. Fortunately he ran when he saw me and the police got him within minutes. But I always at least shout through the door now.

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    1. Roberta - I really enjoyed The Lost Girls of Rome.

      Oh my gosh, how horrible! I am glad the guy who broke into your house was caught--and that you and your son were unharmed. That had to have been so frightening. I'm like you because of my own experience--I may not open the door, but I will should through the door at least.

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    1. Lauren - You'd think, wouldn't you? Not in this case though. Nothing supernatural about this book. Just a straight forward mystery. :-)

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  8. I rarely get calls from landline as my family will usually call my mobile (thank goodness there's caller ID!) As for doorbells, I'll peek first before opening the door because I'm that curious. Of course I'll get back to my book once I've found out it's a salesperson (without answering it of course, lol.)

    Hope you've a great weekend! :)

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    1. Melody - I'm so glad for Caller ID too. I'm really surprised at how many salespeople still go door to door, but I guess it's still an effective way to make sales.

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  9. I haven't heard of this book before but it looks pretty interesting.

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    1. Breana - I enjoyed it quite a bit. I would recommend it if you like mysteries!

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  10. What an awful experience for you about the robbers and the one trying to break in when you were home.

    Our landline rings with solicitors - very annoying.

    Thanks for sharing.

    Happy Hopping!!

    Elizabeth
    Silver's Reviews
    My Blog Hop Answer

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    1. Elizabeth - It was awful. I still haven't fully recovered from that experience and am not sure I ever will.

      I'm sorry you receive calls from solicitors too. They can be so annoying. Especially the aggressive ones.

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  11. Oh, Wow...you got me wondering what's going on here. Looks great!
    I usually answer the phone, haha, unless it looks like a telemarketer. The door, I have ignored it if I don't recognize the person through the window. That must have been terrifying when that guy was breaking in! Glad he took off!
    Here's my Friday post, Inspiration Pie Have a great weekend :)

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    1. Jo-Ann - It was a book full of twists and turns.

      It was terrifying when the man tried to break in. I don't think the police caught him then, but I hope he was eventually caught.

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  12. I'm the same way when it comes to talking on phones. I kind of hate it. So unless it's my close family/friends or I'm expecting an important call I'll probably ignore the call completely!
    Great answer! :)

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    1. Heather - I like to blame my work for my loathing of phones, but I've never really been a fan. Not even when I was a teenager.

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  13. Well thank goodness for the weekend so you can get some rest! I have fallen behind on the Jenna Blum read but need to follow up on the discussion. I'm so tempted to get rid of our landline because I get so many telemarketers. Enjoy your weekend!

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    1. Iliana - I do look forward to the weekends. :-) This one will be a busy one most likely, but I'm just glad I won't have to go into the office.

      I need to jump back into the discussion for Blum's book. I finished it last week. I hope you like it!

      I would love to get rid of our landline. We've looked into it a few times, but it's just not cost effective for us right now. Not the way they charge for individual products as compared to the bundles.

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  14. That robbery attempt sure sounds scary. Kinda makes me rethink my approach of never answering my door. Maybe I should make a sign to hang up, "Beware: Bookworm is reading" to keep out unwanted visitors from knocking haha.

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    1. Edel - It was a scary. It's hard to know what do sometimes with the door. People intent on coming in without permission may not care if someone is home or not. I like your idea of the sign. LOL

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  15. The Lost Girls of Rome looks good. I feel the same way you do about phone calls and people dropping in. That break in sounds really scary.

    Hope you have a great weekend!

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  16. I don't have a landline anymore. I will answer my phone or the door but I usually don't want to do it. What a scary experience you had! I completely understand why you are extra cautious now.

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    1. Carole - I would like to get rid of my landline someday. We've looked into it, but so far it looks like it saves us more money than it doesn't if we got rid of it. Crazy how it works like that, isn't it?

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  17. Sounds like a Dan Brown-type tale. Glad you are enjoying it.

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    1. Nicki - It sounds like that from the description, doesn't it? It was quite different though, thankfully.

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  18. Mysteries with century-old secrets always sound interesting!

    Personally, I have to get the door when it rings because it's normally the delivery man and I'm the only one at home ^^;

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    1. Eustacia - This was a fun one. I am glad I read it. :-)

      Deliveries are always nice to get. I get more salespeople at the door than deliveries though. And usually the delivery people don't bother staying when they ring the bell. They drop the package at the door and run off.

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  19. Wow! Now that'es definitely a first line that grabs your attention!
    I also like the 56.

    I haven't had a landline for a long time.

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    1. Vicki - I enjoyed the book!

      Someday we'll be in a position to get rid of our landline. :-S

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  20. Such a WONDERFUL answer to the BBH question, Wendy! And of course, I also like your answers for the other hops, too. :) :)

    In regards to your BBH answer, I totally agree with you about people just "dropping by". I HATE that! I don't think that's courteous AT ALL. People should call first, even if they're family! Lo. Fortunately, my family never does that, lol.

    I have MUCH more to say, but I'm a little strapped for time right now. I will be back later!

    Hope you're enjoying your Saturday, and that you and Mouse are reading away!! <3 <3 <3 :) :) :)

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    1. Maria - Thank you! I have a friend who welcomes unexpected guests and wishes more people would drop in and visit her. I have the opposite view as she does. I don't know if it's a change in the times or just attitude. Either way, I am more like you and think it's courteous to call and ask rather than just show up. Because my family lives far away, drop ins don't happen.

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  21. Hope you a having a great weekend :) I nominated you for the Sunshine Blogger Award! There is no obligation to participate but here is the post if you'd like to check it out :) Sunshine Blogger Award
    Jo-Ann

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    1. Jo-Ann - It was a nice weekend, thank you! And thank you for the nomination! That is very kind of you. :-)

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  22. I loved The Lost Girls of Rome. It's that perfect combination of suspense and mystery with some unexpected twists. I hope you love it, too! :)

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  23. We got a lot of IRS scam calls too. I think that's one of the primary reasons we got rid of our landline. On a side note they get really angry and threatening if you tell them you're a tax attorney and that's not how that works (I'm not but I wanted to see what would happen). The Lost Girls of Rome looks really good! That beginning definitely has me wondering what is going on!

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    1. Katherine - Those IRS scammers are very rude. I sometimes wish I did answer my phone so I could play with them, but more often than not they leave a nasty message.

      The Lost Girls of Rome was good!

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  24. Ohh my that is a scary experienced when somebody tries to break down the door. I would of flip glad you were safe from that intruder. Thank you for stopping by my blog hop and have a great weekend.

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    1. Katiria - I'm still so nervous about people coming to the door, even after all these years.

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  25. Hey, there! I'm back!! <3 :)

    You know, I really don't like to spend too much time on the phone, either. I used to do that when I was in my teens. (Of course, teens do a lot of that, lol.) But later on, it stopped interesting me. It's just that I started thinking of other things I could be doing, such as reading!! And then I began blogging!

    Since we no longer have a landline, sales calls are no longer a problem. And with our cell phones, both hubby and I have apps that take care of any such calls by blocking them. But, of course, I always check to see who's calling, because it could be either him or my folks. If an unknown number happens to get through, I ignore it, and then, when they hang up, I immediately block it.

    I'm so sorry you've been burglarized! That must have been terrible!! I hope you guys have invested in a good alarm system, or have taken other measures, in order to be secure. I can understand how you would jump every time you hear the door now!

    I know you must be real good at getting into a book, and staying there, too, because you're able to finish SO many books! As I've said before, I envy you for that!! :)

    That mystery you're reading -- "The Lost Girls of Rome" -- sure sounds interesting! I like the fact that a secret society is involved, although the very first sentence does give me pause....

    What a cute little meme you've joined! Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews told me about it the other day. I might start participating in it myself.

    I'm sorry you're feeling so stressed and overwhelmed this week, Wendy..... :( Must be the temperature, along with Mouse's summer program schedule. I can't believe it!! 109F!!!! That would DEFINITELY drive me batty!!! Lol.

    Hope you have a MUCH more tranquil and pleasant time this coming week!! :) :)

    Thanks for commenting on my BBH post!! HUGS TO YOU & MOUSE!!! <3 <3 <3 :) :) :)

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    1. Maria - Hi again! I never have been a phone person, not even in my teens. My dad had all these rules about phone use and they never applied. LOL I sometimes think he expected me to be the wild child he was in his youth, and that just wasn't me.

      I'll have to look into the app you mentioned. I can't add an app like that to my work cell, unfortunately--and, would you believe I receive more sales/scam calls on that cell phone than my personal cell phone? I'm always winning cruises. LOL

      At the time of the break-ins, we had an alarm and a dog, and that still didn't stop them . . . But, since then, we've moved, so there is that.

      I do find it easy to get lost in a book--sometimes too easy, my husband would say when I don't hear him calling me. LOL

      Our temperatures have come down a bit, thankfully, and I was able to find an alternate plan for Mouse those days her summer program will be inconveniently closed.

      I hope you are well, Maria! Have a great weekend. Sorry for the delay in replying. I'm barely catching up now. With Mouse out of school, my computer time is way down.

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  26. The Lost Girls of Rome sounds good! If I don't know the number, I don't answer, but evidently enough people do to keep those call centers busy. :(

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    1. Jenclair - I ended up really liking it.

      The telemarketers can be so pushy. If I actually get stuck on the phone with one, I try so hard to be polite--they are just doing their job after all--but it can sometimes be difficult to do.

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  27. Oh, no...I hope the stress passes. Hopefully you can relax with a really good book! Hugs!

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