Thursday, March 04, 2021

Where Is Your Bookmark? (Tootsie Rolls, Spine Poetry & BBHOP - How Books Change Me)





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

I peered through the slats of the blinds covering the glass on my office door and watched the dark, brooding man in the hallway. [opening of The Arrangement]



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.


He headed behind the bar and began preparing a drink. "Look, I'm worried about you. The news is so depressing lately. Crime, murders, kidnappings. . . I don't know what I would do if I ever lost you." [excerpt from 56% of The Arrangement]

My initial thoughts: I love the old school-like feel of this novel and the opening line offers a hint of that. I am not too far into M. Ravenel's The Arrangement, but I already like Tootsie. She is good at what she does and can hold her own in a traditionally male dominated profession. I have not yet reached 56% in the novel, but it sounds like things have heated up considerably. The Arrangement comes out  next Tuesday and if what I have read so far is anything to go by, it's going to be good. Note to self: add more Tootsie Rolls to shopping list.

Another case has fallen onto the desk of Tootsie Carter; a female detective armed with a snub-nosed Colt .38, unmatchable wit, and a pocketful of Tootsie Rolls. 

New York City, 1975 

A missing wife. The seedy underbelly of the boxing world. Lace your gloves and ring the bell, PI Tootsie Carter is on the case. When a desperate man stumbles into her office, pleading for help locating his wife, Tootsie launches into the investigation. Following the clues, she uncovers a boxing racketeer with a deadly agenda. Can Tootsie deliver the one-two punch that brings the woman home safe? Or will more bodies fall to the mats? [Goodreads Synopsis]



Does this sound like something you would like? What are you reading right now?

Originally a feature called Last Year I Was Reading created by Maria from ReadingMaria
I liked it enough to continue on my own, but have tweaked it
 to feature Five Years Ago I Was Reading. 
(I would have gone back ten, but I read so little in 2011)


I am tweaking today's post a bit to reflect what I was reading 9 years ago. In 2014, I was reading the Divergent Series by Veronica Roth. I read the Divergent, Insurgent and Allegiant back to back the beginning of March along with a couple of short stories related to the series. I had been reluctant to read the series at the time but was motivated to read it before seeing the movies. I remember being really drawn into Roth's world in Divergent. It was such a fun read. I enjoyed Insurgent, although it did not quite live up to Divergent in my mind. And then there was Allegiant. I was not upset about the one issue most fans took with the series, but I did find it disappointing for other reasons. So much promise and then it fell flat for me. Not the strongest end to a series. Oh well. It happens.  

From the Publisher:  
Divergent: One choice can transform you. Veronica Roth's #1 New York Times bestselling debut is a gripping dystopian tale of electrifying choices, powerful consequences, unexpected romance, and a deeply flawed "perfect society."
Insurgent: One choice can destroy you. Veronica Roth's second #1 New York Times bestseller continues the dystopian thrill ride. As war surges in the factions all around her, Tris attempts to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love. 
Allegiant: The explosive conclusion to Veronica Roth's #1 New York Times bestselling Divergent trilogy reveals the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent 

Connect Five Friday is a weekly meme where readers share a list of five books, 
read or unread, or bookish things, that share a common theme. 
Hosted by the  Kathryn of of Book Date.


In January Beverley A Baird posted a Connect 5 Spine Poetry. The idea sounded so fun, I thought I would try it too. Unfortunately, I do not have physical copies of all of these books and so it's more Book Title Poetry than Spine Poetry. Spine Poetry sounds better though, doesn't it? All five of these books are books I read (and enjoyed immensely) ten years ago in 2012. This is the result of reading a lot of mysteries . . . 


Every Day by David Levithan
Fun & Games by Duane Swierczynski
Before the Poison by Peter Robinson
An Unmarked Grave by Charles Todd
Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson

Have you ever tried Spine Poetry before? 



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.

How have books changed you the most? (submitted by Julie @ JadeSky)


I have been a reader for as long as I can remember and cannot imagine a life without books. Reading has touched every aspect of my life in some way. Sometimes the impact is subtle and other times more obvious. 

Scientifically, reading is known to improve concentration and memory and can make a person smarter. It is also believed reading improves our ability to reason. Pleasure reading reduces stress. Perhaps the most popular study out there shows how reading can increase empathy. While I would like to believe all of these have proven true for me, it's hard to know just how much they actually have had the desired effect on me. I think the one area I feel it the most acutely these days is how reading is a source of calm for me. When I need to slow down or quiet the racing thoughts in my head, vanquish my fears or if I just need to step away from real life for a short while, I often turn to reading. Reading is something I do for fun, of course, but it is also a form of self-care. 

Along the lines of self-care . . . through reading, I have learned more about myself--I may recognize myself in a character/person or situation and not feel so alone. I am constantly finding connections with the people I read about, even those with completely different life experiences than my own, relating to them on some level. This not only gives me that sense that I am not alone, but also allows me to see things from a different perspective, both on a personal level and outside of myself. I am not so quick to judge, and I feel like I am more open to other ideas and worldviews. My knowledge base has certainly increased. I also feel that my reading has helped shape who I am and how I see the world. Reading certainly has inspired more creativity in me, sparking ideas and helping me become a better writer.  

Sometimes my reading challenges what I believe or how I feel. And I don't mind. My views have evolved over the years thanks to books--I grow as a I learn. It's an ongoing process. I like to see things from as many perspectives as possible. I have this innate desire to understand why people are the way they are, believe what they believe, why they make the decisions they do, and how that impacts their lives--how they get through it. It comes back to making connections. I love how stories connect us. How they touch all of us in one way or another. And how they can change us. They make me want to be a better person and believe that it's possible. There is so much power in the written word. 

I am not sure if this really answers today's question. I started typing and this is where I ended up. Books have influenced every aspect of my life in one way or another. I do not know that I can point to how they have changed me the most, but reading and books are a part of what has made me who I am.

What about you? How have books changed you the most?


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


© 2021, 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.

40 comments:

  1. When was your book published? I have noticed that even the seventies seems like 100 years ago in the writing. My books this week is APPLE

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    1. Anne - The Arrangement comes out this coming Tuesday, March 9th. The setting is 1975, so it's more of a historical mystery. It's good so far!

      I am really interested in Apple after reading your thoughts on it. It's on my wish list now. :-)

      Thank you for visiting!

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  2. Your thoughts about reading are very much mine too. Books are my life and I can't imagine my life without them. I learnt to read when I was about four and have never stopped. They have influenced me in so many ways - from my choice of career to my choice of house (space to store my books) and now that I've retired reading and blogging take up most of my time.

    Anyway,I have not come across The Arrangement nor the Roth books - more for me to explore! I haven't done any spine poetry but I'll give it a go, with lots of books to choose from (a house full of books) I hope to find some titles to put together.

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    1. Margaret - Having space for books was important to me too when shopping for our current home. Now that you mention it, books influenced my choice of career too--at least to a degree.

      I'm going to have to use some of my physical books for my next attempt at Spine Poetry. I used a mix of physical, e-books, and audiobooks for the one I posted today.

      Thank you for stopping by!

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  3. The snippets and the cover are pulling me in. Thanks for sharing, and here's mine: “UNFAITHFUL”

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    1. Laurel-Rain - I am enjoying it so far. Thank you for visiting!

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  4. I love your thoughts on how books have changed (or influenced) you over the years, many of your points resonate with me too. It's hard to know how they have changed us because we don't have anything to compare too, but I can't imagine not reading, or blogging about reading!

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    1. Louise - Yes! I had a hard time with this week's question because I couldn't pinpoint change as much as I could the influence books and reading has had on me. Thank you for stopping by!

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  5. Sounds like a promising read! Happy weekend!

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    1. Freda - Thank you! I hope you have a good weekend too. :-)

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  6. I'm loving looking back at what I was reading 5 years ago! Such a trip down memory lane :)

    https://collettaskitchensink.blogspot.com/2021/03/my-weekly-bookishness-352021.html

    Colletta

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    1. Colletta - It is fun to see, isn't it? I enjoy it too. :-) Thank you for stopping by!

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  7. Books have influenced every aspect of my life, too. I would not be the person I am today if not for all the books I've read throughout my life.

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    1. Lark - Well said! That's exactly how I feel. Thank you for visiting!

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  8. We all had such a dystopian theme of reading going for a few years and I loved those books. Now I feel like it's thriller time.

    For me, reading is soothing. And I agree with you that it gets us thinking, questioning, learning, and more.

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    1. Helen - I loved those dystopian theme books too. :-)

      I find reading soothing too. I sleep better when I can slip in reading time before bed. It helps calm my mind.

      Thank you for stopping by!

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  9. thanks so much for your post. i really enjoyed it, especially when you talked about what you got out of reading. sometimes a book can help me relax, and other times i am on the edge of my seat. i love books that get my emotions going, whether i laugh or cry
    sherry @ fundinmental

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    1. Sherry - I forgot to mention that aspect, but I love books that make me go through a range of emotions too. I'm a big crier so it's not that hard to make me tear up. LOL

      Thank you for visiting!

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  10. I had similar thoughts about the Divergent series. The first book was great. There was so much promise for a great series there. I liked the second one okay, but Allegiant was just a mess. I had so many issues with it. But I did enjoy the overall worldbuilding. It was very interesting. Hope you have a great weekend! :)

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    1. Ashley - I liked the world building overall as well too. I hope you have a great weekend too. Thank you for stopping by!

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  11. I'm definitely going to give The Arrangement a closer look. And spine poetry--what fun!!

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    1. Catherine - I am enjoying The Arrangement so far! Putting the poem together was fun. I hope to do it again. :-)

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  12. I really like the sound of this. Thanks for introducing me. :)

    Lauren @ Always Me

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  13. The Arrangement sounds really good and I love that it's set in 1975. I'll have to look for this one.

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    1. Yvonne - Me too! It makes for an interesting setting. I hope you'll give it a try. Thank you for stopping by!

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  14. The Arrangement looks promising. I think I'll have to avoid it, not sure my personal sugar ban could take a book full of someone talking about Tootsie Rolls. (just this comment is tempting me...) :)

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    1. HC - I really enjoyed The Arrangement. I think you are safe in regards to avoiding wanting to eat Tootsie Rolls. It didn't come up much in the novel. Although now I am curious about Tootsie Roll milkshakes . . . Thank you for visiting!

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  15. I did not know about all those scientific facts about reading. Thanks for sharing. I read because I love it and it does relax me. Have a great week!

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    1. Jamie - Reading is definitely a passion of mine too. Thank you for stopping by!

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  16. Oh wow, your book title poetry has worked out great. I'd say an author could take that and turn it into a full story!!

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    1. Kathryn - It would make an interesting mystery, wouldn't it? :-) Thank you for visiting!

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  17. Great post from start to finish. I love your spine poem. Your ideas and information about how reading has changed your life was very informative and has me thinking.

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  18. The Arrangement sounds really good! I can't really say how reading has changed me because I've always been a reader. I love TV and other things but I've always read.

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    1. Katherine - It's really hard to measure, isn't it? Reading has always been a part of my life too. Thank you for stopping by!

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  19. This sounds really good. As for reading changing my life - I think reading has provided me with perspectives and insights I normally wouldn't have in my life, thus shaping me into a more compassionate and empathetic person.

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    1. Lin - Yes, reading has certainly done that for me too. Thank you for visiting!

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  20. Hey, I am so thrilled that you enjoyed Tootsie's story!

    One thing I discovered which tastes absolutely amazing is a Tootsie Roll Milkshake. So rich and creamy, and super easy to make!

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    1. Marie - Thank you for sharing your book with me!

      When I first came across the reference to a Tootsie Roll Milkshake I had to stop reading to look it up online. It sounds so good! I will have to give it a try. :-)

      Thank you for stopping by!

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