I really wanted to like this book. After all, “A Scotsman’s Tale of World Travel, Whiskey and Crime” sounds right up my alley. I love colorful memoirs, adventure stories, all that, and I thought I would really enjoy this one. I didn’t even make it through 100 pages. There are a lot of reasons I was disappointed in the book.… Read more
Welcome to Teaser Tuesdays! Every Tuesday, we grab our current book, pick a couple of interesting sentences to try and entice you to read it. (Beware of spoilers!) Yesterday evening was nice – the weather finally feels like summer – and I took advantage of that to sit out on my stoop with a bottle of Red Stripe and a… Read more
“This is a bawdy tale. Herein you will find gratuitous shagging, murder, spanking, maiming, treason, and heretofore unexplored heights of vulgarity and profanity, as well as nontraditional grammar, split infinitives, and the odd wank . . . If that’s the sort of thing you think you might enjoy, then you have happened upon the perfect story!” Apparently, this is going… Read more
Good morning! Time for another edition of Words Wondrous Words on Wednesday! This week, I am posting some words from a book I finished recently, Tattoo Machine. I really enjoyed this one – wild and wooly stories from your local tattoo shop, told by an author who has a real interest in the art and history of the business. In… Read more
Happy Tuesday! It’s time for another Teaser! You know the rules: grab your current read and choose two teaser sentences to catch our attention. No spoilers, please. Today’s teaser comes from a book I am not really enjoying, Don’t Call Me a Crook! It has a few bright moments, however, including this – a few sentences on what the author… Read more
This is an interesting little bit of trivia from yesterday, June 14th: On this day in 1966 – The Vatican announced the abolition of the index librorum prohibitum (index of prohibited books), which was originally instituted in 1557. I had no idea the Vatican kept a list of banned books (although I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised). I am surprised,… Read more
Okay, I know it’s just barely still Tuesday, but travel days are hectic. Still, I wanted to share a little of my current book, Fool, by Christopher Moore. It’s the story of King Lear, told by his vulgar, conniving and (most of all) horny court jester. The book had me giggling like a maniac on the plane. Now, you know… Read more
I honestly thought that nothing – nothing – could get me to read Jane Austen again. I know that she has some rabid fans, but those Victorian manners-and-money romances were really not my thing. I was frustrated, even as a teenager, by female characters who seemed completely powerless. Elizabeth Bennett, her life ruined because some man she doesn’t even like… Read more
Good morning and happy Tuesday! It’s time for another Tuesday Teaser! You know the rules: grab your current read, choose some sentences at random, and tempt me into picking up your book when I’m done with mine. My sentences this week are from Tattoo Machine: Tall Tales, True Stories and My Life In Ink by Jeff Johnson. It’s all about… Read more