Carol's Notebook – Page 217

Cover Reveal: Spring at The Little Duck Pond Café by Rosie Green

March 14, 2018February 5, 2020 by Carol2 Comments

Today I'm happy to be participated in the cover reveal for Spring at The Little Duck Pond Café. Anything with spring or summer in the title is grabbing my attention these cold days. And it's such a cute cover. About Spring at The Little Duck Pond Café Fleeing from a romance gone wrong, Ellie Farmer arrives in the pretty little village of Sunnybrook, hoping for a brand new start that most definitely does not include love! Following an unscheduled soak in the village duck pond, she meets Sylvia, who runs the nearby Duck Pond Café. Renting the little flat above the café seems like the answer to Ellie’s prayers. It’s only for six months, which will give her time to sort out her life, far away from cheating fiancé Richard. But is running away from your past ever really the answer? Clashing with the mysterious and brooding Zak Chamberlain, an author with a bad case of writer’s block, is definitely not what Ellie needs right...

First Chapter, First Paragraph, Tuesday Intros

March 13, 2018 by Carol6 Comments

Every Tuesday Vicki at I'd Rather Be At the Beach hosts First Chapter, First Paragraph, Tuesday Intros, where we share the first paragraph or two of a book we are reading or thinking about reading soon. Mine comes from The Last Cruise by Kate Christensen. It doesn't come out until July. As Christine walked out of the air-conditioned terminal into the balmy, sweet air of Southern California, she inhaled sharply and started to laugh. She might as well have traveled to another planet. It was summer here. The air vibrated with sunlight. Bits of mica glinted in the pavement, making it sparkle. She walked through clumps of people with deep tans wearing shorts and sandals. when she looked down to steer her luggage cart over the curb, she caught a glimpse of the winter pallor of her own skin, dead white. The cabbie helped her stow everything in his trunk. "You brought everything, I guess." "I'm going on a cruise," she told him, trying...

Readers’ Workouts

March 13, 2018March 13, 2018 by Carol11 Comments

I made my steps again this week. I'm afraid those Tuesday and Sunday numbers might actually count some piano playing, but I think I'm okay with that. It's not actually cheating if I don't do it on purpose, right? This week's activities: Tuesday - Yoga Sunday - Elliptical Monday - Yoga Dinners: We had dinner at home every evening this week. Granted, we had lunch out a few times, but that's still pretty good. I need to cut down on my snacks though. Tuesday - Pork with wilted cabbage and apples Wednesday - Fish sandwich and macaroni and cheese Thursday - Slow cooker jambalaya Friday - Pizza Saturday - Canned ravioli (Don't judge. It was a long day.) Sunday - Grilled cheese and tomato soup Monday - Spanish rice with ground beef Tuesday's Dinner: https://www.instagram.com/p/BgAUVcmAQBg/?taken-by=carolsnotebook Goals for March Gym – 4 times (current: 2) Pilates – 12 times Yoga – 1 (current: 5) :) 62 pts in the #MarchUP Challenge (Current: 33) Meal ideas for next week: "Skinny" eggplant parmesan (I still haven't made this) French bread pizza Quesadillas 2018 Fitness Goals: - Lose weight. Goal -...

The Italian Party by Christina Lynch

March 9, 2018 by Carol11 Comments

There are so many secrets in The Italian Party, personal and professional. Scottie and her new husband, Michael, move to post-war Italy for Michael's job. He's opening a new Ford Tractor store in Siena. Except we learn quickly that it's just a cover, he's actually in the CIA, a fact he doesn't share with Scottie. We also learn one of Scottie's secrets early; she's pregnant and The baby is not Michael's, but those are just the tip of the iceberg. Secrets, both theirs and others', unfold throughout the story against the global backdrop of the "Communist Threat" and a citywide horse race that seems like the big event of the year. Scottie's teenage Italian tutor was supposed to be in the race, but he's disappeared. Scottie is determined to find. Scottie is interesting. She's beautiful, seems maybe not so bright, but she's fun and friendly. Truth is she's as smart, and sly, as any of them. She is definitely guided by...

My Favorite . . . Trilogy

March 7, 2018 by Carol12 Comments

My Favorite.. is a weekly meme hosted by Maureen’s Books. In this meme we share every week something we love with each other. Because let’s face it.. The world can be a dark place and it’s time to share something positive. For more info: My Favorite Meme. Ah- trilogies. I actually don't read many trilogies, even though three does seem like a perfect length for a series; long enough to get immersed in a world, short enough to not get bored. Since I still haven't read the last in the Divine Cities trilogy, I can't choose it as my favorite. Yes, I know I need to read it. I think I just love the world and don't really want it to end. Or I'm afraid of who is going to get hurt and how badly. My current favorite trilogy is The Gamehouse Trilogy by Claire North. They're three novellas, only published on audio and as ebooks. The Gameshouse is an unusual institution. Many know it...

First Chapter, First Paragraph, Tuesday Intro

March 6, 2018March 7, 2018 by Carol4 Comments

Every Tuesday Vicki at I'd Rather Be At the Beach hosts First Chapter, First Paragraph, Tuesday Intros, where we share the first paragraph or two of a book we are reading or thinking about reading soon. Mine comes from The Pot Thief Who Studied Edward Abbey by J. Michael Orenduff. Life imitates art - but badly. - Edward Abbey According to the brochure, the process began with the model totally naked. She smeared herself from head to toe with alginate, a slimy material made - as the name suggests - from algae. The alginate served three purposes. First, it retained the finest details of the surface once it dries. Second, it allowed the cast to be removed from the model without pulling away skin and hair. And finally, it insulated the model from the heat given off by drying plaster. An assistant to the art professor covered the alginate with several layers of overlapping gauze swatches. Those initial layers of gauze were DayGlo green so...