NEWEST GUILTY PLEASURES: SOAP OPERAS ONLINE — MAY 18

For those who have visited this blog—or my Potpourri site—you know that I’m a big fan of soap operas.

In 2011, two of my favorites were cancelled from the ABC network….and an Internet project was launched.  It seemed as though it would never happen, but on April 29, 2013, All My Children and One Life to Live came to Hulu.com/

It took the first week for me to work out the kinks and find my viewing mojo.  With the help of an HDMI cable, I can now connect my laptop to my flat screen TV…and voila!  Viewing pleasure.

Each episode is around 30 minutes in length, but I like this for a couple of reasons.  The pace of the show is faster….and I can watch with very little fuss or time spent away from other activities.  Online viewing is great in another way:  you can watch anytime!

What are your guilty pleasures?  What treats do you give yourself?

A GUILTY PLEASURES TREAT: BOOK BEGINNINGS & THE FRIDAY 56 — TAPESTRY OF FORTUNES — APRIL 26

Welcome to some bookish/guilty pleasures fun today as we share Book Beginnings, hosted by Rose City Reader; and as we showcase The Friday 56 with Freda’s Voice.

To join in, just grab a book and share the opening lines…along with any thoughts you wish to give us; then turn to page 56 and excerpt anything on the page.

Then give us the title of the book, so others can add it to their lists!

If you have been wanting to participate, but haven’t yet tried, now is the time!

 

The author whose book I’ve chosen today is one of my favorites.  I so enjoy her writing style and themes which is why it is almost impossible to let a new book of hers sit on my nightstand while I diligently work my way through the books ahead of it in the queue.

Tapestry of Fortunes, by Elizabeth Berg, is a book I’m happy to shout out about today.

 

Beginning:  When I was growing up, my mother’s best friend was a woman named Cosmina Mandruleanu.  I liked her for a lot of reasons:  her name, of course; her ash-blond hair and throaty voice and loud laugh; her bangle bracelets and black nylons and the way she was generous with the Juicy Fruit gum she always kept in her purse.

***

56:  When I start down the hall, I hear Lise on the phone.  She’s angry, shouting.  “Well, I’m sorry that I bothered you.  I haven’t heard from you for a while and so I thought I’d check in.  I won’t keep you.”

***

Amazon Blurb:  In this superb new novel by the beloved author of Open House, Home Safe, and The Last Time I Saw You, four women venture into their pasts in order to shape their futures, fates, and fortunes.

Cecilia Ross is a motivational speaker who encourages others to change their lives for the better. Why can’t she take her own advice? Still reeling from the death of her best friend, and freshly aware of the need to live more fully now, Cece realizes that she has to make a move—all the portentous signs seem to point in that direction.

She downsizes her life, sells her suburban Minnesota home and lets go of many of her possessions. She moves into a beautiful old house in Saint Paul, complete with a garden, chef’s kitchen, and three housemates: Lise, the home’s owner and a divorced mother at odds with her twenty-year-old daughter; Joni, a top-notch sous chef at a first-rate restaurant with a grade A jerk of a boss; and Renie, the youngest and most mercurial of the group, who is trying to rectify a teenage mistake. These women embark on a journey together in an attempt to connect with parts of themselves long denied. For Cece, that means finding Dennis Halsinger. Despite being “the one who got away,” Dennis has never been far from Cece’s thoughts.

In this beautifully written novel, leaving home brings revelations, reunions, and unexpected turns that affirm the inner truths of women’s lives. “Maybe Freud didn’t know the answer to what women want, but Elizabeth Berg certainly does,” said USA Today. Elizabeth Berg has crafted a novel rich in understanding of women’s longings, loves, and abiding friendships, which weave together into a tapestry of fortunes that connects us all.

***

So I shall enjoy my “guilty pleasures” read; I hope you will stop by and share your thoughts.

 

A GUILTY PLEASURES NOD TO ST. PADDY’S DAY — MARCH 18

Sometimes our guilty pleasures in life are not about sweet things, like chocolate or even mimosas.

Yesterday I celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with a delectable feast of Corned Beef and Cabbage…with my daughter.

Is there anything more yummy?  Perhaps a little green beer along with it?  Or maybe just some good wine…or even some Irish whiskey.

 

 

Are you feeling the pleasure yet? 

What is your favorite thing to do on St. Paddy’s Day?

GUILTY PLEASURES: LIVING WITH NO REGRETS — MARCH 14

Enjoying life’s guilty pleasures

Sometimes it may seem as though this blog is about touting life’s pleasures, to the exclusion of our responsibilities and obligations.

But that’s not our motto.  No, it’s about making sure to include the guilty pleasures (or even just our simple pleasures, with no guilt involved).  Enjoying our days, even as we also try to meet our obligations.

Prioritizing those obligations is important, however.  Is it absolutely necessary to have an immaculate house?  Is reading for pleasure verboten?  Must we only think of what we must do?

Here’s a thought about clean houses:

Okay…my house is not in danger of bringing the Health Department to my door…and I do like a level of organization.  Just because I want to find things.  And even photograph my spaces, for blog headers and posts…lol

However, there is probably more dust on the surfaces than I need….

So let’s imagine how you’ll feel as you approach your golden years and ponder the things you will regret…and those you won’t.  I’ll bet you won’t be thinking you should have cleaned your house more often.  But you might wish you had gone on more trips, spent more time with friends and family, and just enjoyed MORE.

What do you think?  Does feeling good and enjoying life somehow take away from the important things?  Or do those pleasures enhance your life?

I vote for plenty of pleasure mixed in with the other ingredients of each day.

DROOLING (& MUSING) OVER UPCOMING READS — & PONDERING RECENT ONES — MARCH 11

Welcome to another Monday of Musing, hosted by Should Be Reading.

We have a list of several possible things to chat about today:

Describe one of your reading habits.
• Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).
• Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying it.
• Do you have a bookish rant? Something about books or reading (or the industry) that gets your ire up? Share it with us!
• Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!

***

I do like to rant about the guilty pleasures in my life on this blog.  And many of those are books I’m drooling over.

Amy Hatvany is an author I discovered within the last couple of years, and her upcoming release is one I’ve preordered:

Heart Like Mine is a poignant, hopeful portrait of womanhood, love, and the challenges and joys of family life.

 

More details:  Thirty-six-year-old Grace McAllister never longed for children. But when she meets Victor Hansen, a handsome, charismatic divorced restaurateur who is father to Max and Ava, Grace decides that, for the right man, she could learn to be an excellent part-time stepmom. After all, the kids live with their mother, Kelli. How hard could it be?

At thirteen, Ava Hansen is mature beyond her years. Since her parents’ divorce, she has been taking care of her emotionally unstable mother and her little brother—she pays the bills, does the laundry, and never complains because she loves her mama more than anyone. And while her father’s new girlfriend is nice enough, Ava still holds out hope that her parents will get back together and that they’ll be a family again. But only days after Victor and Grace get engaged, Kelli dies suddenly under mysterious circumstances—and soon, Grace and Ava discover that there was much more to Kelli’s life than either ever knew.

Then there’s Kate Atkinson’s upcoming release that I’m seeing all around the blogosphere, although my copy won’t be coming until April…GRRR!

Life After Life feels like a departure for this author, who has brought us a great detective series with characters I love.

 

What if you could live again and again, until you got it right?

On a cold and snowy night in 1910, Ursula Todd is born to an English banker and his wife. She dies before she can draw her first breath. On that same cold and snowy night, Ursula Todd is born, lets out a lusty wail, and embarks upon a life that will be, to say the least, unusual. For as she grows, she also dies, repeatedly, in a variety of ways, while the young century marches on towards its second cataclysmic world war.

Does Ursula’s apparently infinite number of lives give her the power to save the world from its inevitable destiny? And if she can — will she?

Darkly comic, startlingly poignant, and utterly original — this is Kate Atkinson at her absolute best.

***

Don’t these look and sound delicious?  Here’s another cover for Life After Life….

 

I’ve also seen other covers around the blogs.  I wonder which one I’ll actually get?  This is a book I ordered as a print version…lately I’ve been buying for Sparky to help deal with my overflowing shelves, but I had to have it as a physical book!

Do you find yourself missing the print books when you’re reading on your Kindle or Nook?

What are your favorite kinds of books…from authors you love?  Or from new and recently discovered ones?  Here’s a book I’ve reviewed for a blog tour starting today:  check it out!  Blue Jeans & Coffee Beans is not just a guilty pleasure for me…it’s a story that digs deep into the hearts and souls of the characters, revealing secrets and mysteries of the past.

Curl up and rediscover the things you love and the characters who engage you.

MUSING & RANTING ABOUT GUILTY PLEASURES, NEW READING HABITS, & BOOKISH LOVE — FEB. 25

Welcome to another Musing Mondays, our special event for bookish thoughts and rants.

Our Prompts:

• Describe one of your reading habits.
• Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).
• Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying it.
• Do you have a bookish rant? Something about books or reading (or the industry) that gets your ire up? Share it with us!
• Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!

***

As I study these prompts, I am torn between them.  Yes, I have discussed each of them at one time or another.  And today I’m at a loss.  Would that be fodder for a rant?

First of all, let me say that I am loving my current read:  The History of Us, by Leah Stewart.  I’m only in the beginning chapters, but already I’m seeing so many issues that will reach out and grab us.  Family has a way of doing that, don’t you think?

But what I’m really thinking about is how one of my guilty pleasures is memoirs written by celebrities…or authors.  It’s a toss-up as to which ones I love most.  Probably the author memoirs feed my mind, while the celebrity ones feed my curiosity.

Like the one I read yesterday:  The Art of Men, by Kirstie Alley (click for my review)

I’m glad I borrowed this one from the library.  While I enjoyed satisfying my curiosity on some things, it’s not a book that I want to keep.

That’s one of my reading habits lately.  With books on my list that aren’t destined for my library:  go online and request them from the library.  I’ve been doing that lately, and getting the requested books surprisingly quickly.

Perhaps I’ve waited long enough, until the buzz factor has died down.  Whatever….I’m glad to be doing this.

I am also downloading more books for Sparky.  This helps with the bookshelf issue, and also avoids shipping costs.

But some books must end up on my shelf, like this one coming  in May:

Looking for Me, by Beth Hoffman, is lovely to look at…and destined for my shelves.  So I ordered the print version.

This one will also satisfy a guilty pleasure, as it’s about refurbishing antiques and collectibles.  What I love to do!

So….let’s sum up:

Guilty pleasures, new and old reading habits, and satisfying my bookish love in new ways.  A rant?  Or just a musing….

ENTER MARCY’S COZY WORLD & FIND ADVENTURE — A REVIEW

Marcy Singer, an embroidery shop owner in Tallulah Falls, Oregon, first appeared in The Quick and the Thread: An Embroidery Mystery. Her shop, Seven-Year Stitch, is a cozy gathering place for those who love the embroidery arts. Marcy’s cozy corner of the shop is a great place for individual instruction, and her occasional classes offer the opportunity for townsfolk to learn more about the craft.

But when Marcy agrees to offer a class for domestic abuse survivors, she soon finds herself embroiled in all kinds of trouble. What does an old tapestry that might be a treasure map have to do with a subsequent murder? How does a strange young woman who is seemingly a friend foreshadow future dire events? And how does Marcy manage to insert herself into the thick of things, putting her own life at risk?

Another character that I enjoyed was Angus the dog, who seems to be an important part of the story.

Thread on Arrival: An Embroidery Mystery drew me further into Marcy’s world in Tallulah Falls, and now I can’t wait to read more. The mystery was fun, with a few red herrings, but I figured out early on whose dark agenda had led to some of the bad happenings. But a few twists revealed toward the end reminded me that not everything is as it seems.

I thought the characters and settings were wonderful, but the last few pages tied things up a little too neatly for me. Therefore, four stars. Recommended for those who enjoy the characters in a cozy mystery as much or more than the actual mystery.

A RETURN TO DALLAS: AND OTHER ICONIC MOMENTS — JAN. 24

A new season of the TNT Dallas Reboot returns this next week.

How will the return of the surprisingly popular reboot deal with Larry Hagman’s death?  Is there a Dallas without JR?

As some of you know, I’m a big fan of soaps, both daytime and nighttime.  On my DVR is a special of the show from PBS entitled Pioneers of Television, in which all the faves of the 70s and 80s were memorialized, along with great clips.  I was swept away.

If any of you were around for those iconic days, what do you remember most?  Was it the flashy world that most of us only peek into when the TV is on?  Or, did you, like some of us who watched another iconic show from that era called Knots Landing, relate most to those characters and enjoy connecting with them (mostly middle class folks on the cul-de-sac).

The reboot of Dallas has brought a new look into that world of the familiar Dallas characters, along with a whole new cast of the younger generation.

I am a fan of nostalgic moments, and these will definitely take me back, and yet will offer a look into the future.  Will any of you be watching?  

RECHARGING MY BATTERIES — OR WHAT GETS MY JUICES FLOWING — JAN. 8

Savoring the Moments

Sometimes our guilty pleasures come in simple forms, like a cozy place to curl up and read a delightful new book.

While my cozy reading place is not like the one pictured above, I do imagine I am there on a window seat, gazing out at a lovely day.  My imagination has always been vivid and has accompanied me through the years.

Because I’ve been partaking of some guilty pleasures over the holidays, this morning found me dancing to a tune on my CD player, just for a little cardio.  We can’t forget our healthy choices, even as we enjoy the treats in our lives.

Against the wall in my dining nook is a Jukebox CD Player, so this morning I danced for awhile to Mama Mia tunes. 

Not necessarily a “guilty pleasure,” since exertion is involved, but I felt great afterwards and ready to indulge in some guilty pleasures reading, like this book:

Elly in Bloom, by Colleen Oakes.

The MC reminds me of the ones in Jennifer Weiner’s books, with a humorous take on life and a slightly chubby physique.  The kind of girl who enjoys a few guilty pleasures.  My favorite kind of character.

So, now that I’m feeling energized by my dancing and ready to curl up and read, I’m going to snuggle up here:

A SEASON OF CHANGE & GUILTY PLEASURES — NOV. 27

Okay, I’m at it again!  Changing up the headers, themes, etc.
Here I reverted back to a theme from the past; included some of the goodies from other headers, like the banner that proclaims my love of chocolate; and, of course, a few treats.

Then, because some themes with built-in text interfere with the images, I visited PicMonkey again and added my own text.

Meanwhile, over at Story Corner, I added a new header…and found a great background that I will enjoy for awhile, anyway.  LOL

I’m playing around with my blogs as a diversion from reading, and also to keep me from eating the ice cream in the freezer!

Do you find that the holidays play havoc with your healthy eating choices?  What, you say???  You mean that, just because I have this guilty pleasures blog, I should do whatever I want?  Well, there is a time and a season for all of that.

I think I wrote another blog post about that very thing, though:  Celebrating the Moments.

Now it’s time to return to my read, which is really getting interesting.  The Turnaround, by George Pelecanos.

And tonight, I’ll enjoy watching some of my favorite shows, including Parenthood.  What are some of your favorites?