Book Talk Tuesday: Currently Reading

 

I’m in the middle of several books and am reading them randomly, depending on the mood I’m in. Some of them I’ve mentioned before.

  Fantasy in Death by J.D. Robb. I’m just barely into it, but already can hardly put it down. Lt. Eve Dallas is investigating the murder of a video game mogul. I’m more than a little in love with her husband.

 

The Red Suit Diaries: Stories from a professional Santa. I downloaded it to my Kindle just before Christmas, but I’m still enjoying Mr. Butchart’s tales and how he’s able to make applications to the other eleven months of the year.

    

 

Midnight Sun by Stephanie Meyer is a free download from her website. It’s the Twilight story told from Edward’s point of view. I finally get what he sees in Bella.

I’m also still reading Ten People Every Christian Should Know by Warren Wiersbe. I’m in the last chapter. I wish I better remembered the details of these saints’ lives. I’m blessed as I read, but later haven’t been able to recall much.

Fiction Friday: The Bandbox Hat

Previously: Sarah Jane arrives in LA, eager for a new start. She finds a paper in her bag with Jesse’s phone number and wonders if her future is to be found in her past.

THE BANDBOX HAT

Chapter 17

An hour later I sat on the queen-size bed in my room-for-one-for-one-night-please and stared at my phone. I had three missed calls from Anna, two from Nathan, one from Jake and four from blocked numbers. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out who those might be.

I’d left a letter, I thought, resentment at their intrusion into my new life after only a few hours pecking at the base of my neck. The more rational part of my brain scolded that a scribbled Bye on Anna’s message chalk board by the phone could hardly be called a note much less a letter.

I keyed in a text to Nathan. I’m fine. Just needed to get away for a bit. Will keep in touch. I pressed Send, then resumed my staring. I mean my thinking.

To call Jesse or not to call. To try and find Rachael or not. To look for a job … That was the thought that gave me pause. Was this trip simply a one-time instance of Sarah Jane standing up for herself and would I go running back to Rosedale and my safe life? If I did, I’d never be able to resist Anna’s inexorable will again. That alone resolved my inner steel.

I may end up back at the farm, in my garage apartment, but it would be because I wanted to and I freely chose that life. I couldn’t let anyone else dictate to me anymore what I should do.

So I was staying. Then back to questions one and two. Call Jesse? Find Rachael?

My phone buzzed, making me jump. A return text from Nathan. No worries. Love you.

I smiled. Nathan was my favorite brother for a reason.

Okay, time to do something, even if it was wrong.

I threw on my workout clothes and headed for the gym.

Thirty minutes later I returned to my room and this time I only had two missed calls on my phone.

One from Anna and one from an unfamiliar number. I also had a voice mail.

May as well get it over with. I pressed the buttons and listened as a familiar voice ignited a storm of emotions.

“Sarah Jane, it’s Jesse. I was sorry to hear about your dad. Rachael is really upset, too. She said she was going up for the funeral. I probably should have called to tell you, but … well, it’s not like we’re friends anymore. You made that clear. So … anyway, I’m sorry about your dad. Bye.”

I deleted the message but I couldn’t delete his voice or the feelings surging through me.

It had been Rachael at the church this afternoon. I could have seen my sister, hugged her, but I’d raced away, too upset and too selfish to think clearly.

No, that wasn’t true. Everyone grieves differently and if Rachael’s grief drove her back to her family and Anna’s drove her to unmerciful bossing, was it so wrong that mine drove me to solitude at any cost? It didn’t mean that I loved Dad or the rest of the family any less. Did it?

I plucked at a loose thread on the bedspread. I’d heard horror stories about how filthy hotel linens, especially bed coverings are. And the carpets.

I pulled off my shoes and socks and walked to the bathroom for a shower. I rubbed my bare feet on the carpet. Defiance was a new emotion for me.

I liked it.

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Book Talk Tuesday: Finger Lickin’ Fifteen

Somehow, I missed this one and had to back track from Sizzling Sixteen  which I read a few months ago.

 

Stephanie Plum is back and is busy tracking down bail jumpers and escaping firebombs and exploding cars. In this one, she gets to help out Ranger in his business. Joe and Stephanie are currently off in their on/off relationship, giving her the chance to dream a little about Ranger. The bail skippers are as weird/harmless/lethal as ever. There’s usually one of each and this time is no exception.

Lula and Grandma Mazur are so over the top now that they are simply caricatures of themselves. Ranger and Joe are as enticing as ever. The language can be pretty salty for sensitive ears and minds. There’s no sex in this one, overt or behind closed doors.

I’m pretty excited about the One For the Money movie that opens this week. I enjoy all the Stephanie Plum books. I just can’t read them back to back.

This must be the week for series reading. I’m currently into U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton and I can hardly put it down. She gets better and better with each book. Seems impossible, but it’s true. Check back next week.

Fiction Friday: The Bandbox Hat

 

Previously: Sarah Jane runs home from her father’s funeral and packs her clothes and leaves town.

 

THE BANDBOX HAT

 

Chapter 16

 

Three hours later, I gripped the steering wheel and pulled a deep breath. The Los Angeles basin stretched before me. Scrubby brown hills still surrounded the freeway, but Interstate 5 snaked down and ahead. As far as I could see were roads and buildings and billboards, then more of the same.

HONK!

I gave my head a shake and accelerated. Best pay attention. Traffic flowed around me on both sides. I’d been to LA several times, but always as a passenger. Well, if I was going to make a new start and a new life, learning to drive in LA was the logical first step.

After a quick glance over my shoulder, I changed lanes and prepared to follow one arm of the tangled octopus in front of me.

In another half hour my heart was thumping and drowning out the radio. Cars still darted around me, exiting and entering the freeway. I seemed to be going either too slow or too fast for the others, garnering honks and glares. I’d missed a sign and was inadvertently on a freeway called 134 and apparently about to enter the city of Glendale. I’d already been through half a dozen other towns. I thought this area was all Los Angeles but I was wrong.

An exit loomed and I made a sudden decision to take it, earning one last honk. One right turn and I was on a charming street with storefronts and trees and bricks and cars parked in front of shops. A familiar green circle logo at the end of the block caught my eye and when I reached Starbucks, there was a parking spot right in front. Who says parking in LA is a hassle?

I strode into the coffee shop and in ten minutes I had a cup of strong, black coffee just the way I like it and a local newspaper. One good thing about living at home for years was that I had a healthy savings account. Even though I took off with no real plan, I knew I had funds that would give me a place to stay.

I turned the newspaper pages, scanning articles about the economy and the current scandals in the sports and political worlds.

The barista pointed across the street when I asked about a hotel. The place looked nice, really nice, but I decided for my first night on my new life I should splurge. Tomorrow I’d move to a more reasonable place while I looked for an apartment and a job.

Job!

As quickly as panic rose in my throat, it subsided again. There were only a few weeks left of school and I had enough sick leave accrued to cover that. I fished in my messenger bag for my phone. Pain sliced my finger and I snatched my hand out of the pocket. A paper cut oozed blood on the pad of my index finger. I pressed a napkin against it before pulling out the papers and setting them on the table.

Roseanna Lopez’s book report on The Violet Flash. A memory teased my brain. I’d been grading this when I got the call from Anna to come home. Dad was being rushed to the hospital and I’d ignored the summons because I thought Anna was crying Wolf! again.

Grief welled up and threatened to spill down my cheeks. I blotted my eyes and crumpled up the napkin.

I’d send the report to Roseanna. She’d done a good job on it and she deserved to know. I started to stuff the pages into my bag when I spied the numbers written on the back of the last page. A phone number. Jesse’s. The rest of that afternoon flooded back. I’d called the Hofer house to get Rachael’s number from Jesse but he’d left. His mom gave me his number instead.

I stared at the digits. Did my new start actually mean going back to my past?

Talking Books on a Thursday: MacArthur’s Moments of Truth

 

  I’ve been looking for a daily devotional for this year and when the opportunity rose to review this new book from John MacArthur, I snapped it up. I’m glad I did.

Arranged into short daily readings, the book is grouped into monthly themes. January is for Beginnings. February is Love. September is Work. The devotions are taken from other John MacArthur books, but even if you’ve read the source material, having something distilled into one page makes it more memorable and portable, easier to chew on during the day as God brings the reading back to your mind.

Some that I’ve recalled during my day recently:

• “But the children of a sinful generation are powerfully affected by the consequences of the sins of a society.”
• “A weak and constantly accusing conscience is a spiritual liability, not a strength.”  -- I love this whole reading on April 27th titled A Weak Conscience.
• “Whenever you elevate good deeds over sound doctrine and true worship, you ruin the works too.”

Just because the readings are fairly short, don’t assume they’re shallow as well. They’re not. Many of them are downright challenging. MacArthur tackles subjects like Sanctification and Justification and God’s Sovereignty.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is looking for a devotional book that will challenge as well as encourage them in their daily walk.

 

-- I received a free copy of Moments of Truth from Thomas Nelson Publishers, in return for an impartial review. We both held up our end of the bargain.

Woe! It’s Wednesday: Me First!

 

I’ve told my husband that 2012 is the year of ME. He’s … somewhat supportive. A bit more after I clarified exactly what I meant.

 

 

I’ve been writing for about twelve years now. I’ve been writing full time from home for about seven years. When I worked, I thought my job was the reason I couldn’t get my novel done and submitted.

When I quit work, I lost that rationale.

Then, it was because of his job. Yes, he works crazy hours and shifts. Yes, his days off are different every week. True, I never know when he’ll be home or at work. Truly, it changes almost daily. So the randomness of our schedule was blamed for awhile.

Then family stuff started cropping up. Grandchildren need play time with Grammy. Parents and in-laws and other family need our time and attention. I said one of the reasons I quit working outside the home was to be more available for family and friends.  Another “reason” to not get novel number three done.

Recently, I’ve gotten more freelance jobs and work-for-hire projects. I always say a paying assignment has to come before my own spec work.

But this year, 2012, I’ve decided is the year I write more and the year I submit more.

Sometimes it will mean I can’t go to coffee or lunch or drop everything to do something for someone else. I have to put myself first.

This is such a foreign concept to me. I’ve made a career out of dropping whatever I was doing when I was “needed.” I’m rethinking what that “need” looks like, as well as evaluating if it’s more important than what I’m working on.

Sometimes it is. Sometimes it isn’t.

I’m praying for discernment and self-discipline.

Sometimes the discernment is easy:

Stay home and work or go to a movie? Work.

Sometimes it’s not quite as easy: Stay home and work or go to lunch with the family? I chose family and I’m pretty sure that was the right choice. It meant I had to work until 8:30 last night to meet my goals for the day, but it was worth it.

So far, 2012 is looking to be a very productive year.

What are your goals for 2012?

Book Talk Tuesday: Let’s Go To The Movies

 

I’m in the middle of several books, including two that I’m dissecting and highlighting. I’m getting lots of reading and work done, but I haven’t finished reading a book in over a week now.

So, today I thought I’d talk about movies.

I have a rule that I (usually) follow: If a movie is based on book, read the book first, then prepare to be disappointed.

Sometimes I don’t realize a movie is based on a book. Sometimes, if a movie offer is spur of the moment, I haven’t gotten to the book yet.

I saw a trailer recently for The Hunger Games and I was really intrigued. I’ve heard about the books of course, and figured I’d get to them eventually, but the movie looks really good. I’ll likely move the book higher on my list to get around to.

My husband and I both read Water for Elephants and enjoyed it a lot. The movie was good, but there just wasn’t room for the depth of emotion that the book managed to evoke.  

 

One of the best recent movies that was based on a book: The Help.

They had to change some details for the sake of time but I thought they did a great job getting the important stuff into the movie. The characters were good, although (it’s probably just me), I felt Skeeter made the poorest transition to the screen. Minnie and Abileen, Hillie and Elizabeth, and especially Celia were spot on.

I’m also looking forward to One For the Money based on the first Stephanie Plum book by Janet Evanovich. I’m not sure about Katherine Heigl as Stephanie, but I’m willing to give her a chance. I thought Sandra Bullock could have done Stephanie in her sleep, but no one consulted me about the casting.

What’s your favorite movie that’s based on a book?