Teaser Tuesdays (1)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
- Be careful not to include spoilers (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)!
- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week's teaser is from Under Gemini by Rosamunde Pilcher:

Staring at her like a fool, a number of thoughts flew through Antony's mind. She was here, he had found her. She didn't look too furious. She had cut her hair.

She said, "Yes?" which was a funny thing for her to say, but then this was a funny situation.

Antony said, "Hello, Rose."

"I'm not Rose," said Rose.

Mini-review: Rise and Shine

Rise and Shine by Anna Quindlen

Read: 23 May - 4 June 2010
Pages: 337

It’s an otherwise ordinary Monday when Meghan Fitzmaurice’s perfect life hits a wall. A household name as the host of Rise and Shine, the country’s highest-rated morning talk show, Meghan cuts to a commercial break–but not before she mutters two forbidden words into her open mike. In an instant, it’s the end of an era, not only for Meghan, who is unaccustomed to dealing with adversity, but also for her younger sister, Bridget, a social worker in the Bronx who has always lived in Meghan’s long shadow. The effect of Meghan’s on-air truth telling reverberates through both their lives, affecting Meghan’s son, husband, friends, and fans, as well as Bridget’s perception of her sister, their complex childhood, and herself. What follows is a story about how, in very different ways, the Fitzmaurice women adapt, survive, and manage to bring the whole teeming world of New York to heel by dint of their smart mouths, quick wits, and the powerful connection between them that even the worst tragedy cannot shatter.

This was a nice read; warm-hearted, poignant and occasionally funny. I found Bridget, the younger sister and the narrator of the story, to be very likable and realistic, but I never really warmed to her sister, the famous Meghan. I loved the prose - Quindlen's language washes over you in small, soft waves and makes reading very pleasant.

Although this isn't a particularly funny story (rather the opposite), I just wanted to share this passage which completely cracked me up, and also, I think, illustrates the crazy life of the rich and famous.

"Isn't she the one who was a call girl in L.A. and then married somebody really rich?" said Sam.

"I don't think so. I think she was somebody's assistant, then somebody's girlfriend. Then the wife of somebody."

"So she's not the one whose husband died in some weird accident and there were rumors that she or her trainer, I think, were involved?" I said.

"I know who you're talking about," Kate said. "That's somebody else."

"My God," said Sam," this conversation is surreal."

My rating: 4

Book Card

This is a card I made for World Book Day last year. I didn't find any cards with a bookish theme, so I decided to make one myself. I'm not super happy with the result, but I thought the idea was good. Might have to perfect it some time.

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (3)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey Through a World of Books.
What Are You Reading is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.






READ LAST WEEK
Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris (review)
I liked the book so much better than the TV series True Blood (at least the half season I've watched). I'll definitely look for the next book in the series.






CURRENTLY READING
Under Gemini by Rosamunde Pilcher
I've only just started this, so I don't know what I think yet, but Rosamunde Pilcher has not let me down so far.






WHAT'S NEXT
I haven't quite decided what's next yet, it will largely depend on my mood and what I feel like reading once I've finished my current read. I think I might start The Secret River by Kate Grenville, as it fits all my three challenges this year.

Making My Mind Up...

...is something I find very hard to do sometimes, hence all the design changes lately. I've been playing around trying to find a design I liked, and thanks to the new Template Designer I think I've finally found one I can live with for a while. So hopefully next time you're visiting, you'll recognise the place. ;)

Review: Dead until Dark

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
Read: 4 - 9 June 2010
Pages: 292

Sookie Stackhouse is just a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. Until the vampire of her dreams walks into her life-and one of her coworkers checks out....

Maybe having a vampire for a boyfriend isn't such a bright idea.

I made the mistake of watching half of the first season of True Blood before reading this book, and because the show follows the book quite closely, the first half of the book wasn't as exciting as it could have been. I'm really glad I didn't watch the whole season though, as that would have spoiled some really good moments (Bubba being one of them).

I like Sookie - actually I like her a lot better in the book than in the TV show. I like the fact that she can take care of herself and doesn't need anyone to rescue her, human, vampire or any other being.

I like the mystery and the setting and the fact that I didn't guess who the murderer was until it was revealed (another thing the TV show would have ruined completely). And although I'll admit that vampires may have some attractive traits, I still prefer humans.

Or, you know, that other being.

My rating: 4

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

It's Monday, What Are You Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey Through a World of Books.
What Are You Reading is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.



READ LAST WEEK:
Rise and Shine by Anna Quindlen
This was an enjoyable read about the relationship between two sisters living in New York: Meghan, a famous television host, and Bridget, a social worker. I loved the descriptions of life in New York City, as seen from both the glamorous and dark side, and the prose was wonderful.




CURRENTLY READING:
Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
I originally planned to read Under Gemini after I had finished Rise and Shine, but I found I wanted something completely different before starting another book about family relations, so I picked up the first in the Sookie Stackhouse series. It's a fast, easy read (I read about 100 pages today while waiting for my mother at the hairdresser's), and I'm enjoying it.


WHAT'S NEXT:
Under Gemini by Rosamunde Pilcher
This is part of my BookCrossing reading challenge, and I thought it would be good to read it now as we have entered the sign of Gemini (21 May - 20 June).