Current Read and Teaser: The Secret History by Donna Tartt

My book group is currently reading The Secret History by Donna Tartt. We are meeting in a couple weeks and I have about 174 pages left to go. I am enjoying it and it has definitely drawn me in, but it definitely could have been half the length. Very long book.
Here's a teaser for you all... one ver long sentence instead of two. :)
"“WHEN THE LIGHTS came on, and the circle of darkness leaped back into the mundane and familiar boundaries of the living room—cluttered desk; low, lumpy sofa; the dusty and modishly cut draperies that had fallen to Francis after one of his mother’s decorating purges—it was as if I’d switched on the lamp after a long bad dream; blinking, I was relieved to discover that the doors and windows were still where they were supposed to be and that the furniture hadn’t rearranged itself, by diabolical magic, in the dark.”
Excerpt From: Donna Tartt. “The Secret History.” iBooks. https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-secret-history/id467953657?mt=11

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!

Happy Reading! _________________________________________
 FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Creative Every Day (Days 12-18)

This week challenged me some- especially with the sketching. I haven't done it in a very long time and am having problems with proportions. Need to do more and practice. That Zentangle was also a bit of a fail, and the little girl added some of her own artistry to it when I wasn't looking. 

Happy Reading! _________________________________________
 FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

The Magician's Lie by Greer Macallister

The Magician's Lie by Greer Macallister 320 pages, hardcover Published January 2015, Sourcebooks Landmark
Source: Netgalley
About the Book

Water for Elephants meets The Night Circus in The Magician's Lie, a debut novel in which the country's most notorious female illusionist stands accused of her husband's murder —and she has only one night to convince a small-town policeman of her innocence.

My Review
I enjoyed every second of the Amazing Arden's story. Strapped to a chair, hours after the murder of her husband, the magician shares the story of her life to a policeman in an attempt to convince him that she is innocent. Is it all a lie as the title suggests? 
Switching between the present (1905) and the past, the story of Arden unfolds in spectacular color and magic, some real and some just illusions and slight of hand. A difficult childhood, an abusive cousin and a lucky start to a new life when she escapes her previous life, fill the pages of The Magician's Lie.  It's just that, sometimes, the past doesn't stay in the past.
Such an enjoyable read. I didn't want it to end.
About the Author

Raised in the Midwest, Greer Macallister is a poet, short story writer, playwright and novelist whose work has appeared in publications such as The North American Review, The Missouri Review, and The Messenger. Her plays have been performed at American University, where she earned her MFA in Creative Writing. She lives with her family in Brooklyn.

For more info about the book and author visit her WEBSITE.

Happy Reading! _________________________________________

Creative Every Day (Days 5-11)

Still at it and really enjoying it. It's fun to do such different styles each day. I could sketch and doodle endlessly, so actually using color and and other media besides pen and ink or pencil is a big change for me. 

Happy Monday! _________________________________________

2015 Goals

My goals for 2015
1. Run a Half Marathon.  I am signed up to run the SF Half Marathon on July 26th! My goal is just to finish in the allotted time.
2. Read 75 Books. I read 52 last year. Upping it quite a bit.
3. Daily Art Journal. Draw, paint, sketch, or create something each day of the year.

Happy Reading! _________________________________________
 FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

2014: Year in Review

2014 has come and gone in a flash!

It was another busy year full of travel, family visits and fun. We flew to Maui, London, Maine, Florida and Austin. The little girl has become quite the world traveler. I am so glad she enjoys it as much as we do.

We celebrated the little girl's fourth birthday and our fourteenth anniversary. 

I lost 10 pounds!

I knit a couple sweaters, started another afghan and a pair of socks for the little girl.

I challenged myself to read 50! (Yay for reading two extras.)

January

1. Third Lies the Charm by Laura and Lisa Roecker *

2. Bellman and Black by Diane Setterfield *

3. 11/22/63 by Stephen King =

4. The Book Thief by Markus Zukas

5. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

6. This Girl by Colleen Hoover +

February

7. The Collector of Dying Breaths by M.J. Rose *

8. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

9. Divergent by Veronica Roth

10. The Memory Garden by Mary Rickert *

11. Tyringham Park by Rosemary McLoughlin *

12. The Diviners by Libba Bray~

13. The Red-Hot Chili Cook-Off by Carolyn Brown*

March

14. Cinders and Sapphires by Leila Rasheed

15. The Here and Now by Ann Brashares*

16. The Widow's Guide to Sex and Dating: A Novel by Carole Radziwell+

17. Joyland by Stephen King

April

18. Faithful Place by Tana French

19. The Medici Boy by John L'Heureux*

20. Before I Wake by C.L. Taylor+

May

21. The One and Only by Emily Giffin*

22. Pat of Silverbush by LM Montgomery+

23. Love and Treasure by Ayelet Waldman*

24. Broken Harbor by Tana French

June

25. Brunette Ambition by Lea Michele+

26. Palo Alto by James Franco

27. The Revealed by Jessica Hickam*

28. Queen of Hearts, Vol 1 by Colleen Oakes

July

29. Peter Pan by JM Barrie

30. The Yard by Alex Grecian

31. The Ice Princess by Camilla Lackberg

32. Queen of Hearts, Vol 2 by Colleen Oakes*

33. Keep Quiet by Lisa Scottoline~

34. The Bone Church by Victoria Dougherty+

35. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

August

36. Dead Wrong by Allen Wyler+

37. The Curse of Van Gogh by Paul Hoppe*

38. Your Perfect Life by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke*

39. Recipes for Play by Rachel Sumner*

40. The Secret Place by Tana French*

41. The Hidden Girl by Louise Millar*

September

42. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

43. Ghosting by Edith Pattou*

October

44. Enchantress by Maggie Anton*

45. The Barter by Siobhan Adcock*

November

46. The Tudor Vendetta by CW Gortner*

47. Stillwater Rising by Steena Holmes*

48. World War Z by Max Brooks~

49. Wild by Cheryl Strayed

50. The Job by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg*

51. Die Again by Tess Gerritsen*

December

52. The Resurrection of Tess Blessing by Leslie Kagen*

53. Passionate Nutrition by Jennifer Adler*

______________________

* ARC/NetGalley

^ LT Early Reviewers Program

# GoodReads First Reads Program

~ Giveaway Win

+ publisher/author sent for review (not ARC)

= Mooched/Borrowed

   Purchased

Happy Reading! _________________________________________
 FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Creative Every Day Challenge 2015

One of my resolutions this year is to do something creative every day. Joining the Creative Every Day Challenge and starting an Art Journal will hopefully keep me going all year.

(Thanks, Becca, Vasilly, and Belle for suggesting this and letting me create with you. Four days in and I am loving it. Ya'll are motivating me to keep it up.)

January's optional theme for the challenge is "Lost and Found" and within that I have created some daily prompts for my journal.

Here are my Days 1-4:

Greens 24/7 by Jessica Nadel

Greens 24/7 by Jessica Nadel
176 pages, Paperback January 2015, The Experiment
Source: NetGalley
About the Book
More than 100 Quick, Easy and Delicious Recipes for Eating Leafy Greens and Other Green Vegetables at Every Meal, Every Day
My Review
Eating Greens 24/7 is a hard thing to do for most people including me and my family. It is, however, something I am striving towards. This book by Jessica Nadel has some interesting recipes on how to get those greens in. 
Who knew you could get your greens in a cake?
I have yet to try some of these, but I do have many marked pages for ones to try.
About the Author
Jessica Nadel is the creator of the popular blog Cupcakes and Kale.
Happy Reading! _________________________________________

2015 Reading Challenge

Going to try this challenge I found on Pinterest from PopSugar. Anyone want to join me?

Die Again by Tess Gerritsen

Die Again by Tess Gerritsen Hardcover, 352 pages Published December 2014, Ballantine Books
Source: NetGalley
I was so excited to get the chance to preview Die Again. I am a big fan of Gerritsen's books and especially of the Rizzoli and Isles series. The last book I read, Ice Cold, was three books ago so I am a little behind in the series. That was not a problem. These books are usually easily read as a stand-alone.
Die Again starts in Botswana with seven people out on a safari. All is going well until it is not and people start dying- the work of a leopard or a madman?
Six years later, Jane and Maura begin investigating the murder of a taxidermist and avid hunter who happens to be the father of one of the people on the safari in Botswana. A coincidence?   Fast-paced, interesting mystery, and a slew of possible suspects. Made for a quick, fun and enjoyable read. Happy Reading! _________________________________________