Book Beginnings on Fridays/The Friday 56/Friday Four Fill-in Fun Blog Hop

Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.

Later I would recognise the smell as blood. Much, much later. At the age of five, I had no idea what it was. The room was dark and Iwas scared. My sister wasn't moving but her face and clothes felt sticky. I suppose Iwas panicking, but at that age, with no frame of reference, I wasn't likely to know that. 

The Friday 56 is a fun meme to do hosted by Freda's Voice. If you'd like to join on the fun go to The Friday 56.

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Link it here.


People did not discuss the specifics of who murdered whom thirty or so miles away.

Never Forget by Lisa Cutts

Few kidnap victims grow up to become police officers - but this is exactly what Nina Foster did. Following a frenzied stabbing she is drafted into her first murder investigation. With former rescuer DCI Stan McGuire as her mentor and John ('Wingsy') Wing as her partner, she thrives on the pace and banter that go with the job. As the body count increases and the force's biggest-ever manhunt gets underway, Nina is determinded to find the murderer. But when the story of her own traumatic childhood comes to light - a past she's worked hard to hide - her role on the team is threatened. Suddenly her job, her peace of mind and her safety are all in danger. And this time DCI Stan McGuire won't be there to save her. Fast-paced, and with a shocking twist, this compelling crime debut by police insider Lisa Cutts takes us to the heart of the Major Incident Room - introducing a gutsy new heroine to the crime scene.

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Every Friday, Hilary of Feeling Beachie lists four statements with a blank for you to fill in on your own blogs.

This week’s statements:

WATCH OUT FOR THIS SPACE!!!

Monday: Mailbox/What Am I reading?/Musing

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists. November’s host is Crystal of I totally paused! 

 I received only one book, and I also downloaded a lot of free e-books!

Gold, Frankincense and Dust by Valerio Varesi

Parma. A multiple pile-up occurs on the autostrada into the city. A truck transporting cattle skids off the road. Dozens of cows and bulls go on the rampage, injured and crazed. In the chaos, the burned body of a young woman is found at the side of the road. Her death has no apparent link to the carnage. Commissario Soneri is assigned the case. It is a welcome distraction: his mercurial lover Angela has decided to pursue other options, leaving him even more morose than usual. The dead woman is identified as Nina Iliescu, a Romanian immigrant whose beauty had enchanted a string of wealthy lovers. Temptress, muse, angel - she was all things to all men. Her murder conceals a crime and a sacrilege, and even in death she has a surprise waiting for Soneri

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Hosted by Sheila @ One Person's Journey Through a World of Books. We discuss the books that we've read and what we're planning to read for the week. 



I finished reading the following:

Wild Heart by Jane Bonander

I am in the midst of reading:

The Land of Decoration by Grace McCleen
A Soul's Calling by Scott Bishop
The Aryavarta Chronicles Book 1: Govinda by Krishna Udayasankar
The Edge of Normal by Carla Norton
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Musing Mondays asks you to muse about something related to books each week…

• Maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!


I am so busy preparing assignments for my students that I am hardly getting any time to read. I also miss one of my buddies, who has gone silent on me. I am worried about him and don't know what to do....

Saturday Snapshot: Nov 23, 2013

My youngest cousin is getting married on Dec 4, 2013. I will not be attending her wedding but I have been thinking about her. So here I am posting two photos of hers.

Dec 2011, we met for another cousin's wedding

With her fiance, July 2013 just after her engagement

Posting for Saturday Snapshot, hosted by Melinda of West Metro Mommy.

Book Beginnings on Fridays/The Friday 56/Friday Four Fill-in Fun Blog Hop

Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.

"I'll drive," he said the moment the inspector rolled down the window. "With you at the wheel, the best we can hope for is to end up in a ditch."

The Friday 56 is a fun meme to do hosted by Freda's Voice. If you'd like to join on the fun go to The Friday 56.

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Link it here.

"That's why you never land a girlfriend. You're hopeless."

Gold, Frankincense and Dust by Valerio Varesi

Parma. A multiple pile-up occurs on the autostrada into the city. A truck transporting cattle skids off the road. Dozens of cows and bulls go on the rampage, injured and crazed. In the chaos, the burned body of a young woman is found at the side of the road. Her death has no apparent link to the carnage. Commissario Soneri is assigned the case. It is a welcome distraction: his mercurial lover Angela has decided to pursue other options, leaving him even more morose than usual. The dead woman is identified as Nina Iliescu, a Romanian immigrant whose beauty had enchanted a string of wealthy lovers. Temptress, muse, angel - she was all things to all men. Her murder conceals a crime and a sacrilege, and even in death she has a surprise waiting for Soneri.

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Every Friday, Hilary of Feeling Beachie lists four statements with a blank for you to fill in on your own blogs.

This week’s statements:

I don’t remember the last time I truly did laugh out loud.

Sometimes I wish certain gadgets were NOT invented.

I love when someone does something good for you.

 If I could I would do sleep all day.

Booking Through Otherwise

Outside of books, what’s your favorite thing to read? Newspapers? Magazines? Blogs? Fanfiction? Specific websites?

I read a lot of mathematical puzzle books. I love solving puzzles. I also read cook books although I don't cook that much. I devour books related to Physics. I have subscribed to a lot of news blog. I read most of those. When I am not reading novels, I continue with my other reading! 

Dead Again by Tracy Cooper-Posey

"He’s going to run into the wall, Sophie thought. Help him. Stop him. But she would never get there in time and even as she was cursing her immobility and the damn stupid leg, she was trying to raise herself, while watching Jack stagger.

Then, thankfully, he tripped a little, enough to throw his balance as he was already effectively blind. One knee went down to the ground. In the slow motion tumble to his left, Sophie thought he’d be okay, bruised dignity and little else. Then she saw it. He was too close to the wall.

And he couldn’t see it.

Too late."

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Title: Dead Again
Author: Tracy Cooper-Posey
ASIN: B009GB154E
Publisher: Tracy Cooper-Poesy/2012
Pages: 270/524 KB

Sophie and Jack are the only survivors of a plane crash. Both have suffered extensive injuries. Despite his injuries, Jack makes everything in his power to make Sophie comfortable. They develop an unusual bond although Jack is very clinical in his caring for Sophie. They are rescued 5 days later. Jack succumbs to his injuries.

Sophie, an aspiring lawyer, gives up on her big dreams and marries and has two kids, settling down in Serenity Falls, a small Montana Rockies town. Now a single mom, she runs a small cafe. There is something vital missing in her life.

Ten years later, Martin comes into her life. He is a drifter with a past. Sophie senses that he holds the key to her happiness. Only he can bridge her present with her past. He knows he must not let Sophie get close to him. 

All kinds of people are after Martin, which puts Sophie directly in the cross-hairs. A deadly crime lords, state governors and district attorneys, they all are hell bent on finding out about Sophie's relationship with Martin. 

This is a romantic suspense and sucks the reader into it right from the beginning. We want to know what is the relationship between Jack and Martin. Sophie is not a simpering kind of person. She knows what she wants and goes for it, fully well knowing the risks. She knows how to deal with the corrupt Chief of Police who is seeking her attention. If anyone wants the explicit romance kind of thing, then it is not for them. But if one seeks a book with feelings, I would say go for it. After a long time, I found a novel which stays in mind long after finishing it. So much so that, I was inspired to write a poem about it. If you want, you can read it here.

BTW, I downloaded it free from Amazon. 

Monday: Mailbox/What Am I reading?/Musing

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists. November’s host is Crystal of I totally paused! 

 I did not receive any book, but I downloaded a lot of free e-books!

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Hosted by Sheila @ One Person's Journey Through a World of Books. We discuss the books that we've read and what we're planning to read for the week. 

I finished reading:

The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle
Perla by Caroline De Robertis
Dead Again by Tracy Cooper-Posey
Wayward Son by Diane Roth
Sentence of Marriage by Shayne Parkinson
I am in the midst of reading:

The Land of Decoration by Grace McCleen
A Soul's Calling by Scott Bishop
The Aryavarta Chronicles Book 1: Govinda by Krishna Udayasankar
The Edge of Normal by Carla Norton
Angela's Song by AnnMarie Creedon
Cowboy for Sale by Janet Wellington
The Pirate and the Puritan by Cheryl Howe

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Musing Mondays asks you to muse about something related to books each week…


• Maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!

I have been teaching The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle to my Class XII girls. It is the prescribed novel for English core introduced this year. The girls and I are having great fun reading it. Initially the novel was a bit confusing for them but right now we are in the most interesting part of the novel. 

I had read it long time back, watched the movie too but re-reading was fun too!

Saturday Snapshot: November 16, 2013

We celebrated National Education Day on Nov 11, 2013. Girls of our school were taken on rally for the same. Three teacher accompanied the 58 students! The girls had great fun shouting slogans regarding education!! 

Posting for Saturday Snapshot, hosted by Melinda of West Metro Mommy.

Book Beginnings on Fridays/The Friday 56/Friday Four Fill-in Fun Blog Hop

Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.

Sometimes, to hide your sadness, you have to cut yourself in two. That way you can bury half of yourself, the unspeakable half, and leave the rest to face to the world. I can tell you the first time I did this. I was fourteen years old, standing in a bathroom stall holding the last note I would ever receive from my friend Romina, a note consisting of a single question in furious capital letters.

We had been in class together for years, but did not grow close until we were thirteen, when Romina began to have her experience. That was her own word for it, experience, spoken in a hallowed tone that gave it an aura of great mystery.

The Friday 56 is a fun meme to do hosted by Freda's Voice. If you'd like to join on the fun go to The Friday 56.

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Link it here.

I don't have time, she shouts, and just before the door slams: I'm not dead.

~~Perla by Carolina De Robertis

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Every Friday, Hilary of Feeling Beachie lists four statements with a blank for you to fill in on your own blogs.

This week’s statements:

Kids make me happy because they are so innocent

Whenever someone tells me that I have a great smile I get very happy

I know I should never get angry but sometimes I can’t help it

 I have fond memories of reading with my dad from childhood

The Book of Someday by Dianne Dixon

"Olivia. The soles of her feet pressed hard against the same wood floor. Feeling the vibration of his every step. As he’s circling, gaining momentum, coming closer to the place where she’s hiding. Fierce jolts rippling through her. Edged on one side with terror, on the other with hope."


Title: The Book of Someday
Author: Dianne Dixon
ISBN: 9781402285721
Pages: 345
Publisher: Sourcebooks Store/2013

The Book of Someday revolves around three women, Livvi, Micah and AnnaLee. Livvi Gray has always been haunted by a recurring nightmare, the terrifying image of a beautiful woman in a shimmering silver dress. It does not go away. Micah is a famous photographer now diagnosed with cancer. AnnaLee is a Long Island housewife. The story is told in parallel for all three of them. They have never met.

Then one day, Livvi comes face-to-face with the stranger from her dream. She cannot rest until she learns more. She goes on a quest, meeting one of the other two protagonists. And it is the moment of truth for both of them. And how the third woman is connected is the crux of the story. 

The reader feels for Livvi, when she was abused by her step mother and an totally disinterested father. Micah is an renowned photographer but she has own demons to kill. She feels that her cancer is her punishment for a misjudgement. AnnaLee is so loving that she can encompass the negativity of other people. She stays in mind long after we finish the novel. 

I was totally pulled into the novel, wanting to know the relationship between the three. When two of them come face-to-face, it is one of the most emotional moments of the story. Suffering of one person, miscalculated decision of another results in destroying life and people. Yet there is enough forgiveness despite the grief. 

I have read the first book by Dianne Dixon, The Language of Secrets. I loved it. I recommend The Book of Someday too.

Monday: Mailbox/What Am I reading?/Musing

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists. November’s host is Crystal of I totally paused! 

I received the following two books, thanks to the author and I downloaded a lot of free e-books!

When the Cookie Crumbles by Virginia Lowell:

Olivia Greyson is the proud owner of The Gingerbread House—a quaint shop that specializes in all things cookie—and her best friend, Maddie, is her sidekick, baking up scrumptious treats for their parties. But the real-life version of their magnificent gingerbread house is about to crumble to pieces...

Tensions are running high as Chatterley Heights' 250th birthday celebration approaches, and Olivia and Maddie are working feverishly to finish a gingerbread house modeled after the famous Chatterley Mansion. When Paine Chatterley, presumed to be dead, shows up to claim his father's house, the town gossips are driven into a tizzy. And when he refuses to allow visitors to tour the mansion during the celebration, all the preparations seem for naught.

Then Paine is found lifeless in the bathtub, his wife hysterical and their precious heirlooms destroyed. The hidden lives of the prestigious Chatterley family members begin to surface, and Olivia must unravel their dark past. As it turns out, the town's history isn't all that sweet...

One Dead Cookie by Virginia Lowell

Olivia is busy baking up special cookies for Maddie's upcoming engagement party when soap star Trevor Lane shows up unexpectedly in town. It soon becomes clear that Trevor, who grew up in the neighboring town of Twiterton, left behind a number of enemies with long memories. Even Trevor's assistant and childhood friend, Dougie, seems to harbor a grudge against him.

Soon after his arrival, Trevor is found dead on The Gingerbread House porch, his handsome face branded with the image of a cookie cutter. When their friend Stacey is implicated in the murder, Olivia and Maddie rush to find the killer. Because it seems someone in Chatterley Heights has a sweet tooth for revenge...

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Hosted by Sheila @ One Person's Journey Through a World of Books. We discuss the books that we've read and what we're planning to read for the week. 

I finished reading:

The Book of Someday by Dianne Dixon
Gifts Not Yet Given by Kergan Edwards-Stout 
Apple Cider Vinegar/Coconut Oil: Ultimate Guide by Brian Night
Return to Audubon Spring by RoseAnn DeFranco
Rosa's Land by Gilbert Morris
While Snowbound by Anna J. McIntyre
Finding Love West by Claire Charlins and Karolyn James

I am in the midst of reading:

Perla by Caroline de Robertis
The Land of Decoration by Grace McCleen
A Soul's Calling by Scott Bishop
The Aryavarta Chronicles Book 1: Govinda by Krishna Udayasankar
The Edge of Normal by Carla Norton

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Musing Mondays asks you to muse about something related to books each week…

• Maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!

This past week, I have given a break to Crime fiction reading. I am reading Literary fiction and romances. And Poetry. I think I will continue with it for sometime to come....

Monday: Mailbox/What Am I reading?/Musing

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists. November’s host is Crystal of I totally paused! 

I did not receive any book. However I downloaded a lot of free e-books!

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Hosted by Sheila @ One Person's Journey Through a World of Books. We discuss the books that we've read and what we're planning to read for the week. Vicki from I’d Rather Be Reading At The Beach has graciously offered to host for Sheila this week.

I finished reading:

Love, Lies and Murder by Catherine Winchester
The Accidental Honeymoon by Alice Toby
The Escort by Gina Robinson
The Tycoon's Revenge by Melody Anne

I am STILL in the midst of reading:

The Ares Decision by Robert Ludlum and Kyle Mills
The Aryavarta Chronicles Book 1: Govinda by Krishna Udayasankar
Gifts Not Yet Given by Kergan Edwards-Stout 

The Edge of Normal by Carla Norton

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Musing Mondays asks you to muse about something related to books each week…

• Maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!

It was Diwali week. I read lots of stuff pertaining to decorating our house in the traditional way. Not that I accomplished much but I had fun! I also lighted up my home all by myself. I am good at DIY stuff involving wiring etc. I am SO glad my dad taught me all that when I was in my teens!

Saturday Snapshot: November 02, 2013

School activities for Diwali, which falls on 3rd November this year. Posting only a few from around 80 pics! Everything has been done by our girls! See how talented they are! So very creative!! 

Posting for Saturday Snapshot, hosted by Melinda of West Metro Mommy.