the FORGOTTEN GARDEN.....

Done.

I just finished my latest book club assignment.

the FORGOTTEN GARDEN

by: Kate Morton

Phew....

it has been a hot and heavy two day reading marathon.

Well, I was actually finished by 11:00 a.m. today.

So maybe just a full one day read-a-thon.

Don't get me wrong,

I have been reading it since the beginning of March,

but that is really only two weeks ago,

book club got bumped up this month due to spring break.

The first 200 pages were a bit slow for me.

This book has continuous switchbacks,

present, re-cent past, and past.

It took me a good bit of time just to get everyone straight.

I am a bit slow that way.

sooooooo....now I am set free again.

Kinda sad....fumbling around doing wash,

making food again for my family,

phone calls, etc.

Accidentally going to pick my book up when I have a few spare

minutes, only to remember I have already finished it.

Yesterday was a day much preferred.

5:00a.m.Wake up,

5:20 work out.

6:30 walk in door...begin reading.

7:00 arouse kids, nourish them, bike them to school.

7:15 get right to the business of reading.

9:00 hurry to school store, make a few sales, make deposit.

9:45 Choffy break.....walk around, limber up.

10:30 run 6 errands, bank, Walgreens, etc.

get caught up on Tina and Sonia's hair adventure through

pictures and text.

decline lunch date....musen't stray from my task.

11:30 Get home.

read.....tiny nap break.

up again, read more.

Choffy after lunch of some kind.

1:30 dying for something chocolate...

dig through house. 

nothing.

end up making muddy buddies with the rest of the Corn Chex.

ate those for the remainder of the day while reading.

.........

Book is getting good.

finally at page 313....there was a spark of "Romantic Tension"....

that always grabs my attention.

Book Highlights:

I love that "Tess of D'urbervilles was mentioned in the book on pg 352,

that is where McCauley's middle name came from.

"The Rub" was uttered on pg 402.....it is funny, V just said that the other day.

I like that phrase and plan on using it soon.

Today Stacey said, "here's the kicker".....I wondered out loud

if that was the same as "the rub"....

nope,

"the kicker" is a good thing......kind of like a bonus, or the best part.

I love in the book how they refer to coffee, or tea as a "cuppa"

or a "nice drop of warm"....definitely adding those to my vocab for

Choffy reference.

Best word reminder....

dithering - 190 - Stop dithering around!  YES....winner!

The gist of this book was about a women desperately seeking

to pull the threads of her family history together.

Trust me when I say they were in a bit of a tangle.

It was amazing where it all started,

the in's and outs, the intertwining

and all that happened to get her where she was....

and ultimately WHO she was.

I would recommend this book.

 Here is a typical "perfect reading conditions" set up,

a sample pack of what I might have when I read.

I actually had TWO cherry pop tarts....

why are they so dang good??!!

We only have left over green milk from St. Patties day,

I used my Choffy mug from yesterday....if you can see brown

flecks in the cup, that is why.

Must haves: lipgloss, and tons of water.

This way I only have to get up to go to the bathroom, 

refill my water, or get Choffy.

Sweet!!

Thought it would be fun to dress the part for book club tonight....

Eliza was always sweeping in our out in a "white cotton" dress......

soooooo why not?

This book was inertangled with fairytales...and imagination,

it was fun to fancy up a bit and drag it out a few more hours.

The next book is my pick.

Kind of scary and a lot of pressure.

No one wants to pick a dud....or something inappropriate.

I really want something fast, fun, exciting, and where 

I don't have to think too hard about the characters.

(I plan on taking it to read over spring break).

Someone gave me this book at the gym and raved over it.

Then several people walking by sang its praises.

It got 4.5 stars on Amazon.

I went for it.....it looks a little irreverent, innuendoes galore,

but I thought what the heck.

Stephanie Plum has an entire series of these books...

this is the first.

Maybe it will be the last.

Book club is here on April 17th!

I invite you to join us and read One For the Money....

or you can wait a few weeks, I will test it out first,

(just to be safe)

then you can borrow my copy.

HB....you should just read it for fun!