Bouquets of Newly Sharpened Pencils

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"Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address." ~Joe Fox (You've Got Mail) 

Okay, I'm not in New York, but I always smile at that quote. (And watching Meg Ryan sniff a box of tape.) "Newly sharpened pencils." I wonder how you could actually make one of those and what it would look like. (Yup, I'm strange. I admit it.) However, Fall is here! Hallelujah! Yes, I do realize that fall has officially been around a few weeks already. Nevertheless here in California, we've been having lots and lots of heat. But this weekend it cooled down and I'm pretty sure the fall weather is here to stay. I love fall (and spring!). The cooler weather, the wonderful colors, the scrumptious food, what's not to like? I enjoy the summer weather that allows me to wear sandals, but usually it gets so hot that sandals don't make it better. But the fall......I can wear sandals yet still breath outside. The heat around here gets atrocious. But that's in the past! Fall is here!

The air is so crisp, I love driving with my windows down. (Not so much a fan of the loud music and car exhaust though. Ah, life in the city.) It makes me wish for home. Home being Virginia that is. I miss lots of things about VA, but the beautiful fall colors are definitely near the top of the list (my family being at the very top). Don't get me wrong, we do get trees changing color out here. In fact one of the streets I drive down every day on my way home from work has trees lining it that turn gorgeous colors this time of year. I've tried taking pictures, but alas have had no luck getting any good ones. (Maybe this year.) Still, the colors here are nothing in comparison to VA in the fall. My parents house is surrounded by woods, so just about every tree turns  and when you go outside you're awash in rainbows of color. Sigh, and now is just about the right time to see it in all its glory.

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“My heart is drumming in my chest so hard it aches, but it's the good kind of ache, like the feeling you get on the first real day of autumn, when the air is crisp and the leaves are all flaring at the edges and the wind smells just vaguely of smoke - like the end and the beginning of something all at once.” ~Lauren Oliver

Speaking of VA, that reminds me of the books I read last week. And that brings to mind a question I have. I was raised in VA (obviously) and it was pretty well ingrained in me to say 'yes ma'am' and 'yes sir' to people. It's just mannerly. I never thought about it much until I moved to CA and suddenly I'm getting yelled at by people. Not really yelled at I suppose, but certainly questioned about it. I'll give you an example to demonstrate what I mean. One day I was in the drive-through for Burger King. After the guy read my order back to me, I responded "Yes sir, thank you". And he piped up real quick and said, "I'm not a sir! Why are you calling me sir?" Now he didn't seem upset, but he was serious. I kind of hesitated and when I got up to the window he mentioned it again. I forget how I responded exactly, but I did apologize in case I'd really offended him. But what in the world was I supposed to do? It just slipped out, out of habit, and there I was. So I need some advice, if 'ma'am' and 'sir' are so offensive, what should I use instead? Do I just not use anything? That's probably what most people will say, but that feels awkward to me. No idea why really, it just does. Has anybody else experienced any such thing? Any advice for this gal? I surely don't want to offend someone.

My "southern speak" is pretty noticeable evidently. I get questioned A LOT about where I'm from. On the phone, in the store, people remark on it all the time. (Well, perhaps not ALL the time, but really often nonetheless!) Of course my friends all say "Don't lose it, Kara! We like it!" But let me tell you one thing, when it comes to my southern accent, I have absolutely positively no control over what it sounds like! Whatever and however it comes out is just how it is. Truthfully, I really don't mind the comments. Makes for great conversation starters, and I can always use more of those! :) I just have to laugh at all the questions I get. I mean, you know you've got a serious accent if someone on the phone (who has a deep south accent themselves) asks you where you grew up.

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So I hope you're all out and about enjoying this glorious autumn weather! (That's assuming your weather is glorious. I sincerely hope it is.) I haven't spent tons of time outside, but I don't complain about going out to the warehouse at work now. During the hot summer months, it's like an oven in there. And you have to go through it to get to the lunch room, so I'm really thankful it's cooled down. Now I'm off to continue my book. (It should really help me cool down as it takes place during a terrible bad winter snowstorm. I'll probably shiver under my covers tonight.) Review hopefully coming soon!

{And don't forget to let me know your advice on what I should call people instead of ma'am and sir! I could really use the help.}

Toodle-loo kangaroos! Hoppy reading!

Audiobook Review: The Pursuit of Lucy Banning by Olivia Newport

The Pursuit of Lucy Banning,A Novel (Avenue of Dreams)
(Read by Eleni Pappageorge)

About the Book:

She has a secret to keep. But will she give her heart away? Lucy Banning may live on the exclusive Prairie Avenue among Chicago's rich and famous, but her heart lies elsewhere. Expected to marry an up-and-coming banker from a respected family, Lucy fears she will be forced to abandon her charity work and squeeze herself into the mold of the well-dressed wife who spends most of her time and money redecorating. When she meets Will, an unconventional young architect who is working on plans for the upcoming 1893 World's Fair, Lucy imagines a life lived on her own terms. Can she break away from her family's expectations? And will she ever be loved for who she truly is? Get swept away into the lavish world of Chicago's high society as Olivia Newport brings to life an age of glitz and grandeur, stark social contrasts, and one woman who dares to cross class lines for what she believes.

My Thoughts:

Well, my first audiobook that I had not read the paperback version first. It certainly had me hooked into the story! I kept taking the long way home from work just so I could listen longer. This story is not high drama or edge of your seat reading, but it really has its charms. It's told mostly from Lucy's point of view but occasionally changes viewpoint to Charlotte-Lucy's maid, Daniel-Lucy's fiance, and Will-Lucy's brother Leo's good friend. I wasn't expecting the changes based on the blurb, but they didn't distract from the story. Actually it was rather helpful to get another point of view in particular situations. Lucy is very forward thinking and loves all the newfangled inventions and modern brain-waves. For instance she enjoys usage of the street cars while her parents refuse to use them. And her father! Beset by mysteriously disappearing sentimental things from his study, he gets all blustery and frustrated and so funny! Ms. Pappageorge does an excellent job at distinguishing each character's voice. I especially loved Lucy's father and Penard, the family butler. The centerpiece of the story though is all the work the city of Chicago was going through to get ready for the World's Fair. Of course Lucy's family, being very well-to-do, helped on several committee's and thus we are privy to lots of the inside goings on. Ms. Newport certainly did her research on the World's Fair, all the tiny details on who designed this and how this was built and who spoke at the opening day and what they said. She does a great job in letting the reader be a fly on the wall as all the bustling and controlled chaos are going on. 

Yes there is romance, but it's not the full focal point of the story. In fact, a lot of it goes on behind the scenes, and we just get glimpses of important moments. Which is needful as the story has to cover close to a year's time-frame. One thing that did bother me was the fact that Lucy agreed to Daniel's proposal prior to the start of the story. We find out pretty much from the get go that she is not happy with this state of affairs, yet she did agree to it knowing that she didn't really want to marry him. It just bothered me that she wasn't a little more considerate of Daniel's feelings in the beginning. But though this frustrated me, it did not take away my enjoyment of the story. Ms. Newport keeps you wondering what will happen and why so-and-so is acting this or that way. Like I said, it's not high drama but a charming look into a historical period in the US. She also nicely finishes the story, but still leaves some things open ended enough that I will look forward to the second book in the series, The Dilemma of Charlotte Farrow. So go read this one or better yet, listen to the audiobook, it's loads of fun!

{Alas, as I listened to it, I have no passage that I can share. So sorry.}

Toodle-loo kangaroos. Happy reading!

Review: Like Sweet Potato Pie by Jennifer Rogers Spinola

Like Sweet Potato Pie (Southern Fried Sushi)

(Warning-spoilers for book one)

About the Book:

As a new christian, former journalist Shiloh Jacobs has plenty of problems. But money, or lack of it, tops the list. Her redneck country house in rural Virginia that was left to her in her mom's will is the last place on earth Shiloh thought she'd find herself. As soon as the house sells, she can't wait to flee back to big-city life. But now the IRS is threatening to seize the house for back taxes while her half sister is contesting the will. And nobody's offering the big bucks Shiloh needs for the house.

To make matters worse, Shiloh finds her life unexpectedly entangled with a man who's all wrong for her and just as financially strapped. Plus, he's a local--settled in the one place she can't wait to leave. She wouldn't have noticed him before, but after giving her life to Jesus, everything looks different. When other more "suitable" men show up, can Shiloh lean on her new faith to see who's right? Or will circumstances overwhelm her fragile faith and budding romance?

My Thoughts:

After devouring book one yesterday, I went on to book two tonight. It was great to get back to the hills of ol' Virginny! The quirky yet genuine and down home folks are just so much fun. Like book one, Shiloh still can't understand all the ways of the south, but she appreciates it all the same. Well...mostly anyway. The first book was all about Shiloh finding peace and adapting to life in the south. Now that she's adapted (for the most part), she needs to figure out who this new Shiloh is. I loved how she has acclimated somewhat, yet still has so much to learn. Especially regarding hunting season and all that glorious fried food. One thing I can definitely give her props for is that she is not afraid to eat something new. She'll ask all sorts of questions about it first, but she will try it. I mean, if I were being introduced to some of that southern food for the first time, I'd probably turn up my nose at a lot of it. I'm not quite as adventurous as Shiloh. :)

One of the major parts to her story is Shiloh learning to let others in. To let them love her in spite of herself; learning what to hold on to, what to let go of, and that family isn't always the ones who are blood-related. The people who are there beside you no matter what, and pick you up again and again, that's family! And you don't let them go out of your life! Nosiree. Another big theme is of course her romance with Adam. It's sweet yet frustrating. One thing those two kids certainly need is a lesson in communication! Man are they bad at it! Which makes for some teeth gnashing moments where you just want to knock their heads together. As real relationships take a lot of work, so too does fictional ones.

Overall this was a fabulous story and now I can't wait for book three! I only have to wait until November, good Lord willin' and the creek don't rise. That means you have a whole month to read books' one and two and you'll be ready for book three also! So what are you waiting for?

A fun passage for you:

"As for this place, well, they don't got no grits or nothin'. Kinda weird fancy stuff, I reckon, but I find somethin' ev'ry now an' then that don't crawl off my plate!"
He leaned closer to Kyoko and dropped his voice as if revealing a secret. "Speakin' a weird stuff, you really eat raw fish like Shah-loh here? I snagged a catfish the other day, but if ya saw the inside a that'n, ya'd never eat raw fish again. I guarantee it." He whipped out his cell phone. "Hold on. I got some pitchers in here somewhere! You ever eat spaghetti? It's kinda like that, but---"
"So, Todd," Kyoko interrupted loudly. "Do you draw anything else? I mean, anything that's not catfish?" She sent a look in Tim's direction.
"Why, ya don't like 'em?" asked Todd in surprise. "They're real good eatin'. But then again, they are bottom dwellers, so go figure."

Toodle-loo kangaroos! Happy reading!

Review: Southern Fried Sushi by Jennifer Rogers Spinola

Southern Fried Sushi: A Novel

About the Book:

At just twenty-four, Shiloh Jacobs is on her way to the top at a coveted Associated Press post in Tokyo and engaged to Carlos, one of the most handsome and wealthy men around. She doesn't need help from anyone, especially God. But when she receives the news about her estranged mother's untimely death and travels to rural Virginia to sell the house she's inherited, life begins to unravel before Shiloh's eyes.

Trapped in an iconic Southern town full of pick-up trucks and deer hunters, Shiloh stumbles into unlikely friendships with quirky people like the widow who knew her mom, a chain-smoking next-door neighbor, and a funny but genuine redneck couple whose dream is to overcome infertility to have a child. Broken and confused, Shiloh tries to salvage what's left of her once dream-come-true life. But as the situation goes from bad to worse with no job, no buyers for her house, and old debts piling up, will Shiloh ever get back to her beloved Japan--or will she find a new home at the intersection of loss, laughter, and forgiveness?

My Thoughts:

I saw this book last year when it first came out and because of the title, I glanced over it. But somehow I didn't think it would be the story for me, so I left it. What a bad idea! I should have grabbed it up immediately! As a southern girl myself who moved to the big city, I can absolutely relate to Shiloh's culture shock. The quirky neighbors, the friendly people, waving at everyone you meet regardless if you know them or not; this story was like going home again. Ms. Spinola did an excellent job of describing the atmosphere of the south along with the people without making them caricatures. The warmth and friendliness of those who live down there is very true to life. It made me want to visit again! If you live in the south, have lived there, or have visited, you'll see really quickly that Ms. Spinola knows what she's talking about. Granted, trying to write out a southern drawl is pretty difficult, but it works. I could hear missing consonants and the y'alls as I was reading them! :)

Now the story is about Shiloh and her journey, but the real character and the real momentum of the story is simply the town of Staunton (STAN-ton, not STAWN-ton) and people who live there as a whole. Getting to know "Southern Speak", hugging everyone, the whole atmosphere. It's like a sweet love song about the quirks and the craziness of us southerners, that doesn't make sense to anyone until they've spent some time there themselves. Ms. Spinola gives everyone a chance to do just that! Shiloh's journey is not easy though. In fact, I didn't start out liking her too much. Her selfishness and wrong decisions, her whining; at times they bugged me. But thankfully she doesn't stay that way (and the character has to start out at a bad place so they can change, right?). She soon comes to appreciate these people and their charms. Who could withstand those who love and help you even when you insult them and complain? Shiloh is brought very low, pretty much rock bottom; but with new friends picking her up and reminding her it will be okay, she slowly moves out of her pit. Still, life isn't all sunshine and roses, so Shiloh's life isn't miraculously restored to what it was. Instead it's very realistic in the struggles that God allows to be thrown her way and how she works to get through them.

There's more books about Shiloh. I was very happy to realize that the library had books 1 and 2, and tonight I found out book 3 is coming out soon. Can't wait! :) Several moments of laughter and smiling happen when you read this story! Do yourself a favor and try it.

A favorite passage:

I made a mental note to write starlings in my "Southern Speak" notebook. I'd already started the second page, thanks to Faye and Bobbie. One corner of his mouth turned up in a smile. "I try. So, Churchville. Let me see the map."
I followed his directions, asking questions, until he drew a big circle around the funeral home. "That's it right there, just off 42. Or Buffalo Gap Highway. But you might not see any road signs. Out there things are a little...well, less posted. People just sort of know where they are. So look for these things." He drew in some more notes and--I'm not making this up--something like bugs with stick legs.
"What are those?" I asked, not intending to sound rude. "Roaches?"
"Those are cows. There's a pasture here."
"Oh."

Source: google.com via Kara on Pinterest