Reader's Habits

I got this from Heidi. It looked fun

Do you snack while you read? If so, what is your favorite reading snack? I don't snack while I read unless it is pretzels. I don't want to mess up my books.

What is your favorite beverage while reading? I don't drink anything while I read. I take breaks and go and get something to drink but nothing sits beside me while reading.

Do you tend to mark your books as you read or does the idea of writing in books horrify you? I mark in my scriptures and in textbooks or how-to books. I do not write in novels or books I am reading for pleasure.

How do you keep you place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog ears? Laying the book flat? My favorite book mark are called "Last Line" bookmarks. They fit over the page and actually fit over the last line read. If I can't find one of my bookmarks then I find a sticky note and stick it to the page. Anything so I will be sure of where I last was. I NEVER dog ear a page and try not to lay a book flat (that is not a sure way to keep your place anyway).

Fiction or non-fiction, or both? Both

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of the chapter or can you stop anywhere? I tend to read to the end of the chapter unless the author writes with breaks within the chapter then I will pause there if I need too. I have to have a natural break or I will keep reading.

Are you the type of person to throw a book across the room or on the floor if the author irritates you? No - I will just quit reading it. Life is too short to read something you don't want to be reading.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop and look it up right away? I do if it is on my Kindle. Otherwise I put if off. I did find out the a "Utahn" is an archaic word for Eunuch. Was Congress belittling my ancestors and others when they insisted that the state be named Utah? Just asking?

What are you currently reading? Book of Mormon and Bleeding Hearts by Susan Wittig Albert and I just finished Gentle Rain by Deborah Smith

What is the last book you bought? "Bleeding Hearts", Heidi by Johann Spyri

Are you the type of person that reads one book at a time or do you read more than one book at at time? I tend to read one book at a time.

Do you have a favorite time/place to read? I read all day long in my recliner. I love reading just before bed too. Let's face it - give me a book and chair and I am happy.

Do you prefer series books or stand alones? I like both. Series are kind of no brainer's until they run out because you just read them until you are finished. They make choices easy, especially if you love the series.

Is there a specific book or author you find yourself recommending over and over? I tell everyone about the "Mossy Creek" books. There is a character in those books that will appeal to someone. So far anyone that has picked them up on my recommendation has been glad they have.

How do you organize your books? (by genre, title, authors last name, etc.) I have all of my Christmas books together and they are organized out of necessity by height. All of our Church books are together by author. The rest of our books are pretty much by height for aesthetic reasons.

A Fun Memory

My family lived in Germany for two tours with the Army when I was younger. We lived there from 1961-64 and then again from 1969-72. We lived in Frankfurt am Main for the first tour and the beginning of the next tour. I have to say that without a doubt the Frankfurt Zoo is one of the most fun zoos that I have ever visited. The thing about the zoo is it is so big that you really can't get through it in one visit. I don't think I ever saw it all and I visited quite frequently. My favorite parts were the aviary, and the acquarium but the best part of the zoo had to be hands down the maze. The picture above is of my brother, Bob, running through the Maze. We would go to the zoo so often that even though they would change the maze every year, we would have it memorized after the second or third visit. Then we would see who get through the fastest. Dad caught this picture of Bob running through. This picture was taken during our first tour to Germany - towards the end.

Tuesday's Book Review

I have the Lucy Maud Montgomery collection on my Kindle. When I am not reading something else, I pull them up and read them. This week I read "Anne of the Island" and "Anne of Windy Poplars". It was a fun read. Reminded me of the weekends the girls and I would watch the mini-series together. Good times!

The one bad thing about reading books on the Kindle is you can't skip to the end of the book. You have to torturously read to the end. This book had flashbacks from every character. Sometimes I thought it had bounced back a few pages but I was reading another flashback. It was predictable and very easy to pick up and put down for long periods of time.

"A Thousand Voices" is my favorite book of the week. It is the last in the series of books starting with "Tending Rose". It was as well written and it was nice to see what happened to Dell.

Didn't really enjoy this book. I am not sure I can recommend it.

Alice's Tulip's was about the Civil War. It was taken from diaries and was quite interesting. It is written in letter style - a format I have a hard time with, but it was still well written. It starts off at the beginning of the War, when they are so sure they can put down the skirmish in a matter of weeks and ends as she waits word, wondering if her husband has survived Andersonville. It is a whiny book and not very uplifing but if you are looking for a book that fairly depicts the deprivation of the Civil during the War and doesn't make it come off looking like it lasted for a few weeks like in "Gone With the Wind" then this is your book.

I read two other books and have already turned them into the library. They were so memorable that I have forgotten what the titles were. I will report on them next week - if I remember.

A Smart Idea

My daughers and I read a lot of books. Because of that we are constantly telling each other about our favorite book titles and authors. We have tried various ways of keeping track of our books by writing in journals and moleskin books but we were constantly duplicating books. I was rereading books because I had them under author and title in separate books. Not too long ago my youngest daughter, Pam, came up with the idea of writing the titles and authors in an address book. That way you will keep track of the books and you won't be duplicating your books over and over. I thought it was a brilliant idea. So on Saturday I bought an address book with Jane Austen on the front and Jane Austen quotes throughout and transferred all of my titles and authors into it over the weekend. I am now organized and ready to go. I showed the idea - giving full credit to Pam -to several of my friends at the Saturday evening session of Stake Conference. They are going to do it too. I cannot wait to show everyone at book group on Wednesday evening!

Happy Birthday, Genavieve (a day late)

This is a picture of Genavieve [aka Evie] just after her birth. This was a very special time for me. I had taken care of her mom for several months because her mom was so morning sick. I got to hear her heartbeat and see the first sonogram. Evie and Bella and I have a very special relationship because of that stay - which is good because we are very far away from each other.

Today as Clyde and I sat in stake conference there was a family with two beautiful girl. The oldest was 8 and the youngest had just barely turned 5. They were dressed in white tops and lavenders skirts. Their mother had on a lavendar top and a white skirt. It made me cry because it reminded me so much of something that Heather would do. I miss my Nordell family especially at birthdays. I am proud of Brandon and for what he does. I love you Evie. I cannot wait to see you. I hope you had a very happy birthday.

Happy Birthday, Andy

Sorry Andy, but somehow all of the pictures we took of Marcus' baptism are in another file and I can't get to them. Happy Birthday anyway. We are proud of you for all you do. You are a great father, husband and son. Keep up your good efforts in all you do. Lot of Love.

Also a Happy Birthday to Neal Gaskin. Hope it is a great day for you too!

Tuesday Book Review

"Alligator Bayou" by Donna Jo Napoli is based on a true story. It was about a family of Sicilian men that moved to Louisiana at the turn of the 20th century and were never accepted by either the Blacks or the whites. It was a tragic, disconcerting story and to be honest I haven't quit thinking about it since I finished it. It is a book that makes you think about how you treat others. It is supposed to be a book for teens but think that young adult would be a better age group. It is well written but if you read it be prepared to be a little bit shaken.

"Charming Grace" was an interesting book. It was not one of my favorite Deborah Smith books but it was well written and for the most part a good book.

When I downloaded "A Flower Blooms on Cherry Street", "Ociee on Her Own" came with it and I didnt realize it. It was a sweet story and I recommend it. Our library system does not have it and to order the book from Amazon it is $25. To get it on Kindle it is $9.99. It is worth the Kindle price but not the regular book price.

The year that my sister, Marianne and I lived in Ephraim - I was 16 and she was 14 - we discovered Gwen Bristow's books. We have been in love with her ever since. Marianne is a better mother than I am and all of her daughters now know and love Gwen Bristow as much as we did. 'The Plantation Trilogy' is really our least favorite of all of her books but it is still well written. Marianne put her finger on why they are not our favorite - the characters are not lovable. However, I needed a book to carry in my purse and I grabbed "Deep Summer" the first of the Plantation Trilogy books. I enjoyed it and wish that I had the other two to go with it. I have ordered the books from the library - we will see what happens. Maybe I will go on a Gwen Bristow kick for a while. My favorite books of hers are "Jubilee Trail" (which I own, thanks to my sister!) and "Calico Palace" and they always will be. For a long time I was going to name a daughter Kendra but I wasn't the only one to name our daughters!

I read a Donna Jo Napoli book but could find no reference to it on Amazon or Barnes and Noble. It a book called 'Angelwings' and it is a book for a readers aged 10 - 14. It was a sweet story of a guardian angel, a quite selfish young girl and a grandmother all learning how to fit in their new roles. If you see it - read it. It is as quick read and very well worth the time. I highly recommend it. There is a whole series that goes with this book - in fact I think this book was something like #3 or 4 in the series.

Tuesday's Book Review

The reading list is not very long this week. It has been a busy week so there hasn't been a lot of time to read.

I have enjoyed every Lisa Wingate book that I have read but this one. For some reason I just didn't enjoy this book as much as I have enjoyed her others. I was looking forward to it and was sorry that I seemed to read as a duty. It is a beautiful story and well written - just not my favorite.

This is the second of a series of books about rescue dogs by Donna Ball. I enjoyed this book as much as I did the first book.

We are to read "The Endurance" for book group. It was boring and just not my favorite. It is wordy and doesn't seem to go anywhere. I did finish it but reluctantly.

I saw the movie, I have now read the book. In this case the movie was better. It was still a sweet story.

My Mom and Others

Mom and me just before I went to the Heidelberg Castle (in Heidelberg Germany) and graduated from High School (the first part of June, 1971).

This is for the other person that is very special to me - Aunt Norma (in the front with the red pants on). One of the favorite things to do when we visited Grandma and Grandpa Tuttle was to go into Manti Canyon and eat meals -breakfast was my favorite. I loved listening to Grandpa tell us about the mountains.

This was when Mom was Relief Society President for the first time. She is second from the right. Aunt Bernice is on the back - the first one on the left.

This is my mom when she was 16. It was taken at Anderson Drug store in Ephraim, Utah.

There are days like yesterday when I miss my Mom and Aunt Norma so much it hurts. Mom was a big part of my life - obviously and my Aunt Norma - to this day - is the person I call when things become overwhelming. She is a most amazing woman and I have looked up to her my whole life. I have been surrounded by amazing women all of my life. Both of my grandmother's were incredible, strong women. My mother fought pain most of her life and yet she ran circles around me - probably still could if she was still alive. On her good days I could not keep up with her. My sister is an example of woman in the gospel. Marianne is a wonderful mother, wife and friend. She has always been an example of what a righteous woman's life should be like. She has four amazing daughters to prove it. Sometimes I wonder how I have been so blessed to have such loving women surrounding me, my whole life.

America's Fattest Cities

Last night my youngest daughter informed me that Corpus Christi, Texas was the fattest city in the US. I read another survey that made Jacksonville, Florida #1 (San Antonio was #3). I saw another survey by a different company and Houston came out on top! But as I examined all of these surveys, except for Las Vegas and New York, New York, no two surveys had the same cities on them but they are ALL Southern cities in the US. There was always a North Carolina city, a Louisiana city and Florida was always mentioned plus Texas. What is it about the South that makes people fat? You would think because of the heat that the food would be light and healthier than elsewhere because you can grow a garden much longer in the year (some places year round) and the heat would make you eat light. Why is it as soon as I hit Texas, all I want is Mexican Food?! I don't care what form it comes in - just as long as it is authentic. If something is fried, it is fried in lard, usually (if it is authentic Tex-Mex). Not only does it taste better than the other fats, it is about the worst one out there. And why do fried food taste so good in warm months? This is from a person that has fought my weight my whole life. Yet I am right on board with eating as unhealthy as the next person - as long as it tastes good! This is what gets me into trouble. I don't know if it is being raised in Texas with access to the wonderful 'comfort' food that I find there 0r if there is something else going on. Maybe someone should spend $1,000,000 of government money and find out. It would be more beneficial than some of things we are spending money on. I am not sure what set this off. I will now step down off my soap box.

Tuesday's Book Review

"At Home on Ladybug Farm" is the sequel to "A Year on Ladybug Farm" . It was wonderful book and as with all of Donna Bell's books thus far, I highly recommend it.

"The Secret History of the Pink Carnation" is a book that I think Pam recommended. It is about the the English spying that went on during the French Revolution with frequent references to the Scarlet Pimpernel (which is why I think Pam is the one that told me about it). It was a fun book but I enjoyed it more because I have read all of the 'Scarlet Pimpernel' books, I think. The book was well written but Lauren Wittig is no Baroness Orczy.

"Blue Willow" was a bit disappointing. I like Deborah Smith's books but this one is filled with foul language and I found myself skipping dialogue so I wouldn't have to read it. It is a well crafted novel - as all of hers all (it is like 3 books in one) but read it knowing that all the way through it you will be dodging words that frankly I don't want to read. I like Deborah Smith's newer books because she doesn't use the words that I don't want to see.

"Good Hope Road" is the second book in the "Tending Roses" series by Lisa Wingate. It is just as good as the other two I have read from that series. This one and "At Home on Ladybug Farm" were my favorite reads of the week by far. I highly recommend both of those.

"You've Got Murder" by Donna Andrews was not as wonderful as I expected. I have read some of her other books and love them, but this one was hard to get into. Maybe because it was told from the computers perspective through part of the book. It certainly was a unique mystery.

I am trying to keep my review short and sweet. No one wants to be bogged down with my rantings or whimsies! Have a great week.

Happy Birthday Annemarie!

I have the most amazing nieces - they are truly like my own daughters. Today is my oldest niece's birthday. I was so excited the day she was born. Annemarie was very celebrated in our family!

Unfortunately Pam was a little jealous of Annemarie. Pam had no younger siblings and up to that time she was the youngest and spoiled grandchild. She seriously thought her spot was being usurped by this new baby. Fortunately Annemarie and Pam became best friend within a few years and remain so to this day.

These pictures were taken at Julianna's wedding. Annemarie did the flowers and she has now opened a floral design studio in her home at home in Provo, Utah. She is an amazing artist. I had to include this picture of Annemarie talking. Of all of my nieces, she and Christina are the least talkative in groups - which make the picture all the more funny. Happy Birthday, Annie. Unker Clyde and I love you very much!