The Return

The Return

Nightstand September 18, 2015

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAHello Blog Friends – I am back from vacation. Actually we got back last weekend but wouldn’t you know it we both came down with colds and I had lots of work waiting for me so needless to say blogging just wasn’t going to happen. I guess the silver lining is that at least we didn’t get sick while on vacation.

We had tons of fun in Vancouver and Victoria. Neither of us had been to Canada before so it was great to discover a new place. We spent a lot of time walking (I almost racked up 30,000 steps on my fitbit in one day!) and just taking it all in.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAWe did have some rainy weather which unfortunately meant we didn’t get a chance to ride bikes along the Stanley Park Seawall but as far as I’m concerned it was nice to get out of the 100 degree Texas summer weather.

Some highlights of our trip include crossing the Capilano suspension bridge, visiting the aquarium, exploring Grouse Mountain, having tea at Murchie’s, going to the Vancouver Police Museum, eating fish and chips in Granville Island, spending an afternoons in several gardens, drinking lots of coffee (I visited a new coffee shop almost every day) and of course all the bookshops I visited. We even went to a booktown!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI’ll have to do a separate post just on the book shops experience because I have photos to share and of course I want to talk about a bit of book buying I did. I had said I wasn’t planning to buy any books but who was I kidding.

We had tons of fun but no sooner were we on the plane back we were already talking about next year’s adventure. My husband is adamant that bikes be involved! I guess I better get in gear between now and then.

Anyway, I hope you’ve all been doing well. I can’t wait to catch up with your blogs and let me know what you’ve been up to. Happy Weekend!

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Vacation Countdown

Vacation Countdown

Nightstand August 28, 2015

Hey Friends – sorry it’s been a bit quiet here but I’ve been busy planning and getting ready for vacation. I have family coming in town to stay with my mom so I’ve been preparing stuff for them and I’ve also been busy at work leaving things organized while I’m away. Needless to say, I am ready for fun and relaxation!

One of my favorite parts about vacation planning, aside from dreaming about all the things I want to see and do, is planning what books to read. So I’ve loaded up my Kindle with fiction, mystery, classics, romance, a bit of everything. Thanks to NetGalley, I’ve found some great books and I’ve also borrowed some from my library.

This is probably the only time I’m not actually taking a book with me aside from my Lonely Planet guidebook. And, my journal of course.

Anyway, I will be back mid-September so you guys take care and I look forward to catching up with you then!

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The Girl On The Train

The Girl On The Train

Nightstand August 19, 2015

girlontrain“My head leaning against the carriage window, I watch these houses roll past me like a tracking shot in a film. I see them as others do not; even their owners probably don’t see them from this perspective. Twice a day, I am offered a view into other lives, just for a moment. There’s something comforting about the sight of strangers safe at home.”

The Girl On The Train
By Paula Hawkins

My mystery book group met last night to discuss The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins. I was initially a bit set against this book I admit because off all the hype. I previously mentioned that my library had some 90+ holds on this book. And, of course there were all the comparisons of if you loved Gone Girl, you’ll love this book.

Oddly enough, I managed to not read too many reviews about this book so I didn’t know much about the plot. I didn’t even realize this was not set in the States. So once I started reading I found myself sucked into the story.

Three women, Rachel, Anna and Megan are at the center of the story with Rachel being the girl on the train who is not the most reliable of narrators given that she is an alcoholic and in an extremely emotional state after her marriage has come crumbling down. She invents lives for people she doesn’t know, and she is practically inventing a life for her between all the lies she tells.

Still while she’s facing such a terrible time, I found it hard to think of her as a sympathetic character. Most characters in this book aren’t very likable and perhaps that was the intent so as to create characters that you would think could be capable of anything in the right circumstances.

The thing that I found most interesting among our group was that the men didn’t like this novel very much while the women did. So yes, while I wasn’t too keen on reading this book in the end I liked it a lot. I wasn’t surprised by the ending necessarily but I liked the uncertainty I felt about events and characters while I was reading it. Have you read this? What did you think?

Source: Personal copy

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