The Blonde Diaries

Margot’s blog, Joyfully Retired, is one I have made a must visit on Teaser Tuesdays.  There is just something cheerful over there and she always has the best quotes. So as soon as I saw her challenge I knew I had to participate.  That and I have 2 mystery series that are based around food so it is all just perfect!  I would love to try and be a pastry chef this year.

Many of us who love to eat also love to read. But we go beyond that. We love to read about food. If that is you, then you are invite to join us in the Foodies Read 2 Challenge for 2012. This is the second year in which we’ll indulge ourselves with good food writing.

If you are new to a food/reading challenge, you may be wondering – what is a “food book”? A food book is a book which is centered around food and/or drinks. That could be a cookbook, a food biography or memoir, a non-fiction book focused around a specific food, wine, chef or restaurant. Also allowed is a fictional story in which food plays a major role.

Here’s how the challenge works:

1. Decide how many food books you want to read in 2012. Pick one of the reading levels below. Remember, this is a challenge, so try pushing yourself. Participants from last year, please notice I’ve pushed the numbers up a bit. Levels:

• Short-Order Cook: 1 to 3 books
• Pastry Chef: 4 to 8 books
• Sous-Chef: 9 to 13 books
• Chef de Cuisine: 14 to 18
• Cordon-Bleu Chef: More than 19

2. Grab the challenge button and write a post on your blog so we can spread the word. No blog? That’s okay. Sign up in the comments section.

3. After you read each book for the challenge, come back here and tell us about it. On January 1st I’ll provide pages so you can post links for your reviews. We’ll use the same categories as last year: Cookbooks, Memoirs/Biographies, Fiction, and Nonfiction. I’ll also include a page where you link up your Challenge Wrap-Up post.

Guidelines:

• The challenge runs from January 1 through December 31, 2012.
• You don’t need a pre-selected list of books.
• It’s okay to cross over with other challenges.
• Any book format is allowed (print, audio, ebook)

So here is the premise behind Teaser Tuesday:

Good Morning! As I mentioned yesterday, I’m trying to get back on track with my reading. I love Teaser Tuesday because I get great book ideas from visiting other blogs.  I hope that I am able to provide some good book ideas to others as well.

I am reading the Sookie Stackhouse series this week so I’m going to share a quote from there.

“What do you hear?” I asked, trying to be as quiet as Bill was being, an effort doomed in the attempt.

“Someone’s coming,” he said.

~p186, From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris

So here is the premise behind Teaser Tuesday:

Good morning! It is a beautiful day here in Houston. Unfortunately, I will be inside at work all day long so I won’t get to enjoy it. That’s alright because I will just wrap myself up in a book when I get home and let my imagination carry me off to a fun, far away place. Right now I am reading Ransom My Heart which is technically by Meg Cabot but she attributes the story to Princess Mia from the Princess Diaries. It is really good so far.

I finished Accidentally Engaged by Mary Carter yesterday night and loved it. I wanted to share my teaser from that book today.

“This couldn’t get any worse, Rachel,” I said, standing up. “Do not,” I said in my most menacing voice, “marry Jack Heron. If you do, you will regret it the rest of your life. What little will be left of it,” I said, holding up the Death card and turning it to face her.
~p22

So here is the premise behind Teaser Tuesday:

Welcome to November. How is the weather in your area? It is nice and sunny all week in Houston – perfect weather to go sit outside on my balcony with a good book and get in a few warm rays without sweating uncomfortably. LOL.

This week I am reading Full House by Janet Evanovich. This is my first Janet Evanovich novel and I am enjoying it. I just wish the chapters were a little shorter. I finished The Gatecrasher over the weekend and hope to have a review of it up later today or tomorrow as well as Cause Celeb.

“Christie looked shocked. ‘You’re getting married, and you didn’t tell Grandma? Boy, the bananas are gonna hit the fan when she finds out about this. Grandma likes to know everything,’ Christie explained to the group.”
~p154

This sounds pretty interesting as I haven’t met Christie yet in this book so it should be fun to find out who she is, who grandma is, and who is trying to sneak getting married past everyone!

So here is the premise behind Teaser Tuesday:

Happy last Tuesday of October! Can you believe it is November already? The new year will be here before we know it. I still have quite a ways to go on my challenges for 2009 but I’m slowly ticking the books off the list. I moved on to The Gatecrasher by Madeleine Wickham (aka Sophie Kinsella) last night to give me a book to look forward to when I get home late this week and next week due to quarter filings. I’ve made it through one chapter and it looks like this one is going to be a hoot. Without giving too much away it seems as if this book has the same premise as that Jennifer Love Hewitt movie from the 1990s -> Heartbreakers.  I’ll try to review it properly if work can die down a little. I know I owe a few people comments for stopping by last week so I’ll try and make it by today and leave a couple to make up for my tardiness.

‘Sssh.’ She put a finger against his lips and he fell silent. He lay against her, listening to her heartbeat, and felt like a child, naked and vulnerable and accepting.
‘I will give you anything,’ he whispered at last. ‘Anything you want.’

~p 162 The Gatecrasher