Teaser Tuesday: Cold Sassy Tree

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share a few “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


I needed a break from all the paranormal romance. That, and I haven't been back to my book group since they made me read a Regency romance novel. (And I liked it.) It was time for me to try another book outside my little corner of dork. October's selection is a classic novel that I've heard about for ages -- and pretty much every other book group has already read it. I've heard it compared to To Kill A Mockingbird so I was imagining something dark and political, best over-analyzed by English teachers everywhere. Soooo glad I was wrong!

Will Tweedy's grandmother died but three weeks ago and just when he thought his summer couldn't get any worse, his grandfather remarries. It's bad enough that he ruins the family name by taking up with a woman half his age but must he carry on so with a Yankee? 

Finally, my years in Texas taught me something (other than the fact that you can't drown a cockroach). This book, set in Georgia not long after the Civil War, is so dialect heavy that I found myself reading lines aloud just to get correct words in there. Fortunately, I knew several people who mutated the language like these characters so I was able to follow. The writing is funny and smart. And I might just be enjoying yet another book group selection--something I swore wouldn't be possible after they held a bookmark to my throat and forced me to read A Thousand Splendid Suns.  

Here's the Teaser:

"According to Temp, the deacons voted to put it in the church records that "Mary Willis Blakeslee has swapped her religious birthright for a mess of matrimonial pottage." It made Grandpa mad as holy heck. "Anybody calls Hoyt Tweedy a mess of matrimonial pottage," he roared, "thet man is a-go'n answer to me." The deacons struck the pottage part from the record."

- pg. 13, Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns

What are you reading?

Dream Weaver

I dream rather frequently. Usually, they are quite vivid and I am able to remember them when I wake up. There hasn't been any dream quite so life-changing as Stephenie Meyer's visions of a glittery vampire in  meadow, but still, quite interesting. And I've noticed a recurring theme: bathrooms.

No matter where the dream may start, I seem to end up in a bathroom of some sort. A dream about being a teacher landed me in the boys' bathroom of my elementary school. An Olympics setting oddly included facilities with commodes resembling dentist chairs. Another dream had very long, narrow stalls with walls that were only waist high, while seated. That made for awkward conversations with the other patrons.

The other night, I had a dream where zombies invaded my neighborhood. After whacking a few neighbors and friends who craved my brains, I sought refuge with other survivors in a secure house. Since room was scarce, I slept on a pool float in the hot tub. And the bathroom? It was scarily similar to the set of "Deal or No Deal," but with toilets instead of briefcases. So maybe it should be called "Pee or No Pee." There was even a model for pets. (Unfortunately, if zombies really did knock on the door, our dog would be the first to greet them.)

Since bedwetting hasn't been an issue for several years, I don't think it is my bladder trying to get my attention. So I turned to the prominent source for dream analysis: the internet. Here's a quote from dreammoods.com:

"To dream that you are in the bathroom relates to your instinctual urges. You may be experiencing some burdens/feelings and need to "relieve yourself". Alternatively, a bathroom symbolizes purification and self-renewal. You need to cleanse yourself, both emotionally and psychologically."

Fair enough. But again, I don't think it's because of my real-life bladder. What alternate insight could this website offer?

"To dream that you are in a public restroom with no stalls or that there are a lot of people around while you are trying to do your business signifies your frustrations about getting enough privacy. You are always putting others ahead of your own needs. As a result, you are lacking a sense of personal space."

I have kids. Of course I have no privacy. And try explaining personal space to a pre-schooler.

"To dream that you can not find the bathroom or that you have difficulties finding one indicates that you have difficulties in releasing and expressing your emotions. You are holding back your true feelings about something."

Now we're getting somewhere! With those same kids running around, even though they are constantly seeking my attention, they don't actually listen to me. Sure, they're looking right at me with vacant expressions but when my mouth ceases to move, they resume whatever it was they were screaming doing.

With a need to release, I turn to my blog to express my dream bladder in the form of runny, pungent words. You are welcome.

Teaser Tuesday: Blue is for Nightmares

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share a few “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


I don't remember where I heard about this book but I got the first two in the series. The first one, Blue is for Nightmares, was a quick read. The best part? I wasn't entirely sure who the bad guy was until very near the ending, definitely unusual for a YA book. 

Stacey's dreams have always helped her in the past, to find clarity or get a glimpse into the future. Then a mysterious caller turns creepy and the threats to her best friend are getting more serious. Now, sleep comes at an embarrassing cost. And her spells just aren't working, even those found in her grandmother's scrapbook. It's bad enough that she can't get her best friend's ex-boyfriend out of her head long enough to focus on helping her friend. It's rough being a teenager.  And a witch.

Here's the Teaser:

"But her eyes weren't focused on the package. They're focused on the salmon-pink words that are sprawled across the mirror. Someone wrote them using the lipstick she placed to her lips only minutes ago: I'M WATCHING YOU, DREA."

- pg. 87, Blue is for Nightmares by Laurie Faria Stolarz

What are you reading?

This is Halloween!

It's been awhile since I've entered a swap and I was starting to get the shakes. That's when Chaotic Goddess Swaps announced their Halloween swap. Oh, yeah…that was perfect!

This time around, we were supposed to keep our partners secret. So there was no chatting about Halloween and our favorite parts about the holiday. No worries. I can handle this. And it was kinda cool not knowing…and then seeing the return address on my package.

Surprise! My partner was Beth from Living a Goddess Life!

And here's my loot:

Martha Stewart's Halloween Handbook

Anthology The Other Side - scary stories!

Window paint in Black and Orange - the kids are already begging to use this one.

Devil decal

Halloween socks - sweet!

Witch Finger candy

Skull bead earrings - these are very cool

Vampire and owl dip spreaders - possibly my favorite things from this package!

Creepy pez dispenser

Glow-in-the-dark bracelet

Glow-in-the-dark nailpolish

So the little spreaders were my favorite but checkout this little beauty:

Have you ever seen a creepier Pez dispenser?
Aren't they supposed to be cute and collectible and stuff? I feel like if I ask it for candy it would bite my face.
And I sent a package to Aubrey at High-Heeled Love.

What is your favorite thing about Halloween?

MM: I Will Wait

I'm sick (but feeling better today) so I'm basically lying around, groaning, eating all my birthday chocolate, and listening to good music. The Snowman introduced me to Mumford & Sons. This one is definitely my favorite.

Well I came home

Like a stone

And I fell heavy into your arms

These days of dust

Which we've known

Will blow away with this new sun

But I'll kneel down wait for now

And I'll kneel down

Know my ground

And I will wait I will wait for you

And I will wait I will wait for you

So break my step

And relent

Well you forgave and I won't forget

Know what we've seen

And him with less

Now in some way shake the excess

'Cause I will wait I will wait for you

And I will wait I will wait for you

And I will wait I will wait for you

And I will wait I will wait for you

Now I'll be bold

As well as strong

And use my head alongside my heart

So tame my flesh

And fix my eyes

A tethered mind freed from the lies

And I'll kneel down

Wait for now

I'll kneel down

Know my ground

Raise my hands

Paint my spirit gold

And bow my head

Keep my heart slow

'Cause I will wait I will wait for you

And I will wait I will wait for you

And I will wait I will wait for you

And I will wait I will wait for you

Music Monday and a Winner!

Pretty sure everyone knows this song but it just makes me happy. And since my Birthday Week has now concluded, I need all the happy I can get.

I can't include the lyrics since they're in Korean but here's a link to a version with English translation.

While you're enjoying the song, I will announce the winner of Derrolyn Anderson's book The Athena Effect along with the gorgeous necklace inspired by the book. I used Random.org to pick the winner and it selected comment #6:

Cherie Reich said...
Beautiful necklace! And the book sounds fantastic. I love how she has the blue and green eyes too. Very cool!

Congratulations, Cherie! Please email me so I can get your info.

Now, if you will excuse me, I have some dance moves to perfect.