bookstores — Page 13

February 22, 2015 at 9:59 am by Claudia

Lots of snow, sleet and rain here in the city. I do love watching it fall outside my window, knowing that I don’t have to shovel. Apologies, Don! But really, it’s so nice to know I can enjoy it, without wondering how I’m going to clear everything out and drive on the slushy and/or icy roads. Reminds me of my apartment days in Philadelphia and Boston, both of which accumulate a lot of snow in the wintertime. Yes, I have to walk in it, but hey, that’s nothing!

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I went back to The Mysterious Bookshop and then, as if my feet had a GPS of their own, found myself at Billy’s Bakery. It wasn’t open. Oh no, I thought. Not open on Saturday? Then I saw someone inside and looked more closely at the posted hours. They didn’t open until noon and it was about 11:50. So I contented myself with finding the address for Whole Foods in Tribeca. I wanted a good lunch from their food bar – I’ve not been eating as well as I usually do – it’s a problem with being on the road for a relatively short time on a budget and with no per diem. Then the door to Billy’s magically opened and I bought three more cupcakes. Yellow daisy. I had one yesterday, will have one today, and – you guessed it – will have one tomorrow. Ummm-mmmm good!

Back to the bookshop. I want to work there. Wouldn’t it be heavenly to order books, sort them, put them on the shelves, and have lovely chats with customers about what books to buy, about recommendations, about the authors? All in that wonderful shop with tall bookshelves made of darkly finished wood? With a glass case full of rare books? With a leather sofa to sink into?

The only drawback: a three hour commute every day. That does put a damper on things.

I bought three more books:

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The books by Christopher Fowler are part of a series about two men, Arthur Bryant and John May, called the Peculiar Crimes Unit Mysteries. I believe I have the first one in the series at home – still unread. They are supposed to be wonderful and the man I spoke to yesterday confirmed that. He said he loves them.

The Last Detective by Peter Lovesey has an introduction by Louise Penny where she says that this book “changed to the face of detective fiction when it was released in 1991. It broke every template, every tradition, every ‘rule’ of the genre.” She’s a huge fan of the series. So, of course, I bought the book.

When I’m going to get the time to read all of these with my list of “To be Reviewed” books quite lengthy, I don’t know. But they will be there, on my bookshelves, waiting for me. Meanwhile, I finished the Olen Steinhauer book yesterday. I think I’ll start Cara Black’s Murder in Belleville. Not sure yet.

I’ve sent off a note to the director to find out if I can leave tomorrow. Fingers crossed. My family needs me. I need them. I need to nuzzle my nose into the hair on Scoutie’s head. I love her scent. I need to hug my husband. I’m grateful for this job and the opportunity to spend some time in Brooklyn, but I need my sunny little cottage.

You understand.

A review of The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry on Just Let Me Finish This Page today.

Happy Sunday.

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Mysteries and Cupcakes

February 18, 2015 at 9:28 am by Claudia

Monday was my day off, so I decided to travel into Manhattan to visit a destination that, let’s just say it, is heaven for a girl like me.

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Located in Tribeca, The Mysterious Bookshop has been in existence for 35 years. It is simply nirvana for any lover of mysteries. It’s lined with dark wood bookshelves, a cozy leather sofa and chair. I walked in the door and was staggered by the amount of books. The whole back wall is devoted to Sherlock Holmes (the bookstore has the biggest selection in the world.)

As you can imagine, I spent a long time there and walked out with four books – books that I wouldn’t find on the shelves of your basic bookstore. If someone offered me a job there, I’d say yes without blinking an eye. There will be more about this bookshop on the book blog.

I’m going to try to get back there one more time before I leave town. ‘Cause it’s my happy place.

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Then I walked a few blocks to one of the locations of Billy’s Bakery – known for its cupcakes, which are said by some to be even better than the ones at Magnolia Bakery. Well, I simply had to investigate that claim.

Located in one of those wonderful old buildings with a tin ceiling, it’s been charmingly decorated in a retro style.

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I decided to sacrifice for the cause and purchased 4 cupcakes. No, I’m not going to eat them all at once, that pleasure is to be spread out over 4 days.

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Oh, lordy.

I have to say they are really, really good. At least as good as Magnolia Bakery.

I’m a happy camper.

Mysteries and cupcakes. What could be better?

New post up on Just Let Me Finish This Page – all about The Mysterious Bookshop.

Happy Wednesday.

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A Day Trip and a Remembrance

December 30, 2014 at 8:45 am by Claudia

Yesterday morning, Don called out to me, telling me to go out on the porch and look at the sky. This is what I saw:

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It’s as if someone took a giant piece of chalk and streaked it through the sky. I love the X.

Later, we decided to take a drive to a little town across the Hudson from us called Millbrook. We used to go there quite often when we lived on that side of the river, but we haven’t been there in quite a while. There are a couple of charming antique stores there (we’re on a mission to collect mismatched, but sturdy, chairs for the kitchen table.) We didn’t find any chairs, but we dined at this incredible diner.

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It’s the Millbrook Diner, which has been around since 1929. Jimmy Cagney, who had property nearby, used to stop in there for a bite to eat. It is unbelievably cool, the real deal. Don, who loves nothing more than eating at a diner, was in heaven.

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Here he throws his arm heavenward in thanks for his eating experience.

He ate a lot.

And we also stopped at a local bookstore.

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I can’t resist a bookstore, especially an independent bookstore. As is the usual with us, we ended up chatting for quite a while with the staff, who were incredibly helpful and fun. I saw Mary Oliver’s latest volume of poetry, Blue Horses. After I had read yet another in a series of poems out loud to Don, he grabbed the book and bought it for me. So I bought one for him: Of All The Gin Joints: Stumbling Through Hollywood History.

Even-steven.

Today, we’re heading out to another favorite antique shop. The search continues.

By the way, be sure to stop by my post about Living Small to read some tips I’ve shared and to learn more about the new show Tiny House Nation on the FYI network.

And now, I want to stop and take a moment to honor a longtime reader of this blog who died very suddenly on Christmas day. Rizzi, that was her nickname, her full name was Madeline LeClair, wrote the blog Gifts From the Sea. She lived with her daughter and son-in-law and their two daughters in New Jersey. Rizzi used to comment on this blog frequently and I visited her blog, as well. She stopped blogging about a year ago. Recently, she had been suffering from bronchitis and complications from that illness took her life.

Rizzi’s niece, Ann Marie, is also a reader of this blog and she wrote me to tell me of Rizzi’s death. Both Rizzi and Ann Marie are kind and generous, the sort of people I felt blessed to come to know through this blog. When I started to write about my new dollhouse obsession, Rizzi sent me three unfinished cabinets for the dollhouse. You see them every time I publish photos of the den and the kitchen. The blue hutch in the den was from Rizzi. The shelf unit over the Aga oven in the kitchen was created from one of the unfinished pieces that I took apart and reconfigured.

Those pieces will always be there and they will remind me of a lovely friend who took the time to share her world with us on her blog, and also took the time to stop by mine.

Rest in peace, Rizzi. You will be missed.

Happy Tuesday.

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Mysteries and Cupcakes

A Day Trip and a Remembrance

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