Music Monday - "Summer in the City" by The Lovin' Spoonful (1966)

If I ever get around to making my summer favorites playlist, "Summer in the City" will be in the mix.

"Summer in the City" is a 1960's oldies pop song by the Lovin' Spoonful.  It was written by John Sebastian, Steve Boone, and Mark Sebastian.  It really captures summer in the city -- starting with a VW Bug horn and ending with a jackhammer!   The lyrics include:

"Hot town, summer in the city
Back of my neck getting dirt and gritty
Been down, isn't it a pity
Doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city
All around, people looking half dead
Walking on the sidewalk, hotter than a match head
But at night it's a different world
Go out and find a girl
Come-on come-on and dance all night
Despite the heat it'll be alright
And babe, don't you know it's a pity
the days can't be like the nights
In the summer, in the city
In the summer, in the city."

I found a fun video of the song that sets the music to an old Harold Lloyd silent movie called Speedy.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.



What is your favorite summer song?   I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below.

Dear Abby - Summer Dachshund Videos

Dear friends,

I'm on the run this week, but wanted to stop by to share two fun little dachshund videos with you!

This is a video of lots of dachshunds having fun in summer.   My favorite things in this video are popsicles (I've never had one, but they look yummy!) and playing on the beach.  My least favorite is swimming, which I am certain I would not enjoy since I don't like taking a B-A-T-H.  (Yes, I know how to spell.  Momma spells this word when she doesn't want me to run under the bed.) 

Disclaimer: There are a few dogs swimming in this video.  Some dachshunds can be taught to swim but need to be very carefully supervised in water, as they are a breed that do not swim naturally, as some other dog breeds do.



This video features Crusoe (he is so handsome!) pretending to be a shark.  It is pretty silly!   I like it.



If you have a dog (or doggie friends), what do they enjoy most about summer?  I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below.

I hope you are having a great week, and wish you a happy weekend!

Love,

Abby xoxoxo

Book Review - A Certain Age by Beatriz Williams

Book Synopsis

The bestselling author of A Hundred Summers brings the roaring twenties brilliantly to life in an enchanting and compulsively readable tale of intrigue, romance, and scandal in New York society.

As the hedonism of the Jazz Age transforms New York City, the iridescent Mrs. Theresa Marshall of Fifth Avenue and Southampton, Long Island, has done the unthinkable: she’s fallen in love with her young paramour, Captain Octavian Rofrano, an aviator and a hero of the Great War.

Though the battle-scarred Octavian is devoted to his dazzling socialite of a certain age and wants to marry her, Theresa resists. The old world is crumbling, but divorce for a woman of Theresa’s wealth and social standing remains a high-stakes affair. And there is no need: she shares a gentle understanding with Sylvo, the well-bred philanderer to whom she’s already married.

That is, until Theresa’s impecunious bachelor brother, Ox, decides to tie the knot with Miss Sophie Fortescue, the naïve young daughter of a wealthy inventor. Theresa enlists Octavian to check into the background of the reclusive Fortescue family. When Octavian meets Sophie, he falls under the spell of the charming ingénue, even as he uncovers a devastating family secret.

As a fateful triangle forms, loyalties divide and old crimes are dragged into daylight, drawing Octavian into transgression . . . and Theresa into the jaws of a bittersweet choice.

Full of the glamour, wit, and delicious twists that are the hallmarks of Beatriz Williams’s fiction, A Certain Age is a beguiling reinterpretation of Richard Strauss’s comic opera Der Rosenkavalier set against the sweeping decadence of Gatsby’s New York.

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

My Review

I know it is wrong to judge a book by a cover, and I try really hard not to ... but I have to admit that I knew I would love this book just from the cover art.  It features a 1920's flapper against the background of glittering New York.   Thankfully, my instincts were right;  I absolutely loved A Certain Age.

The novel centers around Theresa, a 40ish woman, her young lover Octavian, and the very young woman, Sophie, that Theresa's brother becomes engaged to.  There is a romantic triangle and a mystery in this story that is told from different viewpoints (Theresa and Sophie).

The chapters begin with little quotes about men and women from Helen Rowland.  I looked her up and found she wrote a New York World column called Reflections of a Bachelor Girl.

I loved this book, absolutely loved it, and found myself reading slowly because I didn't want it to end  The 1920's setting was fascinating.  I loved the period details and the glimpses of Jazz Age life in New York. 

The characters were equally compelling.  I found myself pulling for all three of the leads - Theresa, Octavian ("The Boy"), and Sophie.  I loved the way the perspective changed back and forth with alternating chapters.   

I found the decades old mystery interesting, and was curious to see how it would play out.

I've heard of Beatriz Williams' books for ages and now I want to read the others, too.  A Certain Age is easily one of my favorites of the year so far, and I cannot recommend it highly enough for fans of historical fiction, the Roaring '20's, and great storytelling.  Five stars!
   

Author Bio

A graduate of Stanford University with an MBA from Columbia, Beatriz Williams spent several years in New York and London hiding her early attempts at fiction, first on company laptops as a communications strategy consultant, and then as an at-home producer of small persons, before her career as a writer took off. She lives with her husband and four children near the Connecticut shore.

Find out more about Beatriz at her website, and connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

I received a copy of this book from TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.   

Book Review, Guest Post and Giveaway - Killer Finds by Vikki Vass

Synopsis
Antique hunter Anne Hillstrom’s whirlwind shopping tour to Paris comes to a dead stop, as dead as the man sitting next to her on the plane. And to make matters worse, her identity has been stolen, leaving her to face her worst nightmare. She must sell all her precious antiques with the help of her business partner and co-blogger, CC Muller. Together, they open a pop-up antique store in the quaint suburb of Glen Ellyn Illinois. Their blog fans flock to the store looking to find that perfect treasure and so does a killer. When the Sweet Shop lady next door is found caramelized, the success of the pop-up sale turns bittersweet. Anne and CC dust off the clues, unraveling a centuries-old mystery that leads them to one conclusion. They must find the killer before the killer finds them.

My Review
A cozy mystery about antiques!   What a fun combination.   I can't believe I am just discovering this series.

Killer Finds tells the story of friends Anne and CC, who get involved in a mystery on their flight home from antique shopping in Paris.  As the result of an identity theft, Anne needs to make money quickly, so she sells her beloved antique finds at a pop-up antique store.  

I sell vintage children's books and ephemera, and love browsing antique stores in my free time, so the antique details in this book were especially fascinating.  The women discuss details like dating Chippendale chairs, examining porcelain, valuing silver, and more.  I especially loved the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle kettle that is mentioned in the book.

The mystery is interesting, with several unexpected deaths, and the friends working together (along with CC's younger cousin, Ingrid) to solve the case.  I had figured out part of the mystery but not the entire story by the end.

This is a fast paced read, with short chapters and sharp dialogue that moves the plot along.  It would be a great book for a lazy weekend or a vacation read.   I recommend it for other fans of cozy mysteries, and anyone who loves antiques.

Guest Post by Vikki Vass - Inspiration from the Real World    

I am often asked where I get my inspiration from. For me, inspiration is easy. It is all around me. Murder by the Spoonful, the first book in the Antique Hunters mystery series, began as a tribute to my two girlfriends. I spent weekends traveling to estate sales, antique stores and flea markets all in search of the perfect find that I felt I needed to chronicle my adventures.

While fiction is not quite necessarily true, we have not encountered a real murder, many of the events that happen within the pages are true from Anne’s shopping obsession to CC’s knowledge of history. In Killer Finds, the third book in the series, the Spoon Sisters as they are known have developed a life that has morphed out of the reality. They have grown beyond the nonfiction world and now exist in a fictional world where the possibilities are limited by my imagination.

My second series, Alex Kustodia mysteries, grew out of my long love for rocks, but not just any rocks, gemstones. Since I was little, I have always loved the feel of rocks and I love to stare at polished, cut gemstones. There is nothing more magical than a brilliantly colored gemstone hanging from a single pendant or in a ring or perhaps adorning a bracelet.

I have not toured the world looking for stones the way that Alex has though someday I would like to but I have gone emerald mining in Hiddenite, N.C. A hot, dirty, but rewarding experience. I also have mined for rubies. I have found both and had them cut and polished and set into jewelry.

Many of my ideas come while I am walking or taking a shower or driving. Forcing myself to sit at the computer and think doesn’t help. My ideas flow when my mind is focused on other things. This can be challenging when I actually make time to write and the ideas are not flowing. However, with the addition of a 10-week-old Australian shepherd puppy into my house, there is plenty of need for long walks. If not to tire him, to tire me out.

And, since I’ve started writing, the ideas keep flowing. The only thing holding me back is time. I recently finished the first draft of the fourth book in the Antique Hunter mystery series. I have ideas for the fifth book as well. I also started the second book in the Alex Kustodia mystery series featuring more gems, adventure and of course, mystery. My third series, Neighborhood Watch, based on the near-real adventures of my 75-year-old neighbor.

All this means is that instead of spending my weekends traveling to antique shops, flea markets and estate sales, I’ve been spending them writing, revising and developing the stories. Fortunately there is still eBay and Proxibid for those must-have antique items. Though it does put a slight damper on finding the unexpected treasure in the hunt.

On my recent vacation, I did manage to take some time to scour some antique stores, including one in Franklin, Tenn., Asheville, N.C. and several in Georgetown, Ky. I only bought a few small things including a 1920s art deco necklace with an amethyst and a memory box containing civil war bullets found on the battleground of Fort Donelson near the Cumberland River.

I feel so blessed to be able to write about what I love and share it with the readers. I hope you enjoy Anne and CC, the Spoon Sisters, intrepid Antique Hunters, as much as I do.

Author Bio

With a passion for shopping and antiques, Vicki Vass turned in her reporter’s notebook to chronicle the adventures of Anne and CC, two antique hunters who use their skills to solve a murder case.

Vicki has written more than 1,400 stories for the Chicago Tribune as well as other commercial publications including Home & Away, the Lutheran and Woman’s World. Her science fiction novel, The Lexicon, draws on her experience in Sudan while writing about the ongoing civil war for World Relief.

She lives in the Chicago area with her husband, writer and musician Brian Tedeschi, son Tony, Australian shepherd Bandit, kittens Terra and Pixel, seven koi and Gary the turtle. 

Author Links

Website – http://www.vickivass.com/
Blog – https://vickivass.wordpress.com/2015/07/04/heading-home/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/vickivassauthor

Purchase Links
Amazon  B&N

Giveaway
(1) Copy Killer Finds by Vicki Vass Print or E-Copy - Winner’s Choice. Print Copy U.S. ONLY 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received a copy of this book from Great Escapes Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. 

Eric Carle Exhibit at the High Museum of Art, Atlanta

(The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle)

Last week I played hookey from work one day and went to the High Museum for the day.  There were several interesting traveling exhibits, but the one that interested me most was I See A Story:  The Art of Eric Carle.

Eric Carle is a children's author and illustrator.  He was born in 1929 in Syracuse, New York, lived in Germany with his family as a young child, and then moved back to America in 1952.  He published his first children's book, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? in 1967.

The High Museum of Art is one of my favorite buildings in Atlanta.

It's very bright and open, and you go up and down winding ramps between floors.

The Eric Carle exhibit covers almost an entire floor in the new wing.  The first thing you see as you enter is an illustration from The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

The walls have a sort of floorboard design of nature collages.  

This is a large collage by Eric Carle.

Some of the artist's original sketches were on display -- they were fascinating to see!

A photo of Eric Carle painting over collage materials with a broom was displayed, and then you could see his original paint splattered coat and the broom used for this collage process.

Most of all, I loved seeing some of the beloved, familiar art in person.  

The Very Lonely Firefly is my favorite Eric Carle book.  When I taught preschool I had this picture book in my classroom.  On the last page of the book a little battery operated firefly twinkled.  No matter how many times I read it aloud, the children would always say "ahhh!" when they saw the twinkling firefly.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

The Grouchy Ladybug:

The Very Hungry Caterpillar:

Seeing the art in person, all the beautiful, colorful nature imagery was striking.  I love this quote by Eric Carle:  "When I was a small boy, my father would take me on walks across meadows and through woods ... in my books I honor my father by writing about small living things."

I love these moon images:

There is a fascinating story behind this art (from 10 Little Rubber Ducks).  In 1992 25,000 Friendly Floatees toys, including yellow rubber ducks, were set adrift when their packing crates went overboard in the Pacific Ocean.  Oceanographer Curtis Ebbesmeyer started tracking the ducks, and Eric Carle became interested in the story.  That inspired 10 Little Rubber Ducks.

I See a Story: The Art of Eric Carle will be on exhibit at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta through January 8, 2017.  You can read more about the exhibit here:  Carle exhibit.   I highly recommend it for fans of children's literature and illustration.

Did you grow up with Eric Carle books?  Do you have a favorite?  I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below.