2011 Edgar Award Nominees

From Bookreporter.com:

On January 19th, the Mystery Writers of America (MWA) announced the nominees for the 2011 Edgar Allan Poe Awards, marking the 202nd anniversary of his birth. Honoring the best in mystery fiction, nonfiction and television published or produced in 2010, the 2011 Edgar Awards will be presented to the winners at the MWA’s 65th annual Gala Banquet, to be held on April 28th in New York City.

The nominees for the 2011 Edgar Awards are:

BEST NOVEL

CAUGHT by Harlan Coben (Dutton Adult/Penguin)
CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER by Tom Franklin (William Morrow/HarperCollins)
FAITHFUL PLACE by Tana French (Viking/Penguin)
THE QUEEN OF PATPONG: A Poke Rafferty Thriller by Timothy Hallinan (William Morrow/HarperCollins)
THE LOCK ARTIST by Steve Hamilton (Minotaur/Thomas Dunne Books)
I’D KNOW YOU ANYWHERE by Laura Lippman (William Morrow/HarperCollins)

I've read three of these and thought two were excellent. I will definitely try the others, especially Coben's, as I'm a big fan of his writing. (Click on the titles to read my reviews.)

I've only listed one category here. For a complete list of the nominees, go here.

For more information, visit the Mystery Writers of America site here.

Catching Up

Time to catch up.

First and foremost, thank you all for your good thoughts and prayers for my brother. He's doing very well. For those of you who didn't see my reply to the comments on my post, I'll give you the Cliffs Notes version. The surgeon was able to remove the entire tumor (which was benign). However, it encapsulated the auditory nerve, so Mark lost all hearing in his left ear. He's been home now for almost two weeks and is taking it easy. He's still a bit fatigued and has some balance issues, but he's cracking jokes and sounds very upbeat. It was great to be out with my family in San Diego. I think it's been close to 8-10 years since my last visit. I spent most of my time at the hospital, but I did manage to get a long walk in at the beach in Del Mar. I also managed to eat Mexican food at almost every meal. Love those fish tacos at Rubio's!

By the way, that blog entry about Mark's surgery received the most comments of all my posts. You all are such a caring group of people and I'm honored to know each and every one of you! Thank you.

Bellezza honored me with another award almost two months ago!


Thank you, dear friend, and shame on me for failing to pass on your kind gesture. I was so touched by all the comments posted about my brother (as well as all the virtual hugs on May 28th) that I would like to extend this Blogging Friends Forever award to each and every one of you.

Spring must be my lucky season. Not only did I get the BFF award, but I won this darling apron from Kristen's Dine and Dish blog. I've been reading Kristen's blog for quite some time (I've accumulated a huge stack of recipes to sample) and was so surprised to win the contest. I love the apron and will try to remember to have my hubby snap a picture next time I'm wearing it. Thanks again, Kristen! Your blog rocks!


The stormy weather has been unbelievable this past month. Not only did we have all those tornadoes I mentioned a week or so ago, but we had another big storm come through last Wednesday, just to the north of Lincoln. The sirens went off and we headed to the basement. I think there were four tornadoes that night. And early Sunday morning, one touched down in West Omaha. Crazy weather. I heard that Snoqualmie Pass got 7 inches of snow last night. In June! Go figure, eh?

I've been putting together a list for a new end cap at work and was so pleased with the numbers for my current display. Here's a picture of what's currently up:

Click on the picture to enlarge.

Here's a list of the books:

Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man by Fannie Flagg

Durable Goods by Elizabeth Berg

Joy School by Elizabeth Berg

The Center of Everything by Laura Moriarty

Wish You Well by David Baldacci

Boy's Life by Robert McCammon

A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly

Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Yellow Raft on Blue Water by Michael Dorris

Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons

Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns

Some Things That Stay by Sarah Willis

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

I've read Durable Goods, Joy School, Yellow Raft on Blue Water, The Secret Life of Bees and Some Things That Stay twice. It's been quite a while since I read Boy's Life, so maybe I'll add that to my towering stack of summer reading.

The best-selling of all of these books has been Fannie Flagg's Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man. I think a lot of readers missed it when it was first published in 1992. It's such a fun read! Definitely another to re-read later this summer.

Stay cool and safe!

You Make My Day & Mwah Awards

This is long-overdue, but I want to send out a big thank you to Heather, Teddy and Stephanie for honoring me with the You Make My Day award. I also received a big Mwah from Stephanie! Thank you all for the kind words and encouragement. I love blogging, but I especially enjoy the friendships that have grown as a result of this hobby.

Now to pass it on. I always struggle with award lists, as there are so many great bloggers I visit several times a week, if not every day. As I mentioned here, I worry that someone, somewhere will get their feelings hurt if they're not on my list (or any list, for that matter!). You all make my day, whether it be an inspiring post about family or pets, a thought-provoking book review, a tantalizing recipe, or a breath-taking photograph from your place in this world. My life is richer since I met all of you.

Here are 10 blogs that make me laugh, smile, sigh and think:

Patricia Wood (author of Lottery)
Bellezza of Dolce Bellezza
Nan at Letters from a Hill Farm
Kay at My Random Acts of Reading
Nancy at Bookfoolery and Babble
Nat at In Spring It Is the Dawn
Booklogged at A Reader's Journal
SuziQOregon at Blogging My Books
Andi at Tripping Toward Lucidity
Heather at A High and Hidden Place
Stephanie at The Written Word

Oops, that's 11. See, I told you this wasn't easy! And, yes, those last two bloggers were responsible for giving me this award, but I couldn't make this list without including them.

Several of you have already received this award, so no need to pass it on again. And, I certainly understand if the others on the list would rather not take a turn at this. I know I vacillated for weeks!

Bits and Bobs

It's Friday and I'm trying to get a head start on my weekend chores so I can curl up with a book or two this weekend. I have a stack of library books that have already been renewed once and I really want to get to them! I also have 4 tall stacks of books to pick and choose from for the various challenges I'm participating in. Then there's that stack of recently acquired books... I have an overdue thank you to both Nan and Bellezza for picking me for their Nice Matters Award. I'm truly touched and honored.

I'm supposed to pass this along to seven (or is it four?) bloggers. I really have a terrible time choosing the recipients for this sort of thing. I hate to exclude anyone and cause hurt feelings. Every blog I visit is created by very nice people, so if you're reading this, consider yourself nominated! Labor Day is just around the corner (How can that be?! Summer just started!) and I've posted a few new summertime recipes over on my food blog. Check 'em out! Or better yet, let me tempt you with a few pics!

Potato Salad

Marinated Chicken Wings with White BBQ (Dipping) Sauce

Salmon Pasta

Black Bean Salsa

Rachel's Caribbean Shrimp & Mango Salad

Grilled Chicken Tacos

Shrimp with Feta Cheese

I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm constantly amazed when a stranger posts a comment on one of my blogs. How did they find me? Was it a random hit as a result of a Google search? I have been known to spend far too much time perusing my data results on StatCounter. (Are you all just as curious as I am, wanting to know who all those people are who are reading your blogs?) Well, it turns out Ian from the San Juan Island Update has a Google alert set up and discovered my blog after I mentioned Friday Harbor in my bookstore post. He turned around and mentioned my blog here (scroll down to the August 21st news) which generated quite a spike in my stats for that day! I received a nice comment from another Friday Harbor local (a columnist for a different San Juan Island website) who first heard about me via Ian's column. You still with me? I use Google alerts for a variety of subjects, but this is the first time (that I know of!) I've had someone find me via their alert -- well, with the exception of an author who read my negative review of his book last year! I was initially both surprised & horrified when I received his very nice email, claiming he was "proud to get my first 'F'!" In any case, it's flattering to have my blog mentioned elsewhere. Now if only someone would pay me to do this so we can move to Friday Harbor!

You Like Me!

I'm a bad blogger. The lovely Bellezza was very kind and nominated me (almost a month ago!) for the Thinking Blogger Award and what did I do? Nothing. I commented on the post, thanking her for her thoughtfulness, and that was that. Did I post about it? Did I add the widget to my sidebar? Did I turn around and nominate five more bloggers? Nope. I have no excuse, so I simply offer up my sincere apologies to Bellezza.

Why, after all this time, do I feel motivated to participate in this meme now? Well, (says she sheepishly), I've been nominated again. I'm sure I would've been passed over by Lisa (an incredible reviewer and photographer) for a more deserving blog had she known I'd already received (and ignored) a nomination. But, no. Slacker that I am, I led her to believe I hadn't yet received such an honor. I feel like I've cheated somehow.

So why did I fail to uphold my end of this "pay-it-forward" type of award? Lazy? Too busy? To be perfectly honest, I think it's because it's a bit daunting to come up with a list of only five deserving blogs. I don't know about everyone else, but I peruse over 50 blogs on a daily basis. Relax. Of course, many of these blogs are fairly inactive; some are cooking blogs that only take a second to click on to see if the latest recipe is worth trying, and some are strictly photo blogs, again only requiring a very brief peek.

So how can I possibly limit my choice to only five? I have so many favorites that are incredibly thought-provoking and beautiful in design. And, (this is a biggy) how do I do this without hurting someone's feelings? Please know that I'd love to choose each and every one of you, but rules are rules.

And here they are:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think.

2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme.

3. Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote.

So, without further hesitation, my five nominations for the Thinking Blogger award are:

1. Letters from a Hill Farm - Nan and I have known each other for over 10 years now, and though we've never met face-to-face, I consider her one of my very best friends. I find her blog (and life) incredibly inspiring, from the beautiful photography of her land, home, garden and animals, to her delicious recipes, thought-provoking book reviews, beautiful quotes and the introduction to some fabulous music.

2. Cornflower - I can't remember when (or how) I first stumbled upon Karen's beautiful blog, but it's one of the first ones I look at every day. While not exclusively a photo-blog, I am truly in awe of the talent of this photographer. She has marvelous eye and is quite an inspiration to this very amateur photographer. I also enjoy her lovely book reviews and peeking into her garden and home, (particularly the kitchen with the Aga!). Her culinary posts are a foodie's delight.

3. Soule Mama - I have no idea how I came upon this blog, or for that matter, why I keep returning. I don't have small children at home and can barely thread a needle, so why the interest? Amanda is a young mother, living with her husband, three darling children, and pets near Portland, Maine. Not only is she one of the most crafty individuals I've encountered, she's also an incredibly talented photographer and writer (her book is set to be published in January 2008). Mostly, though, she's an inspiration to live a fuller, more meaningful life. I find peace and comfort in her daily words and I love the way she views the world around her. And I'm not the only one who feels this way about her blog. Her anniversary post received 512 comments! That's right. 512. The most comments I've ever received on a post was 32. Not that this is a contest or anything. Really.

4. Gluten-Free-Girl - I came across Shauna's blog (via Soule Mama's) a few months ago. We don't travel in the same blog circles and I'm fairly certain she's never visited mine, so I'm not sure what she'll think when a stranger presents her with this nomination. However, I am completely in awe of her writing, photography, zest for life (and cooking). I do not suffer from celiac and have no need to eliminate gluten from my diet, yet I'm inspired to prepare healthier meals and improve my lifestyle. Shauna is an incredible writer (she is in the process of having her cookbook published) and I've enjoyed following the romantic life she shares with "Chef" (the post about how they became engaged is one of the best "romances" I've ever read!), the setting of which takes place in one of my all-time favorite cities, Seattle.

5. Bookfoolery and Babble - Nancy's blog was one of the first to make it up on my blogroll. Again, another fabulous photographer who shares my love for nature and wildlife. I read and enjoyed each and every post on her Alaska Trip blog, and now look forward to posts on her current photo blog (Recent Developments in the Boonies). She, Bellezza and Nan are my long-lost sisters. We have so much in common, it's almost scary! While Nancy/Bookfool and I don't usually read the same sort of books, I enjoy her well-written and provocative reviews, occasionally adding a title to my TBR list.

So there you have it. Thank you, Lisa, not only for honoring me with your nomination, but for giving me a mental kick in the rear to get moving on this. And thanks again, Bellezza, for the first nomination. Better late than never, right?