Sunday Salon: The last days of Google Reader

Between the holiday coming up this week and the fact that tomorrow is Google Reader’s not-so-grand finale, I’m thinking that the blogiverse may be on the quiet side for the next little while–so it seems like a good time to post some vacation photos! If you like that sort of thing, there will probably be plenty of it around here for the next couple of weeks, while I catch up on reading and writing.
I only succeeded in dragging the family into one bookstore during our trip to New England, but if there had to be only one, the Village Book Store in Littleton, New Hampshire was worth it, so I’ll start by sharing my pictures from there.
Village Book Shop, Littleton NH   www.3rsblog.com

I bought one book there–supporting indie bookstores, of course!–and admired the Staff Recommendations shelf, where someone had the good taste to include Mary Doria Russell’s The Sparrow.

I did manage to write two reviews and read one entire book during vacation, but has been too much the norm lately, blog-reading fell by the wayside. But I’ve made some progress on that front during the last couple of days, and I hope to be back in step with that before too long. (If the blogiverse actually is quiet for the next little while, it’ll help!)


On that note, have you decided on what you’ll use to keep up with your blog subscriptions once Google Reader retires on July 1? (Yes, that really is happening, and it really is happening tomorrow!) I switched over to Feedly a couple of years ago as a GR interface/overlay–and so I guess I was more prepared to lose GR than some were–but it’s now developed its own independent infrastructure and is officially supporting all my feed subscriptions. It’s also supporting other apps running on its cloud, and although I like Feedly Mobile, I’m giving one of those new partners, Newsify, a try on my iPhone and iPad (it’s iOS only). It’s not quite as pretty as Feedly, but it integrates with more services that I use regularly–most notably Evernote, Readability, and Buffer–and that’s giving it an edge for me right now, although it may not end up being my top choice on the tablet. Lifehacker recommended Mr. Reader as a “power user’s RSS app” (and with my hundreds of subscriptions, I probably qualify) for the iPad, and although I’m just getting acquainted with it, it’s looking like the winner right now.

I’m officially 3% behind on my 2013 Goodreads Reading Challenge goal, but it’s too hot to spend much time out and about in Southern California this weekend, and I have a book-club read and two blog tours this month, so I think I’ll get in some reading time today. How about you?

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 2,318 other subscribers
Book Talk: MAINE, by J. Courtney Sullivan

Book Talk: MAINE, by J. Courtney Sullivan

Maine J. Courtney Sullivan (Facebook) (Twitter) Vintage (2012), Paperback (ISBN 0307742210 / 9780307742216) Fiction, 528 pages Source: Purchased Reason for reading: Personal, vacation Opening lines: “Alice decided to take a break from packing. She lit a cigarette, leaning back in one of the wicker chairs that were always slightly damp from the sea breeze. She glanced around at the cardboard boxes filled with her family’s belongings, each glass and salt shaker and picture frame wrapped […]

Wordless Wednesday: Family/Love on Vacation

Wordless Wednesday: Family/Love on Vacation

The red-haired girl is off to college in New Hampshire this fall. We took a family trip to get acquainted with her new locale, and we saw a lot to love. Top left: father and son; Botton left: granddaughter and grandmother; Right: sister and brother My photos, edited with Snapseed and collaged with PicFrame; text by Phonto Posted with Blogsy document.write(”); Subscribe to Blog via Email Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog […]

Book Talk: WHAT CHANGES EVERYTHING, by Masha Hamilton

Book Talk: WHAT CHANGES EVERYTHING, by Masha Hamilton

What Changes Everything  Masha Hamilton Unbridled Books (June 2013), hardcover (ISBN 1609530918 / 9781609530914) Fiction, 288 pages Source: ARC from publisher Reason for reading: Intended for review in Shelf Awareness for Readers, but didn’t make the deadline Excerpt: “In the narrow strand of space between the first piece of information and all the rest, thoughts rushed through Clarissa that could not be said aloud, not then, probably not ever. They came like the violent Nor’easters […]

Postcards from Boston, June 2013

Postcards from Boston, June 2013

I’m on a plane back to the West Coast today, leaving you the first of what will probably be several photoblogs from my trip back East. These “postcards” were created with the Postale app for iPad. It wasn’t a big vacation for reading, sadly, but it was a pretty good one for taking pictures, and there will be more to come… Posted with Blogsy Subscribe to Blog via Email Enter your email address to subscribe […]

(Audio)Book Talk: SOMEDAY, SOMEDAY, MAYBE, by Lauren Graham

(Audio)Book Talk: SOMEDAY, SOMEDAY, MAYBE, by Lauren Graham

Someday, Someday, Maybe: A Novel Lauren Graham (Twitter) (Fan site) (IMDb) Ballantine Books (April 2013), Hardcover (ISBN 0385367473 / 9780345532749) Fiction, 352 pages Source: Purchased audiobook (Random House Audio, April 2013, ISBN 9780385367486; Audible ASIN B00B3Y1B5U) Reason for reading: Personal Opening lines: “’Begin whenever you’re ready,’ comes the voice from the back of the house. “Oh, I’m ready. “After all, I’ve prepared for this day for years: The Day of the Most Important Audition of […]

Wordless Wednesday: Picture This Hobby

Wordless Wednesday: Picture This Hobby

We’re on vacation in New England this week, and Tall Paul is getting lots of chances to indulge in his photography hobby. (And in our various travels, I’ve gotten lots of pictures of him taking pictures.) Clockwise from top left: Central Park, New York City; Memphis Zoo, Memphis, Tennessee; Bridgeport, California; Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California My photos, edited with Snapseed and collaged with PicFrame Posted with Blogsy document.write(”); Subscribe to Blog via Email Enter […]

Audiobook Week 2013, All In One Day

Audiobook Week 2013, All In One Day

I found time to tackle the daily topics for Audiobook Week before I left for vacation, but since I found I didn’t have quite enough to say for any of them to warrant separate posts, I’m condensing it all into one. 2012-2013, Your Audiobook Year Are you new to audiobooks in the last year? Have you been listening to them forever but discovered something new this year? Favorite titles? New times/places to listen? This is […]

At the Movies: MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

At the Movies: MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

Much Ado About Nothing official movie website Comedy, 2013 (rated PG-13) Starring: Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof, Clark Gregg, Reed Diamond, Fran Kranz, Jillian Morgese Written by: William Shakespeare Directed by: Joss Whedon Plot synopsis: Leonato (Clark Gregg), the governor of Messina, is visited by his friend Don Pedro (Reed Diamond) who is returning from a victorious campaign against his rebellious brother Don John (Sean Maher). Accompanying Don Pedro are two of his officers: Benedick (Alexis […]

Wordless Wednesday: Proud Dad With Grads

Wordless Wednesday: Proud Dad With Grads

The women of Linked-Up Wordless Wednesday are turning to the Dads in our lives for our photo themes this month. Today, we’re picturing “Those Proud Moments as a Dad.” Here’s a dad who’s proud of a couple of grads! L. Commencement, University of Tennessee  May 2007R. Graduation, High School at Moorpark College  May 2012  Photos edited with Snapseed and collaged with PicFrame Posted with Blogsy document.write(”); Subscribe to Blog via Email Enter your email address to subscribe to this […]

TV Talk: ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, The Netflix Season

TV Talk: ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, The Netflix Season

Despite being told for years that we really needed to watch Arrested Development, and even being given the first season of the show on DVD as a Christmas gift one year, we didn’t take the bait until about a year ago–six years after its last episode aired. We never did get around to those DVDs, but my stepdaughter Kate shepherded us through the full run of the series on Netflix. Although this show lacks most of […]

Sunday Status: Pre-Vacation Edition

Sunday Status: Pre-Vacation Edition

Time: Late Saturday afternoon Place: The sofa, armed with my iPad Eating: Fewer things made with white sugar and flour, because of some bloodwork readings that my doctor didn’t like. The week before a vacation is probably not an ideal time for making dietary changes, but I’d rather start building a base of better habits before we leave as a hedge against overindulging while we’re gone. And after a few weeks of it adjusting to […]