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More and more, I find myself at the register being asked the same question: 'Are you the Jamie that sends out the newsletter?' To which I answer 'That would be me!' I never get tired of hearing what people think of Notes From The Pond- how much they enjoy it, how many reading recommendations they get from it, if they forward it to the rest of their book club, etc. Thank you so much for your kind words over the past year. In gratitude, here's a recent pic of the Monkey (my husband's nickname for me) with some monkeys. Next time you're in Duck, look for the truck with the SEAMNKYS license plate (remember those?)- if its in the Waterfront Shops parking lot, then I'm in residence. Please come in and say hello! And thanks again for spreading the love.
PS (there are four monkeys, including me, in the photo. Can you find them all?) |
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Notes From The Pond |
May 2011 |
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Between the Lines
 Bookreporter.com asked me to review another great book- The Bride's House by Sandra Dallas. You can read my review (and interview with Dallas) using the links below so all I'll say here is that it was a FANTASTIC book and I highly recommend it. While on vacation, I devoured Dreams of Joy, Lisa See's excellent follow-up to Shanghai Girls which comes out the end of this month. Dreams picks up exactly where Shanghai Girls left off and shines in the continuation of the tale of sisters May and Pearl, and 'their' daughter Joy who runs away to communist China thus pulling the sisters back to their country of origin  where nothing is as they remember. Very worthy sequel.
Chris and I both read The Terror of Living by Urban Waite and compare it to No Country for Old Men. Not quite as well written but a definite page turner albeit a bit violent. I finally picked up a Jo Nesbo novel, Redbreast, and would highly suggest any Stieg Larsson fans to give this Norwegian mystery writer a try. His latest upcoming US release is The Snowman. Amy Beres read and recommends The Surrendered by Chang-Rae Lee (which was a Pulitzer finalist).
A few notable hardbacks of late are Mary Doria Russell's Doc- Russell is a terrific writer and her treatment of Doc Holliday's story is sure to please many readers; Robert Redford's biography by Michael Feeney Callan is out.. I could look at the cover all day. Sally Goldenbaum's seaside kintters are back in The Wedding Shawl. Some outstanding new paperbacks include Mark Spragg's Bone Fire which I just loved; The Last Stand: Custer, Sitting Bull & the Battle of the Little Bighorn by Nathaniel Philbrick; just in time for summer Karen White's The Beach Trees; and Bret Easton Ellis' Imperial Bedrooms. Ape House, by Sara Gruen, is out in paper as is Martin Amis' The Pregnant Widow and Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart. Oenophiles will delight in The Wild Vine by Todd Kliman- subtitled 'a forgotten grape and the untold story of American wine' and Lesley Kagen's latest Tomorrow River. The Duck's Cottage Reading Group loves Lesley and I can't wait to read this one. Girl in Translation, by Jean Kwok, just arrived the other day- it has been getting LOTS of attention.
The Bride's House review
Read the interview! |
Flotsam & Jetsam
 Easter was terrific on the Outer Banks! Two weeks solid of spring breaking families- loaded parking lots- busy bike paths (and boardwalks!)- it was great to see all of Duck open up for the season! The Paper Canoe is getting a lot of buzz- this new restaurant is slated to open soon in the old Duck News Cafe spot (just before the Sanderling Inn). Thier dish got raves at the Duck and Wine Festival! Hopefully the Outer Bank's newest Mexican eatery- Playa Azteca at mp 10- will be open soon too! Not that anything can top Bad Bean Baja grill, but I'm always looking for the perfect tortilla chip! the first signs that summer is right around the corner- strawberries and soft shells are in! need to pop in to the Flip Flop Shop at Scarborough Lane- i'm loving the new Sanuk yoga mat thongs.. want them in every color!
We've added a few more authors to our summer line-up- look for Steve Alterman here on July 28 signing his gorgeous books of area photography; Virginia author Jerry Radford will be here August 11 and we should have a date soon for Bea Basnight and Gail Midgett whose Taste of the OBX Volumes 1, 2, and 3 are perennial sellers at Duck's Cottage.
 We have LOTS of new stuff in for Summer 2011 and just in time for Mother's Day/Father's Day and all those end of year teacher presents! New T-shirts featuring the Christaphora Robeers painting of the Cottage (see above); new ceramic travel mugs in a beautiful Carolina blue (left); the ever popular red mugs are back in stock; our reading lights have gotten snazzier; new washed colors for our caffeine molecule hats.. find it all online at
www.duckscottage.com
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Ducks Afield
Our family of Duckers headed out to the open waters for Spring Break this year aboard the Norwegian Dawn for a 9 day EC cruise. The ship/cruise experience was great but we really enjoyed visiting all the different islands- Samana, Tortola, Barbados, Antigua and St. Kitts. Here are a couple of our recommendations when planning your next Eastern Caribbean vacation! For diving, snorkeling or just a fun day out exploring the BVI via motor boat you MUST call UBS Dive Center on Tortola.  Kate and Tony run an awesome operation and it was one of the best days of our entire trip. We were six snorkelers and one beginner diver (that's Charlie with Kate after his first dives.) Cap'n Kate took us to sites that were perfect for all of us; introduced us to Cooper's Island for a top notch lunch and just couldn't have been nicer. In St. Kitts, Charlie finished his required referral dives with Kenneth and Wendy at Kenneth's Dive Center- again, top notch, friendly professionals who I felt perfectly comfortable sending my 16 year old baby off with! Going to Barbados? Look up Melanie at Barbados Surf Trips- she picked our crew up in her van which was already loaded with all kinds of boards and took us straight to a beach with a good break that day. Three of our party had never surfed before but after some good instruction, two were standing up and riding waves! Our two experienced surfers had a good time hangin' ten in the Carib. I really can't recommend these three outfits highly enough- look in the Quick Links section for links to their sites. And thanks to Kate, Tony, Wendy, Melanie, Jason and Kenneth for really adding that something extra to an outstanding trip!!! |
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Happy Mother's Day
from Curo the sea lion!
(Samana, DR)
Jamie Layton
Duck's Cottage
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