Book Escape

2010 Read (32)

2010-12-31T15:33:00.001-06:00

Last Light- Terri Blackstock
Coming Back Stronger- Drew Brees
A Little Class on Murder-Carolyn Hart
The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde
Unbelievable: Pretty Little Liars 4
Strawberry Shortcake Murder-Joanne Fluke
Perfect: Pretty Little Liars 3
Flawless: Pretty Little Liars 2
The Enchanted April- Elizabeth von Arnim
The Curse of the Pharaohs- Elizabeth Peters
Pretty Little Liars
Murder on a Girls' Night Out- Anne George
Shutter Island- Dennis Lehane
Elizabeth & her German Garden- Elizabeth von Arnim
Carmlla- J. Sheridan LeFanu
The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg- Mark Twain
Crocodile on the Sandbank- Elizabeth Peters
The Solitary Summer-Elizabeth von Arnim
Death of a Prankster- M.C. Beaton
Shakespeare's Landlord- Charlaine Harris
The Help-Kathryn Stockett
The Tragedy of Puddn'head Wilson- Mark Twain
Death of an Outsider- M.C. Beaton
Saving CeeCee Honeycutt- Beth Hoffman
Gilt by Association- Tamar Myers
O Pioneers!- Willa Cather
Larceny and Old Lace- Tamar Myers
The Principle of the Path- Andy Stanley
I Scream, You Scream- Wendy Lyn Watson
Murder Takes the Cake- Gayle Trent
Three Blind Mice- Agatha Christie
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

A Little Class on Murder- Carolyn Hart

2010-12-26T00:27:00.002-06:00

As I've mentioned before, I usually read several books at a time. I almost always read e-books, but have a paper book for the bath.

This was my bath-tub book this month.....

My apologies to those who may have liked it, but I hated this book.

A professor comes up to a random person and asks them to teach a class on mysteries for a college journalism department?

That seems a bit implausible.

I also found the main character whiny, immature, and judgmental.

Phrases such as "this girl knows her mysteries" (used repeatly) made me cringe. I had the culprit figured out by the middle of the book..... not to mention the unnecessary use of crude language.

It was a tedious read. I don't know why I even finished it! lol

I haven't been reading as much lately as I did this summer- which is unusual because I normally read more in the winter. lol

I'm currently reading Teri Blackstock's "Last Light" series, which I got for FREE on my Kindle a few weeks ago.

Hopefully the reading bug will bite me soon and I'll have more to add to this blog. :)

update

2010-10-10T02:59:00.001-05:00

I didn't do nearly as much reading as I wanted to do today.

Life got in the way. lol

However, I plan on reading through the rest of the morning.

I'm a bit sleepy, so hopefully I can make it. :-)

Read-a-Thon update

2010-10-09T08:37:00.001-05:00

I am participating in Dewey's read-a-thon today.

I'm just posting a quick update to say that I've finished my first book (which I was already over half way finished), " The Body in the Library" by Agatha Christie.

Next up is "The Hunger Games.". I started it earlier this week. I am about 1/4 into it.

My goal is to finish all the books I am currently reading, then perhaps start and finish another one.

Happy reading!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde- Robert Louis Stevenson

2010-10-09T02:03:00.002-05:00

94 pages

Most people know the story of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde.

I wanted to read it because I had never read it before and I was curious to know if the actual book was true to what I'd always heard.

For the most part, it was.

It was interesting.

I liked the idea of the dual nature of man, and how we can feed either one.

There's definitely a spiritual lesson that can be taken away from this book.

2010 total: 29

Pretty Little Liars: Unbelilevable

2010-08-28T18:41:00.002-05:00

352 pages

Book 4 of the series

I believe this was supposed to be the last book in the series, but they ended up adding 4 more to it.

This is the last one I will be reading.

In this book, we find out who "A" is.

We also find out who killed Ali......although I wasn't satisfied with the answer to that mystery...... I have a feeling the next books will dig deeper into that aspect of the story.

As I said, this is the last one I'll be reading. My curiosity is satisfied and, frankly, I'm tired of reading them. lol I liked them but I'm sure I would have enjoyed them even more if I'd read them when I was younger.... it's time for me to read something a little less YA now. :-)

2010 total: 28

Strawberry Shortcake Murder & Perfect

2010-08-17T00:31:00.003-05:00

336 pages

Product Descripton:

In Rosewood, Pennsylvania, four perfect-looking girls aren't nearly as perfect as they seem.

Aria can't resist her forbidden ex. Hanna is on the verge of losing her BFF. Emily is freaking out over a simple kiss. And Spencer can't keep her hands off anything that belongs to her sister.

Lucky me. I know these pretty little liars better than they know themselves. But it's hard keeping all of their secrets to myself. They better do as I say . . . or else! ~A

Things are getting serious for the four friends, and we still don't know who "A" is.

The parents in this book make me very angry. They all seem to care about no one but themselves. Ugh!

I don't want to give anything away, so that's all I'll say.

320 pages

From School Library Journal:

Adult/High School-Cookie entrepreneur Hannah Swensen is recruited to judge a bake-off but gets embroiled in a bittersweet murder. The victims are not Lake Eden's finest; one is a wife abuser and the other is a snippety blackmailer, but the town is small, concern is rampant, and Hannah is curious. She and her sister Andrea begin sleuthing to prevent their friend (the wife of the first victim) from being accused of a crime she did not commit. The story is at times dense with detail, but the relationships among family and neighbors are pleasingly homespun-and occasionally sophomoric. Spanning the time of the bake-off, this whodunit is appropriately interspersed with mouthwatering dessert recipes. Readers who don't like guts or gore will enjoy this mystery and stick with the amateur detectives as they reach an action-packed conclusion.

I did not like this book. I usually like cozy mysteries and I liked the first book in this series, but this one lost me. There are sooooo many details about every. little. thing. I'm not fond of the main character, either. I won't be reading any more of this series for a long time (if ever).

2010 total: 27

currently reading: Pretty Little Liars #4

Flawless: Pretty Little Liars 2

2010-07-29T07:03:00.002-05:00

352 pages

This book picks up where the first one left off.

A's messages and threats intensify until the end of the book when A successfully reveals some of the girls' secrets to everyone.

Also, they finally think they know who "A" is....... but are they right?

These books are fun and addictive, but again, I must warn, they are NOT for younger kids.

2010 total: 25

currently reading: Pretty Little Liars, #3

The Enchanted April

2010-07-11T21:19:00.002-05:00

208 pages

"Elizabeth von Arnim's novel tells the story of four dissimilar women in 1920s England who leave their damp and rainy environs to go on a holiday to a secluded coastal castle in Italy. Mrs Arbuthnot and Mrs Wilkins, who belong to the same ladies' club but have never spoken, become acquainted after reading an advertisement for villas for rent in a newspaper. They find some common ground in that both are struggling to make the best of unhappy marriages. Having decided to seek other ladies to help share expenses, they reluctantly take on the waspish, elderly Mrs Fisher and the stunning, but aloof, Lady Caroline Dester. The four women come together at the castle and find rejuvenation in the tranquil beauty of their surroundings, rediscovering hope and love." ~from Wikipedia

This is another delightful book by Elizabeth von Arim.

I loved it.

On the surface it is a bit "fluffy," but it also digs deeper into the roles and feelings of women in the 1920s.

Some of my favorite quotes:

"Heaven is in our home."

"It isn't," said Mrs. Wilkins, again surprisingly.

Mrs. Arbuthnot was taken aback.

Then she said gently,

"Oh, but it is. It is there if we choose, if we make it."

"I do choose, and I do make it, and it isn't," said Mrs. Wilkins ~Lotty & Rose

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She stared. Such beauty; and she there to see it. Such beauty; and she alive to feel it.

Her face was bathed in light. Lovely scents came up to the window and caressed her.

A tiny breeze gently lifted her hair.

Far out in the bay a cluster of almost motionless fishing boats hovered like a flock of white birds on the tranquil sea.

How beautiful, how beautiful.

Not to have died before this... to have been allowed to see, breathe, feel this....

She stared, her lips parted.

Happy? Poor, ordinary, every day word.

But what could one say, how could one describe it?

It was as though she could hardly stay inside herself, it was as though she were too small to hold so much joy,

it was as though she were washed through with light. ~Lotty

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For a long while she past she had been aware that her life was a noise, but it had seemed to be very much about

something.... but suppose it was only a noise about nothing? ~Caroline

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She wanted to be alone, but not lonely. That was very different; that was something that ached and hurt

dreadfully right inside one. It was what one dreaded most. ~Caroline

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Was it possible that loneliness had nothing to do with circumstances, but only with the way one met them?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kind ladies smiled, reason or no. They smiled, not because they were happy, but because they wished to

make happy,.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The more he treated her as though she were really very nice, the more Lotty expanded and became really very nice.

and the more he, affected in his turn, became really very nice himself; so that they went round and round, not in a

vicious but in a highly virtuous cycle. ~Lotty & Mellersh

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was true, she liked him most when he wasn't there, but then she usually liked everybody most when they weren't there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Just a rather red, rather round man?" whispered Lotty. Scrap bowed her head.

"He isn't." whispered Lotty.

"Rose sees through all that. That's mere trimmings.

She sees what we can't see, because she loves him." ~Lotty & Caroline

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2010 total: 24

The Curse of the Pharaohs

2010-06-29T23:28:00.003-05:00

285 pages

Product Description

One of the best-loved of mystery writers weaves another tale of intrigue featuring Amelia Peabody and Radcliffe Emerson of "Crocodile on the Sandbank". This time the willful and witty duo must catch a murderer at an excavation of an ancient Egyptian tomb

This is the second book in the Amelia Peabody series.
The first one was better, but this one was enjoyable just the same.

One thing annoyed me.
Emerson and Amelia are now married.
They have a son named Ramses.
Amelia has no maternal inclinations at all.
She has no problem leaving her child for months at a time, even when he was very young.

Also, the baby talk is extremely irritating.

In spite of this, it is still a good story and I look forward to reading more of Amelia and Emerson.

Amazon prices on these books tend to fluctuate.
Most of them are about $8.00, but they mark some of them down to about $2 from time to time. I've gotten 4 of them for that price. I hope they do more soon!

Oh! I almost forgot to say- I finally realized who Amelia reminds me of.
Captain Janeway of Star Trek: Voyager!

2010 total: 23
Currently Reading: The Enchanted April, Pretty Little Liars #2, and Strawberry Shortcake Murder (my current bath-tub book :-))

Pretty Little Liars

2010-06-21T15:06:00.003-05:00

304 pages

In the exclusive Philadelphia suburb of Rosewood, Alison is the Queen Bee of her elite seventh grade hive. BFs Aria, Hanna, Spencer, and Emily vie for her attention, even as each of them hides a hideous secret only Alison knows. So when Alison goes missing after a slumber party, never to be seen again, each girl is heartbroken, but also a little relieved. Now it is three years later, and though the four girls have grown apart, they are each still hiding something. Artsy Aria is carrying on an affair with one of her teachers, fashionista Hanna shoplifts to accessorize her trendy outfits, blue-blood Spencer is sleeping with her older sister’s boyfriend, while straight-A Emily is trying to ignore her attraction to a new female classmate. When the girls begin receiving threatening text messages and emails that from someone known only as "A," they must confront the fact that against all odds, it appears Alison is back. Could Alison still be alive? And if so, why is she so determined to uncover all their dirty little secrets?

I liked this book.
I wouldn't want my daughter reading it, though.
These girls are far from good role models!

Yes, I liked the book, but I also felt a little cheated.
I know this is part of a series but I expected more answers by the end of the book.
By the end, we still have no clue who "A" is or what the girls did to Jenna.
We do, however, find out (partly) what happened to Alison.

I won't be reading the rest of the series unless I can find them at the library.

2010 total: 22
Thriller & Suspense Challenge: 12

Murder on a Girls' Night Out

2010-06-17T02:52:00.002-05:00

244 pages

Product Description:

A Different Kind of Sister Act

Patricia Anne -- "Mouse" -- is respectful, respectable, and demure, a perfect example of genteel Southern womanhood. Mary Alice -- "Sister" -- is big, brassy, flamboyant, and bold. Together they have a knack for finding themselves in the center of some of Birmingham's most unfortunate unpleasantness.

Country Western is red hot these days, so over impulsive Mary Alice thinks it makes perfect sense to buy the Skoot 'n' Boot bar -- since that's where the many-times-divorced "Sister" and her boyfriend du jour like to hang out anyway. Sensible retired schoolteacher Patricia Anne is inclined to disagree -- especially when they find a strangled and stabbed dead body dangling in the pub's wishing well. The sheriff has some questions for Mouse and her sister Sister, who were the last people, besides the murderer, of course, to see the ill-fated victim alive. And they had better come up with some answers soon -- because a killer with unfinished business has begun sending them some mighty threatening messages...

This was my bath tub book this month.

It was.... just ok. I didn't love it. I didn't hate it.

It was enjoyable, but not memorable.

2010 total: 21
Thriller & Suspense challenge: 11

Shutter Island- Dennis Lehane

2010-06-17T00:13:00.002-05:00

400 pages

From Booklist

Lehane is red hot--his Mystic River (2001) is currently being filmed by Clint Eastwood--and he returns with another blistering page-turner. It's 1954, and U.S. Marshals Teddy Daniels and Chuck Aule arrive at a small island in Massachusetts' Outer Harbor. It is home to Ashcliffe Hospital, a federal institution for the criminally insane, and one of the patients has escaped. Although the two men are new partners, they have already developed a wry, jocular relationship while also swapping personal, painful details. Daniels' lost his much-loved wife two years prior in a fire, while Aule requested a transfer out of Seattle after being harassed over his personal relationship with a Japanese American woman. After interviewing the hospital's medical personnel, both men have the feeling they are being stonewalled, especially by the director, who seems to alternate between a cold authoritarianism and a sudden and sweeping compassion. When the island is hit by gale-force winds and Aule disappears, Daniels must go it alone, beset by the fear that he has been fed psychotropic drugs and the belief that the hospital is performing radical brain surgery as part of a secret-ops program. Lehane throws in one mind-bending plot twist after another in a psychological thriller that will leave readers in suspense right up to the end. A master of the adroit psychological detail, Lehane makes the horrors of the mean streets pale in comparison to the workings of the human mind.

Wow! This book was amazing! It is not one that will be quickly forgotten.

There's not much more I can add to the above review without giving away the ending.

2010 total: 20
Thriller & Suspense challenge: 10

Elizabeth and Her German Garden

2010-06-10T21:33:00.007-05:00

84 pages

This books goes along with "The Solitary Summer."
In fact, this one was written first.
They are both written in diary format.
While "The Solitary Summer" takes place in one summer, this book contains an entire year.

I loved this book.
I preferred "Solitary Summer," but they are both beautiful.

In the first part of this one, Countess von Arnim talks about her attempts at gardening. Of course, she doesn't do the actual gardening work (that would be scandalous!), rather she gives orders to the gardener. In the second part, she has 2 guests that stay for about 3 months. One of them she likes, the other... not so much.

It is said that Lucy Maud Montgomery read these books, and it is where she got the term "kindred spirits." I don't know how accurate that is, but I read it several places on the internet.

If you liked LMM, you would probably love these.

I am in love with Elizabeth von Arnim! She is definitely a kindred spirit :-)

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book:

"there were days last winter when I danced for sheer joy out in my frost-bound garden, in spite of my years and children. But I did it behind a bush, having a due regard for the decencies."

(while watching owls in the garden) "They say the same thing over and over again so emphatically that I think it must be something nasty about me; but I shall not let myself be frightened away by the sarcasm of owls."

The people round about are persuaded that I am, to put it as kindly as possible, exceedingly eccentric, for the news has travelled that I spend the day out of doors with a book, and that no mortal eye has ever yet seen me sew or cook. But why cook when you can get some one to cook for you?

(on gardening) It is not graceful, and it makes one hot; but it is a blessed sort of work, and if Eve had had a spade in Paradise and known what to do with it, we should not have had all that sad business of the apple.

What a happy woman I am living in a garden, with books, babies, birds, and flowers, and plenty of leisure to enjoy them!

The garden is the place I go to for refuge and shelter, not the house. In the house are duties and annoyances, servants to exhort and admonish, furniture, and meals; but out there blessings crowd round me at every step—it is there that I am sorry for the unkindness in me, for those selfish thoughts that are so much worse than they feel; it is there that all my sins and silliness are forgiven, there that I feel protected and at home,

I long more and more for a kindred spirit—it seems so greedy to have so much loveliness to oneself—but kindred spirits are so very, very rare; I might almost as well cry for the moon.

A woman's tongue is a deadly weapon and the most difficult thing in the world to keep in order, and things slip off it with a facility nothing short of appalling at the very moment when it ought to be most quiet.

When I got to the library I came to a standstill,—ah, the dear room, what happy times I have spent in it rummaging amongst the books, making plans for my garden, building castles in the air, writing, dreaming, doing nothing!

It cannot be right to be the slave of one's household gods, and I protest that if my furniture ever annoyed me by wanting to be dusted when I wanted to be doing something else, and there was no one to do the dusting for me, I would cast it all into the nearest bonfire and sit and warm my toes at the flames with great contentment.

I don't like Duty—everything in the least disagreeable is always sure to be one's duty.

It is much easier, and often more pleasant, to be a warning than an example

We were meant to be happy, and to accept all the happiness offered with thankfulness—indeed, we are none of us ever thankful enough, and yet we each get so much, so very much, more than we deserve.

don't be afraid of public opinion in the shape of the neighbour in the next house, when all the world is before you new and shining, and everything is possible

Cultured individuals do not, as a rule, neglect to teach their offspring to read, and write, and say their prayers, and are apt to resent the intrusion of an examining inspector into their homes;

listening to the marvellous silence, and letting its blessedness descend into my very soul.

Every paradise has its serpent, however, and this one is so infested by mosquitos

Very well, I suppose I am eccentric, since even my husband says so; but if my eccentricities are of such a practical nature as to result later in the biggest cauliflowers and tenderest lettuce in Prussia, why then he ought to be the first to rise up and call me blessed.

2010 total: 19
currently reading: Murder on a Girl's Night Out (bath-tub book), Shutter Island, & Curse of the Pharoahs

Carmilla- J. Sheridan Le Fanu

2010-06-07T00:14:00.004-05:00

132 pages

This is a vampire story that predates
Dracula.
In fact, it is better written than Dracula.

It is the story of Carmilla, a female vampire (though that fact isn't revealed until the end).
Through a strange series of events, she comes to stay in the castle of mere strangers.
There she befriends Laura, the daughter of the family, and very mysterious things begin to occur.

Some of the vampire lore is different than what is commonly "believed" today.

The atmosphere is very rich. It's wonderfully gothic and creepy. I loved the atmosphere and the background more than anything else!

2010 total: 18
Thriller & Suspense challenge: 9
Currently Reading: "Elizabeth and Her German Garden" and "The Curse of the Pharoahs" (Amelia Peabody series-#2)

The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg

2010-06-02T19:03:00.002-05:00

128 pages

"A mysterious stranger is treated badly by the town of Hadleyburg-the town that proclaims itself "the most honest and upright town in the region." Through an ingenious sting operation, the stranger sets out to expose Hadleyburg's leading citizens and reveal their greedy, deceitful natures."

I really liked this book!

Mark Twain is fast becoming one of my favorite authors.

I remember my dad introducing me to Tom Sawyer when I was about 12. I enjoyed it, but wasn't particularly blown away by it.

In high school, we had to read Huck Finn.
I hated it.
I think I mostly hated it because I *had* to read it.
I was like that back then.
I automatically didn't like anything I was made to read.
Teenagers- go figure! lol

So that was my experience with Mark Twain.

Enter the Kindle and it's wonderful free-book goodness. :-)

Through Kindle, I have discovered lots of classics that I had never heard of, and re-discovered ones I didn't really give a chance the first time around.

This is the second Twain I've read this year and I plan on reading more.
I may even give Huck Finn another chance. ;-)

My favorite quotes from the book:
"Training in honesty-- honesty shielded from the very cradle, against every possible temptation.... is artificial honest, and weak as water when temptation comes."

"Why, you simple creatures, the weakest of all weak things is a virtue which has not been tested in the fire."

2010 total: 17

Crocodile on the Sandbank

2010-06-01T20:02:00.003-05:00

272 pages

Amazon.com Review

Elizabeth Peters's unforgettable heroine Amelia Peabody makes her first appearance in this clever mystery. Amelia receives a rather large inheritance and decides to use it for travel. On her way through Rome to Egypt, she meets Evelyn Barton-Forbes, a young woman abandoned by her lover and left with no means of support. Amelia promptly takes Evelyn under her wing, insisting that the young lady accompany her to Egypt, where Amelia plans to indulge her passion for Egyptology. When Evelyn becomes the target of an aborted kidnapping and the focus of a series of suspicious accidents and mysterious visitations, Amelia becomes convinced of a plot to harm her young friend. Like any self-respecting sleuth, Amelia sets out to discover who is behind it all.

The love of my beloved is on yonder side
A width of water is between us
And a crocodile waiteth on the sandbank.
.~Ancient Egyptian Love Poem

I found it hard to get into this book (maybe because I was reading another book that I really loved at the time) but I'm glad I didn't give up on it.
About halfway into it, I couldn't put it down.

It was a wonderful, delightful read!
The Egyptian theme was perfect to read while lying out by the pool.
The imagery is superb. The characters are excellent.
It made me want to travel the Nile on a dahabeeyah!

This book contains history, mystery, and a bit of romance.
It reminds me of a mixture of Indiana Jones, Agatha Christie, and the Discovery Channel.

Several books in this series are currently priced at about $2 in the Amazon Kindle store.
Don't miss out!

2010 total: 16
Thriller & Suspense challenge: 8
Currently Reading: "Murder on a Girls' Night Out" and "The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg"

The Solitary Summer- Elizabeth von Arnim

2010-05-23T15:41:00.004-05:00

210 pages

"May 2nd - Last night after dinner, when we were in the garden, I said, "I want to be alone for a whole summer, and get to the very dregs of life. I want to be as idle as I can, so that my soul may have time to grow. Nobody shall be invited to stay with me, and if any one calls they will be told that I am out, or away, or sick. I shall spend the months in the garden, and on the plain, and in the forests. I shall watch the things that happen in my garden, and see where I have made mistakes. On wet days I will go into the thickest parts of the forests, where the pine needles are everlastingly dry, and when the sun shines I'll lie on the heath and see how the broom flares against the clouds. I shall be perpetually happy, because there will be no one to worry me."

I absolutely loved this book. I can't think of another book that I have enjoyed more than this one. I found myself highlighting left and right- at least 1/4 of the book has been clipped on my Kindle!

It is about a woman (Elizabeth von Arnim) who spends an entire summer doing all the things she loves: spending many hours alone in her garden, reading, writing, playing with her children. It is not an entirely solitary summer because she has a family and servants, and at one point they must play host to a troop of soldiers. More accurately, she does not spend any time socializing or looking to other people for entertainment.

I highly recommend this book.
It is perfect reading for an afternoon by the pool or an evening in the shade of a favorite tree.

Some of my favorite quotes from the book:

"What a blessing to love books! Everybody must love something and I know of no objects of love that give such substantial and unfailing returns as books and a garden."

"I long ago have discovered that the less a person knows, the more certain he is that he is right, and that no weapons yet invented are of any use in a struggle with stupidity."

"Books have their idiosyncrasies as well as people, and will not show me their full beauties unless the place and time in which they are read suits them."

(on taking a walk at 3 a.m.)
"I stood for a few minutes motionless on the steps, almost frightened by the awful purity of nature when all the sin and ugliness is shut up and asleep, and there is nothing but the beauty left."

"but here was the world wide awake and yet only for me, all the fresh pure air only for me, all the fragrances breathed only by me, not a living soul hearing the nightingale but me, the sun in a few moments coming up to warm only me, and nowhere a single hard word being spoken, or a single selfish act being done, nowhere anything that could tarnish the blessed purity of the world as God has give it us."

"Experience has taught me that whenever anything is on the tip of my tongue, the best thing to do is to keep it there."

"I have, it is true, a great many friends-- people with whom it is pleasant to spend an afternoon if such afternoons are not repeated too often, and if you are careful not to stir more than the surface of things."

"How can you help being happy if you are healthy and in the place you want to be?"

"I could almost fancy sometimes that as I come down the steps, gentle hands of blessing have been laid on my head. I suppose I feel so because of the hush that descends on my soul when I get out of the close, restless house into that silent purity."

"I jolted over the roots into the gathering shadows more and more pervaded by that feeling that so refreshes me, the feeling of being absolutely alone."

"And was there ever such a hopeful beginning to a day, and so full of promise for the subsequent right passing of its hours, as breakfast in the garden, alone with your teapot and your book!"

There's more, but I must stop myself now!

Here are some links about Elizabeth's life and the home described in this book.

Historic Gardens Foundation

Former location of Nassenheide, site of Elizabeth von Arnim's German Garden, described in her book of 1898. Historic site.

on Wikipedia

My TBR Pile (Updated)

2010-05-05T04:00:00.001-05:00

Update: I've added more books to my pile.
Thankfully, most of these are on my Kindle so I don't have a literal pile.
I have to admit, having a Kindle has got me addicted to collecting books (esp. when they're free!)
I know I won't read all of these books this year, but it's still fun organizing and adding to my "little pile." :-)

The books with a strike through them have either been read or removed from my list.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The majority of these were free Kindle books.
A few are from paperback swap or library sales (aka my bath tub books ;-)).
I don't know if I will ever read every book on this list, but I do love having a large selection to choose from.

I've listed them in order of shortest to longest.

~~The Tragedy of Puddin'headWilson- Mark Twain- 118 pages~~ READ
Weetzie Bat-Francesca Lia Block- 128 pages
Where Angels Fear to Tread- E.M. Forster- 128 pages
The Daffodil Mystery- Edgar Wallace- 134 pages
~~The Ghost Pirates-William Hope Hodgson- 136 pages~~
Jacob's Room - Virginia Wolf- 144 pages
Miss Map- E.F. Benson- 148 pages
~~Death of an Outsider(paperback)- M.C. Beaton-148 pages~~ READ
The Evil Guest- Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu- 160 pages
Ghost Stories of an Antiquary- M.R. James-168 pages
The Body in the Library-Agatha Christie- 192 pages
The Divine Commodity- Skye Jethani-192 pages
Velvet Elvis -Rob Bell-208 pages
~~The Vanishing Man- R. Austin Freeman- 210 pages~~
The Solitary Summer-Elizabeth von Arnim 212 pages
~~Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris-214 pages~~ READ
Saving Sailor- Renee Riva-224 pages
The Monk who Sold his Ferrari- Robin S. Sharma- 224 pages
Tales of the Jazz Age - F. Scott Fitzgerald- 224 pages
Sin Boldly- 224 pages
Milrose Munce and the Den of Professional Help- Douglas Anthony Cooper- 240 pages
Stuck on Murder- Lucy Lawrence- 240 pages
The Last Time I Saw You- Elizabeth Berg 256 pages
Murder on a Girls' Night Out (paperback)- Anne George 256
One Bad Apple-Sheila Connelly- 272 pages
Poirot's Christmas 272 pages
Exposure- Brandilyn Collins- 272 pages
Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus-Ann Spangler, Lois Tverberg- 272 pages
The Curse of the Pharoahs (#2)- Elizabeth Peters-285 pages
Sew Deadly-Elizabeth Lyn Casey- 288 pages
Robin and Ruby-K.M. Soehnlein- 288 pages
Dark Pursuit- Brandilyn Collins- 288 pages
The Fence My Father Built-Linda Clare-294
Death of a Trophy Wife-Laura Levine-304 pages
Tender Graces- Kathryn Magendie-316 pages
You Can't Stop Me- Matthew Clemens- 320 pages
Grave Surprise- Charlaine Harris- 320 pages
Strawberry Shortcake Murder- Joanne Fluke- 320 pages
Daring Chloe-Laura Jensen Walker- 336 pages
As Young as We Feel - Melody Carlson- 352 pages
Sushi for One? - Camy Tang- 352 pages
Thyme of Death (paperback)- Susan Wittig Albert-352 pages
The People of the Mist-Henry Rider Haggard- 356 pages
Daisy Chain-Mary E. DeMuth- 368 pages
My name is Russell Fink- Michael Snyder- 368 pages
Primitive- Mark Nykanen and Deborah Smith- 384 pages
Shutter Island- Dennis Lehane- 400 pages
Rooms-James L. Rubart- 400 pages
Seeing a Large Cat- Elizabeth Peters- 432 pages
~~The Help-Kathryn Stockett- 464 pages~~ READ
The Killing Room- John Manning-484 pages
The Complete Sherlock Holmes- 944 pages

Death of a Prankster & Shakespeare's Landlord

2010-05-05T03:20:00.004-05:00

176 pages

From Publishers Weekly:
Wealthy local Andrew Trent, notorious for practical jokes that have far exceeded short-sheeted beds and whoopee cushions, has summoned his would-be heirs to his northern mansion with the false announcement that he has only a short time left to live. Braving the Highlands winter are his adopted son and his TV-star fiancee, two spinster daughters, his brother (with his brittle wife) and his scientist stepson (with his punk, pink-haired girlfriend and colleague). After Andrew is murdered in a prank that backfires, Macbeth wends his way through a tangle of family squabbles and secrets. Another murder and an attempt on a third victim follow in this readable tale that doesn't, however, bear close scrutiny. Illogic abounds and the final confession is precipitated by a wild coincidence.

This book has all the classic mystery elements: numerous suspects snowbound in a big mansion, red herrings, and a gathering of the suspects in the drawing room for the solution to be given by the featured sleuth.

Most Amazon reviewers gave this book low ratings, but I rather liked it. In fact, I'd say this might be my favorite Hamish MacBeth novel I've read yet.

214 pages

From Publisher's Weekly While on a late-night jog in tiny Shakespeare, Ark., Lily Bard, 31, sees a furtive figure placing large plastic garbage bags in the local park and, untying one, discovers the body of her former landlord. In a quick but anonymous phone call (she is determined to avoid any questioning), she reports it to the police chief. With skill and wry wit, Harris, the author of the Aurora Teagarden series, soon reveals the horrific facts in Lily's background that explain why she is solitary, confrontational, obsessed with self-defense—and why she chooses, despite a first-rate education, to eke out a living as a cleaning woman. Realizing, however, that her fingerprints on the body of the dead man might make her a suspect, Lily subtly and insightfully queries her customers, some of them tenants of the murdered landlord, in the process meticulously evaluating their closets, drawers and motives. The renters are a well-defined lot: a happily promiscuous idler; a sanctimonious and hypocritical reverend; and an aging couple with much to grieve about. As Lily investigates, she develops a wary but cordial relationship with the police chief and forms a warmer tie with her karate instructor. But at the same time, someone has discovered the unspeakable facts about Lily's past and has begun stalking her.

I didn't really like this book. It wasn't very suspenseful and I couldn't connect with the characters. I found that I didn't really care to find out who the murderer was. I made myself finish reading it. After all, I had bought the book with my swagbucks gift card. ;-)
I don't think I will be reading more in this series any time soon.

2010 total: 14
Thriller & Suspense challenge: 7
currently reading: The Last Time I Saw You- Elizabeth Berg

The Help - Kathryn Stockett

2010-04-17T20:15:00.003-05:00

464 pages

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. What perfect timing for this optimistic, uplifting debut novel set during the nascent civil rights movement in Jackson, Miss., where black women were trusted to raise white children but not to polish the household silver. Eugenia Skeeter Phelan is just home from college in 1962, and, anxious to become a writer, is advised to hone her chops by writing about what disturbs you. The budding social activist begins to collect the stories of the black women on whom the country club sets relies and mistrusts enlisting the help of Aibileen, a maid who's raised 17 children, and Aibileen's best friend Minny, who's found herself unemployed more than a few times after mouthing off to her white employers. The book Skeeter puts together based on their stories is scathing and shocking, bringing pride and hope to the black community, while giving Skeeter the courage to break down her personal boundaries and pursue her dreams. Assured and layered, full of heart and history, this one has bestseller written all over it.

I absolutely loved this book.
I always admire people standing up for what is right, despite the consequences.

I admire the courage of these woman to tell their stories, to reveal the truth, even knowing that by doing so they were putting themselves and their families in grave danger.

Some parts of the book were so intense that it was hard to read.
I had to stop and put it down at one point.

I think the overall theme of this book is hope.
Hope that things can get better, and that right will prevail.

Currently Reading: Death of a Prankster- M.C. Beaton
2010 total: 12

Death of an Outsider & The Tale of Puddn'head Wilson

2010-04-11T22:20:00.004-05:00

118 pages

This is the first Mark Twain book I've read since high school.

It was interesting.

According to the author, it started out as a farce and ended up being a tragedy. He says it was actually 2 stories in one.

I have to admit, I don't understand the title.
Yes, it is a tragedy, but the tragedy part did not involve Pudd'nhead Wilson. In fact, he ended up being the hero. Neither is Puddn'head one of the main character. *shrugs* Maybe I'm missing something. I don't know.

This book is definitely NOT politically correct. It was hard to read in some places- both because of the content, and because of the dialect. It made me laugh. It made me angry. It is a good story.

It involves two babies being raised by a slave named Roxy.
Roxy is only 1/16th black. Her skin is white. Her son's skin is white.
Roxy cares for her son, and her master's son.
The two boys look like twins.
Roxy comes up with a plan to switch them so her son will never be sold, and hopefully will be able to stay with her.
After the many sacrifices she makes for her son, he turns out to be horrible.
He betrays in the worse way.

There is much more to the story than that, but I don't want to give anything away.

The book includes a duel, fingerprinting (which was apparently a new science at the time), cat burglary, palm reading, murder, and the phrase "he needed killing." lol

Death of an Outsider - M.C. Beaton

148 pages

"Nobody in the Scottish town of Cnothan had much liked William Mainwaring. The abrasive Englishman rubbed everyone the wrong way. And now that he's been murdered, nobody seems to mind. Constable Hamish Macbeth happens to be on temporary duty in Cnothan when the killer strikes, and now, like it or not, he's got to solve the crime and bring the killer to justice. But the closed-mouthed locals seem to be hiding many secrets. And as Hamish slowly pieces together a tale of illicit romance, secret vices, real-estate swindles and witchcraft, he begins to wonder if he will soon be joining Mainwairing ."

I liked this book. M.C. Beaton makes the setting and characters come alive. The town of Cnothan is a very bleak, depressing sort of place. I felt almost as homesick as Hamish did for Lochdubh.

This book was written in the 80s and it is very evident. There are references to Reagan, Gorbachev, Margaret Thatcher, AIDS, and more. Descriptions of clothing includes large shoulder pads in dresses! I think that's a fashion trend we'd all like to forget. lol

Currently Reading: "The Help"
2010 total: 11

11 p.m.

2010-04-10T22:42:00.003-05:00

I did it! My 24 hours is up!!

I finished my last book just in time- with 15 minutes to spare.

So how did we do?

I read
Death of an Outsider-M.C. Beaton,
The Tragedy of Puddn'head Wilson- Mark Twain
the book of James (the Message bible)
6 chapters of The Help.

DD read
Nancy Drew Notebooks-Alien in the Classroom
Nancy Drew Notebooks- The Apple Bandit
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
126 pages (out of 220) of Emily Windsnap & the Monster from the Deep

DS read
The Yellow Feather Mystery (Hardy Boys)
Robinson Crusoe

Not too shabby, if you factor in interruptions by my 4 children, and breaks for exercise, showers, meals, and naps.

Tomorrow I will be visiting some of the other readers' blogs.
I love blog surfing.

This was very fun. I can't wait for the next read-a-thon.

I want to thank all of the cheerleaders and fellow readers for your encouragement.
I couldn't have done it without you! :-)

8 p.m. update

2010-04-10T20:08:00.002-05:00

I am up to chapter 15 (61% complete) in Puddin'head Wilson.
It's a good book and I am enjoying it.

I have to admit, I am getting a little tired of reading.

Only 3 more hours until my 24-hour mark is up!
I might read past the 24 hour mark, though.
Like I said, I'm a night owl. It's no big for me to read all night. :-)

6 p.m. update

2010-04-10T17:53:00.002-05:00

After my last update, I moved outside for a change of scenery.
I sat on the patio swing and read 8 chapters of Puddin'head Wilson.
Then I came inside, had a bath, and ate a tomato & avocado sandwich.

Now it's time to get back to business. :-)

My daughter is joining me again. She's been reading for about an hour.
She is on page 66 (chapter 3) of Emily Windsnap and the Monster from the Deep.

I am going to be starting on chapter 9 of Puddin'head Wilson in just a moment.

3 p.m. update

2010-04-10T14:49:00.003-05:00

I've finally finished a book. Yay!

Next time I do a read-a-thon I will NOT choose a 500 page book!
I don't think I will be finishing The Help today.

I finished Death of an Outsider by M.C. Beaton.

I will be reading The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson by Mark Twain next.

My boys have abandoned me.
They went fishing with their dad.
I don't blame them, though.
If you were a teenaged boy, which would you choose? lol
They will be joining me again tonight.

DD finished The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and is now reading the second Emily Windsnap book.
She is taking a break for awhile.

I am feeling much better now- afternoons and evenings are my peak time.
The morning sluggishness has left me.
It's time to get down to some serious reading!

12:30 p.m.

2010-04-10T12:28:00.001-05:00

I napped, had dinner, did some laundry, and woke up the kids.

Now it's time to get back to reading!

10 a.m. update

2010-04-10T09:43:00.002-05:00

I read one chapter in The Help, and one chapter in Death of an Outsider.

I think I'm going to switch to Death of an Outsider until I finish it.
It's a rather short book and I need to feel like I've accomplished something.

I'm currently on chapter 15 of The Help and chapter 6 of Death of an Outsider.

I am having a hard time this morning.
It's easy for me to stay up and read, but mornings are not my best time of day.
I'm sleepy!

The kids are not awake yet.
I think I may take a short "power-nap," and then wake them up.

Read-a-Thon Intro Meme

2010-04-10T08:31:00.002-05:00

Where are you reading from today? Louisiana

3 facts about me … I am 35 years old, I'm an (almost) vegetarian, and I'm a homeschooling mom of 4 children
How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours? 3 or 4
Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)?
My goal is to finish "The Help," "Death of an Outsider" by M.C. Beaton, and at least one other book from my TBR pile.

If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, Any advice for people doing this for the first time?
Nope, sorry. I'm a newbie. :-)

8 a.m.

2010-04-10T08:21:00.000-05:00

I'm awake, time to get back to reading!!!

3 a.m. update

2010-04-10T02:46:00.000-05:00

I read 4 chapters of "The Help."
They are long chapters.
This is a very good book, but I am getting tired of reading it.
I think I'm going to switch to something else for awhile.
I am currently on chapter 14 (40% complete, according to my Kindle).

DD completed her second book and is now reading "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes,"
Illustrated Classics edition.
She's currently on page 150- she only has 30 pages left in it.

DS (14) finished his first book (Yellow Feather Mystery) and is currently on chapter 13 of Robinson Crusoe.

I am getting sleepy.
I think I will have to stop for some sleep soon.

1 a.m. update

2010-04-10T00:52:00.000-05:00

DD completed one book (Nancy Drew & Alien in the Classroom), and read 56 pages in another book (Nancy Drew & the Apple Bandit).

DS (14) read 79 pages of his book.
He's currently on page 148.

I read the book of James, 1 chapter in "Death of and Outsider" by M.C. Beaton (while in the bath), and 2 chapters in "The Help."

I'm currently on chapter 10 of "The Help."

Setting the Mood

2010-04-09T23:11:00.000-05:00

It's time to start reading!!

At least it is for us. ;-)

We are night owls.
It's much easier for us to stay up late reading than to wake up at the crack of dawn to start.

We officially started at 11 p.m.

We will read until we fall asleep (which I expect to be about 3 a.m.), then we'll
resume when we wake tomorrow.

Before I start, I like to set the mood.

My favorite time to read is on a rainy night.
Unfortunately, it isn't raining at the moment, so I will listen a recording
of a rain storm on my iPod while I'm reading.

I do this quite regularly.
I like the cozy feeling it produces, and it helps to drown out any noise that
may distract from my reading.

I also don't like harsh overhead lights while I'm reading, so I use my trusty Energizer headlight.
It's the best!

I am going to be reading in the living room.
For some reason, I can't read comfortably in bed.
So, I am going to curl up on the sofa with my pillows and a comfy quilt
for the remainder of the night.

DD is beginning with "Nancy Drew notebooks: Alien in the Classroom."
She is on page 38 at the moment.

C (14 y.o. son) is currently reading The Yellow Feather Mystery.
He's on page 69.

I am going to begin reading a chapter or two in the book of James (the Message translation),
then move on to "The Help."

I will be updating our progress through the night.

Read-a-Thon

2010-04-08T18:08:00.000-05:00

It's almost time for the read-a-thon!
If you'd like to participate, there's still time to sign up.
It starts at 5 a.m. Pacific this Saturday.
Click on the picture for more info.

You don't have to read for the entire 24 hours.
You are allowed to sleep and take breaks.

I must say right now that I will not be starting early in the morning. I have insomnia, so it will be no problem for me to stay up all night reading, but I absolutely cannot wake up early enough for the start time. I guess that means I'll be using my sleep time at the beginning of the read-a-thon instead of at the end. :-)

My children will also be participating. I don't think they will read the entire time, but they will be reading for a large part of the day.

We will be blogging our progress on this blog.

Here are our reading lists:

Mine
The Help- Kathryn Stockett
At the moment I have read about 25% of it.

Death of an Outsider- M.C. Beaton
I am currently on page 48 of 148.

My goal is to finish these two books and then start (and hopefully finish) something from my TBR pile.

My 14 year old son
The Yellow Feather Mystery (Hardy Boys)
He is about half way into it.

Robinson Crusoe
He's already read it twice, but wants to read it again.
It's his favorite.

Warriors #1 - Into the Wild
Warriors #2- Fire and Ice

My 10 year old daughter
Emily Windsnap and the Monster from the Deep- Liz Kessler
Emily Windsnap and the Castle in the Mist
This series is about a girl who finds out she is really a mermaid.
DD's already read the first in the series and has read a little of the second book

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Children's Illustrated Classics edition)

Nancy Drew Notebooks- The Apple Bandits, and Alien in the Classroom

My 13 year old son
He does not like to read.
This makes me sad.

However, he will be participating as well.
He bought a large collection of "Goosebumps" books from Ebay.
He will be reading some of these.

It's not my favorite choice, but at least he reads them.

I can't wait for Saturday!!!

"Saving CeeCee Honeycutt" & "Gilt by Association"

2010-03-28T23:20:00.000-05:00

320 pages

From Booklist

Momma always told CeeCee (short for Cecelia Rose) that “being in the North isn’t living—it’s absolute hell.” Of course, having to live with Momma—Camille Sugarbaker Honeycutt, that is, Vidalia Onion Queen, 1951—doesn’t make it any more heavenly, especially when Momma starts standing in the front yard blowing kisses to passersby. You know this is going to end badly, and so it does, when the erstwhile onion queen is run over by a speeding Happy Cow Ice Cream Truck. Before you can say “sweet magnolia blossoms,” 12-year-old CeeCee is sent off to Savannah to live with her elderly great aunt, Tallulah Caldwell, and her wise African American housekeeper and cook, Oletta. It being 1967, you know there will be one dark episode of racial hatred, but it’s quickly—and conveniently—resolved offstage, leaving all the characters free to continue being relentlessly eccentric, upbeat, sweet as molasses, and living, as CeeCee puts it with a straight face, “in a breezy, flower-scented fairy tale . . . a strange, perfumed world that . . . seemed to be run entirely by women.” Light as air but thoroughly pleasant reading.

I really liked this book.
I don't know what else to say about it.
You should read it.
Told ya I wasn't a very good book reviewer! lol

256 pages

"......But a superb, gilt-edged 18th-century French armoire she purchased for a song at estate auction has just arrived along with something she didn't pay for: a dead body.

Suddenly her shop is a crime scene--and closed to the public during the busiest shopping season of the year--so Abigail is determined to speed the lumbering police investigation along. But amateur sleuthing is leading the feisty antiques expert into a murderous mess of dysfunctional family secrets. And the next cadaver found stuffed into fine old furniture could wind up being Abigail's own."

This was my bathtub book this week.
Yes, I have specific books for reading in the tub. Ha!
I have a Kindle, which I use for most of my books.
However, my nightly indulgence is a bubble bath and a book.
That's where PaperBackSwap.com comes in.
I use my credits to buy paperbacks for the bath. :-)

This is the second book in this series.
I have the same complaint about it as I did about the last one.
The language.
I don't like bad language in a book, especially when it seems to be used for no real reason.
I find the language in this book very unnecessary.

This is supposed to be in the "cozy mystery" genre.
I don't think it should be labeled as such.

The definition of a cozy is as follows:
"Cozies very rarely focus on sex, profanity,or violence. The murders take
place off stage, and are often relatively bloodless" (from Wikipedia).
(Click here for more on cozies).

Granted, this is still a mild book, but I would not label it a cozy.

My second complaint is that this is supposed to be a Southern novel.
Other than saying "ya'll" and various characters complaining about yankees (which I have NEVER heard a southerner seriously do), you would never know these characters are supposed to be from the south.
It's obvious that a non-southerner (dare I say, a yankee?) wrote this book.

All of that being said, I didn't hate the book.
It was an ok read.
To be fair, I loved the author's Penn-Dutch Inn series.

2010 total: 9
Currently Reading: "The Help", "Death of an Outsider" (Hamish MacBeth), and "The One Year Chronological Bible"

Recent Reads

2010-03-13T19:31:00.000-06:00

O Pioneers!- Willa Cather

110 pages

"Alexandra, daughter of a Swedish immigrant farmer in Nebraska, inherits the family farm and finds love with an old friend."

I liked this book.
It was not as good as "My Antonia."
It was different, not as poetic or descriptive.

Larceny and Old Lace- Tamar Myers

224 pages

"As owner of the Den of Antiquity, recently divorced(but never bitter!) Abigail Timberlake is accustomed to delving into the past, searching for losttreasures, and navigating the cutthroat world of rival dealers at flea marketsand auctions. Still, she never thought she'd be putting her expertise in mayhem and detection to other use -- until crotchety "junque" dealer, Abby's aunt Eulonia Wiggins, was found murdered!

Although Abigail is puzzled by the instrument of death -- an exquisite antique bell pull that Aunt Eulonia never would have had the taste to acquire -- she's willing to let the authorities find the culprit. But now, Auntie's priceless lace is missing,and somebody's threatened Abby's most priceless possession: her son, Charlie. It's up to Abby to put the murderer "on the block.""

This was my "bathtub book" last month.

Tamar Myers has always been one of my favorite writers.
I loved her Penn-Dutch Inn series and I have read a few of these Den of Antiquity series.
I was shocked at the language in this book.
I don't like that.
The other books I read by her had little to no bad language.

Other than that, it was a fun read.
Not as funny as the Penn Dutch Inn series, but enough to keep a person interested.

The Principle of the Path- Andy Stanley

178 pages

"Your Direction, not Your Intention, Determines Your Destination.

There is often a tension between where we want to end up in life and the path we choose to get there. We fail to see that having good intentions is never good enough. Like Charlie Brown, we wrongly believe there's something to be said for trying hard. We need to understand why, in spite of our good intentions, we may have ended up at the wrong destination with our finances, our marriages, our careers, or a host of other dreams. So how do we get from where we are to where we truly want to be? The Principle of the Path is a road map to proper direction and discipline."

Here are some of the highlights
* "To get from where we don't want to be to where we do want to be requires two things: time and a change of direction."
* "Direction-not intentions, hopes, dreams, prayers, beliefs, intellect, or education-determines destination."
* "We should break the habit of drawing a circle around individual decisions and events and dismissing them as isolated occurrences. These are steps. Steps that lead somewhere."
* "Prudent people look as far down the road as possible when making decisions."
* "Christians start talking about forgiveness as if somehow forgiveness serves as an escape hatch from the outcome of bad decisions."
* "When happiness points in one direction while wisdom, truth, integrity, and common sense point in another, that's when really smart people start doing really stupid things."
* "Your heart can't be trusted... The truth is, if you let it, your heart will direct you down a path that leads to the very spot you most want to avoid."
* "The choices are now. The outcomes are later. The decisions you make today have ramifications down the road."
* "One never accomplishes the will of God by breaking the law of God, violating the principles of God, or ignoring the wisdom of God."
* "I am constantly amazed at how resistant folks are to take their cues from people who are where they want to be."
* "We don't drift in good directions. We discipline and prioritize ourselves there."

Simple principles in this book, but their implications have an enormous impact on the outcomes of our lives.

I Scream, You Scream- Wendy Lyn Watson

320 pages

"Recently divorced Tallulah Jones is mortified when she's stuck scooping sundaes for her two-timing ex-husband-and his bodacious new girlfriend, Brittanie-at his company luau. But when Brittanie drops dead, Tally is suddenly the prime suspect in her murder investigation. To catch the killer, Tally will have to dip deep into her small Texan town's darkest secrets and churn up stories some would prefer to keep in the past. But can she uncover the real culprit before a murder charge puts her dreams on ice for good?"

I didn't like this book very much. It was just a'right (to quote Randy Jackson).
I didn't find myself being drawn into the story line, or caring about the characters.
This is the first in a series. I don't think I'll be reading any more.

Currently Reading: Saving CeeCee Honeycutt
2010 total: 7 books (Yikes! That's not many at all! I need to get on the ball)

"Murder Takes the Cake" and "Three Blind Mice"

2010-01-25T06:26:00.001-06:00

Murder Takes the Cake- Gayle Trent
260 pages

"Cozy murder mystery. When the meanest gossip in Brea Ridge dies mysteriously, suspicions turn to cake decorator Daphne Martin. But all Daphne did was deliver a spice cake with cream cheese frosting--and find Yodel's body. Now Daphne's got to help solve the murder and clear her good name. Problem is, her Virginia hometown is brimming with people who had good reason to kill Yodel, and Daphne's whole family is among them."

This book was free through the Kindle app a few weeks ago. I snatched it up fast! Kindle books are "free today, not tomorrow." lol

I really enjoyed this book.
It kept me interested, and I read it rather quickly.
The characters were believable and likeable (except for Daphne's mother. I'm not sure what's going on there. Maybe more will be revealed in future installments).
I admit, I skipped over some of parts that went into detail about cake making.
If you're a cake decorator, or interested in learning, you would love this book.

Three Blind Mice- Agatha Christie

275 pages

This book is a collection of short stories starring Poirot and Miss Marple.

In addition, it includes the story "Three Blind Mice" upon which Christie's play "The Mousetrap" is based.

"Three Blind Mice" is by far the best short story in the collection. It is of the same caliber as her better novels, in my humble opinion.

Currently reading: O Pioneers! - Willa Cather
2010 total: 3 (really? Only 3? I need to step it up a bit.)

"Daddy- Long-Legs" and "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society"

2010-01-12T20:10:00.000-06:00

88 pages

"A trustee of the John Grier orphanage has offered to send Judy Abbott to college. The only requirements are that she must write to him every month, and that she can never know who he is. Judy’s life at college is a whirlwind of friends, classes, parties, and a growing friendship with the handsome Jervis Pendleton. With so much happening in her life, Judy can scarcely stop writing! "

I started this book in December, but finished it in January. I already counted it as part of my 2009 reads, but I wanted to review it here.

I remember reading this book in 5th grade. I checked it out of the school library. I remember wishing I had a window seat just like Judy's.

This book never gets old. It is simply charming. It will always be among my favorites.

290 pages

From Publishers Weekly

"The letters comprising this small charming novel begin in 1946, when single, 30-something author Juliet Ashton (nom de plume Izzy Bickerstaff) writes to her publisher to say she is tired of covering the sunny side of war and its aftermath. When Guernsey farmer Dawsey Adams finds Juliet's name in a used book and invites articulate—and not-so-articulate—neighbors to write Juliet with their stories, the book's epistolary circle widens, putting Juliet back in the path of war stories. The occasionally contrived letters jump from incident to incident—including the formation of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society while Guernsey was under German occupation—and person to person in a manner that feels disjointed. But Juliet's quips are so clever, the Guernsey inhabitants so enchanting and the small acts of heroism so vivid and moving that one forgives the authors (Shaffer died earlier this year) for not being able to settle on a single person or plot. Juliet finds in the letters not just inspiration for her next work, but also for her life—as will readers."

This was not a book I would have chosen on my own.
After hearing my friend, Pattie rave about it, and learning that it was the first book in an online book club I've joined, I decided I should read it.
I was pleasantly surprised.
I really enjoyed this book.
I would recommend it to anyone.

2010 reads: 1
currently reading: Three Blind Mice- Agatha Christie

Read in November

2009-12-04T00:58:00.001-06:00

The Secret Adversary- Agatha Christie
The Mysterious Affair at Styles- Agatha Christie
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd- Agatha Christie
By Hook or By Crook- Betty Hechtmann
Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder- Joanne Fluke

Read Jan-Nov 2009

2009-11-21T23:01:00.000-06:00

21 total

Home to Holly Springs- Jan Karon
Tamar Myers:
Monet Talks
The Cane Mutiny
Between a Wok and a Hard Place
Just Plain Pickled to Death
Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth
Hell Hath No Curry
Grape Expectations
Thou Shalt Not Grill
Eat, Drink, and Be Wary
Three Little Words: A Memoir- Ashley Rhodes-Courter
Tea Time for the Traditionally Built- Alexander McCall Smith
Grave Sight- Charlaine Harris
On the Street Where You Live -Mary Higgins Clark
Embrace Me- Lisa Samson
Tiger Lily- Lisa Samson
The Edge of Town- Dorothy Garlock
The Secret Adversary- Agatha Christie
Dracula's Guest (short story)- Bram Stoker
The Mysterious Affair at Styles- Agatha Christie
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd- Agatha Christie

2009-02-27T01:45:00.000-06:00

I think I may close this blog.
I was mainly keeping it to record what I've read.
I've found a website that makes it SO much easier than this blog.
It is Goodreads.com

You simply look up the book you want, then add it to your "shelves."
If anyone would like to keep up with me on Goodreads, just leave me a comment or look me up there. :-)

Books I've read since last time:
Thou Shall Not Grill
Grape Expectations
Hell Hath No Curry
- all my Tamar Myers

Currently reading: Dead Days of Summer- Carolyn Hart

Tamar Myers' PennDutch Inn series

2009-02-01T23:20:00.000-06:00

255 pages

When a new guest takes a fatal fall down the little PennDutch inn's quaintly steep stairs, Miss Magdalena Yoder, the no-nonsense owner, is more worried about a lawsuit than foul play. Magdalena also has a bushel of other troubles: An arrogant congressman and his wife check in for deer hunting, offending the other guests who are animal-rights activists. Her Amish cook up and quits when vegetarians refuse to eat her hearty Pennsylvania-Dutch cooking. But when a second guest is found stiff, cold, and dead on Magdalena's handmade quilt, she's sure there's a killer somewhere on the premises. (First in the series)

272 pages

It's another case of meals, mayhem and murder in Pennsylvania's Dutch country! Magdalena Yoder's finally getting married, but this special affair is quickly spoiling. The cook preparing the wedding feast has found a corpse in a barrel of sauerkraut--the cousin of Magdalena's bridegroom, a woman reported missing for two decades. And when Magdalena takes it upon herself to find the killer, she soon discovers that one of the key suspects is none other than her beloved! .

272 pages

Ever since her new husband flew the coop, Pennsylvania Dutch inn owner Magdalena Yoder has had plenty of time to kill. But the suspicious death of an Asian tourist proves that time is not the only thing around here that's getting murdered! Magdalena follows the trail to the local Amish community where a dangerous secret is being concealed, and a killer who's really using his noodle awaits! .

I realize I've been a bit lazy about doing book reviews lately (not that I've ever been that great at them anyway ;-)). I have a good excuse. Almost my entire family has the flu.
On the bright side, I've been getting a lot of reading done. :-)

2009 total: 6
pages read: 1,887

The Cane Mutiny & Monet Talks- Tamar Myers

2009-01-19T23:02:00.000-06:00

384 pages

Abigail Timberlake Washburn understands the antiques game is a gamble -- so she doesn't know what to expect when she wins the bidding for the contents of an old locker that has been sealed up for years. It's a delightful surprise when she discovers inside a collection of exquisite old walking sticks -- and a not-so-delightful one when she pulls out a decrepit gym bag containing . . . a human skull!

The last thing the diminutive South Carolina antiques dealer needs is to be suspected of foul play. So she grabs her chatty assistant (and future sister-in-law), C.J., and heads out to search for a killer they can stick it to. But this cane case will be no walk in the park -- with its arcane clues hinting at poaching, counterfeiting, smuggling . . . and homicide, of course. And when a fresh corpse turns up, things are about to get really sticky for Abby and her staff of one.

336 pages

Charleston antiques dealer Abigail Timberlake Washburn is thrilled by her recent estate auction purchase of a spectacular bejeweled birdcage from India, but not so much by its occupant, a mouthy mynah named Monet. Still, her customers at the Den of Antiquity seem charmed by the insufferable birdbrain, so Abby figures she's stuck with him. That is, until she finds a stuffed starling resting on his usual perch with a ransom note demanding a real Monet (the painted variety) in exchange for her purloined pet.

Since she doesn't happen to have a priceless masterpiece on hand -- and since a mynahless existence isn't all that distasteful a prospect -- Abby figures she'll let the thief keep the annoying avian. But when her mama Mozella is abducted by the craven birdnapper, Abby must leap into the fray to rescue mater and mynah alike ... before the feathers really start to fly!

These books were light, enjoyable reads. They were just perfect to read while sitting up with a toddler that has insomnia. ;-)

2009 total: 3

pages read: 1,088

Home to Holly Springs- Jan Karon

2009-01-06T22:12:00.000-06:00

368 pages

I loved the Mitford series, so I was excited about this book.

Unfortunately, I didn't think it was as good as the Mitford books. It was nice to visit with Fr. Tim again, but this book left me homesick for Mitford. It lacked the charm, humor, and warm-fuzziness of the previous series.

2009 total: 1
pages read: 368

In the Forests of the Night- Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

2008-12-18T21:47:00.000-06:00

176 pages

Vampire girl loves a tiger.
Vampire boy kills tiger because vampire girls hunts in his territory.
Vampire girl nearly kills vampire boy, and becomes a stronger vampire.
The end.

2008 total: 34
pages read: 13,988

The Witch of Blackbird Pond

2008-12-14T17:38:00.000-06:00

249 pages

Amazon.com Review
Forced to leave her sunny Caribbean home for the bleak Connecticut Colony, Kit Tyler is filled with trepidation. As they sail up the river to Kit's new home, the teasing and moodiness of a young sailor named Nat doesn't help. Still, her unsinkable spirit soon bobs back up. What this spirited teenager doesn't count on, however, is how her aunt and uncle's stern Puritan community will view her. In the colonies of 1687, a girl who swims, wears silk and satin gowns, and talks back to her elders is not only headstrong, she is in grave danger of being regarded as a witch. When Kit befriends an old Quaker woman known as the Witch of Blackbird Pond, it is more than the ascetics can take: soon Kit is defending her life. Who can she count on as she confronts these angry and suspicious townspeople? A thoroughly exciting and rewarding Newbery Medal winner and ALA Notable Children's Book, Elizabeth George Speare's The Witch of Blackbird Pond brings this frightening period of witch hysteria to life. Readers will wonder at the power of the mob mentality, and the need for communities in desperate times--even current times--to find a scapegoat. (Ages 9 and older)

I liked this book. Even though it is a children's book, I found it hard to put down.

It gave any interesting picture of life in colonial Connecticut.
The witch hunt was actually a smaller portion of the story than you would expect.
The reasons for suspicion of witchcraft were ridiculous, though I'm sure similar charges were used during the New England witch trials.
All in all, this is a good, delightful read.

2008 total: 33
pages read: 13,812

A Spoonful of Poison- M.C. Beaton

2008-12-13T00:15:00.000-06:00

312 pages (large print edition)

From Publishers Weekly
When elderly Mrs. Andrews blithely jumps to her death off the tower of Saint Odo the Severe during a church charity event in the Cotswolds village of Comfrey Magna, LSD-laced jam proves to be the cause in bestseller Beaton's saucy 19th Agatha Raisin mystery (after 2007's Kissing Christmas Goodbye). Agatha joins the local authorities in the investigation, which focuses on the six women who contributed jam to the church fete, including wealthy Sybilla Triast-Perkins. Agatha and Toni Gilmour, her young detective-in-training, soon find unmasking the lethal jam poisoner complicated by Sybilla's sudden suicide and a murder connected to the theft of the fete's proceeds. Beaton's sly humor enhances the cozy-style plotting, while updates on Agatha's and Toni's respective romantic travails are delightful as ever. The open-ended resolution points to more madcap mayhem to come

This is the newest Agatha Raisin mystery.
It wasn't my favorite.
It's not a bad book, but, it was predictable.
I find that all of the recent Agatha Raisin books have become predictable and pretty much the same.

2008 total: 32
pages read: 13,563

currently reading: The Witch of Blackbird Pond

Skin- Ted Dekker

2008-12-05T13:11:00.000-06:00

400 pages

From Booklist
*Starred Review* A freak tornado drives five characters together in the little Nevada town of Summerville in this striking morality tale superficially reminiscent of Stephen King's Desperation (1996). Dekker's philosophical considerations are his own, however. It seems that as the storm descended a serial killer named Sterling Red began his killing spree. The reader won't understand why for a long time, but, apparently, the killer is partially motivated by the desire for revenge against a nervous deputy--a Las Vegas emigre--named Colt. Sterling Red makes a curious demand of the group: kill the ugliest person among you within six hours. Otherwise, he will wipe out the rest of Summerville. Not that the little group will accede, but just suppose. Is it beauty or ugliness that's skin deep?

I liked this book. I read it in one night. I couldn't put it down- I had to know what was really going on. lol

I have to admit, the explanation was surprising, though a bit off the wall and not likely to really happen.
This book definitely has its flaws, but it was still an enjoyable and suspenseful read.

2008 total: 31
pages read: 13,251

Recent Reads

2008-12-03T11:55:00.000-06:00

Due to problems with my internet connection, I have been unable to update this blog in quite some time.
Obviously, I don't have time to review all of the books I've read since the last entry, so I'm just posting a quick list for my records.

Stephanie Meyer: Twilight (544 pages), Eclipse (640 pages), New Moon (608 pages), Breaking Dawn (768 pages)
Teri Blackstock: Breaker's Reef (480 pages)
Lisa Samson: Women's Intuition (386 pages)
PC & Kristin Cast: Marked (The House of Night series) (horrible book! I couldn't finish it)
The Quilter's Apprentice- Jennifer Chiaverini (224 pages)
The Quilter's Kitchen- Jennifer Chiaverini (224 pages)
Death of a Garage Sale Newbie- Sharon Dunn (304 pages)

2008 total: 30
pages read: 12,851

The Kanner Lake Series- Brandilyn Collins

2008-09-07T14:42:00.001-05:00

To read my review of the first book in this series, Violet Dawn, click here.

Coral Moon

319 pages

From the Back Cover The figure remained still as stone. Leslie couldn’t even detect a breath. Spider fingers teased the back of her neck. Leslie’s feet rooted to the pavement. She dropped her gaze to the driveway, seeking … what? Spatters of blood? Footprints? She saw nothing. Honed through her recent coverage of crime scene evidence, the testimony at last month’s trial, the reporter in Leslie spewed warnings: Notice everything, touch nothing. Leslie Williams hurries out to her car on a typical workday morning—and discovers a dead body inside. Why was the corpse left for her to find? And what is the meaning of the message pinned to its chest? In Coral Moon, the senseless murder of a beloved Kanner Lake citizen spirals the small Idaho town into a terrifying glimpse of spiritual forces beyond our world. What appears true seems impossible. Or is it?

I loved this book. It was very good and very suspenseful. Supernatural elements make it different from anything else by this author (at least the ones I have read). I love Brandilyn Collins. The chapters are short (which I like because I tend to read in short spurts), she gradually reveals the identity of the killer through flashbacks, the characters seem real and you genuinely care about them.

Crimson Eve

336 pages

From the back cover: Realtor Carla Radling shows and "English gentleman" a lakeside estate- and finds herself facing a gun.

Who has hired this assassin to kill her, and why?
Forced on the run, Carla must uncover the scathing secrets of her past.
Secrets that could destroy some very powerful people.

I think this was my favorite book in the series. I read it in one day. It literally keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time. Ms. Collins' tagline "Don't Forget to Breathe" is a fitting description for this book.

Amber Morn

315 pages

From the back cover:
On a beautiful Saturday morning the nationally read “Scenes and Beans” bloggers gather at Java Joint for a special celebration. Chaos erupts when three gunmen burst in and take them all hostage. One person is shot and dumped outside.

Police Chief Vince Edwards must negotiate with the desperate trio. The gunmen insist on communicating through the “comments” section of the blog—so all the world can hear their story. What they demand, Vince can’t possibly provide. But if he doesn’t, over a dozen beloved Kanner Lake citizens will die …

This was my least favorite book in the series.
I think part of the reason is because I didn't give it my full attention.
I read it during Hurricane Gustav.
Needless to say, I was somewhat pre-occupied while reading it.
It was a good story line, and I'm sure it is a good book if you read it under normal circumstances. :-)

Also read:
White Lightening- Minton Sparks (128 pages)
The Miracle at Speedy Motors- Alexander McCall Smith (224 pages)

2008 total: 21
pages read: 8673

River's Edge- Terri Blackstock

2008-07-30T22:18:00.000-05:00

363 pages

First sentence: "The cramps woke Morgan at 3:30 a.m., startling her out of a deep slumber."

From Publisher's Weekly:
This well-crafted suspense novel picks up immediately following the second installment in the Cape Refuge series: Blair has just become a Christian and a newspaper owner; Morgan struggles with infertility; and Jonathan faces two opponents in his quest to become the mayor of Cape Refuge, their small Georgia island town. When the wife of one of Jonathan's opponents goes missing, among those the chief of police suspects are the third mayoral candidate (who is, unsurprisingly, an atheist), a prosperous fertility doctor and a local psychic who appears to have uncanny knowledge about the case. Despite some didactic moments (a biblical exposition of the dangers of divination, for example), the novel manages to be more plot-driven than message-driven, a step forward for evangelical Christian suspense. Numerous red herrings in the meticulously plotted story will keep readers guessing, and they will be delighted by the skillful surprise ending.

As the above review says, the many red herrings definitely keeps you guessing until the very end. That is always a good thing in a mystery story.
I liked this book. I like this series...... but I still don't like Morgan. lol

Last sentence: "It was like a smile from God."

2008 total: 17
pages read: 7,345

currently reading: The Miracle at Speedy Motors
Quaker Summer

Songbird / Cape Refuge / Southern Storm

2008-07-18T10:39:00.000-05:00

464 pages

First line: Mama waited tables down at the Texas Inn, right where Route 29 dipped back up from its sojourn across the bridge that spanned the James River.

Gospel singer Charmaine Hopewell has been searching for her mother since she was 11 years old, abandoned, and thrown into the foster care system.
Now she is married to Harlan Hopewell, a beloved televangelist who has risen to popularity due to his disdain for psychology and psychiatry.
Charmaine, despite their loving relationship, hides her own depression and search for meaning.
Upon finding her mother in a mental institution, Charmaine realizes she must force Harlan into a decision: publicly support his wife and her needs or hide their new-found cross to ensure his rising popularity.
Either way, Charmaine fears his ministry, and her own-both born through hardship and sacrifice-will be destroyed.

I absolutely loved this book.
It is not as bleak as the above description may sound.
It is charming, funny, southern, and touching.

Last line: She's been singing "Good Morning Merry Sunshine" for a while now. I've learned to join in as best I can.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

768 pages

From the Back Cover
Set in the South, volumes one and two from the Cape Refuge suspense series by Terri Blackstock come together under one cover. A unique island setting, close-knit relationships, fast-paced action, and underlying themes of faith combine to make for reading you cant put down at a value you can't turn down.

I liked these books. I liked "Southern Storm" better than "Cape Refuge", though.

These books are fast-paced, surprising, and suspenseful. They are both good mysteries.

My complaint about the first book (Cape Refuge) is that the characters weren't very well developed. I had a hard time picturing them in my mind. There weren't may physical descriptions of any character other than Blair, who has a prominent burn scar on her face.

I really dislike Morgan. She's supposed to be this caring, loving, mother-type woman, but she doesn't come across that way. She cries at the drop of a hat. She comes across as the stereotypical "weak woman." She annoys the heck out of me. You can be loving and motherly without being weak and naive.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Currently reading:
River's Edge - Terri Blackstock (third in Cape Refuge series)
Quaker Summer- Lisa Samson

2008 total: 16
total pages read: 6,982

Blink- Ted Dekker

2008-05-21T14:33:00.000-05:00

389 pages

First sentence: "They call it the cradle of Islam."

I loved this book.
Seth is a graduate student with an extremely high IQ.
He stumbles upon a Saudi Arabian princess on the run from an arranged marriage. Her marriage is the key to a political coup.
Seth develops the ability to see multiple futures, this enables him to save the princess (and ultimately the world).

Last sentence: "Samir walked down the street, vaguely comforted."

2008 total: 13
pages read: 5750

Sisterchicks do the Hula

2008-04-16T22:56:00.001-05:00

278 pages

First sentence:
"Laurie came up with the idea to go to Hawaii."

Two sisterchicks go on a dream vacation to Hawaii.
Along the way they revel in God's creation and learn the deeper meanings of "aloha" and doing the hula.

I didn't like this one as much as I liked the first "Sisterchicks" book. Maybe because I'm just not a sand and surf kinda gal. I dunno, but this one didn't float my boat.

Last sentence:
"I might have gone my whole life without ever learning to do the hula."

2008 total: 12
pages read: 5,361

Sisterchicks on the Loose- Robin Jones Gunn

2008-03-29T20:22:00.000-05:00

274 pages

First Sentence: When my husband, Jeff, tells this story, he says it started the day I dyed my hair green.

I am really glad I decided to try something new for this reading challenge.
I normally do not read "chick lit" but I have been curious about Sisterchicks and the Yada Yadas, so I decided to give it a try.

I loved this book. This may be the best book I've read this year (next to Harry Potter, that is ;-)). I liked it even better than "The Yada Yada Prayer Group." It was a fun, feel-good, beautifully written book. I can't wait to read more in this series.

Book Description
SISTERCHICK (n.): A friend who shares the deepest wonders of your heart, loves you like a sister, and provides a reality check when you're being a brat.

Unlikely best friends Sharon, quiet mother of four, and Penny, former flower child/motorcycle mama, hatch a plan for a "post-kids" trip to seek out Penny's only living relatives somewhere in far-off Finland.
The land of reindeer, saunas, and starry nights holds infinite promise for the free-flying sisterchicks, who feel their hearts fill with a new zest for living . . . and a fresh view of the One who flung the galaxies across the heavens!

Last sentence (or 3 ;-)): Forever eighteen. Forever knit together by the same hands that dimpled the moon with His thumbprint. Forever sisterchicks.

2008 total: 11
pages read: 5,083

The Yada Yada Prayer Group

2008-03-25T09:13:00.000-05:00

385 pages

First Sentence:
I didn't really want to go to the "women's conference" the first weekend in May.

I liked this book.
I am surprised that I liked it, to be honest.
I thought it was going to be a lot of fluff, but it isn't.

It is a fun book, but it also tackles some serious issues and gives you a few things to think about.

I'd recommend it. :-)

From an Amazon review:
The "Yada Yada Prayer Group" is a diverse group of women thrown together to pray during the Chicago Women's conference. But when one of the women's sons is shot while they are still at the conference, they band together to pray round the clock. When the conference comes to a close they discover that they don't want their prayer group to end. While at first they try to keep it going via email, they soon find it is worth the extra effort to meet in person.

Last sentence:
Lifting my face and with awkward grace, on one leg and two crutches, I began to dance.

2008 total: 10
Pages read: 4,819

Spring Reading Thing 2008

2008-03-20T12:11:00.001-05:00

I've decided to join this challenge because, for some reason, I tend to read less during the spring and summer months.
Hopefully this will keep me motivated. ;-)

I may completely change the list later on. lol
These are not the type of books I usually read-check out the rest of this blog if you don't believe me. ;-)

If I start reading these and absolutely hate them, I will have to change the list. I know, I know. I'm fickle. I'm totally aware of this. lol

Here is my reading list:

The Yada Yada Prayer Group

Sisterchicks on the Loose

Sisterchicks do the Hula

Sisterchicks in Sombreros (if my request on PBS gets accepted- been waiting for 2 days)

Village Diary - Miss Read

The Red Tent (I must admit, I feel a bit reluctant to start this one. I'm not sure why. I may end up removing it from the list.)

something by Jodi Picoult (Depends on what I can find at the library. I've never read anything by her, and I'm ready to give it a try).

Quite a Year for Plums

2008-03-19T14:49:00.001-05:00

111 pages

This book actually has 220 pages, but I didn't finish it.

I like Bailey White.
I loved "Mama Makes Up Her Mind" and "Sleeping at the Starlite Motel."
When I saw this one on Paperback Swap, I snatched it up right away.

Well.

I wish I hadn't.

This book is the worse I have read in a long time. Possibly the worse book I've ever read.
It is excruciatingly boring and confusing.
There is no plot..... unless you count endless facts and discussions about chickens a plot.

There is a character list at the beginning of the book.
I had to look back at it at least twenty times (no kidding)
There were a lot of characters and they weren't introduced in any way in the novel (except for the character list).
They didn't have any distinguishing traits or anything to tell them apart- except by looking back at the character list.
There is almost no descriptions of anything at all.

I hated this book.
Hated. it.

2008 total: 9
pages read: 4,434

Thr3e- Ted Dekker

2008-03-13T15:42:00.000-05:00

404 pages

I loved this book!
It was fast paced and kept me guessing right up to the shocking ending.

I am thankful for the few good Christian writers out there.
It's refreshing to read something that is real; something without both the vulgarity in many contemporary novels and the cheesy-churchy-shove-a-moral-lesson-down-your-throat quality of most Christian fiction.

Thr3e cheers for Ted Dekker!!
(sorry, couldn't resist. ;-))

From Publishers Weekly
Dekker delivers another page-turner with this psychological Christian thriller about Kevin Parson, a 28-year-old seminary student who suddenly becomes the target of an evil nemesis called Slater. Obsessed both with Kevin's downfall and the number 3, Slater initiates a game in which Kevin must answer riddles to avoid Slater's destructive, potentially murderous retribution. Slater particularly wants Kevin to publicly confess a secret sin, and Kevin is at a loss as to what that sin might be. Once Dekker establishes this premise, he masterfully takes readers on a ride full of plot twists and turns. Not only does he spin a compelling tale of cat and mouse, but he also creates a narrative world in which it's possible that no one is quite who he or she seems. Dekker gradually discloses his protagonist's nightmarish childhood and delivers an almost perfect blend of suspense, mystery and horror. Dekker's prose is strong, putting him in a league above many other evangelical Christian writers and showing improvement over his previous work. Aside from following certain Christian fiction guidelines such as making his gorgeous 20-something characters entirely virginal, Dekker eschews most of the conventions of evangelical fiction. His spiritual message is subtle and devoid of the theologically and politically conservative agenda present in other novels.

My TBR Pile:
Village Diary- Miss Read
Quite a Year for Plums- Baily White
The Yada Yada Prayer Group- Neta Jackson
The Red Tent

2008 total: 9
pages read: 4,423

House- Frank Peretti / Ted Dekker

2008-03-04T10:55:00.000-06:00

354 pages

Hmm..... what do I say about this book?

I liked it for the most part.

On one hand it was suspenseful and fast moving.

On the other hand, it left some things unexplained.
It was confusing at times.
Some things were very obvious from the beginning, and I still don't get "The only way out is in."

You won't fully understand what is going on until the very end.
The explanation was simple. I was hoping for a bit more.

I guess, all in all, I will say this book was good. I liked it, it was a good read, but it won't be on my list of favorites.

2008 total: 8
pages read: 4,019

February Reads

2008-02-27T11:56:00.000-06:00

Moi
4 total
HP- Half Blood Prince
Hp- Deathly Hallows
Kissing Christmas Goodbye
Goodbye, Mr. Chips

C (12 y.o.)
10 total
Jack Sparrow- Age of Bronze (#5)
Jack Sparrow- Silver (#6)
Jack Sparrow- City of Gold (#7)
Jack Sparrow- The Timekeeper (#8)
Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2 - Roderick Rules
Childhood of Famous Americans: Davy Crockett
Childhood of Famous Americans: Albert Einstein
The Bad Beginning- Lemony Snicket
The Reptile Room- Lemony Snicket
The Wide Window- Lemony Snicket

M (10 y.o.)
3 total
Secret Agent Jack Stalwart- Escape of the Deadly Dinosaur (#1)
Secret Agent Jack Stalwart- Search for the Sunken Treasure (#2)
Jack Sparrow: Siren Song (#2)

L (8 y.o.)
9 total
Haley the Rain Fairy- Daisy Meadows
Dingos at Dinnertime (Magic Treehouse)
Civil War on Sunday (Magic Treehouse)
Revolutionary War on Wednesday (Magic Treehouse)
Nancy Drew Girl Detective- Monkey Wrench Blues
Nancy Drew & the Clue Crew- Scream for Ice Cream (#2)
Nancy Drew & the Clue Crew- Pony Problems (#3)
Scooby Doo and the Sinister Sorcerer
Scooby Doo and the Ghostly Gorilla

Goodbye, Mr. Chips- James Hilton

2008-02-27T10:57:00.000-06:00

115 pages

I was reading Saint by Ted Dekker.
I was having a really hard time getting into it.

I read the amazon reviews, and I found out that Saint is actually the second book in a series.
The book jacket said nothing of a series, if I had known I wouldn't have checked it out.

The reviews were mixed- most people said the beginning is good but it falls apart in the end. I had already read the good part? Really?

It wasn't worth the effort to continue so, 150 pages into it, I decided to give up on it.

I wasn't in the mood for a long book, so I grabbed the first short book in my TBR pile.
It was "Goodbye, Mr. Chips."
I cannot believe I have gone this long without reading it.
It is, after all, a classic.
I liked it.
I really liked it.
I laughed, I cried, it moved me, Bob. (sorry, couldn't resist ;-))
It was quite a story.

2008 total: 7
pages read: 3665

The Loose Change Book Fund

2008-02-20T14:28:00.000-06:00

We've started a new thing at our house.
The Loose Change Book Fund.
lol
We've decided to use all our our loose change to buy books.
What better way to put all of that change to use?
From now on, all loose change goes directly into the book fund box.

Yesterday the kids rolled up a TON of loose change.
We ended up with $104!

We spent the evening shopping on Amazon.
Amazon rocks, btw!
Most of their books qualify for free shipping, and a lot of the kids' books qualify for their "4-for-3" discounts.
Our total before the discounts was $106.
After the 4-for-3 discounts, the total was $91.
And that's not including the free shipping.
I *heart* Amazon.

Here are the books we ordered:

For Read-Aloud:
The Spiderwick Chronicles (all 5 hardbacks in a box set for $30)

For L (8 years old):
Nancy Drew & the Clue Crew (a Nancy Drew series for younger girls)
#5: Case of the Sneaky Snowman
#6: The Fashion Disaster
#8: Lights, Camera.....Cats!
#10: Ticket Trouble
Lucy the Diamond Fairy- Daisy Meadows

For M (10 years old):
Secret Agent Jack Stalwart:
#3: The Caper of the Crown Jewels
#4: The Mystery of the Mona Lisa
Shredderman (a mystery / spy series):
#2: Attack of the Tagger
#3: Meet the Gecko
#4 Enemy Spy

For C (12 years old)
Dance of the Hours (Pirates of the Caribbean Young Jack Sparrow series #9)
Warriors, book 2: Fire and Ice
Guardians of Ga'Hoole boxed set #1-4 (sort of like Warriors, but with Owls instead of cats)

I know it seems like odd numbers, but they already have the previous books in the series they've ordered.

As you might note, I didn't order any books for myself.
I have decided that I will use paperback swap for my books.
In the past I felt guilty using the points for myself when I could be using them to get books for the kids or even school books.
No more of that.
I'm tired of reading whatever the library happens to have on hand (and our library sucks, I think I may have mentioned that once or twice before ;-))

So from now on it will be good books for everyone!

Until Next Time.......

Kissing Christmas Goodbye- M.C. Beaton

2008-02-20T14:03:00.000-06:00

313 pages

I know it's not Christmas. ;-)

I didn't find anything very appealing on our last trip to the library, so I picked up this book.
It's the only Agatha Raisin book I haven't read (out of the ones they have at the library).

I didn't like this one very much.

It wasn't a Christmas mystery at all.

Agatha is now running a detective agency, she's no longer pining away for James, and she just doesn't seem like the same old Agatha. In more than one place she missed out on obvious clues.

I had to make myself keep reading. I had read over 100 pages into the book (and it's only 300) so I hated to stop. I sort of wish I had stopped now. lol

Yesterday's trip to the library was a better one.
I got a Ted Dekker book, "Jacob Have I Loved," and the first in a new mystery series.

I also bought "House" by Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti and
I have 3 books coming from Paperback Swap: Village Diary by Miss Read, Thr3e by Ted Dekker, and The Yada Yada Prayer Group.
I can't wait to dig in!

2008 total: 6
total pages read: 3550

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

2008-02-12T20:37:00.000-06:00

759 pages

Wow!
What an amazing book.
What an amazing series.
Now I understand what all the hype was/is about. lol

I cried more than once- for Dobby, for Harry, for Dumbledore, and even for Snape.

I was ecstatic to finally find out the real deal with Snape.

I loved the part where Molly Weasley goes after Bellatrix. It was perfect!

I absolutely loved these books and I'm sad that the ride is over.
Sigh.

What, oh what, will I read now?

2008 total: 5
total pages read: 3,237

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

2008-02-04T20:15:00.000-06:00

SPOILER ALERT!

652 pages

Oh my! I am shocked. SHOCKED.

I thought surely Snape would turn out to be a good guy.
I can't believe he did it.
I loathe him now.

I never really liked him, but he was one of my favorite characters because, well.... he's a really good character - we are kept guessing whose side he is on, and there was a bit of interesting developments in the last book.

This was one of my favorite books in the series.

I am starting the final book tonight.

2008 total: 4
Total Pages Read: 2,478

January Reads
Gruel and Unusual Punishment
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Kids' Reading Jan. 08

2008-01-31T16:14:00.000-06:00

C (11 years old)
13 books
The Figure in Hiding (Hardy Boys)
Akiko in the Sprubly Islands
Akiko and the Great Wall of Trudd
Akiko in the Castle of Alia Rellapor
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Scooby Doo and the Ghostly Gorilla
Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot, books 1-7

M(10 years old)
10 books
Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot, books 1-7
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Roderick Rules
Wiley and Grandpa: Night of the Living Eggnog

L (8 years old)
17 books
Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot, books 1-7
Afternoon on the Amazon (Magic Treehouse)
Polar Bears Past Bedtime (Magic Treehouse)
Vacation Under a Volcano (Magic Treehouse)
The Boxcar Children
The Boxcar Children: Surprise Island
The Boxcar Children: Mystery of the Yellow House
The Trouble with Tink (Disney Fairies)
Vidia and the Fairy Crown (Disney Fairies)
Lilly's Pesky Plant (Disney Fairies)
Nancy Drew & the Clue Crew: Sleepover Sleuths

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

2008-01-26T11:08:00.000-06:00

870 pages

This is definitely my least favorite of all the HP books I've read so far. I did not like it.

It was longer than it needed to be. Actually, all we really needed were the last 100 pages or so. It was actually boring in a few spots.

There was no huge encounter with Voldemort as in the the previous books (although the book leads you to believe that there will be). There is an encounter, but it is not nearly as dramatic as in the previous installments. I find it hard to believe Voldemort would just disappear so easily.

I found myself getting frustrated that the adults wouldn't tell Harry what was going on. It would have prevented a tragedy.

However, towards the end of the book Dumbledore explained to Harry why he didn't tell him - and then he comes clean with everything, incuding exactly why Voldemort came after Harry when he was a baby, and why Dumbledore kept him (Harry) in the dark so often.

I hope the next book redeems itself.

2008 total: 3

Total Pages read: 1,826

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

2008-01-17T17:46:00.000-06:00

734 pages

I admit it.
I love Harry Potter.

These books grab you from the first chapter and carry you along on an exciting and emotional ride to the very end.
You barely notice that the book is over 700 pages long, it is so fast paced.
It is plain and simple very good story-telling.

I still do not think I would let my children read them- at least not now. The first two are not so bad, but they get progressively darker.

It took me about a week to read this book, which is good time for me since I only read a few minutes before bed every night. I must confess, though. Those "few minutes before bed" turned into a "few hours before bed" while reading this. :-)

2008 total: 2
Total pages read: 956

Winter Reading Challenge

2008-01-14T22:48:00.001-06:00

I've decided to join this reading challenge.

I'm a bit late, however.

It is for the months of Dec-Feb.

My goal is to finish the Harry Potter series.

I read the first 3 a few years ago, and I believe it's time I finish. lol

Gruel and Unusual Punishment- Tamar Myers

2008-01-03T10:30:00.000-06:00

Book Description:
Pennsylvania Dutch Inn owner Magdalena Yoder returns in the tenth book in the mouthwatering series... When an imprisoned con man meets his Maker after sampling a bowl of gruel laced with arsenic, it's cruel and unusual punishment-indeed. And since Magdalena provided the last supper, she's convinced that one of his many visitors must have added the sinister secret ingredient. With the reputation of her establishment at stake, Magdalena puts on her detective bonnet to discover who in Hernia poisoned the porridge

I love Magdalena Yoder. These books are very funny and entertaining.

They are not deep and certainly not thought-provoking, but they are delightful diversions.

I could not get the picture to upload for some reason.
If you're interested you can check out the amazon reviews here.

222 pages

2008 total: 1

2007 Reads

2007-12-31T23:27:00.000-06:00

January
Love, Lies, & Liquor (Agatha Raisin)
The Complete Peanuts (1950-1954)(2 books)
Then End- Lemony Snicket
The Year of Pleasures
The Tale of Despereaux
The Messenger of Magnolia Street

February
Miss Julia Stands Her Ground
The Edge of Darkness (Babylon Rising)
Cure for the Common Life
In the Company of Cheerful Ladies
Blue Shoes and Happiness

March
My Antonia
Louisiana in Words

April
Strawberry Girl
Sounder
Homeschooling from Scratch
By the Pricking of my Thumbs
The Whipping Boy
Farenheit 451
Bad Kitty

May
The Giver
Breaking Free

June
Digging In
Before You Leap (Kermit the Frog)
Monster
By the Light of the Moon

July
nothing :-(

August
The Sign of the Beaver
Murder at the Vicarage

September
Death of a Dreamer
Death of a Poison Pen
Out of the Dust

October
The Good Husband of Zebra Drive
Hatchet
Violet Dawn
Halloween Party

November
Invisible
In Plain Sight
On the Run

December
Stranded
Santa Cruise

2007 total: 41

Santa Cruise- Mary Higgins Clark

2007-12-26T15:32:00.001-06:00

I am a big fan of Mary Higgins Clark.

That is why is pains me to say that this book was really bad.

There wasn't really any mystery to the story at all.

The characters were confusing, especially the Reillys:
Nora Regan Reilly, her daughter Regan Reilly, Regan's husband who also happens to have the last name of Reilly (and who calls Regan "Reilly Reilly"), and then there was Nora's husband whose name I forget.

There were a lot of characters, most of which were very under developed. It was hard to keep up with all of them. The plot felt was shaky. At times it felt like 2 separate stories that had been pieced together.

I hate to write such a terrible review (especially about one of my favorite authors), but this book was just really, really bad.

I'm sorry. :-(

Stranded- Lorena McCourtney

2007-12-26T15:15:00.000-06:00

I actually finished this one a couple of weeks ago, but I'm just getting around to blogging about it.

I'm also glad to say that I finished it before Dec. 21, making it the last book in my Fall Reading Challenge goal. Yay! I did it. :-)

Now, on to the book.

I admit that the first book in this series was a tiny bit too "Christian fictiony" for me. (Yes, I know that's not a real word ;-))

The second one was better and the last two were even better. I loved these books. I only regret that there are no more for me to read.

I was thrilled (and quite surprised) to see that Ms. McCourtney left a comment on my last post!
If she happens to stop by again, I just want to say
Thank you, Ms. McCourtney. I really enjoyed these books and I can't wait to try your new series. :-)

On the Run- Lorena McCourtney

2007-11-30T22:54:00.000-06:00

Ok, I admit it. I love these books.

I am addicted to LOL Ivy Malone.

My only reget is that there is only one more book in the series (to my knowledge). However, it is, thankfully, safely on my bed side table waiting for me to dig in this weekend. :-)

From Amazon.com:

Super senior sleuth Ivy Malone is spunkier than Miss Marple, with a curiosity that just won't quit.

That inquisitiveness has gotten her into plenty of trouble, including murder, mayhem, and a place on a mini-Mafia hit list.

Now Ivy's headed across the country with a stray cat and God as her only companions.

But just when she thinks she's safe, two dead bodies turn up-discovered by Ivy, of course.

A flock of emus, a survivalist outpost, and paintball are just a few of the strange things Ivy has to deal with in order to solve this latest crime.

But will anyone believe the truth?

On the Run, the third book in the Ivy Malone mysteries, is a mix of great fun and great suspense. Readers will love Ivy's latest lively adventure.

2007 total: 39

In Plain Sight- Lorena McCourtney

2007-11-23T19:13:00.000-06:00

This book was better than the first.

It continues where "Invisible" left off.

I am really enjoying this series. It is believeable (this one more so than the last), well written, and the story flows along smoothly until the very end.

The "cheesiness" is much less in this book. The references to God are believable, not preachy or well..... cheesy. ;-)

I was pleased to see that our library had all 4 books in the series. I snatched up all of them. :-)

Book Description (from Amazon.com)
Ever wonder how a little old lady with possum-gray hair could wind up on a homicidal hit list? Well, nothing is too outlandish for Ivy Malone.

She's back and she's brought her mutant curiosity gene with her.

And ever since the evil-intentioned Drake Braxton and his family threatened to make road kill out of Ivy, her life has been crazier than ever! With the ever-present threat of looming Braxtons, Ivy decides to get out of Dodge for a while. But for someone who slides down banisters and drives a T-Bird, hiding from the mob does not come easily. And when strange things start happening to her new neighbors, Ivy's snooping sense kicks into overdrive. Will she unravel the mystery? Or will the threats to her safety scare her away? With Invisible, readers laughed so hard they cried. In Plain Sight, the second Ivy Malone mystery, promises to be even better!

2007 total: 38

Invisible- Lorena McCourtney

2007-11-12T21:25:00.000-06:00

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm not a big fan of most Christian fiction.
This book looked interesting, so I decided to give it a try.
I liked it for the most part.

From the back cover:
She's not your average crime fighter!
Ivy Malone has a curiosity that sometimes gets her into trouble, and it's only aggravated by her discovery that she can easily escape the public eye.
So when vandals romp through the local cemetery, she takes advantage of her newfound anonymity and its unforeseen advantages as she launches her own unofficial investigation.
Despite her oddball humor and unconventional snooping, Ivy soon becomes discouraged by her failure to turn up any solid clues.
And after Ivy witnesses something ominous and unexplained, she can't resist putting her investigative powers to work again.
Even the authorities' attempts to keep Ivy out of danger and her nosy neighbor's match-making schemes can't slow her down.
But will the determination that fuels this persistent, quirky sleuth threaten her very safety?

My thoughts:
~Some things in the book were predictable, some were not.
~There was a bit of the cheesiness that is common in Christian fiction, but not too much.
~While not laugh out loud funny, the book is humorous
~It was a delightful read.
~Ivy is a very likeable character, as are many of the other colorful characters in this book.

It seems like each subsequent book builds on the previous one, so if you're interested in this series you should start with the first one.

I will definitely be reading more of these.

2007 total: 37

Hallowe'en Party- Agatha Christie

2007-11-06T10:39:00.000-06:00

A young girl is found drowned in a bucket of bobbing apples at a Halloween party.
Hercule Poirot is called in to find the killer.

As in any Christie novel, the motive is anything but simple.

I was excited though, because for the first time (in one of A.C.'s books) I guessed the culprit! I was totally wrong about the motive, but still!

This was not one of her best works, but it is still impressive when you consider that she wrote it when she was 79 years old.

Violet Dawn- Brandilyn Collins

2007-10-19T14:43:00.000-05:00

I'm not usually a fan of Christian fiction (even though I am a Christian), but once in a while I will find a good CF writer: Jan Karon, Frank Peretti, Terri Blackstock- to name a few.

Brandilyn Collins is one of the good ones.

This is the second book I have read by her.

The first one was "Eyes of Elisha." I loved that one.

It was extremely suspenseful and the ending was a surprise.

"Violet Dawn" was not quite as suspenseful, but it was still a very good story.

It grabbed my attention from the first page and I couldn't put it down.

"Violet Dawn" is the first in a new series by Ms. Collins.

It centers around a community called Kanner Lake.

I like small-town series, so I think this one looks promising.

Small town charm and suspenseful mysteries all rolled into one.

What more could you want? :-)

My verdict: loved it!

Check out the Amazon reviews for this book by clicking on the picture.

2007 total: 35

Hatchet- Gary Paulsen

2007-10-07T10:53:00.000-05:00

I read this book because I thought it might be a good book for my son to read.

I hated it.

It's about a boy who is riding in a plane to visit his father.
He is the only passenger.
On the way the pilot has a heart attack and dies.
The plane crashes in the middle of the Canadian wilderness.
The book is about how he survives (catches fish and birds, builds shelter, etc.)

This might have been a decent book for my son to read, BUT there's a few disturbing situations. For one, the boy tries to commit suicide with his hatchet. The boy also knows a secret. He caught his mother having an affair with another man. She doesn't know he saw. His father doesn't know. He wrestles with the decision to tell or not.

Besides that, the book is boring in more than one place, there is not much resolution when it comes to his making a decision about "the secret" he knows about his mother, and the ending is very weak, IMO.

Most Amazon reviewers liked it but this is one time I have to disagree with them. :-)

2007 Total: 34

2007 Reads (so far)

2007-10-04T10:11:00.000-05:00

The Good Husband of Zebra Drive- Alexander McCall Smith

2007-10-04T09:52:00.001-05:00

I've read all of the books in this series and I've yet to decide whether I like them or not. lol
Sometimes I like them, sometimes I hate them.

I think this installment was much better than the previous two. I had to force myself to finish reading the last two. This one was read in one day.

In this book:
*Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni tries his hand at detective work.
* Two employees of Mma. Ramotswe and Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni resign......and then return
* The No.1 Ladies' Taxi Service has a very short lived existence
* Mma. Ramotswe solves the mystery of 3 suspicious hospital deaths
* Mma. Makutsi investigates theft in a paper factory
* Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni discovers an instance of insider trading
*Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni is shocked to find a photo of Mma. Ramotswe with another man. It can't be......can it?

Fall Reading Challenge

2007-10-01T22:23:00.000-05:00

This is our reading tree (sorry for the weird background).
We spent the greater part of the afternoon making it.

I'm proud to say I didn't do anything on it except write down everyone's goals.
The kids did the rest all on their own. :-)
M. drew the tree, the squirrels (though they're hard to see in the pic), and the falling leaves on the left.
C. did the title and the falling leaves on the right.

I was inspired by Callipidder Days' Fall into Reading Challenge.

Here's how our tree is going to work:
I printed out a bunch of leaf templates on red, orange, brown, and yellow paper.
When someone finishes a book, we write the name of the book and the person's initials on a leaf.
Our goal is to have the tree full of leaves before the end of fall.
We all set goals of how many books we want to read.
I might also put a little fall sticker under each person's name for each book they read.

We're doing this from now until Dec. 22 (the first day of winter).
At the end of the challenge, whoever met or exceeded their goal will get a prize- perhaps
a new book. ;-)

The kids already have ideas for the next ones:
A snowman and snowflakes for the winter challenge,
a big flower and flower petals for the spring (or maybe a meadow to be filled with flowers),
a beach and sea shells for the summer.

I think this is a cute and fun idea to motivate them to read more.

Out of the Dust- Karen Hesse

2007-09-30T14:55:00.000-05:00

The diversity of Newbery award winners never ceases to amaze me.
Each one takes you to another place and time.

Out of the Dust won the Newbery award in 1998.
I had never heard of it before I saw it in the library last week.
At first glance it appears to be a book of poetry, but it is not.
It is also written in diary form, which makes it more interesting in my opinion.

It is the story of a family living in the Dust Bowl of Oklahoma.

Granted, it is a bit depressing at times, but the writing is simple, beautiful, and poetic.

The story is full of tragedy, and some Amazon reviewers complained that it is very depressing and it doesn't have a happy ending.
Although the ending is not conclusive, it gives a ray of hope and gives you the sense that things are making a turn for the better.

Perhaps my favorite quote is this one:
"And I know now that all the time I was trying to get
out of the dust,
the fact is,
what I am,
I am because of the dust.
And what I am is good enough.
Even for me."

All in all, I liked this book and it is unlikely one I'll forget soon.
It has that haunting quality that certain books have.
They stick with you forever once you've read them.

To read more reviews of this book, click on the photo.

Fall Reading Challenge

2007-09-26T19:05:00.001-05:00

I've decided to join the "Fall into Reading" challenge.

I've always been an avid reader, but lately I've fallen behind a bit.
I am hoping this challenge will give me a jump start. :-)

I am not going to post a list of books that I want to read because, to be honest, I don't have many books here at home that I haven't already read. Also, our local library doesn't have a very big selection, so I choose whatever looks interesting each time I go.

Instead I am setting a goal of 10 books.

On my sidebar, I posted the list of books I got this week.
They include 3 Newbery award winners.
I am reading them in honor of my friend, Natalie.
She issued a Newbery Challenge shortly before her death this summer.

M.C. Beaton- Death of a Dreamer & Death of a Poison Pen

2007-09-26T18:30:00.000-05:00

I have always enjoyed M.C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin series.
I'd never read any of her Hamish Macbeth books because I had a picture in my mind of a stuffy older man (sort of like Raymond Burr in the newer Perry Mason movies). It didn't appeal to me.

I finally decided to give Hamish a chance.
He's totally different than the image I had in my head.
He's a 30-something, thin, red-headed Scottish man.

This book was enjoyable, but not very suspenseful.

From Amazon.com:
Macbeth, constable in the Highlands village of Lochdubh, thinks the apparent suicide of Effie Garrard, an artist who's arrived in town only recently, is suspicious. Following the murder of a nosy American tourist, Macbeth digs a little deeper and learns that Effie couldn't paint to, er, save her life—she was passing off another artist's work as her own. Macbeth's personal life is also consuming: two old flames turn up in Lochdubh within a few days of each other. Of course, Macbeth solves what turns out to be a double murder—but resolution of his romantic contretemps will have to wait for the next novel in this charming series

Click on the book to read more Amazon reviews of this book.

Death of a Poison Pen was the second Hamish Macbeth book I read.

This one was better than the first.

From Amazon:
Poison pen letters have been appearing all over the Scottish Highlands town of Braikie–and then a spate of murders and suicides ensues. Hamish Macbeth, the local constable of a nearby village, must get to the bottom of things without drawing too much attention to himself. If he sorts out another local mystery, he risks being promoted, and that would take him away from all that he loves in sleepy Lochdubh. As the Highlands' weather veers wildly from one extreme to another, Hamish dodges pesky superior officers and follows his own paths among the people he understands better than any outsider can. The place has no shortage of eccentrics but most of Lochdubh's regulars take a back seat to several 20-somethings who become an integral part of the story as it develops. They include a vacationer from London with dangerously poor judgment; an enterprising local reporter as unconventional as Hamish himself; another reporter, a caddish but "charming Irishman"; a bullied young secretary at the local school; and away in London, but never far from Hamish's mind, his star-crossed soul mate.

Total books read in 2007: 29 (not very impressive, but I hope to remedy that soon :-))

Posts from Old Book Blog (Jan-Aug 07)

2007-09-25T10:50:00.000-05:00

The Year of Pleasures- Elizabeth Berg

I did not like this book very much. It was sad and depressing. The main character moves to Illinois (where she doesn't know a soul) after her husband dies. She re-unites with old friends and opens a store.

The writing was beautiful and descriptive........but the book could have been much better.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Friday, January 12, 2007
The End- Lemony Snicket

What a disappointment!
I was expecting answers to all of the questions and mysteries this series presented,
but we were left with very little. I liked this series when I first began reading it,
but he lost me after the first few books.
I KNOW it's a children's series, but I expected more.
The books began to seem like more and more of the same thing.

My favorite was The Wide Window.

I loved his writing style.

I loved "a phrase which means...."

It would have been much more satisfying to have answers at The End

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sunday, January 21, 2007

The Tale of Despereaux- Kate DiCamillo

This was a read-aloud for the kids. We all enjoyed this book. It was one of those "please read another chapter, mom!" books.

It is a charming story of a mouse that falls in love with a human princess and ends up going on a quest to rescue her from an evil rat in the castle dungeon.

Broken Wings & Midnight Flight -V.C. Andrews

These books were ok.
They were about a "school" for troubled girls.
The first book gave the backgrounds of 3 girls who end up at this school.
The second book is about their horrible experiences at the school.

There's not much I can say about these books.
They were ok. Not great, but not horrible.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Monday, February 12, 2007

Miss Julia Stands Her Ground - Ann B. Ross

In this installment, Hazel Marie's uncle claims that Wesley Lloyd is not Little Lloyd's father. The main storyline has Miss Julia and Sam trying to hide the news from Hazel Marie, and also trying to find a way to perform a DNA test without having to exhume Wesley Lloyd's body.

This book also gives more details of what life was like for Miss Julia before the death of Wesley Lloyd and the arrival of Hazel Marie and Little Lloyd.

It was a pleasant read.

3 stars

The Edge of Darkness- Tim LaHaye & Bob Phillips

I like this series. (Babylon Rising by Tim LaHaye)
This book was a bit different than that previous three. There isn't a big search for a biblical artifact (well, there is, but it isn't a big part of the story and they don't find what they're looking for).

Murphy finally meets the mysterious Methusaleh. The evil Talon is destroyed. Two other characters die. Murphy must choose between Isis and a new love interest.

This book was not as "edge-of-your-seat" suspenseful as the previous ones, but it is still a good story.

I give it 4 stars.

The Messenger of Magnolia Street- River Jordan

I liked this book. It reminded me a bit of Frank Peretti- only with a Southern flair.
It was very suspenseful. I stayed up late every night to finish reading it.

It takes place in the southern town of Shibboleth. The narrator is an angel that observes and records all of the events as they unfold.

I'd give it 5 stars

Sunday, March 18, 2007

The pale, cold light of the winter sunset did not beautify- it was like the light of truth itself. When the smoky clouds hung low in the west and the red sun went down behind them, leaving a pink flush on the snowy roofs and the blue drifts, then the wind sprang up afresh, with a kind of bitter song, as if it said: 'This is reality, whether you like it of not. All those frivolities of summer, the light and shadow, the living mask of green that trembled over everything, they were lies, and this is what was underneath. This is the truth.' It was as if we were being punished for loving the loveliness of summer.

~from My Antonia

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

In the Company of Cheeful Ladies- Alexander McCall Smith

Mma. Ramotswe's van is stolen and recovered by a new employee of the garage and detective agency.

Someone breaks into her house and hides under her bed.

She is visited by her ex-husband, Note Makoti.

Charlie, the apprentice, gets involved with a married woman.

Mma. Makutsi meets a man and becomes engaged.

I have a love/hate relationship with these books. I like them. They are delightful. On the other hand, I wish they would move a little faster, and/or go a bit deeper. Still, they are pleasant, light reads.

3 stars.

Blue Shoes and Happiness- Alexander McCall Smith

Mostly about Mma. Makutsi's trouble with her fiance, Phuti Radiphuti. Happily, all is straightened out and Mma. Makutsi is still engaged.

Mma. Ramotswe goes on a diet.

3 stars

Cure for the Common Life- Max Lucado

This wasn't what I was expecting.
I liked this book. It is about finding your "sweet spot," the place where you were meant to be, doing what you were meant to do.

This book gives you tools to discover your sweet spot.

The part that spoke to me the most was the chapter about being content with what you have. It was about changing your attitude towards your job, or position in life. He says we need to "give Jesus our boat." When Peter was fishing, he didn't have any luck, but when Jesus came on board his nets were full (I don't remember the scripture reference for this, but I've read it before). Whatever our job is, that is our boat. We need to give it to Him and allow Him to work through us.

We are also made to show Jesus to those around us. We can't do that when we are trying to do things our own way, following our own agenda, or simply trying to please ourselves. We need to allow Him to flow through us.

4 stars

My Antonia- Willa Cather

It took me almost all of March to read this book.
Not that it was hard reading or incredibly long or boring.
I simply didn't have much time to read.

I really liked this book. I loved the descriptions of the early American prairie, the rich characters, the storyline- I loved everything about it.

It didn't end as I expected it to, but that's ok.

Excellent book.

4 stars

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

I've gotten behind in posting here. The last few posts were catch-up posts. Here is what I've read so far this year:

March
My Antonia

February
Miss Julia Stands her Ground
The Edge of Darkness (Babylon Rising)
Cure for the Common Life
In the Company of Cheerful Ladies
Blue Shoes and Happiness

January
Love, Lies, and Liquor (Agatha Raisin)
The Complete Peanuts (1950-1954) (2 books)
The End
The Year of Pleasures
The Tale of Despereaux
The Messenger of Magnolia Street

13 books total. That's not so bad considering we're only 11 weeks into the year.

Monday, April 09, 2007

Louisiana in Words- Joshua Clark

I liked this book. The imagery is beautiful and accurate.
It definitely did what it set out to do: paint a picture of Louisiana in Words.

This book is unique.
From the book description:
"The selections--119 pieces from 109 contributors--run chronologically from dawn to dawn. Together these minutes provide a mosaic of the landscape, heritage, speech, and traditions of Louisiana, a place so often romanticized, demonized, adored, pitied, and patronized."

I was glad that it did not contain any Katrina- related stories, because it seems like that is all we are known for lately. This book made me love and appreciate my home-state more.

4 stars

Monday, April 09, 2007

Bad Kitty- Michele Jaffe

March Reads
My Antonia
Louisiana in Words

Bad Kitty
I just finished this book. It was ok, definitely enjoyable, very YA.

Jasmine wants to be a detective. She loves Forensic Files and Court TV.
She goes on vacation to Las Vegas and gets involved in a mystery, which she solves
by lifting fingerprints with eye-shadow.
Yep.

3 stars

Monday, April 16, 2007

Farenheit 451- Ray Bradbury

This was not an enjoyable book.
I felt a heaviness the entire time I was reading it.
In fact, I'm glad it's over.

I finished reading it about 5 minutes ago. I still feel the heaviness of it, which is hindering my ability to form a coherent review.

Read more reviews of this book at Amazon here. (The link on the "currently reading" only has 1 review)

3 stars

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Nattie has issued a Newberry medal reading challenge. (click on the link for details)
Of course I had to accept since I love Newberry books.
Here are my choices.

1994: The Giver by Lois Lowry(Houghton)
1987: The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman
1984: Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary
1981: Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson
1977: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
1975: M. C. Higgins, the Great by Virginia Hamilton
1968: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
1967: Up a Road Slowly by Irene Hunt
1959: The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

Friday, April 20, 2007

The Whipping Boy

I read this book in one night. It was quite short. It was also not what I expected for a Newberry book.

At face value, it is a fluffy story of a prince that runs away with his "whipping boy" and they become friends along the way.

Dig a little deeper and you'll find more.

The whipping boy was a boy that was whipped in place of the prince whenever the prince did something wrong. And he did wrong quite often.
It did not effect the prince to see Jemmy (the whipping boy) punished in his place.

After he got to know Jemmy and became his friends, he was very good so as not to cause his friend pain.

It reminded me of our relationship with Jesus. It also reminded me of that song "Still Feel the Nails" by Ray Boltz. If we knew that Jesus felt pain again every time we failed, we would try much harder. When we have a relationship with Jesus we will try not to hurt Him or disappoint Him.

I did not like this book until I started thinking about the deeper meaning. Now, I am quite fond of it. I think I will read it with my children......and talk about the lessons we can learn from it.

Friday, April 27, 2007

By the Pricking of My Thumbs- Agatha Christie

By the pricking of my thumbs,
Something wicked this way comes.
~MacBeth

This was one of the books from my TBR pile. I got it at the library's book sale for 10 cents. I got a lot of good books from the library for 10 cents. The book sale only happens once a year, and we're always there. You can't get a better deal than 10 cents a book.

Anyway.......

This book was not one of my favorites by Christie, but I still liked it.
Some parts moved a bit slow, but the end was shocking, so I guess it was worth it.

It all starts when Tommy and Tuppence Beresford visit their aunt in a retirement home.
A Mrs. Lancaster asks Tuppence, "Was it your poor child?"
This question leads to suspicions and a complicated chain of events.
Mrs. Lancaster goes missing from the retirement home and several elderly women are poisoned.
What happened to them?
Where is Mrs. Lancaster?
Who is the poor child and what happened to him/her?

3.5 stars

Monday, April 30, 2007

Homeschooling from Scratch- Mary Potter Kenyon

This book was ok.
I wasn't incredibly impressed, but it would be a good resource for anyone looking for low-cost homeschooling options.
It does not provide a full curriculum, but ideas to supplement curriculum, imo.

I believe this was a self-published book, because it is not listed at Amazon.

2 stars

Sounder- William H. Armstrong

4 stars
"You've gotta walk that lonesome valley, You've gotta walk it by yourself, Ain't nobody else gonna walk it for you."

I read this as part of the Newbery challenge. This is a beautifully written book.
Some of it may be too intense for younger readers, but I'd recommend it for ages 13 and up.
I realize I'm not very good at writing book reviews, so I give you this review from Amazon:

A Powerful Novel for All Ages, April 21, 2003

Reviewer:

A. Wolverton (Crofton, MD United States) - See all my reviews

In the nearly 35 years since it was published, SOUNDER has lost none of its original power or impact. That's not only the mark of great children's literature, it's the mark of great writing at any level.

SOUNDER is the story of a poor African American family in the late 19th century south. Sounder, the family's hunting dog, is responsible for much of the family income: he finds and tracks game that the father can eat and sell. Problems arise when the local white sheriff and his men think the family has become a little too prosperous. An event then happens which becomes a turning point in the oldest boy's life. (The story is told with painful honesty from his point of view.)

Author Armstrong masterfully drops the reader into a different era, an era we would like to forget. It's not a comfortable time and it's not a comfortable story, but it is a powerful one. The story is a simple one, but Armstrong paints on a large canvas, full of description so vivid and true that we feel we're there, walking on the cold ground, smelling the countryside, and even feeling the wetness of the tears and blood.

I believe it's significant that Sounder is the only character named in the book. This is the boy's story, but it could be any boy. He represents a sort of "every man," or "every child," if you will. The boy learns several important lessons along the way, some of them coming from unlikely sources.

SOUNDER is one of those stories that not only entertain children, but teach them valuable lessons in human nature, relationships, and learning. A very, very important book for us all.

There is a sequel to Sounder called "Sour Land." I hope to find a copy so I can read it soon.

April Reads

April ReadsApril
Strawberry Girl
Sounder
Homeschooling from Scratch
By the Pricking of My Thumbs
The Whipping Boy
Farenheit 451
Bad Kitty

March
My Antonia
Louisiana in Words

February
Miss Julia Stands her Ground
The Edge of Darkness (Babylon Rising)
Cure for the Common Life
In the Company of Cheerful Ladies
Blue Shoes and Happiness

January
Love, Lies, and Liquor (Agatha Raisin)
The Complete Peanuts (1950-1954) (2 books)
The End
The Year of Pleasures
The Tale of Despereaux
The Messenger of Magnolia Street

2007 total: 21 books

Friday, May 04, 2007

Strawberry Girl- Lois Lenski

I thought I had reviewed this book already, but I see that I didn't. hmmmm.....

This was another read-aloud. It took us about a week and a half to read it.
This was a "please-read-another-chapter, Mama!" book.

This book gives us a look into the daily lives and feuds of two19th century backwoods Florida families.
The accents make this a fun book to read-aloud.
Of course my daughter loved it because the main character is a girl. The boys liked it as well. They enjoyed reading about the adventures of the neighbor boy, Shoestring Slater.
After months of feuding, the "bad" neighbors get saved thanks to a traveling preacher at a "camp meeting" and all is well.

4 stars

Bunnicula- Deborah and James Howe

This was our read-aloud this week.
Yes, I am counting it towards my yearly reading total because I did indeed read it.

It only took us 2 days to read it.

What can I say? It is Bunnicula, the timeless tale of the cute little vampire bunny that drains vegetables and causes the family cat, Chester, to do all sorts of strange and hilarious things.

Does anyone remember the Bunnicula cartoon movie that played on ABC Saturday morning back in the 80s? I think it was on the Captain O.G. Readmore show. I used to love that show. I am starting to feel really old because no one else seems to remember it.

3 stars

I am putting together a list of books that I will be reading to the kids. Look for the new list to be added to my sidebar soon.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

"New" Books

I bought 10 books for the kids at a thrift store.

Most are Newbery Winners or Newbery Honor books.

The Cay
The White Stag
The Egypt Game
The Winter Room
Secret of the Andes
Rabbit Hill
Goodbye, Mr. Chips
Howliday Inn (Bunnicula series)
The Celery Stalks at Midnight (another Bunnicula tale)
Let's Party, Charlie Brown (cause we love us some Charlie Brown and Snoopy )

Most of these will be added to our read-aloud list.
We're currently reading "The Sign of the Beaver."

I am reading "The Giver" for the Newbery challenge.
I've been working on other things, so I haven't had much time to read. I need to speed it up if I want to get a good number of books in this month.

Monday, May 14, 2007

The Giver-Lois Lowry

Jonas is a 12 year old boy. He lives in a world where fear, poverty, violence, and crime do no exist. Everything is regulated by a board of elders. Marriages are arranged by the elders. Children are born to "birthmothers" then given to married couples when they can sleep through the night. When children reach the age of 12 they are given their assignments for their lives. Elderly people and sickly children are "released".
Everything is orderly, peaceful, and predictable.

No, there is no fear or pain but there is also no happiness or love.

When Jonas turns 12 and receives his assignment he learns how life could be, how it used to be before the "sameness" came about. What will he do with this knowledge?

4 stars

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Breaking Free- Beth Moore

I have not abandoned this blog.

I've been reading Breaking Free.
It's not a long book, but it requires you to do some serious soul-searching.
It was hard, but worth it.
I did a lot of praying, journaling, and thinking through this.

It is basically about breaking free from the ties that keep us from being free in Christ.
It's about breaking generational bondages, letting go of baggage and hurt from the past.

It's very good. I recommend it to everyone.

4 stars

Digging In- Robert Benson

This is a short little book (non-fiction) about a back-yard transformation.
Since I love gardening and reading about it, I liked this book
It is so true that gardening is an on-going process.
You're simply never done. Every year there is something new to do.

As I've stated before, I know I am terrible at doing book reviews.
This site is mainly for me to keep a record of what I've read.
I encourage you to click on the amazon link below for more reviews.

3 stars

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Before You Leap- Kermit the Frog

A cute book all about the little life lessons Kermit learned from his parents, "Mom and Dad the Frog." lol
It also includes a history of Kermit's career through his point of view.
It's a cute book.

I haven't been doing much reading lately.
Things have been crazy around here.
Also, I've been using most of my reading time to crochet.
I've been working on a big project, but I'm just about done and ready to get back to reading again.

I'm currently reading "Monster" by Frank Peretti, so that should be the next review.

May reads
The Giver
Breaking Free

April
Strawberry Girl
Sounder
Homeschooling from Scratch
By the Pricking of My Thumbs
The Whipping Boy
Farenheit 451
Bad Kitty

March
My Antonia
Louisiana in Words

February
Miss Julia Stands her Ground
The Edge of Darkness (Babylon Rising)
Cure for the Common Life
In the Company of Cheerful Ladies
Blue Shoes and Happiness

January
Love, Lies, and Liquor (Agatha Raisin)
The Complete Peanuts (1950-1954) (2 books)
The End
The Year of Pleasures
The Tale of Despereaux
The Messenger of Magnolia Street

2007 Total (as of May 31st): 23- not very impressive, but as I said, I've been slacking

Friday, June 29, 2007

Monster- Frank Peretti

I am a big Frank Peretti fan.
I really liked this book, but it is not my favorite F.P. book (that one would be The Oath.)

from Amazon:
From Publishers Weekly
In this long-awaited novel, Peretti (This Present Darkness; The Visitation) tells the story of a young woman who disappears in the Idaho wilderness and the ensuing search for her. The author's prose is clear and crisp, with only a few lapses into Lovecraftian hyperbole: his description of the novel's almost mythical setting is rich and detailed without being overwritten and his characterization of the woman, Beck, and the very unusual creatures she encounters is compelling. Peretti successfully incorporates several contemporary detective drama/suspense thriller tropes; one of his main characters, for example, is a crime scene investigator, and welcome doses of forensic evidence and DNA analysis are thrown into the mix. But the novel suffers from too many supporting characters, and Peretti's failure to develop them greatly compromises the conclusion. More problematic, though, is the novel's agenda with regard to the theory of evolution. Not raised overtly until the middle of the book, Peretti's critique of certain aspects of Darwinism eclipses the story and leads it to an unsatisfying and somewhat confusing end. As in Peretti's previous novels, those who hold conservative views are portrayed as heroic and those who disagree as evil. The novel's devolution into this simplistic moralism, however, will not keep Peretti fans away, and its many merits may attract other readers as well.

I agree with this assessment- especially that this book had too many characters, which made it a bit confusing from time to time.
There were a few problems, but overall it was a great story.

3.5 stars

By the Light of the Moon- Dean Koontz

Three people are injected with some sort of "stuff" by a crazy doctor/scientist.

They are now on the run from people intent on destroying them.

It's a sort of modern-day superhero story.

I liked it.

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

The Sign of the Beaver

I started reading this book to my children a few months ago.
A lot of things came up and we were unable to finish it.

I picked it up again this week and finished reading it to them.

It was a good story about a boy named Matt that is trusted to guard the family homestead while his father goes to fetch his mother and sister.
Months go by and his family does not return.
While he is alone, he is befriended by an Indian boy, Attean, who teaches him their ways in exchange for Matt teaching Attean to read.

It's a good story.
We enjoyed it.

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Murder at the Vicarage- Agatha Christie

I find it hard to write about mystery novels, because I don't want to give anything away.

I just finished this book. The murderer was not who I thought it was. Usually the culprit is the person you least expect- not so in this book. lol

This was the first Miss Marple book. It is also the first Miss Marple book I have read.
It was an enjoyable diversion.