Thursday’s Tale: The Little Mermaid by Metaphrog

by Carol2 Comments
I'm always a little worried about re-workings of The Little Mermaid. So many of us have seen the Disney version and expect the happy ending for the prince and the mermaid. Metaphrog isn't giving us a happy ending, they are sticking closer to the original by Hans Christian Andersen. Our Little Mermaid does fall in love with a human prince and does make a deal with a witch, but the witch is not scary. The Witch is helping and warning our mermaid, but the mermaid still wants to have legs and the witch obliges at the cost of the mermaid's voice. The mermaid does get to live in the prince's palace, but the prince marries someone else. In the end, the little mermaid jumps into the sea, dissolves into foam and will live forever in the water. It's a sad story really. Metaphrog does cut out the more religious aspects of the original, which should make it appeal to a larger audience....
Read More

Good Morning, Superman! by Michael Dahl

by Carol2 Comments
Good Morning, Superman! is a really cute book. A little boy is getting ready for the day and everything he does is mirrored by something Superman does. For example, as the little boy gets dressed, Superman reveals his costume. The boy eats his breakfast, gathering his strength, as Superman flies above the buildings, getting ready to fight the bad guys. Even the boy's sister gets in on the act in her Supergirl costume, handing him his lunchbox, because helpers are super heroes too. The illustrations are bright and fun, just like the cover. It's a perfect book for any superhero loving pre-schooler. It may even help with the morning routine....
Read More

Baseball Faith by Rob Maaddi

by Carol1 Comment
Baseball season is just around the bend, and I'm a baseball fan, as is my husband, so Baseball Faith grabbed my attention. It's a good book, a nice devotional for baseball fans, especially maybe teenage boys who are into the sport. The setup is well done. Each player's piece starts with a scripture quote and is followed by the player's thoughts on why that scripture is important to him or about how faith and the Bible are important in his life. Each devotion can be read in less than 2 minutes. The following two pages contain some of the player's stats and an interesting fact, like "McCutchen cut his dreadlocks before the 2015 season, and proceeds from the sale of his hair benefited Pirates Charities." Yeah, we're Pirates fans around here. And have been for ages, even when we were absolutely terrible. I was glad to see our McCutchen in the book. The devotions are short and simple. I like that many of...
Read More

A Fistful of Divas by Camille LaGuire

by CarolNo Comments
So I love Mick and Casey McKee. I wish there were more stories in the series. They are a gunslingers in the old west, a young married couple. And I do mean young. She's maybe 17. He's the talker, she's the shooter and they make a great pair. This time around, the couple want to see singing at the local opera house. There's a cute story why, involving Casey's dad. Anyway, with these two nothing is ever simple. Just as they walk in to see who is warming up, there's a shot, apparently aimed at one of the women on stage. If the ladies are going to feel safe enough to perform, Mick and Casey need to figure what's going on and stop it. The mystery was good, for a short story. The actual shooter's identity is quickly established, but who hired him and why is the question. There are a couple clues and a nice, small list of suspects. Like I said, I...
Read More

Motion for Murder by Kelly Rey

by Carol2 Comments
Motion for Murder is a cute, light mystery. Jamie has a lousy job, but gets even worse when one of the partners in the law firm she works at is killed. One of her co-workers is probably the killer, the question is who? I like Jamie. She's funny, but she lets people take advantage of her. The reason for her investigating is a bit weak, though. Hilary, the widow, who she doesn't like, has insisted that she look into one of her co-workers and her natural curiosity and/or worry that she might be next, keeps her digging around. I will say the killer's identity caught me totally off-guard. It made sense, just wasn't someone who was on my radar at all. The secondary characters are a mixed bag. I like Curtis, Jamie's landlord and love interest. He's a good guy, but he rides the line between trying to keep Jamie safe and semi-encouraging her to investigate, which is a little odd. Her...
Read More

In the Bag by Emery Harper

by Carol2 Comments
I didn't read the first in the series, but I picked up In the Bag based on the blurb. I like mysteries and this one sounded fun. I chose well. The cast of characters is great. Celeste is the lead and is a blast. she's funny, caring, has a tendency to get herself into potential danger, but who can blame her? Her best friend's the main suspect in a murder investigation. Speaking of Levi, I like him. He's got his own troubles, but still has time to give out advice, for better or worse. Celeste's dad's in town and adds to the confusion. There's also a bookie whose interest in Celeste is obvious, and a little creepy. The plotline was good. There are enough suspects, but not too many. The clues tie together pretty well. For me though, the enjoyment was in the characters and the situations they get themselves into, no necessarily the whodunnit. I was not a big fan of Celeste's "relationship"...
Read More