Blue Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews

by Carol4 Comments
Blue Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews It's tinsel - light, sparkly, fun, but at the end of the season it gets tossed with the tree. Weezie is an antiques dealer in Savannah, a character first introduced in Savannah Blues which I read several years ago. This one stands on its own well, though. Weezie's in a frenzy to decorate her shop for the annual contest. Her Blue Christmas/1950s theme turns out gorgeous, even out-shining the competitor down the block, but things start to go missing and a mysterious woman has been making after-hours visits to the shop. Daniel, Weezie's chef boyfriend, is worried, but he has his hands full at his restaurant. Overall, it's enjoyable, the touches of romance, a little mystery that leads to a heart-warming ending. Everything I'm looking for in a seasonal read. I actually listened to the audio version read by Isabel Keating. I will say that she was perfect for Weezie's voice, but she didn't do the male character's...
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Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas

by Carol10 Comments
  Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity, Christ, the Maker of the universe or perhaps many universes, willingly and lovingly leaving all that power and coming to this poor, sin-filled planet to live with us for a few years to show us what we ought to be and could be. Christ came to us as Jesus of Nazareth, wholly human and wholly divine, to show us what it means to be made in God's image. Jesus, as Paul reminds us, was the firstborn of many brethren. I stand on the deck of my cottage, looking at the sky full of God's children, and know that I am one of them. (from "A Sky Full of Children" by Madeleine L'Engle in Watch for the Light) I've been reading a selection from Watch for the Light every evening since November 24 and will continue through January 7. I doubt that I will write a review about it simply because the topics, authors, even forms of the...
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Christmas at The Mysterious Bookshop edited by Otto Penzler

by Carol9 Comments
Christmas at The Mysterious Bookshop edited by Otto Penzler I do love Christmas mysteries, a combination of my favorite things really. Murder and theft for the holiday. This book collects 17 stories by am amazing list of writers. Each original story was commissioned by Otto Penzler, one a year beginning in 1993, printed and given to his bookstore customers as a holiday gift. The only requirements were that the story must take place during the Christmas season, involve a mystery and have a least some of the action take place at the Mysterious Bookshop in New York. I am so happy that he's sharing the stories with the rest of us! Each of the stories is written by a well-known author in the genre, and they vary from light-hearted and heart-warming to dark, like "The 74th Tale" by Jonathan Santlofer where a man discovers Poe and a penchant for burying people alive, and everywhere in between. As with most collections, I had...
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Snow White and Rose Red by The Brothers Grimm

by Carol10 Comments
"Snow White and Rose Red" by The Brothers Grimm Although I've heard of this story, I've never actually read it. I am much more familiar with "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," a totally different story. This one does involve a dwarf, but he's a nasty little man who gets killed in the end. Snow White and Rose Red are sisters who live with their mother, a widow. All three live together happily. The sisters are dearest friends and wander the woods without fear, as all the animals are kind to them— the girls/young women  are just that perfect. One day, when the three woman are reading by the fire, they hear a knock at the door. They open it, assuming it's a traveler looking for lodging, and find a bear. The bear speaks, telling them he won't hurt them he just needs some warmth. They welcome him  in and he returns every night until summer. the girls tease, flirted and wrestled with...
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The Dream Woman by Wilkie Collins

by Carol7 Comments
"The Dream Woman" by Wilkie Collins There are several versions of "The Dream Woman" earlier known as "The Ostler." The one I read, according to the introduction, was the version prepared for Collins' US readings and is remarkably different from the one printed in the collections. The story is subtitled "A Mystery in Four Narratives." The first section is told by Percy Fairbank, a well-off man who is traveling with his wife in England. They have to stop at an inn when one of their horses goes lame and there they meet Francis Raven, the stableman. When they first stumble upon him, he's asleep, obviously in the middle of a nightmare involving a woman. Percy, by the way is quite amusing. His asides about the relationship between him and his wife are funny and true to life. they obviously love each other dearly and know each other quite well. In the second narrative is Francis' story to this point, told by himself. Ten years...
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