“The Ear of Corn” by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

by Carol2 Comments
"The Ear of Corn" by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm This is one of the Grimms' shorter Household Tales. In a time when God still walked on the earth and each stalk of corn produced far more than they do now, a woman tore up a handful of ears of corn to clean mud of her daughter's dress. God was angry and threatened that the corn stalks would produce no more food, but relented when the people cried that even if they were undeserving, the birds would starve. The Lord, who foresaw their suffering, had pity on them, and granted the request. So the ears were left as they now grow. We need to be thankful for what we have, for what God's given us, because we can lose it. Definitely a good moral, but not one of my favorite stories. I read...
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Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner

by Carol6 Comments
Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner A Three Reasons Review 1. Why I chose this book I read this for an on-line discussion group, but I was actually the one who nominated it. The theme was "prize winners" and this won the Man Booker Prize in 1984. It was short, which sadly sometimes plays into my book choices, and I liked the sound of the plot. Edith Hope, a romance novelist, is banished to a hotel in Switzerland to allow her time to more or less regain her senses after making a decision her friends and acquaintances found embarrassing. While there though, she comes to some realizations about herself and about love in general. "I mean that I cannot live well without it. I cannot think or act or speak or write or even dream with any kind of energy in the absence of love. I feel excluded from the living world. I become cold, fish-like, immobile. I implode." (pg. 98) 2. Reasons I liked...
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A Fatal Feast by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain

by Carol7 Comments
A Fatal Feast by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain I was looking for a Thanksgivingy book and saw this at my library, so I had to pick it up. I remember watching the Murder, She Wrote series on TV back in the 80s or 90s, so I was familiar with the characters and setting. Yes, I was a mystery lover even then. Jessica Fletcher has a guest in town for Thanksgiving, her would-be beau George Sutherland, a Scotland Yard Investigator. I have to say that Jessica is more attractive and adventurous than I remember her, flying planes and flirting with men. Of course, maybe my memory has tamed her over the years. Anyway, Jessica is preparing a Thanksgiving feast and the list of people who are planning on being there keeps growing, including and odd drifter who has been hanging out in the road in front of her house and her new neighbors, an odd couple themselves. It's really no surprise, though, when...
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Skipping Christmas by John Grisham

by Carol18 Comments
Skipping Christmas by John Grisham I adore holiday books, especially those centered around Christmas, but this is one I wish I had skipped. I actually listened to the audio version of this, read by Dennis Boutsikaris and finished it on my lunch break today(while eating a plate of leftover spaghetti and sauce from my mom's - my absolute favorite meal). At least it was short. It's the story of Luther and Nora Krank who have decided to skip Christmas this year since their daughter is in Peru and instead go on a cruise that leaves Christmas Day. Of course, their daughter calls Christmas Eve and tells them she is on her way home with her new fiancé and expects the traditional Christmas celebration. The Kranks have to forget about the cruise and scurry around to pull Christmas together. First of all, I didn't like anybody through 7/8 of the book. Mr. Krank, is, well, a crank. His wife agrees with his skipping Christmas...
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Tuesday Teaser from A Fatal Feast

by Carol4 Comments
I considered what to tell Seth. If I said I was going to Boston to dig into Hubert Billup's background, he'd undoubtedly be critical of me for poking my nose into what is a police matter. So I said instead, "I thought George would enjoy a day and night in Boston, Seth. He seems pleased with the idea." (pg. 182, A Fatal Feast by Jessica Fletcher & Donald Bain) I remember watching Murder, She Wrote, but this is the first book I've read based on the series. So far, it's what I expected. Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Play along. The rules are easy and I only cheated a little. Grab your current read, open to a random page, and give us two teaser sentences. Remember, no spoilers. I borrowed my copy from the library and the above is...
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