Friday Fill-Ins

by Carol3 Comments
1. All children alarm their parents, if only because you are forever expecting them to figure out you actually have no idea what you're doing. 2. Show me a good loser and I will show you a person who wasn't playing to win. 3. Life is like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs at one time. (Sometimes it tastes great, sometimes it makes you want to puke.) 4. Too bad that all the people who know how to run the country are busy taking care of their own lives and staying out of politics. 5. I have yet to hear a man ask for advice on how to combine kids and a career. 6. It is impossible to think of any good meal, no matter how plain or elegant, without pasta or onions in it. 7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to playing board games, tomorrow my plans include watching kids bowl and Sunday, I want to go grocery shopping after church. Join in!...
Read More

Booking Through Thursday

by Carol5 Comments
One of my favorite sci-fi authors (Sharon Lee) has declared June 23rd Fantasy and Science Fiction Writers Day. As she puts it: So! In my Official Capacity as a writer of science fiction and fantasy, I hereby proclaim June 23 Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Day! A day of celebration and wonder! A day for all of us readers of science fiction and fantasy to reach out and say thank you to our favorite writers. A day, perhaps, to blog about our favorite sf/f writers. A day to reflect upon how written science fiction and fantasy has changed your life. So … what might you do on the 23rd to celebrate? Do you even read fantasy/sci-fi? Why? Why not? What can I do to celebrate? Maybe a post about fantasy I've read or would like to read, or why I enjoy fantasy novels. It could also be a good excuse to read The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein, which has been on my...
Read More

The Dragon of Doom by Bruce Coville

by Carol3 Comments
The Dragon of Doom (Moongobble and Me #1) by Bruce Coville Description: Edward is bored with life in the little town of Pigbone. Then Moongobble the Magician and his faithful toad, Urk, move into the cottage on the hill. Soon Edward has a job helping Moongobble. And Moongobble needs a lot of help because it turns out, he is not a very good magician. (His spells keep turning things into cheese!) Edward has never been so busy -- or so happy. But then someone threatens to stop Moongobble from ever casting another spell. Edward can't let that happen. He'll do anything to save his friend's magic -- even face the deadly, dreaded Dragon of Doom! My thoughts: We actually listened to this on CD and it lasted about an hour. Amber says Coville is her favorite author to listen to in the car. I think it's because his stories are wacky and the CDs have a full cast, not just a single narrator, which makes them fun....
Read More

Wondrous Words Wednesday

by Carol4 Comments
I ran across a couple new-to-me words this week. bosky- having an abundance of bushes, shrubs, or trees. "A big white swan full of little children approached my bench, then turned around a bosky islet covered with ducks and paddled back under the dark arch of the bridge." (pg. 137, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath) bifurcation- a forking, or division into two branches. "Harsh Marit was back from the dead, and her life was facing a bifurcation." (pg. 4, My Forbidden Desire by Carolyn Jewel) Play along at Bermudaonion's Weblog....
Read More

The Mystery of the Black Raven created by Gertrude Chandler Warner

by Carol1 Comment
The Mystery of the Black Raven (Boxcar Children Special #12) created by Gertrude Chandler Warner Description: The Boxcar Children are traveling to Skagway, Alaska, for the annual Four-Rock Miners' reunion. They're looking forward to a week of sightseeing and even panning for gold. But before the fun can begin, the soapstone raven and the scrapbook that grandfather is set to inherit for the year go missing. They're nothing but old souvenirs, so why would anyone want to take them? The Boxcar Children set out to find the raven's secret! My (brief) thoughts: I don't think Amber's ever going to get tired of the Boxcar Children Mysteries. I find them a little boring, but she enjoys them, so I read them with her. This one did have some interesting facts about Alaska and the Gold Rush, though. As usual, there were several suspects and clues and it was fun to try to guess who the thief actually was....
Read More

Teaser Tuesday

by Carol2 Comments
Grab your current read. Let the book fall open to a random page. Share with us two (2) "teaser" sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12. You also need to share the title of the book that you're getting your "teaser" from...that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given. Please avoid spoilers! My teaser: "The problem," he said without looking away from his knife, "is that with you wound up around the talisman like you are, you're going to need to pull in order to help keep you safe." He lifted his head, but only enough to see her.  -pg. 167, My Forbidden Desire by Carolyn Jewel Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Play along....
Read More