The Devil Amongst the Lawyers by Sharyn McCrumb

by Carol27 Comments
The Devil Amongst the Lawyers by Sharyn McCrumb This was a good story, although not the story I expected. In 1935, a young school teacher in the remote mountains of Virginia is charged with murdering her father. Because she is beautiful and the story sensational, national reporters are sent to cover the trial, and the young woman's brother seeks exclusive rights to her story, with the money supposedly going to her defense fund. The national reporters don't find the hillbillies living in run down shacks that they expect, so they fabricate them.  Carl Jenkins, a recent college-graduate, is a reporter from Tennessee, who realizes that the star reporters are not actually reporting the truth, more perpetuating myths about Appalachian life. Truth is the main issue here. Reporters shape what they know and see into a story their audience wants. But what is the truth? Is there a truth? The commonwealth's attorney warmed to his topic. "I had one of those reporters ask me...
Read More

The Lion, the Hare, and the Hyena

by Carol6 Comments
"The Lion , the Hare, and the Hyena" "The Lion, the Hare, and the Hyena" is a story from Kenya. The version I read in Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales was told to Phyllis Savory by Gwido Mariko and illustrated by Tamsin Hinrichsen. A lion who lives alone in a cave has an injured leg and cannot hunt for good, but luckily for him a hare, Sunguru, who was passing by realized the lion need his help and stayed to take care of him. The lion gained strength and was soon well enough to catch food for them to eat. One day a hyena smells the bones that are left from the two friends' meal. The hyena, wanting the delicious bones tries to convince the lion that he had been truly concerned about the lion while he was injures. The lion, being fairly smart, doesn't buy it and the hyena  shuffles away. The hyena, though can't forget about the bones, so he comes...
Read More

My Favorite Genres

by Carol8 Comments
The Book List Meme at Lost in Books asks a simple question this week, "What are your favorite genres?" Actually it's not that easy to answer. First there's the "favorite" word. How do I pick my "favorites?" How can I choose when I love them all? And then "genres." There are so many genres and sub-genres and books that cross categories that it's tough, but I finally came up with a rather broad list. Mystery - "Human nature doesn't change. Our clothiers change, our technology changes, but the passions that drive people to commit a crime, which is what these books are all about, doesn't change, and that's endlessly fascinating." ~Miner Romance - "Romance is the glamour which turns the dust of everyday life into a golden haze." ~Amanda Cross Fantasy - "Fantasy is an exercise bicycle for the mind. It might not take you anywhere, but it tones up the muscles that can. Of course, I could be wrong."...
Read More

Romance Teaser and Giveaway

by Carol17 Comments
Lauren pushed away from the porch railing. Caleb was here. Why did that feel like something to celebrate? The rubber squeak of the balloons yanking against their ribbons, the fragrant homemade pizza smell wafting out the open windows and the rustle of the breeze in the trees faded into the background. Caleb strode through the gravel, looking shower-fresh in a blue T-shirt and worn jeans. He was every inch the salt-of-the-earth man she believed him to be. (pg. 129, A McKaslin Homecoming by Jillian Hart) 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 cheated for a good reason though. This one just came in the mail yesterday from Harlequin Ambassadors with four others to give away. Here's the...
Read More

Hidden Gems

by Carol9 Comments
I don't usually participate in The Bumbles Monday Movie Meme, but I couldn't resist today. The topic is Hidden Gems, movies you loved but that might have been overlooked by others, and I have three I just adore. Shallow Grave (1994) Juliet (Kerry Fox), David (Christopher Eccleston), and Alex (Ewan McGregor), three completely unlikable housemates, face a moral dilemma when their new roomie, Hugo (Keith Allen), turns up dead of a drug overdose, leaving behind a suitcase stuffed with cash. Their decision to chop up the body, bury the bits, and keep the loot leads to a well-deserved descent into paranoia, betrayal, and dementia. Big Night (1996) Primo (Tony Shalhoub) and Secondo (Stanley Tucci) are two brothers who have emigrated from Italy to open an Italian restaurant in America. Primo is the irascible and gifted chef, brilliant in his culinary genius, but determined not to squander his talent on making the routine dishes that customers expect....
Read More