Carol's Notebook – Page 133

November Cloak and Dagger Link-up

November 1, 2020November 6, 2020 by CarolNo Comments

Happy November! I have mixed feelings about November. I hate how grey and cold and dreary it is. But my birthday's in the midde of the month and my family always makes it special. And Thanksgiving is at the end; this year my brother and his family should be in town and it's always nice to see them. Fall is also the perfect time to read mysteries, thrillers and crime novels. Link up your reads below. You are invited to the Inlinkz link party! Click here to enter...

Miss Frost Solves a Cold Case by Kristen Painter

October 31, 2020October 30, 2020 by CarolNo Comments

I'm not quite ready for winter/Christmas reads yet, but maybe I am. Miss Frost Solves a Cold Case hit just the right note for this time of year for me. Jayne Frost, winter elf and niece of Santa Claus, is sent from the North Pole to Nocturne Falls, where supernaturals can live as they are because Halloween is celebrated every day of the year. She is there to investigate a series of disappearances in one of the Santa's toy stores. Several elf employees have left, supposedly quit, but with no trace of them afterward. A little bit of Halloween, a little bit of Christmas, some magic a good mystery - it's a cute book. The mystery is not terrible complicated but the clues are well-done and there are a couple possible suspects. The characters are fun. Jayne loved Dr. Pepper and all things sweet, which I can definitely relate to. She's nice and friendly and determined. She makes a few...

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

October 30, 2020October 30, 2020 by Carol4 Comments

The Haunting of Hill House is more eerie than scary. Jackson's writing is so tight and so descriptive in ways that make you think about ordinary things, like houses, differently. The plot itself is not outstanding, maybe because it's almost become a template of haunted house stories. Three people, Eleanor, Theodora and Luke, are invited to stay in a supposedly haunted house for the summer to aid a scientist, Dr. Montague, in his pursuit of paranormal investigation. We some started banging, laughs, cold spots, a ghostly scene, but really the story is about Eleanor. We see this world through her eyes. Eleanor's eyes. She is insecure, introverted, and often finds herself fantasizing about her current and future situations. She's not a reliable narrator to any extent. Eleanor is affected by the house more than any of the others. While they all see and feel some of the manifestations, but some she only hears and others are directed at her by...

Lady Audley’s Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon

October 27, 2020October 29, 2020 by Carol2 Comments

Told by an unknown narrator, the story is focused on a "secret" of a woman named Lady Audley and the ultimate revelation of what that secret is. While you may think relatively soon into the book that you know Lady Audley's Secret, that the author has told us, you'd be wrong. The secret remains closely guarded right u to the time it is confessed by Lady Audley. I will be honest, though, the secret is not the strong part of the book. She lays down clues and throws hints here and there without giving way too much and keeping the secret well-guarded until the time is right for a confession by Lady Audley. I enjoyed the writing. The descriptions of the settings and characters put you there with them. I listened to Lady Audley's Secret just after The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. They were written around the same time and both "sensational" novels, but this one felt tighter to...

Hour 11 Mini-Challenge: Around a Campfire

October 24, 2020October 20, 2020 by Carol19 Comments

Autumn in Ohio is a perfect time to sit around a fire, roast 'smores, and chat. So for Hour 11's mini-challenge, pretend with me. You’re sitting by a campfire with some friends. The wind is blowing and the air is just getting that crisp feeling. Tell us: Who would be sitting around the fire with you?What are you listening to?What snacks would you have?We know you brought a book, which one is it?It’s your turn to tell a spooky story, which one is it going to be? Leave your answers or link in the comments. One random entry will win a $20 gift card from Amazon or a book of their choice up to $20 from The Book Depository....

24 Hour Readathon

October 24, 2020October 24, 2020 by CarolNo Comments

It’s the day! I probably won't actually be reading much today. We're going out to lunch with my mom and my husband and I are going out to dinner for our anniversary. I’ll be trying to update this post throughout the day/night. I’m also on Twitter and Instagram. And stop back here at hour 11 for a mini-challenge. Opening Survey: 1)What fine part of the world are you reading from today? I am in eastern Ohio. The Readathon started at 8:00 a.m., but I started at about 11:00 am. I slept in. We were playing board games until about 2:00 am yesterday. 2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? I'm reading a couple seasonal books today: Lady's Audley's Secret and The Haunting of Hill House. 3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? Not much really. I have some chocolate chip cookies to bake and some saltines and Amerian cheese. We're going out to eat twice so I'm not sure how many...