Carol's Notebook – Page 148

A Bad Day for Sunshine by Darynda Jones

April 22, 2020April 22, 2020 by Carol3 Comments

Sunshine Vicram, new sheriff of Del Sol, more than has her hands full. It's her first day on the job and the cursed muffins arrive, the ones that always come before something majorly bad happens in town. There a few hints of the paranormal, a psychic, some prophetic dreams, but nothing that takes it into fantasy territory. This time around the muffins presage a kidnapping and an escaped convict being seen in town. This is the first in the series and there are a lot of people to meet: Sunshine and her team; her daughter Auri and the kids at her school; Sunshine's parents; the townspeople, including Levi, Sunshine's crush; a U.S. marshall and some other lawn enforcement guy who there to help with the cases. It's a lot of characters. They weren't necessarily confusing but it was hard to keep track of them all. I like Sunshine. She's funny and sarcastic and competent, but I wish she wouldn't drool over every...

Ghosts of Tsavo by Vered Ehsani

April 21, 2020April 20, 2020 by Carol2 Comments

Ghosts of Tsavo is not my typical read, but it is. It's kind of like a cozy mystery set in Victorian-era Kenya, except instead of a traditional mystery, our heroine, Beatrice Knight, "Bee" to her friends, needs to solve a paranormal problem. There are ghost lions killing goats and the railroad workers worry that soon the lions' appetites will turn toward people. Bee, of course, is not alone. She has a family who are totally over-whelmed by moving to Africa, their servant, the local man she semi-partners with who is as mysterious as the lions, and a new friend who seems a bit ditzy. Oh, and her dead husband who is haunting her. And a local man that is interested in the lions for another reason altogether. It's a fun story and I enjoyed the historical Kenya setting. I like Bee. She's intelligent, but also likes people to observe the customs of the era when possible. Politeness and tea are important. She's...

Sunday Salon – 4/19

April 20, 2020April 20, 2020 by Carol10 Comments

Thanks to Deb at Readerbuzz for hosting The Sunday Salon. Stop over there or at the Facebook Group to participate. It's been pretty quiet around here. Not much choice really. Sad News: Our bearded dragon, Scorch, died this week. We've had him for probably 10+ years. Week’s Highlight: David's birthday was Monday. We ordered got carry-out Mexican and a Dairy Queen cake. Quieter than most birthdays but nice. I've been loving Pittsburgh Public Theater's PlayTime on-line reading series. This week it was A Doll's House, which I had never seen (or read) before. Really wonderful. This Thursday and Friday will be The Mon Valley Medium, written and performed by Alec Silberblatt. The series has become a highlight of my week. Reading: I’ve had lots of time to read, both at home and at work. I started listening to Dune this weekend. I tried reading it a year or two ago, but set it aside. So far, the audio is really good. Last week’s post: A Thoughtful Woman by K.T. FindlayA Little Night Murder...

A Thoughtful Woman by K.T. Findlay

April 19, 2020March 23, 2020 by Carol1 Comment

Sally is angry. So is Emma Johnson. They are both widows, their husbands killed by drunk drivers who were not found guilty. Both men, father and son, had the help of the same lawyer and the same cop "misplaced" their blood tests. Those men, all of them, are the ones Sally focuses her rage on and, with Emma's help, she is going to take justice, or revenge, into her own hands. At the same time, two men from a shadowy agency are looking for another man who's been missing for three years, but was also connected with some of the men. This is a tension-filled thriller. Sally is determined and creative and smart. The question becomes are the men or the cops a match for her, especially when she has Emma to rely on? I don't really want to give away too much of the plot, but it's astounding what people are willing to do and how the line between good...

3 Unique Gifts for the Special Child in Your Life

April 18, 2020April 17, 2020 by Carol1 Comment

Today’s kids certainly have more toys than ever before. Finding the right gift for the child in your life can be time-consuming and seemingly impossible. Fortunately, many parents and relatives are starting to realize that gifts don’t have to be toys. Some of the best, and most special, gifts are not toys. Here are three unique gifts to give to a special child in your life. 1. Personalized Books Books are one of the greatest gifts you can give a child, and it's probably no surprise that I give books as gifts fairly often. Reading opens a world of opportunities to a child and encouraging a love for reading can begin by buying books for their home. In addition to regular books, personalized books make reading even more fun. There are so many options to choose from: a personalized birthday book for a child, holiday-themed stories and personalized books that teach life lessons such as potty training. A personalized book makes reading...

Classics Club Spin #23

April 17, 2020April 20, 2020 by Carol7 Comments

The Classics Club is holding its 23rd Spin. The idea is to list 20 of the books on your Classics Club list before April 19 when the wheel will turn and reveal the winning number. The challenge is to read whatever book falls under that number on your Spin List, by June 1. My Book Spin List – The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde Moll Flanders by Daniel DefoeTreasure Island by Robert Louis StevensonThe Blue Castle by Lucy Maud MontgomeryThe Odyssey by HomerThe Red House Mystery by A.A. MilneIn Cold Blood by Truman CapoteOrient Express by Graham GreeneAnatomy of a Murder by Robert TraverThe Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John Le CarréGulliver’s Travels by Jonathan SwiftMoll Flanders by Daniel DefoeConfessions of an English Opium-Eater by Thomas De QuinceyWalden by Henry David ThoreauThe 13 Clocks by James ThurberThe Enchanted April by Elizabeth von ArnimThe Wind in the Willows by Kenneth GrahameDeath Comes for the Archbishop by Willa CatherLittle House in the...