Carol's Notebook – Page 216

First Chapter, First Paragraph, Tuesday Intro

March 20, 2018January 21, 2020 by Carol11 Comments

Every Tuesday Vicki at I'd Rather Be At the Beach hosts First Chapter, First Paragraph, Tuesday Intros, where we share the first paragraph or two of a book we are reading or thinking about reading soon. Mine comes from True Fiction by Lee Goldberg. The assassin wore only a Speedo and his lean body was slathered with sunscreen that made him smell like a baked coconut. His name was Doric Thane and he sat on a poolside chaise lounge that faced Waikiki. To his right, and in the distance, was Honolulu International Airport. Behind him, the hotel tower stood against the backdrop of Diamond Head volcano and pale kids with floaties around their chubby arms frolicked loudly in the overchlorinated pool. There was a closed MacBook on his lap and a cold lava flow cocktail on the table beside him. He scratched absently at the puckered gunshot scar on his stomach and sighed with contentment. Thane opened his MacBook and a detailed simulation of an...

Readers’ Workouts – 3/20

March 20, 2018March 21, 2018 by Carol6 Comments

I made my steps again this week. I took the dog for a walk yesterday - it was sunny and like 50°. Today it's low to mid 30°s, freezing rain right now and snow later. Can it please just stay spring? This week's activities: Monday - Yoga I also did my push ups most nights. Dinners: Tuesday - Chicken patty and noodles Wednesday - Crescent roll, Chicken noodle soup (at church) Thursday - Skillet Pad Thai with chicken Friday - Fried fish and french fries (carry-out) Saturday - Egg and cheese croissant sandwiches Sunday - Macaroni and cheese Monday - Pancakes and turkey sausage Thursday's dinner: https://www.instagram.com/p/BgXIgWQjIAc/?taken-by=carolsnotebook Goals for March Gym – 4 times (current: 2) Pilates – 12 times (I ended up not doing Pilates this month. I'm doing yoga instead.) Yoga – 1 (current: 6) :) 62 pts in the #MarchUP Challenge (Current: 48) Meal ideas for next week: Chinese takeout - because Amber and I are home alone this week and she loves Chinese Baked rigatoni "Skinny" eggplant parmesan (I still haven't made this) French bread pizza Quesadillas 2018 Fitness Goals: - Lose weight....

Murder on Saint Patrick’s Day by P. Creeden

March 17, 2018March 21, 2018 by Carol4 Comments

Murder on Saint Patrick's Day is a quick little mystery, perfect for today. Emma and her dog Molly are picking up a friend's teenage daughter after a concert at a local cafe when the lead singer of the band collapses and dies on his way to the hospital. Emma's observational skills once again help out her dad, the Sheriff, and they figure out who the killer is. The mystery was good. It's a short story, so everything moves a bit quickly, but I like the characters and the clues fit in well. I liked a band being involved in the mystery this time, it made it feel very St. Patrick's Day-ish....

The Classics Club

March 16, 2018September 17, 2019 by Carol25 Comments

I'm finally joining The Classics Club. Better late than never, right? I've been trying to read more classics and this just gives me an extra push. The Classics Club has been around since 2012. The goal is to “unite those of us who like to blog about classic literature, as well as to inspire people to make the classics an integral part of life.” Here is my list of 50 classics I want to read by March 16, 2023. It's a "living" list, allowed to change and adapt. It’s made up of mostly novels, but there are also a few novellas, childrens books, and non-fiction titles thrown in. The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad review 4/4/19 The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wild The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rineheart review 9/26/18 Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe The Borrowers by Mary Norton The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler review 7/5/18 The Woman in White...

I Contain Multitudes by Ed Yong

March 16, 2018March 21, 2018 by Carol6 Comments

In general, microbes are not something I spend much time thinking about. I wash my hands to hopefully keep away germs, take my probiotic pill, and that's about it. I'm not one of those people who carry around a can of Lysol, which apparently can be a good thing. "So, here’s the irony: toilets that are cleaned too often are more likely to be covered in faecal bacteria." I Contain Multitudes by Ed Yong made me think about the vast array of microbes in our world - helpful, harmful, and ones that can be both or neither. Yong touches on the evolution of microbes; the history of microbiology; symbiotic relationships among microbes; symbiosis between microbes and higher organisms; dysbiosis (unbalanced microbiomes that harm their hosts); how scientists study and identify microbiomes; research studies aimed at seeding hospitals and buildings with 'good microbes'; and much more. He writes in an entertaining, easy to understand way. He makes microbes fun. My family is probably...

The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

March 15, 2018March 15, 2018 by Carol9 Comments

The Hound of the Baskervilles was a re-read for me. I've read or listened to most of the Sherlock Holmes stories and novels over the years, but I always enjoy them. Sir Henry Baskerville needs Sherlock's help. He's inherited a house in Dartmoor, at the edge of the moor, in rather unpleasant circumstances. The former landowner, Sir Charles died of a heart attack, apparently while feeling from a giant hellhound, the family's curse. After a brief time in London, Sir Henry heads off to his new estate along with Watson, who has strict instructions to stay with Sir Henry and to especially never let him go out onto the moor alone. Holmes can't go with them because of some reason or other. We meet all the locals, including the servants of the house and the neighbors, a bug collector and his wife. To complicate issues, there's also an escaped convict lose in the area. It's a good solid mystery. Watson is his loyal...