Carol's Notebook – Page 223

The Matter of the Crown by Linda Ferreri

January 18, 2018January 29, 2018 by Carol8 Comments

First I have to mention that the Crown of the Andes is real. It's currently at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The rest of The Matter of the Crown is entirely fiction, but I really liked having the image of the Crown in my head as I read about it's fictional theft and about the murder, kidnapping, intrigues surrounding it. I tend to love books combining art and mysteries and this one full of twists and turns and interesting characters was as good as I was hoping. I also like the bits of religious history that were thrown in. The book started out a little tough for me. There are several characters that are introduced and it's tough to see how it's all going to pull together. Eventually, though, once I got into, I couldn't wait to see what happened next. Baldo, a retired Italian policeman who along with an American art lawyer, Claire determined to get to the bottom of the...

My Favorite . . Audiobook

January 17, 2018January 15, 2018 by Carol19 Comments

My Favorite.. is a weekly meme hosted by Maureen’s Books. In this meme we share every week something we love with each other. Because let’s face it.. The world can be a dark place and it’s time to share something positive. For more info: My Favorite Meme. I listened to just under 30 audiobooks last year, which was a little down from the year before. I like audiobooks a lot, so it's really tough to pick my favorite. A lot are good books, period, regardless of if you read them in print or listen to them on audio, presuming the narrator is at all decent. Others are probably better in one format or the other. One of my favorite series is Louise Penny's Chief Inspector Gamache mysteries, and I always listen to them on audio (except #1). The series takes place in Canada, but with all the French names and phrases, it flows so much better on audio for me than it...

Readers’ Workouts – 1/16

January 16, 2018 by Carol7 Comments

I didn't get to go back to yoga yet, because of a combination of Amber's birthday and snow. Next week things should slow down. I did get to the gym once this week, so that's good. The weather has not been very cooperative and I've been busy. This week's activities: Tuesday - Elliptical Monday - Shoveling, Pilates Dinners: Tue: Tortellini soup Wed: Rigatoni Thur: Macaroni and cheese and kielbasa (Amber's b-day) Fri: Hamburgers Sat: Spaghetti with marinara (out for Amber's b-day) Sun: Gravy (at Mom's) Mon: Pita Pizza Goals for January Gym - 4 times (Done: 3) Pilates - 12 times (Done: 4) 45 pts in the #PlankAwayJanuary Challenge - (Current total: 21) Meal ideas for next week: Chicken pot pie pasta Shrimp Stir-fry Loaded baked potatoes 2018 Fitness Goals: - Lose weight. Goal - Lose 25 lbs. - Run 4 races of any length - Hit my weekly step goal (average 8,000 steps/day) for 48 weeks. How was your week? Readers’ Workouts is hosted by Joy at Joy’s Book Blog....

My Favorite . . Moment To Write My Reviews

January 10, 2018 by Carol14 Comments

My Favorite.. is a weekly meme hosted by Maureen’s Books. In this meme we share every week something we love with each other. Because let’s face it.. The world can be a dark place and it’s time to share something positive. For more info: My Favorite Meme. I usually like to write my reviews within the first couple days after finishing a book, when everything's still fresh in my mind. I don't tend to take notes while I read, since I find it interrupts the flow for me (or I'm lazy), so I have to rely on my memory. In print or ebooks, I can go back and look bits up if I need to, but with audiobooks that's pretty hopeless. There are some books I need to think on for a while before I write my comments, ones that deal with heavier topics usually, but they are few and far between I write most of my reviews during slow times at...

Christmas Bliss by Mary Kay Andrews

January 9, 2018 by Carol9 Comments

Christmas Bliss was the last of my Christmas reads for the year. I have read two others in the series and really like Weezie and BeBe. This time around, Weezie's getting ready to marry her chef boyfriend, Daniel, but he's off in New York on a temporary gig at a very swanky restaurant. BeBe's pregnant and refuses to marry her live-in boyfriend Harry, but she also might still be married to one of her exes. It's complicated. It's a sweet story. There's not much conflict and the couple of "issues" that crop up are quickly resolved. Weezie and BeBe are great characters, fun, quirky, but I don't know that this would work as well as a stand-alone. It was nice to already know them and appreciate that they were getting their "happily ever afters." I would love to visit Savannah some time, which is Weezie and BeBe's hometown. Books like this just make it seem so charming. Weezie even makes it seem...

Readers’ Workouts – 1/9

January 9, 2018 by Carol5 Comments

Even though my steps don't show it very well, I feel like I'm getting back on track. I went to my first actual yoga class on Saturday. I don't usually do group activities, but the local yoga place was having a beginner's workshop and I decided to give it a shot. I'll admit, introvert me was a bit nervous going by myself, but I really liked it. I'll probably go back. In all honesty, I didn't even know the place existed. It's in a nearby town, about a 15 min drive or so. The lady leading it was welcoming and nice and I think I could be comfortable going there regularly. It's easier to go someplace a second time if I've already been there once. This week's activities: Tuesday - Pilates Thursday - Elliptical, Pilates Saturday - Yoga Sunday - Elliptical Monday - Pilates Dinners: Tue: Taco Salad Wed: Rigatoni (at church) Thur: Spaghetti Bolognese (National Spaghetti Day) Fri: Chili (at Mom's) Sat: Chicken pot pie Sun: Left-overs Mon: Shrimp Stir fry Goals for January Gym -...