Carol's Notebook – Page 224

Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge Wrap-Up

January 6, 2018January 5, 2018 by Carol2 Comments

Today wraps up the Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge. Thanks again, Michelle, for hosting. I may have hit the fanatic level this year. The titles should link to my review, except the last, which isn't up yet. Murder for Christmas by Francis Duncan A Christmas Peril by J.A. Hennrikus I'm Scheming of a White Christmas by Kate O'Keeffe The Turn of the Screw by Henry James Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas by Jun Asuka Twelve Slays of Christmas by Jacqueline Frost A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, adapted by R. D. Carstairs Slay Bells Ring by Karen Rose Smith Once Upon a Christmas Eve by Elizabeth Hoyt 'Twas the Nightcap Before Christmas by Katie Blackburn The Littlest Christmas Tree by R.A. Herman Christmas Bliss by Mary Kay Andrews I think I'm done with my Christmas reading until next December - or maybe November....

Murder on New Year’s Eve by P. Creeden

January 5, 2018 by Carol8 Comments

Murder on New Year's Eve was a fun, short mystery, perfect to start the year with. If you read the blurb above, you know it was murder, of course. Emily's youngish, 20, but her dad, who she has lived with since her parent's divorced when she was about 11, is the local sheriff, so she's been around crime scenes and cops most of her life. When she's helping solve the case, she's intelligent and observant. When she's working with her foster dog, a St. Bernard, she's patient and caring. When she's thinking about her crush, Colby, she seems like she's 13 and I want to roll my eyes, but maybe that's part of being 20 in a small town, shelter by a sheriff father. Given that it's only about 40 pages, I though the mystery was well done. There were enough clues and it was pretty clever. It wrapped a little quickly, but it had to. The characters were well-developed, we...

My Favorite . . . Book of 2017

January 3, 2018 by Carol18 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. The other day I shared my two 5-star reads of 2017, The End of the Day by Claire North and a re-read of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. (All covers should link to my reviews.) Some of my other favorites of the year may not have quite reached 5 stars, but I loved them anyway. What was your favorite book of 2017? Join in at Maureen's Books....

Readers’ Workouts – 1/2

January 2, 2018January 2, 2018 by Carol6 Comments

I did not do very well over the holidays. This past week I didn't make my step goal even one day. And I don't even want to talk about all the junk I ate. New year, fresh start, right? It's been way too cold to go out and walk much though. This week's activities: Monday- Pilates Goals for January Gym - 4 times Pilates - 12 times (Done: 1) 45 pts in the #PlankAwayJanuary Challenge Meal ideas for next week: Taco salad Pork stew Spaghetti with bolognese Coconut shrimp Burgers with green beans 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....

2017 Wrap-Up

December 31, 2017January 3, 2018 by Carol6 Comments

I read a total 83 of books, novellas, etc. this year. I don't think I wrote reviews for all of them. A couple were kids books and at least one was a Thursday Tale. Numbers Pages read: 10,323 Time listened: 242 hrs 7 minutes Audiobooks: 26 EBooks: 37 Print: 20 Male authors: 27 Female authors: 46 Multiple authors: 3 New-to-me authors: 46 Genres It's hard to categorize some books into one genre. Some may overlap, but I've tried to put them where I think they fit best. My reading was a little more varied this year than last, but next year I'm hoping to add more nonfiction to my list. Fiction Chic Lit: 2 Classic: 7 Fantasy/Paranormal: 1 General Fiction: 2 Graphic novel/manga/comic - 3 Horror: 2 Humor: 1 Middle School: 3 Mystery: 34 Picture Book: 12 Romance: 5 Sci-fi: 3 Thriller/Crime: 3 Western: 1 Nonfiction Faith: 4 5 star reads Favorite new-to-me author: Edgar Cantero Favorite new-to-me series/trilogy: The Interdependency by John Scalzi Places I Read I've just listed the first book/novella I read set in each state/country. States Alabama - Wooing the Wedding Planner by Amber Leigh Williams California - The Girl with Ghost Eyes by M. H. Boroson Colorado...

The Body in the Casket by Katherine Hall Page

December 30, 2017January 2, 2018 by Carol13 Comments

The Body in the Casket is the first in the Faith Fairchild mystery I've read. On the one hand that doesn't matter because it stands on its own well. On the other hand, it means I didn't care as much about Faith's family and friends as I might have if I had started the series at the beginning. I enjoyed the mystery portion of the book a lot. I'm a sucker for a good old-fashioned manor house mystery, which this was at heart, although with a New England touch. I love the addition of the theater folk and the whole Heaven and Hell theme of the weekend. I was not entirely surprised by the who dunnit, partly because it was reminiscent of a mystery I read earlier last month. Faith didn't really shine as a detective here though. I don't know I that's standard for this series or not, but she never really put any clues together or seemed to have...