Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Brash Blonde by Gemma Halliday and Kelly Rey

by Carol1 Comment
I do love a Holmes remake. Sherlock Holmes doesn't exist here, either as a fictional character or a real person, as he does in so many other stories. Marty and Irene make him up to explain their investigating to the cops (Lastrade) and coroner (Watson). The names are familiar, but only bear a passing resemblance to the originals. This is a fun mystery. The aunt who was murdered was not a nice old lady. There were plenty of people who may have been happy to see her dead. As a mystery it was okay, plenty of clues and suspects. I did guess who the killer was, but that didn't make the mystery any less enjoyable. Marty is our detective and Irene is her sidekick - her rich, smart sidekick. I like that this re-imaging puts the women in charge. Marty is observant and interested in a variety of topics. Irene is a bit over-enthusiastic, she's the one who kind of instigates the whole Holmes...
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Readers’ Workouts – 11/8

by Carol6 Comments
Finally got my Fitbit to sync. I only got my steps in two days, but a couple others were close. I need to make more of an effort; it doesn't just happen like it does in warmer weather. My plan was to do a 40 minute Pilates workout every day for 7 days. I skipped 1 - I just ran out of time. Tuesday - Walk with the dog, 40 mins Pilates Wednesday - 40 mins Pilates Thursday - Walk with the dog, 40 mins Pilates Friday - 40 mins Pilates Saturday - 40 mins Pilates. Dance class. Sunday - Walk with the dog. I usually listen to a book while I’m walking, jogging, whatever. This week I'm listening to The Sculthorpe Murder by Karen Charlton. How was your week? Readers’ Workouts is hosted by Joy at Joy’s Book Blog ....
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Thursday’s Tale: Sowing Pine Seeds

by Carol2 Comments
I was looking for a harvest story for today, and found this one "Sowing Pine Seeds" from Sweden. I found it on-line at The Gold Scales. It made me smile. It's another example of cleverness winning the day, only this time the person in power admires it instead of being angered. In Kopinge lies Ugerup Estate, also called Urup, famous in the history of Denmark. In the 1500s, when Arild Ugerup was yet a young man he was captured by the Swedes and carried as a prisoner to Stockholm. His friends had little hope that they would ever see him again. But while Arild was languishing in his prison it occurred to him that he should seek the king's permission to go home on parole to sow and gather his crops. The king readily granted his petition since Arild promised to return to his confinement as soon as his harvest was ripe. He at once hastened to Skane. And in the fields where...
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Readers’ Workouts – 11/01

by Carol6 Comments
A day late again. :( Here are my steps for the week. Honestly, I got a cold on Wednesday and that shot most of the week out the window. Then I let my fitbit die sometime between Friday and Saturday, but didn't notice. I would have gotten my steps in on Saturday if I hadn't had to charge it.   My plan was to do a 40 minute Pilates workout every day for 7 days, but I totally blew that, so I'm trying again. Tuesday - 40 mins Pilates Wednesday - I picked up a cold and skipped my workout. Saturday - Walk with the dog. Dance class. Monday - 40 mins Pilates Tuesday - Walk with the dog, 40 mins Pilates I usually listen to a book while I’m walking, jogging, whatever. This week I finished Bangkok Tattoo by John Burdett and started The Sculthorpe Murder by Karen Charlton. How was your week? Readers’ Workouts is hosted by Joy at Joy’s Book Blog ....
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On Our Way to Oyster Bay by Monica Kulling

by Carol3 Comments
Good points: Excellent introduction to Mother Jones and her cause. To be honest, I had never heard of her before and found her fascinating. Told from a kid's point of view, allowing children to relate Takes others' problems, like child labor, and reminds us that Americans have dealt with the same issues Very good artwork, detailed and added to the story Includes factual information for parents/adults at the end Gives a call to action encouraging children that they can make a difference in the world Negative points: I can't see this one being any kids favorite. It's good and historical, just not engrossing. May need some explanations, depending. Some kids may not be familiar with the sewing machinery terms, some may not even be familiar with what a strike is. It's disappointing that the kids don't actually get to meet President Roosevelt. Overall: A good one to borrow from the library. A must-buy for an elementary school classroom library.  ...
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Arsène Lupin, The Gentleman Burglar by Maurice Leblanc

by Carol2 Comments
4½ stars for the story, 2 stars for the translation Arsène Lupin is simply a fabulous character. He's a thief, but suave and brilliant and a "gentleman." I just wish this translation by Nicolae Sfetcu had been better. The collection includes the first nine stories: 1)   The Arrest of Arsene Lupin 2)   Arsene Lupin in Prison 3)   The Escape of Arsene Lupin 4)   The Mysterious Traveller 5)   The Queen’s Necklace 6)   The Seven of Hearts 7)   Madame Imbert’s Safe 8)   The Black Pearl 9)   Sherlock Holmes Arrives Too Late Lupin gets arrested, organizes a heist from jail, and escapes from jail. He solves a couple of mysteries, in order to steal the items himself of course and even outwits Holmes. I truly enjoyed the stories. They're fun and light. This particular translation is not well done though. Aside from not being particularly smooth, the pronouns seem to get mixed up a lot - him and her almost become interchangeable, which is more than a little annoying. I could follow the story, and see...
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