Carol's Notebook – Page 350

Audiobook Review: The Long Way Home by Louise Penny

September 12, 2014September 23, 2014 by Carol5 Comments

I don't know where to start with my feelings about The Long Way Home. I love this series, but this was not one of my favorite installments. Even though it's a mystery, it's more interested in character than plot, in thoughts and feelings than actions, which has been true of all Penny's books; it's what makes them stand out. It also makes it a series best read from the beginning, to know the characters, to learn their stories, the things that are important to them, how they interact with each other. However, it can also make it slow, a bit plodding. It's also not a typical mystery in that it doesn't start with a crime, it starts as the search. There are eventually crimes uncovered, and there is a murder, but not til late in the story. I don't think that's really a spoiler: there's always a murder in her mysteries. I hate to admit that I didn't actually like Peter....

Feature and Follow Friday 9/12/2014

September 12, 2014October 10, 2014 by Carol6 Comments

Before blogging (dark times people!) how would you find out about new books or did you? Question provided by: A Great Read Even before blogging there were so many ways to find new books or books I wanted to read. I remember being a member of one of those monthly mail-order book clubs, and I would drool over each month's offerings, picking out what I was willing o spend money on and what I wanted to just keep in mind. I would browse the library or bookstore, picking up what caught my eye. I'd take recommendations from friends or just see something a total stranger was reading that caught my eye. I remember reading The Pelican Brief in high school because I was on a plane and it seemed like everyone else was reading it. I've never been at a loss for reading material. Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. The goal of the hop is to gain...

Thursday’s Tale: Baba Yaga

September 11, 2014October 10, 2014 by Carol5 Comments

I thought I'd share another Baba Yaga tale this week. This one is from Folk Tales from the Russian by Verra Xenophontovna Kalamatiano de Blumenthal, 1903. The story takes place somewhere in Russia. There was a couple who had twins, one girl and one boy. Of course, mom dies and dad is heartbroken, but eventually remarries. Surprise, surprise, step-mom is not exactly the best person. She decided after being pretty mean to the kids, to send them to the witch's house and figured they'd never come back. Why the dad doesn't stop this doesn't make any sense, but I've mentioned before how useless father's are in fairy tales?" So, she sends the kids to her "grandmother's" house in the woods, a small cottage with chicken legs. She tells them to do whatever the old woman says and they will be happy. The kids are not fools, so instead they head off to their own grandmother. Their grandmother feels sorry for them, but...

“Last Lines: In Books, In Life” – Guest Post by Donna Galanti, author of A Hidden Element

September 10, 2014October 10, 2014 by Carol3 Comments

Today, I’m happy to welcome Donna Galanti, author of A Hidden Element. She's talking about last lines, those last sentences in scenes or chapters or at the end of books. Last Lines: In Books, In Life By Donna Galanti What makes you decide to buy a book? Do you open up to the first page and decide to buy based on the first paragraph, or even first line? I have one writer friend who studies first lines. She roams a library or bookstore and randomly selects books to read their first lines then dissects them based on how drawn in she is. Did it grab her attention? Did it raise a question? Did it introduce the main character? And most importantly, does she want to keep reading? Those first lines. They either grab you or they don’t. As writers, we only have a few seconds to impress readers enough so they will buy our book. But what about those last lines? Those lines that complete a...

Fitness Tuesday

September 9, 2014October 13, 2014 by Carol5 Comments

Here's my plan, more or less. (SS stands for strength training/stretching; CT stands for cross-training) Since last check-in, I finished Week 7 and am starting Week 8. If you read my last week's update, I got thrown a bit off schedule. Tuesday, my plan was to do the 3.5 mile run from Monday and then do the 20-mm SS. I didn't do so well. I decided to run outside, which was the wrong choice, I think. It was hot and muggy and my run was pretty miserable and involved more walking than I'd like to admit. My pace ended up being 12:52 min/mile. After dinner, we went out to he mall to get Amber a new phone which took way too long, of course, and I ended up helping her with homework until like 10:00 pm. Then I had to make lunches and do dishes. I just ran out of time/energy and skipped the weights/stretching. Wednesday I went to the gym and did 60...

At the playhouse: The Game’s Afoot by Ken Ludwig

September 8, 2014October 13, 2014 by Carol2 Comments

Every summer, we head over to the Brooke Hills Playhouse to see a play or musical or two. This year, we were able to see the last show of the season, which was The Game's Afoot by Ken Ludwig. The play premiered at the Cleveland Playhouse in 2011 and won the Edgar Award in 2012 for Best Play. It is December 1936 and Broadway star William Gillette, admired the world over for his leading role in the play Sherlock Holmes, has invited his fellow cast-members to his Connecticut castle for a weekend of revelry. But when one of the guests is stabbed to death, the festivities in this isolated house of tricks and mirrors quickly turn dangerous. Then it’s up to Gillette himself, as he assumes the persona of his beloved Holmes, to track down the killer before the next victim appears. The danger and hilarity are non-stop in this glittering whodunit set during the Christmas holidays. It's an enjoyable play, and...