Sherlock and Sushi

by Carol7 Comments
Last weekend, we went out to Columbus to visit my brother and his family. Okay, actually I wanted to see the Sherlock exhibit at COSI. It was fun. The story is, Sherlock is busy and needs your help solving a case. You get see the scene of the crime and then use "cutting-edge 19th century techniques of forensic science" to try to solve the mystery. You guys know I'm a sucker for anything Holmes-ish. We checked out the Arts Festival for a while and then went to dinner at Akai Hana. Eating sushi has been on my bucket list for a while, and since David is not a fan and Amber won't eat fish period, my brother was my best bet for help with crossing it off. He and I split a "party boat" and I was pleasantly surprised, most everything was yummy. Definitely something I'll have again, except the salmon roe, that was nasty.  ...
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Thursday’s Tale: The Stag at the Pool

by Carol4 Comments
How about one of Aesop's fables today? "The Stag at the Pool" is about a stag who learns a lesson the hard way. A stag stopped at a spring to get a drink.  He saw his shadow in the water and admired the size of his horns but felt angry with himself because his feet were so slender and weak.  While he was looking at his reflections, a lion appeared and crouched, ready to attack the stag. The stag immediately started running at top speed and as long as the plain was smooth and open, he kept a safe distance from the lion. But then the stag entered a wood and got his horns entangled in the trees.  The lion caught him. Too late, the stag realized that his feet which he disliked could have saved him, but his beautiful horns caused his death. Morale: What is most truly valuable is often underrated. Hmmm - I wonder if I'm underrating my height? I'd probably fit...
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Audiobook Review: Bread & Butter by Michelle Wildgen

by Carol7 Comments
Title: Bread and Butter Author: Michelle Wildgen Read by: Elijah Alexander Category: Fiction Audio published: February 11, 2014 by Dreamscape Media Rating: 2½ out of 5 stars Add: Goodreads Purchase: Audible | Amazon | Book Depository Britt and Leo have spent ten years running Winesap, the best restaurant in their small Pennsylvania town. They cater to their loyal customers; they don't sleep with the staff; and business is good, even if their temperamental pastry chef is bored with making the same chocolate cake night after night. But when their younger brother, Harry, opens his own restaurant - a hip little joint serving an aggressive lamb neck dish - Britt and Leo find their own restaurant thrown off-kilter. Britt becomes fascinated by a customer who arrives night after night, each time with a different dinner companion. Their pastry chef, Hector, quits, only to reappear at Harry's restaurant. And Leo finds himself falling for his executive chef - tempted to break the cardinal rule of restaurant ownership. Family drama and food, how...
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Audiobook Review: The Story, NIV: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People

by Carol1 Comment
Title: The Story, NIV: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People Editor: Zondervan Bibles Narrated by: Michael Blain-Rozgay, Allison Moffett Category: Religion Audio published: June 24, 2011 by Zondervan Rating: 4 out of 5 stars Add: Goodreads Purchase: Audible | Amazon | Book Depository "The Greatest Story Ever Told" is more than just a cliche. God has gone to great lengths to rescue lost and hurting people. That is what The Story is all about - the story of the Bible, God's great love affair with humanity. Condensed into 31 accessible chapters, The Story sweeps you into the unfolding progression of Bible characters and events from Genesis to Revelation. Using the clear, accurate, and easy-to-understand text of the NIV, it allows the stories, poems, and teachings of the Bible to read like a novel. And like any good story, The Story is filled with intrigue, drama, conflict, romance, and redemption. Features: •The story of the Bible... in its own words •Events, characters, and teachings of the Bible arranged chronologically •Today's...
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Q & A with by Corey Lynn Fayman, author of Border Field Blues

by Carol2 Comments
Today, I'm happy to welcome Corey Lynn Faymen, author of Border Field Blues, to my notebook, talking about the interactive edition of Border Field Blues. A new way to experience mystery fiction, Border Field Blues - App Edition contains extra online elements at the end of each chapter that allow readers to selectively interact with various aspects of the book, including: Author’s notes Related videos Interactive maps Reader comment system Direct email access to author Facebook sharing and comments   Readers can download the book as an iTunes app or as an ebook on Amazon.com. A demo video of the app can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAr501if-Jc&feature=youtu.be Winner of the 2013 Hollywood Book Festival Award for Genre-Based Fiction and a finalist in the Mystery (Adult Fiction) category of ForeWord Reviews 2013 Book of the Year Award, Border Field Blues follows the 2006 release of Fayman’s critically-acclaimed first Rolly Waters novel, Black’s Beach Shuffle (ISBN 9780595402670). When eco-vandals destroy the bird nesting grounds at San Diego’s Border Field Park preserve, Rolly Waters’...
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Thursday’s Tale: The Merchant of Seri

by Carol2 Comments
I thought I'd feature another of the Jataka Tales retold by Ellen C. Babbitt, 1912. As I learned last week, the Jataka Tales are Hindu. The Jatakas form one of the sacred books of the Buddhists and relate to the adventures of the Buddha in his former existences, the best character in any story being identified with the Master. In the "The Merchant of Seri," there merchant travels from town to town with another man, each selling brass and tinware. They get to a town and split the roads. The other man is greedy, always trying to get as much as he can while giving away as little as possible. This greedy man comes to the house of a widow and young girl. All they have to offer in trade is a bowl, one that holds sentimental value for them but they don't realize is actually made of gold. The greedy merchant scratches it, realizes it is gold, but throws it on the...
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