#AMonth of Faves: 5 Favorite Winter Reads

by Carol10 Comments
For today's #AMonthofFaves post we're picking our favorite winter reads from last winter. A Month of Favorites is hosted by hosted by Girlxoxo, Traveling with T and Estella’s Revenge. Today's link-up is at Estella's Revenge. I'm looking at books I read December '13 through February '14, but only one is very seasonal. The Line by J. D. Horn - I'm not sure if this was really good or if I just happened to read it at the right time. Either way, I gave it 5 stars. The Redbreast by Jo Nesbø - good "damaged" detective, great writing. This was the  first Nesbø I had read. Harmless by Ernie Lindsey - Definitely an odd book, centered around a very unusual character. The Grumpy Shepherd by Pattie Devon - Yes, it's a kids Christmas picture book, but I enjoy it every year. Invitation to Die by Helen Smith - Writers and bloggers and murder, oh my! What were your favorite reads last winter?...
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#AMonthofFaves: Top Ten Books of 2014

by Carol5 Comments
Today for A Month of Favorites we're listing our Top Ten Books of 2014. A Month of Favorites is hosted by hosted by Girlxoxo, Traveling with T and Estella’s Revenge, and today we are linking up with Top Ten Tuesday. My list is bit heavy on fantasy and mystery, but those are two of my favorite genres. The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith The Crimson Campaign by Brian McClellan The Long Way Home by Louise Penny The Line by J. D. Horn Bitter Spirits by Jenn Bennett The Job by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg Southern Heat by David Burnsworth The Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan The Dead Will Tell by Linda Castillo Muppet Sherlock Holmes by Patrick Storck What's on your top ten?  ...
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Letter to Zev in The Book of Zev from his author, Marilyn Horowitz

by CarolNo Comments
Have you ever wanted to write a letter to a character in a book? What would you say to that character? Would you sympathize with their plight, or set them straight? Our guest today, Marilyn Horowitz, author of The Book of Zev, wrote a letter to one of her main characters, Zev. Zev Bronfman, a strapping 32-year old-virgin, angry atheist, refugee from a religious Jewish life, and former engineer for the U.S. Patent Office in Alexandria, Virginia, drives a cab and sleeps around in New York City. And the trouble he gets himself into and must get out of makes for a wild ride with his co-conspirator Sarah. Sarah Hirshbaum, a beautiful, redheaded, depressed, God-hating kosher chef, seesaws between yoga and too much red wine. Keep reading to see what Horowitz says to Zev. Dear Zev, Thank you for inspiring me to write this book. Thank you for being such a cooperative and helpful character. I was troubled by your crisis of faith and wonder...
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#AMonthofFaves: Favorite Fictional Detectives

by Carol15 Comments
Today's post for  A Month of Favorites, hosted by Girlxoxo, Traveling with T and Estella’s Revenge, is supposed to be a book review or a discussion post. Today you can link up at Traveling with T. I read a lot of mysteries, which you may have gathered from some of my other "favorites" posts.  Since today is a "free" day, I thought I'd list a few of my favorite detectives, ones who I've either read or watched this year. 1. Hercule Poirot - I don't remember when I discovered Christie's mysteries. I do remember, when I was young, it was Poirot who I most enjoyed reading about. He had a certain aplomb that I loved. I may not have ready any of his stories this year, but I did watch a couple of the mysteries on PBS. Actually, I take that back, I did read The Monogram Murders, but that's not really Poirot. 2. Miss Marple  - It took me a little longer...
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Balancing Life and Writing, a guest post by Paul DeBlassie III, author of The Unholy

by Carol2 Comments
Today, I'm happy to welcome Paul DeBlassie, author of The Unholy, to my notebook. He's sharing a bit about the importance of balance in his life. Balancing Life and Writing by Paul DeBlassie III Balancing life and writing is a matter of listening to the energy coming from self, family, and friends so that nothing tips more one way than the other and the creative juices stay flowing rather than being depleted by excessive writing and are therefore constantly in a state of being replenished. I had a music teacher who once told me to practice or play up to the point that I feel bored, that the energy for it has been spent, and then to stop for the day. That’s what I do with writing. I stay with it, hit the page running each day, and go for as long and with as much intensity as I have for the scene that I’m writing. Then, I stop. And, if I don’t...
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#AMonthofFaves: 5 Favorite Non-Bookish Things

by Carol13 Comments
Today we're talking about our favorite digital lifehacks or non-bookish things. I'm choosing the second, since I'm not sure what a digital lifehack is. Today we’re talking about our year in books. A Month of Favorites is hosted by Girlxoxo, Traveling with T and Estella’s Revenge. Today's link-up is at Estella’s Revenge. 5 Favorite Things    1. My new car 2. My new phone 3. The view out my kitchen window 4. Amber's newest painting 5. Comfy sweatshirts What are some of your favorite things?...
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