Thursday’s Tale: The Death of the Little Hen

by Carol7 Comments
I know it's Friday, but I had a spotlight scheduled for yesterday so I pushed my weekly tale back to today. "The Death of the Little Hen" is one of the Grimms' stories that I'd never heard before. It's not a happy tale, starting out with the hen's death and ending with the line "And then everyone was  dead." Lovely, huh? The little hen and a little rooster go to Nut Mountain and agree to share a nut when they find one, but when the hen finds a big nut she decides to be selfish and keep it all for herself and swallows it whole. And chokes on it. She sends the rooster for water and he runs off to the well, but the well sends him to the bride and she sends him to the willow and all in all by the time he gets back, the hen's dead. The little rooster was very sad. Six mice built a carriage, hitched themselves...
Read More
Spotlight: Be Careful What You Wish For by R. K. Avery

Spotlight: Be Careful What You Wish For by R. K. Avery

by CarolNo Comments
About the Book: Bunting Valley, North Dakota—a scenic and picturesque town where nothing dreadful ever happens—is a place where people feel safe leaving their front doors unlocked and their cars running in the driveways. So when beautiful, blue-eyed, three-year-old Maggie Taylor mysteriously vanishes, the Bunting Valley Police Department begins a kidnapping investigation that uncovers unthinkable crimes spanning many years—not only in Bunting Valley, but also in surrounding states and jurisdictions. Bea Miller is a penniless widow, living a meager existence among the town’s residents with her four young, rambunctious boys. Her entire life she wished and dreamed of having a little girl of her own. When everything she did to have one of her own failed, Bea takes matters into her own hands and lives by the chilling words of her estranged father, “If you want something, take it.” She and the boys visit a local beach and find the little girl of her dreams. She snatches the girl and they disappear in...
Read More

R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril, VIII

by Carol11 Comments
  I can't believe fall is almost here. I'll admit it, I'll miss summer when the temperatures start falling, but there are some good things about fall - apple cider, pumpkin pie, lovely leaves, and, of course, Carl's R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril Challenge, now in its 8th year. September 1st is right around the corner.  It is time to begin. Mystery. Suspense. Thriller. Dark Fantasy. Gothic. Horror. Supernatural. Or anything sufficiently moody that shares a kinship with the above.  That is what embodies the stories, written and visual, that we celebrate with the R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril event.  As time has wound on he's honed this event down to two simple rules: 1. Have fun reading (and watching). 2. Share that fun with others. As he does each and every year, there are multiple levels of participation (Perils) that allow you to be a part of R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril without adding the burden of another commitment to your already busy lives. There is even a...
Read More

Audiobook Review: A Fatal Winter by G. M. Malliet

by Carol4 Comments
  Title: A Fatal Winter (Max Tudor #2) Author: G. M. Malliet Reader: Michael Page Category: Mystery Audio published: October 30, 2012 by Dreamscape Media Rating: 3½ out of 5 stars Add: Goodreads Purchase: Amazon | IndieBound | Book Depository Last year, Agatha Award-winning author G. M. Malliet charmed mystery lovers, cozy fans, and Agatha Christie devotees with Wicked Autumn, the first mystery featuring her captivating protagonist, Max Tudor, and the small English village of Nether Monkslip.In A Fatal Winter, Max—Anglican priest, former MI5 agent, and village heartthrob—investigates two deaths at Chedrow Castle. But his growing attraction to Awena Owen complicates his case, as does the recent arrival at Chedrow Castle of a raucous group of long-lost, greedy relatives, any one of whom has a motive for murder. With a cozy setting, intricate puzzles, and a handsome (non-celibate) priest doing the sleuthing, the books in this series are destined to become instant classics in the mystery world. I think the blurb is a little overly optimistic. I just finished listening to A Fatal Winter and I listened to the...
Read More

A to Z Bookish Survey

by Carol7 Comments
  I saw this at The Best Books Ever and thought I would take part in it- I would love to hear your A to Z in the comments below!   Author you’ve read the most books from: Agatha Christie Best Sequel Ever: I really can't pick one Currently Reading: Leaving Annalise by Pamela Fagan Hutchins Drink of Choice While Reading: Hot chocolate E-reader or Physical Book? Both, and audio too please. Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Actually Dated In High School: Actually dated - none. All the characters I've had crushes on over the years have been way too cool, sexy, older, dangerous, smart for me to have dated in high school. I was a bit of a geek. Glad You Gave This Book A Chance: Yesterday's Tomorrow by Catherine West Hidden Gem Book: Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner Important Moment in your Reading Life: When e-books made it impossible for people in public to see the covers of the trashy novels I sometimes enjoy. Just Finished: Salvation of a Saint by Keigo Higashino Kinds of Books You Won't...
Read More