The Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge

by Carol13 Comments
I love Christmas stories, and though I don't really need an excuse to read them, I had to join in Michelle's The Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge. I'm aiming for the Christmas Tree Level, which is 5 or 6 Christmassy books. And adding on Visions of Sugar Plums, books I read with my daughter. November 21, 2011 - January 6, 2012 "Dakota Christmas" by Joseph Bottum Jacob T. Marley by R. William Bennett Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King by William Joyce and Laura Geringer Tentative Reading List Jacob T. Marley by R. William Bennett The Autobiography of Santa Claus by Jeff Guinn A Clockwork Christmas anthology Twas the Night Before Christmas by Sandra Hill, Kate Holmes and Trish Jensen Honky Tonk Christmas by Carolyn Brown And to read with Amber Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King by William Joyce and Laura Geringer If you want to join in, head over to The Christmas Spirit to sign up....
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Happy Haul-idays

by Carol8 Comments
The folks at Chronicle Books are having their annual Happy Haulidays giveaway, in which one blogger – and one person who comments on their Happy Haulidays post – wins up to $500 of Chronicle Books. Sounds sweet, right? Well, the generous Chronicle people have added another dimension to the giveaway this year. Each blogger who enters gets to name the charity of their choice – and if they win, their charity also wins $500 worth of Chronicle Books. For my charity, I have chosen Packages From Home. This is a bit about their mission: Our sole purpose is to provide food, personal care, and recreational items to deployed American troops, at no cost to the them. Since March 2005 we have averaged 1,000 to 1,500 packages a month being shipped to our heroes. Our goal is to ship many more. We collect donated items from generous patriotic citizens who live all across America. These items include non-perishable food, personal toiletries, and recreational...
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Flash Fiction: Her Fairy

by Carol7 Comments
"Her Fairy" (364 words) In a little sunny corner at the edge of the garden, where the yard blended into the woods, stood a tree, and at the base of that tree was little door, with a little window above it. She could see the tiny stone pathway leading up to the home where a light shone through the windows. She had spent her life guarding this tree, this house, although she had never seen who lived there. She had left berries on the doorstep and mini-cupcakes covered in frosting. They always disappeared and sometimes, in her own home, she would notice new flowers in the vase on her piano or a beautifully polished stone on her windowsill. She and her fairy, for she was sure it must be a fairy what else could it be, had lived in harmony since she had bought the house fifty years ago. Now it would be her granddaughter's turn. She walked down the gentle hill in...
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Thursday’s Tale: Puss in Boots (2011)

by Carol13 Comments
At this point, I feel an obligation to see the fairy tale remakes that have been populating both the tv screen and the theaters, at least that's the excuse I gave my husband for wanting to see Puss in Boots. In truth, I've had a crush on Antonia Banderas for years and the fact that he was again voicing this character first introduced in Shrek 2 made it a must-see. We did not see the 3D version, just the normal one. I've mentioned before I'm just sick of 3D and I'm so glad our theater has begun offering options. First off, though, this version of Puss in Boots has little in common with Perrault's story, other than a cat that talks and wears boots. In this fractured fairy tale, a whole batch of Grimm and Mother Goose characters show up, but none follow the traditional storylines. This spaghetti western opens in a tavern, with the patrons and barkeeper suggesting potential places for...
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“Happy Birthday to Me” Giveaway

by Carol30 Comments
Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me!  Today, obviously, is my birthday, and to celebrate, I’m giving YOU a chance to WIN a book of your choice. What book are you wishing for? I'm giving away one book of your choice, up to $20. This one's open internationally, as long as the Book Depository ships to you. To enter, just fill out the form below by November 30. Giveaway Now Closed...
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Review: Yesterday’s Tomorrow by Catherine West

by Carol7 Comments
Yesterday's Tomorrow by Catherine West is a touching love story, played out against the backdrop of the Vietnam War. When Kristin Taylor heads to Vietnam on her own in 1967 she has two goals. First, she's is determined to be a top-notch journalist covering the war. Second, she's looking for her brother, who was already serving in the military there. One of the first people she meets is Luke Taylor, who literally holds a gun in her face. Luke is a brilliant photographer, but moody and certainly has secrets. Sparks fly from the beginning, but they've got the usual battles going on. Neither wants to admit their feeling, each for their own reasons, but eventually they can't resist the love growing between them, but the war provides an even bigger stumbling block. First off, from reading the synopsis, I wouldn't have realized that this was Christian fiction. For me, I don't think it would have affected my decision to read it, but...
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