Friday’s Tale: The Pedlar of Swaffham by Joseph Jacobs

by Carol7 Comments
The only bit of magic in this tale comes in the form of dreams. A peddler, who lives in Swaffham in Norfolk. "He'd much ado to make his living, trudging about with his pack at his back and his dog at his heels, and at the close of the day's labour was but too glad to sit down and sleep." One night he dreams about the London Bridge and hears that if he goes to the bridge he will learn good news. when he wakes up, he dismisses the dream, but he has the same dream the next night and the third night. He can't ignore the dream any longer, so he travels to London and stands on the bridge for two uneventful days. On the third day, however,...
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Review: Cloud of Ink by L. S. Klatt

by Carol7 Comments
I think I've learned my lesson. I truly enjoy poetry even though I don't read it often, and I was looking forward to reading this collection, but I got it as an e-galley. Apparently I need to stick with actual, physical books when reading poetry. I think I would have read slower, appreciated it more if I had had the printed version. And the formatting didn't help the situation. This the description from Goodreads, since to be honest I missed the meaning on most of the poems. The imagery was interesting, the writing eloquent, but they just went past me. I think I may give it a try again, but pick up the paperback first. On the surface, L. S. Klatt’s poems are airy and humorous—with their tales of chickens wandering the highways of Ohio and Winnebago trailers rolling up to heaven and whales bumping like watermelons in a bathtub—but just under the surface they turn disconcertingly serious...
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Review: The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie

by Carol8 Comments
I need to say straight off that I have adored Agatha Christie books since probably junior high. I like all of her series characters for different reasons, but Tommy and Tuppence are pure fun. This is the first book to feature the pair. It takes place just after WW1 and both Tommy and Tuppence are facing rough times. Unemployed, running out of money, they decide to advertise themselves as "Young Adventures," looking for cash and an enjoyable exploit. Their first client works for the British Government and hires them to find a young woman who carries a document that could drastically effect England's future. Of course, the job is fraught with danger, murder, kidnappings and international intrigue. Like most of Christie's books, the plot is good with a convincing red herring. The pair find themselves in quite a few sticky situations, but there's really no doubt that they'll manage to come out on top. This was a reread for me, but it's...
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Teaser from The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie

by Carol14 Comments
"What fun it will be, responded Tuppence. "Marriage is called all sorts of things, a haven, and a refuge, and a crowning glory, and a state of bondage, and lots more. But do you know what I think it is?" "What?" "A sport!" "And a damned good sport too," said Tommy. (from The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie) Okay, so it's more of a quote than a teaser really, since it has nothing to do with the actual mystery. I liked it though. Our marriage is fun a lot of the time. Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Play along. The rules are easy and I only cheated a little. Grab your current read, open to a random page, and give us two teaser sentences. Remember, no spoilers. My Kindle copy was free and the above is my honest opinion....
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Review: The Ice Princess by Camilla Lackberg

by Carol12 Comments
Amber saw me reading this one and said that it must be boring, since it had "princess" in the title. I explained no, it's actually a murder mystery; the Ice Princess is a woman who is found dead in a bathtub filled with frozen water. I guess that made more sense to her, seemed more like something worth reading, since she moved on to telling me about her day. In the story, we quickly learn that the woman, Alex, was actually murdered. Erica, the woman's childhood friend, discovers the body and along with a local police detective, Patrick Hedström, uncover secrets that stretch back over twenty years, secrets someone would do anything to protect, including commit murder. First of all, I have to say the cover is gorgeous. The ice, the shades of blue, the mysterious woman fit the novel perfectly. I have to admit that part of the reason I wanted to read this was the Sweden setting, and I wasn't...
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