Classic Family Games

by Carol5 Comments
I ran across a mention of a board game in a book I'm reading this week, so I though I'd share. The next afternoon Harriet didn't get home until five o'clock. She had purposely Stayed away all day, first following her spy route, then playing Monopoly with Janie and Sport. The game had made her irritable because she hated to sit still for that long. Janie and Sport loved it. Janie had all sorts of systems worked out for winning, and Sport was so passionate about money that they were kept continually interested, but Harriet couldn't keep her mind on it. (pg. 135, Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh) I can understand where Harriet's coming from . Monopoly can leave me irritated too. It can be such a long game, and I never, ever win. On the other hand, I do think it's a game that every family should own a copy of . There are just some classic games that are great...
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Boots Who Ate a Match with the Troll

by Carol11 Comments
This week for Fairy Tale Friday, I'm featuring one of my favorites when I was a child. We actually had this troll story in two books, "The Stone Cheese" in Favorite Tales of Monsters and Trolls retold by George Jonsen which has awesome illustrations and "The Lumberjack and the Cheese" in Trolls compiled and illustrated by Doug Cushman. I don't know why it was a favorite, but we actually still have both of those books, one at my mom's and the other at my house. In the story, an old man lives at the edge of a forest. In turn he sends his two oldest sons out to chop wood, but both brothers are frightened off by the "ugliest, meanest-looking troll anyone could imagine" who threatens to rip them to pieces. On the third day, the youngest brother goes out to chop wood, taking a piece of white cheese with him. When he is confronted by the troll, he takes out...
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To Sin with a Scoundrel by Cara Elliott

by Carol23 Comments
To Sin With A Scoundrel by Cara Elliott I have to admit that I love a good Regency romance. A dashing hero, the woman who is too independent or intelligent for her times, a little sex and danger thrown in and you've got me hooked. Ciara is a widow whose knowledge of herbs has led to some speculation that her husband's unfortunate death was actually due to poison. Of course, that's not true, but her dead husband's family, eager to get their hands on a fortune, encourage the gossip. What she needs is a man in her corner, a man with connections in Society who can offer her some protection from the malicious slander. Enter the Lucas, the Earl of Hadley. His reputation as a rogue and womanizer has been well-earned, but he's an intelligent man who is becoming disillusioned with his life of "pleasure." He also has a favor he needs Ciara's help with, an ancient manuscript his uncle needs translated, so...
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The Tao of Willie by Willie Nelson

by Carol9 Comments
The Tao of Willie by Willie Nelson with Turk Pipkin I'm actually not much of a country fan, but Willie Nelson is an American icon. To be honest, I only know a few of his songs, but this short book caught my attention while I was browsing through my library's audiobook titles. Nelson shares his stories, jokes and lessons he has learned during his life. I enjoyed listening to him talk about his friends, religion, politics. I don't know that he said anything earth-shaking, but that's not the point. It's about him sharing his thoughts and maybe giving you some help finding happiness. Let the jerks of the world serve as the perfect example of what you don't want to be. You'll be a heck of a lot happier, and in the long run, there's a chance that other person at work will end up asking what your secret is. Why are you the happy one? In other...
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Forget about…

by Carol9 Comments
Forget about her lips, he warned himself. Forget about the tiny tremor of her mouth when she spoke about her son. Forget about the shade of fear that darkened her eyes when Society was mentioned. And most of all, forget about the inexplicable desire that came over him when she was near—the desire not only to kiss her witless, but to pick up a sword and slay her dragons. (pg. 72, To Sin With A Scoundrel by Cara Elliott) That's why I love historical romance. I know it's cheesy, but it makes me smile. Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Play along. I cheated, but the rules are easy. Grab your current read, open to a random page, and give us two teaser sentences. Remember, no spoilers. I received my copy from the publisher and the above is my honest opinion. I am an Amazon associate....
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We the Children by Andrew Clements

by Carol7 Comments
We the Children by Andrew Clements (Suggested reading level: Grades 3-6) This is the first in a new series featuring Benjamin Pratt. His harbor-side school is about to be demolished to make way for a nautical theme amusement park.  Ben is not a big fan of change, especially with his parents' recent separation, and when an dying janitor entrusts him with a gold coin he knows he has to do something. He read aloud, still whispering, "'If attacked, look nor'-nor'east from amidships on the upper deck.'" He turned the coin over. "'First and always, my school belongs to the children. DEFEND IT. Duncan Oakes, 1783.'" (pg 6. Advance Reader's Copy) The school is definitely under attack and it's up to Benjamin and his friend Jill to decipher the clues, find out what's going on and save the school. Can they do it? I assume so, but we don't find out in this book. Like I said above, it's the first in the series and there's...
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