Carol's Notebook – Page 653

Flesh and Fire by Laura Anne Gilman

October 26, 2009October 26, 2009 by Carol11 Comments

Flesh and Fire: Book One of The Vineart War by Laura Anne Gilman I may have mentioned before that I love "food fiction," stories that incorporate food or wine as a major part of the plot. Usually, those seem to be cozy mysteries or romances, which was why I was thrilled with the opportunity to review Flesh and Fire, a fantasy novel where magic and wine are intertwined. It sounded different, but definitely like something I would enjoy. In the Vin Lands, only Vinearts make wine. They grow the grapes, press them and create both vin ordinaire and spellwines, wines that heal, change weather, make fire, and so on. However, something evil is happening in the lands; out of season illnesses are destroying vines, giant sea monsters are killing sailors, and at least one Vineart has disappeared. Who or what is causing this? One Vineart, Malech, and his student/slave, Jerzy, are determined to find out. The world Gilman has created is fascinating. Each of...

Winners!

October 26, 2009January 28, 2010 by Carol5 Comments

Congratulations to the winners of Sex, Drugs & Gefilte Fish edited by Shana Liebman. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. jacque Debbie W. J.T. Oldfield from Bibliofreak Cassondra Jessica from Vent I'll be e-mailing all the winners. I just need your mailing addresses to pass on to the publisher. Update: One of my winners was lucky enough to win this book somewhere, so I have a new winner. Ryan from Wordsmithonia...

Mailbox Monday

October 26, 2009January 28, 2010 by Carol10 Comments

Thanks to Marcia at The Printed Page for hosting Mailbox Monday. I only received one this week, although my husband says we've become a regular stop on the UPS guy's route. Flesh and Fire: Book One of The Vineart War by Laura Anne Gilman What books found their way to your house this week?...

Game Night Wish – Masters Gallery

October 25, 2009January 14, 2010 by Carol4 Comments

Today is an "I wish we had..." post. This just caught my eye while I was browsing on-line. It looks like a good game for our family, and a great way to introduce Amber to some beautiful artwork by the masters. Masters Gallery Designer: Reiner Knizia Manufacturer: FRED Distribution Year: 2009 Players: 2 - 5 Time: 20 - 30 minutes Ages: 8 and up The cards in this game feature 30 of the most beautiful pieces of art ever created by Van Gogh, Renoir, Monet, Degas and Vermeer. Players use these cards to establish the relative value of each artist's body of work. Unique mechanics and ingenious design make the game play unpredictable, different and fun every time. Revel in the beauty of old masters art, while enjoying the intriguing game of Masters Gallery. (Funagain Games)...

From Amber’s Sketchbook

October 25, 2009October 23, 2009 by Carol5 Comments

I don't have any completed drawings to show you today. This is a little clay bird sitting on a round box Amber decorated at some point in time....

Read-a-Thon Update

October 25, 2009 by Carol5 Comments

Apparently I can't keep track of time. I'm not really sure how long it's been since my last update, I think about two hours. Time: 1 1/2 hours (total=8 hours 15 minute) Pages: 61 (total=612) Book finished: The Guns of Avalon by Roger Zelazny I forgot to mention that I did about 3 mini-challenges. I think I'm heading for bed, otherwise I'm just going to fall asleep on the couch anyway. I may try to wake up and put in the last hour, but no promises. Thanks to all the cheerleaders. You guys are great!...