Game Night – Pirate’s Cove

Pirate's Cove Designers: Paul Randles, Daniel Stahl Manufacturer: Days of Wonder Artist: Julien Delval Year: 2003 Players: 3 - 5 Time: 60 - 90 minutes Ages: 8 and up Description: Come aboard and sail to Pirate's Cove... the legendary hideaway of thieving pirates and cutthroat buccaneers. The tales of those legendary pirates of old who've fought and survived these mysterious waters still haunt all those who yearn for a life at sea. Armed with a secret map and starting with a modestly outfitted sloop salvaged from last winter's storm, you set sail to Pirate's Cove -- your eyes filled with visions of treasure and fame, your lungs filled with the salty air of the High Seas. Your objective: to battle for the rights to plunder and become the most famed and feared Pirate the world has ever seen. To do so, you will need to navigate shrewdly, fight recklessly and pillage mercilessly. You will gain fame by winning battles; burying gold and treasure; and bragging about your exploits at the...
Read More

The Perfect Poison by Amanda Quick

The Perfect Poison (Arcane Society #6) by Amanda Quick From the dust jacket: Plagued by rumors that she poisoned her fiancé, Lucinda Bromley manages to live on the fringes of polite society, tending her beloved plants — and occasionally consulting on a murder investigation. For the notorious botanist possesses a unique talent: she can detect almost any type of poison, especially ones that have their origins in the botanical kingdom. But the death of a lord has shaken Lucinda to her core.  To keep her name out of the investigation and to find the murderer, Lucinda hires a fellow Arcane Society member. Caleb Jones runs a psychical investigation agency. A descendant of the founder of the Society, he is very good at protecting its secrets — and frighteningly good getting at the truth. But as a nearly overwhelming desire blooms between Caleb and Lucinda, they are drawn into the dark heart of a deadly conspiracy that can be traced to the early days of...
Read More

Wondrous Words Wednesday

I found a few new words this week, at least words that were new to me. ikona-icon stavro- tried to look it up, but I still don't know. Apparently I need some Greek friends. He kissed the ikona, did his stavro, and looked down at the corpse of Lou Cachoris. (-pg. 213, The Turnaround by George Pelecanos) mootrah- the closest I can seem to find is "faced down" or "pulled a face" (from Pro Z.com). he would be on the receiving end of the mootrah, the whispers, long faces, and stares (-pg. 213, The Turnaround by George Pelecanos) tisane- an herbal infusion or similar preparation drunk as a beverage or for is medicinal effect In addition to something for the pain, I have another tisane for you. (-pg. 79, The Perfect Poison by Amanda Quick) To join in the fun, head over to Bermudaonion's Weblog....
Read More

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster,illustrations by Jules Feiffer From the dust jacket: Readers of all ages will find much wit and wisdom in Norton Juster's beguiling, offbeat fanatasy about  a boy named Milo "who didn't know what to do with himself." Through the Phanotm Tollbooth lies a strange land and a series of even stranger adventures in which Milo meets some of the most logically illogical characters ever met on this side or that side of reality, including King Azaz the Unabridged, unhappy ruler of Dictionopolis; the Mathemagician; Fainly Macabre, the not-so-wicked Which; and the watchdog Tock, who ticks. In his quest fo Rhyme and Reason, Milo helps settle the war between words and numbers, visits the Island of Conclusions , and ventures into the forbidden Mountains of Ignorance. My thoughts: This is my brother-in-law's favorite childrens book, and he's the one who bought it for Amber. It's a classic and I'm definitely glad we read. Amber gave it 5.9 out of 5 starts...
Read More

Teaser Tuesday

Grab your current read. Let the book fall open to a random page. Share with us two (2) "teaser" sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12. You also need to share the title of the book that you're getting your "teaser" from...that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given. Please avoid spoilers! My teaser: He got the door open, gripped her arm, swept her inside and closed the door again before she could finish the sentence. "Well, I suppose a little breaking and entering is nothing compared to the risk of being arrested for poisoning Lord Fairburn," Lucinda said. -130, The Perfect Poison by Amanda Quick Tuesday Teaser is hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Play along....
Read More

My Dewey Decimal Section

I saw this over at Life and Times of a "New" New Yorker and thought it was cute. I chose my favorite of the three sections it assigned me. Carol's Dewey Decimal Section: 052 Serials in English Class: 000 Computer Science, Information & General Works Contains: Encyclopedias, magazines, journals and books with quotations. What it says about you: You are very informative and up to date. You're working on living in the here and now, not the past. You go through a lot of changes. When you make a decision you can be very sure of yourself, maybe even stubborn, but your friends appreciate your honesty and resolve. Find your Dewey Decimal Section at Spacefem.com I'm not sure about the "up to date" part, but I do try to live in the present. There's no sense dwelling on things that have already happend. Just for the record, though, friends don't always appreciate honesty....
Read More