My Little Red Book edited by Rachel Kauder Nalebuff

by Carol2 Comments
My Little Red Bookedited by Rachel Kauder Nalebuff Published: Feb 2009 by Twelve Description: My Little Red Book is an anthology of stories about first periods, collected from women of all ages from around the world. The accounts range from light-hearted (the editor got hers while water skiing in a yellow bathing suit) to heart-stopping (a first period discovered just as one girl was about to be strip-searched by the Nazis). The contributors include well-known women writers (Meg Cabot, Erica Jong, Gloria Steinem, Cecily von Ziegesar), alongside today's teens. And while the authors differ in race, faith, or cultural background, their stories share a common bond: they are all accessible, deeply honest, and highly informative. Whatever a girl experiences or expects, she'll find stories that speak to her thoughts and feelings. Ultimately, My Little Red Book is more than a collection of stories. It is a call for a change in attitude, for a new way of seeing periods. In a time when the taboo...
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Backyard Bird Watching for Kids

by CarolNo Comments
Backyard Bird Watching for Kids: How to Attract, Feed, and Provide Homes for Birds by George H. Harrison Published May 1997 by Willow Creek Press From the back: This book provides a fascinating opportunity for children to learn how to attract birds to their own backyards. Backyard Bird Watching for Kids is filled with entertaining and fulfilling projects that allow young bird watchers to interact with nature while learning about the needs and behaviors of wild birds. And there's no better teacher than "Mr. Backyard Bird Watcher" himself, expert birder and author George H. Harrison. This book will kindle in readers a healthy, enduring interest in birds and other wild animals. My thoughts: As I've mentioned before, I'm not exactly a nature lover, but I do enjoy watching the birds at our backyard feeder from our kitchen window. I know this book is geared for kids, but I found the pages on identifying birds especially useful. It only lists about 20 birds, so it was easy to...
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The Probable Future by Alice Hoffman

by Carol7 Comments
The Probable Future by Alice Hoffman From the dustjacket: Women of the Sparrow family have unusual gifts. Elinor can detect falsehood. Her daughter, Jenny, can see people's dreams when they sleep. Granddaughter Stella has a mental window on the future—a future that she might not want to see. In The Probable Future this vivid and intriguing cast of character confronts a haunting past—and a very current murder—against the evocative backdrop of small-town New England. By turns chilling and enchanting, The Probably Future chronicles the Sparrows' legacy as young Stella struggles to cope with her disturbing clairvoyance. Her potential to ruin or redeem becomes unbearable when one of her premonitions puts her father in jail, wrongly accused of homicide. Yet this ordeal also leads Stella to the grandmother she was forbidden to meet and to a historic family home full of talismans from her ancestors. My thoughts: First of all, the current murder plays very little in the story. It really functions to being the whole...
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Master (with a giveaway)

by Carol7 Comments
Master: An Erotic Novel of the Count of Monte Cristo by Colette Gale From the back: Edmond Dantès spent years imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. Once free, he returns to Paris in the guise of the powerful Count of Monte Cristo, seeking vengeance on those who sent him to jail. But his plan also includes a different king of revenge—on the woman he has never forgotten, the lover he has made it his mission to possess. Mercédès Herrera Mondego was devastated when the man she loved disappeared. Now she is trapped in a loveless marriage, but her passions are reignited by Edmond's return.  She realizes soon enough that his plan to avenge himself on the men who incarcerated him also includes another sort of revenge—on her. From the seaside town of Marseille to the exotic caves of Monte Cristo Isle, an erotic battle of wills unfolds in the most electrifying game of love ever played between man and woman, between master...
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Eggs in Purgatory

by Carol5 Comments
Eggs in Purgatory by Laura Childs Published: December 2008 by Berkley Description: Suzanne, Toni, and Petra lose their husbands but find independence when they open the Cackleberry Club. Then their cozy cafe becomes the scene of a crime when a lawyer dies with a secret on his lips and egg on his face. What this all has to do with a religious cult and Suzanne's past could put her own life on the line. My thoughts: I truly liked the characters, especially Petra, and the way they interact, supporting, encouraging and inspiring each other.  I would absolutely love to have brunch at the Cackleberry Club and explore the book nook. Food and books, what can be better? The mystery was okay, but there were just so many things going on. To be honest, the most interesting part of the storyline for me was the subplot involving an abused woman and her daughter. This is the first in the Cackleberry Club Mysteries, a cozy mystery series, and there are some recipes in...
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Gameboard News

by Carol1 Comment
I'm happy. Rio Grande has put Dominion: Intrigue, designed by Donald X. Vaccarino, up on their website. I've seen a couple pictures of the box, so I just posted one. It may not actually look like this when it comes out in May. From the publishers site: Dominion: Intrigue adds rules for playing with up to 8 players at two tables or for playing a single game with up to 6 players. This game adds 25 new Kingdom cards and a complete set of Treasure and Victory cards. The game can be played alone by players experienced in Dominion or with the basic game of Dominion. I can't wait! Like I've said before, this is currently one of my favorite games. An expansion that allows for 6-8 players will be especially nice for us, since that's how many we usually have on a game night. I have to say that I really love Rio Games. They have a great list of games, and I've enjoyed all...
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