The Case of the Glamorous Ghost by Erle Stanley Gardner

by Carol4 Comments
Sunday evening I had a bit of a cold and when I'm not quite feeling up to par, I tend to pick up vintage mysteries. The Case of the Glamorous Ghost was the first I saw sitting on my shelf and since it's been a while since I've read a Perry Mason story, I picked it up. My daughter saw it and said something along the lines of "isn't that a tv show?" She watches that retro channel sometimes. I told her that yes, but the books actually came first. I'm not sure if I ever watched a full episode of the show. The Glamorous Ghost was what I expected - an interesting court case, some good dialogue, a slightly convoluted mystery. I think part of the reason I like mysteries from that era because they tend not to be overly violent. In general, they're also short, coming in at under 300 pages and while the characters are fun and well-drawn, they're not too depressed, they...
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Homemakers by Brit Morin

by Carol5 Comments
I was so excited when Homemakers showed up in the mail. It's bright and happy; I love crafts, do-it-yourself projects, and cooking. I like her writing style and she's fun and friendly. There are a lot of ideas and projects in the book, and it's all presented with vibrant, colorful photographs. It's a visually appealing book. Unfortunately, I just don't think I'm the right audience. Some of the info I appreciate, like what type of glass to use with which wine - not that it really matters, because I usually drink it out of coffee mugs. She covers a lot of topics, from recipes to making cement serving trays, but most of the recipes were dishes I had already cook or don't care about and most of the projects are a little  silly. Like covering a footstool with pompoms - cute but just not practical. Some of the apps she mentions might be useful and her vision of what the future will...
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Macbeth: The Graphic Novel adapted by John McDonald, written by William Shakespeare

by Carol4 Comments
When I read Light Thickens by Ngaio Marsh earlier this year, it made me want to re-read Shakespeare's Macbeth. Amber has had this graphic novel for a while and she enjoyed it, so I though it might be an interesting format to read the play. The dialogue is all the original, but the format obviously makes it feel different from reading the straight play. Macbeth is a great play and this is not a review of it. It's got witches and ghosts and murder and betrayal. It's really a fun tragedy, which is part of the reason I encouraged Amber to read it. She's not one to be afraid of classics, but Shakespeare's language can be daunting for anyone. The graphic novel makes it more accessible, you can see what's going on in addition to reading the dialogue. The illustrations are clean and colorful but not outstanding. I don't read many graphic novels, so take it for what it's worth, but the...
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When in Rome by Ngaio Marsh

by Carol4 Comments
When in Rome is my first TBR challenge pick. I haven't decorated my TBR jar yet, but when I do I'll post a picture. I have a jar and put about 11 titles in it, but I'll add to it as the year goes by. They're a mix of ones that have been sitting on my shelf for a while and recent additions to the list. Usually I wouldn't read two Marsh's so close together, but you just can't argue with random from a jar. When in Rome was first published in 1970 and you can tell in some of the dialogue and phrases, like groovy. It's also very drug heavy and there's a "party" that fits into the fictional version of the era. Aside from that, it's a typical Marsh mystery. Some interesting characters, Inspector Alleyn being his usual handsome, intelligent self.  The characters are a particularly interesting lot: a Dutch couple clearly in love; a man and his aunt, both rather...
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Light Thickens by Ngaio Marsh

by Carol9 Comments
This was Marsh's last book and it seems appropriate that she returns to the theater as her backdrop. We know her as a mystery writer, but probably her great passion was the theater, and it shows. The real strength in this story is the play production. The murder actually doesn't take place until may two-thirds through the book with Alleyn only entering the story then. The play is Macbeth and the director is making it a memorable performance. The characters are wonderful, some maybe stereotypical, gabby and egotistical and "actory." But they all manage to work together. Apparently there are a lot of superstitions revolving aroung Macbeth and the story plays off them well, with some believers and some clearly not. I enjoyed seeing how they did scenes and practiced fights, witnessing the bickering and wooing. Alleyn is not a detective who lets us in on every little clue he sees, but he does pay attention to everyone, even children. He's a gentleman...
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Thursday’s Tale: Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman

by Carol7 Comments
Love, love, love this Halloween kids book! We read our copy so many times when Amber was young that it started falling apart. We went to the pumpkin patch this Sunday and while we were picking out our pumpkins, we had to repeat the catch phrase - "It’s big and it’s mine, but it’s stuck on the vine, and Halloween’s just hours away.” The rhythmic, repetitive text is perfect and I love the monsters. There’s the must have Halloween visitors, the witch herself, a ghost, a vampire, a mummy and a bat, but the story focuses on how they all end up working together. It's got a great message of teamwork and friendship. And then they all get to share the pie. A definite Halloween treat. It's a perfect read-aloud with plenty of repetition and rhyming and fun voices. Just then, along came a vampire. “Big pumpkin,” said the vampire. “It’s big and it’s mine, but it’s stuck on the vine, and Halloween’s...
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