Dead & Buried by Leighann Dobbs

by Carol3 Comments
Pirates and treasure hunts and cute guys with guns - an enjoyable read. It's light and short, a perfect in-between book for me. The Blackmoore sisters are a good group. They have close relationships with each other, but all have their own personalities, interests, and gifts. There's a touch of paranormal - a cat with way more than nine lives, healing crystals, visits with a dead grandma, but it doesn't take over the book. You could have the same story without the fantasy elements, but it wouldn't be as fun. I like the story, but a couple of things struck me as a bit odd. First of all, who exactly does Luke, Morgan's ex, work for. It was never explained quite well enough for me. Yes, he's on the Blackmoores' side, but I wish I could have been a little clearer on his motives. Second, I don't get the Sheriff's grudge against the sisters and why he is so outrageous in some...
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City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett

by Carol2 Comments
The world in City of Stairs is awesome! Deities used to be involved in a close, daily basis with their followers, building and changing the world, allowing one country to rule. The gods have been killed or have disappeared, their people now at the mercy of others, the city itself transformed, the weather changing. It is not surprising that there are some in Bulikov who are not happy living under the thumb of their conquerors, some who are wiling to do whatever they can to make Bulikov thrive again. Into this arena arrives Shara, a woman whose job as an intelligence agent is to maintain the status quo but whose interests lie in the past, in the history of the gods and the miracles they allowed. She has chosen this assignment to investigate the murder of a man she truly admired, but when we're talking about governments and politics and gods, dead or not, it gets complicated. Shara begins to suspect that those closest to...
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Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost, illustrated by Susan Jeffers

by Carol8 Comments
My mom and I were at the bookstore the other day looking for Christmas gifts and ran across this lovely little book. Happily, she bought it. I'm not sure if she's keeping it or giving it to my niece, but either is a good choice. I love introducing kids to classics before they can think they're boring. "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost is perfect for the season. Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow. My little horse must think it queer To stop without a farmhouse near Between the woods and frozen lake The darkest evening of the year. He gives his harness bells a shake To ask if there is some mistake. The only other sound’s the sweep Of easy wind and downy flake. The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go...
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The Grand Babylon Hotel by Arnold Bennett

by Carol2 Comments
I love vintage mysteries, a bit old-fashioned, no gratuitous sex or violence. They're comfort reads for me. I read a short story by Arnold Bennett in Resorting to Murder from Poisoned Pen Press and enjoyed it, so I picked up the free Kindle version of The Grand Babylon Hotel and I'm glad I did. It's a light mystery, but full of intrigue and adventure and a plucky young woman who's not afraid of a bit of danger. The hotel was an interesting setting. The Babylon is a quite distinguished hotel and often hosts royalty, which is what leads to the sequence of events here. An equerry (an officer of a royal household who attends or assists members of the royal family) is found murdered. His body disappears. A prince fails to arrive for an important meeting in the hotel.  Rackham learns that his stellar staff is perhaps not quite as above-board as they appear. The story is a bit over the...
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Advent Illustrated: A Bible Journaling Challenge by Sara Laughed

by Carol3 Comments
I'm new to Bible journaling but I love the concept. Within the past six months or so, I've taken to carrying around a notebook to jot things down, quotes, things I need to remember, sermon notes. For me, Bible journaling is an artistic extension of that. It's another way of interacting with scripture, of responding to what I read, of highlighting what strikes me, of enjoying concepts or images. I'm not good at drawing, but that's not the point. Bible journaling is for me, not to impress anyone. Advent Illustrated is a good beginners book. She talks a bit about journaling and about basic supplies but I never felt like I can't do this. It's an encouraging book, even for those of us who are not as talented at drawing or painting as others. She makes it approachable. It is not a devotional, don't expect it to be. Each day has a short verse, usually a sentence or two, and a couple...
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Early Bird Special by Tracy Krimmer

by Carol1 Comment
I don't go Black Friday shopping, or Thanksgiving Day shopping for that matter, but I thought reading this short story that starts off with Francie and her family in line in the cold waiting for the store to open on Thanksgiving would fit the day. I know "Early Bird Special" is a short story, but at the end I was left with a "that's it?" feeling. I like Francie. Her parents seem nice enough and her brother has the potential to be interesting, but there were too many things brought up and just left off. I would have enjoyed it more if Krimmer had had a bit more time to develop the characters and story. I wanted a romance and I ended up with a woman deciding she needs to give men, and one in particular, a chance, which is not the same thing. I did enjoy it though. It was cute, it just didn't have that complete feeling I'm looking for...
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