100 Mile Fitness Challenge Completed

Pin It

Wahoo! I set out to run 100 miles in 3 months and I did it. All totaled I ran 111 miles. I haven't lost any weight but I do feel a lot less jiggly when I run ("It's like a lava lamp").  I feel healthier and I'm making an effort to eat better.

I mostly ran on the treadmill but hopefully I can run outside more. I used the Wii Fit and weights too with a few laps around the skating rink.

Here's my final tally:


Week 9: 11 miles
Week 10: 7 miles
Week 11: 10 miles
Week 12: 4 miles
Week 13: 6 miles
________________
This month: 38 miles
Last Month: 73 miles
________________
Total:             111 miles

Big thanks to Trish and all the participants that helped me do it. It wasn't always easy getting off my butt and onto the treadmill. Knowing I would be reporting to these guys kept me motivated. I'll be signing up for the next 100 miles.


Hope to see you there!

Lady of Quality by Georgette Heyer: Review

Pin It

Welcome to the last stop of The Classics Circuit tour for Georgette Heyer and my review of Lady of Quality.

Annis Wychwood is a spinster at 29 and enjoying her freedom. She is excessively wealthy which enables her to live on her own in Bath. When she encounters a young runaway heiress on the road from her brother's house, she takes the lady under her wing. Unfortunately, the girl's rakish uncle, Oliver Carleton, isn't very keen on the idea of his niece staying with Annis.

Annis finds that Oliver brings out the fighter in her. Whenever they are together, sparks fly.

I usually love Heyer's books but I wasn't quite as enamored with Lady of Quality. I think most of my feelings were derived from my dislike of Carleton. He really didn't do it for me. I just found him rude, especially when he talked about his former mistresses. He was cold-hearted about them. It burned my buttons.

Still, Heyer's writing is like champagne, bubbly and sparkly, yet dry (humour) and too much can make you light headed. I enjoyed the host of characters around Annis: Lucilla, Ninian, Geoffrey, and Lady Wychwood. I could have done with less Maria though.

Lady of Quality did not displace Cotillion as my favorite Heyer novel but it was still enjoyable. This was the last of Heyer's Regency romances to be published.

I believe I won this from another blogger- possibly Bookfool? Maybe? It was a long time ago. Merci!

Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts

Pin It

Martha Stewart is apparently becoming the Encyclopedia Britannica of homemaking. Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts is the latest release.

As always, the book is beautiful to look through and well laid out. It's divided into 2 sections, techniques and projects with a small section for tools and tips at the back. The techniques section is a great reference resource where you can learn skills such as embroidery, applique and fabric dying. You can learn how to set up an efficient sewing space as well.

Then come the projects, 150 of them. They all seem pretty straight forward and simple. There are instructions for pillows, curtains, aprons, book covers even some simple clothing pieces. The book includes a CD of pdf patterns which is a great help.

My daughter is learning to sew and I just let her start tinkering with my sewing machine recently- straight seams so far. No fingers have been lost yet, even though she has a bit of a lead foot. There are quite a few projects appropriate for kids in the book. She ended up doing the miniature felt purse project. It's two lessons in one since hand stitching and machine sewing are used.

I decided to make the basic apron and incorporated the embroidery technique. I found a cupcake pattern online from Tricia-Rennea, illustrator and stitched it on the pocket. It's a very easy project that only takes a couple of hours not including the embroidery.

I liked the results and can't wait to try some other projects like the A-line wrap skirt and the girl's shirt dress. They look adorable.

Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts would make a great gift for someone who has just bought a sewing machine or someone who would like a good sewing reference book. I like this book more than her Encyclopedia of Crafts simply because it focuses on one craft. I'm quite impressed. The price isn't terrible compared to other sewing reference books either at $43 Cdn. It's a good investment.


Highly recommended for Crafty Divas or Dudes.

Thanks to Random House Canada for the review copy.

How I Killed the Tooth Fairy

Pin It

Aw, parenting. Isn't it wonderful? The things we do to keep our kids happy. Like crawling around in the dark with our hand under their pillow searching for a discarded body part. Such is the role of the Tooth Fairy. I've performed as the Tooth Fairy a few times now. It's got to be the stupidest thing ever invented. Why would a fairy want teeth anyway?

Just the other day, my daughter mentioned out of the blue, that someone in her class told her that there was no tooth fairy, that the tooth fairy is really a parent. Thanks kid. I braced myself for The Question: Is that true? I don't like to lie; I'm terrible at it, for one thing. So, I answered a question with a question: What do you think? She looks at me dead in the eye and says, "I think it's the parents." All I have to do is Confirm or Deny. Confirm or Deny. I chose Confirm.

"Whaaaat?! There's no tooth fairy! Why did you tell me that? I didn't want to know that!" Tears. Oh. My. God. What have I done? She acted as though I ran over the tooth fairy with my car, backed up and ran her over again just for kicks. Now what to I do? I lie.

It's difficult to lie at this point. What do I say? I make up a story about being the real Tooth Fairy. She looks at me, "Mom, I know you're lying." Sigh.

So now I feel like crap. My daughter is so disappointed in me. But as my husband said to me later to put in perspective: it's just the stupid tooth fairy. It's not really the end of the world, I suppose. Hopefully, she won't be on Dr Phil talking about how I ruined her life by telling her about the tooth fairy. At least she doesn't know about this tooth fairy. Yikes!

All I know is when she asks about Santa or the Easter Bunny, I'm lying my ass off.

Lazy Sunday Thoughts

Pin It

After such beautiful weather last week which tricked us into thinking spring had arrived, we had snow yesterday and it was freaking cold. That didn't stop me from going to Ye Olde Bookstore though. I was on the hunt for a copy of Bridehead Revisited for my online book club. I did find a rather funky edition which I think I'll post about later this week.

I was in a miserable blogging mood this week. I felt so uninspired and well, blah! I didn't want to look at my blog or think about blogging. A trip to my favorite (only) used book store did the trick. I feel a little better now. Not only did I find Brideshead but I picked up Blue Castle by LM Montgomery. My Fans of Anne friends recommended it. I also got a copy of ABT (Atlantic Books Today) a magazine about publishing in Atlantic Canada and I found all kinds of new things I want to read. There is nothing like finding new books to get you back in blogging business!

Earlier this week, I received some fun books in the mail. Even though my doorbell was disconnected, I heard my Fed Ex guy at the door. Whew, that was close! A couple of fat books arrived: Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts and In the Sweet Kitchen by Regan Daley. I've bought some material for a project from Martha's book and have to pick something from Sweet Kitchen to bake. What a shame, huh? Read, Remember, Recommend, which I'm not too sure about, was delivered too. It's a reading journal. I'll get back to you on my feelings on that one. And for the kiddo, A Place for Frogs by Melissa Stewart which is, you guessed it, all about frogs.

On the reading front, I'm into A Lady of Quality by Georgette Heyer for the Classics Circuit. Not sure what I'll read next but I'm leaning toward The Weed the String's the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley. I think I need a Flavia fix. I'm still contemplating the Read-a-thon on April 10 but I'm pretty sure I'll do it. I'll get sucked into finding an excuse to read for 24 hours. hehe!

So, there you have all my thoughts on this Sunday as I sit here in my pj's. How do you overcome the blogging blahs? Any great reads I should know about?

Image: Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The Friday Bookish Buzz: Wish You Were Here

Pin It

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Blargh! I'm having a cranky-pants week. Mostly due to the weather and because so many people I know are heading to sunny locales while I'm here. Damn them. I could use a beach and a quiet reading spot right now. Maybe next year. For now I seethe with jealousy.

Anywho, here what's going on in the bookish world:

*Crocheting book wins oddest title prize. I'd like to try this book out!

*Everyone has their won version of the ebook reader now: the Kobo reader.

*3D Books? Take a look at the video before you judge this one.

*The book as a planter. What do you think?

*Join the hive! Twitter read-along from Crowdsourcing.

*Are you doing Dewey's Read-a-thon on April 10? I'm still thinking it over. They are currently looking for Mini-Challenge Hosts.

*George Orwell makes some big bucks.

*A little something for Twilight fans: Robert Pattinson immortalized.

*Etsy Love: I'm just going to point you in the direction of this whole shop because I love everything in it: Antique Fashionista by Masha Laurence.

Well, have a great weekend. I hope some of you find a sunny spot to read.

Eco Reading Challenge Survey

Pin It

I don't know if you remember but last year I hosted the Eco Reading Challenge, my first time hosting a challenge. Check out last year's post to familiarize yourself with the challenge. The results were mixed. I had a lot of people sign up but by the end only a few die hards were still with me. I think I learned a lot though.

Now with Earth Day coming up in April, I'm tempted to try it again. But first I'd like your opinions on the Eco Reading Challenge. If you would be so kind, fill out this short survey to help me out.


Please share the link to this post so I can get as many responses as possible. Thanks, you're a pal!

Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte: Review

Pin It

If the Bronte sisters were shoes, Anne would be the pair of sensible black pumps sitting in your closet. While her sisters, Charlotte and Emily, wrote gothic tales with brooding heroes, Anne had both feet firmly on the ground and wrote more realistic stories.

Agnes Grey is the story of a young woman who decides to become a governess after her family loses a lot of money. Agnes sets off, rather naively, with big hopes of influencing her young charges. Instead, she finds herself alone and friendless with a bunch of unmanageable maniacs.

With that experience under her belt, Agnes moves on to a family with two teenaged daughters. Though the experience is somewhat different, the girls give her a hard time in their own unique ways. Rosalie flirts shamelessly with every man who walks by, including the curate Mr Weston who Agnes has an eye on herself.

From what I read in Governess, Agnes's experience was fairly common and I suspect there is a lot of Anne in Agnes- minus the happy ending. I thought Agnes Grey had a lot of potential but in the end I was disappointed. At times it was rather preachy. I was hoping for a little passion from Agnes but mostly she moped around. She was awkward with the man she is in love with and I was underwhelmed by the ending.

It's really too bad because I had high hopes for Agnes Grey. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is one of my favorite books. You should read that one first. It's not that Agnes Grey doesn't have flashes of brilliance. The writing is superb and beautifully descriptive. It's also a quick read at only about 190 pages.

I read this for my Classic book club and we won't be discussing the end until next week. I'm curious as to what the rest of the group will make of it.

I read the free download from Girlebooks on my ebook reader.

Recommended for Bronte fans.

The Last River Child by Lori Ann Bloomfield: Review

Pin It

Peg Staynor has been an outsider all her life because of a local superstition. The townspeople of Walvern believe her to be a river child, a person that brings bad luck to any who associate with her. When her mother dies suddenly the day World War I is declared, that belief is cemented in their minds.

As Peg grows up she suffers ostracism while still loving her farm and her home near the Magurvey River. Even though people gossip about her, she finds she has allies in her sister Sarah, Doc Barrow and the friendship of an aspiring aviator.

The war becomes a grim reality as local boys ship out and come back broken.Their families and friends are affected as well, including Peg herself who has to deal with her reckless sister. Will the war finally force Walvern to grow out of it's superstitious ways?

When I was offered The Last River Child by Lori Ann Bloomfield for review, I was of two minds. Both the premise and the historical setting of early 20th century Canada appealed to me. However, I hadn't heard anything about the book or this author. I decided to take a chance and accepted it because sometimes knowing nothing is a good thing. It could be a great surprise.

At first, I was nervous that this would turn out to be the Great Depressing Canadian Book where there is misery at ever corner, because things weren't looking so bright. I'm glad I kept reading past the first few chapters because I ended up devouring The Last River Child in just one day.Though Peg struggles with various hardships, I didn't find the novel sunk in despair.

I loved the characterizations; not just of Peg either, all the main characters have a complexity to them. I even came to sympathize with Seth, Peg's father, who sides with the townspeople more often than his own family.One of the most interesting characters, while not always likable, is Sarah. She smolders with suppressed anger and passion.

I appreciated The Great War as seen through the lens of small town Canada. At first, it seems like an adventure but as the years drag on and the men come home changed, the town changes as well. They are no longer insulated from the world outside. Nothing can be the same. The town of Walvern is as much a character in the story as Peg is.

Since I read this in a day, it's obvious that the pacing was quick and the story never lagged. I wanted to know what would happen to Peg. The ending was a bit too tidy but still made me happy. While it isn't perfect (I had issues with the river child tale), it was enjoyable and a great debut for Lori Ann Bloomfield.

Recommended.

Thanks to Lori Ann Bloomfield and Second Story Press for the review copy.

The Friday Bookish Buzz: The March Break Edition

Pin It

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

I haven't been on the computer as much this week since it's March Break. I've been trying to keep my girl busy. So it's been a week of coming up with activities for us to do. Let's make this a quickie.

*Sigh. Even with the dollar at parity, Canadians will still pay more for books.

*A lost Shakespeare play? Believe it or not.

*Another overdue library book story.

*Nicholas Sparks surprises everyone by how he can walk around with such a huge head.

*Orange prize authors are too depressing.

*Get romantic with Mario and Luigi.

*Etsy Love: Show your love for your favorite Literary Women with this set of pins from Picturama.

Have a great weekend and I'll see you when life gets back to normal (whatever that is).

Governess, The Lives and Times of the Real Jane Eyres by Ruth Brandon: Review

Pin It

Governesses. Abused, neglected, despised, and maligned. Why was this group of women so hated? Ruth Brandon proposes in Governess, The Lives of Times of the Real Jane Eyres that Victorian society was uncomfortable with these unwed middle class women because they were surviving (barely) without the help of a man. They were a necessary evil and no woman would find herself in the position of governess unless she absolutely had no other choice.

I decided to read Governess because I am also reading Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte. I thought a non-fiction, modern look at governessing in the 19th century would complement a fictional account by an actual governess.

What Brandon tries to do is show the environment in which a governess lived; the social, religious and economic atmosphere that produced so many unmarried women whose only choices were to move in with strangers who paid them poorly and treated them worse. Poorly educated themselves, they went onto educate other young women who if fate was against them would do the same. As long as there were governesses educating girls, women would not be able to advance in this world of men.

While most of Brandon's examples were famous women, like Mary Wollstonecraft, a few were just poor women trying to put food in their mouths. Their stories are heart breaking, like the story of the ex-governess found half naked on the floor of a dirty apartment. She had starved to death. Almost as sad was the life of Nelly Weeton. She had been betrayed by every member of her family. When she decided to marry, her husband beat her so badly she had to leave him. She lost the right to see her child and any money of her own. Her letters, so well written and so poignant, nearly made me cry. 

By the middle of the 1800's, governesses were in such bad shape that 'Something Must Be Done.' First there was charity, then a group of strong-minded, wealthy young women took on reforming the educational system in Britain. They went on to create the Girton College and the institution of governessing came to an end.

Reading Governess inspired many emotional responses from me. Mostly anger. At men. My poor husband said, "I didn't do it!" when I grumbled about all the jerks in this book. (Lord Byron I'm looking at you!) But also frustration at the women who had been bred to be resigned to their fate. While Brandon did a good job to get me riled up, I sometimes felt she went off the rails. I wondered where she was going with it. However she usually got back on track. Also, it seemed to me she was more interested in the famous sometimes-governesses than the real honest-to-goodness ones.

Recommended if you are interesting in 19th century women's lives.

Read for the Women Unbound Challenge.

The Picture of Dorian Gray (Graphic Novel) by Oscar Wilde: Review

Pin It

A few years ago I read Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray and loved it. I loved Wilde's writing style, the way he had with words and the story of Dorian's fall from innocent to Eeee-vil.

Anyway... Dorian Gray is beautiful. Like stop the clocks beautiful. And everybody is always telling him so. An artist named Basil creates a spectacular painting of him and while admiring himself he wishes he could always remain that way. I guess the planets were aligned because Dorian gets his wish but at a terrible price. While Dorian remains young and handsome, the painting gets older and that's not all. Knowing he can't age, he begins a life of vice and debauchery. Lot's O'Debauchery. He drives people who get involved with him to suicide. And commits murder. The worse Dorian gets, the uglier his painting becomes.

Take a guess at where this is heading.

If you were going to read The Picture of Dorian Gray, I'd tell you to read the original first. Although the graphic novel is full of Wilde's great one-liners, you don't get the full effect of his wit. I also thought that Lord Henry came off as a jerk in the graphic novel where in the original he was someone who didn't mean half of what he said.

As for the illustrations, they were more cartoony than I thought they should be, although they were very well done. I like the artist's interpretation of the painting.

So I recommend this graphic version of The Picture of Dorian Gray but not before you read the original.

**************************

Since this is St Patrick's Day, I thought it was fitting to post this review of one Ireland's most famous writers. Wilde once said of himself: "Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry what the world thinks me: Dorian what I would like to be — in other ages, perhaps."

Reading Together: Coraline

Pin It

A couple of years ago, I read and reviewed Coraline. I won't re-review it here but you can go see what I thought of it then. I gave that copy to the school library but this past Christmas thought it was time to share it with my daughter. We must have watched the movie version 100 times.

I really liked the empowering message of the book, especially the idea of doing something that must be done even though you are afraid. My daughter has been having issues lately involving worrying about things she has no control over. I myself am a worrier so I understand where she's coming from but I don't want it to affect her life. At one point in the story, Coraline tells the cat a story about her Dad and a wasps' nest. She finishes by saying, "when you're scared but still do it anyway, that's brave." This is something I've been reminding my daughter since we read that part.

We read it a chapter at a time at bedtime. There were lots of interruptions of "that wasn't in the movie" or "I remember that from the movie." She also noticed how descriptive the book was. One of the things I hate about the novelizations of movies my girl likes to get from school is how they just describe the film word for word. It's so boring. I pointed out to her the difference here.

She really enjoyed Coraline. When I asked her what she liked better the movie or the book, she said, "Hmm, I like them both!"

Angel and Apostle by Deborah Noyes: Review

Pin It

Welcome! This post is to help celebrate Spotlight Series Tour for Unbridled Books. Please visit Spotlight Series for all the stops on the tour.

**********************************

With all the sequels and prequels to classic novels, it's seems inevitable that The Scarlet Letter would tossed in the ring with a follow up entitled Angel and Apostle by Deborah Noyes. Thank goodness Hester Prynne and her daughter Pearl aren't slaying vampires or zombies is all I have to say.

At the end of Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, the narrator tells us that Pearl went on to become a mother herself living in Europe. What Noyes creates is an answer to how she ended up there. Considering her family history, it's hard to imagine it was an easy road.

The story of The Scarlet Letter is shown through Pearl's own eyes, as she watches her enigmatic mother struggle against the cruelty of the villagers. Pearl suffers for her mother's sin; she's friendless and isolated. That is until she meets a blind boy named Simon who becomes her only friend. After the plot of her mother's story unravels, her mother falls apart and Simon's father offers them passage to England and the chance to start again.

In England, Hester (though she is unnamed in this book) gives up her scarlet letter for the sake of Pearl. But Pearl can't escape her family history. Pearl often thinks of her father as the devil, as the villagers told her time and again, and doesn't believe she can be happy. When Simon's brother Nehemiah meets the grown Pearl, he offers her a normal life but will she take it?

I enjoyed much of Angel and Apostle. It is richly written and resembles Hawthorne's own writing style, though Noyes does take a few liberties with the story and things aren't quite the same as The Scarlet Letter. The time period feels authentic as Pearl travels from Puritan New England to Reformation England. Both places are stifling for a woman, especially a woman who is the bastard offspring of a fallen woman.

The characters have their own distinct voices. Hester is as enigmatic as ever, Pearl just as mischievous. The new characters quickly became excellent additions to the story. I especially liked Liza. All the men, however, came across as sulky. (Must be hard to be the rulers of the world and have everything handed to you like it was your due.) They just can't stand that they can own the women's bodies but not their hearts or souls. I can't say I liked even one of the men.

Angel and Apostle has a nice pace but it's not a story I could read quickly. I found had to go over some passages more than once. The meaning is hinted at and I wasn't quick enough to get it right away. Not that it should deter you from reading the book; it deserves to be read slowly.

All in all, it's a nice piece of historical fiction.

Recommended.

Chris vs Martha: Molasses Cookies

Pin It

These Chewy Molasses-Spice Cookies from Martha Stewart are the best I've ever made. Not only are they buttery and delicious, the bake up beautifully. The recipe makes up quite a few but there are none left now. We eated them all up! Nom-nom!

Looking at Martha's photo on her site, mine look a lot thicker. That's okay with me. I like a fat cookie. They were so good right out of the oven but still had their chewiness a day later.

They're also fun to make with kids. My daughter enjoyed rolling them into balls and dipping them in the sugar.

Pin It

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

I've been watching Canada Reads online all week. I don't think I've ever been as interested in the debates as I am this year. It might be because of social media. People can Twitter their thoughts before and after the show. It makes me, at least, feel involved in the process. Both Generation X and Fall On Your Knees are out of the competition. Roland and Perdita did a terrific job defending them but it was not to be. Can't wait to see who goes next.

*I want to live in California and not just for the weather: Largest Vintage Paperback Show and Sale.

*Hilary Duff to write YA novels. Well, at least it isn't another tell-all.

*Another Jane Austen biography, Jane's Fame. I did find the interview in the Globe and Mail interesting.

*Two Atlantic Canadian writers named as contenders for the Commonwealth Writers Prize.

*Arielle Ford tells authors what not to say when they're on national TV.

*With all the talk about book cover designs, take a look at how they do it.

*A "funner" way to learn grammar. Visit Grammaropolis.

*Aw, sweet! A bookstore proposal.

*Just when you thought they were out, it appears they are back in. Ottawa might give in to Amazon.

*Etsy Love: So cute! From Trafalgars Square's Shop, sweet prints called Book Buddies or My Favorite Book is Blue.

Finally with New Moon out on DVD on March 20, the Twilight folks have offered up the Eclipse Trailer for your entertainment.

Have a great weekend!

Looky-Looky! New Booky!

Pin It

See what I bought? Isn't it purdy? And it's lavender! I wasn't intending to buy a book yesterday but when I saw this edition of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte I couldn't resist. My own copy is a 30+ year old paperback so I thought it might be time for a new one. This one was $9.99 at Coles bookstore (Chapters-Indigo) and published by Prospero Books.

The only problem is I don't want to read it and get it dirty.

Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll: Review

Pin It

With all the Alice in Wonderland talk as of late, I decided to read the original by Lewis Carroll. I chose to listen to it via audiobook while I was doing other things around the house. There are several free online versions so it's not hard to find.

If you don't know, and I think you do, Alice falls down a rabbit hole and encounters many strange creatures. The story is of her adventures there and how she interacts with those creatures. It's pretty weird. I read the tea party part to my daughter and she said, "What are they talking about?" which is about how I felt as I listened to it. It was especially disconcerting to hear a grown woman singing a nonsense song in a silly voice.

So, I don't know. It's a silly story full of nonsense and some clever word play. I thought some of it was fun and sympathized with Alice. What a crazy place to end up.

I became interested in Alice in Wonderland recently after reading Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin (click for my thoughts). Benjamin tells the story of the real Alice, Alice Liddell, and her relationship with Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll). I recommend reading it.

Of course, there are numerous films adaptations. I remember the Disney version from my childhood and now there is the Tim Burton version, which I plan on seeing. But one of my favorite versions, believe it or not, my daughter got free in a box of cereal! It's from 1999 and has some pretty big stars in it. Take a look at the trailer:

I don't know how I couldn't recommend this classic story. Just know that it's totally ridiculous.

Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens: Review

Pin It

Whew!I finished it. All 826 pages of Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens. I didn't give up even when I wanted to. Why? Because this was a book club selection and I've bee terrible at quitting book club books lately. I used to be so good at finishing all the book club books but somewhere along the way I fell off the wagon. I'm happy to say I conquered Little Dorrit.

So what is Little Dorrit about? Little Dorrit is actually Amy Dorrit the youngest daughter of a debtor imprisoned in the Marshalsea. She was born there and has known no other life. Her father, however, is a proud man who thinks himself better than he is. Amy sneaks away to work as a seamstress in order to feed her family. When the son of the woman she works for returns from China, he gets involved in Amy's life and changes it in surprising ways.

The reason I nearly gave up on Little Dorrit is because I could easily put it down and forget about it. Not much happens for much of the book that you can't see a mile away. In fact, the last 100 pages or so are the most exciting. Then there is a "Soylent Green is people!" moment and back to the predictable. It really felt as if Dickens was phoning it in.

There are the standard numerous characters: the humble heroine, the damaged hero, the badies, the goodies and the harpies. The rich and poor get entangled in each others' lives and by the end we see how it all plays out. But I wasn't all that interested. It was all a bit dull. What I came away with was that jerks are jerks whether they are rich or poor. Le yawn.

I guess you could say that this was not my favorite Dickens. I would recommend Bleak House over this one.

Bought this one from Bookcloseouts.

The Friday Bookish Buzz: Curiouser and Curiouser

Pin It

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

I had a really good birthday last week. We went out for dinner then had homemade cheesecake. My husband gave me an itouch and guess what the first app I downloaded was? An audiobook app. I'm listening to Alice in Wonderland this week. After her grandmother came over, the girl went to bed and  husband and I went out to a movie: Shutter Island. It was freaky. When they say "an ending to keep you guessing," they weren't joking. My husband are still in disagreement over it.

*Darwinism and romance titles? 2 researchers here at home think they're onto something.

*Imagine. A bookshelf with no books. So sad.

*But fear not! Ikea creates the world's longest outdoor bookcase- on the beach!

*Could you go a week without books? Cold turkey?

*Amazon is coming! Amazon is coming! (to Canada)

*Place your vote for Canada Also Reads.

*More not-quite-so-true-stories: Is the Hiroshima book a sham?

*Here's a positive review of Alice in Wonderland. My girl really wants to see it.

*Etsy Love: Speaking of Alice, new Etsy seller Le French Circus creates her interpretation of Alice in Wonderland with a print of Sleepy Alice and Drink Me Alice. Beautiful work!

Any big plans for the weekend? What are you reading?

Pretty In Ink by Karen E Olson: Review

Pin It

Things at The Painted Lady have gotten back to normal, or as normal as things can be at a Vegas tattoo shop. That is until Brett Kavanaugh and her crew take in a drag queen show that ends in one of the stars, Britney Brassieres, getting popped with a champagne cork.

Britney recovers only to die suddenly a day later. Brett's new employee Charlotte, a good friend of Britney, is on the run and she wants to know why. What was Britney involved in to make someone want her dead and what does Charlotte know about it? The answers may revolve around a tacky Queen of Hearts broach, a piece of jewelry everyone wants to get their hands on, especially the people with the matching tattoos.

It's hard for me to convey the plot of a Karen E Olson mystery to people and Pretty in Ink is no exception. Things start with an odd occurrence that ends up with someone dead and things just snowball from there. There are twists and turns that I never see coming.

I did have one problem with Pretty in Ink. I enjoyed getting to know Brett in The Missing Ink and I expected more from her in this book, I guess. She lost some of her oomph for me. There was another character (a potential mate?) I liked getting to know more of and hoped that he and Brett would get it on. Maybe next book? I hope Brett finds time for a little bit of romance.

Pretty in Ink is a lot of fun with a plot that keeps you guessing. I recommend it for a quick and entertaining read.

After reading the Tattoo Shop Mysteries, I end up thinking about the kind of tattoo I'd get if I were brave enough. Something literary, I think. How about you do you have a tattoo? If you don't, what would you get?

Once again the cover art is gorgeous!

Disclosure: Karen E Olson sent me Pretty in Ink for review.

Blogging for Book (Deals)

Pin It


There's a trend in publishing that is starting to bug me. Blogs into books. It's kinda of like when reality shows were new. First, there was one or two and before you knew it every second program was a reality show. Does every popular blog have to become a book? Can't we just enjoy a blog as a blog?

It's not sour grapes because I do not believe my blog could ever be a book and that's okay with me. I actually love some of these blogs but I'm never going to buy the book. They are funny and entertaining. I just don't understand this jump to make blogs into books.And to be clear there are bloggers who write beautifully or are experts in their field and have information to share. I have no problem with their book deals. They just had an undiscovered talent. But if I decided I was going to photograph my dryer's lint trap leavings for a year and blog about it, should I get a book deal? It's especially irksome when I think of all the struggling authors out there writing spectacular prose getting passed over because the publisher resources went to the Lint Trap Blog book.

Also if you've done something for a year (like mooching gym passes), should you write a book about it? Just because you've done something for a year doesn't make it interesting enough to be a book.Who is buying these books? Is it you? (points finger at screen)

Anyway, I'm off the photograph my lint. Stay tuned.

Do you have a recent trend (book or not) that bugs you?

Challenge Roundup for February

Pin It

 

I skipped Challenge Roundup last month. I had other posts planned, and let's face it, my challenges were abysmal. I did much better in February.

I'm flying along with The 3rd Canadian Books Challenge. In January, I read one book: Generation A, but in February I read 4. The most in one month yet! the four books were Grow Great Grub, I Never Liked You, The New Moon's Arms and Fish for Dinner. That brings me up to 10 out of 13 books read.

For the All About the Brontes Challenge, I've read 2 of my 4 picks: The Life of Charlotte Bronte and a graphic novel version of Jane Eyre. I have Agnes Grey for my online book club for March, so I'll have at least 3 read by the end of next month.

I've completed the Graphics Novel Challenge. I picked the entry level reader which required 3 books. I've read Jane Eyre, I Never Liked You and The Adventures of Blanche. That was a fun challenge. I'll continue playing along with it even though I'm finished.

Other than reading The Custom of the Country for the Women Unbound Challenge back in January, I haven't read anything else. I will pick up the pace for that one in March.

So not too shabby. I'm thinking of joining another challenge: The Classics Challenge. It's one I can handle.

How about you? Write your own Challenge Roundup post and leave a link in the comments.