It's Officially The Start Of My Favorite Season!

I can't do anything Christmassy until it is officially December and it is!

Decking halls, listening to holiday songs, pulling out the Christmassy bins!

Oh boy!

But first...dinner out and Hall And Oates...aren't I annoying with this? So sorry!

Happy first day of December! It's Red Hoodie time!

A Lovely Book Plus A Winner!

Look at this lovely book! I started it...settled in with it...and had to put it down! I cried during the opening pages when the beautiful dog tipped over his water bucket and had no water! For days! I can't do it...it's beautiful and lovely and I think there is a happy ending but...I can't see War Horse and I can not read this book! Look at this dog's eyes...big and sad and soulful! I can not read animal books! I am incapable!




So...I say that and then I pick up this one from Amazon Vine...the opening pages are about a baby being dropped into tall grass and a mother coyote finds the baby and since her babies were killed by a trapper...she rescues this baby! So...I was crying over this one, too. I can't win...and I wasn't crying for the baby either...the mother coyote loves the baby...I was crying for the coyote's pups!




Stephanie! You are the winner of this! You are a very lucky duck!



Happy Friday!
I am hours away from singing along with Hall & Oates...I hope I can contain myself!

Whisked Away!

I was sort of into this...and it disappeared from my IPad...my fault...I waited until the last minute...now I will have to Kindle it to finish it...or June will be mad at me...lol...




So...according to my reading chart...I should be reading this...and so I am! It's about the disastrous end to a marriage...it's about more than that, too...it's interesting...fascinating...sad...



I need a lazy day today...it's cold...chilly...I still have not found my bin of boots! Hall and Oates is just around the corner! Mostly Hall...lol...I need my boots! Concerts at the Borgata are so much fun...but I need to find my boots!




Happy Thursday!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Upon Discovering I Really Do Love Maisie Dobbs!

My " in a nutshell" summary...

An old friend dies...it's up to Maisie to determine why!

My thoughts after reading this book...

I am positive that I have read just one Maisie Dobbs book in my life and I really did not love it. When I mentioned this to my sister she was in shock. She devours every Maisie Dobbs book as quickly as they come out but...until this book I just didn't get it.

This book, however, changed that feeling for me! Maisie is spunky! She is a woman ahead of her time. She runs a detective agency, is fiercely independent and in spite of her wealth
remains true to herself. I loved Miss Maisie Dobbs! This book finds her being tasked to find out what happened to cause the death of a man that she knew as a child. Dear sweet Eddie...not as smart as others but kind...and somewhat of a horse whisperer. The novel takes place just outside of London and in an era where horses were just about to be replaced by cars and trucks.

Maisie runs a detective agency...and has a " boyfriend" and is just beginning to feel the first strains of confinement in her relationship with her wealthy boy friend...James. She is also wealthy in her own right...due to an inheritance. I get the feeling that this wealth is uncomfortable for her and she likes giving her money away. She actually needs to give her money away...for her own sake.

Back to the mystery...as Maisie and her staff dig deeper and deeper into what happened to Eddie...matters just get more complex...other murders occur...the police feel they have solved Eddie's murder but Maisie continues to puzzle over what happened and will not stop her investigations.

At this point the book just got more intense and exciting for me. There are secrets and lies that lead to quite a surprise ending. The last quarter of this book was excellent...chilling..thrilling...filled with espionage...Hitler...Winston Churchill...it was such a wonderful ending!

What I loved about this book...

I loved Maisie and her tenacious yet polite personality. I also loved the way this book was filled with surprises. I loved the ending...loved it!

Final thoughts...

This book was exciting enough to bring me back to Maisie and her adventures. It took this book to make me understand Maisie's appeal. I definitely must read more.

Reading this now...no thoughts about it yet...intrigued by what my friend June wrote about it.



Off to get a few groceries...we are craving a veggie soup and homemade beefy burritos...not together...one tonight...one tomorrow!

Blog Chef's slow cooker burritos...



Allrecipes beefy veggie soup...doesn't it look like Campbell's Vegetarian Vegetable soup? My favorite soup growing up!



Happy Wednesday...it is freezing cold here! Brrr...

Books...Beautiful Books!

Oh me oh my...I love my reading schedule...for now...lol...and...I love this week...it is sort of a free week...a breather...before life gets very Christmassy! Ho...ho...ho!

And we have tickets to a Hall And Oats concert! Yum! Have you ever watched Live At Darryl's house? You need to...so good!

Plus there is a hint of snow here...I love snow! It's all around but not here yet and...it better get here! I want snow!

Still thinking about this book and still craving red hots! But I don't want them in a box...I want to pick them on Edna's Candy Farm! I wouldn't mind gathering a few chocolate eggs, either! Don't forget to comment on Monday's post for a chance to win this book!

The author has a lovely blog, too...http://thedoorinthesky.com.


Reading this now...this must be my week for candies and cupcakes. This book is delightful...sweet...fun...family angst...and a chance for romance!


Happy Tuesday!

A Magical Fantasy And A Giveaway!

The Door In The Sky
by
Sandy Klein Bernstein

My "in a nutshell" summary...

Hmmm...a boy and his sister, stars, clouds, a really meanie bully wintery witch and her shadowy assistant, an old sorcerer and his apprentice...and...an adventure and a quest...oh...did I mention that it is funny? I definitely need to mention that it is funny!

My thoughts after reading this book...

I was sort of swept into this mesmerizing world...of sky and stars and clouds and magic! I loved this book from its opening fascinating prologue. But...what is there not to love about a book that allows you to be carried off into an entirely different world...especially if a star named Shimmer and his sidekick Twink are doing the carrying!

Ricky and his older sister Allie are spending the night under the stars at a planetarium when two stars...one wise and patient...the other not so wise and not so patient...stop the entire present world to bring them to another world...Ricky by invitation and Allie by accident. This is just the beginning of their adventure. I love that this story is just a bit complex. There is a reason for Ricky and Allie's selection and it took most of the sorry to figure out. Their trip to Galdoren is filled with adventure, danger, and candy! There are good guys vs bad guys...the good guys would be almost everyone except for the mean witch who is trapped in this world of winter...and her shadowy dark and dangerous accomplice and perhaps the goblins...well...most definitely the goblins.

There is Edna's candy farm...did you know that you need to wear salamander heat proof boots to pick exploding red hots? Break dancing cows give milkshakes? Stick on invisible pockets can hide anything? And so much more...I loved this book. I read it slowly and on and off all week end to make it really truly last! The danger in this book just grows and grows. The evil witch is deliciously evil...the good witches are amazing in their strength and...well...in their goodness. What's yummy about this book is the bad vs good stuff...just when you think one of the good guys is down and out...pretty much forever...something wondrous and magical comes along to help out...just a bit!

What I loved about this book...

I truly loved how good the good guys were. Henry the magician's apprentice and King Shevre and Shimmer and Serena and the other good witches. I loved the silliness of Twink. I loved that he was a star...a twinkling star...I loved the way Allie took care of her brother. I thought this book was complex...sort of multilayered and I loved that. I loved how loyalty and family won out in the end...but...I also loved the way this book ended...the evil ones not quite extinguished and a teaser of more to come in Book 2!

What I didn't love...

Ok...when it comes down to it...no one can love goblins, sinister shadows and a one eyed witch in a winter kingdom...especially one as irritating as Queen Glacidia...yechhh!

Final thoughts...

I found this book to be a lovely interesting out of this word adventure. I hate putting an age range on it. Perhaps middle grade readers or young strong readers or a great readaloud for younger readers. Or just a fun ride for anyone with a love of fantasy!
This is a book to savor and enjoy.


Thanks to the author I have one magical copy to giveaway...just comment and I will random.org a winner on Friday!

Happy Monday!

Sunday Stuff Or Animal News!

First of all...there is a bald eagle in our yard by the pond! Our neighbors put a huge raw turkey by the pond and in two seconds...an eagle swooped to it!




And a fox was barely a few feet from me when I was getting mail on Saturday! Not sure if that is good or bad...I said hi and he just stopped and kind of looked at me! I think in a friendly sort of way...hmmmm...



And Lucy has a new pink hoodie!



Happy Sunday and the end of my animal news...for now!