The Power of Words: They Linger and They Dance

How many of you have come across a word in your reading, and for some intangible reason, that word finds a safe haven in some little-visited corner of your mind and refuses to leave-- even when it has no reason to stay?

I had that happen to me when I was thirteen and read Norah Lofts' Pargeters. One of the characters was a master pargeter, and Lofts gave just enough information about this decorative plasterwork done on half-timbered houses that it stuck in my mind. Only the most highly skilled at this craft could do work that would stand the test of time and weather. I distinctly remember thinking, "I'd really like to see that. It sounds beautiful!"

The word must have felt welcome, and it found a warm little nook in my memory where it took up permanent residence. I gave little thought to it over the years. If I saw photographs of half-timbered houses or decorative plasterwork, the word would trot itself out. I'd use it and undoubtedly sound like a master hoarder of obscure trivia, but it's something to which I gave no thought. Pargeting did not give my life meaning, and I lived very well without it. But the word was warm and comfortable and saw no reason to leave. Almost as if it knew something that I did not.

Thirty-nine years later, my husband and I were planning a trip to the UK. In order to visit relatives, we would be staying in a cottage in Bedfordshire for a week. I picked up my copy of the 2007 National Trust Handbook to check to see if there were any interesting spots in the area we would be able to visit during that week. I also pulled out my beloved copy of Town Tours in Britain. Saffron Walden would be within range. I opened the pages for that town and began to read. "The Sun Inn...
1376...magnificent pargeting 1676...." The word stood up, smiled, stretched... and began doing a little clog dance in my mind.

Pargeting.

Pargeters.

Could it be? Would I finally be able to see this marvel of plasterwork for myself? I searched some more. There was more pargeting in Clare-- not far from Saffron Walden! The word stopped clog dancing, gathered some friends and began a very noisy hoe-down.

Denis and I went to the UK. We spent that week in Bedfordshire. While we were there, we spent the day driving through several villages, and we stopped and walked the streets of Saffron Walden and Clare.

After thirty-nine years, I finally got to see my pargeting. Was it worth the wait?



(Top, Saffron Walden; Bottom, Clare)

YES!!!

Review-- West from Home

Title: West from Home: Letters of Laura Ingalls Wilder, San Francisco 1915
Editor: Roger Lea MacBride
ISBN: 0064400816/ Harper & Row, 1974
Genre: Letters
Rating: A

First Line: Dearest Mama Bess-- I simply can't stand being so homesick for you any more.

When I was six, my mother handed me Little House in the Big Woods, and I never looked back. I still love Laura Ingalls Wilder's tales of her childhood and still get the giggles when I think of the mouse giving Pa a bald spot. When I ran across this book at Paperback Swap, I thought it was time for a Half Pint Fix.

Laura's daughter, Rose Wilder Lane, became a journalist and moved to California. Rose became very homesick for her mother and finally saved up the money for Laura to board a train and come for a visit. Laura's visit coincided with San Francisco's World's Fair celebrating the opening of the Panama Canal. This book contains the letters Laura wrote home to her husband, Almanzo during her stay.

I loved this book for its glimpse into a San Francisco that had just rebuilt itself after the 1906 earthquake, and for its insights into Laura the adventurer, Laura the woman who was thinking about starting to write, Laura the mother, and Laura the wife who never stopped worrying about her husband alone on their farm in Missouri. This is a book for all those, like me, who have fond memories of Little Houses.

Review-- Now May You Weep

Title: Now May You Weep
Author: Deborah Crombie
ISBN: 006052524X/ Avon Books, 2003
Genre: Mystery, #9 in the Kincaid & James series
Rating: B+

First Line: Wrapped in her warmest cloak and shawl, Livvy Urquhart paced the worn kitchen flags.

Denis started asking me how many books we had left in Crombie's excellent mystery series, so I knew it was time to read the next one. The man's not going to be satisfied until we're completely caught up and dancing around waiting for the next one!

In this ninth book of the series, Gemma needs time to recuperate from recent events, and her friend, Hazel Cavendish, persuades her to come along with her for a weekend cooking course at a bed and breakfast in the Highlands of Scotland. Gemma loves the scenery, and is enjoying herself until she learns that Hazel wanted to take the course as a cover for meeting an old lover. The "old lover" is Donald Brodie, the handsome owner of a local whiskey distillery. When Donald's body is found in a meadow close to the bed and breakfast, Hazel immediately becomes the prime suspect, and Gemma has to walk a fine line between finding the killer and keeping local DCI Alun Ross happy.

This book kept me slightly off balance because Duncan Kincaid has very little to do with the primary action, having his hands full with developments surrounding his son, Kit. Crombie is a master at making this couple so interesting that we care just as much about what is going on in their personal lives as we do the mystery. As in other books in the series, there is also an older plot thread running throughout, this time bringing in the element of whiskey distilling families in the area and long-standing feuds which can come between them.

All in all, vintage Crombie, and a very enjoyable addition to the series!

Friday Feud!

Welcome to this week's edition of Friday Feud here at Kittling: Books! The rules are simple:

1. Do not duplicate answers.
2. Post all your answers here in the comments section of this post.

Now...let's play The Feud! This week's question:


Name the worst kind of shoe to wear in a marathon.

Forgotten Books: Kathleen Taylor's Tory Bauer Mysteries

South Dakota resident Kathleen Taylor is a freelance knitwear designer who's written one of the funniest mystery series I've ever read, yet few people have heard of it. With the popularity of mystery writers such as Janet Evanovich, this just doesn't set well with me!

Taylor's main character, Tory Bauer, is a waitress in a small South Dakota town. She's overweight, divorced, and lives in a trailer with her femme fatale friend and co-worker, Del, and Del's young son, Presley. What sets this series apart is its razor sharp characterizations, its spot-on depiction of life in small town America, and the witty (and often hilarious) repartee. Taylor isn't afraid to have "real" characters. These people have faults. They don't always make the right decisions. As a result, I cared about them all the more.

The books in the series are:

1. Sex and Salmonella (1996)
2. The Hotel South Dakota (1997)
3. Funeral Food (1993)
4. Mourning Shift (1998)
5. Cold Front (2000)
6. Foreign Body (2001)

If you're in the mood for a cozy mystery series that's heavy on characterization, setting and humor, you can't go wrong with Kathleen Taylor's Tory Bauer. The books may be a bit more difficult to track down, but they are well worth the effort. It's been five years since I've read these books, yet the characters and Delphi, South Dakota, are still with me. (I've also not been able to hear Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass without a twinkle in my eye and a big smile on my face!)

If you'd like to see more recommendations of books that deserve never to be forgotten, don't forget to check out Patti's weekly series on her blog, Pattinase!

Booking Through Thursday-- Collectibles

• Hardcover? Or paperback?
• Illustrations? Or just text?
• First editions? Or you don’t care?
• Signed by the author? Or not?

When I search for some of the books I want to read, they're rare enough that I can't be too picky about which edition they are; I take what I can get. For the most part, that doesn't bother me in the slightest. I'm a reader, not a collector. Since I no longer keep most of the fiction I read, I'd prefer that they were all paperbacks because paperbacks are cheaper to mail when you're a member of Paperback Swap. But once again, the bottom line is that I want to read the book, so I don't care if it's hardcover or paperback!

When reading fiction, unless it's KidLit, I'd rather see no illustrations because I prefer my own mental ones. KidLit is different; however, because illustrations can be a major part of the book. Illustrations can also be an integral part of non-fiction as well. If I'm reading a biography, I do like seeing photos of the person. Art books are nothing without examples of the art being discussed, and if I have a book in which travel plays a large part, maps are very nice! Yes or no to illustrations all depends on the type of information being imparted.

Since I've already stated that I'm a reader, not a collector, I could care less if my book is a first edition. I do have some firsts, but I normally don't think of them as any more special than the rest of the books in my library. The only exceptions to that are the first editions I have of novels written by Dora Aydelotte, a woman who lived in and wrote about the small farm town in which I grew up, and the signed, numbered edition of a book featuring the art of Richard Stone Reeves. Reeves is a pre-eminent artist who's painted many of the most famous race horses in the world, and I've seen some of those horses. In both instances, I have a very personal connection with the books.

Authors' signatures don't mean all that much to me either. They might if I made an effort to go to author signings, but the vast majority of signings clash with my work schedule, so I can't go.

I guess you could say that, unless I have a very special connection with a book, I'm a reader-- not a collector. The words on the page are much more important to me than print runs, bindings, or signatures. I do know people who collect certain types of books, and I do enjoy the way their faces become luminous when they tell me about their treasures, so I understand the allure.

What about you? Do you collect certain types of books, or are you primarily a reader like I am? Share your stories!

Scene of the Blog-- Lenore of Presenting Lenore!

Many of you know Lenore. She's the blogger behind Presenting Lenore, where her love of books, reading and people comes shining through. I first became acquainted with her through Tuesday Thingers, a weekly LibraryThing meme now hosted by Wendi of Wendi's Book Corner. I think several participants in that meme look forward to the latest photo of Emmy as much as they do Lenore's reply. I know I do!

Let's cut this intro short and take a look at where Presenting Lenore is created! (Click on the photo to view it full size.)

Lenore's Work/Blogging Space

Here's what Lenore has to say about her space:

I do all my blogging in my home office which is also where I do all my advertising copywriting. I like that it is very compact (our bookshelves and Daniel’s L-shaped workspace take up the rest of the room). Most of the books around my desk are work or writing related though I do have a shelf of YA hardcovers that are nice to look up at while I’m working. I use the integrated magnet board to hang up inspirations (and pictures of my friends’ children). I really love my chair – it’s an Aeron by Herman Miller and it’s so comfortable to sit in, even for hours and hours on end.

Doesn't Lenore have a great work space? Everything she needs is right within reach, and that chair does look comfortable!

If you'd like to participate in this weekly series, or if you know a book blogger you'd like me to send an invitation to, leave a comment below this post, or use the Contact Me in my header to send me an email. We'll see you all next Wednesday on Scene of the Blog!

Wordless Wednesday

House in Clare, Suffolk, England

For more Wordless Wednesday, click here.

Review-- The Bookaholics' Guide to Book Blogs

Title: The Bookaholics' Guide to Book Blogs
Author(s): Rebecca Gillieron and Catheryn Kilgariff
ISBN: 9780714531519/ Marion Boyars Publishers, 2007
Genre: Internet, Blogging
Rating: B

First Line: To my way of thinking, the best book bloggers are individuals who have no grist or motive other than a love of books and a desire to share their finds with others.

It should be obvious why I bought this book: I'm a blogger, and I blog about books. I wanted to see what these two publishers had to say about a subject I hold close to my heart.

The Bookaholics' Guide to Book Blogs is divided into chapters according to the various types of blogs: Booksellers' Blogs, Publishers' Blogs, Fan Blogs, Writers' Blogs, etc. As I read, I found several blogs that are familiar to me, but I also found many more to check out. Gillieron and Killgarriff both believe that book bloggers have a very important function in the world of book publishing today:

I would like to see the voices of the book bloggers heard even louder. I think there is a major problem, despite the pages of feverish comment on literary prizes, radio shows, interviews and profiles, in that the media manages to talk about books in a way that goes over the heads of the vast majority of people. The book bloggers have developed loyal audiences, and I compare them most closely to newspaper columnists who may be your favourite to read each week in the Sunday paper. You get to know a personality and a style, and you find nuggets of new information each week, which makes you go back the following week for more. The book bloggers have another twist which makes them more loveable-- they write their thoughts for free.

There are dozens of nuggets of information in this small book, and best of all, a list of all the book blogs' URLs in the back to make it easier for you to find them. I found this book very easy to read (despite several typos!), and a very informative look into the future of book publishing and selling from the viewpoints of two UK publishers.

If you've reviewed this book, please leave a link to your review in the comments, and I'll add it to my review!

Mailbox Monday-- This is more like it!

I mentioned last week that I had to make an effort to clear more spaces on my shelves in the library, and I did manage to do that. Two more bags of books to donate to the Phoenix library, and several to list on Paperback Swap. I sent 13 books to new homes last week, and received 6--all from Paperback Swap. Here's what I received last week:

--The Dumb Shall Sing, A Mystery of Colonial Times by Stephen Lewis. "Catherine Williams is a midwife for the town of Newbury. A respected, wealthy widow, she defiantly refuses to accept local gossip and superstitions. So when a young infant dies mysteriously, and the Puritan community casts blame on an Irish Catholic servant girl, Catherine remains unconvinced."

--Body Count by P.D.Martin. First in the mystery series featuring Aussie FBI profiler Sophie Anderson.

--An Experiment in Treason by Bruce Alexander. Another in one of my favorite mystery series featuring the blind Sir John Fielding, magistrate for the Bow Street Court in eighteenth-century London.

--The Players' Boy is Dead, An Elizabethan Mystery by Leonard Tourney. "There is much that is entertaining in Elizabethan England, colorful and merrie for both Good Queen Bess and her people. But there are matters savage and murderous, too, and it is the County Constable Matthew Stock, a humble clothier by trade, and his practical-minded wife Joan who oft must set things right...." (In looking up a link for this book at Amazon, I found that the "cheapest" copy was $45! Thank you, PBS & Cheryl!)

--Bad Move by Linwood Barclay. I enjoyed another book by Barclay so much that I decided to try this first in his Zack Walker mystery series about a work-at-home science fiction writer who finds a move to suburbia more than a bit murderous. This is supposed to be a humorous series, and I'm always on the lookout for those.

--The Siege by Helen Dunmore which is about a Russian family trying to survive during the winter Siege of Leningrad in 1941.

There you have it--what I received in my mailbox last week! If you'd like to join this meme or if you'd just like to see what others have received in their mailboxes, head up to the top of this post and click on that hungry-looking mailbox to be taken to Marcia's The Printed Page.

Musing Mondays-- The Library

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about the library…

How often do you visit the library? Do you have a scheduled library day/time, or do you go whenever? Do you go alone, or take people with you?


I grew up in a library. My mother was the librarian in our village, and I was unpaid labor until my sixteenth birthday. I might have been unpaid, but it was a labor of love. Mom and I spent at least part of each day at the library, except for Sundays and the rare vacation. When I went to college, I was still spending most of my time in a library...a considerably bigger one. When I graduated and moved to Phoenix, I fully intended to patronize the Phoenix library system. I obtained a library card and began browsing, using a huge list of books that I'd heard about and wanted to read. Out of a list of at least 200 books, I found three. Several trips confirmed that I just wasn't finding the books I wanted. I obtained a library card for the Arizona State University and almost went wild. Not only was I finding the books I wanted, but many more of which I'd never heard. Trouble is, transportation was difficult. It didn't take very long for me to stop going to the library--any library--at all.

I'm a mood reader, and as such, it's best to get my own copies of books. I've owned books for ten years before I've gotten around to reading them, but I have read them and enjoyed them. If I'm not in the mood for them, I don't have to worry about fines or taking them back and being able to find them again. Many years have passed since those dismal attempts at finding books in my local library. I'm positive things have changed. Perhaps I'm too possessive or insecure, but I prefer that the books I have be mine and subject to my own whims.

Now that I've begun paring my books down so they don't completely take over the house, I'm finding myself going to the library once again--to donate the books I don't post on my favorite swap site, Paperback Swap.

Want to see more answers and perhaps join in this meme? Click on the Musing Monday graphic at the top of this post!

Poll Results Are In!

The race results are in for the poll that just closed. I asked everyone what they did with their books once they'd finished reading them. 92 people participated, and I definitely want to thank all who did. You certainly give me the incentive to continue doing this!

Interested in how the poll turned out? The results were a bit like Secretariat's 1973 Belmont Stakes. (If you can't tell by these Poll Results posts, horse racing is another interest of mine!)

I keep them, of course! and I keep the ones I love and give away/swap/sell/donate the rest shot out of the gate neck and neck. It was a horse race for a while, but I keep the ones...took the lead after the first quarter mile and finished 32 lengths ahead of the rest of the entries. I keep them, of course! finished 19 lengths in front of I return them to the library. I have book giveaways on my blog finished 4 lengths behind I return them to the library.

I post them on my favorite swap site and I donate them were never in contention and barely made it across the finish line. I sell or trade them at my local used bookstore was scratched.

Once again--a huge thank you to all who participated!

Weekly Link Round-Up (February 22)

Here are some of the things that caught my interest while I wandered the Information Superhighway this past week:

Blogging and Social Media

• Sociable Blog has an article about the Top Twitter Tools to Check Out in 2009.
• Who's Amung Us has free code to use to track real-time statistics on your blog, and you don't even have to register.
• Website Grader is a free SEO tool that you can use to check your blog traffic, search engine optimization, social popularity and other factors. It also gives you advice on how to improve them.

Fun Stuff

• I found the Six Wives of Henry VIII Test at Hello Quizzy. Fortunately I wound up being one of the wives who managed to survive!
• Oxford's World Classics has a five-question quiz for you to discover which OWC character you are. I was surprised when I wound up being Alice in Wonderland, since I never liked the book!
• Quotiki is a social quotes wiki that lets you quickly find and enjoy quotes.

Blog Posts to Ponder/Enjoy

• On her blog, Pattinase, Patti has a very interesting post titled One Nation Under God in which she asks, "What I wonder is why the US continues to exhibit such religiosity? Other than Islamic nations, such religious fervor is mostly absent in other nations. What would your explanation be?"
• Nicole on her blog, I Meme It, had a post about Totie Fields, which was definitely a blast from my past. It was good to be reminded of this stand-up comic and be able to watch a video clip.
• On Musings of Meggie, Peggy played along with The Bag Meme. I had fun reading, but I'm not sure I'm brave enough to play along, since I have to have one of the ugliest bags on record!
• Maxine on her blog, Petrona, had an interesting post called True Confessions of a Blogger in which she talks about just how much "personal stuff" she feels comfortable sharing online. The comments are as interesting as the post.

What's caught your eye recently?

Review-- Three Bags Full

Title: Three Bags Full, A Sheep Detective Story
Author: Leonie Swann
Translator: Anthea Bell
ISBN: 9780767927055/ Flying Dolphin Press, 2006
Genre: Mystery
Rating: B

First Line: "He was healthy yesterday," said Maude. Her ears twitched nervously.

George has always treated his sheep more like humans than animals. He reads to them every day, he talks to them, he makes sure they're healthy and have plenty of the best fodder and grazing. It's no wonder that his flock is upset when they find him murdered out in the field. What you may find surprising is that they vow to find George's killer.

Led by Miss Maple (the cleverest sheep in all of Glennkill, Ireland), the sheep find clues and try their best to make sense of the humans around them. The entire flock of sheepy characters have to learn to work together, and to summon all their courage, in order to find justice.

This is probably a good time to inform all of you that I normally do not like talking animal books. (At least not since I was five or six!) I have to make an exception for this one. It had me thinking, smiling and chuckling as I turned the pages.

The book begins with a cast of characters, listing each sheep by name and its characteristics, but after that initial glance, I never referred to it. Swann makes each sheep an easily remembered individual. The investigation wanders a bit from time to time, but there are flashes of brilliance in an often humorous tale. This debut by German author Leonie Swann marks her as a writer to watch.

If you've read and/or reviewed Three Bags Full, I'd love to hear your opinion of it! Make sure to leave a link to your own review in the comments.

Edit: Joe Barone's review
Kerrie's review

Blog Improvement Project Week 4-- Blog Basics

This week we’re going to focus on blog basics — when a new reader gets to your site, how easy is it for them to find out basic information about you and what your blog is about?

Over the next two weeks, take on as many of these tasks as you like. I know they are pretty general, but every blog is different and so what you might want to do with these particular pieces is up to you.

• Write (or update) your “About Me” Page— Make sure you can see your About Me from the main page of your blog because someone just arriving at the site should be able to easily see a little information about you

• Update your contact information

• Add some sort of picture of yourself (if you’re comfortable with that)

• Update your Blogroll

• Create a link to your Archives on your front page

• Add a link (or make sure a link is there) so readers can subscribe to your blog via RSS

• Get to work on other basic blog maintenance you’ve been meaning to do

This is one assignment that I did ahead of time without knowing it. When I signed up for the Blog Improvement Project, there were already several things that I knew I had to get done. Everything that's in Kim's list above was in mine.

• I updated my About Me page and made sure there was a photo. It's not slap dab on my front page, but it's an easily seen link in my header. I might be a tad strange in the blogosphere, but when I visit other blogs I don't particularly care what the blogger looks like, and the only time I really care to read more about the person is when I feel a connection because of what they've written in their posts. I realize that not everyone feels this way, so at least I updated my info, and I can tell that a few folks have checked it out.
• My contact info is current, and I added a Contact Me link in my header.
• My blogroll is current. I have an alert set up in my Google calendar to remind me to update it monthly.
• There are links to both my Archives and my Labels on my front page sidebar. They're both "drop downs" so my page won't look so cluttered.
• There are links to subscribe via RSS and email "above the fold" on my front page. I've also made sure that the Blogger feature "Follow this Blog" is there as well. It's not used as a form of bragging because the numbers won't support that. I put it there because I read in a blog with a lot more hits than mine that the blogger preferred the convenience of that one click in order to keep track of an interesting blog. As far as I'm concerned, the easier I make it for people to subscribe, it's more likely that they will!
• The other blog maintenance that I meant to do was work on my template. I've customized a simple free Blogger template, and I'm pretty happy with it. I've added a slideshow of some of my photos in the footer, which will be changed out regularly--more personal interest if a reader wants to know more about me.

The week I spent out of town also helped me with my blog. I was tired of constantly playing "catch up" and wanted to be able to write posts and schedule them for future days. When I returned to Phoenix, I had a backlog of about six books that needed to be reviewed, and those six books helped me set up a blog post schedule.

How I track and plan my blog posts

I have a three-pack of Levenger's Oasis Scheduler pads that I never used. Once I cleared off my L-shaped desk, I had a perfect spot to put one of the pads. I write in each day's date, and this has been such a help! I now have a clear picture of my posts days in advance. I also use the page to keep track of my feed subscriptions, and make notations whenever I'm contacted by an author or publicist--or whenever I request an ARC. The bright orange Post-It reminds me of where I post my reviews because, let's face it, how many times is a person allowed to blog uninterrupted?

All in all, Kim's Blog Improvement Project has been a wonderful thing for me, and I'm so glad she had this idea! If you'd like to see how other participants are faring, click on the graphic at the top of this post.

Review-- Drood

Title: Drood
Author: Dan Simmons
ISBN: 9780316007023/ Little, Brown and Company, 2009
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: D

First Line: My name is Wilkie Collins, and my guess, since I plan to delay the publication of this document for at least a century and a quarter beyond the date of my demise, is that you do not recognize my name.

Mr. Collins' plan went slightly awry in my case. I have eight of his novels in my library. Of course, I also have twenty-five of Dickens', which I do believe wouldn't set well with him at all.

There is a lot to like about this novel. Simmons' research into Victorian England as well as the lives and writings of both Dickens and Collins is exhaustive and insightful. The setting comes to life beneath his pen, particularly the smells. (If your olfactory sense is particularly acute, I would suggest having a handkerchief sprinkled with eau de cologne on stand-by.) The premise of the novel is the last five years of Charles Dickens' life, the basis of his last, unfinished, novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, and his friendship with Wilkie Collins. The mysterious figure of Drood is genuinely creepy at the beginning, and I read along, happily immersed in the pitch black streets of Dickens' Great Oven and caught up in the lives of the two authors. After all, this is one of my favorite time periods and two of my favorite writers.

But halfway through this gargantuan book, my pleasure rapidly began to fade, and it was then that I came to the conclusion that Simmons is just not the author for me. You see, I also tried to read his book, The Terror, and stopped shortly after the 150-page mark because I cared nothing for the characters and didn't appreciate the lack of action. Any action. I found the same thing happening in Drood. This book is almost 800 pages long, and it took half that before anything really started happening in the book. The creepiness of Drood faded, and what could have been a crafty, scary read turned into a dragging tale of jealousy and spite. All along, I felt as if the book set me up for an explosive conclusion, but it wasn't. The ending just seemed to waft away in a cloud of snarkiness and opium fumes. After reading almost 800 pages that did contain flashes of brilliance, I was left feeling that somewhere in all that paper and print, there was a tight, compelling 300-page thriller screaming to be turned loose.

I'm sorry, Mr. Simmons. You're just not the author for me. Since you seem to have quite a following, I'm certain I won't be missed.

If you've read and reviewed Drood, please leave a link to your review here in the comments. I'd really like to hear other readers' views of this book!

Check out these other reviews of Drood:
Cafe of Dreams
Books Ahoy!
A Circle of Books
Jenn's Bookshelf
Bermudaonion's Weblog
Linus's Blanket

Friday Feud!

Welcome to this week's edition of Friday Feud here at Kittling: Books! The rules are simple:

1. Do not duplicate answers.
2. Post all your answers here in the comments section of this post.

Now...let's play The Feud! This week's question:


If Barbie had to raise some fast cash, name something she might auction off.

Forgotten Books: David Cole's Laura Winslow Mysteries

David Cole has written a series of mysteries that definitely deserves more attention. The central character, Laura Winslow, is a half-Hopi, one-time-Ritalin-abuser computer hacker who lives on the run in various locations within Arizona. Not only does she fight her own personal demons, she feels compelled to fight against injustice wherever she finds it--which can be tricky indeed when she trusts no one. The first books in the series find her very edgy, very distrustful, but as the series continues, she notches small victories against her anxiety disorder, and she begins to nurture something that's been missing from her life: personal relationships, and this adds even more dimension to her character.

I enjoy these mysteries for the setting, the plots which center on political and social issues within the "shadow land" of the US-Mexico border, and for Laura herself. If you like mysteries set in the desert Southwest that deal with very real issues and Native American themes, and also have a strong female lead, give David Cole's series a try. You'll be glad you did.

To find more books that have flown beneath the radar, check out Patti's series, Friday's Forgotten Books, on her blog Pattinase.

Review-- Google Blogger for Dummies

Title: Google Blogger for Dummies
Author: Susan Gunelius
ISBN: 9780470407424/ Wiley Publishing, Inc., 2009
Genre: Internet/Web Page Design
Rating: A

First Line: So you made the decision to start a blog.

This is a decision that thousands, if not millions, of people have made. If Google Blogger is the blogging platform chosen, how much help is Gunelius' book? A lot!

From Part I where the author describes Blogger's features and compares it to other blogging software, Gunelius takes the reader step-by-step through opening a Google account, starting a blog, choosing a template, writing and publishing blog posts-- everything a beginning blogger should know.

From the basics, she moves on to covering how to monetize a blog, blogging from different media such as podcasting and mobile phones, how to use social media such as Twitter to network and build a community, and how to obtain your own domain. There's even a section for troubleshooting problems. Everything is written in clear, concise language and easy to follow instructions.

People who have been blogging for a while may wonder if Google Blogger for Dummies contains anything worthwhile for them. My answer would be yes. For example, I had questions about obtaining my own domain, just what does "bounce rate" mean, and how to increase my search engine ranking. This book answered all those questions and many others. This book is for everyone using Blogger, both novice and pro.

How useful I found this book to be!

Scene of the Blog-- Chris of Book-a-Rama

Describing herself as a stay-at-home Mom and certified bookaholic, Canadian Chris and her blog, Book-a-Rama, are familiar to many in our community. If you haven't visited her blog yet, please do so! I know that I spent quite a bit of time wandering through the pages the first time I was there, and it's always good to see a new post of hers show up on my Google Reader.

Without further ado, let's see Chris' blogging space and hear what she has to say about it. Her Blogger profile lists photography as an "interest", but from the look of the photo collage she sent me, it's much more than an interest! (Click on the photo to view it full size.)

Where Chris is inspired while posting to Book-a-Rama

I'm a couch potato blogger. I'm very lucky to have a laptop, so I can blog in front of the TV, usually while watching HGTV. In the morning, after I've sent the husband and child off to work and school, I take an hour or two to work on the blog before I run errands. It's just me and the cats then. I make myself breakfast, cereal and a cup of tea, and get comfortable in my favorite chair. When my fingers need to take a little break or ponder a subject for a while, I'll look out my kitchen window and watch the birds flittering around the bird feeder.

Isn't her space great? I can see myself curled up in that chair! If you'd like to take part in this weekly series and have yet to receive an invitation, don't be shy! Use the "Contact Me" form in my header to send me an email. The more, the merrier!

Wordless Wednesday

Review-- True Bluegrass Stories

Title: True Bluegrass Stories: History from the Heart of Kentucky
Author: Tom Stephens
ISBN: 9781596295452/ The History Press, 2008
Genre: US History
Rating: B

First Line: Pristine and primeval in the mid-1700s, Kentucky first entered the consciousness of American colonists as an "Eden" or "El Dorado of the West," the next place an energetic young man could enter penniless and see his dreams come true.

It was at about this time that several of my own ancestors packed their wagons and moved to Kentucky. They did quite well there for about a century before the next itchy-footed generation picked up sticks and moved to Illinois, which is where I was born.

I've been to Kentucky many times and have to admit that one of my favorite parts of the state is indeed the Bluegrass, so I picked up this book fully expecting to (1) enjoy it and (2) learn something. Both my expectations were met.

This is a collection of stories from Stephens' Looking Back column in Kentucky Monthly magazine. I can certainly see why the column is popular. He covers a lot of history in these short articles, and he does so in an entertaining and informative manner. As many times as I've been to the Bluegrass, I still learned several things such as: why there are so many Shelbyvilles and Shelby Counties in the United States, just what makes bourbon different from whiskey, and the life of the woman "Hot Lips" Houlihan in M*A*S*H was based upon. I also got to revisit some favorite places such as Pleasant Hill ("Shakertown"), outside of Harrodsburg.

Anyone who's interested in United States history, and in particular the history of Kentucky, should add this book to their reading.

Mailbox Monday-- Slowed Down to a Crawl

Last week was pretty quiet for ye olde mailbox, which suited me just fine. I've been busy having fun with my Scene of the Blog series, but I really should continue making large gaps in my bookshelves. (Something for me to work on this week!) I mailed out four books to fellow Paperback Swap members, and received two. Here's the rundown:

--Three Bags Full, A Sheep Detective Story by Leonie Swann. "A witty philosophical murder mystery with a charming twist: the crack detectives are sheep determined to discover who killed their beloved shepherd." I have to be completely honest here and tell you that the major reason why I requested this book is because one of my husband's favorite replies to me is, "Yes, dear. Three bags full, dear!"

--Dead Simple by Peter James, the first in the Detective Superintendent Grace mystery series set in Sussex, England. "It's only a harmless bachelor party prank. But then the four friends who set it up are killed by an oncoming car and Michael Harrison, the drunken groom, is left buried alive."

That's it--short and sweet! How did your mailbox fare last week? To see more goodies received by others, click on the mailbox graphic to be taken to Marcia's The Printed Page.