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Real Murders-Wrap-up!
Well, I wish I could say I saw that coming, but even having read this story before, I completely forgot who the murderer(s) was/were. I would say it has been about 4-5 years since I read this story. I think out of all 8 of the books in the Aurora Teagarden series, I have read 3 of them.
Of course I will be getting the rest of them; I mean I can’t have an incomplete set of books on my bookshelf, right? This is a book that if my children had anywhere else to be other than our home, I would have gotten it read in a day.
So as to not spoil this for anyone who wants to read it; the name(s) of the guilty shall remain a secret. This really is a quick read, it is funny, and intense, and will have you holding your breath at certain parts. You may even laugh out loud. Literally. I did, and more than once. Roe has a particular way of imagining pain being inflicted on someone who is not particularly nice (yes, since this is fiction, I absolutely laughed at it; her wanting to kick someone in the nuts was rather funny, at least the way she imagined it in her head).
I have less than 3 weeks off before my next college class, so I figured what better to read than Ben-Hur. Written by Lew Wallace, at a page count of 342, this shouldn’t take me all too long….. 🙂
I may or may not review this as I go along; it is pretty interesting so far, being a couple of chapters in. I have never read this before, or saw the movie that was made starring Yul Brynner. I may read something a little less “heavy” right along with this and keep you updated on that. As long as the stories are not in any way, shape, or form similar, I can read 2 books at once!
What great story have you recently read?
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Friday Fun Facts!
Washington Irving
Born: April 3, 1783
Died: November 28, 1859
Wrote: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Rip Van Winkle, assorted biographies
Quote: There is a legend that on the night of his death, Wahington Irving said “Well, I must arrange my pillows for another night. When will this end?”
Some Facts: Died in Tarrytown, NY, which is right next to Sleepy Hollow. As America’s first genuine internationally best-selling author.
Irving and his grave were commemorated by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in his 1876 poem, “In The Churchyard at Tarrytown”, which concludes with:
How sweet a life was his; how sweet a death!
Living, to wing with mirth the weary hours, Or with romantic tales the heart to cheer; Dying, to leave a memory like the breath Of summers full of sunshine and of showers,
A grief and gladness in the atmosphere
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Real Murders (Don’t Panic! It’s A Book)
My latest read I started, I have read it before, but am definitely happy to be reading this one again, and will be getting all of the books in this series. Not too many things make me happier than going to Barnes and Noble!
Title: Real Murders – An Aurora Teagarden Mystery
Author: Charlaine Harris
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime: New York
Main Character: Aurora Teagarden; 4’11” tall, big, round tortoise rimmed glasses, and was lucky enough to fulfill her childhood dream of becoming a librarian (Oh, I wish!!)
Aurora, affectionately called Roe by those near and dear to her, is one of 12 members of a club known as “The Real Murders Club”. They meet once a month to discuss murder cases. Each person gets one month a year, and they bring in guest speakers, such as a detective that worked on the case, news reporter, or a family member.
By the time I reached chapter 3, we already had our 1st dead body. Mamie Wright, a fellow member of the Real Murders Club, is dead in the kitchen of the VFW hall where they have their monthly meetings. Found by none other than Aurora.
I will introduce you to the rest of the residents as they become more important to the story.
It has been so long since I have read this story that I really do not remember what happens, or what the body count might be by the time I make it to the end. I think I will have plenty of time to read today since the second round of Michigan blizzard is set to hit around noon.
Are you going to get some reading done this weekend?
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Friday Fun Facts!
Roald Dahl
Born: September 13, 1916
Died: November 23, 1990
Wrote: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and other stories.
Interesting Facts: Mr. Dahl was a regular writer for Playboy. He flew fighter planes during WWII. He wrote all of his stories in a garden shed behind his home. His first job was with Shell Oil Company. Due to an accident his son had at 4 months old, that caused water on the brain, he helped invent a shunt that has saved thousands of children’s lives. He died of Leukemia. On Mr. Dahl’s request, when he died he was buried with his snooker cues, a power saw, a bottle of Burgundy, HB pencils, and chocolate. Children still visit his home where his second wife lives, asking if he lives there. She says they are devastated when she has to tell them he passed away.
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What Should I Crack Open Next?
I am looking at a couple books on my shelf that I haven’t read in so long, I do not remember what they were about. I have to say though that they couldn’t have been all that horrible or they would be in a box in my basement that I have no intention of ever opening again.
Have you ever moved and kept moving unopened boxes from house to house? I boxed up stuff and moved it into my house, in the basement. Lived there 11 years. Hauled those same boxes, never opened, back upstairs and into my new basement. Guess what? 4 years later, and they still aren’t opened. It’s almost like having my own personal time capsules that I never intended to make. Honestly, at this point, there can be any number of things in these boxes that I would rather not be reminded of!
So, I am thinking of getting back into Charlaine Harris’s Murder Mysteries series with Aurora Teagarden as the heroine/detective/always in the wrong place at the right time. I have read a few of these, but not all of them. I wish she would stop writing the True Blood series and focus on this one instead!
Have you read these wonderful little books? They are a quick read, fun and full of mystery. Or do you have a book in mind that I must absolutely read? If you do I would love to find it and read it!
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Finally Finished!
What-the-Dickens continued on being his troublesome, question asking self. By sheer luck, he manages to encounter another Skibberee, Pepper by name; fireball tooth-fairy on a mission with no time to deal with What-the-Dickens. But deal she does. She has to retrieve a tooth, leave the money, and get back to command center before sun-up. If she fails, she will not become an Agent of Change (AKA a Tooth Fairy).
She gets back at sun-up, with What-the-Dickens in tow. No one is happy to see this rogue Skibberee, so Pepper has one more chance to complete her mission, on time, with instructions to leave What-the-Dickens somewhere out there. He has been instructed to never come back.
With task at hand, Pepper and What-the-Dickens go to their location, the home of none other than Gage, then a 12 year old boy, lonely and bored with parents who had no time for him. Oh. Yeah. Gage is also the owner of McCavity. McCavity gets ahold of Pepper’s wing, and damages her enough that she is captured by Gage. She tells What-the-Dickens to finish her task, so at least her name will be remembered after her death.
Yep. You’re thinking what I was thinking, huh? “How does “What-the-Dickens” mess this up? But that’s just it. He doesn’t. Not this time. It seems he really is useful, and has his own talent; he can communicate with animals, and no other Skibberee can do that.
He completes the mission for Pepper, and returns to the command stump where all the skibberee in that district live. He turns over the teeth, and tells them about Pepper’s fate.
No one seems to care. It is what it is. But What-the-Dickens cares. And when Gage returns her to the stump, What-the-Dickens does everything he can to revive her. He succeeds, and announces that he and Pepper are leaving forever; they can live out in the world on their own.
The adult Gage will not tell his cousins if the story is true or if it isn’t, but he gives the challenge to Dinah to determine how she thinks their story would continue. And ideas abound in her mind of how What-the-Dickens and Pepper would have adventures out in the world.
What do you think they are up to?
this was a great story, not exceptionally long to read, and definitely holds your interest. I certainly wish Mr. Maguire would twist up some other fables and fairy tales, to see what he comes up with next!
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What am I reading right now?
Not exactly what I want to be reading, but I promise I will be digging into, and hopefully finishing, “What-the-Dickens”, tonight!
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Remember That Story About The Tooth Fairy?
You know, “What-the-Dickens”? That guy. Yep. I’m still reading it. Except I haven’t picked it up in a week. Since about the time my 1st college class started for my MBA. So, I don’t know about you, but I find this completely unacceptable. So I will find a way to manage my time to include my recreational reading and blogging, and tell you how this story ends. Patience is a virtue, right?
More to come, sooner rather than later (fingers crossed)!
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Friday Fun Facts!
J.D. Salinger (Jerome David)
Born: 1-1-1919
Died: 1-27-2010
Wrote: The Catcher in the Rye, published in 1951, as well as 3 other novels, including short stories that appeared in The New Yorker. He was drafted into the Army and served from 1942-1944. He was hospitalized after suffering a nervous breakdown after the war. Mr. Salinger lived a very private life, last published a book in 1965, and gave his last interview in 1980.
Odd Fact: Mark David Chapman, the man who assassinated John Lennon, was found with a copy of the book at the time of his arrest and later explained that the reason for the shooting could be found in the book’s pages.
Quote: “What really knocks me out is a book that, when you’re all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn’t happen much, though.” ― J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye
I have to be completely honest and say I have never read this book! I am ashamed to even say that, but I guarantee after reading the synopsis of this book, I will own it before the weekend is over.
What did you think of this story?
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