stories

The Stanley Hotel

Angela17 Comments

Okay, so this is not a book review of The Shining, but I just spent several days in Colorado with my girls, and son-in-law, visiting my 21 year old who lives there. I did not know (or I should say, remember), that the Stanley Hotel was in Colorado. We were driving up to Estes Park, and I said “Wow, that looks just like the Stanley Hotel, to which 3 of my kids said….”Um, it is Mom.” To which I completely freaked-geeked out so of course we had to stop. If I had realized this, I would have scheduled one of their tours. We did wander around inside where we were allowed, and I have to admit, using the restroom was really creepy. Two of my girls refused to go inside. I was also the only one in the vehicle who had ever seen the movie, so I bought copies of it when I returned home to send to the kids who haven’t seen it 🙂

Have you ever visited or stayed here? I do not think I could sleep there to be honest.

A Rainy Saturday in Michigan

Angela16 Comments

I could have stayed in bed all day, but my 14 year old had marching band practice from 9am to 3pm.

These two boys made it really hard to get up! Benjamin and Franklin own the industry on laziness 😂

I actually took myself to WalMart instead of letting someone shop for me… it went rather well; but the baking after I got home? Not so much…

My daughters friends family is definitely struggling with the father being in the hospital for the last month after a horrible accident. I am bringing them a turkey dinner tomorrow.

Burned my arm checking the first batch of muffins, orange-sized blister now. Couldn’t figure out why the 2nd batch of muffins was taking so long to cook. I accidentally turned off the oven and never realized it.

All this time I could have been reading and writing 😂

And how is your Saturday going? I hope it includes an awesome book and warmth and comfort!

Personalized Book Boxes

Angela47 Comments

Yes; this is what I am doing after working 10+ hours a day and not reading your books!

None of these are completed, and all need some alcohol ink and a whole lot of resin!

Another vacation is forthcoming, along with 4 book reviews for what I have read in the last 2 weeks.

What are you reading right now? I am missing reading my cozy mysteries as I am in the middle of writing two!

My Personal Library!

Angela38 Comments

Always a work in process, I have a few more wooden crates in my garage being spray painted; yes, this was my best option when buying a new house and building a library before worrying about any other room.

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I have books stacked on crates, items that need to be hung on the walls, and still have to put in my tin ceiling that Menard’s denied me over a year ago.

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Still unpacking books, and trying to make room.

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I love too many stories to make a theme in this library, other than reading books!

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Old School Book Favorites!

Angela54 Comments

I was a voracious reader growing up; I would read a book in a day, easily, and quickly collected quite the collection of books in my preteen and teen years by going to the grocery store with my Mom. They had a section of paperbacks, and I got one on every trip. The fact that I had the book read before I went to bed that night did not please her any, but I always reread my books. I lost so many of those paperbacks when they were stored in my parent’s basement and they had a water issue. To replace them now is near impossible as these older books are very expensive.

If you have followed me for a while you know that William W. Johnstone was my favorite author as a teen, and I could not read his horror stories fast enough. I honestly cannot believe my Mom bought them for me, considering what the covers looked like. Go Mom! “Rockinghorse” sent me down a path that literally had me typing a letter to him on my sister’s typewriter, telling him how much his story inspired me, and that I wanted to become a writer. It led to several back-and-forth correspondences, and I am so blessed that he sent me a couple autographed books which are among my prized possessions. As well as the letters I received from him. He went on to write many Western series, which have always been on the best-sellers lists.

Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators were another set of books I always checked out of the school library. I read the series several times, but unfortunately now, they have become collector’s prizes and to even get a hard cover book is very expensive.

Encyclopedia Brown anyone? How I loved those stories. And who could ever not read Beverly Cleary? She got me through some tough teenage angst! And my favorite elementary school book was “The Adventures of the Black Hand Gang”. A picture after every 2-3 page story for you to figure out the clues. That one will set you back over $30.00 if you try to buy it now. I have my beat-up-worn-out-copy in my library.

Adventures of the Black Hand Gang Cover Image

What are your favorite books that you cannot let go of?

Public Life = Sickness

Angela13 Comments

A day and a half at work, a funeral visitation, a funeral the next day, and eating at a restaurant means I wake up today congested, coughing, sneezing, and just exhausted and achy. Glad to be spending the next two days in bed with a book, and consuming lots of fluids and vitamin C. I had groceries delivered this morning, and made a huge bowl of my favorite chicken salad with lots of grapes and clementine oranges. Of course, I have to eat something healthy with potato chips…

Generally I can kick this type of stuff pretty quick, so am expecting to be feeling back to 100% by Monday morning.

What am I reading? I am more than halfway finished with Judas: The Relic. This is book 2 in the Judas Trilogy by Roy Bright, and just as fantastic as the first one!

Dipped to Death – Kelly Lane

Angela5 Comments

This was book #3 in the Olive Grove Mystery cozy series. I had read the first two quickly after finding them on a sorting shelf at one of my local libraries; this one I had to wait to be released.

Dipped to Death cover image

As with the first two, I loved this story, and had it read in less than 24 hours. (Yes; I am still not working due to the broke-my-ankle-in-3-places, more about that in another post!)

Eva Knox is still working at her family’s Olive Plantation in Georgia, and tripping over dead bodies left-and-right. This time it is an ex-fiance from Boston that no one in her family knew existed. Her other ex-fiance, sheriff Buck Tanner is of course on the case, both frustrating and frustrated by Eva at every turn.

I try to avoid the spoilers, but I have to say I hope this is a series that goes on for several more books! I am definitely anxious for the next book…there is a next book, right??? It isn’t often I will purchase cozy mysteries, as they are so readily available at my libraries, but this is certainly one I want in my personal library to read over and again!

You can find it here: Dipped to Death

Have you tried this series yet? I would love to here what you thought of it; and if you haven’t, I highly recommend it.

 

Hoping for a Library Trip…

Angela18 Comments

… well, hoping my oldest runs to the library for me while she is spending the weekend with me. I wonder if there is a limit on how many books can be checked out? I’ve been continuing the Nancy Drew series and I can literally read 4 or 5 of those a day if that is all I was reading. But I do have other things to read as well 😊

As far as I know my surgery went well. The surgeon didn’t come and see me at all yesterday after I got back to my room. I have been here all alone as well so I don’t even know how long the surgery took. They had to put a metal plate and screws in as I broke 3 different ankle bones. I definitely have a long and painful road ahead of me.

My oldest daughter will be picking me up today and spending the weekend with me, so I’m a happy girl about that.

Trying to not stress about the fact that I have no idea what I am going to do Monday when she is back home and my 13 year old has school all morning and afternoon.

The Innocence of Father Brown – G.K. Chesterton

Angela30 Comments

I likely would have never found these charming stories if not for my habit of binge watching British television shows on NetFlix (Bless you NetFlix!).

The Innocence of Father Brown cover image

After going through the entire series of Midsomer Murders, Rosemary and Thyme, and Keeping Up With Appearances, it was time to give Father Brown a try.

A quirky Catholic Priest with a close circle of a couple of friends to help him with his sleuthing, or as the local DCI sees it, his butting in, Father Brown solves the crime while granting forgiveness to those who desperately need it.

Anyhow, back to the book.

This book is filled with several short stories. They are of course written in the fashion of the late 1800’s/early 1900’s (when G.K. Chesterton lived), so it can be a bit jarring for some when you have been reading current novels. I personally love reading older books like this, and after you get through the first couple of pages, you have a firm feel of the style of writing and it becomes much easier to read.

Mostly murderous, these stories are a quick read and most have you guessing right until the very end. I was a bit surprised and the graphic details for a book from this time, but it is certainly nothing I haven’t seen before. This would be a great book to keep on your nightstand!

Have you read (or seen) Father Brown before?