To Buy or Not Buy a Kindle??? And My 2011 Reads Wish List!!

Its 2011 and I am not off to a very good start on my reading agenda...so I thought I would list a few of my projected reads and some that I wish to read and some that I hope to read and some that I want to buy so I can read...phew.....April and Easter month of the egg....it is also my "B" day month and I have asked for a Kindle ....I do hope I get one.
I have done some research on the Kindle: 

The Amazon Kindle is a portable e-book reader. More precisely, it is a software, hardware and network platform developed by Amazon.com and uses wireless connectivity to enable users to shop for, download, browse, and read e-books, newspapers, magazines, blogs, and other digital media.
 I have also asked for an IPod to listen to some books off Audio.com. Has anyone used that?? It is a wonderful place to get those books you want to read but just don't have the time.
For its basic function, reading, after purchasing a book it should be a very pleasant and comfortable experience. It's compact, lightweight, and easy to use at a moment's notice. You should be able to take it with you anywhere. :)


There are some flaws. As many people have reported, it's extremely easy to accidentally push the "next page" bar, which runs nearly the length of the right side of the device. You may also accidentally hit the "Previous" and "Next" page bars on the left as well.
Buying books will be easy and they upload within seconds. In fact, in a stroke of marketing genius, buying books is almost too easy. To be fair, Amazon does a good job of not only presenting detailed information prior to purchase, but you can download the first chapter of most books for free. This is a great way to quickly and easily either get hooked on a book or decide it's not for you. I love that feature... :)


Amazon is smart: your Kindle will come pre-programmed with your name and and your Amazon account. In other words when it arrives you won't need to do anything like configure or "log in" to the device or the Amazon store. It will be set-up ready to go! How cool is that?  Some might also argue that its a bit of a security risk, as anyone who can lay hands on your Kindle can start spending your money??? The good news here is that your Kindle's relationship to your Amazon account can be managed via the web without the device. In other words, if you lose your Kindle, you can disassociate it from your account quickly.

Kindle offers subscriptions to major magazines and newspapers. For people who are religious readers of publications like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and others, this could be a very lucrative way of having the latest issues with you automatically and at all times
Remember, there's no monthly fee. Once you have a Kindle, you have a basic web browser that you can use for free. While at the airport, at the coffee shop, at your friends house, at the park or just about anywhere for FREE. did I mention that already? WOW!!!


A big fear is that "Experimental" means that Amazon may take it away some day. Another fear is that they'll start charging a subscription fee for access. With a v2 browser, though, it might well be worth it.

Kindle also has the ability to play music while you are reading so you can use as an MP3 too, but there are a lot of limitations so don't throw your MP3 away just yet... my consensus is A+ buy it.....

For April:  Scrambled Eggs by Doris Riskin

Jake Wanderman's life is spinning out of control. The retired, Shakespeare-loving English teacher's wife leaves him without an explanation. Then his best friend asks him to help an attractive widow whose late husband was a member of the Russian Mafia. It seems there are stolen Faberge eggs hidden in the widow's home, and various people want them. Jake suddenly finds himself dealing with the New York police, the FBI, the KGB, and assorted mobsters. This fast-moving caper takes Jake from Sag Harbor to Moscow and back again. With a colorful cast of characters and enough action to keep readers on their toes, Riskin has all the ingredients for a very entertaining series.

For May:  Black Flowers by E. F. Watkins

When a former employee of her husband's genetic engineering firm, Genesis, dies of a drug overdose on her front lawn, Allison Constantine is horrified. She can't forget the young man's final threats that "people like her" will soon "get what's coming to them."


In the days to come, Allie suspects she's being followed, and fears someone might try to kidnap her or her two small children. But who? A rival firm, hoping to extort technical secrets from her husband, David? A protest group that has accused Genesis of reckless experiments? Or a former Genesis president who supposedly killed himself two years earlier?

Probing the company's activities, Allie discovers a pattern of mysterious deaths by electrocution. She begins to fear that the greatest threat to her family may be Genesis, itself, if she dares to interfere with its terrifying secret plans for its executives, for society...and even for Allie's own children...

For June:  Twilight Eyes...by Dean Koontz

I already have this book and I want to get this one read before the summer months....it is about Carl Stanfeuss who was born with "Twilight Eyes," a color his grandmother said foretold of psychic abilities. After murdering his uncle Denton at the tender age of seventeen, Carl flees Oregon, shedding his name to become Slim MacKenzie, and join up with the Sombra Brothers Carnival. Of course, it wasn't bad that he murdered his uncle ... because his uncle was one of Them. The goblins.


From his psychic abilities, Slim can see the piggish, doggish faces of the goblins hiding underneath the façade of normal humans. They live off the pain and suffering of others, gathering with glee at fires, accidents, shootings, and disasters.

The book has an explosive culmination that is suppose to keep you on the edge of your set??? We shall see. Koontz is one of my favorite authors alongside of King... One of the scarriest books I have read was "Whispers"

Since Koontz doesn't usually write in first person, which makes this a unique novel among all the others he's done. Its also an earlier novel of his, written before he developed a 'Stephen King' plot theme line. I am told that 'Twilight Eyes' is an adventuresome novel with a unique storyline and is well written enough to keep you up all night long. It came highly recommend. so if you are reading along with me..... Enjoy, but be sure to keep the lights on!

I'm Reading Debbie Macomber's "Summer on Blossom Street"

I love Debbie Macomber's books!! She writes in a style that I can relate to and also enjoy any time of the year. I get so involved in her stories that I feel let down when they end, which is why I love her Cedar Cove series the best as it keeps on going!! :)

Summer on Blossom Street, is back at the yarn shop with Lydia and her sister Margaret and some of the other characters from Back on Blossom Street, I so enjoy the characters and each of their side stories and can't wait to see what happens next as this one has a man joining in on the yarn group's meetings should be interesting. The meetings are called, "Knit to Quit" geared for people who want to quit something, like smoking, a boyfriend, any bad habit...

A Review of Darkness Falls

 Don Summers gave a review of Darkness Falls and I thought I would add my "two cents" too!! Since I am a big fan of scary and thriller type movies this one "takes the cake" as mom always used to say....It's a real scary one and one that will leave you questioning the Tooth Fairy and maybe convince you to keep that closet door closed all night long!!!
Release: 2003
Directed by: Jonathan Liebesman
Starring:
Chaney Kley as Kyle Walsh
Emma Caulfield as Caitlin 'Cat' Greene
Lee Cormie as Michael Greene
Grant Piro as Larry Fleishman

Remember when you were a kid? Alone, in bed at night. Can’t sleep (because your mom probably made you go to bed at 8:00 PM) and so you peer around your room in the dark. What’s that shadow on the floor from moonlight spilling in from the window? A scarecrow? And what IS that I see through the closet door that’s open a crack? An eye? Oh no…under the bed…what’s that noise?!?

Once in a while there is a movie that captures the fears constructed in a child’s vivid imagination that never completely leave us even into adulthood. Darkness Falls is such a movie.

Darkness Falls begins with a boy, Kyle Walsh (Chaney Kley), who has lost his last tooth. He puts it under his pillow as any good lad should. He knows, however, that the town lore in (the cheerily named) Darkness Falls reports that the tooth fairy is actually the spirit of a woman that was persecuted and generally treated badly by those that lived 150 years ago, and that this “fairy” will do her job correctly and replace the tooth with silver unless…you have the NERVE to see her face while she’s replacing your tooth for money.

If you do see her, it is told, you will be killed horribly. (She is, it would seem, a bit sensitive about her burned up mess of a face) Talk about having trouble sleeping…who could sleep knowing that some frightful frauen is going to come in your room and dare you to take a peek…..

So, of course he can’t sleep, and of course he does see her…and because of that his poor mother is killed when she comes in his bedroom to and checks out his closet to prove to him that everything is alright.

Then Kyle is sent to a mental institution  because of rumors that he brutally murdered his mother…only he is  wrought with terror of the dark. It seems that the tooth fairy will not rest until she punishes Kyle for peeking, but she can only attack in the dark.

12 years later Kyle is still living in fear and trying to keep his world brightly lit, always holding a flashlight to fend off the attacker of the darkness. He comes back to town when his childhood sweetheart is concerned that her little brother is afraid of the dark and is apparently being stalked by the same spooky specter. I know why would he? But remember its a movie and you have to have the dumb decisions to make it more scary...

Is Darkness Falls a "B" movie? Sure. Does it use a lot of the horror tactics we have seen before to startle and scare the audience? Definitely. Does this mean that you should not see this flick? Absolutely not!

Sometimes I want to see a scary movie simply because I want to sit on the edge of my seat and feel that sensation in my stomach that makes me want to to hold my breath in anticipation. The tooth fairy monster is a  scary movie. She comes out at dark time to snatch people up and carry them away – and she is very creepy and very well done through the special effects. The monster herself is original and very believable. The scenes are interestingly constructed and promote the "throwing of popcorn in the air" when the music and the tooth fairy jumps out. The one thing that I did like was that Darkness Falls was extremely light on the gore. I peronally do not care for a lot of gore as others might, I just want to be scared! Which is why I always read thrillers...

If your looking for an excellent Acadamy award movie, then don't watch this one, but if you want some scary, hands over your eyes, movie then rent this one and enjoy. You'll be sure to be checking your closet all night long.....Be sure to put this on your "must see" lists but be sure that you have someone with you when you watch it!!!

I am Reading Again

So Sorry I have been aay for so long, such is life!!! You know what they say.... "Fill what's empty. Empty what's full. Scratch where it itches."  So to scratch my itch....I am reading a real THRILLER....ohhh...and I am thinking that is why my BP rises...really, I read that when you watch happy-funny-laugh out loud flicks your BP actually lowers, but when you watch horror-scary-thriller flicks it rises, and since that is all I watch, wellllllll????????????????? Get the drift?

Anywho....on with this books' little critique......... I love it ....

John Saul's ....."Perfect Nightmare"

This is about a girl that vanishes from her bedroom and how her mom and the next store neighbor collaborate to try and draw out the monster that is taking people and doing unspeakable things to them....it is a book to make one's skin crawl, and one of suspense and chills to make you want to sleep with the light on at night! The Prologue sets the pace of thrills and the story keeps you on the edge of your seat. Not a book to read when you're home alone but one to read on a cold winter evening with a nice hot cup of tea!! You won't want to put this one down, or will you? It may scare you so much that you will want to put it in the freezer. ??? {Remember that episode with Friends, when Joey and Rachel read scary books and Joey kept it in the freezer?}

Whiter Than Snow Book Review author Sandra Dallas

Whiter Than Snow was a really great read. It has an intriging feel of historical fiction put into the story about a tiny town in Colorado and it's townsfolks. It starts out with a tragic Avalanche that destroys not only some of its residents lives, but it also begins to mend relationships and reveal some hidden secrets.

I found it to be interesting and a hard to put down read.  I kept wanting to read more to know what was going to happen next with the town. I especially wanted to know about two of it's main characters, who were sisters, and how their lives from high school age through adulthood would end.

Set back in 1920, the reader is thrown into a whirlwind drama of the towns reactions and emotions from this tragic occurance, and how it effects the people that there. I liked the stories twists and turns of how fate and chance are reveled through the Avalanche's aftermath and how no one's life is without sin nor is it "whiter than snow." A wonderful play on words!

Sandra Dallas has nine other novels and lives in Denver.

Guest House by Barbara K Richardson, Discussion

I finished reading "Guest House " by Barbara K. Richardson. I found this novel to be fast paced and have very true to life characters. Ricahardson depics the thoughts and actions of one of the main characters, an eleven year old boy, with great detail and precise adolescence behavior. It kept me onthe edge of my seat in anticipation of his next experience. I liked how the scenes were not so over indulged on, bringing the main focus of the characters feelings and demeanor as the life line of the stories plot.

The people who lodged at "Guest House" are brought to the reader's attention by their strange and "unfantasized" relationships, which is so true in any real life scenario. Stepping into the minds of these characters and learning about their desires and sorrows is invigorating and makes you want to jump in and help them out or tell them to shut-up? Not sure which I felt at times?

It begins when Melba, one of the best real estate agents in Oregon, witnesses a tragic accident involving a large truck and a bicyclist. It ends in the cyclist's death. Melba, so torn up inside by this experience, swears off her vehicle, leaving it right there on the side of the road, quits her job, and declares to never drive again for fear of killing somone with her car and also to help stop air polution. She finds "Guest House in major need of repair and purchases the place in hopes of gaining peace in a more simpler life.

The "guest" that ends up living with her, Jolee, has her own twisted agenda, which does not always coincide with Melbas. Between that, and Jolees visitors, Melba gets entangled on a long roller coaster ride of daring lifestyle choices, which has her facing her own maternal instincts, and more than she had bargained for. I liked this novel and if you get a chance to read it you won't be disappointed.

This is Barbara K. Richardson's debut novel. She comes from a background of part comedian, part landscape designer, and zen master. She has portrayed her characters to accentuate their despair and ambition allowing the reader to experience hope and salvation through the natural nuturing of a woman who meshes with a child in need of love. She entangles family obligations with her character's actual magnetic inclinations and depicts it all in the landscaping of the country and a sparce little "blink of the eye" town in the desert. An excellent read!! :)

A New Guest Reader Book by Barbara Richarson

   I just received today a copy of this book, "Guest House" by Barbara Richardson, to read for them. I can't wait to get started and see what it is all about...I just wanted to post that I am starting it and will be posting what I think soon...What a fun sounding book.... 

Ugly Sweater Party Prize Books

I recently hosted an "Ugly Sweater" parter for my LYG Spring Fling party and the prizes for the 3 best sweaters were books. I did some research and found some pretty interesting books about sweaters that I felt were appropriate for the winners.

The 1st prize was for the "Ugliest Sweater"....and the prize book was called "The Sweater Book" and it is a really cool book about how people's personalities relate to their sweaters. They had all the subjects put on the same sweater and then watching how they wore it, the author Mosher, was able to capture on film a really remarkable phenomenon - when given a common item with which to express themselves, each person's distinctive personality came shining through, and the sweater becomes a symbol of what each considers to be most unique about themselves.

The resulting collection of over 500 stunning black-and-white photographs proves to be a touching and exhilarating ride from New York to Dallas, from Hollywood to London, as Mosher explores the creativity of celebrities and humbles alike - in their homes and workplaces, with their families and pets, in any way they chose. The people featured includes top names from the world of theater, film, TV, fashion, music, dance, and literature, such as Michael Bolton, Dominick Dunne, Matthew Broderick, Ted Danson, Tim Allen, Noah Wyle, Quentin Crisp, Josh Hartnett, Ryan Phillipe, and many more. I loved the book and want to order one just for myself now!!
 

The 2nd prize was for the "weirdest, funniest, strangest" sweater and the book given was none other than the "king" of sweater wearing himself, Bill Cosby's book...called "Cosbyology" it consists of essays and observations from Bill Cosby himself... and a little trivia "Awhile back it seems his daughter was going through a closet can came across a ton of his famous  "sweaters" he wore on all his TV shows and they ended up donated them to an auction to help out needy children and they raised over $5000 from them." wow...
 

Our 3rd prize was for the sweater "that would never see the light of day again" and it was a funny book by Debbie Macomber called, "The Truly Terrible, Horrible Sweater ...that Grandma knit..."
It is a fun little story of how this little boy was knit a sweater by his grandma that he felt was awful and the book even comes with the pattern!!! There’s probably not a knitter alive who hasn’t presented a handmade gift and wondered whether the recipient would use it or throw it in the closet. Cameron’s sweater from Grandma Susan gets the closet treatment—and worse. But there's a twist when she tells him why she chose the special colors she knit it with..... another must have book for any knitter or child's library....
 
 
 

Reading When it Rains Outside

Do you like to read when it rains outside? I do...I especially like to get my favorite "lapghan" and curl up next to the fireplace and grab a good book and read. The only problem is making sure DH stays away long enough to get me through more than a few chapters. LOL.....

I am just starting A Veiled Deception  by Annette Blair, and love it...If you love cozies, get this first-person paranormal mystery. This is a new series and this being the 1st one is one not to be missexd. The main character is a dress designer/vintage clothes collector with paranormal gifts inherited from her late mother. New York designer Madeira Cutler who returns to Connecticut for the wedding of her younger sister Sherry, who she virtually raised when their mother died.  Their father can't deal with the details of the wedding and the hostility of the groom's wealthy mother. Then the groom's former flame shows up, obviously planning to replace Sherry as bride.

When she's strangled at the shower with her antique bridal veil, Maddie has to not only redesign the dress but also make sure neither bride nor groom is jailed for the murder. Helping her -- and vying for her affections -- are her hot FBI sometimes-boyfriend and a local police detective she's fought with since high school. yummy....be sure to grab a copy of this short paperback and curl up by your fireplace to enjoy another wonderful read like I am doing, opps here comes more rain...ta ta for now I am off to read some more.. :)
 

               

Dogs and the Miricles they Create for Us and Mitford Series

Hello 2010...I just found out that Jan Karon's "Mitford" series has like 9 books in it... WOW I thought there were only 4....so I am back to excitingly reading the 3 I have and the Bedside Companion one too!






I wanted to share this video I found on A Knitting Junkie blog with you. It is so inspiring that I had to add it here. :)

Back From a Long Break

I have been away from blogging here for some time. But I am back, had the flu and just "life" got in the way of my visits here.

So what am I reading? Well....I am on book #3 of Debbie Macomber's "Cedar Cove" series. I just love them and in this one we are talking about 311 Pelican Court where Rosie lives. Will her and hubby be divorced forever, or will they get back together? And what is happening with the dead guy in the B&B? Who was he?

I cannot wait to read more to find out what's going on in Cedar Cove...I think the next thing should be some good recipes and knitting patterns, will have to get the companion crafting book next. :)

Too Funny Animals

Another Type of Reading???

I went to the library last week and was amazed at the improvements of library borrowing... you can now borrow books on CD's and books on MP3...wow....for $1 I got "Twenty Wishes" by Debbie Macomber, I am listening to it now...I put the CDs in my computer CD drive and listen while I surf the net.. :) and next week I will rent a MP3 of James Patterson's "Beach" now I do not have to try and get the time to sit and read a book I really want to read, all I have to do is stick an ear piece in my ear and do or go where I have to go and "voila" I am getting to finish a book along with my chores or crocheting too!! What a wonderful concept!!!.. I am hooked....And since I have run out of room on my bookshelves, I don't have to purchase the book, the library is free...what a great way to save in these "tight" economical times! Now DH is happy too!!

Advise and a Weird New Kind of Bookshelf

Some good advise? Take it or leave it, but remember that most of it is quite true and could make you a happier person from this day forward!

• Your career is not nearly as important as your life. Don't sacrifice the latter for the former.
• Hug your Mom. Someday she'll be very old, very loving, very concerned, 1200 miles away, and too frail to travel. And someday after that, she'll be gone.
• I think the best advice I have heard was to try to never let someone ruin your day by their actions.
• Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. (Mark Twain)
• Enjoy your kids now, but remember that your job is to make yourself unnecessary to them eventually so they can live their own life happily and independently.

An unusual bookshelf design and is one that you can "roll" up with a good book. Here’s a circular bookshelf by designer Zhdanova Irina. Her design also comes with a set of sofas that can be stored as a matching ring: Link - via Cribcandy and Yanko Design

What's Happening to the Novel's Future?

The news is saying that the novel is DEAD!!

I read reports that say the novel is dead. What? How can that be? I am still buying them and racking up the $$ on my Visa; aren't you? I mean any "readoholic" is doing the same. And who doesn't love book stores? It just is not the same to use a cell phone to read a book or download it onto the computer. I need that warm and fuzzy feeling I get in a book store. I also need the scones they have there!!

It's no secret that the number of independent bookstores is on the wane. And even big chain stores like Borders are having trouble. Scott Karp, who writes the Publishing 2.0 blog, predicted bookstores would be obsolete in 10 years. That was last year, so we apparently have just nine years left.

Is it time to write the novel's obituary?
More recently, author Richard Laermer wrote that book publishing is dead because editors are too young (oh, please), books are too expensive (maybe), and the publishing industry publishes too many books and spends too much marketing books that don't need it, and not enough on books that do (I'm inclined to agree). Also, the industry generally moves too slowly (I'd second that).

With dying bookstores and publishers, what future is there for the novel?

I predict it will be around for a long time, although maybe not necessarily in the form we're used to.

Though publishers might have to find new ways to make money and structure deals, people have loved novels far too long for them to vanish.A Scholastic project called "The 39 Clues" is already out. This is a 10-book mystery series about the powerful Cahill family; each book is said to unlock one clue (I'm a little worried about the math, given that there aren't 39 books in the series). "Book 1: The Maze of Bones" was written by Rick Riordan, the author of the wildly popular Percy Jackson series. It's likely this will be big with kids. I sure want to read them.

In the most important ways, the future of the novel looks great. People still love writing them, even if they're doing it in their spare time on cell phones, as did the best-selling Japanese novelist. People also still love reading them, as evidenced by the bake sales they'll hold to buy more.

If publishers can't figure out how to make a profit on the novel, that's their problem -- and another story entirely.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

What's in a Bookstore?

I went to my local Barnes and Nobles today to get a gift certificate for a family member and I spent most of the time leafing thru the new arrivals. I love the Christmas themed books put out for the holiday season and the cutesy ones for the whole family. One was about a cat and why they feel the way they do, another was a whole list of favorite YouTube links to the best of the best videos. I mean who wouldn't be interested in checking that out? And Donna VanLiere has a new one out that is suppose to be another book turned into holiday classic....I wanted to purchase so many of the books that I almost forgot why I went in there....sheesh.....I love book stores, theres no doubt about it...I just cannot wait to see if anyone bought me any of the ones I was googling over....but of course we all know unless we list them on our "wish list" that the ones chosen for us may not be the ones we wanted, but then that could be a good thing, as we may find a new author just that way....

As you all know I am a Mary Higgins Clark fan and absolutely love her books and she has not disappointed us and has come out with a new one for the holidays that I sure hope I find under my tree...and it is written with her daughter Carol Higgins...

It is about a group of employees who go in together to purchase a lotto ticket that wins, but them find out the person who was suppose to but it never did..or did he? Mary Higgins Clark's favorite characters Alvirah Meehan, the amateur sleuth, and private investigator Regan Reilly are visiting the town where the mystery is at....its a fast-paced holiday caper that will keep you glued to your chair in front of the fireplace on these cold winter nights....I sure plan on doing that as soon as I get the book! :)

Now back to what's in a book store? Well books of course.......now you already knew that one didn't you???

Happy Thanksgiving

My Christmas Gift-Along List

I got this idea from over at Niki's blog to list my URL with her to get more traffic and also keep track of my projects....since it requires reading I thought I would add it on this blog for some good reading...

What this “along” project is: Gift-Along is a blogroll collected with fellow gift-making bloggers. Blogrolls help blogs gain exposure and many times new regular readers. Every week, or few weeks, blog a post with your up-to-date gift-making list and photos of finished projects. Of course, some gifts will be top secret I imagine if you would prefer to keep something on your list hidden from possible recipients. Feel free to snag my image (right click–> copy image location) to use in your ‘08 GAL posts, and don’t forget to link back to this post so other may find this GAL as well!Your gift list can be of anything handmade; felt crafts, knit/crochet, sewing, you name it! The purpose of this gift-along is to get blogging crafters in general together.

My current gift-making list:

• a book crochet ....J
• crochet wine bottle......Lori
• sew apron western........Mary
• sew apron pig......Sandy
• kids apron set sew.....Ashley
• crochet birthday hat......group
• crochet apron for red hats gift
• sew bag for corvette club gift
• sew cat apron ....Gail
• sew apron cat......Alane
• sew apron bird houses....Lori
• crochet veg and fruit with flowers basket....Alane
• crochet small ????....for crochet group
• ?????????????? for red hats group members [something small]
• ?????????????? for Amanda

If you’d like to join this gift-along and want to register your blog URL, please do so in a comment over at the A-Team. 2008 GAL blogroll:

Happy Crafting great idea Niki

We Have A Winner

Congratulations goes out to fbartlett!!!

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers: 27
Timestamp: 2008-11-01 17:22:54 UTC

She was out lucky winner ....

unfortunately we had to exclude "4cope" as there was no email or blog to follow, sorry!

Confirmed:

fbartlett.................. yes and mailed

Songs The Wizard of Oz and Thanksgiving Memories

Almost immediately after the Halloween, we turn our thoughts to Thanksgiving. The chill is even in the air here in So. CA with a little rain. Boy did we need that. One of my earliest recollections of childhood Thanksgivings comes from watching the Wizard of Oz on an old TV, black and white, in the parlor area of my favorite Aunt's house. My mom and dad and Aunt Mary and Uncle Harry would be in the kitchen laughing and yelling playing cards. It was a Sat night ritual for them and for me it was watching the the WOZ. In grade school we were making pilgrim hats and learning holiday songs to sing at one of our usual assemblys we had for the holidays.

A couple songs I remember - occasionally fragments will pop into my head - are Over the River and Through the Woods, which always reminds me of feasting, and We Gather Together, the quintessential “pilgrim” hymn.

Over the River is the newer of the two, written by Lydia Maria Child, remember her? She was kind of the Martha Stewart in her day. It originally appeared in a book of poetry, Flowers for Children, Vol. 2, in 1844.

Over the River, and Through the Woods:

Over the river and through the woods,

to Grandfather’s house we go;

the horse knows the way to carry the sleigh,

through the white and drifted snow.
Over the river, and through the woods,

to Grandfather’s house away!

We would not stop for doll or top,

for ’tis Thanksgiving Day.
Over the river, and through the woods-

oh, how the wind does blow!

It stings the toes and bites the nose,

as over the ground we go.
Over the river, and through the woods

and straight through the barnyard gate.

We seem to go extremely slow-

it is so hard to wait!
Over the river, and through the woods-

when Grandmother sees us come,

She will say, “O, dear, the children are here,

bring a pie for every one.”
Over the river, and through the woods-

now Grandmothers cap I spy!

Hurrah for the fun!

Is the pudding done?

Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!

How many of you remember that one?

How about We Gather Together it is considerably older, written in the 17th century, but translated into English only in 1894.

We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing;

he chastens and hastens his will to make known;

the wicked oppressing now cease from distressing:

sing praise to his Name, he forgets not his own.
Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,

ordaining, maintaining his kingdom divine;

so from the beginning the fight we were winning:

thou, Lord, wast at our side:

all glory be thine!
We all do extol thee, thou leader triumphant,

and pray that thou still our defender wilt be.

Let thy congregation escape tribulation:

thy Name be ever praised!

O Lord, make us free!

Some Book Reviews:

I searched over at Goodreads and found a critque on this book "Thanksgiving" book by Janet Evanovich

October 31st 2006 (first published 1988) by HarperTorch
256 pages
isbn 0060598808 (isbn13: 9780060598808)

What is it about:
When Megan Murphy discovered a floppy-eared rabbit gnawing on the hem of her skirt, she meant to give its careless owner a piece of her mind, but Dr. Patrick Hunter was too attractive to stay mad at for long. Soon the two are making Thanksgiving dinner for their families.

Since I love Thanksgiving and I like Evanowich's book I may get this one.

This next one is a real interesting one. I have not read anything by this author before either.

published 2006 by HarperCollins
416 pages
isbn 0060094435 (isbn13: 9780060094430)

What is it about:

Richard Bausch calls this, his tenth novel, "a love comedy with sorrows." The story is set in the small Virginia valley town of Point Royal, where several of Bausch's other novels and many of his stories take place. It is 1999; predictions of catastrophe blare on the radio, and religious fanaticism is everywhere on the rise. The millennium is approaching.
Oliver Ward and his divorced daughter, a young policewoman named Alison, and Oliver's two grandchildren become involved with Holly Grey and Holly's aunt Fiona, elderly ladies with a marked propensity for outlandish behavior. Holly's son, Will Butterfield, and Elizabeth, Will's second wife by that name, have been happily married for ten years but are about to discover how fragile happiness is.
And in the middle of all of them is an old priest, Father John Fire, who is a good man, thinking of leaving the priesthood. He is called "Brother Fire" by everyone who knows him, after the famous words of Saint Francis when confronted with the burning brand with which he would be martyred. Close to both Holly and Fiona, Brother Fire also has a part to play in the rapidly unfolding family drama.
Thanksgiving Night is a touching and empathetic portrayal of family$#8212;the one we have, and the ones we make. The people who populate these pages are flawed, wounded, stubborn, willful, scarred, often wildly eccentric, and all searching, in one way or another, for love. 1006

Bloggy Givaways Carnival Contest Scary Readers Bloggy Giveaway

This is "Carnival" week for the "Scary Readers Bloggy Giveaway". I will be giving away "3" yes "3" scary books this week in honor of Halloween. Remember, you don't have to be a blogger to win.

So, how can you win these Scary books? You must enter the giveaway in three ways

These are "3" scary books, Terry Brooks, Running with the Demons, and Jay Brandon's, Predator's Waltz, and the 3rd one Marissa Piesman's, Unorthodox Practices. Each one a little has some mystery, thrills, and scare tactics involved in the plot. You will love them or be scared by them...

3 ways to win......You MUST do #1 to be eligible to win the prize. After that, #2 and #3 are optional ways to gain extra entries. Please leave a separate comment for each entry. Each person can earn up to 3 entries.

1. Leave a comment below and tell me if you are going to go out "Trick or Treating" this year and what your costume will be or was? Then leave a comment with your name, link, and/or email.
2. You may also leave a comment below about one of the most scariest books you ever read and why you liked it and who is your favorite scariest author. Be sure and leave a link to you or your email. Feel free to grab one of "DaBookLady's" buttons from the sidebar if you like.


3. You may enter a second time by posting about this giveaway on your blog by linking to DaBookLady's Reading Life and be sure to leave a comment below with the link

Good Luck! Giveaways open all week till October 31st 12:01 PST.

Random Drawing:
This contest will be closed on Friday, October 31st, 2008 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

For even more fun giveaways this week, visit the Bloggy Giveaways Canival.

Limitations: This giveaway is for anyone with a mailing address within the U.S. and Canada. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.

If you'd like to receive reminders about our giveaways, you can subscribe to DaBookLady (for free!) in the right sidebar or via e-mail. You can also learn more about the DaBookLady here.

Have fun!

Where to Find it All???

What a great site..IndieBound is a site to talk about your favorite bookstore and give it your support...do check out this wonderful place of voicing about your book stores....

Be sure to check out the wonderful artwork here.

And if you want to find a book or anything about them be sure to visit "BookDaddy" a wonderful place with a wealth of info....

And to find out what's happening in So CA book world be sure to check out The Book Scene

Creepy Cute Crochet Review

I was sent this wonderful crochet book to review. It is by Quirk Books' "Creepy Cute Crochet" and it was released last spring. I loved it....It has so many [20] cute "creepy"designs especially for the Amigurumi lover. The patterns are easy to follow with loads of pictures and you can tell the amount of experience it takes to make each one as they are rated. Since I love Halloween it was a perfect little treat for me. If you are interested in some cute little monsters, nijas or little spooky crochet beings, then this is the book you'll "die" for. [no pun intended]

The animals are really cute just like the title portrays with a little "creepyness" to them. :) very small and I especially liked the vampires...yeeks!! There is even some humorous writings listed.

I highly recommend it for any crochet creepy animal lover as a "must have" pattern book for your crochet library...I know I love it !! Around $14.95

Craft Books and More

I have seen a lot of Japanese felt books posted on blogs, like Suzie Can Stitch, be sure and scroll down and see the cute magnets of the tea pot and eggs. they are adorable and my fav! Flickr is alway a good place to find these books to look like a lot of fun, especially since the projects seem to be quick, easy, and inexpensive. :) You can purchase many of them right from Ebay.

I have also seen many cute projects that I want to try. I have so been not only an avid reader but also a crocheter, but lately have gotten interested in crafting in other areas. My friend "P" has been showing me her MANY crafting "WIP" and also finished ones and I am hooked! I loved some of her ideas, like Tea Bag Folding.....wow is that a great one for making and using on your cards. There are quite a few blogs out there with the "tell how" and also lots of books like,

These craft books interested me since I am married to a dutchman. :) from the Netherlands. They were published sometime in the 1970s and are very similar to a lot of the American vintage craft books. I love just about everything about them and it all seems very current.
Looks like one of the books is on dolls and the other two, Nieuwe Borduur Ideeen and Borduur Met Plezier have lots of embroidery projects and a few patchworks, pincushions, and butterflies
and even some kids' artwork to textile transformation with the cutest squirrel! Stuff for babies too!
I just love using felt and the books are numerous to give you some great ideas. Just Google and have fun!