A Book in Review: A Veiled Antiquity

A Veiled Antiquity by: Rett MacPherson
fiction: mystery 211 pages
book count: 12

First, I find it amazing that the Templars ever had time to do the things that they are noted to have done in the official history books given the number of secret things that they were busy doing. In this book they are once again busy with their secret missions, but as it doesn't come up until 3/4 of the book is done, I don't want to spoil it.

This book is the second book in a series, but you don't need to read the first book to enjoy this one. In this book a older lady falls down her stairs and dies. Most every one thinks that it was an accident, except Totie. She starts investigating the event on her own and more and more evidence of fowl play is found. Also her mother is dating some one she can't stand and she found about it in a town's busybody's newspaper column. And that isn't even the worst of her problems.

Today is Ash Wednesday

A Book in Review:Suture Self

Suture Self By: Mary Daheim
Fiction: Mystery, 324 pages 2001
book count:11

This book is in a series of cozy mysteries that are happy to point out that they are cozy mysteries. For example the main character, a middle aged woman that has murder follow her where ever she goes, is called Ms. Marple by others. In this book she and her cousin are in a hospital for surgeries, where unexpeced deaths are taking place for local celebrities. They set about solving the mystery with one with an arm in a sling and one stuck in bed with her new hip.

A Note to Self: Paying the Piper

Paying the Piper By: Sharyn McCrumb
Fiction: mystery 179 pages
Book count: 10

This is the strory of an American that goes to Scotland on an achological dig and gets mixed up with murder. It is the perfect book for some people I know to read the next time they get all bumed about not being about to go to Scotland anytime soon. It takes place in the summer on a small island that is part of Scotland. It is cold and wet, dark and gray and (spoiler aleart) then they get an anthrax plauge. But, even with the wet wool it was an intresting story.

Books, books, books!

OK this spring we will be part of a garage sale. And so we thought that this would b a good time to read a lot of books that we had bought that we know that we will most likely read only once and get red of, so get ready for many, many mystery books. As we have about 100 more books in our bookshelves then should fit in them and we plan on getting red of at least 1/3 rd of them before we bring any more into the house. (All the reader out there understand what a great sacrifice that is, expecialy as both our libary and twice a year church book sales have $1 a bag times during the sales.)

A Note to Self: Mrs. Malory and the Festival Murder

Mrs. Malory and the Festival Murder by: Haze Holt
Fiction: Mystery 218 pages
Book Count: 9

This book is a British cozy mystery. The main character is a middle aged woman in the small town that the murder takes place in. As the book progresses one learns that a large chunk of he town is hiding dark secrets that could be motive for murder. You go from one suspects story to another bouncing back in forth getting deep into each story. Then in a barely hinted at secret is reveled to be the real motive in the last pages in the novel in a fast paced way that really ruins an otherwise good read for me.

A Book in Review: The How-To Book of Sacramentals

The How-To Book of Sacramentals By: Ann Ball
Non-fiction, religion 329 pages 2005
book count: 8
NYR page count: 619

First, most of you are probably asking "What is a sacramental?" Well according to the definition on the back of the book it is "Sacred signs (objects or actions) possessing a likeness to the sacraments that impart grace according to the disposition of the recipient and the intercession of the Church." Which of course told you nothing unless you already had an idea what it is. Basically a sacramental is something that is used in a devotional way. This would be things like holy water, crosses, icons and other religious artwork, rosaries and other prayer beads, ashes on Ash Wendsay, palms from Palm Sunday and many other things. This book covers a large number of sacramentals both common ones and some ones that have gone out of use or are newer. It also deals with ones that are common in the Eastern churches as well as ones from the West. It was divided up into connected types of sacramentals and includes histories of the sacramental, groups it is most connected with and in some cases were to get more information. The books is divided into 21 sections and covers everything from things you would find/do in church to plants that gained/changed religious meaning from the earlyest days of Christianity to modern times. Over all it was an interesting read full of information.

NYR-Note to self

Note: this IS realy just a note for myself, to let me keep track of all the new year's resolution things in one place. Please disregard this.

NYR page count: 290

M.C. paper/ Detriot 13 pages

A Book in Review: The Victoria Vanishes

The Victoia Vanishes By: Christopher Fowler
Fiction: mystery 323 pages 2008
Book count: 7

This is a most unusual mystery. For starters the killer is found well befor the book is over. Also one crime happens in a pub that no longer exists! But over all it was a story that makes you want to keep reading it.

Groundhog Fact:

Groundhogs naturally wake at around 7 a.m. even when waking from hibernation, deep below any area with sunshine to wake them.

Happy Groundhog Day!

Happy Candlemas!

Happy Groundhog Day!
(deja vue for people in groundhog day)

And remember its wrong about 2/3rd of the time. So, flipping a coin is more accurate.

A Note to Self: Gertrude Chandler Warner and the Boxcar Children

Gertrude Chandler Warner and the Boxcar Children By: Mary Ellen Ellsworth
non-fiction: biography 61 pages 1997
book count: 6

This is the story of the life of the woman that created the children's book series "The Boxcar Children". It tells of how she got the idea for the book, the other books and articles that she wrote and other parts of her life. As the page count shows it was a kids book, but as someone that loved the series as a kid, I wanted to know more about the author of the series. This book was interesting and would recommend it to other people that love the books.

Resolution update:

OK that 10 pages of writing a week thing is SOOOO not working. I have like 16 pages of things and should be working on it now instead of this, but I felt that I needed to work on this blog at sometime. And this is the time I have free. That and I have reached the point in writing that requiers long amounts of stairing into space. (Boy, I miss pretending to write notes in school.) So I am officaly failing this resolution and will start writing as much as I can. Hopefully 5-6 pages a week.

A Book in Review: Confessions of a Sociopathic Social Climber

Confessions of a Sociopathic Social Climber by; Adele Lang
Fiction 197 pages 2003
Book Number: 5

This book is the diary of a sociopathic social climber. It is the type of book where you don't always feel sympathy for the main character. She is an awful, slutty, jerk that spends her novel stealing, cheating, getting drunk, banging random men and drugging babies, repairmen and animals.

NYR-Note to self

Note: this IS realy just a note for myself, to let me keep track of all the new year's resolution things in one place. Please disregard this.

NYR page count: 277

Faith Mag: 31 pages

C.T. paper/ Detriot 15 pages
" 16 pages

Resolution update:

Well, its been almost 1/2 of a month now, and we want to know how everyone is doing with their resolutions. We are doing good on our second and third ones, but could do a bit better with our first one. We have written about 12 pages now, and should be writing more right now, but I just don't feel like it. (Its been a bad day today, on the kid behaving front.) But that is why we set it up as an average. Hopefully tomorrow I will write 3-4 pages to make up for the part of a page I did today, and the first week of the year when I was still working on setting up my schedule.

A Book in Review – The Modern Drunkard

The Modern Drunkard: A Handbook for drinking in the 21st century By: Frank Kelly Rich
Non-fiction: humor 205 pages 2005
Book number: 4

First, we would like to say that if you would use it as a how to book, then you should not read this. That being said this was an interesting book on drinking. It included new drinking slang, recipes, 366 reasons to drink (i.e. one a day including February 29th) and many other drinking things.

A Book in Review-Informania: Vampires

Informania: Vampires by: Martin Jenkins
non-fiction litature, science 92 pages

This book is about all types of vampires. It starts with a comic of "Dracula". Then it goes over all real animals that suck blood. It then reviews vampires in movies and TV. And it ends in a reference section.

A Book in Review – The Bad Catholic’s Guide to Good Living

The Bad Catholic’s Guide to Good Living By: Zmirak & Matychowiak
Non-Fiction: religion, holidays, cooking, biographies etc. 215 pages 2005
Book number: 2
NYR(New Year’s resolution) page count: 215

If you can recall we read the other book in this series earlier and reviewed it here. http://weirdnewsbni.blogspot.com/2008/03/book-in-review-bad-catholics-guide-to.html So having already went over the basic ideas of how the books go we will not go over it here, except to say that this one was on holidays threw out the year (most Church ones i.e. saints feast days, but a few others) and the other bits threw out the book were on the sacraments.
This book was just as much fun to read as the other. It also had fun sounding recipes, ideas and as it included St. Brigid of Ireland, a heavenly lake of beer. (and is it is 1500 years old and well past any copyright length here is “The Heavenly Banquet” for you to memorize and use at any occasion that you think it appropriate.

The Heavenly Banquet

I would like to have the men of Heaven
in my own house;
with vats of good cheer
laid out for them.

I would like to have the three Marys,
their fame is so great.
I would like people
from every corner of Heaven.

I would like them to be cheerful
in their drinking.
I would like to have Jesus, too,
here amongst them.

I would like a great lake of beer
for the King of Kings.
I would like to be watching Heaven's family
drinking it through all eternity.)

This book also includes the story of the patron saint of Clowns, fiddlers and murderer. (Note: that’s one saint for all three, can you say interesting life?) It also includes many newer and American saints as well as older ones that are popular around the world as well as lesser known ones. It has zany ideas for holiday celebrations such as a Dante based Halloween party, complete with a meal based on the seven deadly sins. As well as notes on what days to bring dogs, rams and bras to church for a blessings. (As your priest won’t mind a building full of oddly colored livestock, its his job.)

A Book in Review – TCIGT Writing a Novel

The Complete Idiot’s Guide To Writing a Novel By: Tom Monteleone
Non-fiction: English, business 316 pages 2004
Book number: 1

As the title suggests this is a book on how to write a novel. It covers both things to do to write something good and long enough to be published as a novel and things to do to be published and read (or at least bought). It had many tips on writing. It also had interviews with various writes in the back on how they write and how they were first published. Over all it was a good way to start to look into the field of writing.