It’s a Mystery: Losing You, by Nicci French

Gone missing

As the English say, children “go missing” all the time. That’s what single mom Nina has to face when her 15 year old fails to come home to pack for a family holiday. Losing You is the story of that day, told from the perspective of a mother who refuses to let [...]

Nonfiction: The Forest in Folklore and Mythology

The woods are lovely
by Alexander Porteous
This title is a new edition reprinted from the original, published in the late 19th century. As is common in books of its time, Porteous’ is more a compilation of facts about trees in folklore, gleaned from a myriad of other sources. The Forest is less a book [...]

Folklore in My Garden: Roses

We are fortunate to have many varieties of roses in our Connecticut garden, and they are running riot right now. I cannot take any of the credit other than consulting, for my hardworking husband does all the bullwork. Walking our paths, enjoying the luxuriant display has made me curious about the role of the [...]

Modern Lit: Songs for the Missing, by Stewart O’Nan

I’ve had the pleasure of reading this ARC thanks to Barnes & Noble Books, author Stewart O’Nan, and publisher Viking Penguin. It is due for release October 30, 2008.
I’m also reviewing Songs for the Missing for The ARC Reading Challenge, here:
http://teddyrose.blogspot.com/2008/06/arc-reading-challenge.html

Echoes
Just weeks from leaving for college, Kim feels herself on the brink of an exciting [...]

It’s a Mystery: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Ham, By Phyllis Richman

Taking care of business
It takes little insight to figure out who the victim is here, even 150 pages before it happens. It wouldn’t be stretch if the entire Examiner staff drew straws for the honor of committing justifiable homicide. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Ham is less a mystery than a foodie/restaurant [...]

It’s a Mystery: The Fisher Boy, by Stephen Anable

Long hot summer
Summering in P-town in hopes of jump starting a new career in improv, Mark Winslow instead finds himself looking into the wave of crime that strikes the community. Is it gay bashing? Fundamentalist fanatics?

Eco-warriors? Or are the crimes unrelated? Well, they are certainly connected in that they all involve Mark’s friends, and [...]

Make your own butter

Wanna have some fun with your kids? Buy a half pint of heavy cream. Take a clean glass jar, about jelly sized, with a cover. Fill halfway with cream. Put on your favorite uptempo CD. Then shake shake shake, shake your booty along with the jar. In about 10 minutes, it should be about 1/3 [...]

Watch This: Warm Springs

Who knew?

He was already rich, but before he became famous, FDR, at the start of his political career, was struck with polio. This is common knowledge today. What is not known, and truly should be, is the struggle he undertook first to cope with, then to master, the disability that would ordinarily have [...]

Top 10 Serial Killers: Hillside Stranglers

Numbers 7 and 8 in the series.
The Hillside Stranglers
Angelo Buono and Kenneth Bianchi

Born in Rochester, NY, in 1934, Angelo Buono, Jr. spent most of his childhood in Glendale, CA, where he moved with his mother and sister following his parents’ divorce. A pattern of deviant behavior was apparent early on, and by the age of [...]

Fontrevault Abbey and Eleanor of Aquitaine

Eleanor of Aquitaine had remarkable life, the final years of which she spent as Abbess at Fontrevault Abbey in the Loire Valley of France. She was buried in the nave of the abbey church, next to her husband Henry II and their son Richard the Lion Hearted. Photographs in this slide presentation were taken [...]