Needlework Tuesday - Sky Scarf Update

Just a quick update on my Sky Scarf...

It's not going as well as I'd hoped, but I'm getting there. I'm not really keeping up with the knitting on a daily basis, but I'm trying to look at the sky daily and at least write it down. I did miss a few days but was able to remember what those days were like, so everything is basically on track. Oh, except for that one day in June when I accidently knitted a day twice. I'm not sure how that happened, but I got to the end of the month and had two rows too many.  Oh well.

Here's the latest photo:

Note:  I am about a week behind in knitting.

Since I'm carrying 7 strands of yarn (8 once we get snow) up the left hand side of the piece (I'm left handed), I leave the whole thing on a tray to keep it from getting too tangled.   It still gets twisted, but not too badly.  Speaking of the left edge, it's not a neat as I would like, but this is my first time using this technique.  It's way better than having yarn ends to weave in. 

I devised a way to represent a rainbow in the scarf.  You can barely see it about 1.5" up from the bottom...where that strand of yarn is on the right hand side.  In my stash, I found some lots of embroidery thread.  I took one thread from each of the seven colours of a rainbow (ROYGBIV), twisted them together and wove them through the front loops on the right side of the scarf.   I didn't have the exact colours, but they were close enough for me.   So far, we've only had one rainbow. 

Here's my first post about the sky scarf in case you missed it. It'll give you the low down on it.

Needlework Tuesday is hosted by Heather over at Books and Quilts. Click here to see what she's up to this week. It looks like she's getting ready to knit up a storm. ;)

Death of a Kitchen Diva by Lee Hollis

In Death of a Kitchen Diva, Hayley Powell is given a new assignment at the Island Times. She's going to be taking over the food column. She's a great cook, but not a great writer, so she's a little apprehensive. Her first column appears to be a hit, however, and everyone is thrilled. Well, except for her rival, Karen Appelbaum, who writes the food column for a competing publication. When Karen is found dead, Hayley is the first suspect, but works quickly to clear her name. Things get really hairy when Hayley discovers a secret about the victim and gets closer to finding the killer.

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery! It was well written and contained some great characters. The story, set in Bar Harbor, Maine, was interesting enough to sustain me to the end without being overly complicated or convoluted. It was also fluffy, light and funny...a perfect summer read and a terrific start to a new series.

I especially loved the way Hayley's columns were written...informal, fun, and friendly. I wish we had a local food column like this. The recipes look straight forward, easy-to-follow and yummy, although I haven't tried one yet. I'm either going to make the Maine Crab Stuffed Mushrooms or the Sausage, Spinach and Cheese Ravioli first, but there are a few others that look good, too. Besides recipes for tasty food, the author also included recipes for cocktails. Yay! While there's a list of recipes for the food at the end of the book, sadly there's no list of cocktails. Also, it would have been nice to give page numbers so it's easy to find those recipes later on.

Lee Hollis is the pen name for the brother/sister writing team of Rick Copp and Holly Simason. Their blog is Lee Hollis Mysteries.

Highly recommended for cozy fans. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next one.

For more information about this book or to read Chapter 1, please visit the Kensington Books website.

Thanks to those nice people from Kensington Books for this review copy.

Death of a Kitchen Diva by Lee Hollis, Kensington Books, ©2012. ISBN 9780758267375(Mass Market), 327p includes recipes.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I'm not even going to attempt to write a proper review for this book. There's been so much written already and since I didn't really like this book, I don't want to spend too much time on the review. Besides, it's not a book I got for review so I reserve the right to write what I want.

I wasn't particularly interested in reading this book. I don't read young adult (YA) that often and the synopsis didn't exactly thrill me. I read the book because my Book Club (the one in which we DON'T all read the same book) decided to switch things up a bit and have a Hunger Games party before our summer break. Part of that party was to discuss "this great book" that a few members had read.

Like I said, I didn't like it. Without going into details and revealing spoilers, I'll just say that I found parts of the story to be unbelievable and other parts to be downright silly. There were a few things I liked, but those were in the minority. Before anyone says "you have to take into account that it's YA fantasy", I already took that into account and still didn't enjoy the book.

I won't go into how my book club discussion went. Let just say I felt battered and bruised afterwards because I was the only one (out of 15) who disliked the book. With so many voices in favour of the book, I didn't really get my points across as I would have liked. C'est la vie. I did learn something, though, and I'll be a little leery of any book recommendations I receive from them from now on.

I'm a little peeved at myself for buying the box set at Costco only to find out that I really don't want to read the following two books. I've heard that they aren't as good as the first anyway, so I'd probably be wasting my time if I did.

By the way, I saw the movie, too. Contrary to what some of my fellow book clubbers said, it didn't help me understand/appreciate parts better. In fact, I disliked the movie and the book more afterwards. They also suggested that I read the other two books...yep, well, that ain't gonna happen. ;)

Anyway, I'll leave it at that.

The Map of True Places by Brunonia Barry

In The Map of True Places, Zee is a psychotherapist on the verge of getting married, when the suicide of one of her patients throws her for a loop. It that wasn't enough, she discovers that her father who has Parkingsons disease is a lot sicker than he's been letting on. When she becomes his caretaker, she makes discoveries that not only alter her life, but also allow her to see the past in a whole new light.

I loved this book! It took me a bit to get into it, though. I think it was a rhythm thing. Anyway, after about 50 pages, I was hooked. The book is written in short sections within somewhat short chapters and changes direction often. Great format and style! I loved the way it explained the past and present events alternatively and how it all fit together. Barry is a wonderful story teller.

The book offers lots of facts about different subjects and manages to tie them all to the story in a meaningful and entertaining way. I learned a little about Parkinson's disease (her father disease). therapy and bipolar disorder (her profession), and celestial navigation (an analogy for her new course in life). I love learning new things and I enjoyed these sections, even though they seemed a little more rigid (like a textbook) and less fluid and storytelling-like. They might not be for everyone.

The characters were outstanding, but I didn't feel a connection to Zee or her predicament. Even though she seemingly turned her life around, I had a hard time tying her troubled childhood to her adult life, where she appeared to be still somewhat unstable. Also, I'm not fond of the name "Zee", which didn't help.

The ending was outstanding with some pretty shocking twists. I didn't see any of them coming and at first confused me a bit. I had to reread a few sections to understand what was happening. Loved it!!

I love the blue tones and wonderful adorned sky on the cover.

This is the first book I've read from Brunonia Barry, but it won't be the last. I also have The Lace Reader, but haven't read it yet. I hope to rectify that soon.

Highly recommended. I'm looking forward to reading more books by this author.

For more information about this book or to browse inside, please visit the HarperCollins website.

I'd like to thank those nice people at HarperCollins for this review copy.

The Map of True Places by Brunonia Barry, William Morrow (HarperCollins), ©2010. ISBN 9780061624780(Hardcover), 464p.

So Pretty It Hurts by Kate White

In So Pretty It Hurts, Bailey Weggins, true-crime journalist, gets an invitation for a fun, relaxing weekend getaway from her friend, Jessie. Bailey's boyfriend, Beau, is away doing his own thing, so she accepts. They are to spend the weekend at a music mogul's country house with a number of other guests, including glamorous, ultra-thin, and extremely moody, supermodel Devon Barr. When the group is stranded by a winter snow storm and Devon is found dead, Bailey suspects foul play and starts nosing around. That, however, puts her in the crosshairs of danger and she must use all of her skills to get out of this one.

    I really enjoyed reading this book. This is the sixth book in the Bailey Weggins series, but the first one that I've read. The story was suspenseful and entertaining. I especially liked the opening; it was superb. White really knows how to draw the reader in with her storytelling.

The book contained a wonderful cast of eclectic characters. Because some of them were from the entertainment industry and it's fringes, they could be as quirky as the author wanted them to be while still coming across as real. Bailey was especially good. She is sharp witted, sarcastic and is a little cranky (like me some days). I can relate.

The back of the book says "Bailey is a heroine who keeps us laughing..." I disagree somewhat. I found the book very entertaining, but I don't remember laughing all that much. Maybe I was cranky that day. ;)

One thing I found more than a little annoying was Bailey's obsession with Dylan apparent eating disorder. It got to be a little much and by page 100, I'd had enough. I know that was part of the story and it is a serious health issue for some women, however, in my opinion it was a little overdone and not my favourite part.

I generally don't like book with portraits on them and this one is no exception. I'd rather conger up my own idea of what the characters look like. I do, however, like the snow flakes and the bluish tones on this one.

New Words:
obsequious (page 59): submissive
prurient (page 196): unwholesome sexual interest

Favourite quotes:

...when a man drags his heels, it's generally a sign that he's not fully committed to the plan at hand. (page 136)

I've also read Hush (my review). I think I liked it a wee bit better than this one. However, that won't stop me from reading more from this series.

Highly recommended.

For more information about this book or to browse inside, please visit the HarperCollins website.

I'd like to thank those nice people at HarperCollins for this review copy.

So Pretty It Hurts by Kate White, HarperCollins, ©2012. ISBN 9780061576607(Uncorrected Proof), 318p.

A Catered St. Patrick's Day by Isis Crawford

In A Catered St. Patrick's Day, Bernie and Libby Simmons, sisters from A Little Taste of Heaven catering, become involved in a St. Patrick's Day murder. When Mike Sweeney is found floating in a vat of green beer, a likely suspect is quickly identified. It's Duncan, the nephew of the caterers' best customer, Bree Nottingham. She approaches the sisters asking if they can help clear him. As they poke around, it sure looks like Duncan is guilty, but he's not the only one that wanted Sweeney dead. It's up to Bernie and Libby to find the killer before more bodies turn up.

This is a very likeable cozy mystery. It was fun to read and quite enjoyable. Crawford has created some good entertaining characters and a pleasant story. However, it was one of those books that didn't stick with me. That is, it was not very memorable. I'm not sure why that was, but it is the 8th book in the series and I didn't read the others. Maybe if I had, I'd have taken to the characters or related to the story or something. Also, I read it rather quickly just after a few other cozy mysteries. Perhaps that made it less effective or less memorable for me. I'd be willing to be that it had more to do with my frame of mind than the quality of the book/story itself.

Having said all of that, I do have the 1st book in the series, A Catered Murder on my to-be-read bookshelf and I'm looking forward to reading it. That should give me a better indication as to whether or not I want to read more from this author.

  I love it when authors include recipes with their mysteries. Since the two main characters are caterers, the book is begging for recipes and the author doesn't disappoint. There's a recipe for Caramel Beer Sauce that sounds intriguing. I'm definitely going to have to try that one. The recipe for Florence's Lemon Cake also sounds wonderful. Unfortunately, the recipe in this uncorrected proof is incomplete.

Recommended.

For more information about this book or to browse inside, please visit the Kensington Books website.

Thanks to those nice people from Kensington Books for this review copy.

A Catered St. Patrick's Day by Isis Crawford, Kensington Books, ©2012. ISBN 9780758247407(Uncorrected proof), 323p, includes recipes.

Day After Night by Anita Diamant

Day After Night tells the story of four young women who survived the Holocaust: Shayndel, a Polish Zionist; Leonie, a French beauty; Tedi, a Dutch Jew; and Zorah, a concentration camp survivor. They were held captive in the Atlit internment camp until one day they were rescued. Rather than wither and dwell on their horrible pasts, they form friendships and start anew while trying to move on with their lives, even though they are imprisoned. This fictional story is based on the true story of the rescue of over two hundred prisoners from the Atlit internment camp in October 1945. The camp/prison was run by the British military and was situated on the Mediterranean coast south of Haifa.

I adored this book! It's definitely one of the best books I've read all year. The characters were so real and even though their backgrounds and stories were varied, they shared something in common....they all survived. The book starts out by telling the stories about the individual characters, but then branches out with stories about the camp itself and the other prisoners. The final section of the book gives the details of the escape/rescue. I easily kept track of the main characters, but I got a little lost towards the end of the book with the rescuers and guards and had to back track a little. The epilogue was superb! I loved reading about what happened after the rescue.

This subject matter is a little unusual for me. I generally stay away from WWII related stories or any war time stories for that matter. I'm just starting to read more about that time period, but haven't gotten too far. Also, I have read just a few stories about the Jewish experience, but really nothing about their plight during the Holocaust. Most of the stuff I've read was positive and uplifting. Because of this, I don't really have enough background to fully understand what was going on or what the implications were.

I loved that I learned a few things while reading the book. Like I said above I haven't read a whole lot about Jews, so some things specific to them were new to me. The whole story was enlightening, but I also learned about Zionists, Palestine and that Yiddish and Hebrew were different languages. I think I knew this, but not for sure.

New word: Palmach (used in various places): elite fighting force of the Haganah, the underground army of the Jewish community. They planned and executed the rescue.

Favourite quotes:

Weeping is terrible for the complexion, but it is very good for the heart.(page 93)

Highly recommended. I'm looking forward to reading The Red Tent also by this author. I've had the book on my shelf for some time, but haven't gotten around to it.

For more information about this book, please visit Simon & Schuster's website.

I borrowed this book from my friend and neighbour, Susan.

Day After Night by Anita Diamant, Scribner (Simon & Schuster) ©2009. ISBN 9781439197141(Trade paperback), 292p.