tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72584583223127772472011-12-04T23:45:45.190-06:00Betty, aka quiltinbkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733503866575471137noreply@blogger.comBlogger331100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258458322312777247.post-86251686280811351042011-12-04T23:45:00.000-06:002011-12-04T23:45:45.200-06:00

Dewey enrolls in a high-priced quilting symposium in order to expand her quilting skills and maybe win the respect of the traditional quilters at her shop, Quilter Paradiso. The Sewing-by-the-Sea Symposium seems to be the perfect choice for a place to mix business and pleasure. Located in Asilomar, CA where her older brother Tony has recently been transferred as a park ranger, it's an ideal spot

Betty, aka quiltinbkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733503866575471137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258458322312777247.post-76789042060173577842011-12-03T23:35:00.000-06:002011-12-03T23:35:30.079-06:00

Old Maid's Puzzle, the second book in Terri Thayer's Quilting Mysteries series, was every bit as good as the first. After the trauma of Wild Goose Chase, Dewey Pellicano has settled down and is working hard at making a go of the quilt shop she inherited from her quilter mom, Quilter Paradiso. All is not going well. As a matter of fact, Quilter Paradiso is on the verge of having to declare

Betty, aka quiltinbkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733503866575471137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258458322312777247.post-13854961166546004482011-12-02T21:34:00.028-06:002011-12-02T23:55:40.570-06:00

Bad pun! But I love puns, the "badder," the better. And the first three novels in Terri Thayer's Quilting Mystery series are all "sew" good! (You can read her blog at Killer Hobbies.)  I loved each and every one of them! Hated to see the last one end and can't wait for the next one to come out. I may just have to pay full price for it. That's high praise from Ms. Penny Pincher here. Normally I

Betty, aka quiltinbkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733503866575471137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258458322312777247.post-30887185397972244722011-12-02T00:39:00.000-06:002011-12-02T00:39:54.371-06:00

It's been quite a while since I last wrote about a book I've read. And I've read quite a few in the intervening time. Too many to recall right off the top of my head right now. But I've been stewing over not writing in this blog and my writing prompts blog, not to mention working on my own cozy novel. Supposedly those are things that are most important to me. You wouldn't know it by the lack of

Betty, aka quiltinbkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733503866575471137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258458322312777247.post-24856772588469375892011-06-03T21:57:00.000-05:002011-06-03T21:57:18.802-05:00

Of course I enjoyed Blaize Clement's Cat Sitter on a Hot Tin Roof, Book 4 of the Dixie Hemingway series! I love this series. Blaize does such a wonderful job of looking into the human heart, especially exploring issues of pain, loss, grief, and most importantly, recovery from devastating loss and trauma. Dixie is one fictional person I'd love to know in reality. Her sensitivity and dedication to

Betty, aka quiltinbkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733503866575471137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258458322312777247.post-77421835331048303352010-08-14T02:18:00.000-05:002010-08-14T02:18:44.120-05:00

I've got a stack of books by the computer, as well as a stack or two in my bedroom, of books I've read and have been intending to write about. You know the old saying about the road to hell, pavement and good intentions? Well, my road is first class all the way! Well paved indeed.  It is late tonight and my brain is dead, so I'm going to bed. But here's hoping that when I get up a little later

Betty, aka quiltinbkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733503866575471137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258458322312777247.post-55295637401164878562010-03-28T15:36:00.001-05:002010-03-28T15:39:25.883-05:00

Well, curiosity almost killed the cat sitter! I had to order this book if for no other reason than the title intrigued me. As a budding author who can't come up with any decent titles myself, I am always drawn to books with titles that attract my attention, make promises that I sincerely hope the books will deliver on and play with words and phrases. As a language student and teacher with a weird

Betty, aka quiltinbkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733503866575471137noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258458322312777247.post-9077619407393977982010-03-15T22:16:00.006-05:002010-03-28T14:50:02.465-05:00

I have to love an author who is skilled enough to make me actually want to visit once again a part of the US I always thought of as desolate, empty and boring! Allana Martin made the Big Bend region come alive, complete with all the intricacies and cultural differences of life on the Texas/Mexico border. Texana Jones runs a trading post and her husband has a veterinary business not too far from

Betty, aka quiltinbkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733503866575471137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258458322312777247.post-87729613766330178602010-03-15T16:46:00.006-05:002010-03-15T21:06:54.304-05:00

This was a very well plotted, well written, enjoyable mystery with strong female characters and colorful settings. Though the plot was quite complicated, Mary Anna Evans handled it so well that I almost never got confused - which isn't always the case when novels change point of view or slip back and forth between the past and the present. Evans handled the historical story of how Faye's mixed

Betty, aka quiltinbkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733503866575471137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258458322312777247.post-85825690209345993992009-11-17T17:18:00.004-06:002009-11-17T18:56:58.748-06:00

The Stolen Blue by Judith Van Gieson was touted by none other than Tony Hillerman as a book not to miss. So, of course, when Hillerman speaks, I listen very carefully. And I was not disappointed. I'm going to have to hunt up some more of Van Giesen's work because I loved this book. Claire reynier introduced me to the job of a rare book expert and if I had my life to do over again (God forbid!),

Betty, aka quiltinbkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733503866575471137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258458322312777247.post-64413348286869140532009-11-12T14:48:00.007-06:002009-11-12T15:51:25.500-06:00

I've failed. Surprised, aren't you? LOL! I've just kept putting off writing in my blogs for various reasons, some good, some not. I meant well. I always do. But doing well... Well, that's not my best thing. Follow-through has always been one of my many, many shortcomings.I have been reading a bit, though. Not so much as I would have liked, but reading a bit here and there, nonetheless. I didn't

Betty, aka quiltinbkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733503866575471137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258458322312777247.post-25349664674789846842009-07-02T19:41:00.005-05:002009-07-02T20:18:26.529-05:00

Dixie Flannigan is another new favorite character for me. She's a former assistant district attorney who had been dedicated to bringing about justice. But, of course, in real life in court, law does not always equate with justice. As a matter of fact, too often legal battles leave a lot of justice still to be desired. So, when she gets fed up with the lack of jsut in the justice system from the

Betty, aka quiltinbkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733503866575471137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258458322312777247.post-14655769708604197032009-06-25T19:17:00.007-05:002009-06-25T22:46:29.755-05:00

In Bring Your Own Poison, Wanda Nell Culpepper, waitress and overworked, overstressed single mom, gets involved in yet another murder in Tullahoma. This time she is eyewitness to the death of police officer Travis Blakely at his own bachelor party attended by virtually every other police officer in the area. No one is truly surprised that Travis met a grisly end. He is a very unpleasant,

Betty, aka quiltinbkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733503866575471137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258458322312777247.post-82558287328135839212009-06-22T15:17:00.010-05:002009-06-25T19:08:21.001-05:00

I just finished reading Mary Ellen Hughes String of Lies, the second book in her Craft Corner Mystery series, and enjoyed it thoroughly. I usually like to read series in order, but somehow I missed the first in this series, Wreath of Deception. I plan to rectify that as soon as possible so I can move on to the third book, Paper-Thin Alibi. The books obviously can be read separately since I don't

Betty, aka quiltinbkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733503866575471137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258458322312777247.post-27960251627814455992009-06-21T16:39:00.003-05:002009-06-21T16:55:52.662-05:00

Pre-Printing Press ChallengeAs I said yesterday, this Pre-Printing Press Challenge really resonates with me and I'm so glad I came across it. Here are the rules:All books must have come out before 1440, when the printing press was first invented.Books chosen for this challenge can overlap with other challenges.Books can be translated into the language of your choice.All the books you've chosen

Betty, aka quiltinbkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733503866575471137noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258458322312777247.post-16404093800350654642009-06-20T16:13:00.010-05:002009-07-15T12:00:37.204-05:00

100+ Book ChallengeI'm definitely looking forward to this 100+ Book Challenge. I read a lot of fiction, especially mysteries, but I read a lot of other types books, too: history, spirituality, theology, politics, etc. I feel as though I'm getting 'credit', so to speak, for all the books I read, especially the nonfiction books, even if I don't blog about them or review them.Here are the rules from

Betty, aka quiltinbkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733503866575471137noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258458322312777247.post-50954104399209726962009-06-20T14:20:00.006-05:002009-06-21T16:49:51.675-05:00

I came across a lot of intriguing and very tempting reading challenges while browsing through book blogs. You know how it goes; one link leads to another and then that one to another .... and on and on. I'm having fun reading all the blogs, getting ideas for my own and being challenged to read more!100+ Book ChallengeI can't remember where I first saw the link to the 100+ Book Challenge, but I

Betty, aka quiltinbkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733503866575471137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258458322312777247.post-61964775837165712072009-06-20T12:00:00.005-05:002009-06-20T12:44:49.717-05:00

Julie D of Jules' Book Reviews has come up with a summer reading challenge that I really like. She's set up a blog called Summer Lovin' Challenge to encourage folks to re-read books we fell in love with and always said we want to visit again some day. Well, this challenge gives us that chance and we get to have a little support and friendship into the bargain. It's always fun to find out what

Betty, aka quiltinbkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733503866575471137noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258458322312777247.post-55274490036954258502009-06-17T19:56:00.008-05:002009-06-18T00:10:38.605-05:00

Well, now I have yet another new favorite author after reading The Clovis Incident by Pari Noskin Taichert. I am not exactly a believer in UFOs, but I do love all things science fiction and generally enjoy stories dealing with aliens, UFOs and abductions. I've been watching UFO type movies since the 1950's and still get a kick out of them. In addition, I'm a big fan of Tony Hillerman and Betty

Betty, aka quiltinbkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733503866575471137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258458322312777247.post-9480825089677538212009-06-14T17:16:00.007-05:002009-06-15T13:07:25.996-05:00

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith was an absolutely delightful book! I adore Mma Precious Ramotswe and can't wait for the second book in the series by Alexander McCall Smith, The Tears of the Giraffes, to arrive in my mail box.This was not the typical whodunnit. There was no single overarching murder or crime spree that had to be solved before the book was finished.

Betty, aka quiltinbkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733503866575471137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258458322312777247.post-5531539180182185202009-06-10T16:01:00.007-05:002009-06-11T10:13:25.591-05:00

3. Why do you read historical mysteries? (e.g., to educate yourself about other times, to read mysteries that are solved by old-fashioned methods rather than technology, etc.)I've been reading some of the responses to this question in the DorothyL digests and it's been very entertaining. As for me, why do I read historical mysteries? Well, it may have a tad to do with education, because I like

Betty, aka quiltinbkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733503866575471137noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258458322312777247.post-71191622248660337892009-06-09T12:35:00.012-05:002009-06-17T19:54:57.452-05:00

There was a questionnaire about historical mystery preferences in a recent DorothyL digest. I thought they made good questions for a blog. Here are the first two. I'll post the others tomorrow.1. What historical period(s) do you most enjoy reading about: ancient world, Dark Ages, medieval, Renaissance/Elizabethan/Tudor, 18th century, Regency, Victorian, Edwardian, World War I era, 1920s,

Betty, aka quiltinbkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733503866575471137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258458322312777247.post-46467568291774747332009-06-08T14:00:00.007-05:002009-06-08T17:19:07.933-05:00

I really enjoyed my day reading yesterday, despite the freezer problems and having to do all that cooking. That's why God gave us crock pots. I'm sure of it!I didn't get to do as much reading as I had wanted, but at least the Read-a-thon gave me the an excuse to sit around and read most of the day. I'm one of those who grew up in a home where reading was considered 'doing nothing' and 'doing

Betty, aka quiltinbkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733503866575471137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258458322312777247.post-38856397030538911202009-06-07T13:16:00.011-05:002009-06-07T22:16:40.122-05:00

Progress Report (10:00 p.m.)I watched Law and Order CI and In Plain Sight on TV tonight. What a downer In Plain Sight was! Wish I'd been reading instead. Well, I'm signing off and may start reading The Clovis Incident by Pari Noskin Taichert. Tony Hillerman says she's a skilled and witty writer. Sounds like just what I need right now. ======================Progress Report (7:41p.m.)I finished The

Betty, aka quiltinbkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733503866575471137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258458322312777247.post-25133479175895955802009-06-06T12:09:00.007-05:002009-06-06T14:48:56.129-05:00

Tomorrow, June 7, is the first Mystery Read-a-thon. We're supposed to read for 12 hours. Hmm. Not sure I can sit for 12 hours and just read. Well, that's not true. I have done that, most recently with the last Harry Potter book.Time to do a little pre-reading planning for the day, especially regarding food. Munchies are okay, but hubby's a diabetic, so scratch that idea. We gotta eat right,

Betty, aka quiltinbkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733503866575471137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258458322312777247.post-14871707112632530452009-06-04T13:30:00.014-05:002009-06-04T17:38:16.781-05:00

Revenge and JusticeBest Served Cold, Jimmie Ruth EvansThis is the third in the Trailer Park Mystery series by Dean James, aka Jimmie Ruth Evans. I really enjoy this series. Wanda Nell is a person I'd like to know. Although I've never been a single parent and have never lived in a trailer park, I can still relate to her struggles to maintain her dignity and her own sense of herself in a small town

Betty, aka quiltinbkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733503866575471137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258458322312777247.post-2196417641194642362009-05-03T17:51:00.001-05:002009-06-04T17:43:18.253-05:00

More time travel via the printed page:PAST:Silver Pigs, Lindsey DavisI had a little trouble getting into this book, but once I did, I loved the main character, Marcus Didius Falco, an informer (private eye in modern parlance) during the reign of Vespasian (69-79 A.D.) and the supporting cast. Marcus rescues a Sosia Camillina from her would-be kidnappers and in the process of investigating,

Betty, aka quiltinbkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733503866575471137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258458322312777247.post-75500056936697191772009-04-01T18:10:00.000-05:002009-04-01T20:49:08.239-05:00

I've read three historical novels over the last few weeks. The first was a mystery, Roman Blood by Steven Saylor, set in Rome in 80B.C.E. I've never read anything by this author before, unfortunately. I will definitely be reading more by him in the future. Roman Blood is the first in Saylor's Roma Sub Rosa series and features a sleuth named Gordianus the Finder. In this book, Gordianus is hired

Betty, aka quiltinbkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733503866575471137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258458322312777247.post-68272738849544411322009-02-25T15:10:00.000-06:002009-02-25T17:33:10.760-06:00

In Let There Be Suspects, book 2 in the Ministry Is Murder series by Emilie Richards, Aggie Sloan-Wilcox has to deal with yet another murder. This time in her very own house. At Christmas. With a house ful of guests right there. Aggie's free spirited mother had invited herself and Aggie's two sisters to Aggie's house for the holidays. Trouble is, she forgot to mention that to Aggie, so not only

Betty, aka quiltinbkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733503866575471137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258458322312777247.post-41764210168704192652009-02-24T19:15:00.000-06:002009-02-25T15:10:04.142-06:00

In honor of Mardi Gras, here's a quick little review about Keepsake Crimes, the first of Laura Childs delightful scrapbook mysteries set in New Orleans. This cozy was a fun read for me. We've been in Slidell, across Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans, for a few years now and I've fallen in love with the area, especially New Orleans, warts and all. I've been searching out books, especially

Betty, aka quiltinbkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733503866575471137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258458322312777247.post-64525354144086923102009-02-23T10:16:00.000-06:002009-02-23T15:03:18.078-06:00

Ain't that the truth! At least it is in this delightful cozy series by Emilie Richards. The main character is Aggie Sloan-Wilcox whose husband Ed was recently called as the new minister for the Consolidated Community Church (Tri-C for short) in Emerald Springs, Ohio. Ed, a scholar at heart, accepted the position because Emerald Springs has a small liberal arts college where he hopes to be able to

Betty, aka quiltinbkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733503866575471137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258458322312777247.post-65745837249732210692009-02-22T17:10:00.001-06:002009-06-15T12:54:26.822-05:00

One of my new favorite authors is Emilie Richards, who writes romance. mainstream and mystery novels. I lucked up on Endless Chain, one of her Shenandoah Album novels, on a sale table at Books a Million. As a former high school Spanish teacher, former junior high Sunday School teacher, wife of a former Baptist minister of music, and a current quilt enthusiast, anything having to do with any of

Betty, aka quiltinbkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733503866575471137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258458322312777247.post-3840266854384848832009-02-21T19:56:00.000-06:002009-02-21T20:12:56.499-06:00

I just read a guest blog on The Quilting Gallery by Hattie James, a quilter/reader/writer who has three blogs, one each for each of her interests. I had started my original blog, Quilts 'N Mysteries, to write about both my quilting and the books I've read. But I have not been happy with that double duty blog. I've been thinking about developing a second blog just for book discussions, rants,

Betty, aka quiltinbkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733503866575471137noreply@blogger.com0