Scream-Worthy Thrillers & Supernatural Page-Turners

Reading by moonlight while waiting for The Great Pumpkin? Face your fears this Halloween with a bestseller (and a bag of chocolate!).

If you fear...a missing child:
Fear the Worst by Linwood Barclay

Seventeen-year-old Sydney Blake's summer is shaping up to be typical for a teenager: she's spending it with her father, and she has landed a part-time job at a local hotel. One night, Syd fails to come home from her shift, and her father Tim is a bit alarmed. However, that alarm turns to full-on panic after he visits the Just Inn Time hotel and the manager claims that Syd has never worked there. Grilling his daughter's friends for clues leads Tim nowhere -- except to threats against his life -- and as he frantically chases every lead, he can't help but wonder if Syd is even still alive. Despite a growing list of unanswered questions, all Tim knows for certain is that he must continue searching for his daughter -- no matter how high the stakes become.

If you fear...a pack of werewolves:
Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong

New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong returns with the tenth installment of the Women of the Otherworld series. The Alaskan wilderness is a harsh landscape in the best of conditions, but with a pack of rogue werewolves on the loose, it's downright deadly. Elena Michaels, the Pack's chief enforcer, knows all too well the havoc "mutts" can wreak. When they hear of a series of gruesome maulings and murders outside Anchorage, she and her husband, Clay, journey to Alaska in the dead of winter in order to hunt down the dangerous werewolves. Trapped in this savage, untamed winter realm, she and Clay learn more about their own werewolf heritage than they bargained for, tapping a little more into the wild nature of the beast within. With Elena back in the starring role, this is the book Kelley Armstrong fans have been waiting for.

If you fear...a body under water:
The Taken by Inger Ash Wolfe

DI Hazel Micallef is still recovering from back surgery when a report comes in that a body has been found in a nearby lake, snagged under several feet of water. But as DC Wingate says, the whole thing is way too eerie. The first installment of a story has just been published in the local paper: a passage that describes in detail just such a discovery. Real life is far too close to fiction for coincidence. The second novel featuring Hazel Micallef is a stunning and suspenseful exploration of the obsessive far reaches of love. It will confirm Inger Ash Wolfe as one of the best mystery writers there is.

If you fear...an arranged murder:
Breathless by Dean Koontz

In the stillness of a golden September afternoon, deep in the wilderness of the Rockies, a solitary craftsman, Grady Adams, and his magnificent Irish wolfhound Merlin step from shadow into light...and into an encounter with enchantment. That night, through the trees, under the moon, a pair of singular animals will watch Grady's isolated home, waiting to make their approach. A few miles away, Camillia Rivers, a local veterinarian, begins to unravel the threads of a puzzle that will bring all the forces of a government in peril to her door. At a nearby farm, long-estranged identical twins come together to begin a descent into darkness...In Las Vegas, a specialist in chaos theory probes the boundaries of the unknowable...On a Seattle golf course, two men make matter-of-fact arrangements for murder...Along a highway by the sea, a vagrant scarred by the past begins a trek toward his destiny...

If you fear...a ghost story:
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

Another brilliant, original and moving novel from the author of The Time Traveler's Wife. Julia and Valentina Poole are normal American teenagers -- normal, at least, for identical "mirror" twins who have no interest in college or jobs or possibly anything outside their cozy suburban home. But everything changes when they receive notice that an aunt whom they didn't know existed has died and left them her amazing flat in a building by Highgate Cemetery in London. They feel that at last their own lives can begin ... but they have no idea that they've been summoned into a tangle of fraying lives, from the OCD-suffering crossword setter who lives above them to their aunt's mysterious and elusive lover who lives below them, and even to their aunt herself, who never got over her estrangement from the mother of the girls -- her own twin -- and who can't even seem to quite leave her flat....

Home for the Holidays: The Ultimate Playlist

A few years ago (2005 I think?) I became an obsessed Christmas elf and created a mixed CD of my ultimate holiday songs. Not only did I just create this CD...no, no. I made multiple copies to give to my coworkers as a little holiday gift. And was it good enough with just the hand written label? Oh, no! I dug into my Creative Memories goodie bag and created unique album art, complete with a playlist for each one. And yes, I was so proud of my work that I took pictures:





Now, before you dismiss me as a total Christmas freak, check out the playlist and tell me this is not a fun holiday album!

1. Kay Thompson’s Jingle Bells MICHAEL W. SMITH
2. Winter Wonderland HARRY CONNICK JR.
3. Sleigh Ride SQUIRREL NUT ZIPPERS
4. The Happy Elf HARRY CONNICK JR.
5. Santa Baby KYLIE MINOGUE
6. The Christmas Song NAT KING COLE
7. Hope of Israel MICHAEL W. SMITH
8. Peace NORAH JONES
9. Winter Peace JIM BRICKMAN
10. Celebrate Me Home KENNY LOGGINS
11. (There’s No Place Like) Home for the Holidays BARRY MANILOW
12. Winter Weather SQUIRREL NUT ZIPPERS
13. Donde Esta Santa Claus? GUSTER
14. White Christmas THE DRIFTERS
15. All I Want for Christmas Is You OLIVIA OLSON
16. I’ll Be Home for Christmas MICHAEL BUBLÉ
17. Do You Hear What I Hear? WHITNEY HOUSTON
18. O Holy Night *NSYNC
19. ‘Til the Season Comes ‘Round Again AMY GRANT
20. What a Year for a New Year DAN WILSON
BONUS TRACK!Carolina Christmas SQUIRREL NUT ZIPPERS

And now, for your listening pleasure, Home for the Holidays 2005 (almost complete). Enjoy!

Celebrities Endorse Book-Giving For the Holidays

From Elmo to Deepak Chopra to John Lithgow, a whole lineup of celebrities declare books great gifts.

There have been more Christmases than I can remember where I've marvelled at a deliciously new stack of books amidst the shredded wrapping paper and bows. It's always been my favourite thing to give and receive because a book can do so many things for a person. It can be an education, or an escape. A time-passer, or a heart breaker.

So you've heard the celebrities' reasons...why do YOU think books make great gifts?

Revival: Dusting Off the Cobwebs

So it's been what, almost a year and a half since I've blogged here. Shame on me...especially since my last post was about tips for being a good blogger. Heh.

Today I was inspired to dust off the cobwebs, and get writing again. I'm four months into my maternity leave, and have found myself feeling a bit lost. I love being a mama, and love that I have the luxury of time at home to care for Littlelicious until next July. However, when I brought him home from the hospital, I lost my identity as I knew it.

For over ten years, I've been a career woman. I defined myself on my jobs and aimed to achieve and set the bar high. I thrived on the daily rewards of accomplishment.

And now, my daily accomplishments include getting Littlelicious to nap for an uninterrupted hour, avoiding being spit upon, and coaxing those delightful little giggles out of my son.

That's a whole different world of accomplishments right there.

Anyway...I went to The Company's holiday luncheon today, where I reveled in the company of my colleagues, and decided it was time to reclaim my sense of self. Or at least the part of it that I can while balancing a four-month-old on my hip.

The Blogger Tips Collective (Meme)

Thank goodness Amy over at Sleepy Reader tagged me for this meme, because it jolted me out of my work-induced haze and reminded me that I have been a bad blogger lately.

The bad news is, this meme is all about how to be a good blogger.

Heh.

-Start Copy-

It’s very simple. When this is passed on to you, copy the whole thing, skim the list and put a * star beside those that you like. (Check out especially the * starred ones.)

Add the next number (1. 2. 3. 4. 5., etc.) and write your own blogging tip for other bloggers. Try to make your tip general.

After that, tag 10 other people. Link love some friends!

Just think - if 10 people start this and the 10 people pass it on to another 10 people, you have 100 links already!

1. Look, read, and learn. *** http://www.neonscent.com/

2. Be EXCELLENT to each other. ** http://www.bushmackel.com/

3. Don’t let money change ya! * http://www.therandomforest.info/

4. Always reply to your comments. ******* http://chattiekat.com/

5. Link liberally — it keeps you and your friends afloat in the Sea of Technorati. ** http://chipsquips.com/

6. Don’t give up - persistence is fertile. ** http://www.velcro-city.co.uk/

7. Give link credit where credit is due. **** http://www.sfsignal.com/

8. Pictures say a thousand words and can usually add to any post. ** http://scifichick.com/

9. Visit all the bloggers that leave comments for you - it’s nice to know who is reading! *** http://stephaniesbooks.blogspot.com/

10. Thrown in something humorous occasionally, to keep things fun.* http://bonniesbooks.blogspot.com/

11. Make it easy for your readers - use tags and labels and keep it simple!** http://caribousmom.blogharbor.com

12. Memes are fun and a great way to get to know other bloggers!* http://thesleepyreader.wordpress.com

13. Don't expect perfection from yourself. If you overthink your posts, it can be agonizing work. Just let 'er rip! http://literalicious.blogspot.com

-End Copy-

Someone's got to keep it on goin'... (anyone recognize those Amy Grant lyrics?)

1. scarbie doll at Martinis for Milk
2. doth at Friends Keep Saying...
3. ragdoll at Tragic Right Hip
4. Lesley at Lesley's Book Nook (even though she's on vacay)
5. Cipriano at Bookpuddle

Okay, five is enough for me...Go to it!

Boot-Scootin' Books?

At my old job (a long, long time ago), when I used to travel a lot, my colleagues and I played the airport boredom game, whereby you try to guess the occupation of passersby simply based on their clothing, hairstyle, actions, etc. It was a fun, brainteaser sort of game that passed the long layover hours amusingly.

Today, I found myself thinking about a similar game, but this time I was considering my neighbour across the street. I have never officially met her (they moved in not too long ago) but she is frequently out in the front yard with her chocolate brown dog (a lab mix?) wearing short shorts, a bikini top, bare feet, and a cowboy hat. Oh, and she's blasting Carrie Underwood from her truck's stereo while she does her boot-scootin' yardwork.

Instead of wondering what her occupation is (Does she have one? I dunno!), I found myself wondering what types of books she likes to read. Does she devour a good swashbuckler with Fabio on the cover? Perhaps a little chicklit late at night? Or maybe, just maybe, being a cowgirl at heart, she's into Louis L'Amour. I'll bet she's more sophisticated than I give her credit for. I'll bet she's a Can Lit girl.

One of these days I'll finally wander across the street to say hello, and it will be one of my first questions because after all those years of the airport game, I never got to know if I was right about a person.

Apparently, The Candyman Can't.

Props to scarbie doll for reminding me to blog about this story as I told it at work today. So if this amuses/grosses you out, you can thank/blame her. :-P

I've been reading Ecoholic by Adria Vasil, and have felt the call to make a concerted effort to lessen my footprint on the environment. So when I read the part about the ways that disposable razors and foaming shave gels negatively impact the environment, I decided that perhaps THIS was my opportunity! THIS would be step 1 in my new drive to make the world a better place!

One of the eco-friendly solutions to hair removal is the ancient process of sugaring. It's much like waxing, but without the toxins and gunk. Plus, the cloth strips are easily washable with a little hot water, and therefore reusable. Bonus!

After a bit of googling I found the universal recipe for successful sugaring:

2 cups sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water

I bought some basic cotton fabric and cut it into strips. I bought a hefty bag of sugar and a lemon. I got a candy thermometer to ensure I got it to the precise 250 degree temp. And I set to work.

The directions were followed, but as I was waiting for my sugar-licious mixture to cool down to the point where I could slap it on my legs without needing a call to 911, it started to harden. In a panic I tried spreading the amber mixture on my leg, and not only did it not stick to my leg because of the cornstarch I powdered with because this website recommended it for "tautness making it more effective," but it was also still WAY TOO HOT.

As it continued to set to a rock candy stage, I ran down to the kitchen to try and get it out of the glass dish before it completely set.

One foot of wax paper, a spatula, a spoon, and a paring knife later, I had a lovely little blob of artwork on my counter, and a dark amber dish you could have preserved a Jurassic mosquito in.

Mr. Man came to my rescue, and amidst giggling fits, helped me reheat the solution so the glass dish could be saved.

Moral of the story: Leave the sugaring to the professionals, ladies. There are much less stressful (and less messy!) ways to save the earth.