Ruth Anne Benziger's Blog, page 15
February 16, 2021
Zoo of the Dead Book Review
Iseult wrote a collection of horrific tales and I have to say that I really really enjoyed them. I’ve written my review in general terms for each story she wrote. I tried to keep any spoilers from appearing in my review. I made comments about what I enjoyed and at the bottom, I’ve given an overall review of what I thought about the book as a whole.
First, Here is the description:
Ever wondered what it would be like to see a loved one in a zoo exhibit? How about where Death takes his girlfriend on their dates, or what kind of client a zombie private detective might have? Well, wonder no more! ‘Zoo of the Dead and other horrific tales’ compiles six of Iseult Murphy’s horror shorts for the first time in one collection, together with the three…
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February 15, 2021
Resources for Writers
In the last few years, I’ve researched many sites and resources that have helped me in my writing. I thought it would be fun to share with them with you.
Beta/Critique Partner SitesScribophile
Inkitt
https://www.facebook.com/groups/everythingaboutnovels/
Goodreads
Writing software/web assistanceDabble
Scrivener
https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview
Grammarly
https://www.grammarly.com/blog/verb-tenses/
PerfectIt
https://intelligentediting.com/
Writing PlatformsWattpad
Swoonreads
Critique Circle
https://www.critiquecircle.com/
Booksie
Youtube Channels to FollowJenna Moreci
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS_fcv9kBpDN4WWrfcbCrgw
Alexa Donne
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfwTRhTSM2NyJImC8HeUd1Q
Joanna Penn
https://www.youtube.com/user/thecreativepenn
Mark Dawson
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5Qu8GvA0lUm3GmzBqmmfeg
Vivien Reis
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmBw2VslVxiCHZHMCKWSJpQ
Gabe Bookishpixie
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEzkc9WE7mHodfO2L90Q28w
World BuildingThese sites and resources have helped me a ton as a writer. I hope this will help you. If you have others you’d like to add, please comment below.
Author Interview with Andy Weir
ANDY WEIR built a career as a software engineer until the success of his first published novel, THE MARTIAN, allowed him to live out his dream of writing fulltime. He is a lifelong space nerd and a devoted hobbyist of subjects such as relativistic physics, orbital mechanics, and the history of manned spaceflight. He also mixes a mean cocktail. He lives in California.
Social Media LinksFacebook https://www.facebook.com/AndyWeirAuthor/
Twitter https://twitter.com/andyweirauthor
Artemis
Jasmine Bashara never signed up to be a hero. She just wanted to get rich.
Not crazy, eccentric-billionaire rich, like many of the visitors to her hometown of Artemis, humanity’s first and only lunar colony. Just rich enough to move out of her coffin-sized apartment and eat something better than flavored algae. Rich enough to pay off a debt she’s owed for a long time.
So when a chance at a huge score finally comes her way, Jazz…
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The History of Presidents Day
President Rutherford B. Hayes created the holiday in 1879 to remember our first president George Washington’s birthday. The holiday was on February 22nd. The holiday was originally called Washington’s Birthday.
Los Angeles streetcar decorated for Washington’s Birthday, c. 1892In doing my research, there were many weird things about this holiday. For instance, the name in certain states, and the dates that changed later.
In 1968, there was a proposed change of Washington’s Birthday to the third Monday in February. It was rejected at the time because they wanted to keep the day surrounded on Washington’s birthday. However, three years later it was changed to the 3rd Monday in February. It was passed to create a three-day weekend for the nation’s workers.
Because the holiday was no longer on Washington’s birthday, others believed that we should honor Washington and Lincoln’s birthdays because they were both close to the date of the holiday…
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Pretty Garnishes
Ingredients 1 medium cucumber, unpeeled
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 ounce blue cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon milk
1/4 teaspoon dried whole dillweed
1 (1-pound) loaf unsliced sandwich bread
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1 small cucumber
DirectionsShred cucumber; pat shredded cucumber between absorbent paper towels to remove excess moisture. Combine cucumber, cream cheese, blue cheese, milk, and dillweed, mixing well.
Trim crust from loaf of bread, making an even rectangle. Slice bread horizontally into 6 even slices. Roll each slice with a rolling pin to flatten. Spread one side of each slice with 1 teaspoon butter, and spread cucumber filling evenly over butter. Roll up tightly, jellyroll fashion, beginning at short end.
Wrap in plastic wrap, and chill at least 8 hours. When ready to serve, cut chilled rolls into 1/2-inch slices.
Score small cucumber with the tines of a fork. Cut 9…
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February 14, 2021
The History of Valentine’s Day
A look back at my post on the history of Valentine’s Day.
Every February 14, we see the explosion of flowers, hearts, chocolate, and stuffed animals. But do you ever sit back and wonder why it is celebrated? Who is this St. Valentine and why is it important? Who is the guy with the angel wings and the arrow that shoots you with a bow and you magically fall in love? Well, let’s look back in history. Shall we?
St. Valentine LegendSaint Valentine of Rome, was a third-century Roman saint widely celebrated. While it is said that he is a combination of two saints, little was known about him outside of his martyrdom. It was agreed by the Catholic church that St. Valentine was martyred and then buried on the via Flaminia to the north of Rome.
There are many versions of why he was arrested and killed. Some say he healed a child and executed later by decapitation. St. Valentine’s…
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January 29, 2021
Book Review: Frost Blood (Frostblood Saga 1) by Elly Blake
Seventeen-year-old Ruby is a Fireblood who has concealed her powers of heat and flame from the cruel Frostblood ruling class her entire life. But when her mother is killed trying to protect her, and rebel Frostbloods demand her help to overthrow their bloodthirsty king, she agrees to come out of hiding, desperate to have her revenge.
Despite her unpredictable abilities, Ruby trains with the rebels and the infuriating – yet irresistible – Arcus, who seems to think of her as nothing more than a weapon. But before they can take action, Ruby is captured and forced to compete in the king’s tournaments that pit Fireblood prisoners against Frostblood champions. Now she has only one chance to destroy the maniacal ruler who has taken everything from her – and from the icy young man she has come to love.
My ThoughtsRuby is a fire blood who is ripped away from those she loves and forced to hide in an abbey where she harnesses her power. The goal is to kill the king and break the curse. There is much at stake for this fire blood in the wake of frost blood territory.
Ruby is a young girl with hatred and vengeance in her heart, but what appeals to me is her sense of right. Her sense of what should be. Though she is tested, she doesn’t succumb to what would easily take most people down the wrong path. Through the people she has come to love and care for, she finds the inner part of herself and is true to where she belongs. Where she is meant to be.
I really enjoyed this story, the writing was impeccable, the storytelling kept me engaged, and I’m definitely starting Fire Blood tonight.
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January 25, 2021
Book Bundles-Local Library
I live in Las Cruces, NM and they are currently doing book bundles for children, teens, and adults. You fill out a simple survey and they put together a book bundle for you.
I chose romance and the kids each chose adventure books of their interests.
If you live locally, you can go here to get your book bundle.
My Book Bundle
Damian’s Book Bundle
Arielle’s Book Bundle 
It should be a fun couple of weeks for us. I’m reading Frost Blood and Fire Blood. These will be next after my book of the month read.
What are you reading this week?
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January 21, 2021
Book Review: The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
When the van door slammed on Offred’s future at the end of The Handmaid’s Tale, readers had no way of telling what lay ahead for her–freedom, prison or death.
With The Testaments, the wait is over.
Margaret Atwood’s sequel picks up the story more than fifteen years after Offred stepped into the unknown, with the explosive testaments of three female narrators from Gilead.
In this brilliant sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale, acclaimed author Margaret Atwood answers the questions that have tantalized readers for decades.
“Dear Readers: Everything you’ve ever asked me about Gilead and its inner workings is the inspiration for this book. Well, almost everything! The other inspiration is the world we’ve been living in.” –Margaret Atwood
My Thoughts
Phew! As it took me with the first, I took a long time to get through this book. Partly, I wanted to savor it. To seep into the characters and back into the world of Gilead. Into the minds of three women who had distinctive voices, unique stories, yet all intertwined in this tale. The intensity, depravity of power, and mission drew me in as a reader. Emotions filled me with curiosity, anger, despair, and hatred in the negative spectrum. There were moments of hope, pride, and elation, ending with relief and awareness.
Atwood’s story depicts the lives of three women fifteen years after the end of, The Handmaid’s Tale. I won’t go into much detail as I believe you should find this out on your own, but every question you have had about Gilead and what happened after the end of the first book, you will find the answer in this.
The writing, the emotional development of the characters, the attention to detail, and the harrowing journey keeps the reader engaged up until the very end. Atwood is a skilled writer and I’m so proud to read her books and to immerse myself in a story and world of horror and truth. In, The Handmaid’s Tale, Offred said, “I was blind the world before. Now, I’m awake.” That line has stuck with me since first reading that story. I’m awake. Are you?
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This week’s Book Haul-Jan 21
Hi, everyone! This week has been a crazy week and I’ve been rather lazy about updating my blog. So, I apologize for the late post. However, I’m not going to feel guilty about it. I didn’t get as many books this week, but what I did get, I’m excited about.
On Pinterest, I saw someone created a TBR jar. You put the titles of your TBR list and pick it out of the jar. I think that is a pretty good idea when you get stuck on what to read next. I’ll post a picture of the jar once I create it.
This Week’s Books
I started getting children’s books for the kids as well as getting books on Amazon Kindle and Google Play.
I still have not read the book of the month, but it is next on my list. I’ll update next week and you’ll see a review as soon as I’ve read it.
The library books I have are still the same. However, my local library just started doing book bundles and I’m picking up my first one on Monday. So, I’ll take pictures and show you what is in the bundles. My kids got one too. So, you’ll see in a separate post as soon as I get them.
What books did you get this week? Did you check out any books from the library?
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