C. (Comment, never msg).’s Comments (group member since Jan 30, 2014)

C. (Comment, never msg).’s comments from the Gentle SPECTRUMS group.

“An Inquiry Into Love And Death” Simone St. James 2013 (5 stars) as expected!
“The Boggart” Susan Cooper 1993 (starting)

“The Boggart” Susan Cooper 1993 -Scotland- (starting)

I found the hardcover sequel recently and as I hoped, a charity sale yielded the prequel I needed. This should be fun! Canadian children and their parents inherit a Scottish castle and accidentally bring a boggart to Toronto, Ontario. I don't know why Susan chose our nation but it is always a pleasure and even a relief, to find us referenced in popular literature! It can't be the USA and England all the time of course.

“An Inquiry Into Love And Death” Simone St. James 2013 (5 stars) as expected!
“The Boggart” Susan Cooper 1993 (starting)

I notice Kay became prolific but it's a shame, many seem like demon-type novels, which I would not read. I spied a few that might be straight ahead paranormal. Romance is a large part of this, which dismayed me; except "Marc" is very likeable. I did think it silly, goading her "to be sure of him" faster than anyone ought. That was the minus and that the paranormal wasn't bolder. I like moments when the ghost or people speak to one another. Josie stupidly shied away, then "wondered how they were going to solve this". Duh! Ask him while he's floating towards you!

This novel is a winner after all, because a paranormal mystery drives the story and the mystery manages to be at the forefront. Mystery about the ghost and an additional person, mystery about Josie at first. The aura of mystery is all around and the romance is at least about Josie opening up to love despite a mistrustful past, which fits.

“The Haunting Of Josie” Kay Hooper 1994 (5 stars)

I owned this for years but pushed it into shelves far from consideration, because the title and cover conveyed a horror novel. I skimmed this seldom-used shelf anew and the synopsis didn't sound terrible at all. Here I have a five-star story I enjoyed thoroughly.

I haven't done a post at our master blog yet and look forward to having comments recorded there when I do, as I always. I am happy to announce here for starters: our winners of 2015! I hope all of these folks return this year. The good Lord knows we need them, this dry membership year. ;) Congratulations to all of three of these guests.

The winner of Gentle Spectrums is KRISTI! She is not in this chat group but lives close to Canada, in Illinois, USA. Her blog is called "Books And Needlepoint". It is lovely that Kristi belonged to two of my 2015 challenges. She is finializing her choices from among my prize lists. I am pleased and curious about her eye being on a previously banned but highly-awarded Manitoba classic so far: "A Jest Of God" by our own Margaret Laurence.

The winner of My Kind Of Mystery is KARI! She is in this group, for us to shower with accolades. Her blog is "Know It Not So Much" and she has been in at least two of my groups since I started, which means a great deal. She let me choose her prizes, with a little guidance. They left Manitoba just ahead of yesterday's blizzard. LOL! I am sure the treats will love living with her technologically-sound family in California, USA.

The winner of Ethereal is LuAnn! She isn't here but belonged to all three of my 2015 groups, with her blog "Back Porchervations". She is a home school Mom in Kentucky, USA. She won an unusual prize. For 2015, a sweet person I acquainted from Malaysia offered her talents for that group's gift. LuAnn had a choice of a numerology or tarot reading, from Hazellie! It will be fun to hear what she picked and how she enjoyed it.

(10) COUPLES, PAIRING

If this is a tricky category to interpret, here are examples to help. I am primarily seeking actual couples: Grandparents, bride & groom, woman & man, goose and gander, hen and rooster. However non-living things that are famously paired, or which indicate plurality, are open to creativity. For instance, even "friendship" implies two beings sharing it.

“Let's Go! The Story Of Getting From There To Here” Lizann Flatt, Scot Ritchie 2007
(4 stars) https://www.amazon.ca/review/R2B9JMHB...
“One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish” Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel) 1960
(3 stars) https://www.amazon.ca/review/RCFYGS0G...

“Bridge Of Friendship” Mabel Esther Allan 1975 (to be read)
“The Night Travellers” Sandra Birdsell 1982 (to be read).

(9) CANADIAN

“The Sunflower's Gift” Ann Marie Brezovski, Patricia Trudeau 2014
https://www.amazon.ca/review/R3RCUVTH... (3 stars)


“Always Looking Up” Michael J. Fox 2009 I have the first edition. (Queued for later).

(8) MUSIC

“Backstage Passes: Life On The Wild Side With David Bowie” Angela Bowie 1993
(one among several, waiting 22 years to be read!)
“Home From The Vinyl Café” Stuart McLean 1998 (to be read)
“Voices After Midnight” Richard Peck 1989 (to be read).

(7) PHOTOGRAPHY

“The Album” Mary Roberts Rinehart 1933 (to be read)
“Photography & The Art Of Seeing” Freeman Patterson 1979 (to be read).

(6) ITEMS OF LITERATURE

“The Thirteenth Tale” Diane Setterfield 2006 (starting).


“Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library” Chris Grabenstein 2013 (to be read)
“Here Lies The Librarian” Richard Peck 2006 (to be read).

(5) CLOTHING & FASHION

“The Ice Diamond Quest” Eric Wilson 1990 (2 stars)
https://www.amazon.ca/review/RD3A6UUE...

“Cloaked In Malice” Annette Blair 2012 (to be read)
“Spellcasting In Silk” Juliet Blackwell 2015 (to be read)
“Beauty Tips From Moose Jaw” Will Ferguson 2004 (to be read)

(4) FOOD

“The Union Street Bakery” Mary Ellen Taylor 2013 (5 stars)
https://www.amazon.ca/review/RTWJVU12...

“The Bordeaux Betrayal” Ellen Crosby 2008 (to be read).

(3) TRADITIONS
I am pleased to have managed two books about unique types!

“Throw Your Tooth On The Roof” Selby B. Beeler, G. Brian Karas 1998 (4 stars)
https://www.amazon.ca/review/R2KQULXY...
“The Divali Story” Anita Ganeri, Carole Gray 2003 (3 stars)
https://www.amazon.ca/review/R2RR2INZ...

“A Wee Christmas Homicide” Kaitlyn Dunnett 2009 (to be read).

(2) EMOTIONS, SPIRITUAL, MENTAL, PHYSICAL SENSATIONS

“Lucky Man” Michael J. Fox 2002 (4 stars)
https://www.amazon.ca/review/R3LY3I3O...
“Eyes Of An Angel: Spirit Guides, Reality Of Love” Paul Elder 2005 (4 stars)
https://www.amazon.ca/review/R2SQUVJ4...
“Feint Of Art” Hailey Lind 2006 (3 stars)
https://www.amazon.ca/review/RC0LWUBZ...
“Charlotte And The Quiet Place” Dr. Deborah Sosin 2015 (5 stars)
https://www.amazon.ca/review/R3G1RALJ...
“More Than You Know” Beth Gutcheon 2000 (4 stars)
https://www.amazon.ca/review/R2HXT93Z...
“The Hills Is Lonely” Lillian Beckwith 1959 (4 stars)
https://www.amazon.ca/review/RSEWMXY3...
“The Haunting Of Josie” Kay Hooper 1994 (5 stars)
https://www.amazon.ca/review/R3Q3TLN7...
“An Inquiry Into Love And Death” Simone St. James 2013 (5 stars)!
https://www.amazon.ca/review/R36C1VHB...
“The Cold Blue Blood” David Handler 2001 (4 stars).

(1) ANIMALS / INSECTS

“The Kids Canadian Bird Book” Pamela Hickman, Heather Collins 1995 (4 stars)
https://www.amazon.ca/review/R1BMD1VE...
“Andrew Goes Fishing In Manitoba” Carol & Kristin Szuminsky 2008 (3 stars)
https://www.amazon.ca/review/R31QA431...
“The Mousehole Cat” Antonia Barber, Nicola Bayley 1990 (5 stars)
https://www.amazon.ca/review/R3PZWM0V...
“What Makes My Cat Purr?” Ann Tompert 1965 (5 stars)
https://www.amazon.ca/review/RPUFYXYL...

“The Etruscan Chimera” Lyn Hamilton 2002 (to be absolutely savoured)!

| LIMITLESS PALETTE | Here are my colours this 2016!
All of this goes into the Gentle Spectrums review page. Sharing here is for fun.

“The Ghost On Black Mountain” Ann Hite 2011 (4 stars)
https://www.amazon.ca/review/R2K44UJW...
“One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish” Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel) 1960
(3 stars) https://www.amazon.ca/review/RCFYGS0G...
“The Cold Blue Blood” David Handler 2001 (4 stars)

In my queue for years, loved it to a 5! Would be 4-1/2 for a few pscyhological explanations I didn't buy among villains. But far better written than most mysteries! There is constant personal interest and action, lots of twists and developments every time we turn a page. This is no newbie author who devises one plot and then steers us towards it. We really feel like we are on a ride.

I have started our new Celtic Coasts theme with this one: “The Hills Is Lonely” Lillian Beckwith 1959 -Scotland- (4 stars)

It is one-of-a-kind, insightful, uniquely cultural, and humorous enougn for five stars but Lillian's adjectives and adverbs inundate us in superfluity. A sentence the could be brisk, breezy, or exciting is always laden with adjectives and adverbs.

She's been too busy for me to know well either, for quite worthy reasons! She is in this group and will see it. :)

“Charlotte And The Quiet Place” Dr. Deborah Sosin 2015 (5 stars)

Not paranormal but it is certainly emotional, which I believe has spiritual roots. A girl whose neighbourhood is too noisy, like mine was last year, finds a way to draw quiet from inside her. I won this from the psychologist who wrote it and needed it, as much as I absolutely love it.