C. (Comment, never msg). > Recent Status Updates

I am pleased to find that Canadian-Brit Sarah Maine is a very good writer. She describes the look as well as the vibe of these special Scottish islands very adeptly, with a fresh vocabulary style that I enjoy. She has a lot to sketch because she is painting three time frames. I hope the slow start resolves into comfortable acquaintance with one time frame. She has repeated each generation's arrival at the island.

I tucked this away because I maxed out how much I could reawaken and resume. I love all of the narration, dialogue, description, plot pace, setting, ambiance, characters, and mysteriousness to date. This could be another five-star experience from my dear Simone St. James in Ontario. I am excited to acquaint the house, town, and secrets. My only surprise was at the paranormal announcing itself without building-up.

Simone draws in compassion and interest right away, is a fantastic authoress. She gradually, with active momentum, seamlessly builds on information until we have a portfolio of the protagonist we are accompanying. We are in preliminary action from sentence #1 but at the same time, we know we are acclimatizing properly. I don't see grading this low as a peer did. I'm always glad to find spirit mysteries for adults!

Barbara Mertz builds worlds, characters, and situations very well: vividly and compasisionately. You understand and sympathize with whomever and wherever they are right away. To my surprise, this is in about 1860 and surprising for her, England. What I do always say is that, great foundations aside, Barbara takes long to get the principal story going, especially "Greygallows". We arrive at the place on page 117!

It might not involve ghosts in the traditional sense but this novel has always stayed interesting. I am galloping at that spot where I will race to the finish. I guess there is a ghost but not thought of that way because it doesn't have the feel of a spiritual experience and this story fabricates evil. Although clearly made-up, strong history is spun around this mystery which protagonists and readers fit together.

Sarah Rayne feels the need to describe something gross and disturbing in all her books. I don't mean a little gore or something exaggerated enough to ignore because it is fake. One part is mentally grotesque. But that is her horrifiic input, the extent of this aspect of her novels. The remainder will be a paranormal, mysterious, atmospheric puzzle; making an adventure with great protagonists we like and support.

Fascinating. I prefer stories about spirits to tales of evil entities but this novel has only started. The content with which it is already immersed is as paranoramal as it can get. I love the homey, comfortable connection with the key narrators. Sarah Rayne shares narrators but in this series, accomplishes it engagingly, with an important few personages for whom we care. This pleasantness offsets dark portions.

Happy birthday to me! It is my special, magical day! I pray it brings all positive and good things, like Conan being home with us.

Observing Manitoba's livingrooms and people published here, in chapter after chapter, is a pleasure and a treat. It dawned on me that Lois Forsberb's collection of personal stories in lieu of reputedly haunted spots, compares uniquely with what Dr. Helen Creighton did with folk songs and ghost stories in Nova Scotia. Except due to Helen's profession, her collection is renound. Everyone must know about Lois's book!

Highly enjoyable and thoroughly explored and written, all the way through. I see why these are so freshly unique from the usual true ghost story books. They are people's experiences, at home or any place. They aren't the newspaper cuttings of famous places. Lois Forsberg drew from Manitobans in less famous regions, experiences of anomalies they wanted to reveal. All their anomalies are new to appearing in books!

Superb! This is the best-researched collection of true paranormal stories, much more interesting and one-of-a-kind than any other books put together and very well-organized. The way Lois Forsberg introduces all of these stories is wonderful. Her chapter segues flow and she is really telling the story of having these interviews with Manitoba contributors. Then she prints their experiences in their personal styles.

The synopsis is by me and says what I feel. This is unexpectedly well-written, engaging, and enjoyable to savour and read! It is local and a rare selection for a change. They aren't the usual Manitoba places but new towns and unrevealed experiences altogether. This needs to keep in print and become more popular than Canadian compilations most often circfulating. I'm just beginning and see it is the best of them!

This novelization, vocabulary for turning a story medium into literature, is not as exciting as it should be with emphasis on teenaged dialogue and physical actions. Literature must be driven by emotion, emotion, emotion. I dislike the first person present narrative. It sounds awful, probably because speaking like we are there if we aren't disconnects us. Say how she feels but not constatly being physically cold.

Making modern teenage dialogue the focus is hampering a novel that would be atmospheric and suspenseful. There are too many screenplay-style scenes emphasizing physical actions as I worried there might be, given the author is involved with the film, trying to bring those scenes on paper. She constantly describes shaking heads, already a pet peeve and the girl tripping often. Klutzes are not cute; quit doing that.

This belongs to my youngest brother, also saved by Mom. His baby boy turns two years-old today! My baby nephew, who shares my birth month, is going to have this as a present as well.

This brand new copy was published in 1978 and my middle brother must have won it several years later at school. We attended French immersion, so this version is: “Donald Et La Boîte Magique”. He must have only done his French reading once and just savoured winning this prize. Mom saved it in crisp condition. A blue ribbon (and a cupcake), taped inside with his name, indicate that he won an athletic competition.

I am giving this to my nephew for his second birthday. It is today!

A hesitancy about books derived from films or programs, here a successful You Tube show slated for television, is the author knowing not to jot it down in screenplay style. Breathing literature into life has to be about narrative via emotions, not physical actions or how things look. You can describe action of course but it needs to be from the point of view of emotions. This one highlights snappy dialogue so far.

This is soothing and should be better known. Pamela discovered she has a beloved cat just like she adored a dog in her past. That Siamese is her photographer's model: household poses like high heels and sun rays on a carpet. We see two others, one with a face like our missing Conan! Chapters of facts comprise the rest, well-known but timely. How reassuring to confirm how naturally and well cats evade preditors!

This is so peaceful, uplifting, and bright for me while i am focusing on the positive of life that i am absorbing it at leisure. We enjoy the quotas we set for ourselves around here, making a game of a formerly solitary activity. However, I am savouring the artwork and these Nova Scotia communal and wild places, drawing these pages in properly.

Close to finishing, I fell asleep. However I am enjoying the final short story about a shy, honest, new witch-in-training. The penultimate short story was about a long-rumoured neighbourhood witch, whom trick-or-treating children find out about for sure. She was kind, to ensure they didn't try eating candy until they were off her property and could see what it was. LOL Edith Wharton preceded this. I am her fan!

Expectedly, Ray Bradbury is not to my taste. His depressing, unclarified portrayal is what many said was "the only story they liked". I sense pandering to a famous name, believing they ought to like it. Most were okay. The one I considered a standout, a think by a first-time author, is "Hallowe'en Girl".... until I read the words of Edith Wharton for the first time. I have indeed heard of her. I see why! Wow!

I don't read by day but since I want this finished today, with time to decorate a bit for Hallowe'en, I'll make a go at it. It's snowing early and our flowerbeds and remaining garden plant we want covered (beans!) are hunkered down and protected. There's no work outside. Once "The Voice" and "The Big Bang Theory" are on, it'll be a while to retire to bed to read. Let's get these 1983 short stories out of the way!