An Everlasting Christmas by Mandy M. Roth

Hello everyone.

I hope you are having a good week. In the US we are getting ready for Thanksgiving which is next Thursday. It seems impossible to be at the end of November already. Am I the only person that is experiencing time moving way too quickly? Not only do I have family commitments but I have a huge stack of untouched books I swore I would get to this year. I need to read much faster or borrow that time-turner gizmo from Hermione Granger!

I recently read An Everlasting Christmas by Mandy M. Roth.  This is book seven in a seven book Everlasting series, written by several authors.  I have not read any of the others and had no problem enjoying this novel, in fact the series promotes that it can be read in any order.  I am guessing that each books take place in the town of Everlasting, Maine. Perhaps each story follows a different person, in this case an antique store owner. This short little "cozy" is part mystery, part romance, with a bit of paranormal and Christmas thrown in, to hit all the bases. There is a secret admirer, a second chance romance and, of course, holiday cheer. I don't want to tell you much, the book is around one hundred and fifty pages long so I kind of feel like I need to leave any description very open so that you'll have lots to discover while reading. This fun, cute, book provides plenty of entertainment.

If you like serious nonfiction or intense thrillers, this book may not be for you. If you like cozy mysteries, this quick holiday title may be the relief your cookie baking stress is begging for.

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

Hello everyone.

I hope you have been having a good week. If you are in the US you are likely braving some really cold weather. Usually cold for this time of year. We've even had snow in coastal North Carolina.. At least we made it until November before turning on the heat. Yes, I know, I am a miser, but hey I need book buying money! Did you see the clouds in the sky part earlier this week? See rays of angelic light shine down in my direction? No, well you missed it! Our hurricane Dorian damage is finally fixed and first floor roofs are complete. Naturally, we are supposed to have a nor'easter today with hurricane force winds again but I'm ignoring it and basking in the end of construction! I was nervous about the whole thing, I can tell because when I am nervous I read more. This week I received and read (in three days, fast for me) a great book.

I just read The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell. I really loved it. I've read several books by this author and have enjoyed them all but this is my favorite, by far. If you read the jacket description, you'll be easily drawn in. This book takes place in three settings and, of course, they all become tied together. A woman, Libby, inherits a house from her birth parents. She knows nothing about them or her early beginnings but is shocked when the house is very valuable despite being in disrepair. At the same time, the reader follows Lucy and her small children, who are all homeless. We learn that Lucy also has ties to the same house. Hmmmm, unusual, an empty mansion and someone that is homeless. Odd.  Lastly, the story travels to more than twenty-five years in the past, told from the perspective of Henry, one of the boys living in the mansion. As the timelines and people move toward each other, mysteries abound.

This book grabs you from the beginning. It features short chapters, which I love. If one area of the story is slower, building details, another will be rocketing forward to leave you on a cliff hanger, a writing trick that keeps me reading. While I would not really consider this a high action thriller, it is very much a page turner. I think you will find it a very quick read. The characters are interesting, likable and are able to really carry this story although The Family Upstairs is chock full of atmosphere. Every time I had a question, thinking I caught the author with a problem, that question was immediately answered as Lisa Jewell well anticipated my concerns. In addition, each time I thought I had the whole novel figured out I was quickly proven wrong. I declared my theory so many times to hubby, holding the book high in the air, he thinks I'm playing King Arthur wielding my sword. I was wrong, pleasantly so. I was left guessing until the last page. I love that, it makes me feel like I am squeezing every penny from my reading dollar.

If you want an action packed thriller, this may not be for you. If you like mysteries or just generally interesting stories this does not disappoint. While nothing like it, this book is so rich in atmosphere it kind of reminds me of Ruth Ware's The Death of Mrs. Westaway. If you are not a Ruth Ware fan, rest assured these books are not even similar in writing style or tale, just creepy vibe.

As a friendly reminder, the holidays are coming and books are super easy to wrap. The Family Upstairs would make a great gift, unless you're about to inherit a boarded up creepy mansion, in that case...happy shopping.

Secret Santa and All He Wants For Christmas by Kati Wilde

Hello everyone.

I have to give you an update on the housewife front. We are still dealing with damage from hurricane Dorian. We finally have a contractor, but he is also re-shingling our four porch roofs at the same time. In this small town, getting a contractor to work on your house is like hitting a huge vein of gold in your front yard. Next to impossible. We have a shortage of plumbers, roofers, siding experts, electricians, and general contractors. I hope these are not becoming dying arts. Despite being near the beach and a huge metropolitan area, we have very few of these talented people. So, when you get someone, you have to put up with a lot, jump through some hoops. Our contractor is in the middle of doing the first floor roofs, two are over porches, two are over bump-outs. First it starts to rain, and the water comes in.  ARRRGH.  Now he is sick and it poured again!  We are supposed to have terrible wind, quite possibly tearing off more of the siding, which was our original damage from the hurricane that remains unfixed.  To say this is frustrating is an understatement!

Lest this get too depressing, I have something positive to report. When I talk about housewife stuff I often discuss my beloved dishwasher that cleaned perfectly but kept breaking. I fought to save it but eventually had to replace my pal since it was fourteen years old. I am happy to say the new dishwasher cleans just as well. It only uses a couple of gallons of water and is some type of super energy saver. Unlike any other dishwasher I've ever had this one is silent. Honestly, you could sleep next to it....or read.  Given the roof and hurricane damage, I've been doing a lot of reading these days, obviously my form of escape.

I recently read two books by the same author, Kati Wilde. I read All He Wants For Christmas and Secret Santa. I had never heard of this author but suddenly kept seeing her name everywhere. Maybe everybody has roof trouble. These books are short, quick hit, romance novels. They certainly follow the romance formula; a couple meet, fall in love, find trouble in paradise, then work things out for a happy ending. Who doesn't like a happy ending? Okay, I admit, I kind of like an evil ending in thrillers but that is just the kind of chicken baking, vacuum avoiding, book reading person I am, consider yourself warned.

Secret Santa is about a wood working company, a poor girl and well off man. All He Wants for Christmas is about a well off girl and a policeman assigned to watch out for her. One thing these books both have in common is sex. I don't mean a sex act within a larger story. That doesn't sound right, these books have a clearly defined story. If you want an elaborate plot, you won't find it here. These books are pretty straight forward. The sex, instead of being a passing part of the story, takes center stage. There are many sexual acts and they are very graphic. If you are shy, these books will make you blush. If you take these on a plane fully expect the person sitting next to you to be reading over your shoulder. Still these novels are light and fun. They are a unique break from heavier reads.

A few things in both these stories got on my nerves. First, the man always has a pet name for the woman and uses it endlessly, baby or angel. It was so prevalent it made me think of the Seinfeld episode where Jerry couldn't remember his girlfriend's name. Also, both women were virgins and men were well endowed. Kati Wilde has written several books, maybe I just happen to pick up books that featured these topics. Perhaps more "research" is necessary.

I think I'll leave these books sitting out, Red Ryder BB gun style, and see what Santa delivers this Christmas.

Slash by Hunter Shea

Hello everyone.

Not only do I hope you are having a great day, but I hope you have a full cup of coffee, this may take a moment.  Have you ever heard about the hotels in the Catskills? Okay, even if you think you haven't, you have. Does the movie Dirty Dancing ring a bell? That was supposed to be a resort in the Catskills, although it was filmed in North Carolina and the famous "learning the lift lake" has disappeared. Honestly, google it. Anyway, the Catskills are mountains in New York. They had resorts that offered everything to do. This area became very popular with Jewish people from New York City, trying to escape the summer heat. The most notable of the Catskill resort areas was The Borscht Belt, named after the Jewish soup. The Borscht Belt was generally considered to be Sullivan, Orange and Ulster counties. These vacation spots started as small bungalows, in the case of the famous hotel Grossingers, it actually started as a farm house that rented rooms. As word spread of this beautiful area of New York more people attended. Activities grew to include golf, tennis, horseback riding, swimming, boating, diving, dancing and skiing in the winter. Then the comedians came. Now if you are young I'm jealous but I have an advantage over you....I grew up with great comedians. You think you know people that tell great jokes?  You know nothing. I'm sorry but it is true. These wonderful people that made the world laugh had a secret, they perfected each of their new acts on stages in the Borscht Belt resorts. As this happened, the area exploded and the hotels grew into huge resorts. You could see: Woody Allen, Buddy Hackett, Joan Rivers, Jerry Seinfeld, Sid Caesar, Rodney Dangerfield, Don Rickles, Johnny Carson, Billy Crystal, Henny Youngman, Jackie Mason, Mel Brooks, Alan King, Jerry Lewis, Jerry Stiller, Pat Cooper, Milton Berle, Phyllis Diller, Joey Bishop, Carl Reiner, Lenny Bruce, Danny Kaye, Totie Fields, Red Buttons, Gene Wilder, George Burns, Phil Silvers, Morey Amsterdam, Jay Leno even Groucho Marx...and that is just some of the comedians. They also featured singers like Frank Sinatra, Paul Anka, Willie Nelson, Barbara Streisand, Tony Bennett and Judy Garland. The theaters where they held these acts were not huge stadiums, but tiered levels with tables. You enjoyed a drink and your favorite performer up close and personal. Comedians and singers weren't the only people working at these hotels, but there were things like prize fights, even Wilt Chamberlain worked as a Bell Man carrying people's luggage at Kutcher's. It was a time that cannot be duplicated. Sadly, most of these resorts are gone. As people decided they preferred the beach, Disney World or a cruise, the family vacation of a more simple variety declined.

Years ago, when I was a child, I got to go to the biggest, best resort in the Borscht Belt, The Concord. My school band went and actually performed on that stage that all those comedians did their acts. I got to look out and see the tiers of tables in a semi-circle facing the stage. I saw what they saw, stood where they stood. As I said last time, my dad wanted us to be moved by us standing where Lincoln gave the Gettysburg address. Now that I'm an adult, I get it. I understand, though dislike, the passing of time and the act of remembrance. It doesn't just happen at battlefields or Presidential sites, sometimes it's in a hotel...on a stage...with classmates. It was a unique experience. I can't remember exactly why we were there, perhaps some kind of competition? A record was made of us playing (vinyl for you youngsters), I still have it and we sound really good, like a professional band not a school group. The rest of our time at The Concord, we were allowed to explore. I wish I could adequately convey what it was like. The shining white hotel had a huge pool outside with separate diving pool, large indoor pool, many tennis courts inside and out, huge indoor and outdoor ice rinks, the dining room sat 3,000 people at one time, golf course, the activities and services never ended. The place was a maze with halls that had glass walls some with marble floors in huge slabs of black and white. Eventually business slowed and the hotel closed. It fell into disrepair and became the draw of many urban explorers. After several attempts to revive and redevelop The Concord, sadly it was torn down.

I recently read Slash by Hunter Shea. This book is part horror and part thriller. It follows the story of a girl, Ashley, who goes with a group to explore a closed, crumbling old Catskills resort. While exploring, someone or something attacks the group and everyone is killed and mutilated except Ashley. As time goes by, Ashley, with the help of her loving boyfriend Todd,  tries to recover from her experience, her mind blocking out most of the memories. Without giving any spoilers, Todd ends up back at the same rundown hotel, with a new group of friends, hunting for memories and wondering if they will come in contact with the same evil that Ashley experienced. This book grabs you from the beginning, building the suspense. The plot is clear but there is still a big mystery to uncover. The writing is smart and concise yet still descriptive enough. The writer obviously either was familiar with Catskill resorts or did his research, in any case this book while discussing the location does not read like a term paper, rather a fast paced thriller. There is plenty of action, some gore. I was fine reading but when I told hubby about a particular scene, while I was nauseous after having too much coffee, I laughed at myself trying not to gag. Believe me you likely won't need any caffeine with this book. I enjoyed everything about this story, from general idea, plot, pacing and writing especially the dialog and learning what can be done with a stripper pole (read it to find out).

My poor dad would be shaking his head. He was moved by standing where Lincoln gave the Gettysburg address and I was moved by standing where Henny Youngman said "Take my wife, please. "

Haunted House Murder by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis and Barbara Ross

Hello everyone.

Are you getting ready for Halloween? We get swamped with trick or treaters. How many kids do you get, 20, 100? Amateurs!  We get over one thousand kids. No, I'm not kidding. Our street is in the middle of a small town. Because of its location the road is closed, allowing the kids to wander without fear of being run over. The police even walk around and the city encourages children to come to our street for trick or treating fun. Hmmm, maybe the city ought to be kicking in for candy!  I might skip giving out candy, but hubby loves it. I pretty much stay inside watching spooky movies while he attends to lines of kids waiting for sugary loot. I used to buy, stuff, and tie with ribbon eight hundred cellophane bags and we would run out by 7pm. Finally we resorting to just shoveling lose candy into plastic pumpkins and borrowed pillow cases.

The last few years have slowed down a bit. A few years ago we did the whole decoration thing, complete with organza ghosts in windows, strobe light on the third floor and fog machine hidden by our front stairs. Our neighbors were masters, one invited kids into the entry way of their large Victorian house. The foyer had spooky lighting, huge moving spider and an animatronic butler that would scare the pageebees out of the kids. One year another neighbor had a two story pirate ship in his front yard. He was a builder so it was very elaborate; wood, with sails, a plank, the works. Naturally it was the Black Pearl from the Pirates of the Caribbean movie. They got their whole extended family together and each dressed with elaborate costumes and masks as a character from the movie. It actually made the front page of the newspaper. There was no competing with that, so we ditched the decorations and just passed out candy. Now our Halloween crazy neighbors have all moved but we've lost our will to spook kids. Maybe because we go overboard at Christmas which seems to be approaching way too quickly.

I recently read Haunted House Murder, a collection of three short stories by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Barbara Ross. Each story is a nice length, approximately one hundred pages. This was the first dipping my toe into "cozy" mysteries. These category of books is more tame than a thriller, there is a mystery, but not a lot of gore or violence. They usually have a cute title, sometimes rhyming and normally have a colorful, illustrated cover. These books have gotten so popular I thought perhaps they would make a nice break between my beloved thrillers. Sometimes when I read endless thrillers I find myself becoming a little jaded as they all start to sound the same. I don't want my favorite genre to be like that, so I have been trying to sprinkle other kinder, gentler titles in my reading list. So far it's working, thrillers suddenly seem extra thrilling...who wouldn't want that? So, the Haunted House Murder was a much slower pace, no frantic page flipping. Yet, it was actually very enjoyable. All three of these stories have nicely developed characters, somewhat surprising considering each author did not get to contribute a full length novel. I found that I looked forward to reading this and although embarrassing I can happily report I didn't figure out any of the mysteries. I kind of thought reading a "cozy" mystery would be like drinking coffee that was too weak, but it was nice. One thing that is really interesting is that this kind of book often comes out for holidays, there are many Halloween volumes out now and lots for Christmas. In addition, they often feature someplace neat like a bed and breakfast, or library, or country store with locations like Salem or Cape Cod.  Now I've only read one, but I've already purchased way too many....I can't resist the names and covers...these aren't complex stories just plain old fun, nice, light reading. I bet they can be addictive.

On a housewife note, no, our contractor still has not fixed our hurricane Dorian damage. We've had way too much rain and he is super busy. For right now, I will NOT be reading any cutesy cozy about a home repair mystery. I'm living it and it is not cute or cozy!

Elevator Pitch by Linwood Barclay

Hello everyone.

Hubby is on vacation this week. We were going to head to New England but with leaves being at peak color we feared most hotels were booked. We thought about doing something else seasonal and perhaps go ghost watching in Gettysburg. The battlefield park is open well after dark. Let's face it, this is an excuse to go somewhere, sit in the car with the camera at the ready, drinking coffee. I suppose I could do that in the driveway but the neighbors would think I'm even more nuts than they already do. At least in Gettysburg, nobody knows me. Before you say if we went to Gettysburg we should be learning about the history, you should know I've already been. In fact, my dad was a huge history buff, specifically the civil war. He was fascinated that people from the same country would fight each other, literally brother against brother. When we were kids and were going on vacation, we had to stop at every historic sight and read every historic marker along the way. When I was in the sixth grade we went to Disney World. My dad wanted us to tour Gettysburg first. I remember all the headstones and my parents being very moved. Then my dad had us stand in a specific place asking if we were amazed that we were standing right where Lincoln gave the Gettysburg address. At that age, unless Lincoln had been sporting Mickey ears, I wasn't interested. Now, I love history.

In past posts I've mentioned going to New York City on vacations, when I was little. I still remember being amazed by the tall buildings, trying not to look up all the time. Funny that I don't remember my dad making a big deal out of the history there. Of course, NYC is loaded with early American history, like most of the East Coast.  My parents suffered from Broadway-show-itis and Mamma Leone's fever. (Mamma Leone's was a famous restaurant they loved.)

I recently read Elevator Pitch by Linwood Barclay. This story takes place in NYC, emphasizing that the city is made up of so many skyscrapers. This thriller features several simultaneous story lines that of course support each other and merge at the end. New York is under attack and the Mayor's office and police are desperate to discover what is going on and who is responsible. A elevator repair man has been murdered, left unidentifiable. A bomb has been left in a car. Then an elevator plummets from a high floor to the lobby. The elevator issue seems to be an accident, until it happens again and again. Now residents of this vertical city are unable to use elevators as the Mayor demands they all be shut down while being inspected for tampering. Getting food and medical assistance becomes an issue on higher floors. People can't leave apartments knowing they cannot climb dozens and dozens of floors to return. They city is at a standstill.

This book is intense, a true thriller. As the authorities rush to figure out who is terrorizing their city, the reader flips pages faster. The novel is well written, and parts that may seem slower, than things in a free fall, are absolutely necessary in building and supporting the plot. There is no unnecessary rambling. Some very enjoyable and white knuckled reading here!

I was so freaked out about elevators by the end, I actually started learning which kind used a piston and which used cables. You can bet your Aunt Fanny that the next time I'm in NYC I'll request the hotel assigns us a low floor.  Oh, and I am never, ever, watching the movie Speed again.

Burnt Offerings by Robert Marasco

Hello everyone.

I hope you are having a good week. During the last blog post I took a trip down memory lane, a little blast to the past, and talked about reading the novel Hell House and watching the movie The Legend of Hell House. Another movie we used to watch was Burnt Offerings. Have you ever seen it? The movie has some pretty notable people in it: Oliver Reed, Karen Black, Burgess Meredith, Eileen Heckart and Bette Davis. This time of year, you might be able to catch it on Turner Classic Movies or with a subscription service. Upon checking, guess what I found. Yep, it had been a book first. You know curiosity got the better of me.

I recently read Burnt Offerings by Robert Marasco. The author only wrote one other book, Parlor Games.  He also wrote the long running broadway show, Child's Play. Robert Marasco was even nominated for a Tony award. Burnt Offerings, published in 1973, is a great and unusual haunted house book. Kind of. The house isn't haunted, there are no ghosts at all. If you want something paranormal including the spirit world, this book won't do it for you. In this story, the house is alive. The Rolfe family, living in a small Brooklyn apartment, want to escape the hot city for the summer and rent an enormous home in the country. The house is stunning but run down. The family gets a super low price on rent if they will take care of the owner's mother who lives on the top floor. She never comes out and requires no care other than meals to be brought to her room, left outside the door. Seems easy enough and completely anonymous. The other thing is to spruce up the house as they want, restore the old pool, polish knicknacks, trim trees...general house puttering. As the story progresses the reader finds that the house and the Rolfes are very much connected, with the house almost feeding off the family as it begins to return to its original splendor.

This book is well written, with building (note pun) suspense, and a quick satisfying read. Disturbing in the best way, this won't have you checking under your bed, but it will make you think twice about your next rental! Enjoyable from beginning to end, this book is a statement to a great plot and writing featuring a true horror story without gore, vampires or zombies. A scantily clad girl, in high heels for no reason, running away from obvious safety can only be featured so many times before it gets old. You will find solid, plot driven, story telling at it's best here. Some things never get old.

If I read many more of these retro books, I'll have to don a bouffant hair-do, get a coffee percolator, and ditch my laptop in favor of an IBM Selectric typewriter. Nah, I suck with white out.