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Monday, December 27, 2010

Moss Gardening, by George Schenk

Moss Gardening: Including Lichens, Liverworts and Other Miniatures So beautiful, I wish it had had more photos though, and I feel like it was aimed at experts.

Polymer Clay and Mixed Media, by Christi Friesen

Polymer Clay and Mixed Media-- Together at Last: Incorporating Craft Materials and Found Objects in Clay FiguresI don;t know why the cover isn't coming up right, but whatevs.
This was interesting, in that Friesen is a rockstar of polymer clay, but not really my style.
Some good tips though.

The Night Bookmobile, by Audrey Niffenegger

The Night Bookmobile One of the most depressing books I have ever read. Ugh.

The Daria Diaries, by Anne Bernstein

The Daria Diaries
Funny quick riff on Daria.

The Hidden Window Mystery, by Carolyn Keene

Nancy Drew 34: The Hidden Window Mystery
Peacocks, stained glass, and family secrets make up this one. Nancy displays virtuoso drawing skills, learns to make stained glass windows, helps a family find a fortune, hangs out with a melodramatic actress and her daughter, and saves all sorts of days in all sorts of ways.

The Ghost of Blackwood Hall, by Carolyn Keene

The Ghost of Blackwood Hall (Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, No 25)
Nancy, Bess and George help an elderly gentleman reclaim the rights to music his son wrote.

Password to Larkspur Lane, by Carolyn Keene

The Password to Larkspur Lane (Nancy Drew, Book 10)

Nancy finds an injured unregistered homing pigeon carrying a mysterious message, and is off and running. First, though, she wins first place in a flower show, obviously, and then devotes herself to solving the mystery of the bad nursing home and the larkspur/bluebells/delphinium clues.

The Sign of the Twisted Candles, by Carolyn Keene

The Sign of the Twisted Candles (Nancy Drew, Book 9) Nancy falls out with Bess and George in this one, over the disposition of the will of an elderly relative of theirs who seems to have been being held captive until his death in a spooky hotel filled with strange candles (!). Nancy, naturally, fixes everything.

Nancy's Mysterious Letter, by Carolyn Keene

Nancy's Mysterious Letter (Nancy Drew, Mystery Stories, Book 8)

Due to a mixup and a mailman who really needs a vacation, Nancy receives a letter that really should have gone to another Nancy Drew, a theater coach at Emerson College. Getting Ned, Bess, and George involved, Nancy uncovers a money-for-marriage Lonelyhearts operation, and saves the day.

The Secret of Red Gate Farm, by Carolyn Keene

The Secret of Red Gate Farm (Nancy Drew, Book 6)
Bess and George! In this one, Nancy, Bess, and George help Joanne save the family farm by exposing the Black Snake Cult, a group who dance by moonlight wearing white robes (!) as a notorious band of perfume making criminals (!). Pretty fantastic, all that.

The Bungalow Mystery, by Carolyn Keene

The Bungalow Mystery (Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, Bk 3)

In this early (#3) Nancy Drew, Nancy is still besties with Helen Corning, although Helen's impending marriage seems to be straining their friendship slightly- leading the way for Helen to nearly disappear to make room for Bess and George. Nancy is also dating a fellow I don't remember ever seeing again, a Don Cameron, another super-easygoing partner who is willing to take a supporting role and to take second place to solving mysteries. In this one, Nancy helps Laura Pendleton, a recently orphaned heiress, expose her false guardians, and simultaneously helps her father solve an embezzling case.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Grace Under Pressure, by Julie Hyzy

Grace Under Pressure (Manor House Mysteries, No. 1) OK mystery- probably pretty good, but I didn't really pay proper attention to it. Interesting setting, historic home that is open to tours, and so on. Maybe the next will really catch me.

Deathtrap, by Ira Levin

Deathtrap: A Thriller in Two ActsExcellent creepy play, with terrific twists and turns.

The Girl in The Song: The True Stories Behind 50 Rock Classics, by Michael Heatley

The Girl in the Song: The Stories Behind 50 Rock Classics Pretty interesting run-through of many of the great songs-about-a-girl, and what really happened.
Mia Farrow, Janis Joplin, Angie Bowie, and of course Patti Boyd, but also some more obscure random ones, who themselves were surprised to find themselves immortalized in music- the funniest, I think, was from the Rikki who inspired "Rikki Don't Lose That Number"- she had promptly lost his number, and hadn't thought of him again, and the saddest was definitely Suzanne from Leonard Cohen's Suzanne, who is apparently homeless and/or missing.

The Night the Ghost Got In, by James Thurber

James Thurber's The Night the Ghost Got In (Home Use)
Oh, so funny. Thank you James Thurber for being so awesome, and just when we needed a good laugh.

The Scarlet Slipper Mystery, by Carolyn Keene

The Scarlet Slipper Mystery (Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, No 32) A weak entry in the Nancy Drew series.  Refugees from the bizarrely named Centrovia make up most of this rather messy plot, with jewels smuggled in thickly painted sections of paintings of ballerinas, and real ballerinas' slippers being stolen, and just a lot of confusion, but Nancy dances her way through and saves the day.
SuperSkills- dances ballet well enough to teach beginners, dances ballet and "modern interpretative dance" well enough to star in a performance.

Mystery at the Ski Jump, by Carolyn Keene

Mystery at the Ski Jump (Nancy Drew #29) One of my favorites!!! The mysterious Mrs. Channing has scammed loyal Hannah Gruen by selling her a good mink stole cheap, and no-good stock certificates that are valueless!
Nancy goes on a rampage of detecting, and gets to torture Ned while flirting with skiing champions while solving the mystery.
Also, Burt and Dave, George and Bess's boyfriends, appear!
SuperSkills- competitive level ice skating, down-hill skiing, and ski-jumping.

The Clue of the Black Keys, by Carolyn Keene

The Clue of the Black Keys (Nancy Drew #28) Pretty silly one, but this time globe-trotting Nancy Drew helps a batch of archaeologists solve a deep dark mystery in Mexico, involving obsidian keys, treasure, and so on.
SuperSkills- Nancy cannot be damaged in car accidents, great puzzle-solving skills. She would be great on Survivor.

The Clue in the Old Album, by Carolyn Keene

The Clue in the Old Album (Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, No 24) Pretty bad one, involving gypsy violinists, kidnappings, doll collecting, and other such unsavory things.

The Clue in the Crumbling Wall, by Carolyn Keene

The Clue in the Crumbling Wall (Nancy Drew, Book 22)
Nancy, Bess and George help track down a long-missing ballerina, hidden family fortunes, sail, climb, jump, and all sorts.
SuperSkills- Nancy finds a pearl in a clam.