Literary Blogger Award

Thanks again!! to Missy of
Missy's Book Nook for another award! This is just fabulous!

The Literary Blogger Award acknowledges bloggers who energize and inspire reading by going the extra mile! These amazing bloggers make reading fun, and enhance the delight of reading!

I'm passing on the award to:
Sharon at A Book Worm's Reviews
Staci at Life in the Thumb
Booklady at Okie-Book Lady
Kay at Kay's Book Shelf
Carol at Carol's Notebook
Stacy at Stacy's Bookblog
Jenny at Sunny Sweet Pea

Congrats again!

Agatha Award for Traditional Mysteries, 2008

"Traditional mysteries" written in the manner of an Agatha Christie novel have been recognized in the 2008 Agatha Award competition. The nominees are:

* award winners.

Best Novel:
Six Geese A-Slaying by Donna Andrews
A Royal Pain by Rhys Bowen
* The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny
Buckingham Palace Gardens by Anne Perry
I Shall Not Want by Julia Spencer-Fleming



Best First Novel:
Through a Glass, Deadly by Sarah Atwell
The Diva Runs Out of Thyme by Krista Davis
Pushing Up Daisies by Rosemary Harris
* Death of a Cozy Writer by G.M. Malliet
Paper, Scissors, Death by Joanna Campbell Slan

To see the complete list of winners and categories, visit The Agatha Awards.

Teaser Tuesday: Sudden Death Sudoku

Teaser Tuesday meme courtesy of MizB at Should Be Reading. Choose two sentences at random from your current read; include the title and author for those who might want to read the book.

In Sudden Death Sudoku, a mystery novel, Katie McDonald enters a sudoku challenge game and finds problems that lead up to a murder.

"Maybe Gordon was a cheater. Or maybe he was right, and there was more jealousy than truth in the accusation, which would be a shame."

(p. 32, Sudden Death Sudoku: A Katie McDonald Mystery, 2008)

Book Review: Killer Cruise by Laura Levine

In the middle of reading a long and serious book for a book discussion group, I found this light and amusing mystery novel, a really good comedy, which I read in less than a day!

In Killer Cruise, one murder is enough! But there are many possible culprits on board the cruise ship Festival, ranging from a jilted ex-fiancee, an ice sculptor, and the relatives and friends of a silver haired lady being swept off her feet by love at first dance.

Our heroine and crime solver, Jaine Austen (with an i in Jane), has some setbacks on a cruise she was expecting to be a lot of fun. She is an employee, hired to give writing lessons to cruise passengers, but only five show up. She has an unintended stowaway, her cat Prozac, who had to be sneaked on board at the last minute.

While hiding Prozac as well as reading the hefty manuscript of her cabin steward, the would be writer Samoa, in exchange for his silence about the cat on board - Jaine finds time to do some snooping to solve a murder while also indulging in her passion for midnight snacks and all things chocolate.

"I hurried along the corridor, checking over my shoulder to make sure Anton wasn't following me. Then, with the unerring accuracy of a homing pigeon, I returned to the buffet, where I picked up some roast beef for Prozac and a restorative dose of brownies for me." (p. 29)

Though this is a mystery novel, I chuckled all through the book, and laughed out loud at the ending. Humourous lines on every page. Readers who like comedy and mystery will like this one.

By the way, author Laura Levine is a comedy writer who has written for TV shows such as Three's Company, Laverne and Shirley, and The Love Boat.

Lemonade Award

This is so much fun! I've gotten another Lemonade Award, thanks to Missy of Missy's Book Nook.

"Here are the rules for passing on the award to your favorite blogs:

1. Put the Lemonade Award logo on your blog or post. 2. Nominate up to 10 blogs that show great attitude or gratitude. 3. Link to your nominees within your post. Let them know they have received this award by commenting on their blog. 4. Link to the person who gave you your award."

And the award goes to... - some great blogs I recently discovered:

Ms. Lucy and Arleigh at Plaidy's Royal Intrigue

Jo-Jo at Jo-Jo Loves to Read

Patricia at Horror and Fantasy Book Review

Jess at Barney's Book Blog

Hope In Brazil at Worthwhile Books

Tutu at Tutu's Two Cents


Please check them out!

Midnight's Children by Rushdie: Tuesday Teaser

This novel is about a child born at midnight 1947 on India's independence day from Britain. The book follows his life (and India) into the modern age.

"Snakes can lead to triumph, just as ladders can be descended: my grandfather, knowing I would die anyway, administered the cobra poison. The family stood and watched while poison spread through the child's body...and six hours later, my temperature had returned to normal."

from Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie, Book II, p.189

Teaser Tuesday meme courtesy of MizB at Should Be Reading. Choose two sentences at random from your current read; include the title and author for those who might want to read the book.

Queen's Cross, book review

The Schoonover Collection: Queen's Cross by Lawrence Schoonover


The story of Isabella of Castille and her husband Ferdinand of Aragon uniting Spain in the 15th century is a lively tale told by Lawrence Schoonover in Queen's Cross.
For this review, I mainly did a summary of the book, but the story is so interesting I couldn't resist. My precis has omitted a lot of historical and other details, which the book itself can supply. It's a well known story, but Schoonover has enlivened 15th century history, bringing us the amazing life of Isabella of Spain.

Chroniclers in monasteries, penning her astonishing achievements..., did not hesitate to call her a living saint. She was not logical, but her exploits were magnificent." (ch. 17)

At the beginning of the novel, we meet young Isabella and her brother Alfonso, both set to succeed their childless half-brother, the current King Henry. When
Henry later has a daughter but disowns her as not his biological child, and when his second child, a son, is stillborn, Isabella and Alfonso once again assume the title of Infantes, successors to the throne.
To avoid being forced into an arranged marriage, Isabella schemes to marry Ferdinand of Aragon. Her brother Alfonso dies before he can become king, and Isabella is crowned queen of Castille on the death of King Henry.

"Isabella and her consort Ferdinand emerged from the celebrated Cortes of 1480 as absolute monarchs. She began to spend her great revenues in ways that at first he judged foolish.... No one had ever done that before, at least no one since Caesar." (ch. 23)

The landing of the Turks in Sicily, on parts of King Ferdinand's lands, prompts Isabella to begin the building of a fleet of ships, an armada. The Moorish war continues, and so does the spread of the Spanish Inquisition. Granada falls and becomes part of Spain. With the lands under Christian control "from Granada to the Pyrenees," Spain is united, and Ferdinand reluctantly agrees with Isabella that Christopher Columbus can begin his celebrated voyages.

"Oh very well, senora mia," he agreed grudgingly. "I suppose we can afford him now, and you seem to feel strongly about him. Sail him way, for all I care, out of this world. At least he'll quit pestering me."
"How do we know,: Isabella smiled, "that he won't bring back another?" (ch. 31)

Those who like historical fiction and 15th century Spain will enjoy reading Queen's Cross, one of several historical novels written by Schoonover.

Book provided by the publisher, for my objective review.