Book Review: The Fourth Bear: A Nursery Crime

My wonderful friend Kara and I recommend books to one another all the time now. It turns out we have a pretty similar taste in what we like to read so this has worked out pretty well. A couple weeks ago I told her I needed something to read and was not interested in anything I had at home. She said she would look for something for me.  The next day she gave me her Kindle to borrow!

Last Christmas Jeremy had mentioned giving me a Kindle and I said I didn't want one. I love books! I love the smell of books, physically turning the pages, wandering around the library, book store or thrift store looking for my next favorite book. A Kindle just seems like it takes all the beauty and wonder out of reading. Kara really recommended that I read one of two of the books she has on her Kindle though. She showed me how to work the thing and I took it home with me. One thing I was happily surprised about is that I thought it would be like looking at a computer screen or my phone but it's not. The screen looks like an actual book page. It was kind of weird at first too that the pages don't have the page numbers on them.  I guess because you can alter the font size and line spacing, it could be inaccurate. Instead there is a little bar on the bottom that tells you what percentage you are through the book, I kind of love that!

Now onto the actual Book Review....

The first book I read was The Fourth Bear: A Nursery Crime by Jasper Fforde. It was sooo good!! I found out after I finished it that it is actually the sequel to The Big Over Easy. It definitely didn't matter that I started with the sequel because I never felt like I was missing anything. The concept of the book is so funny. In Reading, England there is a Nursery Crime Division in the police department. There are only 3 members of the NCD, Jack Spratt (notice the two T's), Mary Mary (it's never mentioned but I'm pretty sure she's quite contrary) and an alien called Ashley. There are all kinds of Nursery Rhyme characters living throughout Reading and whenever there is any need for the police, the NCD are the ones on the scene. The story centers around Goldilocks' murder and an escaped serial killer, the Gingerbreadman. There is a conspiracy that Goldilocks uncovered about nuclear power available in the most unsuspecting place, cucumbers!! The book is so cleverly written interweaving well known nursery rhymes with real crime drama! It's silly yet very suspenseful, I highly recommend this book. Jasper Fforde has written a few other series' that I think I may have to look for too.

What are your thoughts on the Kindle? Do you have one? Like it, hate it? I think Jeremy may be getting me one for my birthday now that he sees I've been borrowing Kara's. Since I've been having such an issue getting certain books from the library for book club and I don't want to buy them brand new since they're too expensive, maybe downloading them for the lower price would be good? I have such mixed feelings about it still!

One last set of Granny Squares

It took me forever to post these because I have become a huge slacker at blogging recently but I received my last set of squares in the Blogger Blanket Project. I am madly in love with the color scheme Debbie chose for these. They remind me of pumpkins which therefore makes me think of Fall and Halloween!!

I can not wait until I have all the beautiful squares I received in this swap sewn together. Courtney is organizing a second swap which I HIGHLY recommend you join!! It was so fun and I met lots of talented and wonderful ladies. I'm not 100% sure if I will be participating in the second round. I have my Mystery Project to work on and then after my birthday I start working on Christmas presents so I might be a bit busy. I don't want to be the jerkface partner who isn't able to send.
 
Have a crafty day my dears!
 

September Goals

I have some big goals for this month as well as some awesome stuff I'm looking forward to, I love September!!

First up are my goals for the month...

Finish the September pick for Book Club.
Read another book of my choosing.
Make 3 more items for my Mystery Project.
Announce my Mystery Project!!
Get out all my Fall decor and decorate my apartment as well as my cubicle at work!
Figure out gifts for Liz & Kara's Birthdays.
Sew together all the squares from the Blogger Blanket Project and the Craftster swap.
Here are a few of the things I am looking forward to this month...

Spending a few days down the shore with my Dad, Lonnie (my step mom), Jeremy, Jessie and Justin (a lot of J's in the group)
Getting my tattoo finished!!!
The first day of Autumn!
and last but certainly not least...My Birthday on the 28th!

August Goals Recap

Holy smokes I can not believe it is September!!!

Finish the zombie book I picked up at the library instead of last months Book Club book.  Here is the Zombie book review.


Read THIS months Book Club book.  I wasn't able to get this months Book Club book from the library again due to too many holds. Picking new, popular books to read for the club sucks because it's always so hard to get from the library.


And try to read another book of my own choosing.  The other book I read I looooved so much and I will be posting a review of it shortly.



Save $$ for North Carolina trip next month.  I saved the money but then our trip was cancelled because of stupid hurrican Irene. I was bummed because I love spending time with my family and we were going to spread my Nana and Grandpa's ashes in the ocean. We already have it planned that we will try again next year. The only bright side is that I am able to pay a couple other bills with that loot instead.

Make something for Mom's Birthday.  I made her this adorable baby dragon.
Send to last Blogger Blanket partner.  Done and Done!

Make at least 3 things for Mystery Project. I was only able to get 2 1/2 things finished by the end of the month.

Even though I didn't get EVERYTHING done, I got more than half so I'm happy! 

I'm Back in Black!

I just have a quick little update about my hair.... As you've seen in pictures on this here bloggy blog, I've had black hair with red streaks in my bangs and on the sides for quite a while. I really loved the red, I get so bored with my hair easily and it's something you can change all the time. One problem however is that I have gotten sick of the upkeep the red requires. It's just Manic Panic semi-permanent dye that I'd apply over bleached sections. About every 10 - 14 days it would be pretty faded out and I would have to dye it again. It wasn't a HUGE hassle. Every other Sunday or so I would spend about half an hour in the bathroom sectioning out my hair and applying the dye. I would leave it in for a few hours and then rinse it out. I would have to be careful to make sure none of my face or bathroom had dye on it because otherwise I or the sink would be stained pink for a while. After more than a year of keeping up with it, I've grown sick of the maintenance. So I decided to go all black again, much easier.

I was actually really nervous about getting rid of the red because I thought I would be bored with how I looked. However, as soon as I dried my hair and saw it all black again I felt like my old self again! I've had black hair for what seems like ever, I think first was when I was 15. I would go back and forth between black and burgundy hair over the years. The burgundy permanent hair dyes are a pain in the ass too though. They always fade into that weird brassy red color. I don't understand how people have built a plane that can literally fly 13,000 mph but no one can make a permanent red hair dye that keeps its color!! Anyway, I like black hair because it doesn't fade and most people believe it is my natural color since my eye brows just happen to be super dark as well. So here's to the old, new me!
I thought it appropriate to take a picture with my curled lip face as well.  I have no idea but for about 5 years every freaking picture I took...this was my face!  (beer and jager may have been the culprits)

Have a good day friends!