Spooky Stuff

It's that time of year when we encounter all things "Spook-tacular", well at this point all the major retailers have moved on to stocking Christmas items (there really is something spooky about that). But I digress... I used to love Halloween when I was a kid, dressing up in homemade costumes, trick-or-treating with our plastic pumpkins. The thrill of dumping out all that candy at the end of the night and seeing what treasures we had received. As I have moved on to adulthood I find that not a lot of things get me excited like that anymore. I could still dress up, but I live in an area where I do not get all those cute litte trick-or-treaters. So, it would just be me walking around the house in a costume and let's face it, I already have my husband shaking his head at my on most days so I figure this might just push him over the edge...lol.
What I have tried to do over the years is capture the magic, if you will, of that feeling that I had when I was a child. That feeling of having fun without worry. You know, that feeling we lost whenever we grew up and take on adult responsibilities? I am not sure I even understood just how good I had it as a child. I was not responsible for paying bills, upkeep on vehicles, keeping a roof over my head or buying groceries. Talk about spooky stuff. Who knew that growing up would be so scary? Why was I ever in a hurry to get older? I have tried, and in most cases failed, at finding some sort of activity that made me feel carefree again. That was until I found my true love...Reading!
Diving into a new story is like that first drop on a roller coaster..it just takes my breath away. This time of year though I truly do like to read some of the spookier tales. I am less about the blood and gore and more about the mystery and intrigue. One of my new favorite genres of stories are the Cozy Mystery. These fun little books are packed full of mystery with a twist of humor. None of them are too long but they sure do draw you in and hold you as they unfold. My most favorite are the stories based around a food theme. Not only do they give you mystery and humor, but many also give you great recipes! The most recent one I read was by Grace Lemon and was titled: Maple Syrup Murder. This was a fun mystery that included a "killer" recipe for Maple Bacon Fudge! This, my friends, is where happiness resides.
If you are so inclined, pick up a cozy mystery and settle in for a spell. Just remember to look for the ones with a food theme, you get the reward of a great mystery and some awesome recipes! Well I am off now to begin reading my next cozy mystery "Margaritas & Murder" by CeCe Osgood..more on that to come! But before I go, let me ask this..Do you like a good mystery? If so, have you ever read any of the cozy mysteries and if so what did you think?
Until then, Happy Halloween and Have a Spooky Good Time...Happy Reading...
Amy

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Title: Loved You Always

Author: Natalina Reis

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Release Date: November 19, 2016

Publisher: Hot Tree Publishing

Designer: Claire Smith

The last person Emily Rose expects to reconnect with is Jeremy Peter, her childhood best friend. When Jem walks back into her perfectly settled life, Em puts up her guard. She has no desire to place her heart on the line again.

She’s moved on and is in a serious relationship with someone else. But the universe—and her kooky sister—have other ideas.

Thrust into an unexpected and dangerous adventure together, Em is forced to confront her unresolved feelings for Jem and decide what kind of life she really wants. That is if they both survive.

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Natalina wrote her first romance in collaboration with her best friend at the age of 13. Since then she has ventured into other genres, but romance is first and foremost in almost everything she writes. Her novel, We Will Always Have the Closet, is her first published romance.

After earning a degree in tourism and foreign languages, she worked as a tourist guide in her native Portugal for a short time before moving to the United States. She lived in three continents and a few islands, and her knack for languages and linguistics led her to a master’s degree in education. She lives in Virginia where she has taught English as a Second Language to elementary school children for more years than she cares to admit.

Natalina doesn’t believe you can have too many books or too much coffee. Art and dance make her happy and she is pretty sure she could survive on lobster and bananas alone. When she is not writing or stressing over lesson plans, she shares her life with her husband and two adult sons.

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Book before Movie or the other way around?

Hey everyone,
I know that it has been a while since I have posted anything new. Suffice it to say that sometimes life gets in the way of all the fun stuff ..like reading and blogging. But I am back and will do my best to post more often.
Now, back to my question.. do you prefer to read the book before seeing the movie, or the other way around? I have found that I am a book before movie kind of gal. My reasons are pretty simple and it basically boils down to this...I get more story from the book. Nothing against Hollywood or the movie industry in general, it's not their fault. They have two hours to tell the story and have to make cuts. I just prefer to get all the meaty bits and the crumbs too.
I have had others tell me they prefer the movie first because then when they read the book they get the surprise of the extra story. I would say that is a fair point.
So, I bet you have guessed this question has a point right? Well as I was recently shopping at my local Kroger and my husband off-handedly said.."Isn't that movie coming out based on that book?"...God how I love this man..he is always looking out for my book addiction. The book and movie he was referring to is "The Girl on the Train" and I snatched it up! After three days of getting interrupted I finally finished and I was floored. I will not give away specifics for those who have not read the book or seen the movie, but let me just say..WOW!
I was 20 pages from the end before it all came together for me and when it did it was as if I took a huge hit...how could I not have seen it?
If you have the chance, read the book whether you have seen the movie or not..either way you will not be disappointed.
Until next time..Happy reading! !
Amy