Every-Other-Sunday (Evening) Post/Readathon Update

Posted on by Rae Longest

powerfulwomenreaders

I have a meme on my phone that I should learn to send out here.  It has an adorable puppy on his back, paws up, saying, “Help! I’m running out of weekend!” Well, it is Sunday after 6 p.m., and I have run out of weekend.

My Better Half and I decided to run 12 hours of the 24 hr. Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon. I set aside 13 hours, so I could include 1/2 hour each to heat up and eat lunch and supper.  We started promptly at seven, broke for lunch (although we snacked while reading, mostly trail mix and chocolate) around noon, put the dishes on to soak, and I started chicken marsella in the slow cooker.  Amid delicious smells we spent a rainy, warm afternoon reading relaxing either on the bed, propped up by pillows or in comfortable reading/rocking chairs in the living room. Around sixish, we…

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CRYSTAL CLEAR, A novelette by Aiden Reid: A Review

Posted on by Rae Longest

powerfulwomenreaders

Aiden Reid, author of Pathfinder and Sigil, both fascinating novels, has written a long short story or a short novel which is another story about the hero of Pathfinders. In the story, Stephen finds a crystal that has special powers that turn his life around and change him from a slacker/loser to a very successful person.  How this is all accomplished, where the crystal came from, and what happens to the mysterious crystal is the focus to this attention-grabbing, interest-sustaining narrative.  It is sci-fi at its best with bits of philosophy and life-lessons tossed in for good measure.  It is a quick read, but one you won’t want to miss!

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I Wish That Anything In Life Could Excite Me As Much As Squirrels Excite My Dogs.

Posted on by Rae Longest

Some Words That Say What I Think

Autumn is an exciting time of year for my dogs, mostly because there is a significant increase in the number of squirrels running around in the park.

When my dogs encounter a squirrel, they experience a level of excitement beyond that which humans can cognitively process.

I could win the lottery, be offered a free luxury round-the-world cruise and discover the secret to eternal youth, all within the space of a single hour, and still not come close to scraping the surface of the excitement that my dogs experience when they see a squirrel.

Upon seeing a squirrel, my dogs become so excited that they are no longer completely in control of their bodies.

All they can do is run around, barking manically, their movements and actions controlled by the all-consuming power of their base instincts.

At this time of year, the squirrels are collecting food in preparation for winter…

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CLARICE BEAN: Review of a Children’s Book

Posted on by Rae Longest

powerfulwomenreaders

Lauren Child’s charming chapter book, Utterly Me, Clarice Bean was not my first encounter with the girl of the title.  Several years ago, I found a book at Half Price Books for my Little Free Library (LFL) entitled Clarice Bean Spells Trouble which was about a kid who couldn’t spell if her life depended on it and a teacher, Mrs. Wilberton, who couldn’t understand why Clarice “just didn’t try.” This book, Utterly Me… is evidently the first in the Clarice Bean series. Clarice and her best friend, Betty Moody are “utterly” (Clarice’s favorite word) hooked on the Ruby Redford series (think Nancy Drew with James Bond gadgets and Batman’s butler).

Not only do Clarice and Betty follow the books (of which excerpts are included throughout), they write to the author and use the girl detective’s methods to solve a mystery in their own classroom, much to Mrs. Wilberton’s dismay…

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