Beneath the Shadows by Sara Foster

Some stories will haunt you for a long time and this is one of them. 

Grace and her husband have moved into a cottage in the moors with their new baby.  It’s the start of a new chapter as Grace starts to come to terms with leaving London.  Christmas is coming and a new year promises great things, until Grace opens the front door to find her child sleeping peacefully in her pram and no husband. 

A year later, Grace returns determined to discover what happened to her husband on that cold winter day.  Filled with tales of ghosts and omens, Grace fights her fears to uncover why her husband was gone.  Everyone around her feels she should just move on but how can she when she has so many unanswered questions.

The story is frightening, sad and full of twists and turns.  It reminds me of Mary Stewart’s mysteries.  You just never know what dark secrets people harbor until you start digging.  Not everyone will come out of this alive but Grace won’t stop until she knows the truth.

I was captivated by Sara Foster’s book.  The life on the moors is enchanting and yet harbors its own secrets.  Are there ghosts on the moor?  What is up with the grandfather clock that stops when it wants and seems to still keep time? 

There’s a touch of romance and sweetness in this book.  Beneath the Shadows deserves a place with other gothic mysteries such as Rebecca and Wuthering Heights.  There are far more things to be frightened of than ghosts and they are all here.

The World’s Creepiest Places by Bob Curran

Bob Curran has put together a book of actual locations around the world that have frightening histories.  Many of the locations are lesser known hauntings (at least to me).  The segments are fairly short and in depth.  There’s a lot of history in these pages.

However, I wished there had been pictures.  I am a very visual person and I like to look at the places that are being written about.  I would have loved to even just have a website I could go to that would link to pictures of these places.  In this day and age, there’s no real reason not to have access to that visual accompaniment. 

If you are big on hauntings or ghosts or even just eerie feeling sorts of places – this is a great book for you.  Many of Bob Curran’s selections are out of the norm giving the enthusiast a new set of places to explore.

Home Baked Comfort by Kim Laidlaw

Beautiful book.  The recipes are elegant and stunning.  The pictures captivate the reader and leave you craving something hot and amazing out of the oven.  The recipes work in seasonal fruits at the peak of perfection.  The crusts are crisp and golden while the breads are soft and aromatic.

The instructions are simple with fairly common ingredients.

A nice touch is the brief interviews of various bakers from around the country.  Each offer their own perspective of baking and share a recipe.  Grab a cup of coffee and pour over this book as if you were visiting with a friend.  Kim Laidlaw has put together a book that was meant to be handed down to future generations – preferably covered in stains with sticky pages.

A look back at 2011

Well I met my goal of 100 books with 101 listed in my journal. I read more than that but didn't count some of the shorter works. I am in love with my Nook and I think it has opened new doors to me, as well as joining the NetGalley family.
I got an email from one of the reading sites I have subscribed to (this one I didn't even know I was a member of). They asked everyone to list their top ten books of 2011. That sounded like fun. I have read some amazing books this year and looking over my journal, I remembered what I loved about them.
So, in order that I read them, here are my top ten picks of the books I have read in 2011.

Locke and Key: Welcome to Lovecraft
20th Century Ghosts
The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling
Horns
I Am Number Four
Rivermarked
America I Am: Pass It Down Cookbook
How David Met Sarah
Bearded Women Stories
The Girl Who Owned a City

It was a tough list to make since there were so many great books this year. These 10 still make me want to recommend them. In fact, I submitted Bearded Women Stories as a possible all university freshman read. To me, it's an amazing study of humanity and how we are all struggling with being different.
How David Met Sarah practically haunts me - it's such a great book. There has never been another like it and I can't wait to find more.
I like that the list is all over the place - fiction, nonfiction, adult, juvenile. It just goes to show how eclectic my reading is (there are even 2 graphic novels). There are a multiple of reasons why these 10 are my favorites and I recommend that you read them. They may not make it on a bestseller's list but I think they are worth your time.
Happy Holidays and see you in the new year.

Martha Stewart's Handmade Holiday Crafts

Martha Stewart never fails to please with her craft books. There is always something for everyone in each of her collections. I enjoyed looking through the crafts and have a few slated to be completed over the next month.
There were many things I loved about this book - it had a variety from easy to do with the kids to something elegant and showstopping. She hit all the major holidays and gives us projects for the whole year.
What I didn't like was how quick some of the instructions were. Some of the projects I would have liked more detail and more pictures. I was able to find more instructions on her website but not much. I like her projects but it's a little frustrating going in blind. I know that I will most likely figure out the project on my own but it makes me less likely to do more projects.
I love her eye for crafts and really like the ideas she offers. This is definitely one worth checking out.