What the Cat Saw

What the Cat Saw by Carolyn Hart has a picture of a cat on the cover.  Jugs is the cat from the title. Though he does not have a big part in this book, Nela learns that his previous owner was killed because of a skateboard placed on the step.

I am using this for letter W in tha A-Z challenge.

Nela has the ability to read cat's thoughts when she looks them in the eye.  Jugs tells her that his owner was killed by a rolling board.  The cat also can tell her when she is angry or when someone else is angry.  I must say that Jugs does like Steve which is good, since Steve fell in love with Nela the moment he saw her.

Chloe, Nela'sister, and her boyfriend are off on a trip that he won.  Nela comes to sub for Chloe at the Haklo Foundation and to take care of Jugs.  The day, Nela arrives, the apartment she is staying in is randsacked while she is in the other room.  The police do not believe her beause, she had to open the door to let them into the place.  Nela was an investigative reporter and she decides to get as muh informationthat she can.

It is obvious that someone within the foundation had to be responsible for all the incidents that happened there.  As many of my friends in the cat mystery group on Yahoo, I wish there was more of Jugs in the book.  One can only hope that he would have a larger part in any other books.

The 15th Star

The 15th (Fifthteen) Star is listed as a Lisa Grace History-Mystery.  I obtained it as a free book thanks to Kboard.blogspot.com.  

The 15th Star from the flag that flew over Fort McKinley when Francis Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner has not been found.  This book is a fictional account of the hiding and the discovery of that star.  

The story is told from the view points of two women.  Grace Wisher was a runaway slave who pretended to be a free woman when she arrived at the home of Mary Pickersgill, a seamstress.  As most slaves Grace could not read nor write.   Mary has her sign a contract which turns out to be an agreement to be indentured until she can pay for her freedom.  The other woman is Keiko Zorban who is working at the Smithsonian as an intern while obtaining her Masters.  Keiko discovers letters that Grace wrote to Louisa Armstead (after she learned to write) which leds her to the 15th star.

Mrs. Armstead had sent pieces of the flag to heros and she considered Grace a hero.  She had witnessed the fact that Grace had been raped by Major Rivers after she delivered the flag to the Fort. Grace had sent her a letter saying that she had seen Major Rivers with the lady who had delivered her baby to him outside the woman's home.  The woman is later found dead so Grace assumed he had killed her.  Grace also put a copy of the letter with the star which she hid.

In the present, there is a relative of the Major who does not want the past to be revealed.  He wants to be able to run for President of the US but does not want the past action's of the Major to ruin his chances.  He will do anything to stop the secrets of the past becoming news in the present.

This book has wonderful descriptions of travel in the early 1800's as well as cars.  I felt I was in some of the buildings that are described and can understand how easy it could be to get lost in them.  

It is interesting to see how much Grace grows from her beginnings as a slave to someone who can read and write.  

I really enjoyed reading this book.  It makes reading about the history of our country more interesting.  It has just enough mystery and romance to keep you interested.  I would like to know more about Grace's parentage - she most probably would have had at least one white ancestor for her baby to come out so white.  This would not be uncommon in the period.  I certainly would recommend this book to mystery or history fans.

Owl in the Shower

There's an Owl in the Shower by Jean Craighead George has been on my TBR pile.  I was attracted to this book because I am an Owl collector.  I saw the cover and had to buy this book even though it was intended for middle grade readers.

The Pacific Coast in northern California has old-growth forests.  Borden Watson's father was a logger and the United States Forest Service considered the spotted owl a protected species so the sale of all trees on public land had been stopped.  Borden had even tried to shoot a spotted owl he called Enrique.  The male of the species hunts for food for his young and his mate.  Enrique had found it difficult to find food and his mate also went searching.  Unfortunately, his mate and the female owlet are killed.  The male owlet is discovered by Borden who manages to bring him home and feed him.  Borden believes the owlet who he calls Bardy to be a barred owl.  They fid that Bardy likes to take showers.   

Mr. Watson winds up in a fight with someone who likes owls and receives a summons which sets a fine or requires a court appearance.  Bardy imprints to Mr. Watson and he feels this would be good for him in court.  They feed Bardy until he grows large enough to start flying.  This requires lessons and unfortunately his tail feathers break.  Mrs. Watson knows how to imp hawk feathers onto Bardy who does learn to fly.  

Before the court hearing, they discover Bardy is actually a spotted owl.  There was an insert in the newspaper that said killing or possessing a threatened or endangered species carried a $200,000 fine or a year in jail. They take him back to where Borden found him.  They discover that Enrique is Bardy's dad.    Mr. Watson winds up with a job at the fish hatchery.

This book gives a lot of information on owls.  It is a good book for children or adults to read.

WW Readathon Update

I have finished two book reviews and will be posting a third on this blog.  I participated in Saturday's twitter party and just sent a link to Valentine Day Ball mini-challenge.  I finished Cat Spitting Mad  reviewed at
http://raesrumblings.blogspot.com/2013/02/cat-spitting-mad.html
Buttons and Bones reviewed at
http://rachelle21reviews.blogspot.com/2013/02/buttons-and-bones.html
and the third book is There's an Owl in the Shower:
http://rachelle21reviews.blogspot.com/2013/02/owl-in-shower.html

  I have started I Am Spock by Leonard Nimoy which is a hardback and I do not know when I will finish reading it.

Valentine Ball

I

I would wear Victorian Dress as it looks like it would fit in today.  Have a date with James Bond and arrive in a limo.

Buttons and Bones

 

I finished reading Buttons and Bones on February 7, 2013.  Bones are found in a kitchen so I am using this for What's in a Name 6.  It also fits the Alphabet Feb. Mini-Challenge as there is Romance and love in it.

 

Betsy Devonshire owns the Crewel World needlework shop and also owns a company called New York Motto.  New York Motto buys homes and businesses whose owners have "gone bankrupt." She  helped her friends Jill and Lars Larson purchase some property on the shore of Thunder Lake.  When Betsy goes with the Larson family to visit the cabin they bought.

 

They worked togethre to lift the moldy carpet and the two layers of linoleum that were underneath. They discovered an old-growh pine floor.  In the middle of the floor they discover a trapdoor.  Jill goes down the steps and discovers a skeleton.  Lars goes to the Lone Wolf General Store in order to call the police.  The police come and everyone believes the body is that of a German P.O.W. who escaped from a near-by prison camp during WWII and was never captured.

 

 

Jill who is an ex-cop asks Betsy to help her find out more about the former owners of the cabin especially when the daughter of the original owner wants to find out what happened to her father who everyone thought was a deserter from the service.. 

 

Part of the book deals with Betsy's romance with Connor.  Connor's daughter at first does not approve of Betsy.  Though Peg winds up helping solve the mystery of the bones.  We also learn about the romance of Helga Farmer (the 2nd wife of the original owner) and Peter Ball.  

 

Godwin, Betsy's assistant in the shop, has been having problems with his partner.  His partner loves golf and Godwin has developed a slice.  So Betsy tells him he should go to a driving range and hit some balls.  Though Godwin said it did not help. 

 

I was introduced to Monica Ferris' work by a librarian friend who sold books at the Science Fiction Conventions I attend.  I am so glad that I bought the first book and have fallen in love with the series.  Though Betsy's cat is not a major character, I enjoyed reading about how Betsy has to adjust the cat's food at home because her customer's continue to feed it even though there is a sign sayin the cat is on a diet.  When they visit the lake, you can almost hear the loons when they do.  I certainly would recommend this book to any one who loves mysteries.



Penelope

I loved this book.  It lives up to the description on Goodreads.com.  Penelope is from the country and has not been taught all the things a proper lady should know.  She comes to London with her pet goat and does not have suitable clothes.  The dowager Duchess of Blackthorne had promissed to help Penelope come out to London society so she can find a husband.  To help her learn proper manners Madame Bellafraude, a modeste is called.  The Madame has many secrets but helps Penelope learn how to use a fan, how to dance and how to get in and out of a carrage.

Ms. Wylde is able to put you in the setting.  She describes the costumes and even tells us what Lady Bathsheba, the goat wears or tears. When Penelope ties a string to a bust in order to tell when Anna leaves her room, you can see it.  You can almost swear you smell the perfumes that Madame uses on Penelope.  I really felt like I was right there with Penelope while I was reading the book. 

Penelope was sent to me free by the author, Anya Wylde, to read as an e-book because she liked my review of her first book.

Extreme Couponing

This is a husband and wife who use coupons for S&M to spice up their marrage. I like the writing style and the content. This was an e-book.

Read in January.  Original review on goodreads.com.  Just copyed what was written there to here.