If Walls Could Talk

Another fun, cute, and mildly spooky book for October~

Amazon | Book Depository

Summary (Via Goodreads.com): Melanie Turner has made quite a name for herself remodeling historic houses in the San Francisco Bay Area. But now her reputation may be on the line. 

At her newest project, a run-down Pacific Heights mansion, Mel is visited by the ghost of a colleague who recently met a bad end with power tools. Mel hopes that by nailing the killer, she can rid herself of the ghostly presence of the murdered man-and not end up a construction casualty herself...

Review (3/5 stars): This another fun occult type mystery book from Juliet Black. I enjoyed her witchy series (more on that tomorrow) from the same genre so I thought I'd give this one a go. 

It's very similar to her other books but these are completely different characters, still in San Francisco, but this time in construction rather than vintage fashion. 

Blackwell is always good at weaving an interesting story and unfolding it layer by layer. And the narration is always well done.

The lead character, Mel, is relatable, in her distrust of men and her urge to run off but being too tied down with responsibility to actually do so. There was one conversation in the book that I thought was a little insensitive and not very politically correct, but I don't think the author was intentionally trying to be disrespectful. The book was released five years ago and even in that short time, society had become a little more knowledgeable and more sensitive, so this may have just been an influence of that time.

Overall I enjoyed the audio version and will probably take the time to get to know the characters more by picking up the next installment soon.

Are you a believer?  Have you ever seen a ghost?  Leave a comment below...I know you want to!

The rest of the series~

Intrigued??? You can read an excerpt from the book HERE, or listen to a snip of the first chapter of the audio book HERE.

Simple Bag

This post originally appeared on my crafting blog, Etcetorize, back in 2014.  If you're short on time and want a fun and easy book bag or treat sack, then this is a great tutorial for you!

Do you have some little goblins that you have to take out Trick or Treating soon?  Here's a fast and easy project to help you gather their goodies~

Here's what you need to make your own Trick or Treat Bag:
-Non stretch fabric
-ruler
-standard sewing kit

This is so easy and I was just whipping these up as a little scrapbuster so I didn't decide to do a tutorial until

I had already completed a few steps.  Also, you don't have to follow these measurements exactly.  I was just 

using up a scrap of fabric I found tucked away and was just trying to use it all up.

Steps:
1) In any case, I cut 2 pieces of the large rectangle shape and 2 of the long skinny one. (That's 17" right from

 the top to the very bottom of the big one, just ignore the cut outs at the bottom until the next step.)

2) Now you can cut out 2 little squares from each bottom corner of the large piece.  Mine are about 1 3/4" 

square.

3) First we'll make some handles.  If you don't have enough fabric or you want something really sturdy you

 can use webbing.

Simpy fold each long skinny rectangle, right sides together, and stitch along the the entire long edge.  Zig zag

 or serge and then turn and press the seam along the centre back.  I'm using some kind of nylon lining type of

 material so kept my iron quite low and used a pressing cloth to make sure I didn't melt it.

4) Set your handles aside and stitch the bottom and two sides of the main body of your bag. Finish your 

edges (!) and press to one side.

5) Now pinch the bottom corners, meeting your side seams with your bottom seam.  Pin and stitch across.

You should get some nice sharp boxy corners.  If you're using a heavier fabric you might need to trim across

the corners.  Finish the edges and turn your bag body right side out.

6) Finish the top edge of your bag body, fold about 1" towards the inside and stitch down.

7) Now just attach your handles.  Measure in an equal amount from each side and mark.  Turn the bottom of

 you strap up about 1".  Pin to mark and stitch down in an "x" pattern.  You'll want to collect as much candy 

as possible and this will make sure that your straps won't fall off half way through your neighbourhood rounds.

That's it!  Just throw on that Elsa costume that all the girls are wearing and head out from some treats!

I sent my bags to my niece and nephew along with a couple of little easy to  make pillow treat boxes.

Check out my Sharp Corners Ahead project and use the boxy corner method to make a cushion.

Are you dressing up this year?  Did you make your own costume?  Leave a comment below! 

Magic Potion Mysteries

If you enjoy reading about cute witches who are on the side of the good, have loads of interesting characters in their lives, and manage to solve a crime or two along the way, then you'll enjoy this wonderful (albeit short) series of books from Heather Blake.

Book Depository has all three books, with no shipping fees!

These books were my first foray into this genre, which I didn't even know existed, and they hooked me in.  I enjoyed all the quirky characters, the mysteries that weren't completely convoluted and confusing, and I even like the cute and colorful book covers.

As usual, I listened to the audio version of these books and they're all wonderfully performed.

Here's a summary of each of the three books, straight from Heather Blake's website:

A Potion to Die For: 

As the owner of the Little Shop of Potions, a magic potion shop specializing in love potions, Carly Bell Hartwell finds her product more in demand than ever. A local soothsayer has predicted that a couple in town will soon divorce—and now it seems every married person in Hitching Post, Alabama, wants a little extra matrimonial magic to make sure they stay hitched.

But when Carly finds a dead man in her shop, clutching one of her potion bottles, she goes from most popular potion person to public enemy number one. In no time the murder investigation becomes a witch hunt—literally! 

Now Carly is going to need to brew up some serious sleuthing skills to clear her name and find the real killer—before the whole town becomes convinced her potions really are to die for!

One Potion in the Grave:

Carly Bell Hartwell’s love potions are always in demand in Hitching Post, Alabama, the wedding capital of the South.…

When Katie Sue Perrywinkle walks into the Little Shop of Potions, Carly is surprised and delighted to see her old childhood friend. Katie Sue fled her hometown and a troubled family over a decade ago. But she’s not back for a social visit. She’s come to settle a score with Senator Warren Calhoun, who is in town for his son’s high-profile wedding.

But before Katie Sue has a chance to voice any objections, she’s forced to forever hold her peace. After finding her friend dead, Carly vows to find her murderer. Were the corrupt Calhouns willing to go to any lengths to avoid a scandal? Did Katie Sue’s family take the term “bad blood” to a whole new level? And why did the bride-to-be come to Carly for a love potion? As Carly gets closer to the truth, a killer is planning a very chilly reception.…

Ghost of a Potion:

It's Halloween in Hitching Post, Alabama, and potion shop owner Carly Bell Hartwell has an especially spooky customer to handle... 

With all the ghosts that haunt her at this time of the year, Carly doesn't exactly rush to celebrate Halloween.  Even a costume ball organized by her boyfriend Dylan's mother, Patricia Davis Jackson, holds little allure.  But to please Dylan, who wants peace between the two women, Carly reluctantly agrees to go.

Gossip around town is that architect Haywood Dodd plans to make a big announcement at the party.  But before he can address the crow, he's found dead with Patricia over him, holding the murder weapon.  Anxious to clear Patricia's name and perhaps broker a truce with her, Carly would love to use her snooping skills to find the real killer.  Only she has bigger problems to deal with-ghosts are flocking to her for help, including a very persistent Haywood Dodd...

I really enjoy Heather Blake's writing.  Although these books are a series, she manages to give you all the background you need to know without being overly repetitive in each book, so you can start with any one you want.

The books are infused with just the right amount of humour and touching moment to make them thoroughly entertaining.  I think one of the things I enjoy most about the main character, Carly Bell, is that she's flawed.  She makes mistakes, she gossips, she's afraid of love...in short, she's human.

These are fun little books that are easy to read but will still get your mind working, trying to figure otu which of the many cast of characters in zany Hitchingpost is the one who committed the latest crime.

Overall, I'd use the word 'cute' to describe this series.  The characters and the town have just enough of the stereotypical southerness about them to make you forgive their rudeness and eccentricities. 

The only thing that disappointed me is that there are only three books in the series.  I'd really like to see the story continued.  The good news is that Heather Blake has another witch series of books that currently has 7 installments, called the Wishcraft series.

These books aren't all that spooky, but there are witches, spells, and ghosts, so I think it counts~

The Diviner's Tale

Don't forget...it's Spooky Books Month here at EtcetorizeReads!

Amazon | Book Depository

Summary (via Goodreads): Walking a lonely forested valley on a spring morning in upstate New York, having been hired by a developer to dowse the land, Cassandra Brooks comes upon the shocking vision of a young girl hanged from a tree. When she returns with authorities to the site, the body has vanished, leaving in question Cassandra’s credibility if not her sanity. The next day, on a return visit with the sheriff to have another look, a dazed, mute missing girl emerges from the woods, alive and the very picture of Cassandra’s hanged girl. 

What follows is the narrative of ever-deepening and increasingly bizarre divinations that will lead this gifted young woman, the struggling single mother of twin boys, hurtling toward a past she’d long since thought was behind her. The Diviner’s Tale is at once a journey of self-discovery and an unorthodox murder mystery, a tale of the fantastic and a family chronicle told by an otherwise ordinary woman. 

When Cassandra’s dark forebodings take on tangible form, she is forced to confront a life spiraling out of control. And soon she is locked in a mortal chess match with a real-life killer who has haunted her since before she can remember.

The book is not about this kind of diviner...

It is about this kind of diviner....
but you can see where the two might meet up~

Review (2 out of 5 stars): As I mentioned last week, I don't actually read all that  many scary books.  For anyone else out there like me who doesn't like being scared, this one is just a little spooky.  There are some ghosts or apparitions and some creepy things happen, but nothing that will scare your socks off.  So, on with the review...

I'm not sure if it's because I wasn't paying close enough attention to the audio version of this book or if it's the style of writing, but I found the narrative a little difficult to follow and confusing at times. At one point the main character is reminiscing about some horrific event from her childhood and then suddenly out of nowhere she's on a date in the present and then she wakes up from a dream??? 

There are some good bits, and of course you're meant to fall in love with Cassandra's father, and you will, but her sons came across to me as major annoying know-it-alls. The one time I liked one of them was when Cass tried to stick her head in the ground (yet again) and insist he didn't see something that he in fact did see, and he just told her she was wrong, wrong, wrong. I also liked when her cop friend asked her what kind of game she was playing, because it felt a bit like that's what she was doing.

I get that she had difficulty in discerning what was real and what wasn't but her constant denial of what was reality was fairly annoying. This book isn't really what I thought it would be. It's not horrible, but it's unfortunately not going to make it to my list of fav reads this summer either.

If you like books that have a very extensive, contrived, and meandering lead up to the climax then you actually might enjoy this book. This one just wasn't for me.


Want to learn more?  In the video below, the author tells you how he came up with the idea for the book and reads an excerpt from the beginning of the book~



What do you think about diviners and/or diviners???  Leave a comment below~