Some reading, some stitching,

and a cute Halloween finish.  This afternoon I put the finishing touches on this cute little pumpkin quilt.  Fun, fast, and easy.  

At the end of last week I stitched this very quick Shepherd's Bush piece.  We'll see if I can get it finished this season. 

This morning I finished reading The Red Scarf by Kate Furnivall.  This is my first book by Furnivall so I didn't know what to expect.  However, I did expect a better story based on the reviews I've read.  It wasn't until I was part way thru the book that I started to wonder about those reviews and looked for more and came upon one that said the book was so ridiculous that she quit half way thru.  While I hung in until the bitter end, I am disappointed that the author chose to include a gypsy with magical powers to explain away the harder parts of the story.  The parts of the story that would have taken some genuine creativity.  A book that could have been a very interesting historical look at life in Russia in the early 1930's lost credibility when a gypsy took over whenever the characters were at risk.  I think that if someone could put aside that one aspect of the story, they could really get drawn into life in a labor camp and later, a small village in pre WWII Russia.  I did find myself pleasantly surprised at a plot twist that occurred in the last 100 pages.  So hanging in thru the whole book wasn't a total waste.  I bought the Russian Concubine based on similar  reviews.  Hope I don't regret it. 

Next I'm planning to read the latest Emily Giffin book;  Heart of the Matter.  I really enjoy her stories and don't expect this one to disappoint.

Thanks for stopping. 

The Queen Bee