Monday, October 4, 2010

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

3 comments:

  1. Fun, fast, easy? Not for me!! That darling pumpkin quilt would take me years to figure out!! You did such a wonderful job on it, Pam :) Cute little SB finish, too--the witch's hat adds so much...

    Gypsy with magical powers? Not my cup of tea either--hope you enjoy your next book!

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  2. The pumpkin quilt is adorable. I don't quilt so can't imagine a "fast, easy finish" when looking at all of the work. Good job!
    SB looks great.
    Sorry about the book...isn't that frustrating? Here's hoping the next read will make up for this bomb.

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  3. What a cute quilt! That would never be an "easy" finish for me. (Can't sew straight lines with a machine.)
    The SB finish is so cute!

    Hope you enjoy your next book more~

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