November newspaper column

As I write this on Halloween day I am in admiration of the beautiful fall foliage this year despite all the rain that is trying to dampen it down.

Just a reminder as you start your Christmas shopping to think about buying from your small business locally. Gift certificates for hair cuts, or local restaurants are always nice. I have hand woven rugs for sale that make great gifts for something unusual and that will last for many years. I am usually weaving something at the store most days. I would still like to look into doing “memory” rugs, by using your

Grandpa's old bibs or baby blankets to create a lasting rug made from these special fabrics.

For you fans of Christian Fiction, I have a large selection now available, so come check them out.

I have had some interesting reading this last month. Here are a few books that I read.

The Help

by

Kathryn Stockett

First I have to say I did not see the movie when it came out. I waited till the book showed up in some trade in books at my store. I wasn't sure what I expected but I have to say it was a really good book. The setting is 1962 in Jackson Mississippi. I made me realize how we take our lives for granted and how many people, because of the color of their skin and the time that they were born live much different lives. The main character is a socialite, Skeeter Phelan, just returning to her home with a new college degree and a desire to write. Her mother just wants to see her married to the right man, which in her mind was why she sent her daughter to college. But Skeeter talks a New York editor into reading her material and takes on a project to write a book about the secret lives of the black maids in white homes of the South. She manages to recruit first one then a few others to tell her their stories. Some of the stories are heart breaking, some very demeaning, and some quite humorous. Skeeter is able to get her story and form bonds of friendship with women who just want to see things change for the better.

I loved this book and highly recommend it, especially for those of us who grew up during this time period with blindness to this subject.

The Tenderness of Wolves

by

Stef Penney

I seem to be drawn to stories from the 1800's. In this one set in 1867 in the Northern Territory of Canada. The harsh climate described in the book almost gives you chills. It is a murder mystery, with many changes in the plot and many characters to remember. Due to their isolation and the corporate greed of the fur company it has the making for a good mystery. In the end there were several plots that left you wondering what the heck happened to them. I will say that it was hard to put down and I did order her second book that looked very interesting. It was hard for me to figure out how the book got its name, other than the Indians in the story and the whole feeling of a lonely environment.

The Broken Window

by

Jeffery Deaver

I think I am becoming a mystery reader. I do recommend this author as he carries the main characters in most of his books, so you can get a real feel for their personalities and lives. If you saw the movie The Bone Collector, you get the feel for his characters. Lincoln Rymes is a brilliant detective who had his physical life interrupted with a spinal cord injury that has left him paralyzed from neck down. He has his cast of assistants who help him solve crimes. Number one being his love interest, Amelia, who is his feet and body as she searches the “grid” of the crime scenes for him. In this book they are after a cyberspace techno-genius who steals informational data that is collected by a huge company and uses this information to frame innocent people for the heinous crimes that he commits. With all its twists and turns you can't put this one down. One thing I got out of it was how vulnerable we are with all our electronics in our lives and how “someone” is collecting all this data on us to be used for our own good? Or to market us for what is best for us? Leaves you with a lot of questions about the technological society we have become.