Spring, hobbies, and things to look forward to :)

 Hello my fellow bookworms!

Spring is almost upon us! The birds are back singing, the sun is staying out longer, the days are sunnier, it is a nice time to start reading outside again (with a hot cup of coffee or tea, of course).

(c) Race Point Publishing, Kate Macdonald

It feels nice to not be stuck inside as much all day, though there are quite a few hobbies you can do if you are stuck inside. I have been quite fond of baking lately, especially tarts! There is a book based on the recipes from Anne of Green Gables that you can buy (or borrow from your local library), called The Anne of Green Gables Cookbook: Charming Recipes from Anne and Her Friends in Avonlea. Written by the granddaughter of L.M. Montgomery herself, Kate Macdonald shares with us the recipes that Anne created and also her own grandmother! I can't wait to try them!

You can also listen to free audiobooks from Amazon Prime for a new fairy tale collection called Faraway: Fairy tales for the here and now. These are quick, 35 - 50 minute reads, written by popular YA authors. The collection includes: The Prince and the Troll by Rainbow Rowell, Hazel and Gray by Nic Stone, The Princess Game by Soman Chainani, The Cleaners by Ken Liu, and The Wickeds by Gayle Forman. 

If you feel in the mood for writing, there are also a number of works from 1925 that are in the public domain, that you can adapt in a new way. As an article from NPR, by Neda Ulaby, states: each year on January 1st, a new list of published works with expired copyrights are released. Besides being the start of a new year, it is also Public Domain Day! The newly released from copyright novels include, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald,  The Trial (in German) by Franz Kafka, The Secret of Chimneys by Agatha Christie, A Daughter of the Samurai by Etsu Inagaki Sugimoto, The Writing of Fiction by Edith Wharton, and more.

There are also quite a few virtual events to look forward to. On June 8th to 9th, Edelweiss BookFest will be hosted by Edelweiss Above the Treeline. They are still accepting applications for those interested in booth space or sponsorships, so more information will be released on the event closer to the days. 

Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels

Barnes and Noble has been great at keeping up author/reader events, catering to all ages. Many events are hosted by Zoom, and some are ticketed, which means you will have to purchase an entry into the Zoom chat. But, there are quite a few virtual events on B&N Facebook live, which means it is a live showing and free! 

If you are itching to get out of the house and outside, Litographs has a list of indie bookstores (some that even I did not know of yet!) that you can go visit. 

What have you guys been up to lately? Any good book recommendations? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time! :)

Fingerprints and Phantoms: True Tales of Law Enforcement Encounters with the Paranormal and the Strange by Paul Rimmasch

Hello my fellow bookworms!

Happy new year! I hope this winter has been treating you well so far. It snowed so much by me that I am feeling a bit of cabin fever. But, with more time indoors, I finally have baked some tarts and read some books! I have a good one to talk to you about today, Fingerprints and Phantoms: True Tales of Law Enforcement Encounters with the Paranormal and the Strange by Paul Rimmasch. 

As a fan of reading mysteries, paranormal stories, and the occasional true-crime stories, this novel will satisfy your reading craving for a bit of all three. Described as a "collection of law enforcement folklore," Fingerprints and Phantoms is a short, 112 page novel that you can binge read on a snowy day, or a sunny one for that matter. Each chapter is a short true ghostly story that has happened either to Mr. Rimmasch or someone he knows, making you wonder what really goes on after a crime was committed and what goes bump in the night.

Mr. Rimmasch is a crime scene investigator for Weber-Metro CSI, which piqued my interest, as I have an interest in forensics, though my background is more in psychology than biology/chemistry. While Fingerprints and Phantoms did not specify the scientific background of ghosts and hauntings, it does have a scientific-like method to each story, whether it is describing the evidence, examination, or the technology used. What I really love about his style of writing these short ghostly stories is that he provides insight to those who work in law enforcement and crime scenes - I learned quite a bit more than I expected to, and will most likely go and research this week. Mr. Rimmasch also provides a bit about the background of his career, as well as the ones of those whose stories he tells, so that we really have an idea of what happened at that point in time. 

Each chapter was riveting and I finished the novel within a few hours. Some stories were sad, others were creepy, but all will keep your interest and hope that there will be another novel coming soon. I highly recommend giving Fingerprints and Phantoms a read, especially if you are in for a bit of a scare! You can buy a copy on Amazon here.

About the Author:

Paul Rimmasch graduated from Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, with a Bachelor's Degree in Forensic Science and a minor in Photography. He has worked as a crime scene investigator for Weber-Metro CSI for the past 19 years and is a three-time recipient of the Weber County Sheriff's Office Medal of Merit. Paul has certifications through The International Association for Investigations in latent fingerprint examination and forensic photography. He is currently serving as Utah's representative to the Western Identification Network Latent Fingerprint Committee.

Paul's first novel, The Lost Stones, was published in 2011, followed by a sequel The Lost Mine in 2015. Paul has also published scientific papers in The Journal of Forensic Identification and Ancient American magazine, and is also a contributing writer to KSL.com. He is an adjunct professor at Weber State University and is active in the training of law enforcement officers and crime scene investigators.