WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS
Sunday, May 9th, was Mother’s Day, and due to still not being fully vaccinated yet, Nick and I sent Biscuit a present to her house to open while we did a video chat. It went over well, and she loved it! You can check out the Etsy page here to see what it would look like, and if you need a present soon, this seller did a great job, shipped super fast, and the blanket is excellent quality.
My brother also revealed that he got a new dog, so I texted him:
On Wednesday, Nick and I were officially “fully vaccinated.” Knowing Wednesday would be the date, we made plans with Biscuit and my dad to visit this weekend. Our first order of business was to drive over to La Porte County and see what we could of Belle Gunness at the history museum since we read In the Garden of Spite. Here are Biscuit and me with a skull dug up at the Gunness farm:
They also had the wheelbarrow Gunness used to move body parts in gunnysacks. The wall in the background is part of the shed on the property. When the Gunness farm burned down and officials started finding bodies everywhere, curious crowds that wanted to be part of history carved their names in the shed:
THIS WEEK’S BLOG POSTS
What great fun to see everyone’s responses to my review of Lantana Lane. Though Eleanor Dark published her novel over sixty years ago, each blogger’s review seems to get another blogger to check out the novel.
Invisible by Jeanne Bannon was a disappointment, but your comments have made me decide I will keep reading young adult books with fat female main characters. It sounds like several authors are able to depict such characters positively and yet not make the stories just about their bodies — which is the goal. Just let them live, I say!
NEXT WEEK’S BLOG POSTS
I recently started following a new joint blogging adventure by Cupcakes & Machetes and Ignited Moth called Sugar & Scream. One of their first reviews was a book with werewolves, which prompted me to share my thoughts on a series by S.M. Reine, whose work has never let me down. Come back Thursday for my series review of The Cain Chronicles.
Several of you were curious about my review of The Albino Album by Chavisa Woods. Haven’t check out her books yet? I contacted the author to have her participate in my Meet the Writer series to keep the momentum going. Come back Thursday for our interview.
Headshot by Itziar Barrio
BOOKS ADDED TO THE TBR PILE
Owned Books on TBR at Beginning of Year: 242 Owned Books on TBR Today: 220
Grab the Lapels 
Haha That opossum pic your brother sent killed me. 😛
Looks like a fun and really interesting trip to the history museum you guys had.
And thank you so much for the shout out for our new blog! ❤ We really appreciate it! ^_^
LikeLike
You’re welcome! You two are going to do great things over there! I’m heading back now to give you that list of indie horror films I’ve watched over the last year that are super good.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Awesome! Thank you!! ❤
LikeLike
No two cents …just fascinated by the farm with the …skulls?! (yikes)
LikeLike
Ms. Hillhouse! How have you been?! Yes, this woman was a famous serial killer from the county next to the one in which I live. The skull is from an unknown victim. Many bodies were found on the farm. A couple of the photos reminded me of that head in the jar from Silence of the Lambs.
LikeLike
Wow.
LikeLike
Hah of course you went to the museum but that skull looks *small*. It’s not from a child, is it?
LikeLike
The sign actually says unknown victim. There were the three children’s bodies found in the cellar of the burned-down house, along with the infamous and puzzling headless woman. The numbers on how many other bodies were on the farm change, according to the different sources I’ve seen. I’m actually more creeped out by the wheelbarrow than the skull!
LikeLike
Ohhhh I forgot about the final fire. I was trying to remember if any of the suitors had come to her with kids in tow.
LikeLike
Not that I remember. Her second husband had a baby Belle possibly murdered.
LikeLike
If I’m ever in that part of Indiana, I’m going to that museum!
Cute blanket and that’s such a great idea. 🙂
I hope you had a fabulous time with your parents!
Thanks for the blog shout out. ❤
LikeLike
There are lots of exhibits there, and the Belle Gunness one was smaller than I thought it would be. However, the skull + the body wheelbarrow were both creepy!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That museum sounds fascinating and I’m glad you were able to see your family! My mum and brother will be coming to visit me in a couple of weeks (assuming the restrictions don’t change in the meantime) – it will be the first time I’ve seen them since Christmas 2019 and I’m so looking forward to it!
LikeLike
I’ve actually reached a point where I have no clue what the restrictions are in the U.S. I’m starting to believe we don’t have any. 😐
LikeLike
So wonderful to be able to safely gather with family and go on fun outings again. Glad y’all got to hang with the creepy skulls!
LikeLike
My niece Taylor insisted it would be a skull with a ghost hanging around!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh my goodness, Woman on the Edge of Time, I haven’t read that in DECADES! Congrats on your second jabs! No idea when ours will be yet …
LikeLike
Woman on the Edge of Time is a book I’ll be reading with Lou, another blogger from the U.K.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow! I didn’t know Bella Gunness story was featured at a history museum. I completed In the Garden of Spite a couple weeks ago and was surprised to learn, after reading the Author’s Note, that it was based on a real person.
LikeLike
Love the exchange with your brother; and love the freedom being fully vaccinated gives you! Good for you.
I have always felt I should read Marge Piercy, but I haven’t yet.
LikeLike
A British blogger wants to read Piercy’s novel, so I said we’d give it a go together.
My brother is a goofball. We don’t talk much. Half the time I text him something I get nothing back. But he can be funny, too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
He sounds like a fun brother.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Funny how something as innocuous as a wheelbarrow can become so creepy. So glad you got your second dose and could reunite in person with your parents! You and Biscuit definitely look related!
LikeLike
You think so? My face has so many elements of both my mom and dad. Neither my brother nor I have that “mini me” look that some families get with their kids.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I do! Though I don’t think I’ve ever seen a picture of your dad so I can’t compare you to both parents.
My brother and I are like that too, combo of both parents. I look most like my paternal grandmother. People usually tell me my girls look like Peter but I think Rose looks like me as a toddler. Pearl does take after her dad’s side but she has my ears!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love the text chat with your brother! And I’ve always wanted to see a capycabara, do people actually have them as pets down in the US? Did your brother actually adopt a dog? So many questions! hahah
LikeLike
LOL! I didn’t even think of how other people would read that text exchange. His dog is a for real dog. We sent the capybara and possum to be silly. I don’t know anyone who has a capybara as a pet. I think I’ve only see one in a zoo. Then again, I’m surprised when folks have tigers as pets.
LikeLiked by 1 person
yup me too. It’s sort of touted as an American thing, owning exotic animals, but I’m sure its (sadly) done all over the world…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m surprised when people who have tigers as pets make the news! LOL
Marge Piercy’s book is intentionally disorienting and raises a lot of issues but it’s not exactly a pageturner. One that, for me, requires a certain kind of mood. Maybe the word I’m looking for is patient. Yah, yah, how long is that gonna take.
LikeLike
Oh, no. I’m not a fan of intentionally disorienting books. I don’t think Lou, the buddy with whom I was/am going to read Piercy, is either….
LikeLike
I thought I remembered that, but wasn’t sure. If I remember correctly, the question of what’s real and what isn’t looms large right from the beginning….maybe if you’re expecting that, it won’t be quite so unsettling? How did you come upon the idea of reading it to start with?
LikeLike
Lou has has this book on her TBR for quite some time, I believe because it is considered a sci-fi feminist classic? Lou and I read together every so often to keep in touch.
LikeLiked by 1 person