Book Chat - CLOSED by original moderator discussion

Curious minds want to know:

What are you reading?

How many stars?

Synopsis?

Did you like it?

Why?

Why not?

I am currently reading and enjoying St. Nickvery much. I thought it would be funny and light. Not. A suicidal cop on suspension from the force has to come to grips with being an undercover cop in a Santa disguise at the mall. Add to that burden going to the children's hospital to visit those little ti-ykes and things aren't quite so funny anymore. This audio is done very well.

The Outliers by Kimberly McCreight - 5 Stars

Wylie hasn't heard from her best friend, Cassie, in over a week, but when she receives a text from her asking for help, Wylie rushes to her aid. But instead of coming out and saying where she is, Cassie just sends cryptic clues and vague texts. Wylie and Cassie's boyfriend Jasper head north and follow the clues with hopes of finding Cassie before something terrible happens. Things turn dangerously really quick. What is Cassie hiding and what lies ahead for Wylie and Jasper?

This was a fast paced read that kept me turning pages. It's the first in a series and the ending definitely left me hanging. I will probably pick up the 2nd one when it comes out.

eataly

★ ★

-1 Star because of the weight: 4.25 lbs!

-1 Star because reading & reviewing the recipes was a tediously painful process

-1 Star because those were really weird recipes

This is one book that you can judge by it's cover... I usually would have passed it over, but as it is a cookbook, I had to look inside... Good thing I did or I'd have missed out on the one recipe I'm going to try: Pancetta, Chicken & Sausage rolls!

But REMEMBER THIS: the title states "CONTEMPORARY" and that is just what this book is about; Contemporary Recipes.... There is nothing Old School about this collection of recipes, not at all.

The recipes are one per page and many include a photo on the opposite page; the top of each recipe has the preparation time, cook time & wine suggestion. The title is under the fore mentioned information in a plain thin bold font. The list of ingredients is to the right of the recipe in a small bold font with the recipe itself in an equally small regular font, which makes for difficult reading. The bottom of the page contains a helpful hint. Between the recipes are short information articles about the types of ingredients used, which were interesting, but I found distracting.

The book consists of:
Table of Contents, Foreword, Introduction 504 pages of recipe each with a photo, a 40 page glossary w/ color photos of the items, & an index.

Recipe categories:
Antipasti (pp 12-47) : Antipasti Etiquette & What are Salumi (in the middle of the chapter); Carapaccio of Amberjack w/ Ginger, Lime & Pomegranate; Olivier Salad, Octopus Salad w/ Potato & Olive Puree; Fried Polenta w/ Lardo & Truffle; Corn Salad, Strawberries & Fresh Goat Cheese; Classic Caprese Salad; Cornmeal Cakes & Pancetta; Potato & Saffron Bake w/ Poached Eggs; Speck Ham, Walnut & Champignon Mushroom Salad; and Pancetta, Chicken & Sausage Rolls

Soups (pp 50-91): Fresh Pea Soup w/ Smoked Ham; Pumpkin Soup w/ Saffron Croutons; Aquacotta; Oat & Chickpea Soup; Rice, Pea & Pumpkin Soup; Onion Soup w/ Pecorino Cheese Toasts; Broths in Soup, but In Which Soup; Barley & Cavolo Nero Soup; and Tortellini in Broth

Fresh Pasta (pp 94-113):Runner Beans & Shrimp; How to Store Fresh Pasta; pappardelle w/ Rabbit; Fresh Egg Pasta and the Length of the Sfogline; Gnocchi w/ Broccoli, Rabe, Mussels & Clams; Fun of Colored Fresh Pasta; Lidia's Agnolotti Pasta; and Garganelli Pasta w/ Sausage & Zucchini

Dried Pasta (pp 116-153): Mezzi Paccheri w/ Artichokes & Cream Sauce; Sedani w/ rabbit & Mushrooms; Caserecce w/ Sage & Pancetta; Clamarata w/ Swordfish & Peas; Spaghetti w/ Mussels, Clams, Shrimp & Bell Pepper Puree; Cold Fusilli w/ Tuna, Eggplant & Cheese; Ziti w/ Cheese, Crisp Pancetta & Asparagus; and Bravette with Smoked Pancetta & Caramelized Onion

Rice (pp 156-189): Rice Salad; Mussels & Saffron Risotto; Stuffed Rice Balls; Black Rice w/ Cheese & Broccoli; Plum Tomato Risotto w/ Basil Puree; Rice & herb Flan (oh no!); Sausage & Cranberry Bean Risotto; and Langoustine Risotto

Savory Tarts & Pies (pp 192-219): Shortcrust Pie w/ Vegetable Whirls; Savory Tarts & Pies: basic Pie & Pastry Dough; Mediterranean Stuffed Pastry Roll; Pesto & Cherry Tomato Pie (I'll pass); Asparagus & Pecorino Cheese Puff Pastry Pie; Radicchio, Walnut & Smoked Cheese Strudel; Filling Combinations for All Tastes; and Pumpkin, Leek & Sausage Tart

Fish & Seafood (pp 222-253): Baked Sea Bass w/ vegetables & Parsley Mayonnaise; Fish Soup w/ Fregola pasta; Octopus & Cranberry Bean Salad; Fried Salt Cod Fish Balls; Parsley-scented Mussels & Clams; hake Steaks w/ Aromatic Herbs; Cooking Methods for Fish; baked red Mullet w/ Thyme & Olives; Salmon Tartare w/ Peas & Cucumber; Chickpea Soup w/ red Mullet, Calamari, & Rosemary Oil; and Sea Bream, Artichoke& Sun-dried Cherry Tomato Strudel (I told you "Contemporary")

Meat (pp 256-291): Asparagus, Chicken, Ham & Cheese Roll; Suckling Pig Shoulder w/ Fava Beans & Saffron; Pork w/ Sauerkraut & Prunes (not Italian); Osso Buco; How to recognize Good Quality Meat; Chicken w/ Grapes (no); Guinea Fowl w/ White Grapes (no, no); Five Spiced Beef w/ Onion, Orange & Fennel Sauce (no, no, no); Meatballs in Tomato Sauce; Filet of beef w/ Pistachios; Chicken w/ Lager; Baked Chicken Rolls; Rabbit w/ Grapes & Porcini Mushrooms; Pork Shank w/ Cavolo Nero & Potatoes; and Chicken Breasts w/ Red Bell Pepper Sauce & Poached Eggs.
What was with all the grapes?

Vegetables & Legumes (pp 294-341): Panzanella Salad; Vegetable Couscous w/ Roasted Bell Pepper Sauce; The Health Benefits of Vegetables; Tomato Salad w/ Salt Cod; Artichoke Parcels; Condiments & Dressings; Egg-Free Spinach & Carrot Frittata; Brussels Sprouts w/ Sesame Seeds; Polenta w/ Cheese, Baked Radicchio, & Leek; Cabbage Millefeuille w/ Potatoes, Pesto, Cooking Time w/ Legumes; Deep-fried Zucchini Flowers Filled w/ Mozzarella & Anchovies; & Cheese; and Cannellini Beans Pecorino Cheese Salad w/ Balsamic Vinegar

WAIT! There's More (as soon as I take a small break from this tedium)...

Grains (pp 344-367): Millet Gnocchi w/ Arugula Pesto; Quinoa w/ Red Beets; Asparagus, Shrimp & Pearl Barley Salad; Gluten Free Cereals; Fregola Pasta Salad w/ Chickpeas, Red Onion & Cherry Tomatoes; Rich Bulgar Wheat Salad (last I knew this was Armenian); and Spelt w/ Meatballs & Carpione Sauce

Breads, Pizzas, Focaccias, & Fritters (pp 370-414): Pizza w/ Mozzarella, Gorgonzola, Walnuts & Pears; Muffins w/ green Olive Pate & Ham; Seasoned & Soft Dough Knots; Rice & Cheese Fritters; Flours for Pizzas, Breads & Focaccias; Types of Yeast; Olive Bread; Walnut Bread; Neapolitan Pizza Versus Roman Pizza; Fried Pizzas w/ Tomatoes, Mozzarella & Basil; Baba Rustico; Not Just Bread; Potato Focaccia w/ Mozzarella & Porcini; Whole Wheat Focaccia w/ Ratatouille, Mint & Goat Cheese; Flour, Batter & Bread: Fried Food Dresses Up; Potato Cakes w/ Black Olives, Zucchini, & Carrots; and Chicken w. Provencal Herb Fritters

Cheese; One of my Favorite Foods (pp 417-433): Broccoli Roulade w/ Cheese; Ricotta & Semi-dried Tomato Cheesecake; Crepes w/ Gorgonzola & Pancetta; The King. Parmigiano Reggiano; Flatbread Millefeuilles w/ Mozzarella, Tomatoes, & Pesto; How to Serve Cheese; and Pecorino w/ Grapes, Dried Figs & Walnuts

Desserts (pp 436-481): Chocolate Mousse w/ Hazelnut Brittle; Making Ice Cream Without an Ice Cream Maker; Strawberry Fruit Salad w/ Chantilly Cream; Citrus Fruit Panna Cotta; Cherry & Soft Fruit Pudding; Cherries w/ Almond Flavor Ice; Fruity Mascarpone Mousse w/ Coffee Caramel Sauce; Summer Fruit Cups w/ Grand Mariner; The Importance of Tempering; Lemon Custards in Chocolate Cups; Butterscotch Chocolate Cups; and Chocolate Galettes w/ Mascarpone Cheese

Sweet Tarts, Cakes, & Cookies (pp 484-517): Raspberry Cake; Buckwheat Cakes; Mini Easter Cakes; Rice Flour & Cocoa Powder Cookies; Amaretto & Peach Pastry Cake; Ricotta, Honey, & Apple Tarts w/ Apple Brandy; Almond & Pistachio Cookies; Wine & Raisin Cookies; and Chocolate Meringues w/ Mascarpone Filling

I apologize if this review is as tedious of a read as it was for me to write

I will not get this cookbook, but I enjoyed your review. Well done Kim.

It Takes a Witch, Heather Blake

★ ★ ★ ★

I found this to be surprisingly good. I had seen it before in the Library's catalog and I had avoided it, but as I had run out of books to read (books that interest me at the moment), I thought I'd try something new (not different).

Darcy & her sister (wish-crafters) have gone to live with their Aunt Ve in "Enchanted Village" of Salem, MA. Enchanted Village is a tourist village of shops run and inhabited mostly by witches.

After a town meeting, the newest & most obnoxious resident, Alex(andra) has been found dead by strangulation in the alley. Alex wanted very badly to be a "witch" and worked at "crafting" herbals which made many people break out in hives & boils.... Alex also had a secret that she claimed would prove she was "one of them".

Aside: According to the story, powers were hereditary, and what one power a witch had depended on one's parent. A witch could marry a non-witch, but if the witch disclosed their power, they would lose it but it would be passed to their children. If the witch died the power would pass to the spouse, but the spouse would be unable to use the power...

Back to the story: Alex's Harry Winston diamond watch is missing and Aunt Ve's scarf is found around the dead woman's neck. Aunt Ve's boyfriend, who is found standing over Alex's body, was once dating Alex and is arrested.

Darcy meets Nick, a former detective w/ a a young daughter, they fall for each other & work to discover who really murdered Alex.

There were several entertaining instances of Darcy's "wishcrafting" gone awry but it was fun and fit in well with the rest of the story.

I have the 2nd & 3rd in the series on my reading table....

The Woman in Cabin 10 - Ruth Ware – 3***
This reminded me so much of The Girl on the Train that I’m surprised editors didn’t call Ware on certain plot points. Ware uses a mixed time frame … interspersing emails or news reports that occur AFTER the main events on board ship described by Lo’s first-person narrative. This foreshadowing should add additional suspense, but I found it confusing and not really helpful. Still, it’s a decently written thriller, with plenty of twists and turns in the plot to keep the reader guessing.
LINK to my review

Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich
5 Stars

Stephanie is at it again in the 13th installment of the Stephanie Plum series. This time, her ex husband, Dickie Orr has gone missing and Stephanie is the prime suspect after having a meltdown in Dickie's office. Once again, Stephanie finds herself on the run from the bad guy and torn between her current off again on again boyfriend, Joe, and the mysterious Ranger.

I really liked this installment. There were several LOL moments in the book. Looking forward to reading # 14.

~*Kim*~ wrote: "Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich
5 Stars

Stephanie is at it again in the 13th installment of the Stephanie Plum series. This time, her ex husband, Dickie Orr has gone missing and Stephanie i..."

I think I trashed Twelve, and I finally gave up in 2014.... she's so hackneyed.

I'm on to the 7 Deadly Sins: #1 was GREAT, however, #2 sucked a bit.

One Hex of a Wedding, Yasmin Galenorn

★

Just Unmitigated & Annoying Crap......

I didn't like any of the characters from page 1 to where ever it was that I stopped.

Over the top and so very fake.... I'm taking this & the other in the series right back to the Library.

So this "psychic" gal is at her pre-wedding party, and her abusive drunk ex-husband shows up, and she (stoopidly) invites him in, where he proceeds to cause a huge scene & fight.... ruining the cake, buffet, dinner.

Some relative, a "Native American" shaman then warns her to be careful.... how unrealistic and tacky is this?

The next day is her bridal shower and afterwards a family bbq, where her fiancee is shot while preparing for the dinner....

Just over the top nonsense

But years ago I had read another book by her about esoteric astrology and it was quite good.... Who knows what happened in between?

Night of the Living Deed, E.J. Copperman

★ ★ ★

This was interesting:

A woman purchases an old 7-bedroom seaside mansion in order to turn it into a "Guest House" for vacationers.

As she is repairing it, she is knocked on the head by a heavy bucket of plaster. When she wakes there are two people standing there talking about her.....

The two people happen to be the ghosts of the previous owner & the PI who was looking into the death threats she had been getting when she refused to sell the house to a developer for a large beach front condo project; but they had both been murdered before they could unravel the mystery.

The current owner is also now being threatened... not only does she have to contend with the ghosts who want her to uncover their murderer, she finds out that both her daughter & mother have hidden the fact that they are both able to see & hear the ghosts.

As the story goes along, there are more threats, more damage to the house, the murder of the realtor who sold the house to both women, and the speculation that the original land was sold to George Washington and there is the original deed hidden some place in the house, that no one has been able to locate.

The only things I found fault with were; one of the two ghosts was not likable at all and the fact that the ending was overly contrived and ridiculous (ghosts playing parlor tricks for people/visitors). For the latter I knocked off 1 star.

An Uninvited Ghost Copperman

★ ★

I really did like the story, but there was such an improbable ending and such a an unfathomable & unexplained occurrence (which I will explain in the 3rd paragraph) than I had to knock off 2 stars.

Alison runs a guesthouse on the South New Jersey Shore... The Victorian beachfront property that she has restored is now filled with senior guests on a ghost-tour.

Both of the ghosts, Paul & Maxie are in residence, but a new ghost, Scott (who is blind: ok watch for it [pun intended]) has asked Paul & Alison to help him investigate the outcome of a prank that he was asked to play on someone who might have died, however, Scott could not be certain of the outcome as he was unable to see what happened. Paul was contacted via those children's plastic magnetic letters by a person unknown and continued to communicate in said manner until the prank was completed.

So: What I want to know is: If Scott was BLIND, How Could he Possibly See & Read Messages Spelled Out in Plastic-Magnetic Letters? HUH? (Minus 1 Star)

So going smoothly along, Alison's guests are treated to two spook hauntings each day, obliged by Paul & Maxie. When Alison begins to investigate for Scott, she meets the recipient of the "prank" (a spry old woman who loves ghosts) and invites her to the seance that will take place as a part of the "ghost tour".

During the seance, the old woman is murdered, and Alison, Scott, Paul, & Maxie investigate.

Also in the story is the aside of a "Reality Show" being filmed at the same time as the Ghost T our.

I'm not going to "spoil" this review and tell you why the ending was improbable, but once you read it, it will be glaringly obvious, for which I deducted a 2nd Star.

A Witch Before Dying, Heather Blake

★ ★ ★

The author had a really good idea, but somewhere along the way, with the sabotaging of the wedding that particular part of the story became tedious and fell flat. Yep- you guessed it: - 1 Star!

Darcy (a Wish-Crafter) is asked to clean out the house of Patrice, a hoarder, who has disappeared, by Elodie, Patrice's daughter who has taken over both her mother's Gem shop in the Enchanted Village and her house....

Unbeknownst to Darcy, Patrice owned the most powerful amulet that anyone could own... the Anicula, which would grant anyone's wishes no matter the intent; however if any granted wish was for ill, the Anicula would turn against the wisher.

Six months prior to the disappearance of Patrice the Anicula disappeared and no one has any idea where either are, until, a neighbor innocently (with pure intentions) wishes in front of Darcy to find her missing friend.

Immediately after the wish to find Patrice, a tower of boxes overturns and at the bottom is an old leather trunk, sprung open, with the desiccated remains of Patrice.

No matter the reasoning behind or results of previous wishes, life in the Enchanted Village is beginning to unravel for many of the Crafters as they scramble to uncover the whereabouts of the Anicula.

At the same time, Darcy's Aunt Ve is to be married at the end of the week, but someone is sabotaging the wedding and the groom-to-be is found kissing his long-time secretary, who threatens Darcy.

When Books Went to War - Molly Guptil Manning - 4****
While Nazis were burning books in Europe, Americans were trying to get more books distributed to the men fighting in the war. Manning does a wonderful job of including the history of the times and the challenges faced by the Council, including efforts to censor the books that would be included. I was completely fascinated and engaged from beginning to end.
LINK to my review

Constellation of Vital Phenomena – Anthony Marra – 4****
I had considerable difficulty getting into this novel. Perhaps it was because I was listening rather than reading, but Marra’s moving back and forth in time, and changing points of view, just confused me. I did not connect to the characters at first and didn’t understand their relationships and connections. But that, I suppose, is Marra’s intention. We do not often know why someone crosses our path, what connections she or he brings, what influence he or she will have on our future. We do not know when hope and grace, courage and dignity may find their way into our lives. We can only pray that they do.
LINK to my review

Portrait in Sepia - Isabel Allende – 4****
This is the third book Allende has written about the Del Valle family, after The House of the Spirits and Daughter of Fortune. I love Allende’s writing. There is a decidedly Latin beat to the flow of her sentences. And her descriptions are full of sensory highlights. The characters are larger than life and run the gamut from a wealthy Chilean grand dame to a Chinese herbalist to an English butler and a Serbian physician. I think I need to go back to THotS and read it again.
LINK to my review

Old Haunts EJ Copperman

★ ★ ★

I'm saying this is a nice series, the characters with the exception of Maxie (the ghost) are all rather likable....

Alison runs a guesthouse on the South New Jersey Shore (which now has an address)... She has booked her 2nd group of Senior Ghost Tour guests when her ex husband shows up, having left California and his 2nd wife & child. While trying to worm his way back into Allison's life via their daughter.

While in the midst of converting the attic into a bedroom for her daughter & Maxie, they come across news of a body discovered under the boardwalk, which is attributed to Maxie's short-term husband biker, Big Bob..... At the same time, ghost Paul, has hired Allison to find out whatever happened to his soon to be fiancee, in order to make closure.

Soon another biker, Luther shows up and hires Allison to look into the murder of Big Bob, and the chase begins as do the anonymous threats. While searching for clues, Allison discovers that another biker went missing on the same night that Big Bob was murdered and that it all ties in to a drug deal gone bad.

The Women of the Souk, Michael Pearce

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ♥

I noticed most people rated this 3 stars..... It takes a particular reader to love & appreciate the Mamur Zapt, and I am one of the few.

Set in Edwardian Cairo, the Mamur Zapt was a political police working for the Khedive (the governor of Egypt and Sudan) at the behest of the English government in order to maintain the tenuous balance of ruling power between the two governments.

The Mamur Zapt is Owen, a Welshman, married to a Pasha's Daughter, Zeinab, (by his favorite Free/Liberated concubine)... Oh yes, and the humor of an educated Egyptian woman who is "free", outspoken, and refusing to wear a veil...

This entry to the series deals with women, at the time they started to become a force to be reckoned with.... thus making it a very interesting read. In fact one of my other favorites in this series: "The Snake-Catcher's Daughter" also dealt with a "modern" thinking young woman.

Marie, one of the Khedive's nieces, has been abducted while in the souk with her "boy friend", a nay (flute) player whom she wishes to marry. Normally a young woman that had been abducted would remain a loss, but Layla, Marie's best friend from the Khedivial (girls school), has taken things into her own hands (as has the Khedive's wife & sister-in-law) and has gone to visit the Mamur Zapt, pushing him into action.

Layla explains to Owen, that really she would have preferred to speak w/ Zeinab, allowing Zeinab to deal with the Mamur Zapt, but as Zeinab is a new mother, Layla & the others decided that it would be too much of an imposition on Zeinab.

There is a lot to this story: Kidnapping, Ransom, Politics, Drugs, Family, Power struggles, Class struggles, and from the beginning the Women.

It was often funny, as are most of the Mamur Zapt books, but the politics is there and they shed a light on the reality of imperialist power grabs, which can still be seen in today's political arenas.

An Excellent book!

5 Stars & a Heart

Andi lives in modern day Brooklyn and feels her life is a mess after the loss of her brother. Her father has left and her mother is barely hanging on. She's about to be expelled for her prestigious private school when she is made to tag along on her father's trip to Paris.

Alex lives in eighteenth century Paris and dreams of becoming a star. However she gets caught up in the Revolution in a way she never dreamed.

When Andi discovers Alex's diary it pulls her in and changes her life.

I loved this book! The two lives of the girls are woven together and the twist at the end was something that I didn't see coming. Two thumbs up for Revolution.

The Good, the Bad, and the Witchy, Heather Blake

★ ★ ★

Darcy is asked to put together the birthday party for Henriette, a formidable Floracrafter who is about to get married to an elusive fiancee. Darcy is also asked to find & hire a stripper, a task which is an embarrassment to her, so she hires an older man w/ a beer belly....

While waiting for Henriette & birthday cake to arrive, Darcy notices the bakery van outside sitting in the parking lot..... Darcy leaves the party in order to find the errant deliveryman & birthday cake, but what she finds is the body of the deliveryman and an odd light.

The deliveryman, Michael, was an Illumencrafter (bringer of light & joy) and his ghost has imprinted upon Darcy, urging her to find his murderer.

Henriette had been working w/ Michael developing a Black Rose (which she took all the credit for), which was the envy of other Floracrafters. The Black Roses inspired so much envy, that several had been stolen, which put Michael & Henriette in danger. After Michael is found dead, the roses he was working with also died, as it was his "spell" that was keeping them alive.

Just prior to Michael's death, he & his best friend were overheard arguing... After Michael's death is announced to be murder, his best friend (the grandson of Henriette) & Michael's sister immediately disappear.

With the help of Michael's ghost, Darcy works to bring the mystery of Michael's death to its conclusion.

That is the jist of the main story, but every other person is tied into to the story & each other via their relationships with Henriette & Michael, which make for interesting side stories all with threads back to the main.

This was a quick & easy read for me.... The characters are mostly likable and the magical references are pretty tame without extremes.

Nine Days to Christmas - Marie Hall Ets & Aurora Labastida – 4****
The subtitle is: A Story of Mexico, and this charming picture book details the preparations and festivities surrounding las posadas, a procession and celebration of Joseph and Mary seeking shelter in Bethlehem. The illustrations by Ets are wonderfully detailed, and she won the Caldecott medal for her work. Labastida’s text, and Ets’s drawings bring the streets of Mexico City alive.
LINK to my review

A Big Sky Christmas - William W Johnstone & J A Johnstone – 2**
It’s a stereotypical Western tale … cardboard characters right out of central casting, a band of “varmints” set on revenge, an actress fleeing from a rich man intent on having his way with her, and the cowboy who loves her, Indians, buffalo, and the kinds of natural disasters that plagued many a wagon train. Still, it’s a fast read, with a plot that kept me interested enough to keep turning pages. Oh, and if you’re looking for a “Christmas” book … look elsewhere. This is really just a Western romance set during early winter, with a plot that culminates on Christmas Day
LINK to my review

The Wedding Dress: Stories From the Dakota Plains - Carrie Young – 4****
This is a collection of short stories set primarily during the early part of the 20th century to shortly after World War II. Young explores the lives of the people of Little Butte, North Dakota, who are mostly Norweigian immigrants (or descended from them). All of the stories feature characters that fairly leap off the page, they are so real. The landscape is cold and bleak, especially during the Dust Bowl years, but the kitchens are warm and inviting. This is the first work by Young that I’ve read; it will not be the last.
LINK to my review

A Place Called Hope - Philip Gulley – 3***
I love Gulley’s series; I welcome a gentle read now and again, where I can visit with old friends. He has a gift for writing humorous stories about small-town life, but instilling a message of tolerance, peace and love. Here’s hoping that Sam Gardner’s adventures in Hope will continue to entertain and inspire for years to come.
LINK to my review

Jan 21 - Currently Reading

TEXT - Breathing Lessons / Anne Tyler
AUDIO in the car - The Husband / Dean Koontz
MP3 Player AUDIO - Maisie Dobbs / Jacqueline Winspear

Spilled Milk by KL Randis - 4 Stars

Spilled milk is the story of Brooke, who was abused as a young child and teenager by her father. The story timelines her life from shortly before the abuse started up through her graduation from college and becoming a mother herself.

I read this for another challenge. This book came up on the list of true crime stories on Goodreads so I thought I would give it a try.
It was a hard to stomach in places, I will admit. It was certainly a heartbreaking story that will make you sad and mad at the same time.

Mrs Lincoln’s Dressmaker – Jennifer Chiaverini – 3***
This was an interesting look at an era in history that we already know much about. I enjoyed the historical references and Elizabeth’s point of view of many of the events. It was an engaging story that held my interest. But … I wish Chiaverini had given us more of Elizabeth in the novel and less of Mrs Lincoln.
LINK to my review

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil – John Berendt – 4****
Berendt was a free-lance journalist when curiosity took him to Savannah and he began to write about the particularly insular culture of that Southern city. Then a murder happened, and his story really took off. I first read this sometime in the mid to late 1990s, and on re-reading it I’m not so keen about it. The murder doesn’t happen until half-way through the book, and that was really the most interesting part. I’m still giving it 4 stars because I believe that was closer to my original reaction to the book.
LINK to my review

Book Concierge wrote: "

Mrs Lincoln’s Dressmaker
– Jennifer Chiaverini – 3***
This was an interesting look at an era in history that we already know much about. I enjoyed..."

I agree, the title was misleading, and by mid-way through, I disliked Mrs. Lincoln.

A Potion to Die For, Heather Blake

★

From the Author: "In my Magic Potion series, Carly Hartwell is a white magic witch, a healer who uses her ability as an empath (and some magic drops) to make all sorts of potions that can work, well, magic."

From Amazon: "TROUBLE IS BREWING…

As the owner of Little Shop of Potions, a magic potion shop specializing in love potions, Carly Bell Hartwell finds her product more in demand than ever. A local soothsayer has predicted that a couple in town will soon divorce—and now it seems every married person in Hitching Post, Alabama, wants a little extra matrimonial magic to make sure they stay hitched.

But when Carly finds a dead man in her shop, clutching one of her potion bottles, she goes from most popular potion person to public enemy number one. In no time the murder investigation becomes a witch hunt—literally! Now Carly is going to need to brew up some serious sleuthing skills to clear her name and find the real killer—before the whole town becomes convinced her potions really are to die for!"

I did not warm up to the characters, I disliked them immediately as well as the writing. I really like Blake's Wishcraft Series and the characters, so this came as a huge disappointment to me.....

Oh, well returning the others unread to the Library!

The Goodbye Witch, Heather Blake

★ ★ ★ ★

Darcy is working for the "Elder" investigating the return and subsequent murder of Starla's ex-husband, Kyle.

Kyle has been under the cloak of invisibility and stalking Starla, whom he once tried to kill... Kyle's family having closed ranks when he disappeared from jail pushed Starla away and worked to make her the guilty party in the relationship.

Starla is staying w/ Darcy, when Kyle comes to visit Starla one last time, using the "Goodbye" spell for those dying & wanting to make one last visit to a loved one.

Mrs. P is ill; the town is preparing for Darcy's birthday dinner; Vince has been spying on Starla, Glinda is up to no good.....

This was a fast, easy, & entertaining read. I like most all of the characters as well, they have heart, goodness, & just the right touch of craziness to endear themselves.

Real Murders, Charlaine Harris

★

I had always passed on this Harris series, as it never sounded interesting to me, and I was right.

I didn't care for the story: A group of "friends" from a small town get together once a month to discuss their passion "Real Murders", each has a specialty from Lizzie Borden to Serial Killers of which one is discussed every month.

This particular month, one of the members is found murdered after the meeting, her murder made to copy one from the past..... As the weeks pass there are several more murders, all mimicking a past real murder, and there is an attempted murder.

The main character, Aurora Teagarden, is a librarian, but I found her job duties at conflict with what I know to be a real librarian's job duties to be....

I never warmed up to the main character nor any of the others...... they all seemed a bit flat. I'm not likely to read anything else in this series.

Thrill of the Haunt, EJ Copperman

★ ★ ★ ★

Alison runs a "Haunted" Guesthouse on the South New Jersey Shore.... The house is haunted by the former owner, Maxie, and the PI she hired to protect her, Paul..... Both murdered by poison.

While out in town, Alison is approached by Everett, a now homeless vet, and is asked by him to help get rid of the ghosts who are haunting him & threatening to murder him. What he doesn't tell Alison is that one of them is his dead son Paul, who died in a motorcycle crash about 7 years prior.

When Everett is found dead in the men's bathroom of the local gas station of 47 small stab wounds, the local PITA insists that Alison vindicate Everett by finding his murderer.

Alison is also hired by a local woman to prove her husband is cheating on her, in order to force him to remain her husband.... After tailing the man, Alison finds his mistress dead & hanging in the middle of her new kitchen, but there is no suicide note, nor is there a turned over chair or stool, indicating that she had been murdered.....

I enjoyed this book so much that I read it in one afternoon.....

The Husband - Dean Koontz – 3.5***
Mitch Rafferty runs a two-man landscaping business, so he’s sure there’s a mistake when a kidnapper calls and says that if he “loves his wife enough” he’ll find a way to pay the exorbitant ransom. This is the first book by Koontz that I’ve read. It’s not great literature, but it sure held my attention and I’ll definitely read more from him. Especially when I’m in the mood for a fast-paced, entertaining thriller.
LINK to my review

I'm still reading Americanah and I just started Sweet Tooth by IN McEwan.

Into Thin Air - Jon Krakauer – 4****
The subtitle says it all: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster . This is Krakauer’s first-person account of the Everest expedition in May 1996 that resulted in the death of six climbers, and severe injuries to several others. I’ve read two of Krakauer’s other books and enjoy his writing. He has a gift for putting the reader in the situation, and I think he works hard to present a balanced story. The result is a book that is compelling and interesting, even when the reader knows the outcome.
LINK to my review

Inspector Specter, EJ Copperman

★

Alison runs a haunted guesthouse on the New Jersey Shore, she is also a PI..... Alison lives with two ghosts: Maxie, who owned the house before Alison and Paul, the PI who was hired to protect Maxie when they were both murdered by poison.

Alison has a chafing working relationship w/ Detective McElone. The Detective hires Alison to look into the murder of her former partner, Detective Ferry, (now also a ghost), whose death by his own gun is being ruled as an accident.

In the midst of the investigation Detective McElone goes missing, the ghost of a local mobster, who had somewhat dubious ties to Detective Ferry, shows up.

I did not like the story, I found it disjointed and difficult to follow..... Nor did I care that Detective McElone went missing or that Detective Ferry had been killed (I can't even remember who done it).

Ghost in the Wind, EJ Copperman

★ ★

Alison runs a haunted guesthouse on the New Jersey Shore, she is also a PI..... Alison lives with two ghosts: Maxie, who owned the house before Alison and Paul, the PI who was hired to protect Maxie when they were both murdered by poison.

When Alison's (very dead) teen idol crush turns up asking Alison to investigate the death of his recently deceased daughter, Alison & Paul have a falling out.

The daughter was a singer for a band and was found dead by allergy... The police ignore it and call it death by accidental ingestion of soy sauce, when in fact according to the M.E. the contents of her stomach were purely soy sauce and no sign whatsoever of the chow mein found on her table...

Alison agrees to take the case, but there is a lot of swarmy manipulation by the former rock 'n' roller, which eventually Alison sees through & puts an end to.

I didn't like the double standard of Paul, I didn't like the characters, and I ab-so-lute-ly HATED the part where all the famous dead musicians (including John Lennon) came back to put on a jam session for the guests ... That was so, well I rolled my eyes so far back in my head that I could almost see my brain!

So, other than the b.s., I liked the story.... but I am so knocking off 2 Stars!

The Case of the Missing Books, Ian Sansom

★ ★

A very interesting premise:

A new Librarian is hired to run the Library, but when he arrives in the small Irish town, he finds the Library is closed and all the books are missing..... He is also given a rusted out old bus to use as the mobile library.....

He is sent a chicken coop on a farm to live and is dismayed at all the meat being served for meals, as he is a vegetarian.

The "board" sends the poor sap to find the missing books and they tell him where to find them, but he isn't bright enough to follow their guidance.

There is quite a bit of subtle humor.... but all the affected "literary prose" and the basically unlikeable characters made me dislike the book....

I rated this a 2nd star for the plot line.

Maisie Dobbs – Jacqueline Winspear – 2**
This is the first in a series featuring a former housemaid and Army Nurse. The book begins in 1929, and Maisie Dobbs has opened her own private investigation agency. I like Maisie and the supporting characters, but this first book spent way too much time in the past, and not nearly enough time on the actual mystery. Still, although I was disappointed in this book, I’d be willing to try another because of the characters, setting and period.
LINK to my review

Breathing Lessons – Anne Tyler – 4****
I’ve had this on my TBR for ages, and just never got to it. I wish I hadn’t waited so long, but then again, maybe my own years of marriage help me better understand Maggie and Ira’s relationship. I love the way Tyler reveals her characters to the reader. Their actions – small and large – and statements show the reader who these people are. Their hopes, dreams, frustrations, and regrets become evident over the course of the novel. Their lives may be ordinary; the novel is anything but.
LINK to my review

A Man Called Ove – Fredrik Backman – 5*****
What a joy this book is! Backman peoples the novel with an assortment of quirky characters, who form a community, and despite himself, Ove joins with them. I laughed aloud so often, and I felt for Ove’s. I also rejoiced at his triumphs, and marveled at his strength of character. I worried about him and cheered him on. I absolutely fell in love with Ove.
LINK to my review

The Jesus Cow – Michael Perry – 4****
When a calf is born on Christmas Eve with the distinct face of Jesus on his side, bachelor farmer Harley Jackson knows he’s in for a struggle. Michael Perry is known for his nonfiction essays on life in small-town Wisconsin; this is his first novel. Perry has a gift for describing people and situations; he makes the ridiculous totally believable. I am reminded of Carl Hiaasen, but with more heart. There are a few scenarios that really stretch credulity here, but on the whole I enjoyed the novel and we all need a little light entertainment now and again.
LINK to my review

All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris - 4 Stars

This is the 7th book in the Sookie Stackhouse series. In this story, Sookie is hired by the Queen of Louisiana to attend the vampire summit with her. Sookie is the key witness in the death of the Queen's new husband and is a vital key to the trial that the Queen will undergo.
Torn over her feelings for Quinn, her new shapeshifter boyfriend, Sookie must decide whose side she is on before catastrophe strikes the summit.

I've enjoyed most of the series so far but this one seemed to have a lot going on and felt a bit disorganized. I still enjoyed it and plan on continuing with the series.

Death Masks – Jim Butcher – 3.5***
I like this series mostly because I really like Harry. I love his puns and his self-deprecating humor. I like that he’s a decent guy who inflicts violence on the bad guys, and generally behaves like a gentleman. However, as I continue the series I find the plots more and more formulaic, although this installment has a few plot twists and some characters that lend additional interest.
LINK to my review

Some Like it Witchy, Heather Blake

★ ★ ★

Darcy & Cherise are supposed to meet up w/ a relator to look at a neighboring house... The house is quite rundown and has a "history".

The previous owner was the reclusive wife of a jewel thief.... Who had stolen the "Circe" diamonds, said to have been in the wand of Circe, made from the tears of the Gods & holding unlimited power. Said diamonds were to have been hidden somewhere in the house and treasure hunters were forever searching for the diamonds.

When the relator is found murdered in the upstairs closet w/ it planked floor pulled up, suspicion falls on her widower husband happy she is dead, found to be having an affair, making real estate deals behind her back.

A skeleton is found walled up in the bathroom, which turns out to be that of a woman who disappeared right after the diamond heist.

Meanwhile Darcy's Aunt Ve is running for council against a non-crafter who wants to sell off the "Enchanted Woods" for a new housing development.

This was a fast and entertaining read.....

Book Concierge wrote: "

Death Masks
– Jim Butcher – 3.5***
I like this series mostly because I really like Harry. I love his puns and his self-deprecating humor. I like that he’s a dec..."

I have read & liked several of the short stories featuring Harry, but could never get in to a full-length book

A Most Novel Revenge, Ashley Weaver

★ ★ ★ ★

Milo & Amory are back together (he is such a playboy, despite being Amory's husband), when she is asked by her cousin Laurel to come and stay with her @ Lyonsgate (?) an old country estate where a dreadful murder took place....

Years past, a group of dilettantes were having a houseparty at Lyonsgate when one of the guests was found dead lying dead in the snow the next morning.

All but one of the houseguests, Amory's cousin Laurel, had hidden secrets, when less than a year later one of the guests wrote a true-to-life fictionalized account of the disastrous weekend, instigating the suicide of the person most likely to have been the murderer....

The authoress, who had returned from Kenya with her secretary/lover, requested that all living guests be reunited as she was writing a sequel with the shocking revelation of what really happened, retracting her original accusation of whom the murderer was.

She is later found stabbed to death and Amory & Milo are put into the dangerous position of uncovering everyones' secrets and finding out what really happened on that night so long ago....

I find this series to be very satisfying, interesting, and fast reading

Chance of a Ghost, EJ Copperman

★ ★

Allison's father (now a ghost) has disappeared, but no one knows why; not Paul, not Maxie (the resident ghosts of the Haunted Guesthouse)....

That is, not until a ghost comes to Alison's mother claiming to know where Alison's father is being "held", and will trade the information for Allison finding out who killed him via electrocution w/ a toaster thrown into his bath.

The dead man is as obnoxious dead as he was alive, most all of the people in the Senior Housing Thespian group hated him, as did his co-workers in the local theater box office.

As Allison goes searching for the ghost's killer she also searches for her father... what Allison discovers is: her father who died of cancer is hiding, his doctor has just died, and the murdered man's ghost is lying....

Meanwhile Allison reconnects with a childhood friend and a romance is in bloom....

I'm knocking off stars, because I didn't like any of the characters in the Thespian Group or the Theater Employees..... I also did not like the reason Allison's father all of a sudden went into hiding

An aside: I read this out of order, because it is out of order in the Library's Catalog.....

Driving the Saudis, Jayne Amelia Larson

★ ★

"Janni" is working as a chauffeur when she is hired to drive the women of the Saudi "Royal" Family on one of their regular visits to Beverly Hills...

There were some interesting parts explaining: the political situation; how the Saudi's own a goodly portion of Beverly Hills Hotels; many many Houses in expensive areas (but often stay in hotels); the time & money spent on shopping & plastic surgery; the treatment of their "servants" (they hold the passports virtually "enslaving" them); the treatment of their paid workers; religious beliefs that are in accordance & opposition to the Quran; and how she was "stiffed" on her tip as she was the only woman and was working for the "royal" women.

It was ok, but one never got to know the Saudi's except one of the princess cousins and a few of the Nannys.

I guess rude, demanding, falsely-entitled people are everywhere.....