Buy Yourself The F*cking Lilies: And Other Rituals to Fix Your Life, from Someone Who's Been There

 

This book was my book club's pick for January. The theme was self-improvement.  I listen to the audio version of this book.  This book is part memoir and part life-improvement tips. The book is written by the author who is now in her late 30s about when she was in her mid-to-late 20s. 

I listened to the audio of the book which is read by the author.  Her parents, for lack of a better phrase, really sucked.  Not a physical abuse, but they were not kind to her. This book is mostly about her working through her upbringing. Fortunately for her, she was raised in a home that had more money than many and parents whose professional connections were of benefit to their daughter.

Overall, I would say that the self-help parts of the book could be of benefit and resonate with women in their later twenties who are looking for ways to help get out of their own way. Could be a nice gift for someone graduating high school or college. 

Do you like self-help books?  The author in this book references The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron.  I got that book back in the early 1990s and I enjoyed it -- back then I was in my 20s. Are self-help books best read in your 20s?  What do you think?

Another January is Almost Over #TheSundayPost!!!!

 

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme 

Happy end of January!  We had some lake effect snow on Friday, so now our backyard is good and covered with about six inches of snow.  A mere pittance of snow compared to what has been hitting the East Coast this weekend! 

Today is the final day of my 14-day reset, this is the first time I have gone grain and dairy-free. And potato-free, and processed food-free.  I don't think I can keep it up though.  I really miss cheese and potatoes.  My thought is I'll do my level best to continue to avoid processed food and grains, but I will have a moderate amount of cheese and potatoes. I did make mashed cauliflower that tasted amazing as well as a pork stir fry w/riced cauliflower where the stir fry was tasty enough that I didn't miss actual rice. Also if I could share one more virtuous moment, not that this really should count since I didn't put any effort into it.  I'll have had a Dry January come Tuesday when the month is officially over. 

Last Food Comment!  I posted about a Gluten-Free Pie Crust the other day, I got it from imperfect produce.  I worked out really well and I hope I'll be able to find it again. Mmm pie. I could go for a pie.  

How was your week? 

Coming up this week on my blog: 

#MagicLiesandDeadlyPies #NetGalley Cozy or Not a Cozy?

Here is a description of this book from the publisher: 

"Daisy Ellery’s pies have a secret ingredient: The magical ability to avenge women done wrong by men. But Daisy finds herself on the receiving end in Misha Popp’s cozy series debut, a sweet-as-buttercream treat for fans of Ellery Adams and Mary Maxwell.

The first time Daisy Ellery killed a man with a pie, it was an accident. Now, it’s her calling. Daisy bakes sweet vengeance into her pastries, which she and her dog Zoe deliver to the men who’ve done dirty deeds to the town’s women. But if she can’t solve the one crime that’s not of her own baking, she’ll be out of the pie pan and into the oven."

So you see from the description that our prortagonist bakes murder pies.  This is not how a typical cozy works even paranormal cozies.  So if you are someone who prefers the classic formula of a cozy, this is not likely to work for you.  This book also include swearing and dark themes (most specifically domestic abuse).

I enjoy reading all sorts of genres and I've always loved books with magical elements. So this book worked well for me.  It felt like more of a thriller than anything else, a magical realism thriller?  Well in any case, I don't think it really needs a label. The concept was interesting, the first few pages drew me in and the story had a nice resolution and room for growth.

4 out of 5 Stars.  I hope the series continues, I look forward to book 2!

Oh the pie baking scenes made my mouth water--and there are recipes in the back. 

Thanks very much to #NetGalley for the ARC of this book!  All the opinions are my own! 

Here is a Gluten Free pot pie I made recently!  Premade dough is key for my pie making skills (ie I don't have any pie making skills!) 

Finally Able to Borrow This Book! Under The Whispering Door!

 

I put this book on my holds list ages ago, and my number came up recently.  This book is by the same author as The House in The Cerulean Sea.  I have not read that book. I think this book is darker than The House in the Cerulean Sea based on how that book I have heard more than one person say is like a cozy, warm blanket on a cold day.

As per usual, I didn't look at any reviews or other information about the book before I read it. I saw the cover and I heard good things so I decided to borrow it. I don't know if this is described as a Fantasy book or if it is more correctly Magical Realism.  I think if you read either genre or neither genre, you will enjoy this book.  

This book is steeped in grief and longing, so if you are not in a place to read about death, even if there is every reason to believe in life after death, this is not the book for you at this time. I think I might have enjoyed the book a little more if I knew one thing about this book.  I am going to scroll down and say something that is in the spoiler realm so stop reading here if you don't want to know this one thing, it's going to be vague and doesn't ruin the reading experience; in fact, it would have helped me to be less sad reading this book--which would have enhanced my reading.   Overall I give this book 4 stars.  Stop reading

 if you want no info about the book included something that might be a little spoiler-ish 

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I wish I had known that this book has a HEA. I read without hope all the way to like 93%.  I'm still having a sadness hangover. 

And Then There Were Crumbs #TheCozyMysteryBookClub January Book!

 I am glad that The Cozy Mystery Club is kicking off 2022 with this book, the last couple of books we read were more miss than hit for me, so it was nice to start the year with this solid cozy.  You can join us on YouTube tomorrow for the live stream.  Ben and Angela are always fun when they talk about cozies!

I

 think this is a really good start to a cozy series.  I love the location and while there are a lot of characters, we really get to know the key people around Kate.  I enjoyed how residents of the town embraced Kate right off the bat, it made me feel like I was in Hallmark Movie.

A couple of things make this book a stand-out Cozy.  First of all, the way the killer angle is approached is so clever!  (I cannot say more, you must read this book!) and secondly Maxi is a fantastic sidekick, she isn't just comic relief, she is right there in the thick of it with Kate and lends a lot to the story. She is more a partner-in -solving-crime than a sidekick, I really enjoyed that part of the book.

Oh, I almost forgot one more trait this book had that made it rise above many cozies for me.  Kate has a small almost magical skill.  I am a huge fan of an amateur sleuth that has one unique skill that sets her apart.

5 stars! 

It's That Time Of Year! Winter Reading Challenge #TheSundayPost

 

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme 

Each year my wonderful local library has two reading contests.  Adults read books and get raffle tickets to use to win various prizes donated by local businesses.  I know, it is a really nice thing for the library and businesses to do! The contest started this past week and I'll be making a concerted effort to try and win a prize!  I need to read as many books as I can! One prize is an Aero Garden! How nice would that be to win! 

Do you participate in any annual reading challenges? 

This week is the monthly Cozy Mystery Book Club Live Stream, so I have a post about that tomorrow!  I really enjoyed this month's book!

And here is an old Winter picture of the hubs and the kiddos- 

A Letter To Three Witches by Elizabeth Bass Out This Tuesday!

 I got an ARC of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. A Letter to Three Witches is out on Tuesday, Jan 25, 2022. I requested this book because I liked the cover and the description promised romance and witchcraft a combination I enjoy in books and film. 

#ALettertoThreeWitches #NetGalley.

This book has a very clever inciting incident that compels you to read more.  Tannish, a witch that enjoys stirring the pot sends a letter to her three cousins and that letter sends them into a tizzy.  Add into this drama the fact that all four of the witches are banned from practicing magic by the Powers-that-Be due to a screw-up of an ancestor!  How will things turn out?  A Letter to Three Witches is a real page-turner, one of those can't put down, gotta stay up way past bedtime to see what happens type of book. 

This book is billed as a Rom-Com and to that I found it to be heavy on the comedy and light on the romance. So if you are looking for a fun, truly laugh-out-loud book with a nice sprinkling of romance, get this book!

Most of the book is told through Gwen's POV. I enjoyed her growth over the course of the book and I wonder, based on how the book ends if this will be a series of books and maybe we will get books from the perspectives of her other cousins. 

4 stars to #ALetterToThreeWitches a clever funny gem of a book! 

Thanks #NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book! 

American Girl by Wendy Walker - A Thriller!

At one point I moved my listening speed from 1.6 to 1.7 so I could get to whodoneit faster.  This was a great listen, a nice distraction from January cold when I was out for a run or walking the dog.  The main story is well told, you cannot help but root for Charlie who gets wrapped up in a murder when she is on the cusp of finishing high school and heading off to MIT.

Wendy Walker's takes us through present and past life in Sawyer, PA, a small town where everyone knows everyone and your high school years may never be far behind. Through the POV of Charlie, who is neurodivergent we get very nuanced portraits of the people around her and their motivations.  I especially enjoyed the layers of Charlie's Mom.

American Girl has a handful of subplots and they both serve the main narrative and also, they are resolved by the end of the book.  Knowing what happened to Charlie's Triple S friends was satisfying to read. 

This is an Audible Original and is free to members, if you have Audible I highly recommend downloading this book!

5 Stars! 
 

The Inconvenient Corpse A Cozy Mystery Review!

Want to know a secret? I got this book for free!  Would you like to get free cozies?  Here is a link to join a Cozy Mystery Book Club run by 24 Cozy Writers.  Each month you get two free cozies and you can join a monthly discussion group!  Plus if you are interested there is a Facebook group and a discord server as well!

Here is the link to join! 

Now on to the book review, here is the blurb for this book: 

A handsome movie star in her kitchen, and a corpse in the swimming pool. Just your typical Monday morning….

Maggie McJasper is starting over in a little California beach town. She has a bead shop, a nice circle of friends, and a handsome movie star who keeps flirting with her. Life would be pretty great if she could just stop stumbling over dead bodies….

Do you like dogs, crafts, quirky friends, a slow-building romance between grownups who genuinely like each other, and a twisty little mystery with red herrings galore? Then this is for you.

The Maggie & Jasper Capers are fun and flirty cozies, with no swearing or love scenes, and no gruesome violence to keep you up at night. 

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As an indication of my enjoyment of this book let me tell you what I did as soon as I finished this book.  I downloaded book two in this series! 

I found this book to be a delightful cozy and I recommend you read it too. As it says above this book has

a craft, beadwork, something I know nothing about so that was interesting.  Barbara Cool Lee does an excellent job of giving depth not only to Maggie but also to the people around her.  The setting is a small town but we have rich part-time residents and year-round locals to give lots of room for friction. Add in a smart and sweet dog plus the slow-burn romance between friends and you have a great read!

5 Stars! 

Are Your Holiday Decorations Down? #TheSundayPost January 2022 Week 3-

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme 

I like to wait until after New Years Day to take down our decorations. I don't try to take everything down at once, just like I don't put up all the decorations at once.  Putting up and taking them down I do here and there over a few days. 

I have decorations that are not specific to Christmas, so I am leaving those decorations up until it's time for Spring. To my winter decorations, I added Valentine's Day decorations.  Last week I made a trip to the Dollar Store and found some cute stuff, I even found one gnome decoration for my porch. I bought some dollies and string with the idea that I could make a craft of some sort.

Sometimes when I go to the dollar store (which is now actually the $1.25 store), I buy items planning to get crafty, and well, it doesn't happen. This time, I did follow through--gold star for me!

I took red and white doilies glued them together then I found old pictures of which I had extra copies and I cut the pictures up, glues those to the doilies, and then used red & white string to hang them up, I was thinking about making a garland, but this was a little easier for me to get done.

I also have been on a good streak of very engaging reads.  This week I'll be talking about:

Thanks NetGalley for #ALettertoThreeWitches !!

Halfway To The Grave Read-Along!

 

It's time to talk about the first book in Anne's 2022 Night Huntress World  Read-Along.  I'm so excited to be part of this read-along not only because I like vampire stories and Anne's read-alongs are so fun but also because at the end of the year we will have a Q and A with Jeaniene Frost!  How cool is that! 

Learn more about this year's read-along and join us here! 

At some point in my past, I read this book, and then I don't think I continued the series for whatever reason--chalk it up to a 'life got in the way' thing.  This time around I decided to do the audio version of the book because it was available on my Libby library app.  I took this book on me as I went on runs around my neighborhood during the time between Christmas and New Year.  Tavia Gilbert is a fine reader, I enjoyed Bones' accent as well as the other characters.  It was easy to keep track of who was speaking as I listened.

As I began listening, I realized that Jeaniene Frost did something very clever in this book. Because Cat doesn't know anything about Vampires when Bones captures her, they have a long, but engaging Q and A where most of the rules of this world are explained.  A great way to get Cat and all the readers up to speed about what the Vampire rules are in the Night Huntress World. 

Cat is so naive and impetuous that if not for her vampire blood, she would definitely fit the 'too dumb to live' trope.  Much of her naivety is due to her upbring and she is already beginning to question what she has been taught as her worldview expands out from a very rural town in Ohio.  I look forward to seeing her character arch over the series. 

4.5 Stars to this first book in our 2022 Read Along!!

It's Been a Long Time, But I've Finally Found My Way Back to the Fever Series--Feversong

 

If you haven't read any of the Fever Series and you like Paranormal Romance, you will likely enjoy the first five books in this series.  Once you get past the first five books, I can't predict if you will continue to enjoy the series, many readers didn't. 

In regards to Feversong, I want to share my pro's and cons.  Overall I rate this book as above a 3 but under a 4.  On Goodreads, I'll be giving it a 3. It's decent, in my opinion, but lacking in one very important aspect. 

PROS:

1. Dani/Jada storyline was the best part of the book for me. Passion, Growth, Love, Loss, and Recovery. All good stuff/.

2. The Readers.  I really like the readers for this series. There are quite a few characters and the readers give each character a distinctive voice.

3. There is enough recap at the beginning of the book that even though I hadn't read (listened to) this series in years, I was quickly back up to speed and immersed in the world

4. Alina's story is resolved in a way that worked for me.

CONS:

1. I think there was too much going on in this book and it means that we get very little of some characters I enjoy and spend too much time in Mac's head.

2. I just want Mac and Barrons to have their HEA and move into a supporting role in this series.  I want different adventures and big bads for the Nine - plus Christian where they find HEA themselves. I'm frustrated that Mac and Barrons are together but their are still new obstacles in each book that keep them from that HEA into the sunset.

Obviously the #2 con is a big con! Should I read the next book?  Can I get some guarantees that I won't be stuck in Mac's head, will any of the Nine find love? 

If you have read this series please let me know your thoughts! 

Since LIke A Sister is Coming out in March...Hollywood Homicide by Kellye Garrett

 Here is how this cozy is described on Goodreads:

"Dayna Anderson doesn’t set out to solve a murder. All the semi-famous, mega-broke black actress wants is to help her parents keep their house. After witnessing a deadly hit-and-run, she figures pursuing the fifteen-grand reward isn’t the craziest thing a Hollywood actress has done for some cash.

But what starts as simply trying to remember a speeding car soon blossoms into a full-on investigation. As Dayna digs deeper into the victim’s life, she wants more than just reward money. She’s determined to find the poor woman’s killer too. When she connects the accident to a notorious Hollywood crime spree, Dayna chases down leads at paparazzi hot spots, celeb homes and movie premieres. She loves every second—until someone tries to kill her."

*****

I had so much fun reading this book.  Kellye Garrett nails the struggles of mid-twenties life, trying to figure out what one wants to do now that they are grown up, how to support yourself as well as family members who are struggling, as well trying to have self-esteem when surrounded by the photoshopped and airbrushed beauty ideals. This is all wrapped in a funny cozy mystery. Dayna is a self-deprecating and most importantly very relatable amateur sleuth.  Her old friend and potential love interest (if she gets out of her own way) says she is a quitter, but we see a Dayna who is tenacious in pursuit of her goal to help her parents. 

The book takes place in Hollywood, a departure from the small town setting most cozy mysteries use, and this is a nice change of pace.  Sometimes in the first book in a series, the author introduces so many characters that it can be difficult to keep everyone straight as the story unfolds.  Hollywood Homicide avoids that pitfall. 

Kellye Garrett was able to lead me around and I completely discounted the actual killer in this book.  For me this book was a 5 star read, and I hope she will be able to write more in this series soon. There is only one more book after this one so far! Eek!  I need more Dayna! 

Cold Enough For You? First Week of January 2022 #TheSundayPost

 

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme 

Books I'll be talking about this week:

How was your week?  Tell me something good that happened this week!  In my neck of the woods, I realized, and I know this sounds like a real 'duh' moment, that having a meal plan for dinner for the week makes my life so much easier! I'm making it a goal to keep up the meal planning long after January is over.  Coming up this week I'm going to attempt a gluten and dairy-free chicken pot pie, Bacon Pepper Burgers with ground turkey, and Skillet Chicken with Light Bacon Cream Sauce (subbing oak milk for 2% milk) 

Fated Blades by Ilona Andrews! My Favorite Science Fiction!

 Honestly, I don't know how I forgot that I had this novella downloaded to read!  But here we are, it was a bit of a Christmas present from past me to current me I guess. 

I'm sure I have said it before, but I'll say it again, I love everything Illona Andrews publishes. No surprise that I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I actually have it in audio as well as kindle.  I started listening to it when I was having some very invasive dental work done and it was a little hard to get lost in the story with a drill in my jaw, so I listened to the first few chapters, and then later after my mouth began to heel, I switched over and read the kindle version from the start. 

As this is a novella and Ilona Andrews is one of my favorite authors, I read this in one sitting. It took me most of the story to visualize how the secare's blades and shields worked. I couldn't figure out where they had their hands during the battles.  I have a hold on The Kingsman Universe from my library and so by the time I finish reading that I should have a better grip on the ins and outs of their skills. 

This story is about Matias and Ramon who belong to rival households--Romeo and Juliet or the Hatfields and McCoys.  These families do not get along and they are also deadly weapons so it's a real hurdle to overcome.  Ancestral enemies to lovers?  Basically yes, with lots of action and some politics involved. 

4 out of 5 stars to Fated Blades!

Candy Slain Murder -- A Cozy Review- Deep in the Series

I read Candy Slain Murder because it was picked as our book club read for December.  As you can tell by the title and the cover, this is a Christmas-themed cozy mystery. As you know from reading my blog, I really enjoy seasonal-themed cozy mysteries.  This book delivers on the Christmas vibes.  There is tree lighting, shopping, as well as cocoa sipping, and a Christmas surprise. 

The book also has a lot, and I mean a lot of day-to-day at the cafe scenes and this became boring reading for me. This might be in part because I plopped into a series on book eight, maybe if I was invested in the series I'd have enjoyed the daily specials at the cafe more. 

The mystery in this series is decent and the story has a nice Hallmark-ish ending.  I noticed that on Amazon this book got some very poor reviews because some readers were mad the book included some people who were Muslim and especially because one character dealt with some prejudice as a result of being Muslim. I felt that those reviews were unfair.  

What I didn't enjoy in the book was the over-the-top "country" dialect, especially the way the Mayor in this book spoke, it seemed absurd. 

The Mayor of the town

Overall, I didn't connect with our sleuth Robbie, so this isn't a series I'll be reading, but it is a popular series so if you are looking for a cozy series set in a cafe in Southern Indiana, and you like food talk with your mystery, this may very well be one for you! 

3 Stars for Candy Slain Murder 

Reading Challenges- Do You Participate? I'm Joining The Coyer Challenge Again!

 To review, I did a great job participating in the Winter and Spring Seasons of COYER and then as the Summer went along I really fell off with posting my books read, but I did really enjoy being part of the challenge, so I am definitely in for 2022! 

This should help me to get some of the many, many books in my Kindle app and Apple Books app read! Hopefully! 

What do you think?  Would you like to maybe join in?  Here is the link to know more about how the challenge works: It's Happening Again! COYER Season!

Some of the books I'm planning to read:

The Accidental Alchemist 

Blacktop Wasteland

Christmas Key: There's Always A Catch

And of course, there will be many more books I hope to read! 

#TheSundayPost Welcome to 2022!

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme 

On Tuesday of this past week, we finally got our first measurable snow of this winter, the kind of snow that sticks and is great for snowballs and snow people building. Since it was just about 0 celsius, and since we had our windows crack to allow for some air circulation due to youngest child isolating with Covid, I could hear our neighbor's kiddos playing outside during the snowfall, it was lovely. I also went for a run in the snow, because why not, right?

I do like to be optimistic and not worry about jinxing things, but I've gotta say I am reluctant to say anything about 2022 being a great year or the year of me! Ha!  The few years have taught me that maybe I don't want to claim any year as mine! 

In any case, I will be making goals and sharing books and working on selling Tastefully Simple, and just doing my best to enjoy life. I hope you are making plans to enjoy life this year as well. 

This week I'm kicking off the New Year with reviews of:

And also a book I've seen on a bunch of book blogs, Fated Blades.

So How about About You? Did you make any resolutions?