In Which I Embrace the Bath Lifestyle and #JaneinStPete #NetGalley- A Mystery/Romance!

Did you know today, January 8th, is #NationalBubbleBathDay?  If not, now you know!  

 

Sometime during November, I decided to take a bath every now and again. Once I had taken a bath or two, I realized  I needed a nice fuzzy robe, a quality bubble bath, a wrap for my hair, and a bath pillow.  Shortly thereafter, I made my Christmas list and asked for everything I needed to embrace the bath lifestyle. 

When Christmas day arrived, my wonderful family gave me a robe, a Bath and Body Works bubble bath, and a wrap for my hair.  I said to the Hubs, "Now I just need a bath pillow."  The Hubs then said, "Oh no, Honey, that won't do, I'm going to make you one right now."  Armed with duct tape and the can-do spirit, he recycled packing materials to make me a bath pillow for home and --in his words--a travel pillow I could take with me on trips.  "What Trips?" I asked and then we dissolved into a fit of laughter. 

Happy #NationalBubbleBathDay!  Knock off work early!  Go lock yourself in the bathroom and escape for a while! Embrace Escapism!

And speaking of traveling without going anywhere, below is my latest book review, a nice escape to St. Petersburg, FL. 

Jane in St. Pete by Cynthia Harrison
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Recently, I was able to download a copy of Jane in St. Pete by Cynthia Harrison to read and review. The main character of the book, Jane, is a recently widowed fifty-five-year-old who has left Detriot and moved to a gated condo community in St. Pete, Florida. The book opens with Jane attending a coffee hour at her community center. We get a real sense of Jane right off the bat, based on her internal monologue and we get introduced to people around her via the coffee hour small talk. I thought this was a clever way to start off the book and give us a sense of who's who. Like me, Jane has given up dying her hair, a detail I really liked! Unlike me, she is quickly involved in a murder investigation.

I thought it was very clever of Cynthia Harrison to use Jane's background as an art history teacher as a reason for her to assist in the investigation. In addition to the murder, there may also be mobsters looking for someone in the community! Plus Jane has unresolved issues with the sudden death of her husband, issues with her adult daughter, and then there is the handsome detective. All of these situations are navigated and come to a very satisfying conclusion.

When the book was nearly half over, the narration moves from Jane to another character, I will say that threw me off as I was reading. The second point of view is used off and on for a few chapters and then we finish the book in Jane's head.

This is the sort of book that is a nice beach read, or to have on hand if you are a train commuter for work, or if you like to have a book to read during a lunch break or medical appointment. The book has a fairly small cast of characters to keep track of and most of the action occurs in just a few places, so it is easy to pick back up if you are reading it here and there.

#JaneinStPete #NetGalley

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The First Sunday of 2021 is Here!

I am kicking off the new year by participating in The Sunday Post:  

The Sunday Post is a weekly 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 our blog for the week ahead.  See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

To recap, I have a lovely pile of new books to start my new year-

Look at that literary goodness! 

The first book I will be reading is Killer Chardonnay by Kate Lansing.  It's a Cozy Mystery that takes place at a winery in Colorado.  This book is the January reading selection for The Cozy Mystery Book Club and there will be a live stream discussion of the book on the last Tuesday of January at 7pm EST. 

Because one book club is not enough, I will also be reading The Midnight Library I am trying to decide if I am going to read this or listen to it.  I listened to a sample of the audiobook and the audio didn't grab me, so I'm not sure if I want to use my Audible credit on the book. Decisions, decisions.  

Speaking of Audible, I recently listened to one of the Audible Originals.  It's called After the Fairy Tale and is a great listen for anyone who has watched a season or more of The Bachelor franchise.  This story is a fictional account of what happens after the final rose when the happy couple is separated for several months. If you have a membership this title is free.  This is different than a standard audiobook written by one reader this is a full audio production with sound effects and a full cast of characters.  Think of this as a lifetime movie for your ears.  The story and the acting are very engaging.  If you are looking for a distraction this is it! 

Coming up this week:

A review of Scones & Scofflaws by Jane Gorman 

I'll be sharing a recipe that went over very well at my house from Real Simple Magazine. 

Celebrating National Bubble Bath Day

Welcome New Year! Be Better Than the Last Two PLEASE!

I have decided that approaching the new year with cautious optimism is my only choice. 

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome."- Anne Bradstreet from Meditations Divine and Moral.

Looking at the world through my cautiously optimistic lens, I am planning to find the beauty in the cold of winter, keep all my fingers and toes crossed for health for myself and my family, and that maybe just maybe we can manage the pandemic and soon than later live music will return. 

I'll also be hoping that we'll be able to see my parents, that the kids will have those social interactions that make school fun, and that I'll run the Chicago Marathon in October. 

The new year is here, and the days are getting longer!

****

Today's book review: 

Angels' Blood by Nalini Singh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The first book in what is--thankfully-- a long series! Nalini Singh creates a world where Archangels are at the top of the pyramid followed by 'regular angels' then vampires, then humans. Humans who want immortality can petition to be 'made' Angels into vampires. It's interesting how Nalina Singh takes angels and makes them into a mafia.

Elena is a vampire hunter, she doesn't kill them Buffy style, she's more like a skip tracer. New Vampires are indentured for a hundred years to their makers and some of them try to run in. Elena is born with hunting skills and she is the best hunter around. Just this plotline and Nalini Singh mix of modern life and myths in the world-building was enough for me to devour this book, but then you add in the archangel Raphael, Elena's past, the Cadre of Ten and now we have the beginning of an epic tale with just the right amount of romance.

If you like reading Ilona Andrews & Patricia Briggs, you'll love this series

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