What A Week! Happy Friday!

 

School was closed on Tuesday due to below zero temperatures and wind chills. This was very handy as I got to spend more time correcting typos and other errors in my book. I went through my manuscript four times this week! It was mentally exhausting, I much prefer drafting the story to looking for mistakes.

My stress level was also eleven on a scale of ten because I had a potential cancer recurrence scare and the appointment I had for Monday was rescheduled to Wednesday. I'm so happy to say I was able to have an ultrasound and nothing is wrong! I could have used a Xanax to get through Tuesday and Wednesday morning. I had some terrible sleep!  

I am almost done reading an ARC of  Donna R. Madden's upcoming release You Are Enough.  The book comes out next week and I'll be doing a blog post on its release day (January 25th). I am also over halfway through reading Between Mischief and Magic.  I'm really enjoying the mysterious world of the book and can't wait to see how it ends.  

The Sunday Post, Week One Back to School In the Books

 

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  

Thankfully I have tomorrow off work. I love a nice three-day weekend. 2024 has brought the winter weather to Chicagoland. For the most part, we got off easy in December. We didn't have measurable snow and we had more than a handful of days in the 40s and even 50s. Now those days are gone and we have about five inches of snow blowing around and it's crazy cold! We are below zero Fahrenheit (-17 Celcius) until Wednesday.

I have said before on this blog that I have made a conscious effort to embrace the winter season. I've learned to appreciate the quiet of a cold winter day, to look forward to hot tea and lots of layers. But when it's  below zero, ooof. That's too cold! 

This weekend I worked on the proofreading edits and formatting of my book. Let me just say, I am learning so much about grammar and fun stuff like not using numerals in fiction. 

How are things by you? Did you have a nice week? Read anything good? See any good TV or Movies? 

This week on the blog I'll be talking about: 

If you enjoy wondering if your narrator is unreliable..this is a book for you! 

Blitzed by Norman Ohler

 No there isn't anything wrong with your eyes, the cover of this book is blurry. When this book came out in 2017 it was a huge bestseller and there are many fantastic reviews of the book on Goodreads. This is a non-fiction book that read like fiction.  I listened to the audioversion so it's not correct to say that I couldn't put this book down, but I can say I was riveted from start to finish. 

The book starts with the history of drug creation in Germany. Did you know that crystal meth was created by German pharma? Yep. Wild, the Nazi Regime was riddled with meth heads. From the head monster himself Hitler down through the rank and file. At the same time pills were given like candy to everyone in the military and government, the Nazis were publically very anti-drug with strict punishments for those caught using. This is to say, no surprise Hitler et al., were a huge bunch of hypocrites. 

Much of the book focuses on the relationship between Hilter and his Doctor, and you learn that Hilter had all sorts of physical and mental ailments which probably help increase his dependency on all the drugs. It's good to know that Hilter suffered while alive, a small consellation for all the lives he took and people he destroyed.  Too bad he didn't die of an overdose earlier in the war. 

5 stars for this haunting read. 

Happy New Year! #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 

Hi! How are you? Happy New Year! I decided to try a new New Years' tradition for 2023. Have you ever heard of this? 

I'm looking forward to a year of peace, joy, and happiness! I plan to do my best to keep up with reading and then writing about my read here. I have a plan for January--so I'm off to a good start. 

If you are off work this upcoming week and are looking for things to watch. I highly recommend the Love, Lizzo documentary on HBOMAX.  

Thanks for visiting my blog! This week I'll be sharing my thoughts on these books: 

#COYER 10 Year Annivesary Challege

 

I can't believe 2013 is 10 years ago but here we are. I found the COYER challenge a couple of years ago. I love the idea of working  on reading books  already own, but I'm not the best at keeping up with posting on the challenge. I appreciate that the COYER Community is pretty forgiving when it comes to consistency.  

My goal this year is to set aside the time to follow through with the challenge. I'm glad for the first season/semester of 2023 we can count any book format because I really want to read some of the physical books on my shelf that are currently collecting dust.

I am also going to take part in a challenge within the challenge for Janaury-- Can you read a series in a month. I am going to make a separate post about that next!

You can find out more about COYER and join me by clicking this sentence. 

How about you? Do you participate in any reading  challenges? 

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! 

Happy Friday! #Readalong Review! And Some Summer Talk!

 Well as Mother Nature is wont to do, last week we had temperatures in the mid-80s and sunshine galore.  This weekend, the official start of the summer season, the skies are a uniform cloudy grey and the temperature is 46!!! 46!!! literally, 40 degrees Fahrenheit colder than this time last week. 

It's really harshing my budding pool lifestyle. 

My little pool which my daughter makes fun of because it's only 33 inches deep, but hey, it's easy for me to maintain and big enough to swim a little and float a lot!  Alas, this 3-day weekend it is going to stay covered, as temps won't even hit 70. 

When it was summer weather, I spend a few afternoons floating in my pool and reading Blaze of Memory by Nalini Singh.  This is the 7th book in the PsyChangeling series that we are reading this year.  You can find out more about the read-along and join us here. 

As I have said before, I treating enjoy Nalini Singh's ability to keep raising the stakes in these paranormal romances. Once again, I had my doubts as the book was nearing the climax that Dev Santos and Katya Haas would find their HEA.  During this book, I found that I didn't care as much or root for this couple like I had in the previous book which was the love story between  Mercy and Riley.  For me, I think this was because Mercy was a strong, passionate woman who wasn't a virgin like the Psy, and because she was an equal match to Riley. Yes, Katya, survived and made it to Dev, but she is very fragile and since she has amnesia is one-dimensional. 

In Blaze of Memory, Nalini Singh takes us back to the beginning of Silence and tells the story of one family's exodus to become part of the fallen. This is done through letters a mother writes to her son. I liked this method of storytelling.  Additionally, we learn more about how Judd's special set of skills can work for the good.

I would have liked to have a better understanding of what Dev's affinity with metal meant and how it developed as he grew up. I wanted more of his backstory. 

Next up is the story of the human cop Max Shannon, I have been hoping he would get his own book from the first time he walked on the scene!  

Have a great weekend even if the weather stinks! It's a great excuse to kick back and enjoy a good book! 

The Answer to What to Do with Leftover Ham and a #2021AudiobookChallege Rom Com Review! #ParanormalRomance

This month's Real Simple magazine had some dinner recipes that were actually as easy as described.  Today I'm sharing my experience making the Ham and Leek Quiche recipe.  Now as often happens I had to make substitutions in order to make the recipe with what I had on hand.  For this recipe, I lacked leek and buttermilk.  In place of the leek, I used scallions and a shallot. In place of buttermilk, I used sour cream mixed with 1% milk. Here is an article on various buttermilk substitutes.   It turned out so well! 

If you are looking for a paranormal romance with plenty of comedy, look no further than the first book in the Mystic Bayou series!  This is an audible exclusive audiobook and is also available on Kindle and in paperback. Since I have an Audible subscription, I listened to the audio version.  There are two readers, Amanda Ronconi for Jillian's POV and Jonathan Davis for Bael's POV. Both readers do an excellent job voicing the characters and make the story come alive.

I have to say that Zed the werebear and Bael the sheriff are my new favorite comedic duo.  Their scenes are too funny!   

“He tried to call himself Zed Oakendesk, after watching the Hobbit one too many times, but Bael refused because a man shouldn’t come up with his own nickname.”
― Molly Harper, How to Date Your Dragon

This book has a nice balance of comedy, bedroom scenes, and mystery. By its nature as a Bayou town where supernatural beings live alongside humans, you get a great bunch of local characters. It's the kind of story where you wish you could drive down for your next vacation. I'm trying to listen to this series throughout the month of April so hopefully, I'll have at least a review of the next book in the series before the end of April. 

A quote so you can get an idea of the humor/sexy mix:

“She wasn’t prepared for the way the humidity absorbed into her clothes, sealing them to her skin in a thick layer of sweat. She was not prepared for the distraction Bael’s ass would pose, bobbing through the brush ahead of her like a perfect peach wrapped in skin-tight denim. She was staring at it, suffering the oddest craving for peach pie,”
― Molly Harper, How to Date Your Dragon

4 Stars, very fun audiobook! 

In the second book, we get to see Zedd find his mate! 

 The pussy willows along the sidewalk down my block. I love watching Spring begin to unfurl.  Knock on wood, I think that due to the warmer than typical March we enjoyed, we should see trees and bushes flowering more than usual for April in Chicago. 

On the Cusp of Springtime, Book 4 of the #PsyChangeling #ReadAlong Mine To Possess!

 You know how sometimes you look at a word and you are certain you must be spelling it wrong?  That's how I feel about 'possess'  for Pete's sake, it has 4 s's!  I am sure I have spelled in wrong many times over the years.  This is one time that I'm not going to complain about autocorrect.  Especially as I write this review.  

Mine to Possess is the fourth book in Nalini Singh's PsyChangeling series. You can join our read-along here     We aren't just reading the books, we have virtual book discussions and you can enter giveaways as well!

This book features Clay who is a wear-panther and Tally who is a human. This is the first book in the series that has a notable human character. 

Clay like some of the other members of Dark River is very close to his animal instincts and what I found unique about this story was that Clay is not just portrayed as a guy with an edge. Clay is in a very dark place and he is close to losing his humanity and becoming an animal full-time.   It took me a while to get drawn into this book because there is some graphic violence and horrifying treatment of children--which sadly happens all over the world, nevertheless it was hard to read. Tally was abused by a monster of a foster parent and Clay's mother was unstable. 

I enjoyed their journey to connect to each other as adults and the slow building of trust between them. One of the themes in this series is how the lies we tell ourselves cut us off from the love and family we deserve. 

This book has very little Snow Dancer content so, all cats no wolves. But we do have a few scenes with Judd who is a favorite character of mine.  The quote above is something he says in the book. 

The Psy-Net and The Psy-Council are becoming more unraveled with each book and I am here for that!  I was really excited to read the final pages of Mine to Possess and see that one of the side characters I thought will play a pivotal role moving forward is now in place! 

May I be one of the first to wish you a Happy Spring!  It's here!  Soon enough there will be flowers blooming and trees blossoming! 

Here is a picture from last March, this is a regular deer, not a changeling deer. 

Public Libraries are The Best! and Fairy Godmothers, Inc. #BookReview

 

Not only was I able to borrow Fairy Godmothers, Inc. by interlibrary loan, I also won a Fitbit!  You see, my local library has reading challenges for kids and adults in the summer and in the winter. This winter I decided to put all my virtual tickets in the Fitbit drawing and I won! Not only that but during the pandemic, our library has also been putting together activity and craft kits for kids and adults. This month the craft kit included everything to make some nice sugar and salt scrubs and beeswax lip balm! 

The moral of the story, take advantage of your local library, it really pays off!

Now on to my review of this new book by Saranna DeWylde, Fairy Goodmothers, Inc.  This is the first book in a new series, it came out in December 2020 and the second book titled Men Are Frogsm is slated to be out this summer.  So read this book now, and then this summer you'll be ready for a trip back to Ever After, Missouri. 

Lucky Fujiki believes she is the opposite of her name. In fact throughout her life so far, she's even been able to share her disastrous luck with people by giving them unlucky hugs. She's lived with the limiting belief that she is under a curse for her entire adult life.  Ransom Payne has loved Lucky for years and years, but whenever they get together---bad stuff happens! We are talking feral pigs, tornadoes, etc. 

How is Saranna DeWylde going to get Lucky and Ransom to a HEA?  This is a romance after all!  The how of the HEA is a wild ride because Ever After, MO is populated by all the fairy tale characters you thought were fiction.  Little Red Riding Hood is there, the 7 Dwarfs, tailor mice, Prince Charming, and of course the Fairy Godmothers!  Setting a romance series in a fairy tale town in the middle of America is clever and the more familiar you are with the fairy tales of your youth the more references and Easter Eggs you will find in this book. 

I think my jam in romance stories is when the protagonist has to learn to love themselves as they are and stop waiting for their prince (or princess) to come. That's what makes this story extra special.  Lucky could take advantage of the three wishes her Fairy Godmothers offer her, but if she were to do that, will her luck ever change?  

"For a single, selfish moment, she wondered when it was going to be her turn. When someone would save her, but maybe that was the lesson all along. She had to learn how to save herself."

Or Maybe there was no lesson at all. Maybe this was just how things were." (page 221) 

For me, this quote summaries Lucky's journey, does she need to let go of hoping to be saved and learn to save herself, or maybe she just needs to let go and just be?  Wanting to find out the answer lead me to read this book in two days! 

Fairy Godmothers, Inc is packed with loads of humor, and all the delights of Fairy Tales, chocolate, and love!

5 Stars! I recommend you add Fairy Godmothers, Inc. to your TBR pile ASAP! 

The Dollar Tree has little figurines for making fairy gardens so I picked up a gnome for my thyme!  I think I will make a little fairy garden on our porch in one of my larger pots once it's warm enough for flowers and plants outdoors again! 

Clean Out Your E- Reader #COYER Seasons Challenge 2021

 

Over the past year, I have added many, many free ebooks or ebooks that cost under $5 to my kindle. I don't even actually know how many books I have sitting in my virtual TBR pile.  How fortunate for me and my teetering pile of books that I learned about the COYER Book Community and the challenges. Now I have peers to read with and reading goals. This is my idea of fun! This also means that I will get around to reading some of the lovely books that have been waiting for me for months and months.  

If you would like to join me you can learn more and join here

When you see me use the hashtag #COYER this winter you'll know I'm cleaning out one of the books on my e-reader! 

The first book I am reading for the challenge is Confessions of a Curious Bookseller.  So far I can tell you that the main character is super quirky!  

Hope you are having a great day and are able to take some time to do what you love!

Is it too early for Christmas Mode? I say no!

That being said, I have to share some November content.  Here is my coffee station decked out for Turkey Day. The turkey has feathers on it and shows what youngest child was grateful for on a day long ago. - Family, Friends, School, and Home, I think it would be safe to say that she is still grateful for those same things and also Harry Styles, Dunkin Donuts coffee, and her Learner's Permit. 

The Hubs is grateful that Aldi's has these very quirky potato chips that he thinks tastes great. He is planning to go buy more as he finished his bag yesterday.  

And now a book review!  

Merry Scary Victorian Christmas: A Victoria Town Mystery Novella by Mollie Cox Bryan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Yes, I know it is only the beginning of November, but this year more than ever I'm ready for holiday reading. Bring on the tales of Christmas trees, scenes about making cookies, and a murder or two. This third book in the Victoria Town Mystery series is a nice read to kick off your holiday season.

Viv has more bad luck when it comes to being on the scene when someone meets an untimely demise. Someone is framed for the murder, but Officer Willoughy, clearly isn't falling for the framing. Viv uses her skills as a hacker to narrow down the list of suspects and a new character is introduced who offers a clue for Viv.

I enjoyed the book and getting to know Viv better. If you love a good Christmas mystery, pick this one up!

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Great Idea To Celebrate Halloween - And A Book Recommendation!

If you have teens or tweens and are looking for a way to celebrate Halloween this year, I have an idea.  You make up a scavenger hunt list and then kids go in pairs and walk around and take pictures of the items on the list. Once they complete the list they make a photo collage of the items and show the picture to you and in turn, you give them a goodie bag prize.  

Other ideas for distanced Halloween fun, group watch a Halloween-themed movie, Zoom Halloween Costume Contest, or Just wear your costume for the next three-weeks w/a mask on everywhere you go!  Don't limit yourself to one day! This year is weird! 

As I mentioned a couple weeks back, one of the ways I'm celebrating Halloween this year is by participating in a read-a-thon.  Well, now the Fraterfest Read-a-Thon starts on Thursday!  Join me here !  You can even read the book below as part of the fun! 

Ghosts of Tsavo (Society for Paranormals, #1)
by 

Vered Ehsani (Goodreads Author)

Victoria Hamel's review

Oct 07, 2020  ·  edit

really liked it

 

A friend recommended this series to me, I got the first book from Amazon. I think the series is part of Kindle Unlimited. There are many cozy mysteries and romance books included with Kindle Unlimited and I think it's finally time to take the plunge and get the subscription!

The book is on the short side which is perfect for a cold and gloomy fall day. This book takes place in the late 1800s, but in a world where the paranormal is all around us but The Society keeps it from regular humans. The main character in this book, Mrs. Knight, is a very capable woman with a dry sense of humor so I found her to be very relatable-- however, she can see auras and can smell werewolves, and alas, I cannot.

One of the most enjoyable parts of the book for me I don't want to share because it would be spoilery. It was at the climax of the book and I was glad to see it.

This is a fun series at any time of year, but during the spooky season, treat yourself to this adventure!

They Don't Tell You Having Cancer Never Ends

Since I finished active treatment six months ago, I have had three follow-up scans. This is what I mean when I say cancer never ends.  The first scan I had was to follow up on all the treatments; and was used to compare the new post-treatment me, to the scans I had before treatment.  Then the next scan (a PET scan) was to get more info on a couple changes found in the CT scan and then the most recent scan was to see if anything changed from the PET scan.

First and foremost, nothing changed!!! Nothing is more wonderful than hearing your scan was unremarkable! That means the initial couple of weird things found in scan 1 and seen on the PET scan were due to changes from radiation. I hear that many people have cancer treatment and go merrily on their way, no follow up scans necessary.  I, however, get extra close treatment because I'm BRCA-2. 

On the one hand, I'm grateful to have close follow up in that if anything showed up, then it would be smaller and able to be treated faster.  On the other hand, scans cause major anxiety for many cancer peeps, like me.  It's a very stressful time that brings back all the worries of when you first found out you had cancer and all the worry that this scan is going to say the cancer is back and spreading.  That's what no one tells you, once you have cancer, you can never go back to not having had cancer.  The only way you know that you have "beat" (and I do not like that term) cancer is if you die of another cause. Otherwise you just never know what the future holds for you.

The key is to figure out how to balance having very valid worries and living life.  That's one tough key.  Because of the COVID-19 virus, many people now know more about living with uncertainty.  So welcome to my world, it's a bummer to be here. Let's hope there is a great vaccine for COVID-19 soon and some amazing new treatments in the world of cancer that turn advanced cancer into a treatable disease that doesn't shorten lifespans.

Below is a review of a fun book.  Books are a great escape when life is filled with uncertainty. I like mysteries and romances because I know the killers will be brought to justice and the lovers will get their happily ever afters.  When life is uncertain, stories can give you certainty!

xoxo

The Diva Takes the Cake by Krista Davis

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The second installment in this series and both Sophie and I made a very silly mistake. My mistake was reading this book while hungry. Oh my goodness Krista Davis is masterful at writing about food preparation. I wanted to eat the book! And it doesn't end there, the book is also full of discussion on how to set a table for festive events.

Sophie's mistake, I'm not going to spoil that for you. Suffice it to say, she overlooks a really obvious clue--but that is understandable, she has a lot going on! I enjoyed the wedding backdrop for this story. I missed June and the Colonel--and Francie! I do not know why Humphrey is the way he is but I hope he finds what he is looking for!

This book just keeps me turning pages. Oh by the way I loved that in the advice columns Krista Davis includes links to actual websites. Too funny. My only complaint is that Sophie doesn't stand up for herself more when she is dealing with Natasha, her mom, or Hannah.

You can read this as a stand-alone, but book 1 "The Diva Runs Out of Thyme" is very enjoyable so add that to your TBR!


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Happy National Ampersand Day & A Book Review!

See what I did there?

Today Middle Child begins his college experience.  The first couple of weeks will be completely remote and since he is our family's IT person, I expect that he will manage the Zooms ( or whatever software they use), without issue.  His computer space is also the closest to the router giving him the least buffered of streams.

I hope you have a lovely #NationalAmpersandDay!  It's a great day for peanut butter & jelly, macaroni & cheese, or fun & games!

Here is my latest book review!

Magic Binds by Ilona Andrews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In the penultimate book in this series, Ilona Andrews masterfully balances snark, marriage planning, and battle action. They also manage to rehabilitate a dead villain, not an easy task. All the fan-favorite side characters have a part in the installment and it doesn't seem forced when they show up.

I really enjoyed what they did with Christopher's story and it was great to see Roman- a dark priest planning the wedding. This book was just what I needed to read this weekend, it was very engaging, filled with characters I have grown to love and as always so empowering to read about Kate Daniels kicking evil ass!

Lucky for me, the 10th and last book in the series was available on the Libby app, so I've already got that downloaded from my library.


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Happy National Read A Book Day! Book Deals! Free! Almost Free!

Grab a book, or use an app on your phone or tablet, find a shady spot and enjoy some quality self-care!

If you have a Kindle or the Kindle App you can find some freebie book deals. You can also check out books electronically from your library!

Another great way to get books is to take a little time and enter the book giveaways on Goodreads

Here is a book that is free and looks like a fun fall read! 

Here is one set in the roaring 20s- only 99 cents for a limited time! 

And another book for 99 cents - more witches!


If you are looking to enjoy a cocktail with your quiet reading time today, you can click this link for over 20 apple-centric cocktails!  Cheers and welcome apple season!

Back to School?

I am here to tell you that if you have school-aged children, you do not need to spend any time purchasing back to school clothes, completing supply lists before the first day of school ( whatever that looks like), or taking the first day of school picture.  Whatever you are doing, is good enough, period. 

Since I am now, according to Anna, a stay at home mom. I am trying to help the boys navigate their first days as their respective colleges.  Basically, I am reminding them to check their dashboards daily and nagging them to figure out what books they need and when they need to be where. Now if they were able to physically go to school, I would not be doing this, but since everything is changing moment by moment, I'm helping coordinate. 

Honestly helping the kids get the pandemic school year started off right helps me to not obsess over worrying about having a breast cancer recurrence. I have to schedule a CT scan for early September. Why should I be worried about a routine to follow up test? I shouldn't be, however, I am because that's how a post-traumatic stress trigger works.  Can I do anything about it?  All I can do is utilize my box of tools: 1. run, 2. write, 3. distract myself, 4. schedule a worrying time, or 5. attempt to use logic to offset my emotional response.

Speaking of distractions, my local public library had a take and make craft this week!  Look I made a light-up fairy garden! 

And another book review- reading or listening to books is my favorite distraction! 

Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hey Hey this book is older than me. Some of the language and tropes are quite outdated. I listened to the audiobook. The reader was very good. I figured out part of the mystery fairly early on and then listened to see if I was right and for the answers to other questions that were raised.

I haven't read any Hercule Poirot since I was like a kid and that was literally over 30 years ago, so I don't remember if this is typical of HP. If you like Agatha Christie books, obviously you'll enjoy this. If you are looking for a seasonal mystery, there is enough Halloween content to make this a worthy read.

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Who Wants Some Free Kindle Mysteries? Read On!

Tomorrow is a milestone birthday for me. No party due to this doggone COVID-19  No birthday vacation trip due to this doggone COVID-19.  However, unlike last year--I have all my hair! Sure it's white, and now people assume I am 65, not 40-something--but I'll take the win where I can get them.  Maybe for my big birthday, I'll dye my hair purple. We will see!

In honor of my isolated milestone birthday, I figured I would post freebies. Today I'm posting free Kindle books on Amazon.  I haven't read these books, so I don't vouch for anything outside the fact that they are free and I liked the cover.  You can read them on a Kindle or on a laptop/iPad or smartphone, just download the free Kindle App.

Happy Sunday!
xoxo

Geared for the Grave- Mackinac Island Mystery!

As I continue to write and learn about writing, the advice I most often encounter from published writers is to read what you want to write.  Because my writing goal is to write something I hope other people will enjoy as an escape from everyday troubles, I get to read lots of cozy mysteries. 

Here is one I listened to for the Library Challenge last month-

Geared for the Grave by Duffy Brown
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Duffy Brown does a wonderful job of not just introducing us to a very eclectic group of townspeople, we also get a decent mystery to solve. Just when you think you've solved the murder, a new clue is revealed that cast doubt on another person.

The book is set on Mackinac Island--now I know that vehicles aren't allowed and fudge is plentiful, but I do not know if the local residents actually call visitors 'fudgies' . Frankly, I hope they do!

Evie makes for a good main character, she isn't naive and she can mostly take care of herself. I listened to this book via the Libby app from my library. The reader for this series is fantastic! I loved her voicing of "Irish Donna," her brogue is on point!

Overall I loved the cheeky humor in the book as well as the pacing. 5 solid stars. For the cost of a library card, you can take a vacation to Mackinac Island!


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Cozy Mystery Online Book Club May Review- Penne Dreadful!

Penne Dreadful by Catherine Bruns
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Good stuff! A very enjoyable read. The pacing is great, we watch the main character grow, and we meet some very interesting supporting characters.

I read this book as part of an online Cozy Mystery Book Club run by the author Esme Addison. It's free to join the group which is on Facebook. Check it out! I was very pleased that this was our book of the month. Tessa is a widow who is trying to navigate her way through tremendous grief. Her sadness is relatable to anyone who has lost a loved one. We get to see her find her way to begin healing as she reassesses her life and her relationship with her husband. Sounds kinda heavy for a Cozy right? But it's not, Catherine Bruns does an amazing job balancing Tessa's loss and all the elements that make Cozies so satisfying. We have an outspoken smart best friend, we have a big bunch of nefarious nare-do-wells, a quaint town in upstate New York and food talk!

Yes, Tessa's secret sauce recipe is in the back of the book! This is one recipe from the back of a book I might actually manage to make myself!

If you are looking for a weekend or a summer read, pick this up today and then pre-order the second book in the series which comes out next month. It Cannoli Be Murder


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