Is It Just Me?

This is my second full week without a job. Seems like the days go by faster without a job. Then again, it seemed like a week took three months back in April when we were under the Stay At Home Order. I'll have to think about this some more. Since I am home full-time, I have a new goal to read three books a week. I just pulled this idea out of the ether, I am hoping it will get me to spend less time scrolling social media and more time reading. We will see how that goes.

I finished a book today, a new release, and my review is below. Next up will likely be "The Diva Runs Out Of Thyme"  I'm reading that for the Cozy Mystery Book Club.  You can join the book club live stream here

A Forgotten Murder by Jude Deveraux
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is another book I put on hold before the pandemic and don't know why I originally put it on hold! In any case, this was my first experience with a Medlar Mystery by Jude Deveraux. I enjoyed how Ms. Deveraux uses three main POVs in the third person. Because I am currently also reading Dead Land by Sara Paretsky and the character Sara Medlar is a world-famous author in this book, I pictured Sara Paretsky as Sara Medlar while reading.

The English Estate was a nice setting, very Midsommer Murders. I enjoyed that there were multiple mysteries that unfold as you read. As always it is lovely when the baddies get their comeuppance. I have limited patience for long-term will they/won't they, and it looks like Jack and Kate have been dancing around becoming a couple for quite some time. I would hope that in the next book they finally do. I did enjoy their banter.

All in all a good mystery. Would make a nice Netflix film!


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In Which I Join the Ranks of the Unemployed

This doggone pandemic!  I worked throughout chemo and radiation, and now here I am no longer working.  Rude. It pisses me off, that while cancer treatment didn't defeat my work ethic, potentially catching COVID-19 and drowning in my own lung secretions has defeated my work ethic. 

Fortunately, we, knock on wood, should be OK. The hubs has been able to work fully remote for months now and the boys have good aid packages for college.  Maybe I'll find something I can do 100% from home that pays a wage. I am not interested in signing up to sell anything.

In the meantime, I am working on being a writer. Not working means no excuse not to write!  I feel lucky to have found so many webinars, seminars, and writing groups that are free and held virtually. I also am able to volunteer to make phone calls to remind people to fill out their census!  (Just go here, it only takes 10 minutes.)

And as always I am more grateful than ever for my public library. I won a $50 Rainbow Cone gift card in the Summer Reading Challenge. My staying home already paying off for the family.

Here is my latest book review. This was a good one!


Murder on Pleasant Avenue by Victoria Thompson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I put this book on hold at my local library during the COVID closure, so I don't even recall why I put the book on hold in the first place!

This is my first gaslight mystery, it is also book #23 in the series--who knew? Obviously not me! As I read I realized there was backstory I wasn't aware of because I was coming to the series so late, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment.

Victoria Thompson does a nice job of making this book a good read even if you have no experience with the cast of characters. My experience with cozy mysteries has been limited to the contemporary and paranormal, this was my first foray into a cozy historical. The book takes place at the turn of the century, (1900) and it was nice to time travel as a reader. Not only do I get a mystery to solve, but I learn more about the day-t0-day life for various social classes in this time period.

I really liked the comments about Teddy Roosevelt and how it would be a step down for him to accept the V.P. slot to President McKinley. I know what happens next! (and that is its own murder mystery) Will Frank and Sarah be involved in that part of our U.S. History? I would like to read that.



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