Tuesday, January 19, 2021
Breakfast For Dinner Vegetarian Edition and A #Romance Review
Sunday, January 17, 2021
MLK Day Giveaway Blog Hop - Enter to Win The Sound of Stars!
The MLK Giveaway hop hosted by The Caffeinated Reviewer and Mocha Girls Read is from January 18 through the 25th. The purpose is to celebrate Black Authors and shine a light on Black Authors you may not already know.
Description
"Can a girl who risks her life for books and an alien who loves pop music work together to save humanity? A beautiful and thrilling debut novel for fans of Marie Lu and Veronica Roth.Two years ago, a misunderstanding between the leaders of Earth and the invading Ilori resulted in the deaths of one-third of the world's population.Today, seventeen-year-old Ellie Baker survives in an Ilori-controlled center in New York City. With humans deemed dangerously volatile because of their initial reaction to the invasion, emotional expression can be grounds for execution. Music, art, and books are illegal, but Ellie still keeps a secret library.When young Ilori commander M0Rr1S finds Ellie's library, he's duty-bound to deliver her for execution. The trouble is, he finds himself drawn to human music and in desperate need of more.Humanity's fate rests in the hands of an alien Ellie should fear, but M0Rr1S has a potential solution--thousands of miles away. The two embark on a wild and dangerous journey with a bag of books and their favorite albums, all the while creating a story and a song of their own that just might save them both."You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!
Click here to enterWill You Be Having a Three Day Weekend This Week? The Sunday Post is here -
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
Over the last week, no only did I finish up taking down the Christmas decorations, it was also warm enough one day that I managed to repot my plants. I am hoping that the plants I repotted enjoy their new spacious digs. I am a newbie to keeping house plants alive, if you have any recommendations on plant foods and such please comment below!
Tomorrow is Martin Lurther King, Jr. Day! This year I am not working for the first time in many years. Because I love to share great books, I am participating in Mocha Girls Read and The Caffeinated Reader's MLK Giveaway Hop. Tomorrow you can enter to win The Sound of Stars here as well as hop over to other participating blogs to find out about books from Black Authors and enter giveaways. There are so many fantastic mysteries, romance, fantasy, YA, etc, etc that have been published over the last few years and more coming out this year from Black authors!
How are things in your neck of the woods? Read any good books or seen any good movies lately? Have any special plans for the Inauguration on Wednesday? I will be trying a new meal from Blue Apron!
Hoping you have a great week-
Friday, January 15, 2021
Downward Death - A New Cozy Mystery and I Try A New Recipe! #COYERCHALLENGE2021
As you can see here I overcooked the crescents by about 2 minutes.
Kraft food sends me recipes all the time and many of them involved crescent rolls which I think I could easily eat a whole batch by myself! They are so light and flaky! Ham and Pineapple Crescent Rolls I followed the directions on this recipe. I will say if I were to make this in the future I would dice the ham and mix all the ingredients into one spread and spread that on the crescent rolls and then roll them up. Overall it was a good way to use up leftover crushed pineapple!
I received an ARC of Downward Death by Stella Bixby, below is my review and as always the opinions are mine!
Ellie Vanderwick is a bit of a loner. She was raised in foster homes and has lived off and on in her converted VW Bus since she was 17. Her dream is to help people to be pain-free and more flexible through yoga. This story begins with Ellie being bequeathed a farm in Iowa courtesy of the grandmother she never knew. So far so good right? Ellie will be the outsider coming to a new town. We've all read that before right?
But wait! Ellie has a secret, her hair is a mood ring. Yes, it changes color and texture based on her mood and feelings. I thought this was a unique and fun way to add a little magic to a fairly standard cozy. She also has a pet pig as her cozy companion!
At the beginning of the book, there is some major corn confusion that made me say out loud-- "Is anyone going to tell her?" I don't know if I got it because I am a Midwesterner or if it's common knowledge. (you'll have to read to know what I am talking about, I don't want to spoil you).
Within the first three chapters of this book, I was already invested in Ellie V's life. I wanted good things for her and her Penelope, and I was ready to fight a couple people in the town on her behalf and hug others. Stella Bixby has done a wonderful job in this book of really pulling the reader into the story. The mysteries of Ellie's hair, who her parents were, and how will Ellie support herself were enough to keep me turning the pages, even before the murder occurred.
I read the second half of Downward Death in one sitting, The mystery keeps you guessing and you aren't sure which of these characters is terrible enough to be a killer. As I have said before, I prefer it when a cozy mystery killer is just an awful person motivated by...well I better not say this killer's motivation- that might help you guess who done it!
When the book ends, some of the mystery of Ellie's background is solved, but much of who she is is left as an overarching mystery for future books. I really enjoyed this series and can't wait to read the next book. I am hoping that Ellie's mother is alive and well and will show up in a future book! I also hope Katie & Earl's daughter features in a future story!
Tuesday, January 12, 2021
Website for Cheap Audiobooks and A New #2021AudioBookChallenge Book Review!
If you have an Audible Plus subscription this wonderful novella is included in your membership! Bonus!
I listen to this book to kick off my participation in the #2021AudiobookChallenge I've set a lofty goal for the year! If you like to listen to books or want to start listening to books join the challenge, you don't need to use Audible. You can borrow audiobooks from your local public library and listen via an app on your phone (called Libby or Overdrive). There is also a website called Chirp Books where you can buy books at a very reasonable cost. I have a discount link here you can use to get $5.00 toward Chirp Books. Since they have options for $2.99, $3.99, etc. The $5 goes farther than you would think!
Below is my review, but before I leave you to that, a quick note on Monday 1/18/2021 I'll be participating in the MLK Giveaway Hop. You can see a button for it on the right-hand side of this page. I am going to be giving away a copy of The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow to one lucky commenter. You'll be able to enter to win books by Black Authors on a bunch of other blogs as well.
Here is my latest review!
The House on the Water by Margot HuntMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
If you enjoy Agatha Christie you’ll love this modern tale of a vacation gone wrong. It’s novella-length so you can listen to it over the course of a couple workouts or while cleaning the house. Margot Hunt gives everyone involved plausible motives and in the end, we are left to decide if the killer will get off or not. I think they won’t get away with it. What I loved about this story is that the killer thinks they have avoided becoming a cliche, when in fact by killing the victim, they have become a completely pathetic cliche. It's delightful! A very satisfying listen!
View all my reviews
Monday, January 11, 2021
Farewell Christmas Decorations and A quirky and enjoyable book #NetGalley #ConfessionsofaCuriousBooksellerANovel
I don't know about you but this month seems to be trucking along. It's helpful that so far we are enjoying mild winter temperature and even saw the sun a couple times over the last 10 days. Over the weekend, I finished taking down our Christmas decorations and have transitioned to Winter and Valentine's Day. We spend most of our time at home, and therefore I like to change our decor with the seasons.
Here is a picture of my beloved coffee station updated for the remainder of winter.
In the picture frame is a Valentine's Day card the Hubs picked up a the local Dollar Tree. I cut it up and added a red starburst decoration to a sliver frame I got on clearance at Michael's and Wah-La, festive Valentine's Day decor!
I'm pleased with how things turned out. The Hubs also brought home three planters so I can repot some plants from the 3-inch containers they have been stuck in since arriving at our house over the last few months. I hope I don't kill them- on is a mum that I got for my birthday and right now it's lived longer than any mum I've had in my possession!Below is my latest book review!
Confessions of a Curious Bookseller by Elizabeth GreenMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
When I began reading this book, I became hooked because I wanted to know if Fawn would break up with the fellow she was dating. Then I was wondering about the cosplay pen-pal relationship. Then I began to see the heaps and heaps of dishonesty in all of her correspondence. Her dramatic flair was amusing and kept me reading as she became shadier and shadier--and developed quite the habit of emailing while drunk (never a good idea!) I almost wrote her off as a 50-something antihero who was unwilling to change for the better.
A quote from an email from Fawn to her sister at the beginning of the book that I found was funny: "Can you believe it's been three months? Just last week, he took me out to dinner and paid for it himself! If this doesn't smell like commitment, then I don't know what does!"
What kept me going was: 1. I needed to know how the Mark Twain situation panned out and 2. the emails from Jane. I could see a glimmer of a better person lurking under all the dross* that was covering Fawn.
As a reader you really think you know where this is going to go in the beginning, it sounds as if there might be some sort of romance in that "The Shop Around The Corner" style, and it's not--at all--which is great.
If you get annoyed reading about Fawn during the first half of the book, please keep going, or you are going to miss something lovely.
*I chose to use the word dross to describe all the crap Fawn heaps on herself during this book because I'm confident she would enjoy that wording.
I got a copy of this book thru #Netgalley
#ConfessionsofaCuriousBooksellerANovel #NetGalley
View all my reviews
Sunday, January 10, 2021
Sunday Already? #TheSundayPost : Week 2 of 2021!
Friday, January 8, 2021
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.
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
View all my reviews
Wednesday, January 6, 2021
Thankfully This Recipe Was Easy and The Hubs liked it! Plus a #COYER Challenge and #2021AudioBookChallenge
Substitutions that I made were- I used ground turkey instead of ground pork, I used a can of garbanzo beans instead of the second can of Great Northern Beans because I only had one can of Great Northern.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I bought the audio version of this graphic novel because it was on sale in an email I received at some point last year. Then I got distracted and didn't listen to it for a good six months. Today, I finally decided to give it a listen. I didn't realize that the audiobook I purchased was a graphic novel until after I finished listening to the story!
The audio of this book has a full cast of actors and the story really comes to life. I also didn't realize I had purchased book 1 of a trilogy, and now that I know it's a trilogy, I'm going to have to get the other two books, which are not on sale- HA! To be fair, this is a nice stand-alone story and you aren't left on the precipice of a cliffhanger.
The book starts off with an MC who wakes up in a cemetery with no memory. All she knows is that the reason she is in the cemetery is someone tried to kill her. What a great story hook! How can you not read this? I imagine it is a great looking graphic novel, the audio does not disappoint!
View all my reviews
Tuesday, January 5, 2021
First Book Read in 2021! #SconesandScofflaws #NetGalley
One book down, 99 to go! Oh, the places I will go in 2021--while being in the comfort of my own home!
As I mentioned last week, I have activated my NetGalley account, and that allows me to read and review books from various publishers- in all my favorite genres.
My first pick was a new Cozy Mystery. This book takes place in Cape May, NJ--which is a real town and is now officially added to TBV (To Be Visited) list!
This book is available on Kindle and in Paperback from Blue Eagle Press. If you read it--let me know- tag me in your review or comment below with your feedback!
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I requested this book from #Netgalley because I like the name. What can I say, I enjoy alliteration!
My impression of this book was that it focuses more on the mystery than on the cozy town itself. We do hear about the beach and meet some townfolk, but we stick with Anna who is focused on finding whodunit and why.
I thought that the method of murder was clever and unique. I appreciated how the clues connected to Anna's life experiences and to her dealings with the town, in other words, scenes were not wasted, everything meant something.
I didn't figure out who the killer was before Anna; but, that person was my #1 suspect so I was glad I was right! I appreciated that Jane Gorman chose to have a villain who was just a terrible person and didn't rely on saying the killer was 'crazy'. Additionally, Ms. Groman doesn't rely on killing additional people to raise the stakes for our sleuth, which makes it a more plausible story overall.
This is a plot-driven book and at times I felt like I would like to get to know Anna better, I hope that in the next book there might be more time to get to know her via maybe some light comedy scenes with her and Sammy or Luke.
Throughout the book, Anna reminds herself that she isn't a damsel in distress which is nice to read. I enjoyed reading about her background in anthropology. I am left wondering about her cousin Eoin (a modern-day Harriet the Spy). I'd like to know more about how Eoin came to be with her for months, I hope we find out more about that in the next book.
Overall this book is a solid mystery that comes together nicely. The title of the book comes into play in the actual story which is a nice bonus!
View all my reviews