tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57822777942230394962024-03-18T17:29:13.791-07:00Carstairs Considers....Reviews from a collector and media addictMark Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567392254011373198noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782277794223039496.post-70845364848083563342024-03-18T03:18:00.000-07:002024-03-18T03:18:00.168-07:00Movie Review: Killer Clutch - A Crime of Fashion Mystery<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY1YpwqMc8VCVyFj0EWzpIqNn2O4Ztzzjhd8b2RCBfutmlCeTtwm-G-MEQqArIPVE5qzpjFjxRq6AaeqbvFbyE_gEUxASCLM3x7ku9r8CGmzlNiMyxkSWdzmOeUAykb3OhhUMwvW1FQgFxFb-oMbrdE4r3J3oTkHbONMegDRDuefcrT0k8ghYxUsWpHJ1S/s274/Killer%20Clutch%20Smaller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="274" data-original-width="182" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY1YpwqMc8VCVyFj0EWzpIqNn2O4Ztzzjhd8b2RCBfutmlCeTtwm-G-MEQqArIPVE5qzpjFjxRq6AaeqbvFbyE_gEUxASCLM3x7ku9r8CGmzlNiMyxkSWdzmOeUAykb3OhhUMwvW1FQgFxFb-oMbrdE4r3J3oTkHbONMegDRDuefcrT0k8ghYxUsWpHJ1S/w133-h200/Killer%20Clutch%20Smaller.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><b>Stars</b>: 4 out of 5</div><div><b>Pros</b>: Good mystery, great leads</div><div><b>Cons</b>: Heavy French accents required more concentration</div><div><b>The Bottom Line</b>:</div><div>Paris fashion week</div><div>With body at fashion show</div><div>Fashionable fun</div><br /><div><br /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>“I Can Assure You This Has Nothing to Do with a Crime of
Fashion.”</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When I saw who was starring in Hallmark’s newest mystery
movie franchise, I was very excited since I was familiar with both of the
leads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was fun watching them in <i>Killer
Clutch</i>, the first Crimes of Fashion Mystery.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Lauren Elliott (Brooke D’Orsay) is a psychologist who
specializes in working with the fashion industry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After her best friend, Charlotte (Paloma
Coquant) brings her in to help with a designer, Lauren finds herself hired to
help out with fashion week – in Paris.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She’s never been, so she is excited.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">However, the first fashion show Lauren works ends in tragedy
when Charlotte discovers a dead body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Worse yet, Charlotte also becomes the prime suspect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lauren knows that her friend didn’t do it, so
she starts investigating herself, much to the annoyance of Inspector André
Duvreuil (Gilles Marini).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can Lauren
prove her friend innocent?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I was a huge <i>Royal Pains</i> fan, and I loved Brooke’s
character on that show, so it was fantastic to see her in something else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll admit I only knew Gilles Marini from his
time on <i>Dancing with the Stars</i>, so I was happy to see him acting in
something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both of them did a great job
of bringing their characters to life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You could feel the chemistry between them, and his slow thawing to her
character was perfectly played.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The rest of the cast was good, as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, my biggest issue with this movie did
come into play with the rest of the cast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is a movie set in Paris, so most of the actors have French accents,
which makes sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That meant you really
had to concentrate to understand some of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Also, I’m not sure if some of the actors that seemed a little stiff were
because of my issue with the accents, because of how they chose to play the
character, or something else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll
choose to blame myself for it.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The mystery was good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We got some nice twists, and plenty of complications along the way to
the climax.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, the climax
was weaker than it could have been.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
ending made sense, which is always nice.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I do have to call out their use of my least favorite
storytelling technique, however.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will
never understand why writers seem to think they need to start with a
suspenseful scene from the climax and then flashback to how the story
begins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sorry, it’s just lazy.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’m not that into fashion, but I did mostly enjoy the
styles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were one or two that were
over the top, but they were supposed to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I also enjoyed the locations for the movie, which was filmed at least
partially in Paris.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If Hallmark decides to go forward with more <i>Crimes of
Fashion</i>, I will definitely be back to see where the characters go from
here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are a fan of their mystery
movies, you’ll be glad you watched <i>Killer Clutch</i>.</p></div>Mark Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567392254011373198noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782277794223039496.post-84114359708359575942024-03-17T03:17:00.000-07:002024-03-17T03:17:00.149-07:00Candy Review: Easter Sundae M&M's<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12iUcYVeM9hg0ctis0XsSwSyIwMjQBYlX6XDUpx2wNwuhKZbne-cDvo2bSHI-HFDy3f5lgAFEA4mNO9nGxcSvSBkdwSj4aj4EeQizrWanaiXHCVOaUKVDeaOycKrvDl_T_I0KLM2U-_mfAvHBw1Uc8iVWv_VaKUe3qNpAUYKl-Kp_33K4otaaBX11_pQn/s1500/Easter%20Sundae%20M&M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12iUcYVeM9hg0ctis0XsSwSyIwMjQBYlX6XDUpx2wNwuhKZbne-cDvo2bSHI-HFDy3f5lgAFEA4mNO9nGxcSvSBkdwSj4aj4EeQizrWanaiXHCVOaUKVDeaOycKrvDl_T_I0KLM2U-_mfAvHBw1Uc8iVWv_VaKUe3qNpAUYKl-Kp_33K4otaaBX11_pQn/w200-h200/Easter%20Sundae%20M&M.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><b>Stars</b>: 3 out of 5</div><div><b>Pros</b>: Pleasant sweet flavor</div><div><b>Cons</b>: Doesn’t really taste like a hot fudge sundae</div><div><b>The Bottom Line</b>:</div><div>Attempted flavor</div><div>Candies are enjoyable</div><div>But nothing special</div><br /><div><br /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Pleasantly Sweet, but Still Lacking</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I was wandering down the Easter candy aisle recently (big
mistake) when I spotted the new seasonal <a href="https://amzn.to/49JPhl3">Easter Sundae flavor of
M&M’s</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was intrigued, so I picked
up a bag.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As the name and the picture of a hot fudge sundae on the
front implies, these candies are designed to invoke a classic ice cream
sundae.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The candies themselves are a
white chocolate center with a dark chocolate layer all inside a classic candy
coating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the colors are a red,
brown, and light tan.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When you grab a handful and eat them, you’ll find they taste
pleasantly sweet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please hear me out,
they taste good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But they don’t have any
ice cream sundae flavor to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
definitely don’t have a hot fudge sundae flavor to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If anything, I’d say they taste a bit more
like marshmallow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like marshmallows,
so I’m not complaining.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But they aren’t
what I was expecting from the name or picture.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And I do have to question what a sundae has to do with
Easter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Obviously, they were just going
for the pun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a lover of puns, I can’t
complain, but it isn’t anything I’ve ever had to celebrate Easter.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So I’m not sorry I gave the <a href="https://amzn.to/49JPhl3">Easter Sundae M&M’s</a> a
try.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I won’t be buying a second bag.</p></div>Mark Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567392254011373198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782277794223039496.post-73393751697159763032024-03-16T03:16:00.000-07:002024-03-16T03:16:00.135-07:00March 16th's Weekly TV Thoughts<p><b>Night Court</b> – Obviously, I don’t have the history with the
guest stars that I should have if I were familiar with the original
series. But I still found it pretty
fun. The stories flowed well
together. The jokes weren’t so out there
it felt forced. I did see the ending
with Dan coming from a mile away, but it was still good overall.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Extended Family</b> – As episodes of the show go, that was
decent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I actually liked the resolution
of both storylines, and I do like how they are building the relationships with
the characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I often find people
lying to impress others cringe worthy, but they managed to make it funny
here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Trey’s actions were pretty
funny.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Wild Cards</b> – Hostage episodes always get my blood
bumping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even when I know everyone will
be okay, like I figured here, it was very hard to watch without my adrenalin
pumping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not surprised that they are
finding a way to extend the premise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
that cliffhanger?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Definitely curious
what that’s all about.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Survivor</b> – I always hate to see someone pulled from the game
for medical reasons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I get why they
did it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I was happy with the update
that he is healthy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was really hoping
the one tribe would pull out the win at the challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel so sorry for the guy who thought he
was going home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That would be me if I
were ever on the show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which is why I
enjoy it from my living room.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>The Amazing Race</b> – My broadcast fritzed, so I really want to
know how the siblings got out of the parking job they’d done with their
car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think we’ve got some low hanging
fruit with some other teams that seemed to get very lost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Glad the pilot came back after they got
themselves lost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, honestly, they
needed it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their early bragging was
bothering me, and I want to root for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So far, none of the teams are too annoying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ll see how the season progresses.<o:p></o:p></p>Mark Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567392254011373198noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782277794223039496.post-12693015225728802352024-03-15T03:15:00.000-07:002024-03-15T10:24:16.177-07:00March 15th's Friday Post<p>We've made it to Friday! This week, that means another Friday Post. I'll be linking up to:</p><p><a href="https://www.rosecityreader.com/2024/03/the-curmudgeons-guide-to-getting-ahead.html">Book Beginnings</a><br /><a href="https://readingismysuperpower.org/2024/03/14/first-line-friday-week-385-love-unscripted/">First Line Friday</a><br /><a href="https://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/2024/03/review-lady-tans-circle-of-women.html">Friday 56</a><br /><a href="https://www.coffeeaddictedwriter.com/2024/03/book-blogger-hop-writing-time.html">Book Blogger Hop</a></p><p>My teasers for the first three will be coming from <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3Tyj4rg">Stark Raving Mod</a></i> by Diane Vallere.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX8h4Lzk22Qm2PKiZA5No7bDXf_KstN_kLGmqe0XREJ4g4iBZ0CyXNeyahLS03AaKfiZwn1c7-8HgoS5v6CTYzgP83r8SwstAcniMYv0Xfja57_gP2732CAAPyRKWVq465y0ICMsgbkTh3qxdLRKZm356zTayQwSo2O4j052yOfQsrY-i-Hye-_nO1laiC/s1500/Stark%20Raving%20Mod.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="967" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX8h4Lzk22Qm2PKiZA5No7bDXf_KstN_kLGmqe0XREJ4g4iBZ0CyXNeyahLS03AaKfiZwn1c7-8HgoS5v6CTYzgP83r8SwstAcniMYv0Xfja57_gP2732CAAPyRKWVq465y0ICMsgbkTh3qxdLRKZm356zTayQwSo2O4j052yOfQsrY-i-Hye-_nO1laiC/s320/Stark%20Raving%20Mod.jpg" width="206" /></a></div><br /><p>This is book 13 in her Samantha Kidd series, which has a fashion theme. Of course, they are mysteries. I mean, this is me, after all.</p><p>I just love how this particular book opens:</p><p></p><blockquote>There’s nothing quite as exciting as a padlocked trunk.</blockquote><p></p><p>Isn't that a great opening? It definitely made me want to read more.</p><p>At 56% into the book, we get this exchange. Samantha is talking to Detective Loncar, the retired police homicide inspector who is now working as a PI. She's sort of hired him/working with him at this point in the book. She starts off this snippet by saying:</p><p></p><blockquote>“I know you want me to leave, but we need to talk about last night. While you were polishing off a flight of whiskey, I was chasing a lead, fending off an attack, getting you out of there safely, and discovering a new clue.”<br />“I’m on the edge of my seat.”</blockquote><p></p><p>That pretty much captures their relationship.</p><p>I enjoyed the book as always. I'll be reviewing it next Thursday.</p><p>Meanwhile, here's this week's <b>Book Blogger Hop</b>:</p><p></p><blockquote>On average, how long do you spend writing a review?</blockquote><p></p><p>For a book review, I figure an hour on the writing of the review itself. If I sit down and really truly focus, I can get it done in less than that. But I get distracted, and that's about how long it takes me to draft the review when you factor in that. Fortunately, my reread to edit only takes a few minutes, as does my scheduling of the review.</p>Mark Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567392254011373198noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782277794223039496.post-74889480372708522832024-03-14T03:14:00.000-07:002024-03-14T03:14:00.136-07:00Book Review: Lone Wolf by Gregg Hurwitz (Orphan X #9)<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoMI51psMhUPJxBMs46UWH-NDaSBW2Y-yqZpRuuHtuSvWrsPc-XdkpTx0K0dpMf6-rVPX96Lpfm1N89E1JfzfumH75ONW7k6Y3j6tp300axMBom6rr0B5UsHF726frZ_DMPdTZOps8VVUTHTZd-S6cdJD-zA77kqj2JN4qmq1hKKXM-n_pnAhITItsGxdO/s1500/Lone%20Wolf%20Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="987" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoMI51psMhUPJxBMs46UWH-NDaSBW2Y-yqZpRuuHtuSvWrsPc-XdkpTx0K0dpMf6-rVPX96Lpfm1N89E1JfzfumH75ONW7k6Y3j6tp300axMBom6rr0B5UsHF726frZ_DMPdTZOps8VVUTHTZd-S6cdJD-zA77kqj2JN4qmq1hKKXM-n_pnAhITItsGxdO/w132-h200/Lone%20Wolf%20Cover.jpg" width="132" /></a></div><b>Stars</b>: 4 out of 5</div><div><b>Pros</b>: Strong story; growth for Evan and Joey</div><div><b>Cons</b>: Joey a bit much at times; excessive language; slow start to story</div><div><b>The Bottom Line</b>:</div><div>Evan hunts for dog</div><div>Finds unexpected danger</div><div>Overcomes slow start</div><br /><div><br /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>A Missing Dog Leads to…an Assassin?</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">While I tend to stick to the lighter side of the cozy
spectrum, I always look forward to sitting down with some of the authors I read
who writer darker books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s true of
Gregg Hurwitz and his Orphan X novels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i><a href="https://amzn.to/49Myxtm">Lone Wolf</a></i> just came out in February, and fans who haven’t read it yet are in for
a treat.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you’ve missed the backstory, a quick recap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a young teen, Evan Smoak was taken out of
the foster system and trained as an operative in the Orphan Program, a black
ops US government program for trained assassins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After doing this for years, he left to become
the Nowhere Man, a shadowy figure who lives off the radar and helps those so desperate
that they no one else would have the skill set to help them.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This book opens finding Evan dealing with the emotional
aftermath of the previous book’s cliffhanger (and no, I’m not going to spoil
any more than that).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He gets a call on
his phone, but it’s not a new client, at least not in the usual sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, it’s a pre-teen girl whom he barely
knows, asking for help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her dog got
away, and she desperately wants him back.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Obviously, this isn’t the type of case that Evan gets
involved in, but he takes it because of who this young girl is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His protégé/tech guru Joey is able to figure
out who has the dog, but when Evan shows up at the man’s house, he walks into
something completely unexpected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If he
can escape, can he set things right?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you are thinking this set up sounds weird for the series,
you’re right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the book is a little
slow at the start as a result.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We get
hints that something else is going on, but it’s a while before things really
kick off.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But when they do, it is with a bang.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is an extended action scene in this
book that is fantastic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And goes on for
a long time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From there, the book’s pace
stays fairly steady and Evan must figure out what is going on so he can stop
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Throw in a couple of subplots, and
you’ve got a book that is hard to put down, which is just what you want from a
thriller.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I mentioned Joey earlier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I must admit, I have a love/hate relationship with this character, and
this book is a perfect example of why.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She goes out of her way (at least that’s how it feels that times) to
push Evan’s buttons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of that is
funny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Too much and it becomes
annoying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She gets a lot of page time in
this book, so we definitely crossed to the annoying side of things here a few
times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, some of the scenes that
really allowed us to see her vulnerable side were great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not to mention what it allowed Evan to learn.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Speaking of Evan, he really grew here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It felt like a natural product of the story,
and I loved it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s always been a very
complex man, and that’s the case once again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s fascinating watching him balance his attempts at a normal life with
what he does.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This would also be the
main reason to read the books in order, although you get enough backstory in
the books that you can enjoy this book on its own.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There series has very few recurring characters, and my two
favorites weren’t around for this book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I missed them, but that’s a minor point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We got some interesting new characters, who helped pull me into the main
story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And there is a hilarious subplot
involving Evan’s neighbors that really help lighten things up.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Parts of the book bump into AI and social media.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Given the conversation we’ve had even in the
few weeks since this book came out, it is both timely and a bit scary how
predictive it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do wonder if it will
be dated in a few years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that’s just
a reason to read the series now.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As with most thrillers, this book has more language and
violence than in the books I typically pick up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In fact, the language felt excessive at times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe it’s just that I’ve forgotten how much
there is in these books.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall, the writing in these books is lyrical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t help but marvel at how descriptions
are handled and some of the phrases used even as I’m racing to the next heart
stopping scene.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There’s a reason I can’t get enough of the Orphan X
books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i><a href="https://amzn.to/49Myxtm">Lone Wolf</a></i> will keep you
turning pages until you come to the last one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’ll definitely be back for more.<o:p></o:p></p>And do check out the rest of the <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/p/book-series-in-order.html#OrphanX">Orphan X books</a>.</div>Mark Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567392254011373198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782277794223039496.post-33257912021061299832024-03-13T03:13:00.000-07:002024-03-13T03:13:00.135-07:00Ornament Review: Hermione, Hagrid, and Snape Miniature Ornament Set - 2023 Hallmark Release<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5wP7MVc2DKXth09-AVvhICx3zgIXqjWyND6pMLyzTP93EyXXoNKhnlANRsCTxD4wQ7vLC3hoyTWT1T6as_0jCrHcx9haNGigXvBC03jwsY7pNfdRBVGFv3Mx8obrej3YKt4Mlom4qobzLxcHpfvDSxk9zWiJogkH046VfOAN_4ZxbX-zORfY89bKJ4AQC/s1500/Hermione%20Hagrid%20Snape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1141" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5wP7MVc2DKXth09-AVvhICx3zgIXqjWyND6pMLyzTP93EyXXoNKhnlANRsCTxD4wQ7vLC3hoyTWT1T6as_0jCrHcx9haNGigXvBC03jwsY7pNfdRBVGFv3Mx8obrej3YKt4Mlom4qobzLxcHpfvDSxk9zWiJogkH046VfOAN_4ZxbX-zORfY89bKJ4AQC/w152-h200/Hermione%20Hagrid%20Snape.jpg" width="152" /></a></div><b>Stars</b>: 4 out of 5</div><div><b>Pros</b>: Good mini versions of three Harry Potter characters</div><div><b>Cons</b>: Faces a little plain, weird trio for me to start a collection with</div><div><b>The Bottom Line</b>:</div><div>These three characters</div><div>Make nice ornament trio</div><div>That fans will enjoy</div><br /><div><br /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>A Trio of Magical Friends</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When I was looking at the Hallmark ornaments last year in
the store, I made an impulsive decision to buy the <a href="https://amzn.to/3P9Hyoc">Hermione, Hagrid, and Snape mini ornament set</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I like them, I
do now feel like my collection is missing some key Harry Potter figures.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When I bought them, I was thinking that I must have missed
some ornaments from the previous year that included Harry and Ron.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, and no.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In looking back at what was released last year, I realized they were
part of a set Hallmark released that included a themed mini tree, tree topper,
and tree skirt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t want all of
that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I still don’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I do wish those ornaments had come out on
their own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I definitely would have
bought them if they did.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But that’s not what we are here to talk about today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s talk about this ornament set.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Naturally, Hagrid is the largest ornament,
but Snape isn’t that much smaller than Hagrid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Hermione is just a little smaller than Snape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s probably an inch and a quarter tall,
and the others are closer to an inch and a half.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hagrid’s size comes more from his width, so
he does not look significantly taller than the others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They look like you’d picture the
characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hermione even has a wand in
her hand.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">While the ornaments do look good, their faces are a little
plain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, I know I’m asking for a lot
from my mini ornaments, but I feel like they could have done better, especially
for Snape.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you are careful, you can set all three of them out to be
displayed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s a bit rare for a mini
ornament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>None of them are super stable,
so you’ll want to be very careful if you choose to do that, but it is an
option.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Or you can hang them on a tree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I enjoyed them on my mini trees this
year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They looked great and all hung
straight.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you love Harry Potter, you’ll want to consider getting
these ornaments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a little weird to
start a character collection with <a href="https://amzn.to/3P9Hyoc">this trio</a>, but that’s what I’ve done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ll see how I decide to supplement them in
the future.</p></div>Mark Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567392254011373198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782277794223039496.post-60847301417648146352024-03-12T03:12:00.000-07:002024-03-12T03:12:00.131-07:00Book Review: In Sunshine or in Shadow by Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles (Molly Murphy #20)<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtfTQ1sqv8Jy4gdBQA6c-La7q8wezZTt8UYtjK0pSOhbpRzohVf5MKjSba8tLxr17H3Mwc5Pu0KfVLA5WvjGLArtJDVowkI6xKMbQoQXoJoep1UIW1LHSsQocBvNdTKk9R9D5yLUpDp3h9O3b6sbna-RmUPeNxlD9qm31Ngmg3oELrzG6aU0pSlOPU5-Pc/s1500/In%20Sunshine%20or%20in%20Shadow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="987" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtfTQ1sqv8Jy4gdBQA6c-La7q8wezZTt8UYtjK0pSOhbpRzohVf5MKjSba8tLxr17H3Mwc5Pu0KfVLA5WvjGLArtJDVowkI6xKMbQoQXoJoep1UIW1LHSsQocBvNdTKk9R9D5yLUpDp3h9O3b6sbna-RmUPeNxlD9qm31Ngmg3oELrzG6aU0pSlOPU5-Pc/w132-h200/In%20Sunshine%20or%20in%20Shadow.jpg" width="132" /></a></div></div><div><b>Stars</b>: 5 out of 5</div><div><b>Pros</b>: Strong mystery and characters</div><div><b>Cons</b>: All cons hidden in shadow</div><div><b>The Bottom Line</b>:</div><div>Catskills mystery</div><div>With a murder in the woods</div><div>Strong number twenty</div><br /><div><br /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Not So Restful Time in the Catskills</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I was a bit surprised when I saw that <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3v6YWD9">In Sunshine or in Shadow</a></i> is the twentieth Molly Murphy Mystery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It makes sense when I stop and think about
how long I’ve been reading about the cases this Irish immigrant solves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But twenty books is quite the milestone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it is a milestone that fans of the series
will enjoy.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you haven’t met Molly yet, we first journeyed with her to
New York City in 1901 as she immigrated to the US, feeling a bad situation in
Ireland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the books, we’ve watched
her make friends, get married, and have a child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, it is the summer of 1908, and she is
expecting her second child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since the
typhoid outbreak in the city is worse than normal and unpredictable, she
reluctantly heads to Westchester where her mother-in-law lives out in the
country.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After she’s been there long enough to begin to get bored,
she decides to go visit her friends Sid and Gus who went further from the city
into the Catskills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’ve reluctantly
gone to visit Sid’s family who own some land out there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the reunion is dampened by murder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the police not willing to let anyone
leave until they’ve caught the killer, Molly knows she needs to get to the
bottom of what actually happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can
she do it?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The authors do a good job of getting Molly and the other
characters to the new location fairly quickly and then they spend some time
introducing us to the victim and suspects before the murder happens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The result is a book where the body might
drop a little later than normal for the books I read, but I didn’t feel like
any of the time was wasted.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Once the murder does take place, we are off and running with
plenty of suspects to keep Molly guessing and us engaged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The book does weave in multiple directions
before we hit the logical solution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
what a great climax!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is set just as the Catskills was beginning to become a
summer resort area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I grew up on
the west coast and wasn’t familiar with that era or local history, I still
found it interesting to watch people try to get in at the very beginning.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Meanwhile, prejudice plays a part in the book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of the characters are Jewish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It makes me sad to see how they were treated
by a few of the characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately,
it isn’t all of them, which makes me happy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Molly’s reactions make it clear how she feels about it without any need
to lecture us, too, which was great.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Molly, Sid, and Gus are the only series regulars who get
serious page time, but that’s not an issue for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are the core of the series, and I love
getting to spend time with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
also allows us to really get to know the suspects, which was great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Daniel, Molly’s husband, manages to be pretty
great when he is on the page, which I enjoyed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He can be a great character when he lets himself be one.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As I said, fans will be rewarded with <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3v6YWD9">In Sunshine or in Shadow</a></i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you haven’t started this
series yet, you are in for a treat with these trips back in time.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Enjoy the rest of the <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/p/book-series-in-order.html#MollyMurphy">Molly Murphy books</a>.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.</p></div>Mark Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567392254011373198noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782277794223039496.post-78922135796866194722024-03-11T03:11:00.000-07:002024-03-11T03:11:00.243-07:00TV Show Review: The Amazing Race - Season 35<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjypU0KMps-DHdU450isHB3ezr0p2w10Q1-rRt0YI5xRChu0sdLrp_hTpWxmlTUFjf9XxF9Oczu_f5LNfN0_KtGD-rdDPPJS661Wbar3zbwwqGakgq8Nxj1fWVC19UHOWcmbb6l6Qs4rUaEnXYU6YPE5SVEUCGW9vCV-YFt9HS6gfgizkVA9EWALs0h-eSx/s1500/Amazing%20Race%20Cast.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjypU0KMps-DHdU450isHB3ezr0p2w10Q1-rRt0YI5xRChu0sdLrp_hTpWxmlTUFjf9XxF9Oczu_f5LNfN0_KtGD-rdDPPJS661Wbar3zbwwqGakgq8Nxj1fWVC19UHOWcmbb6l6Qs4rUaEnXYU6YPE5SVEUCGW9vCV-YFt9HS6gfgizkVA9EWALs0h-eSx/s320/Amazing%20Race%20Cast.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><b>Stars</b>: 5 out of 5</div><div><b>Pros</b>: Old school Amazing Race is back!</div><div><b>Cons</b>: None</div><div><b>The Bottom Line</b>:</div><div>Time to race old school</div><div>Visit some great locations</div><div>Arm chair traveling</div><br /><div><br /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Racing Back to Normal</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Covid impacted so much of our world the last few years, it
hardly needs to be said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in the
world of entertainment, I feel like it impacted <i>The Amazing Race</i> a bit
more than some other shows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It makes
sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you have a show that is all
about interacting with people all over the world, you are going to have to make
adjustments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But season 35 was a return
to <i>The Amazing Race</i> of old, and it was wonderful as a result.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The premise of the show is that thirteen teams of two, all
of whom have a pre-existing relationship, set off on a race around the
world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have to follow clues to
pre-selected locations, completing tasks along the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the end of each leg, one team is
eliminated until the final leg, when three teams race to the finish line.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The last few seasons have found the teams using chartered
flights to get them to each new country, and have kept the locations to a
smaller geographic area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This season saw
the return of a truly around the world race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The teams started in Los Angeles and flew to Thailand, Vietnam, and
India before landing in Europe where they visited Slovenia for the first
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of this while navigating
commercial flights, public transportation, and rental cars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other words, it was back to normal.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Part of the joy of the series is the arm chair travel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we get some great locations this
season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Slovenia wasn’t on my travel
radar, but now I’m dying to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I
would have enjoyed any of the place they visit.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And I really enjoyed getting to watch the teams deal with
the struggles of figuring out not only their transportation but also their
directions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both have always been
elements of the race, and it was great to see them back in full force
here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The previous seasons, as fun as
they were, didn’t allow for teams to change places in the rankings as
often.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here, we saw some big swings, for
better or worse.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yes, I always find teams I’m rooting for or against.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mainly, I like rooting for the teams that
seam nice and get along with each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Teams that are constantly sniping at each other or other teams get on my
nerves very quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That happened here,
as it always does, but there are some truly great teams that it is easy to root
for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And this season proves that you
should never give up until you’ve ended a leg.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The strikes of 2023 did impact this season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because CBS was looking to fill in its
schedule, they decided to air 90 minute episodes of the show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know some fans didn’t enjoy this, but I
thought it was wonderful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got to see
more of each location and spend more time getting to know the teams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This season was put into production after
that decision was made, and the producers did a good job of giving the teams
enough tasks that I never felt like I was watching filler.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">All of this combined to make season 35 of <i>The Amazing
Race</i> a great season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While it is
hard to have a bad season of this show, some really stand out more than
others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is one of those seasons
that fans will love and, if you haven’t watched it before, would be a great
season to jump in and watch.</p></div>Mark Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567392254011373198noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782277794223039496.post-64235141670353998012024-03-10T03:10:00.000-07:002024-03-10T21:30:10.431-07:00March 10th's Sunday/Monday Post<p>Welcome to this week's Sunday/Monday Post. I'll be linking up to:</p><p><a href="https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2024/03/sunday-post-618-spring-forward.html">Sunday Post</a><br /><a href="https://readerbuzz.blogspot.com/2024/03/the-sunday-salon-week-in-which-i.html">Sunday Salon</a><br /><a href="https://www.readingreality.net/2024/03/stacking-the-shelves-591/">Stacking the Shelves</a><br /><a href="https://mailboxmonday.wordpress.com/2024/03/10/mailbox-monday-520/">Mailbox Monday</a><br /><a href="https://thebookdate.wordpress.com/2024/03/11/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-411/">It's Monday, What Are You Reading?</a></p><p>Sunday night, I wound up going into urgent care. While they didn't do any testing to see what specifically I had (cold or something like flu or COVID), they focused very much on my eye. Yep, I had pink eye in one eye. By the time I got up Monday morning, I had it in both eyes. Fortunately, the eye drops they gave me have done a great job of knocking it out.</p><p>As to the rest, I'm still a little congested, but it's getting a little better every day. My fever finally went away. I'd completely lost my voice Wednesday and Thursday, but it seem to be back now.</p><p>And, yes, I kept working all week. As much as I love working from home, this is a downside. But it was quarter end, and there was just too much to do. Fortunately, I think the worst of it is behind us, although I'm expecting some questions about the extra reporting this coming week.</p><p>Friday was my birthday. Between work and getting over being sick, it was a very quiet day. I talked to my family, and opened some cards and presents. You'll hear more about the presents in a few minutes. It's like the people giving me presents know me or something.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">This Past Week on the Blog:</h3><div><div><br /></div><div>Sunday - <a href="https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2024/03/march-3rds-sundaymonday-post.html">Sunday/Monday Post</a></div><div>Monday - <a href="https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2024/03/movie-review-prince-in-paradise.html">Movie Review: <i>A Prince in Paradise</i></a></div><div>Tuesday - <a href="https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2024/03/book-review-black-list-white-death-by.html">Book Review: <i>Black List, White Death</i> by Steve Hockensmith</a></div><div>Wednesday - <a href="https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2024/03/tv-show-review-superman-lois-season-3.html">TV Show Review: <i>Superman and Lois</i> - Season 3</a></div><div>Thursday - <a href="https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2024/03/book-review-knot-ready-for-murder-by.html">Book Review: <i>Knot Ready for Murder</i> by Mary Marks</a></div><div>Friday - <a href="https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2024/03/march-8ths-friday-post.html">Friday Post featuring <i>In Sunshine or in Shadow</i></a></div><div>Saturday - <a href="https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2024/03/march-9ths-weekly-tv-thoughts.html">Weekly TV Thoughts</a></div></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">This Coming Week on the Blog:</h3><div><br /></div><div>Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post</div><div>Monday - TV Show Review: <i>The Amazing Race</i> - Season 35</div><div>Tuesday - Book Review: <i>In Sunshine or in Shadow</i> by Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles</div><div>Wednesday - Ornament Review: Hermione, Hagrid, and Snape</div><div>Thursday - Book Review: <i>Lone Wolf </i>by Gregg Hurwitz</div><div>Friday - Friday Post featuring <i>Stark Raving Mod</i></div><div>Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Book Haul:</h3><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjAV5b7PUf6stB2pjwIreT5XhAW8FkIcTwjLe4PRAp1Eu43uhy2Uub54g6_ha-kOgyQa3Ba08O3JRTvEtbDQyn3N9DY7ZUPGBh6TmZiDg1j3XrqZFbE5bipRx1mRWhxEDsmyA_RXz_Ye0NHodyYJkSkg-kBx5hO6IoAHs7wURdLqmsPW2ronxTFDm08VC/s1483/3-10%20Haul.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1363" data-original-width="1483" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjAV5b7PUf6stB2pjwIreT5XhAW8FkIcTwjLe4PRAp1Eu43uhy2Uub54g6_ha-kOgyQa3Ba08O3JRTvEtbDQyn3N9DY7ZUPGBh6TmZiDg1j3XrqZFbE5bipRx1mRWhxEDsmyA_RXz_Ye0NHodyYJkSkg-kBx5hO6IoAHs7wURdLqmsPW2ronxTFDm08VC/s320/3-10%20Haul.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>As I mentioned earlier, I got books for my birthday. Plus, I got a preorder, a couple of books for review, and an audiobook from the library. You know those low count weeks I've had recently? Yeah, this week made up for them.<p></p><p style="text-align: left;">Let's start with the birthday books.<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">I don't remember how <i><a href="https://amzn.to/49O6wBQ">The Bloody Black Flag</a></i> by Steve Goble crossed my radar, but it's a mystery involving pirates in the 1700's. I think it will be very far from my normal cozy choices, but I very much can't wait to read it. I think it would be a lot of fun.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Also on the historical front, I got <i><a href="https://amzn.to/43aDKZo">A Royal Affair</a></i> by Allison Montclair. For this one, it's just after World War II in England, and the main characters have set up a match making service. I read the first book last year, and I really enjoyed it, so I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in this one.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Staying in Europe but moving to the present day, I also got <i><a href="https://amzn.to/49MeCus">Murder in Trastevere</a></i> by Jen Collins Moore. The action here is set in Italy. It's the second in a series, and I enjoyed the first, so I'm looking forward to seeing what happens to the characters here.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Rounding out my birthday haul is <i><a href="https://amzn.to/4c9Hsqj">The Baffled Beatlemaniac Caper</a></i> by Sally Carpenter. The author is a So Cal resident, so it's been on my radar for a while. The main character is a former teen idol trying to make a comeback, which sounds like fun.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Let's move on to review copies, shall we?</p><p style="text-align: left;">The first of those is <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3PdjCjA">The Witless Protection Program</a></i> by Maria DiRico. This is the fifth and, sadly, final in the Catering Hall Mysteries. This book comes out in just a couple of weeks, so I'll be reading it very soon.</p><p style="text-align: left;">My second is an ARC for <i><a href="https://amzn.to/49JgmVf">A Murder Most French</a></i>, the second in the American in Paris Mysteries from Colleen Cambridge, The main character is friends and neighbors with Julia Child in 1950 Paris. I enjoyed the first when I read it a few months ago, so I'm looking forward to seeing what happens here.</p><p style="text-align: left;">I'm not quite sure why it took so long for <i><a href="https://amzn.to/48LUJ5x">Kingdom Keepers Inheritance: Villain's Realm</a></i> to show up but it did. It actually came out the end of February, but shipped a couple of days later and then showed up early this week. Anyway, it is the newest from Ridley Pearson. If you aren't familiar with the Kingdom Keepers, this is a middle grade series about teens who have to fight Disney villains and keep them from taking over the Disney theme parks. As a DisNerd, I enjoy them, so I'm curious to see what happens here.</p><p style="text-align: left;">All of these are physical books, too.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Finally comes the one electronic book of the week (so I'll throw the cover on the image with what I'm currently reading). It's about time for another audio book. I snagged <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3PC6hSn">The Fly on the Wall</a></i> by Tony Hillerman from the library. This is a stand alone and not part of his famous Leaphorn and Chee series. For that reason alone, I'm curious about it. Plus, I'm happy to get back to his books.</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMxg50bl9TUFom7cR4ithA8Yb596GhUL8vxGSdU818AtsOV3225x82hu-SU9UP8g2id5JVFJC1nkU5sEVTjdGmiNGHEkrYpEd7fmfMhecvo1A3oP3g7r0OHICEP0iBXQ2f4NZsAjhAh4M0-oQosACBrQk8BVxGlz_LiDndmvZ8GRUJIJgFoY2aU_RH-wTt/s1280/3-10%20Read.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMxg50bl9TUFom7cR4ithA8Yb596GhUL8vxGSdU818AtsOV3225x82hu-SU9UP8g2id5JVFJC1nkU5sEVTjdGmiNGHEkrYpEd7fmfMhecvo1A3oP3g7r0OHICEP0iBXQ2f4NZsAjhAh4M0-oQosACBrQk8BVxGlz_LiDndmvZ8GRUJIJgFoY2aU_RH-wTt/s320/3-10%20Read.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>With all of these books, I'd better get reading!<p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">What I'm Currently Reading:</h3><div><br /></div><div>I'm about 40% of the way into <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3wLlpGr">Stark Raving Mod</a></i> by Diane Vallere at the moment. This is the thirteenth book in her Samantha Kidd series. In it, Samantha won a mysterious trunk at auction, and she got it for a steal. However, now people want to buy it from her for quite a bit of money, and someone has died. I'm having a lot of fun with it, and I'm hoping to finish it up on Sunday.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Which means Monday, I'll be starting on <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3V6ugfV">Secrets of a Scottish Isle</a></i> by Erica Ruth Neubauer. This is the newest Jane Wunderly mystery. I'm looking forward to getting lost in the story and seeing what Jane is up to in 1927.</div><div><br /></div><div>That's it for me. Hope you all have a great week.</div>Mark Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567392254011373198noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782277794223039496.post-65216933331269362812024-03-09T03:09:00.000-08:002024-03-09T03:09:00.310-08:00March 9th's Weekly TV Thoughts<p><b>Tracker</b> – A pretty good episode. Nice twists in the first half that lead to a
great thriller in the second. And I
appreciated how well lit everything was even though so much of the last part
took place in the dark. I could actually
follow what was going on.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Night Court</b> – Yes, I get how the ending of the episode was
funny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But with all the balls still in
the machine, she had plenty of time to pick one of them up for the win.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some good lines, although it was just so busy
it was hard to get into the laughs, as usual.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Extended Family</b> – Not a bad episode.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pretty predictable at times, but some of the
complications were pretty fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Laughed
at some of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do like how they are
building a family out of them despite the awkwardness we’d have in real
life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unrealistic, but nice to see.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Wild Cards</b> – The set up with rather predictable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I get that the two don’t get along that well,
but their sniping was so much worse than normal, even if you didn’t know
anything about the episode, you’d know it was a therapy themed episode.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, I guessed the anchorman was under
hypnosis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that didn’t keep me from
enjoying the rest of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They even used
therapy to let us know more about the characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I didn’t see the killer coming until they
figured it out.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>The Challenge</b> – For all their hype about Michelle walking
off stage, what she did it over was actually pretty funny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, so much drama.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m glad to have that show in my rear view
mirror.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Won’t be watching again unless
they put it on CBS like they did the last couple of summers.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Survivor</b> – The team describing the next challenge (the one
they were making up at camp) was so funny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I wonder how many seasons it will be before we actually see it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the actual challenge?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wow!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That was just so massive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
thought they were putting the only challenge into the episode way too early,
but it took so long, and then the fallout from it on several tribes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As to the losers, I can’t remember seeing a
team this down this early before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Normally, I’m all about rooting for the underdog, but I don’t know that
I see them advancing very far period.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Even if teams get switched up, I feel like they won’t get very far.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will be interesting to see if I’m right or
not.<o:p></o:p></p>Mark Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567392254011373198noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782277794223039496.post-51835487104375458252024-03-08T03:08:00.000-08:002024-03-12T10:38:29.683-07:00March 8th's Friday Post<p>It's Friday and it's my birthday! Party time!</p><p>And what better way to party than with a Friday post. As usual, I will be linking up to:</p><p><a href="https://www.rosecityreader.com/2024/03/phineas-finn-by-anthony-trollope-book.html">Book Beginnings</a><br /><a href="https://readingismysuperpower.org/2024/03/07/first-line-friday-week-384-lethal-mountain-pursuit/">First Line Friday</a><br /><a href="https://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/2024/03/review-when-women-were-dragons-friday56.html">Friday 56</a><br /><a href="https://www.coffeeaddictedwriter.com/2024/03/book-blogger-hop-synopsis-in-review.html">Book Blogger Hop</a></p><p>My teasers for the first three will be coming from <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3v3OcFA">In Sunshine or in Shadow</a></i> by Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYDsO7GGR5NwVEXCICnSg0YQIhCGp9nE5VZHZa18IzvX3RSM2BUquM1sdWmLQQIaRdELKxib0U2CcuC4zkdoxiG0ry3x3uBeNFSXBDKlu2LdwYhEuaFexjlUuARo02kh1Aq2L26u-e9sx9417LwWNS34cyC8jhd3VDHr8wDQCaY7nMprc0auqmlVcUOA4O/s1500/In%20Sunshine%20or%20in%20Shadow.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="987" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYDsO7GGR5NwVEXCICnSg0YQIhCGp9nE5VZHZa18IzvX3RSM2BUquM1sdWmLQQIaRdELKxib0U2CcuC4zkdoxiG0ry3x3uBeNFSXBDKlu2LdwYhEuaFexjlUuARo02kh1Aq2L26u-e9sx9417LwWNS34cyC8jhd3VDHr8wDQCaY7nMprc0auqmlVcUOA4O/s320/In%20Sunshine%20or%20in%20Shadow.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><br /><p>This is book twenty in the Molly Murphy series. This book is set in 1908 and finds Molly venturing outside of New York City to, well...:</p><div style="text-align: left;"><div></div><blockquote><div>“Bolivia,” Sid said.</div><div>“Bolivia?” Even Gus sounded surprised. “You want us to go to Bolivia?”</div><div>Sid nodded. “It’s about time we went somewhere exotic. We’re becoming staid and boring.”</div></blockquote><div></div><div><br /></div><div>If you are at all familiar with the series, you know that Sid and Gus are Molly's two unconventional neighbors, and the idea of them jaunting off to somewhere exotic isn't completely crazy. But in this case, they settle on the Catskills instead of Bolivia. And Molly joins them. Naturally, a mystery follows.</div><div><br /></div><div>At 56% into the book, we find Molly talking to another character:</div><div><br /></div><div><blockquote>“Don’t feel ashamed because you’re more refined and polite than an Irish peasant girl. I was never good at doing what I was told.”</blockquote></div><div><br /></div><div>We know, Molly. And it's why we love you.</div><div><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;">This is another great book in the series. I'll be back on Tuesday, release day, with <a href="https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2024/03/book-review-in-sunshine-or-in-shadow-by.html">a full review</a>.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Switching over to this week's <b>Book Blogger Hop</b>, here's this week's question:</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><blockquote>Do you use a book's synopsis for your review?</blockquote><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">I do not. I don't often find the official synopsis to be that helpful. Either it misses some key set up or it spoils too much. Plus, there's the part of me still back in elementary school screaming that it is cheating to use that because the teacher would never let us get away with that in a book report. (I know it isn't, but it still feels that way to me.)</p><p style="text-align: left;">So I craft my own. I wish I could just quote the synopsis, but after all these years, my mind won't let me.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Hope you have a great weekend. I'm hoping I'm well enough that I can get out and have some fun. (Yes, I'm better, but I'm still not completely well.)</p></div>Mark Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567392254011373198noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782277794223039496.post-4005908222526859602024-03-07T03:07:00.000-08:002024-03-07T03:07:00.131-08:00Book Review: Knot Ready for Murder by Mary Marks (Quilting Mysteries #9)<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKQB95gBP8vyZlUe_DcFDFG1tJMKxGMS56WOlaXQG5b4tpPg_iIGF0eY5eachJtpIzxXVelJdUhD4-Cgs7TyQnyk-P0mTtOXR2VfXb6O-Hzb0BfEDRn0aaby-rxwga8qJHgmgGjWx-YFG2cIXikgSBR9htL0Ob9xwky_Hf-jRmTkh1YZnPLJc7RBK_Pg2c/s1500/Knot%20Ready%20Murder%20Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1003" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKQB95gBP8vyZlUe_DcFDFG1tJMKxGMS56WOlaXQG5b4tpPg_iIGF0eY5eachJtpIzxXVelJdUhD4-Cgs7TyQnyk-P0mTtOXR2VfXb6O-Hzb0BfEDRn0aaby-rxwga8qJHgmgGjWx-YFG2cIXikgSBR9htL0Ob9xwky_Hf-jRmTkh1YZnPLJc7RBK_Pg2c/w134-h200/Knot%20Ready%20Murder%20Cover.jpg" width="134" /></a></div><b>Stars</b>: 4 out of 5</div><div><b>Pros</b>: Good mystery, great ending</div><div><b>Cons</b>: Over the top characters; the initial premise</div><div><b>The Bottom Line</b>:</div><div>A not so ex-wife</div><div>Brings mayhem to Martha’s life</div><div>This series ends well</div><br /><div><br /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>A Hitch on the Way to Get Hitched</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I always have mixed feelings when I am approaching the last
book in a series I’ve enjoyed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t
want to say goodbye to the characters I’ve come to love, but my to be read list
is so filled with books that I can’t really complain about having time to get
to those. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So it was wish mixed feelings
that I sat down to read <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3uUSm2n">Knot Ready for Murder</a></i>, the nineth and final book
in the Quilting Mysteries from Mary Marks.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Martha Rose has finally agreed to marry her very patient
fiancé.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, Crusher drops a
bombshell on her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It turns out that he’s
already married.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Decades ago, he married
a family friend to protect her from the scandal of being an unwed mother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He thought it was annulled, but he’s recently
learned it wasn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Worse yet, Crusher’s
wife is coming to LA to visit.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Even though Crusher and Hadas haven’t seen each other in
decades, it is clear that Hadas still has no plans of giving Crusher the
divorce he wants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But she’s been in town
less than 24 hours when she is kidnapped from Martha ad Crusher’s home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can Martha figure out what really happened to
her?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or is Crusher now a widower?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It is rare that books in the series I read start up right
after the previous book in the series ended, but that’s what happened
here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, the opening paragraphs
are the exact same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not sure I would
have recognized that if I hadn’t read the two books so close together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To be clear, this isn’t a complaint or
criticism at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think it is cool,
and it definitely works for the story the author is telling here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This does make some updates we get on
characters from the previous book a little compressed timeline wise, but that
is a minor complaint.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I am going to complain, however, about the basic set up of
the book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not a fan of the previous
spouse coming back to complicate things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Just a little too soap opera for me.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Having said that, this book does a good job spinning a
compelling story from the premise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
along for the ride and enjoyed watching Martha figure out what was really going
on while fighting for her future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
ending was great at bringing everything to a climax.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The author went into this book knowing it would be the final
book in the series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a result, I wish
we could have gotten to see more of a couple of series regulars who pretty much
just had cameos here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the other hand,
I was happy to see a couple of the supporting characters I’d felt were over the
top were toned down here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I actually
enjoyed them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Granted, we did get
another character who was a bit over the top to make up for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, I loved her by the end of the book as
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I’m very curious when one
character became so antagonistic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
didn’t remember him being that way last time we saw him, but that’s probably on
my letting too much time elapse in reading the series.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">While there is little here that will be spoiled for you if
you read the books out of order, there is a big reason to read them in order –
the last chapter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fans of the series
will get a huge smile out of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I might
have even shed a tear or two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You won’t
appreciate it quite as much if you don’t know the characters well.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As I’ve read this series, I’ve enjoyed the fact that it is
set in towns I recognize since it’s set in Southern California.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I enjoyed that once again here, but I got the
biggest grin on my face when the characters popped into a local pizza place,
Toppers, I recognized at one point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
kind of thing is so much fun.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I am sorry to say goodbye to these characters, but I am glad
I read the series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fans will be happy
with where <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3uUSm2n">Knot Ready for Murder</a></i> leaves everyone.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Snuggle up with the rest of the <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/p/book-series-in-order.html#Quilting">Quilting Mysteries</a>.</p></div>Mark Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567392254011373198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782277794223039496.post-52898704819262107722024-03-06T03:06:00.000-08:002024-03-06T03:06:00.135-08:00TV Show Review: Superman & Lois - Season 3<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhckUpHyTPSOIKdLyUXyc55YwnsOmzXDab2fa60KvDlnE3AvhFsVI8q365F_gG58L8XBzslmkr10Szh_u08B1NCiuC9L_2QWgTIjdWBFCkdH1USKG6LUMTHKLnzGZ1uK07yYdvXisfoqo8M1ofwdiwzVsVabNR0NtKiAhWAwGsDYsu5ttmdxmVvWpCx7qIv/s320/Superman_&_Lois_Season_3_Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhckUpHyTPSOIKdLyUXyc55YwnsOmzXDab2fa60KvDlnE3AvhFsVI8q365F_gG58L8XBzslmkr10Szh_u08B1NCiuC9L_2QWgTIjdWBFCkdH1USKG6LUMTHKLnzGZ1uK07yYdvXisfoqo8M1ofwdiwzVsVabNR0NtKiAhWAwGsDYsu5ttmdxmVvWpCx7qIv/w150-h200/Superman_&_Lois_Season_3_Poster.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><b>Stars</b>: 5 out of 5</div><div><b>Pros</b>: Writing and acting beautifully tackle tough subject with other stories</div><div><b>Cons</b>: For some, the cancer story will be too hard</div><div><b>The Bottom Line</b>:</div><div>Tackling cancer</div><div>With other storylines, too</div><div>Makes a strong season</div><br /><div><br /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>“Where Are the Paperweights?”</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It’s no secret that I’ve been loving <i>Superman & Lois</i>,
the last of the DC Comic shows on The CW.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Season two got a little strange for me, but I still liked it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found that season three made some
surprising choices but was ultimately stronger for it.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The season opens as Clark Kent and Lois Lane (Tyler Hoechlin
and Elizabeth Tulloch) are getting ready to celebrate the 16<sup>th</sup>
birthday of their twins, Jordan and Jonathan (Alex Garfin and Michael Bishop
stepping into the Jonathan role).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With
Clark joining the staff on Smallville’s paper, they think that everything will
be going well in their world.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">However, bad news is just around the corner, and this time,
it is something that Superman can do nothing about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lois has a rare and aggressive form of breast
cancer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As everyone attempts to deal
with it emotionally, Lois thinks it might be the best way to continue her
investigation of Bruno Mannheim (Chad L. Coleman), a criminal she’s been trying
to nail on and off for years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He runs a
state-of-the-art cancer treatment center in Metropolis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But will that be too much for her health?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yes, there are storylines going on beyond Lois’s cancer this
season, but it is front and center in every episode.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt it was respectfully done and showed
the ways that everyone impacted by it reacts realistically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, that does come with a warning for
those who are dealing with it or have gone through it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It might be too much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Go in cautiously, and if it gets to be too
much, step away.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But I have to give the writers credit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They could have taken some easy ways out, and
they didn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They faced things head on,
and the result was good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think it will
be cathartic for some people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will
certainly be hard for those dealing with it currently or in the recent
past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only you know how you will react.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As I said, there are other storylines going on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mannheim and his evil empire is a large part
of that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wasn’t familiar with this
particular villain, so I enjoyed watching how all of that played out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were some great twists.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Meanwhile, Jordan is still trying to figure out how to use
his new powers, and how to use them appropriately.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Jonathan tries joining the local fire
station.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And there are the Cushings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’ve got to admit, I have struggled some with what they did with those
characters in season two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was a bit
happier with where they left them at the end of this season, but I still wish
they’d made different choices for the characters.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And it’s a good thing that I am happy with much of where the
characters are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are going to get a
season 4, but only the Kent family is coming back as regulars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rest of the cast coming back for guest
spots or as recurring characters hasn’t been ruled out, so I’m hoping we’ll see
more of these characters pop up in multiple episodes if not every week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll miss the Cushings, the Irons, General
Lane, and Chrissy if they don’t.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I already praised the writing, but the actors all nailed it
every week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t want to look away
because the actors were pulling me in with their performances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s lots of drama this season, which the
cast excels at, but they make the most of some lighter moments, too.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There are thirteen episodes in season 3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a struggle to wait from week to week
to watch them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now that they are all
out, I bet you race through them.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’m going to miss <i>Superman & Lois</i> when it is
over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The strength that was season 3 of
the show proves just how wonderful it is.</p></div>Mark Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567392254011373198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782277794223039496.post-79565820889566814962024-03-05T03:05:00.000-08:002024-03-05T03:05:00.187-08:00Book Review: Black List, White Death by Steven Hockensmith (Part of the Holmes on the Range Series)<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMjMCi0tW_bflD9n3T6J9-tVMc9otSZbYs7tiguTXPWk0In0W6EY5Q3hr9333xAVwH5EfsGZvgowe7OvL1c85xpHgrCQayYBZLJL9vF3N2YDj0jAE5eAuQYar68IbmEz455qzQb66QY15K8l0JZwtGAp4YF7ARS9-qdfxMYuQD37UkzJh4M0CgOEMOMitR/s1500/Black%20List%20White%20Death%20Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="938" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMjMCi0tW_bflD9n3T6J9-tVMc9otSZbYs7tiguTXPWk0In0W6EY5Q3hr9333xAVwH5EfsGZvgowe7OvL1c85xpHgrCQayYBZLJL9vF3N2YDj0jAE5eAuQYar68IbmEz455qzQb66QY15K8l0JZwtGAp4YF7ARS9-qdfxMYuQD37UkzJh4M0CgOEMOMitR/w125-h200/Black%20List%20White%20Death%20Cover.jpg" width="125" /></a></div><b>Stars</b>: 5 out of 5</div><div><b>Pros</b>: Three fun stories</div><div><b>Cons</b>: None for me</div><div><b>The Bottom Line</b>:</div><div>Three more mysteries</div><div>Featuring cowboy brothers</div><div>All enjoyable</div><br /><div><br /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Two More Novellas with the Reds</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The end of 2023 was a delightful time for fans of Old Red
and Big Red, the cowboy detectives created by Steve Hockensmith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got a new novel, a short story collection,
and <i><a href="https://amzn.to/48JYmsx">Black List, White Death</a></i>, a novella collection.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In case you aren’t familiar with the series, Old Red and Big
Red are brothers who were making their living as cowboys in the 1890’s American
West.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is until Big Red stumbled
upon a Sherlock Holmes story and read it to his brother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Old Red made Sherlock Holmes his hero, and
began to use his methods to solve problems the pair encountered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this point in the series, they’ve
partnered with some others they’ve met along the way to open the Double-A
Western Detective Agency.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The stories in this book relate to cases they are handling
for the agency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Up first in <i>Black
List</i>, the pair head to Arizona in an attempt to find a list of names that
was involved in a murder years before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, when they arrive, they find that they have attracted unwanted
attention and must find a way to get the list while staying alive.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We get a bonus short story next.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Expense Report: El Paso” finds Big Red off
on his first solo case when he is sent to Mexico to retrieve the head of a
wanted bandit so they can collect the reward and get some much needed
cash.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, things go wrong when he
opens the package to make sure he has what he is supposed to.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">These two stories take up roughly the first third of the
book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rest of the book is filled by <i>White
Death</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Big Red and Old Red are sent
undercover to a tuberculosis sanitarium in the Colorado mountains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sanitarium’s board is concerned about two
recent deaths of patients that appear to be tragic accidents and not by natural
causes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Could someone be behind them?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">All three stories are filled with humor, especially when the
brothers are interacting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How they
survive each other is a mystery at times, but I love reading these scenes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The short story is pure comedy, and I loved
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The others are more serious stories
with real dangers, but the humor helps lighten things.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Both of the novellas feature strong mysteries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As always, I follow Big Red’s narration and
completely miss the clues that Old Red actually uses to piece things
together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet everything makes sense
once he does.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Between the three stories, this release is long enough to be
a full book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You just get three stories
for the price of one.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It’s been fun to connect with these brothers again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While we wait for something new with them,
you’ll enjoy catching the adventures contained in <i><a href="https://amzn.to/48JYmsx">Black List, White Death</a></i>.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Here are the rest of the <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/p/book-series-in-order.html#HolmesRange">Holmes on the Range books</a>.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.</p></div>Mark Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567392254011373198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782277794223039496.post-75218449853412702652024-03-04T03:04:00.000-08:002024-03-04T03:04:00.127-08:00Movie Review: A Prince in Paradise<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSNZdLyZQf4vlnuZCKxkvb4-Jidyq6NnKKr7YmA_U4g2FX60qkCvPO4awTYZuF2o16sTRsW5MPig1tKmWrAvm2pUTOnos0WD9EGH2Gq-8r6V-KQ-tVzt1LcTkORnR_5tw8XhxDGJW3oCQrwOxKwIU_CF5NE86wukfM4TEYFMnuNJ86CQxtz5KfTmW-0NeO/s1200/Prince%20Paradise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="908" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSNZdLyZQf4vlnuZCKxkvb4-Jidyq6NnKKr7YmA_U4g2FX60qkCvPO4awTYZuF2o16sTRsW5MPig1tKmWrAvm2pUTOnos0WD9EGH2Gq-8r6V-KQ-tVzt1LcTkORnR_5tw8XhxDGJW3oCQrwOxKwIU_CF5NE86wukfM4TEYFMnuNJ86CQxtz5KfTmW-0NeO/w151-h200/Prince%20Paradise.jpg" width="151" /></a></div><b>Stars</b>: 4 out of 5</div><div><b>Pros</b>: Charming royal romantic movie</div><div><b>Cons</b>: Nothing original, how tradition in handled</div><div><b>The Bottom Line</b>:</div><div>Romance on island</div><div>Between writer and a prince</div><div>This one will charm you</div><br /><div><br /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>“Ever Since I Was a Little Kid, I Always Dreamt of Being a
Writer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After I Realized Being a
Princess Wasn’t Going to Work Out for Me.”</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’ve got to admit, I almost passed on <i>A Prince in
Paradise</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had been sitting on my
DVR for over a year when I finally sat down to watch it, and many of the
Hallmark and Great American Family romance movies I’d watched had been
disappointments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I decided to give
it a chance and I’m so glad I did.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Olivia Perkins (Rhiannon Fish) is a famous romance
author.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, when she gets dumped by
her long-term boyfriend, Kyle (Juan Fernando Monge), she develops a major case
of writer’s block.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s her best friend,
Katie (Cara McCarthy), who convinces her to take the vacation she’d booked as a
surprise for Kyle, so the two set off for a small island.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Meanwhile, Prince Alexander (Mitchell Bourke) is on the same
island.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His late father started a
conservation foundation there, and Alexander has gone to attend a
fundraiser.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He and Olivia had briefly
crossed paths in New York, and they find themselves getting to know each other
better on the island.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where might this
lead?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you are looking for something original, you’ll be
disappointed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This movie has so many
tropes it’s easy to lose count.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the
movie does it right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It never dwells on
any of them any longer than they absolutely need to before they move on to the
next plot point (and trope).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet it
never feels rushed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The writers did a
great job of keeping us invested while hitting familiar notes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And they did it without too much clunky
dialogue.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And here’s the thing – I was having a blast watching these
two characters fall in love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From the
start, you can’t help but root for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The characters are friendly and charming, and they are having so much
fun, you want to spend time watching them together.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is a direct testament to the acting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The leads have chemistry, and the supporting
cast is just as wonderful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t think
of a bad performance or note.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I will say I don’t know that I bought the breaking of
tradition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel like the traditions
for royal families are so ingrained that it would take more than we saw
here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that’s my only true
criticism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I’m willing to let it go
because I enjoyed the rest of the movie so much.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yes, this was a low budget made for TV movie, but they kept
that as hidden as they could.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unlike
many of the movies I’ve watched where it was obvious, in this case, it was easy
to get lost in the story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t think
of a moment that didn’t work or something that was obviously done for the sake
of the budget.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s saying something.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A note about the title.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>IMDB lists this as <i>A Royal in Paradise</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everywhere else, I’m seeing it listed as <i>A
Prince in Paradise</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Either way, this
is a movie worth watching.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Next time you see <i>A Prince in Paradise</i> is going to
air on TV, don’t hesitate to watch it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You’ll soon be caught up in its charms.</p></div>Mark Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567392254011373198noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782277794223039496.post-57803314812563027992024-03-03T03:03:00.000-08:002024-03-03T21:06:07.182-08:00March 3rd's Sunday/Monday Post<p>Hi all! Welcome to this week's Sunday/Monday post where I will be linking up to:</p><p><a href="https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2024/03/sunday-post-617-in-like-a-lion.html">Sunday Post</a><br /><a href="https://readerbuzz.blogspot.com/2024/03/the-sunday-salon-learning-to-rescue-sea.html">Sunday Salon</a><br /><a href="https://www.readingreality.net/2024/03/stacking-the-shelves-590/">Stacking the Shelves</a><br /><a href="https://mailboxmonday.wordpress.com/2024/03/03/mailbox-monday-519/">Mailbox Monday</a><br /><a href="https://thebookdate.wordpress.com/2024/03/04/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-410/">It's Monday, What Are You Reading?</a></p><p>Quarter end close started at work this week, and it's crazy as usual. But it hasn't help by the fact that I got sick. I know, I know, what was I thinking?</p><p>I just had a sore throat on Wednesday, but it turned into congestion and a bit of a cough with a fever by Friday. The downside of working from home is that there is little excuse to call in sick if you can work. I wanted to call in sick, but it was day 1 of close. I had work I had to do. Hopefully, I will be feeling well enough by Monday that it won't be an issue, but I am taking it easy all weekend.</p><p>It helps that it is raining off and on. Lots of incentive to curl up with a book, read, and doze for a while.</p><p>In other news, I completely cleared off my DVR Friday after work. First time it's had nothing on it since the beginning of February 2022. You have no idea how happy that makes me.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">This Past Week on the Blog:</h3><div><div><br /></div><div>Sunday - <a href="https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2024/02/february-25ths-sundaymonday-post.html">Sunday/Monday Post</a></div><div>Monday - <a href="https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2024/02/book-review-murder-out-of-character-by.html">Book Review: <i>Murder Out of Character</i> by Olivia Matthews</a></div><div>Tuesday - <a href="https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2024/02/movie-review-crimetime-freefall.html">Movie Review: <i>CrimeTime - Freefall</i></a></div><div>Wednesday - <a href="https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2024/02/book-review-take-honey-and-run-by.html">Book Review: <i>Take the Honey and Run</i> by Jennie Marts</a></div><div>Thursday - <a href="https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2024/02/february-2024s-reading-summary.html">February Reading Summary</a></div><div>Friday - <a href="https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2024/02/march-1sts-friday-post.html">Friday Post featuring <i>Black List, White Death</i></a></div><div>Saturday - <a href="https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2024/03/march-2nds-weekly-tv-thoughts.html">Weekly TV Thoughts</a></div></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">This Coming Week on the Blog:</h3><div><br /></div><div>Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post</div><div>Monday - Movie Review: <i>A Prince in Paradise</i></div><div>Tuesday - Book Review: <i>Black List, White Death</i> by Steve Hockensmith</div><div>Wednesday - TV Show Review: <i>Superman and Lois</i> - Season 3</div><div>Thursday - Book Review: <i>Knot Ready for Murder</i> by Mary Marks</div><div>Friday - Friday Post</div><div>Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Book Haul:</h3><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj-ne4ufDlMF-ZIOu4DbdLxd-OLx6t9t2eyxF0CXeM_awhUZNNBUFqzg9wihbbLuIZT0Xj2cWbqnlgNCuvzyVRfW2mhIJ6-JlpLWqqiYuIGAR5xY-c8q8sdt3pOlRRPVR0anDtowad4RfAJj3WpdjuBlt__f9cVis1_hltckrsBZwJQ70CIHmeFL2LpdHe/s1800/3-3%20Haul.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1439" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj-ne4ufDlMF-ZIOu4DbdLxd-OLx6t9t2eyxF0CXeM_awhUZNNBUFqzg9wihbbLuIZT0Xj2cWbqnlgNCuvzyVRfW2mhIJ6-JlpLWqqiYuIGAR5xY-c8q8sdt3pOlRRPVR0anDtowad4RfAJj3WpdjuBlt__f9cVis1_hltckrsBZwJQ70CIHmeFL2LpdHe/s320/3-3%20Haul.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>Of course, getting sick and being busy at work didn't keep me from getting three new books.<br /><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">Dennis Shock, the author of <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3wKqcHQ">Murder on Liberty Bay</a></i>, lowered the Kindle edition to free for a few days last week. How could I pass that up? It's a culinary cozy mystery set in the Pacific Northwest. I'd heard of it before, so I could hardly pass up free.</p><p style="text-align: left;">The timing on this was just perfect, as well. <i><a href="https://amzn.to/4a0b1ZL">The Blingsters</a></i> by Andrea C. Neil had just crossed my radar when it's Kindle edition went on sale a few days later. Of course, I had to grab it. This one sounds like fun. It's set in Florida, and I'm expecting lots of hijinks from it.</p><p style="text-align: left;">I don't have Amazon Prime. I was looking to buy a game, so I had to do something to get my total high enough for free shipping. You understand how it is. (Granted, I just needed about $5, not a hardback, even if it was a little cheaper than normal.) I bought <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3TkVhLm">Death and the Conjuror</a></i> by Tom Mead. I've heard lots of great things about it, including from an author who writes a similarly themed series. The main character is a magician and he gets involved in a locked room mystery. Sounds good, right?</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">What I'm Currently Reading:</h3><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqssm7U6ZQAFZcCs50bM3wgqG2KPnbJCPN4Mlk7y3RpNd31j1_QIk6BbHJKuWAk_vzVrQ8iGdPfAg2HidTFJXoE3t34qJP1hDJhXBy7OuqZRIixk_1vldUZPL9Iy6v3NokgLdrbjIzZYdz1vd3FsBP23gvle_U2UBOtr66EjC_iLCavXHWPvlTp0mRUx6t/s1800/3-3%20Read.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1439" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqssm7U6ZQAFZcCs50bM3wgqG2KPnbJCPN4Mlk7y3RpNd31j1_QIk6BbHJKuWAk_vzVrQ8iGdPfAg2HidTFJXoE3t34qJP1hDJhXBy7OuqZRIixk_1vldUZPL9Iy6v3NokgLdrbjIzZYdz1vd3FsBP23gvle_U2UBOtr66EjC_iLCavXHWPvlTp0mRUx6t/s320/3-3%20Read.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>Friday after work, I finished up <i><a href="https://amzn.to/49TIcxL">In Sunshine and in Shadow</a></i>, the newest Molly Murphy Mystery from Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles. In fact, it's book 20, which I find hard to believe. Molly gets involved in murder in the Catskills just as the time of resorts is about to begin. I really enjoyed it. I'll have my full review up on release day, which is March 12th. (Assuming I get it written, that is.)<br /><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">So now, I'm reading <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3SZEoo6">Lone Wolf</a></i>, the latest Orphan X thriller from Gregg Hurwitz. Quite obviously, this is a departure for me since it is not a cozy mystery. But I do enjoy it and like seeing what the characters are up to now. I'm about a quarter of the way into the book, and it took a bit to get going, but I just finished a great extended action scene.</p><p style="text-align: left;">That's it for me. Have a great week!</p>Mark Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567392254011373198noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782277794223039496.post-53736635287578405842024-03-02T03:02:00.000-08:002024-03-02T03:02:00.130-08:00March 2nd's Weekly TV Thoughts<p><b>Tracker</b> – I kind of suspected where that one was going early
on, but I still liked how it played out.
And I didn’t see the ultimate ending coming. Definitely better than the second episode.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Wild Card</b> – It was very nice to see more of Max’s dad. I still think she’s after a long con to get
him free. Anyway, fun episode
overall. And I’m really glad that JJ
stood up for himself at the end. After
the way he was used, he would have been stupid to go back. At least right then.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>The Challenge</b> – Yes, I gave in and watched the reunion. I’m not happy with myself. And I’ll probably watch next week’s,
too. So much drama over so little. Really, I hope next week is it.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Survivor</b> – The tribe made the right decision. I feel like they finally listened to me. That’s exactly the call they should have
made. Yes, there is an obvious one to
vote out next time, but come on, the guy is nothing but a quitter. I get being tired, but at least you try to
push through until the time runs out.
I’m bad at lying, so I get that one.
We will see if they can get it together going forward.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Mark Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567392254011373198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782277794223039496.post-13763308652546775602024-03-01T03:01:00.000-08:002024-03-05T16:12:30.304-08:00March 1st's Friday Post<p> Welcome to March! Time for this week's Friday Post. As usual, I will be linking up to:</p><p><a href="https://www.rosecityreader.com/2024/02/alley-pond-park-by-zachary-todd-gordon.html">Book Beginnings</a><br /><a href="https://readingismysuperpower.org/2024/02/29/first-line-friday-week-383-rescuing-the-rock-star/">First Line Friday</a><br /><a href="https://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/2024/02/classic-review-old-man-and-sea-friday56.html">Friday 56</a><br /><a href="https://www.coffeeaddictedwriter.com/2024/03/book-blogger-hop-your-gateway-into.html">Book Blogger Hop</a></p><p>My teasers for the first three will be coming from <a href="https://amzn.to/3IhgYWn">Black List, White Death</a> by Steve Hockensmith.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLRhyphenhyphen81dHKbFHWq7RlAcrTRp2DEOKwAxKhuRZf25JpmL8iW_ZVJvOiMz1JbRVob3EvvEZIKEQAONd_reqMkCXpz_oQbMkKs9VV4oJK5tYshSyCm1WKlYxLjNYxpfl3IX2G4Su5Ci0b6TYH8Lw6tIgRsarg6uTXMnPcZy7PEVylsATI6GdsGKJdgGITtyG6/s1500/Black%20List%20White%20Death%20Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="938" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLRhyphenhyphen81dHKbFHWq7RlAcrTRp2DEOKwAxKhuRZf25JpmL8iW_ZVJvOiMz1JbRVob3EvvEZIKEQAONd_reqMkCXpz_oQbMkKs9VV4oJK5tYshSyCm1WKlYxLjNYxpfl3IX2G4Su5Ci0b6TYH8Lw6tIgRsarg6uTXMnPcZy7PEVylsATI6GdsGKJdgGITtyG6/s320/Black%20List%20White%20Death%20Cover.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><p>This is a book that features two novellas with his Holmes on the Range characters. The series takes place in the American West in the 1890's. The two main characters are former cowboys who have turned detectives inspired by the tales of Sherlock Holmes that they've read.</p><p>Thanks to the eARC of this book, we will have a teaser from both stories.</p><p>The book begins with <i>Black List</i>. And here's how it starts:</p><div style="text-align: left;"><div></div><blockquote><div>Dear Mr. Smythe: </div><div>In the spring, they say, a young man’s fancy turns to thoughts of love…</div><div>Well, I’m hoping you know who “they” are, because I’d like a word with them. I don’t think they know much about young men. Or old men. Or in-between men.</div><div>Your typical man has his fancy turned to love—or women anyway—year-round.</div></blockquote><div></div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, these are mysteries, but they have a nice sense of humor to them.</div><div><br /></div><div>Meanwhile, at 56% we get this quote from <i>White Death</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div><blockquote>The trail wasn’t long. Perhaps fifty curving yards at the most. After I’d been on it half a minute, I could see where it ended— and why it existed at all. </blockquote></div><div><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;">Why did it exist? I'll leave it for you to figure out.</p><p style="text-align: left;">I have fun with these stories, which is no surprise since I enjoy the series. I'll be back on Tuesday with <a href="https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2024/03/book-review-black-list-white-death-by.html">my review</a>.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Time to turn to this week's <b>Book Blogger Hop</b>. This question is:</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><blockquote>What was your gateway book—the book that made you want to read more—into reading or into a specific genre?</blockquote><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">I honestly can't remember a time when I didn't enjoy reading. I do remember in early elementary school, I got hooked on <i>Little Pilgrim's Progress</i>, a retelling of the classic Pilgrim's Progress but with the main characters being kids. I would read that back to back multiple times.</p><p style="text-align: left;">In third grade, I got hooked on <i>The Chronicles of Narnia</i>. Which is ironic since I set aside a Hardy Boys book to read them. It wasn't until a few years later that I got hooked on mysteries, although even though I would read a wider spectrum of books than I do today.</p><p style="text-align: left;">These days? As I like to say, I've fallen into mystery and I can't seem to get out. Not that I'm trying that hard. There are other books in other genres that do catch my eye, but I have so many mysteries I want to read, I just don't seem to have the time.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Have a great weekend!</p></div>Mark Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567392254011373198noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782277794223039496.post-18165664250176045622024-02-29T02:29:00.000-08:002024-02-29T02:29:00.249-08:00February 2024's Reading Summary<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiei2jFEyAs2gxLJwng5WiN4a7hMHHmDQVHdNTX5Q4t7tqiav2Ew18R7RvND6VzNVf5tSGf9DoXnGwggMq3VYv_YuYUS8OyblYf6kbbbNa7q08ombay8GDIWiqCG7y6UUnwBunKiWPh0-ZQj_zw6Zt7RRUpBk3xPZBZUt88IIAJcushaPSrABvwKYUm6D3I/s1512/Feb%20Books.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1148" data-original-width="1512" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiei2jFEyAs2gxLJwng5WiN4a7hMHHmDQVHdNTX5Q4t7tqiav2Ew18R7RvND6VzNVf5tSGf9DoXnGwggMq3VYv_YuYUS8OyblYf6kbbbNa7q08ombay8GDIWiqCG7y6UUnwBunKiWPh0-ZQj_zw6Zt7RRUpBk3xPZBZUt88IIAJcushaPSrABvwKYUm6D3I/s320/Feb%20Books.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Happy Leap Day! It's always fun to celebrate the 29th of February, right? This year, I'm doing it with a look back at what I read in February.<br /><p></p><p>And I got <a href="https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/p/the-index.html">the index</a> updated as well.</p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">All ratings are on a scale of 1 (bad) to 5 (great).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><a href="https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2024/02/book-review-murder-at-breakers-by.html">Murder at the Breakers</a></i></b> by Alyssa Maxwell
(Gilded Newport Mysteries #1) – 5<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Emma Cross is attending the social event of the year at The
Breakers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While she is distantly related
to the hosts, the Vanderbilts, she is also covering it as the society
reporter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The night ends in tragedy when
a man falls to his death in front of Emma.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With all the evidence pointing to her brother, Brady, who was up to
something that night, Emma starts investigating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can she find the truth?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This book does a great job balancing the beginning of the
plot with the introduction of Emma and her world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The plot was great, and I appreciated that
Emma fell for some red herrings before she reached the logical conclusion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The characters are also strong; it was hard
to tell if some of them were going to be series regulars or were just suspects
for this book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This book is a tad gray
and falls closer to traditional than cozy for me, but that’s a minor
issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also appreciated how the time
and place came to life and were used by the author.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s easy to tell why this series is so
popular.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m looking forward to reading
more soon.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><a href="https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2024/02/book-review-spy-school-goes-north-by.html">Spy School Goes North</a></i></b> by Stuart Gibbs (Spy
School #11) – 3<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ben and the rest of the gang are in Alaska, training in
secret after the events of the previous book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But they aren’t as secret as they thought they were when someone kidnaps
Cyrus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Naturally, they spring into
action to save him, but even if they do, what plot might they uncover?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’ve been a fan of the series since the beginning, but it is
beginning to feel a little too familiar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It would be nice if we could defeat some recurring characters and move
on to some new stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Additionally,
there are a couple of lectures that threw me out of the book, even when I
agreed with the characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s also
a relationship that bothered me on multiple levels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From a story standpoint, this relationship
felt completely forced and the plot relied on it too much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It just wasn’t earned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the other hand, I did enjoy spending time
with the characters as always, and the action and laughs kept me turning
pages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s hoping that the next will
take things in a fresh direction.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><a href="https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2024/02/book-review-secrets-we-keep-by-liz.html">The Secrets We Keep</a></i></b> by Liz Milliron (Homefront
Mysteries #5) – 5<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Betty Ahern has just gotten her PI license, and she has a
new case, as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Private Christopher
Lake was raised as an orphan, but he’s started to wonder what really happened
to his parents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With only a St.
Christopher medal as a clue, Betty sets out to see what she can learn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s just making progress when someone
connected with the case dies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can she
figure out what is happening before Christopher ships out again?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’ve enjoyed this series set in Buffalo during World War II,
and this was another great entry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even
before the murder happened, I was hooked by what Betty was learning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Things only got more interesting the further
I got into the book, until I reached the great climax.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are some timeline issues, but they are
mostly annoying and don’t impact the story itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Betty is really growing as an investigator,
and it was nice to watch her follow some small clues in this book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The suspects are sharp, and I enjoyed seeing
the returning characters again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is
a sub-plot that flows from the previous book in the series, and a few
references to past stories, but nothing that is truly a spoiler.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are interested in this time period,
you’ll enjoy these books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are
already a fan, you’ll enjoy this latest entry.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeH_iUfD4sb16fvuLBd1CXFi_Xio1cT6X_eCPUjT-8PuYkWI2tSP7iN_W_ie09ArDq9nRxqBjHfm0xWbYyEfYlHyAIHJtz7AvkEPdBL256prA6_XmT6Yo3mawY3owMS9C0mPgUxHN8CwmCqIDbI8Ll-ZdKeqTu5QUUjBWp-zNtE-9hlhG6W-sa1F7Ad6uf/s1280/Feb%20ebooks%201.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeH_iUfD4sb16fvuLBd1CXFi_Xio1cT6X_eCPUjT-8PuYkWI2tSP7iN_W_ie09ArDq9nRxqBjHfm0xWbYyEfYlHyAIHJtz7AvkEPdBL256prA6_XmT6Yo3mawY3owMS9C0mPgUxHN8CwmCqIDbI8Ll-ZdKeqTu5QUUjBWp-zNtE-9hlhG6W-sa1F7Ad6uf/s320/Feb%20ebooks%201.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><a href="https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2024/02/book-review-dm-me-for-murder-by-sarah-e.html">DM Me for Murder</a></i></b> by Sarah E. Burr (Trending
Topics Mysteries #3) – 5<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Murder is the farthest thing from Coco Cline’s mind that
Monday morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, she is thrilled
that mega-influencer LaTage wants to use Coco’s company, Center of Attention
Consulting, to launch her rebranding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then Coco arrives at their meeting to find LaTage dead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the police asking Coco for help
understanding the online world that LaTage inhabited, she can’t help but dig
just a little deeper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will she be able
to uncover a clue that will lead to the killer?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I was really looking forward to this book, and it didn’t
disappoint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Coco and her friends are in
top form, and I loved watching their relationships develop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The plot was fantastic with a couple of great
twists and many suspects that Coco had to sort through to reach the logical
solution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’re looking for a warm
beach getaway, the setting with definitely appeal to you as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love seeing cozy mysteries expanding their
themes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, if you aren’t super
into social media, you’ll still understand everything that happens here, and
there’s plenty of talking to suspects face to face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fans will be delighted with this book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you want a fun, modern cozy, you’ll be
glad this series trended to the top of your to be read pile.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><a href="https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2024/02/book-review-fatal-first-edition-by-jenn.html">Fatal First Edition</a></i></b> by Jenn McKinlay (Library
Lover’s Mysteries #14) – 4<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This book starts out in Chicago, where Lindsey Norris and
her husband, Sully, are attending the annual archivist convention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lindsey is having a fantastic time, and that
includes the train trip back home to Connecticut.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quite a few of the attendees are also on the
train.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, when Lindsey wakes up
the next morning, someone is dead in the compartment next to her and
Sully.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does it have anything to do with
the valuable first edition that Lindsey stumbled upon during the keynote
address?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One thing I love about cozy mysteries are the familiar
locations and characters, so I was happy to see this book found an excuse to
spend a lot of time at home while continuing the plot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The series regulars gave us some great
laughs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meanwhile, the plot zigs in a
different direction part way through, and I was hooked as a result.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, it did make the climax a bit
rushed, although it was still logical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Fans will be pleased with this entry in the series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you haven’t started these books yet, you’ll
be happy you changed that.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><a href="https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2024/02/book-review-scaly-tail-of-murder-by.html">A Scaly Tail of Murder</a></i></b> by Jacqueline Vick
(Frankie Chandler Pet Psychic Mysteries #5) – 4<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Just as Frankie Chandler is trying to adjust to being
engaged to Detective Martin Bowers, her ex, Jeff, comes to town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather surprising since she hasn’t seen him
since she moved to Arizona from Wisconsin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He came to town following Charity, a woman he’s just met.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The problem?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Charity turns Jeff down, but she has his keys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So Frankie agrees to go to the spa where
Charity works to retrieve them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When she
arrives, she finds Charity dead with Charity’s pet iguana the only witness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can Frankie figure out what is going on?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yes, this is one of the rare paranormal series I read since
Frankie has discovered she really can communicate with animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since the last couple of books have found
Frankie out of town, I enjoyed seeing all the regular haunts this time
around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The characters are also fun,
although I did have some issues with how Frankie treated Jeff in this
book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Likewise, a couple of times,
Frankie seemed to know something we hadn’t seen her learn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But both are minor overall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The plot had plenty of viable suspects and
some nice surprises before we reached the logical end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meanwhile, the characters provided plenty of
smiles and laughs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are looking
for a light paranormal cozy, you’ll be glad you picked this book up.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ_jdfCD6T60TQIZNOCDTZ_GNp9YAuD-vKL-FJqQWAFizuxbOuTPMm5IrJ6vC0bYSqL7Md0qCMI7hduHLQNGHSJjUGG0j4TFwqGxSiT4psRX-T5llxJ9Ohqdr2yT7_qKYchZXYqvhhX5R9c-W5u2avEpokjbg-lRrg0ZgGSZUqd69LSkNf70T175ycprz7/s1280/Feb%20ebooks%202.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ_jdfCD6T60TQIZNOCDTZ_GNp9YAuD-vKL-FJqQWAFizuxbOuTPMm5IrJ6vC0bYSqL7Md0qCMI7hduHLQNGHSJjUGG0j4TFwqGxSiT4psRX-T5llxJ9Ohqdr2yT7_qKYchZXYqvhhX5R9c-W5u2avEpokjbg-lRrg0ZgGSZUqd69LSkNf70T175ycprz7/s320/Feb%20ebooks%202.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><a href="https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2024/02/book-review-yankee-doodle-dead-by.html">Yankee Doodle Dead</a></i></b> by Carolyn Hart (Death on
Demand #10) – 4<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Annie Darling is getting ready for the festival that
Broward’s Rock is hosting for the fourth of July.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only is her bookstore selling at a booth,
but she’s on the library board, which is putting everything on, and is the
benefit of the proceeds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately,
a newcomer to the island is also on the board, and making waves there and all
over the island.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So when someone shoots
him during the fireworks, the only real question is who didn’t have a
motive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can Annie and her husband, Max,
figure out what happened?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I struggled a bit with the first half of the book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was obvious early on who the victim would
be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While we were setting up suspects
and motives, his antics were such an over the top cliché, it wasn’t always
fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately, things get better once
Annie and Max start investigating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
get a somber yet logical climax, but we still have fun with all the series
regulars along the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope the
victims get a little less predictable in future books, but series fans will
still enjoy this one.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><a href="https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2024/02/book-review-mission-manhattan-by-james.html">Mission Manhattan</a></i></b> by James Ponti (City Spies
#5) – 5<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As this book opens, the team is in Venice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>MI6 has intercepted a threat against a
climate change rally that is featuring Beatriz Santos, a teen who has gained
quite a following with her outspokenness on the topic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since she is from Brazil, Rio has been tasked
with getting close to her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a good
thing they are there, since things don’t go according to plan.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But Venice was just the beginning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the team looks into what happened there,
they realize that the danger isn’t over yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Can they figure out what is happening in time to stop it?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I was anxious to dive into this book after the cliffhanger
from the last book, and it did not disappoint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It did take a while to get back to cliffhanger, and the answers only
lead to more questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I could
have done without the climate change theme, I was happy to see those
mini-lectures never lasted too long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Instead, we get plenty of surprises and fun as the City Spies try to
figure out exactly what is going on so they can stop it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meanwhile, I still love these characters and
their relationship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fans of all ages
will love their latest adventure and be left wanting to find out what happens
next.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><a href="https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2024/02/book-review-once-upon-murder-by.html">Once Upon a Murder</a></i></b> by Samantha Larsen (Lady
Librarian Mysteries #2) – 4<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It’s 1784, and spinster Tiffany Woodall is hoping to put the
chaos and intrigue of the last few months behind her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, when she finds a dead body on her
way to work at the castle one morning, she knows that isn’t going to
happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the local bookseller, the
man Tiffany loves, is accused of the crime, she can’t help but get
involved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can she figure out what
happened?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The first book in this series was one of my favorites of
last year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This book wasn’t as good, but
it was still enjoyable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As with the
first book, the mystery takes a backseat at times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, here the other storylines weren’t as
compelling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is especially true of
the romance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was glad it wasn’t
dragged out too much and I bought it in a way I wouldn’t in other series, but I
wasn’t as invested in it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the
murder really kicks in during the second half, I was more fully on board, and I
love how that was resolved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Likewise, I
still loved all the characters and did enjoy seeing what happened to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fans of the first will want to pick this up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you missed the first, you’ll definitely
want to start there.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.</o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2024/02/book-review-ashes-to-ashes-crust-to.html"><b><i>Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust</i></b> </a>by Mindy
Quigley (Deep Dish Mysteries #2) – 3<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Summer is winding down soon, which means that the crowds
will be disappearing from Geneva Bay, Wisconsin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately for Delilah O’Leary, she hasn’t
earned quite as much as she needs during her deep dish pizza restaurant’s first
season opened to survive the coming winter season comfortably.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which means she needs to win the upcoming
“Taste of Wisconsin” contest held during the annual Labor Day festival.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s been trying to prefect her recipe for
weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, she is less than
thrilled when she learns who the judge is going to be.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">All that takes a back seat when someone drops dead in the
new juice bar in town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Delilah happens
to be on hand, and she can’t help but get involved in the investigation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But can she figure out what happened?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I enjoyed the first book in the series, and was looking
forward to returning to the great characters and setting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, the plot tries to do too
much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Early on, I was enjoying trying to
figure out what was part of the mystery and what was part of any subplots, but
when we reached the climax, things were just too rushed because of everything
else going on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, it felt like the
mystery was undercooked overall, and I was left with a major question about why
a character did what they did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which is
a shame because the characters and setting were great once again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love Delilah and the rest of the crew, and
I’d love to visit the town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are
some fun laughs, including in the recipes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Seriously, they are written by some of the characters, and they are
great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I already have book three, so
hopefully, the plot is stronger in that one.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><a href="https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2024/02/book-review-murder-out-of-character-by.html">Murder Out of Character</a></i></b> by Olivia Matthews
(Peach Coast Library Mysteries #2) – 3<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The summer fun raising campaign for the library is kicking
off with a cocktail reception, and Marvey Harris is in the thick of things
thanks to her job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The event goes well,
but as the staff is cleaning up, Marvey finds a list of names left behind by
someone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s intrigued since her good
friend Spence is on it as is a man who has just died.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Two days later, another person on the list has died.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Marvey can’t help but think she’s found a
list that someone is targeting, but she is having a hard time getting anyone to
take her seriously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Especially since no
one seems to be able to figure out a solid connection between the four people
on the list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can Marvey discover what is
going on before a killer strikes again?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’d intended to get back and finish this series, and I was
happy to see the main characters again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While the supporting players could have been a bit better developed, I
love Marvey and her friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are
just wonderful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was intrigued by the
plot, but it didn’t quite work for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The pacing was off, with some repetitive scenes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the killer and motive did make sense,
there was still a major part of the plot that was never explained.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are a plot first person, I’d recommend
you skip this book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But if you enjoy
reading about strong bonds between characters, you will want to check this one
out.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><a href="https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2024/02/book-review-take-honey-and-run-by.html">Take the Honey and Run</a></i></b> by Jennie Marts (Bee
Keeping Mysteries #1) – 4<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Bailey Biggs has returned to her small town in Colorado to
help her grandmother, who has recently broken her foot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But when she arrives, she finds Granny Bee
yelling at the town’s founder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next
morning, she finds the man dead from his honey allergy, a jar of Granny Bee’s signature
Hot Spiced Honey on his table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the
sheriff questioning Granny Bee, Bailey jumps in to figure out what really
happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can she find a sweet killer?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’d heard lots of good things when this book came out, and
I’m glad I finally got a chance to read it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The book jumps right in, and we met a group of characters at once.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took me a while to separate them all, but
I was able to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The main characters are
strong, and the suspects are good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
plot also started quickly, and it kept me buzzing from one suspect to the next
until we reached the logical solution that wrapped everything well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The book was funny, although I do feel it got
a little too zany at times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If this book
finds you craving honey, you’ll be delighted in the six recipes at the
end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you enjoy cozies on the comedic
side, you’ll be glad you picked up this book.</p><p></p>Mark Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567392254011373198noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782277794223039496.post-23753016100357349572024-02-28T02:28:00.000-08:002024-02-28T02:28:00.242-08:00Book Review: Take the Honey and Run by Jennie Marts (Bee Keeping Mysteries #1)<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQNkSDjZjnRLOR25iOz-chLU9uftgUm_kQSMQkrRBj1yDq-ZQslpoGS8jomGou2nbb9vTV5TNvxluXWqJmhAEzuU91sdAm8kJ9D_jbpSmXIACORGRjFkHd9ZCMzogEH8s92kVTJNZRF_RVsPzIgM0OzDfRBGJ8w6cJALDwSbcokV3UXAMWgt8c8n7IMkH0/s1500/Take%20Honey%20Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQNkSDjZjnRLOR25iOz-chLU9uftgUm_kQSMQkrRBj1yDq-ZQslpoGS8jomGou2nbb9vTV5TNvxluXWqJmhAEzuU91sdAm8kJ9D_jbpSmXIACORGRjFkHd9ZCMzogEH8s92kVTJNZRF_RVsPzIgM0OzDfRBGJ8w6cJALDwSbcokV3UXAMWgt8c8n7IMkH0/w133-h200/Take%20Honey%20Cover.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><b>Stars</b>: 4 out of 5</div><div><b>Pros</b>: Main characters and a strong mystery</div><div><b>Cons</b>: A bit too zany at times for me</div><div><b>The Bottom Line</b>:</div><div>Honey allergy</div><div>But who would kill so sweetly?</div><div>A tasty debut</div><br /><div><br /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Is Granny Bee a Killer Bee?</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I know they say don’t judge a book by the cover, but I’ve
got to admit, a wonderfully punny title will catch my attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love a good pun; I can’t help it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, it was only an already full reading
schedule that kept me from reading <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3ww6gIP">Take the Honey and Run</a></i> when it first
came out last summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I heard so much
positive buzz about the book that I had to pick it up, and I’m glad I did.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mystery author Bailey Biggs returns home to Humble Hills,
Colorado, to help her grandmother since she broke her foot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her grandmother is affectionately known as
Granny Bee since she is a bee keeper, and her honey is sold all over the town.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When Bailey arrives, she witnesses Granny Bee threatening
the town founder and mayor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unfortunately, the next day, Bailey finds the man dead in his
house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The victim was very vocal about
his honey allergy, and it appears he died from an allergic reaction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, there’s a jar of Granny Bee’s
signature Hot Spiced Honey on his table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Naturally, the sheriff wants to question Granny Bee, but Bailey doesn’t
think her grandmother is a killer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can
she figure out who the sweet killer is?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The book doesn’t waste any time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It quickly introduces us to the characters,
and then gets right to the murder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
fact, I wish the book had spent just a tad more time introducing us to the
characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We meet a group of
supporting characters at once, and it took me a while to sort out who all of
them were.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I was able to do that as
the book progressed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It helps that the
main cast are strong, and the suspects were good.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The plot didn’t lag at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We had several viable suspects, and the clues and red herrings kept me buzzing
until we reached the end of the book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When we did reach the end, all the clues and red herrings were
explained.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One thing I’d heard about the book was how funny it
was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were some great scenes, but
some of the madcap adventures went a little too far for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A couple of times, I thought that Bailey and
her side kick and best friend, Evie, went a little far, even for a cozy, in
their investigation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But those scenes
also provided some great laughs.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There’s plenty of talk about food, especially honey, in this
book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So you’ll be happy to find six
recipes at the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not a fan of
spicy food, so I’ll let someone else enjoy the Hot Spiced Honey recipe, but the
Honey Banana Bread does sound good.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’m glad I finally took time to read <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3ww6gIP">Take the Honey and Run</a></i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will definitely be back to
visit the characters again in book two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Fans of cozies on the comedic side will be glad they picked up this
book.</p></div>Mark Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567392254011373198noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782277794223039496.post-59341827934303608882024-02-27T02:27:00.000-08:002024-02-27T02:27:00.241-08:00Movie Review: CrimeTime - Freefall<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzS3_r4ScNwCM-j2i_WAXSbcB2AKhMG5WACMIFg8bktz2wDeRE0DmUdhbE3nc7Z8UT4TjUp1Ahsbi9bFgfuyikiMoQ20wilmGuRkFBgr3VbAj3bV_hT0yR-0jEkOctcYIP7WUAxmMa4f1NVAdhsVLSJ4anLm6z3i0ZC9w8he-57KQjTq6JhZ5a9VMT0igx/s900/Freefall%20Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzS3_r4ScNwCM-j2i_WAXSbcB2AKhMG5WACMIFg8bktz2wDeRE0DmUdhbE3nc7Z8UT4TjUp1Ahsbi9bFgfuyikiMoQ20wilmGuRkFBgr3VbAj3bV_hT0yR-0jEkOctcYIP7WUAxmMa4f1NVAdhsVLSJ4anLm6z3i0ZC9w8he-57KQjTq6JhZ5a9VMT0igx/s320/Freefall%20Poster.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><b>Stars</b>: 3 out of 5</div><div><b>Pros</b>: Plenty of fun moments with good characters</div><div><b>Cons</b>: Mystery could have been stronger; too many over the top characters</div><div><b>The Bottom Line</b>:</div><div>Actress detective</div><div>Mystery could be stronger</div><div>But plenty of fun</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>“Seeing as How it Seems I Volunteered to Play Detective, I’m
Going to the Last Place Sam was Seen Alive.
I Am Not Doing It in Heels.”</b></div><div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Hallmark is busy pumping out new mystery movies again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who knows which will turn into franchises for
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I’ve given up on getting new
installments on a couple of the ones they introduced in recent years.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>CrimeTime</i> is the newest potential
franchise, and it got off to a fun start with <i>Freefall</i>.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Actress Hadley Warner (Lyndie Greenwood) has spent the last
ten years playing a detective on the TV show <i>CrimeTime</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But audience tastes have changed, and her
show has been canceled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With no
immediate job prospects, she packs up her two teenage kids and moves to a small
town in Colorado to be close to her mom.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">They haven’t even moved in yet when Hadley learns about a
local missing man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, she doesn’t
expect to find his body in her new backyard one morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His body is in a tree, attached to a
parachute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But he’s been shot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the man’s distraught mother asks Hadley
to find out what happened, she can’t say no.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While her investigation annoys Detective Shawn Caden (Luke Macfarlane),
she begins to pick up clues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can she
figure out what really happened?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Even with all the mysteries I read and watch, I am still
often fooled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m actually better at
spotting the victim early on than I am the killer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Let’s not discuss what that says about
me.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this case, I spotting the killer
fairly early on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t get me wrong, all
the suspects were good, and I definitely didn’t have motive until the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I would have liked a little stronger
mystery.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The characters were fun, but they were also a bit much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While some of them were grounded, most
noticeably the police, several of them were over the top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Individually, that can be fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But if they were in the same scene together,
it was too much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hadley is one of the
over the top characters, and I enjoyed her when she was off on her own.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And this isn’t a reflection on the actors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were all great at bringing the
characters to life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the choices
with the direction and writing.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">All of this said, I did like the team Hadley built to help
with the investigation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were some
great lines, and the two leads have great chemistry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I loved the comparisons between real life
and TV cop life.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There’s certainly potential in the <i>CrimeTime</i>
franchise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I enjoyed <i>Freefall</i>
enough that I will be back if they make another one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you enjoy Hallmark mystery movies, I think
you’ll enjoy this one, too.</p></div>Mark Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567392254011373198noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782277794223039496.post-36974543453756311692024-02-26T02:26:00.000-08:002024-02-26T02:26:00.268-08:00Book Review: Murder Out of Character by Olivia Matthews (Peach Coast Library Mysteries #2)<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5-UAZIJfn2Uh890bKPAMmda2R8xXvhp8OiuuANLd9O-T25EwGvo29Z-4R72rzrhgey9XhvzxRIMGzEdm3JnAoCA9uuIXJg6BeY_mj9TffcHA9Wucyxgvunq19vjxt79J8qBwZp_xZPLriOeL2HMeAwauk6VbNblborL44sNMcNqb5wVIHxsTBqgDq8tO/s1500/Murder%20Out%20of%20Character%20Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="939" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5-UAZIJfn2Uh890bKPAMmda2R8xXvhp8OiuuANLd9O-T25EwGvo29Z-4R72rzrhgey9XhvzxRIMGzEdm3JnAoCA9uuIXJg6BeY_mj9TffcHA9Wucyxgvunq19vjxt79J8qBwZp_xZPLriOeL2HMeAwauk6VbNblborL44sNMcNqb5wVIHxsTBqgDq8tO/w125-h200/Murder%20Out%20of%20Character%20Cover.jpg" width="125" /></a></div><b>Stars</b>: 3 out of 5</div><div><b>Pros</b>: The main characters are great</div><div><b>Cons</b>: The plot should have been stronger</div><div><b>The Bottom Line</b>:</div><div>A list of victims</div><div>The main characters shine here</div><div>But plot needed work</div><br /><div><br /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Has Marvey Found a Hit List?</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’d always intended to come back and read the second Peach
Coast Library Mystery from Olivia Matthews.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When I won a copy of <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3OTlXA9">Murder Out of Character</a></i>, I decided now was
the perfect time to do just that.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As this book opens, it’s just been a few weeks since we
first met Marvey Harris, who has moved to Peach Coast, Georgia, to become the
community outreach librarian.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Part of her job is planning the fundraising for the year,
and the summer campaign is kicking off with a cocktail reception.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The event goes well, but as the staff is
cleaning up, Marvey finds a list of names left behind by someone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s intrigued since her good friend Spence
is on it as is a man who has just died.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk159497523;">Two days later,
another person on the list has died.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Marvey can’t help but think she’s found a list that someone is
targeting, but she is having a hard time getting anyone to take her seriously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Especially since no one seems to be able to figure
out a solid connection between the four people on the list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can Marvey discover what is going on before a
killer strikes again?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I appreciated the skepticism that so many of the other
characters gave Marvey about the list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
would have been right there with them questioning the list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I felt like some of those
conversations got to be repetitive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
fact, that was a big frustration with the book, I felt like we were going in
circles at times, having similar conversations over and over again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a result, the pacing was uneven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We definitely got some development, but it
wasn’t as steady as I normally like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When Marvey does piece things together at the end, the identity of the
killer and the motive make sense, but there is still a major plot point that
isn’t explained.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There is a core cast of characters, and quite a few
supporting players.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The supporting cast
doesn’t get that much development, but they are still fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The core characters?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love them, and I loved spending time around
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are wonderful and very
supportive of each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were
easily the highlight of the book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
that includes Marvey’s cat.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">While not a culinary cozy, there is a recipe for pralines at
the end.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This series was published by Hallmark when they were
venturing into publishing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sadly, they
decided it wasn’t for them, so this series is ending with just two books.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you enjoy spending time with great characters, you’ll be
glad you picked up <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3OTlXA9">Murder Out of Character</a></i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are looking more for a strong plot,
you’ll want to skip this book.</p></div>Mark Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567392254011373198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782277794223039496.post-89963861092638653112024-02-25T02:25:00.000-08:002024-02-25T22:35:06.780-08:00February 25th's Sunday/Monday Post<p>Hi, and welcome to this week's Sunday/Monday Post. I will be linking up to:</p><p><a href="https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2024/02/sunday-post-616-behind.html">Sunday Post</a><br /><a href="https://readerbuzz.blogspot.com/2024/02/the-sunday-salon-week-in-which-i-try-to.html">Sunday Salon</a><br /><a href="https://www.readingreality.net/2024/02/stacking-the-shelves-589/">Stacking the Shelves</a><br /><a href="https://mailboxmonday.wordpress.com/2024/02/25/mailbox-monday-518/">Mailbox Monday</a><br /><a href="https://thebookdate.wordpress.com/2024/02/26/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-409/">It's Monday, What Are You Reading?</a></p><p>I had Monday off work. This is the only job I've had where I get a holiday between New Year's Day and Memorial Day. And how did I spend this day? I did my taxes. So exciting, right? Normally, I try to do them early since I get refunds, or at least a net refund. Not this year. I wound up with a net payment owed. Oh well, such is life.</p><p>We had rain on Monday and Tuesday, but it's warmed up since then. It was in the 70's Saturday, in fact. But it will be cooling off and giving us rain again soon.</p><p>Other than that, just worked and read this week. Exciting, right?</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">This Past Week on the Blog:</h3><div><div><br /></div><div>Sunday - <a href="https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2024/02/book-review-mission-manhattan-by-james.html">Book Review: <i>Mission Manhattan</i> by James Ponti</a></div><div>Monday - <a href="https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2024/02/tv-show-review-survivor-season-45.html">TV Show Review: <i>Survivor</i> - Season 45</a></div><div>Tuesday - <a href="https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2024/02/book-review-once-upon-murder-by.html">Book Review: <i>Once Upon a Murder</i> by Samantha Larsen</a></div><div>Wednesday - <a href="https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2024/02/movie-review-deadpool.html">Movie Review: <i>Deadpool</i></a></div><div>Thursday - <a href="https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2024/02/book-review-ashes-to-ashes-crust-to.html">Book Review: <i>Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust</i> by Mindy Quigley</a></div><div>Friday - <a href="https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2024/02/february-23rds-friday-post.html">Friday Post featuring <i>Take the Honey and Run</i></a></div><div>Saturday - <a href="https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2024/02/february-24ths-weekly-tv-thoughts.html">Weekly TV Thoughts</a></div></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">This Coming Week on the Blog:</h3><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post</div><div style="text-align: left;">Monday - Book Review: <i>Murder Out of Character</i> by Olivia Matthews</div><div style="text-align: left;">Tuesday - Movie Review: <i>CrimeTime - Freefall</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">Wednesday - Book Review: <i>Take the Honey and Run</i> by Jennie Marts</div><div style="text-align: left;">Thursday - February Reading Summary</div><div style="text-align: left;">Friday - Friday Post</div><div style="text-align: left;">Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Book Haul:</h3><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3WB-LtqOryz7NdLv0f5jjCzSAoZjw_nGxpolY9r8mOBu0HuNqAlSknvvO7EmpfdrPx1YfF8g6YsqyNtjeSWTzHhgsi2Q30HLkeMdNdV8f3-z8zWCEsPg2PjnN6CDuq9MN0altlsNGvw6rYuzQJFbJ19HA904aN8RSsazJKT2uz_uXJRY9K62Xq2KTW2o6/s1280/2-25%20Haul.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3WB-LtqOryz7NdLv0f5jjCzSAoZjw_nGxpolY9r8mOBu0HuNqAlSknvvO7EmpfdrPx1YfF8g6YsqyNtjeSWTzHhgsi2Q30HLkeMdNdV8f3-z8zWCEsPg2PjnN6CDuq9MN0altlsNGvw6rYuzQJFbJ19HA904aN8RSsazJKT2uz_uXJRY9K62Xq2KTW2o6/s320/2-25%20Haul.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>Do I have shocking news for you - I only have two books to talk about in this week's book haul. I know, I'm surprised, too.<br /><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">The first is a novella - <i><a href="https://mjoneillauthor.com/the-corpse-wore-cashmere/">The Corpse Wore Cashmere</a></i> by MJ O'Neil. It's only available to her newsletter subscribers. Not quite sure how I wound up on that list, but it looks like it could be a fun series, so I decided to snag it. I mean, it is a cozy mystery, and we know how I feel about those.</p><p style="text-align: left;">The other book was free to me. Diane Vallere is doing giveaways on Facebook leading up to her 40th book, which comes out Tuesday. And I won one day! I got to pick my prize, and I picked <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3Ib1DX5">Please Don't Push Up the Daisies</a></i>, which was the only one of her backlist I didn't already own. I've still got one more book in that series to read before I get there, but maybe I'll get caught up by the end of the year? It would be nice.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">What I'm Currently Reading:</h3><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilHx5wGgC9py0kKDHaKn2ATC0WzASejLesJyv8akaibCLzu38kvpB_HIydxgJehm2VjdZazXjTJuOrt1faAfREgpHyNdmSndX_JTHEKqASEV6sjjPt62RpMPXI_8uRfHfmct6mBWWPCSyVRVUv8WbxUmy6dal_z-5pDV1XDoycnKsOpnW9HZThSF7udhwq/s1800/2-25%20Read.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1439" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilHx5wGgC9py0kKDHaKn2ATC0WzASejLesJyv8akaibCLzu38kvpB_HIydxgJehm2VjdZazXjTJuOrt1faAfREgpHyNdmSndX_JTHEKqASEV6sjjPt62RpMPXI_8uRfHfmct6mBWWPCSyVRVUv8WbxUmy6dal_z-5pDV1XDoycnKsOpnW9HZThSF7udhwq/s320/2-25%20Read.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>As I type this, I still have a little more to go in <i><a href="https://amzn.to/4bSw55W">Black List, White Death</a></i> by Steve Hockensmith. This is a collection of two novellas in his Holmes on the Range series, which features two cowboys investigating mysteries after reading about Sherlock Holmes. It's a fun series, and this book is fun as well.<br /><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">Up next is the ninth and final Quilting Mystery from Mary Marks - <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3wqyzrX">Knot Ready for Murder</a></i>. There is a part of me that will be sad to see the series end, but another part of me is looking forward to ending a series I've been behind on. That mixed bag that readers have, right?</p><p style="text-align: left;">That's it for me. Have a great week.</p>Mark Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567392254011373198noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782277794223039496.post-57665109761732165312024-02-24T02:24:00.000-08:002024-02-24T02:24:00.140-08:00February 24th's Weekly TV Thoughts<p><b>Tracker</b> – Somehow, I feel like the pilot actually had more
twists than this episode did. I guess
there are only so many ways you can go with a cult. Still, it was fun overall, and I’m certainly
curious where they are going with his backstory.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Night Court </b>– Fun to see Ryan Hansen in something
again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Been a while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, I found this amusing, but it was
missing the humor I was really hoping for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Just let things breath for a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I felt like it was on high speed to get everything in during the time
allotted.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Extended Family</b> – Rather bland episode.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You knew exactly where the A story was going
to wind up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The B story was kind of
cute, but overall, a very forgettable episode.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Quantum Leap</b> – What a ride!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I really was on the edge of my seat for both of the episodes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I figured out some of the twists a few
minutes early, but it was still great to see them play out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And see how they really did build this
season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is clear that everything was
carefully planned out in advance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While
I was worried for Hannah, I wasn’t worried for Jenn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew what Ben was going to do in the second
episode long before he started to do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I think the ending is about all I wasn’t expecting, although I should
have been.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope we get a season 3 so
we can see where things go from here.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Wild Cards</b> – I’ve mostly missed the Vampire crazes, but I
can still guess what show they were sort of using as their inspiration
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was rather fun since <i>Vampire
Diaries</i> was a CW show for so long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But the solution?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was <i>I
Know What You Did Last Summer</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
thought that was so cool.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>The Challenge</b> – Nurys came so close.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would have really liked to see her win
after everything they put her through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Still, that was a pretty solid second place finish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Corey shouldn’t have helped her at the second
check point, obviously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not sure if I
will bother to watch the reunion next week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That’s how little I care, especially since I’m sure the previews didn’t
exaggerate how much yelling there will be at each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ll see if I watch another season on MTV or
just stick with it if it comes back to CBS.<o:p></o:p></p>Mark Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567392254011373198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782277794223039496.post-64311156968392971432024-02-23T02:23:00.000-08:002024-02-28T11:23:15.199-08:00February 23rd's Friday Post<p>Welcome to Friday, and this week's Friday Post. As usual, I will be linking up to:</p><p><a href="https://www.rosecityreader.com/2024/02/an-omelette-and-glass-of-wine-by.html">Book Beginnings</a><br /><a href="https://readingismysuperpower.org/2024/02/22/first-line-friday-week-382-the-american-queen/">First Line Friday</a><br /><a href="https://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/2024/02/review-huntress-friday56-sign-in.html">Friday 56</a><br /><a href="https://www.coffeeaddictedwriter.com/2024/02/book-blogger-hop-organizing-bookshelves.html">Book Blogger Hop</a></p><p>This week, I'll be pulling my teasers for the first three from <i><a href="https://amzn.to/42O1Hpi">Take the Honey and Run</a></i> by Jennie Marts.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh2zi39zL56OTWCJzlEtoBb0xNnGt_JkC_33bDskgaHFwLZdjbxCfaaytEV874TOfeoUOd5S6_0EG8tripAD6cyuQKgBGVm_0Lg7e8SmkJiPsLlh2ByE66LCFb1CBSF9a8IEHNS36aobvNYrhg1tv5PnGidJfzQmS8RUcqlG-79qMDKTA8UxHGVt3adBMR/s1500/Take%20Honey%20Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh2zi39zL56OTWCJzlEtoBb0xNnGt_JkC_33bDskgaHFwLZdjbxCfaaytEV874TOfeoUOd5S6_0EG8tripAD6cyuQKgBGVm_0Lg7e8SmkJiPsLlh2ByE66LCFb1CBSF9a8IEHNS36aobvNYrhg1tv5PnGidJfzQmS8RUcqlG-79qMDKTA8UxHGVt3adBMR/s320/Take%20Honey%20Cover.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><p>This is the first book in the Bee Keeping Mysteries. And isn't that such a great punny title?</p><p>The book gets off to a great start:</p><p></p><blockquote>The speedometer ticked up another notch, matching Bailey Briggs’s pulse as she and her daughter drove down the two-lane highway heading toward her hometown of Humble Hills, Colorado.</blockquote><p></p><p>I was immediately interested to learn why she was in such a hurry to get there.</p><p>Meanwhile, 56% into the ebook finds Bailey in a bit of a situation. She's trying to get out of a house she's broken into looking for clues before she's caught.</p><div style="text-align: left;"><div></div><blockquote><div>Her stupid wet shoe foiled her again, the sole slipping on the slick rim, and her foot landed back in the toilet with a splash.</div><div>She pressed her lips together to hold back the squeal as the cold water seeped through her already damp sock.</div><div>Then she heard a noise behind her as the bathroom door swung open and Sawyer’s stern voice commanded, “Hold it right there.”</div></blockquote><div></div><div><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;">Oops!</p><p style="text-align: left;">This is a fun book. I hope you'll come back for my <a href="https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2024/02/book-review-take-honey-and-run-by.html">full review</a> on Wednesday.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Meanwhile, here is this week's <b>Book Blogger Hop</b>:</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><blockquote>How do you organize your bookshelves?</blockquote><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">HAHAHAHAHA!</p><p style="text-align: left;">When I figure moved into my condo, 20 years ago, I was very deliberate in how I set things up. I put certain authors on certain shelves. There wasn't a certain pattern to it, but I knew where stuff was.</p><p style="text-align: left;">That's all out the window. Most of those authors have burst well beyond their bookshelves and are all over the place. To even have a hope of organizing my shelves, I'd need more of them. And I have no idea where I would put them if I bought them.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Besides, I'd much rather be reading.</p><p style="text-align: left;">On that note, I hope your weekend plans include some reading time. Mine do. Have a great one.</p></div>Mark Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567392254011373198noreply@blogger.com10