February 28th's Weekly TV Thoughts

You'll notice a show missing from the list.  I'm having issues with my WiFi, and that means I couldn't stream the finale of Traitors.  It's killing me!  Hopefully, I can get to it before the weekend is over.

Meanwhile, here's what I did watch this week.

Wild Cards – I love all those cheesy puns.  That’s one of the things that keeps me coming back.  Called the killer early on this one, but I didn’t mind.  Glad to see that the wife is getting more scrutiny/talking to as the season goes along.  But what was up with that phone call at the end?  What is she up to?

Survivor – I recognize about half of these people now that I’m seeing them in action.  And I can’t necessarily remember what they’ve done.  Some I can, like Coach.  Sorry, Coach, I’m already rolling my eyes at you.  You may technically be correct, but you don’t have integrity.  Sorry, but I’m rooting against you.  Always hard to see someone leave due to injury.  And how crazy is it that we kept going after tribal?  It’s been a few seasons since we had a tribe make this stupid a decision.  And all of them going against someone “playing too hard.”  What even does that mean, especially these days?  Sorry to see the only person from the OG season go already.  And she is completely right about what she wanted to do, too.

Happy’s Place – I’m curious to see if we will hear more about this speakeasy.  I really enjoyed that storyline.  Gabi’s storyline was pretty predictable, but it was still fun.  And, the show had lots of great lines tonight.  I laughed plenty of times.

Movie Review: Scream 7

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Sidney, Gales, some laughs and twists

Cons: Many new characters flat, pacing at times

The Bottom Line:

Sidney and Ghostface

With Sid’s family at stake

This fan satisfied

“My Past Is Full of Dead People.”

While I say I’ve been a Scream fan since the beginning, I have to confess that I never saw the original in theaters.  And I still regret it.  But I’ve seen all the ones since in the theater.  So when they announced that Scream 7 was coming, I started the countdown.  And I made a point of going during the Thursday previews.  I maintain that there is no such thing as a bad Scream movie.  And this newest entry proved me right again.

Let’s get into it.  And don’t worry, there are no spoilers coming your way.

Before we go any further, I do want to mention the actresses not in the film.  Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega, two of the leads of the last two movies, are not back for this one.  Of course, Neve Campbell famously sat out the last installment.  I’m not going to get into drama surrounding that here.

I will say this.  I love Neve as Sidney.  I also want Sidney to have a happy ending.  So, if the franchise were to move on from her, I would miss her, but I would be okay with it.  However, the fact that she was back front and center in this one?  I couldn’t get to the theater fast enough.

When we meet up with Sidney Evans (Neve Campbell), she is happily married to police chief Mark Evans (Joel McHale).  They have three daughters, and the oldest is Tatum (Isabel May) who just happens to be seventeen.  Tatum and Sidney are struggling in their relationship since Sidney is reluctant to talk about her past even though a version of it is out there thanks to the Stab movies.

But that comes to a head when Sidney receives a phone call with a familiar voice on the other end.  Now, she has to worry about Tatum.  Is her daughter strong enough to survive another Ghostface attack?  Can Sidney survive again?

Sidney isn’t the only returning character we get in this movie.  Courteney Cox returns as Gale Weathers, and Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding also return as the Meeks-Martin twins.  I enjoyed having all three of them in the movie.  Mindy and Chad were great here.  And Gale is always fun.  I felt like this movie was the real next step of the Gale we saw in Scream 5.  Her relationship with Sidney was definitely a continuation of what we saw there.  Their relationship sure has evolved over the course of the franchise.

Speaking of which, that is why I love these movies so much.  These characters feel like friends, and I love getting to see where they are and how their lives are going.  Of course, I hate that it means they have to endure more pain and loss for me to do that.  But it’s a price I’m willing to pay.  (It helps that I’m not the one having to deal with the pain, right?)

Anyway, I really like what we saw in the way of character growth here.  Where we started felt natural for the characters and the franchise.  And where we ended felt earned as well.  There are so many great moments for the returning characters.

Much of that is thanks for original Scream creator Kevin Williamson having a much bigger role behind the scenes.  He’s credited as a co-writer and he directed.  Couple that with Neve and Courtney as executive producers.  The people behind the scenes were passionate about the movie, and it shows.

However, the time spent on Sidney and the Evans family does take time away from the new characters.  We don’t really get to know them before Ghostface attacks.  And there are times the movie seems rushed to get to the next set piece.  I’ve felt that way about past entries, however, and on rewatches, I’ve felt more comfortable with the pace and the characters.  I’m sure that will happen here.

This is an R rated movie, and the violence has been bumped up a notch.  I felt a couple of the kills were needlessly cartoony.  And a couple had me questioning how realistic they were.  And this is someone who goes along with the garage door kill in the first one no problem.

The returning actors are all in top form.  You can tell they are having fun playing characters they love.  And the new cast is great.  Isabel May has a lot to carry here, and she is outstanding.  And I want the romantic comedy of how Sidney and Mark met.  (With no Ghostface attacks, please.)  Neve and Joel were perfect together.  You felt like they were a happily married couple who had built a life together.  The rest of the cast brought their characters to life well given the scripts they had to work with.

There are some fantastic suspense scenes that had me on the edge of my seat.  I also enjoyed some of the twists in the story.  A couple of moments made me want to cheer.  And I liked the motive of Ghostface.

There were also some moments that absolutely made me laugh.  While the meta commentary wasn’t as sharp as in some installments, there were some fantastic meta moments that I truly enjoyed.

I’m going to have to sit with this one for a while to decide where it sits in my rankings.  Since I’ve been out of the theater for about an hour, it’s hard to have let the entire thing sink in.  But I enjoyed Scream 7.  I’m looking forward to seeing it again.

Book Review: The Unkept Woman by Allison Montclair (Sparks & Bainbridge #4)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Page turning mystery

Cons: A bit of a slow start due to the ongoing soap opera

The Bottom Line:

Iris must face past

Murder always complicates

Completely hooked me

The Body in Sparks’s Apartment

I have so many different series going, it is impossible to properly juggle them all, especially when there are several books in a series before I even start it.  (And yes, this is a fantastic problem to have.)  As a result, I’d forgotten just how much I love the ladies of the Right Sort Marriage Bureau until I picked up The Unkept Woman, the fourth book in Allison Montclair’s Sparks and Bainbridge series.

The series features two women in 1946 London.  Despite the fact that they are from very different backgrounds, they have gone into business together as a matchmaking service.  One is Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge, a window of the recent world war.  She is living with her in-laws as she works to regain control over her life once again.  The other is Iris Sparks, a single woman who spent the war in an intelligence service and is trying to deal with life as a civilian again, especially since her past doesn’t want to stay away.

This being book four in the series, we already know quite a bit about the women and their ongoing storylines.  In fact, you could almost call these ongoing storylines a soap opera.  There are certainly some complications that feel that way.  Not that I’m complaining because I am hooked and need to find out what happens next.  I only bring that up because this book starts focusing on those ongoing stories before the new case really heats up.  While I was quickly hooked, if you aren’t already familiar with the characters, they might not pull you in as quickly as they did me.  So yes, I will recommend reading the series in order.

When Iris returns to her apartment one night after work, she is shocked to find an unexpected visitor.  It’s someone she is less than happy to see, especially since she thought the person was out of her life for good.  After quickly going to the Bainbridge’s for the night, she thinks things are behind her again – until a body is discovered in her living room.  Who was the victim?  And who committed the murder?

Yes, I’m being vague with my teaser, and part of that is because the book opens with a prologue that is meant to startle us before we flashback two days.  Yeah, it’s my least favorite literary technique, but in this case, it felt even less relevant since we know what must be really happening.  I wish the book had just jumped into the story with chapter one.  There was more than enough to hold the interest of the fans as the set up happens.

And once we get to that part of the book?  Hold on!  The pace really increases, and we get plenty of twists and surprises.  I did pick up on a couple of things early, but the majority still surprised me in a good way.  Everything made sense when we reached the climax.

I know my teaser is focused on Iris, and she really is the main focus of the plot.  But that isn’t to say that Gwen doesn’t get her share of the book.  They each have their own ongoing storylines, which get advancement.  And Gwen contributes to the solution of the mystery as well.  In fact, that’s one thing I loved about the book – we really couldn’t have reached the solution without both of them.

The fact that the main characters are so strong is what makes this book so compelling.  We really do care about them and want to see them both happy.  While their stories did get some advancement here, they are far from wrapped up.  Which means I can’t wait to get back to them later this year.

The story also brings the post-World War II years to life.  The people who survived had quite a bit they needed to deal with as they tried to rebuild their lives.  While Iris and Gwen might have a bit more than most (which makes for more drama), we get a good picture of what life was truly like in the city then.

Yes, I will be trying to get back to this series again sooner rather than later.  I need to find out what happens to these ladies next.  Anyone else who needs to catch up will find themselves caught up in The Unkept Woman.

Here are the rest of the Sparks and Bainbridge Mysteries.

Book Review: Locked in Pursuit by Ashley Weaver (Electra McDonnell #4)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Good new case for Ellie

Cons: The romance continues to frustrate

The Bottom Line:

Some weird robberies

Move Ellie’s story forward

Leaves ready for last

You’ll be Locked into These Pages

While the final novel in the Electra McDonnell series is already out, I’ve been getting them in paperback, and the fifth and final paperback edition comes out this spring.  When I realized that, I decided I should bump up Locked in Pursuit, the fourth book, so I’d be ready for it.  I’m glad I did.

Electra, Ellie to her friends, is a thief and safecracker living in London in World War II.  In the first book, she was recruited to work for British intelligence in the war efforts.  (Recruited might be too nice a word for it.)  In the intervening months, she’s not only starting to fall for her handler, Major Ramsey, but she’s realized how much she enjoys living on the right side of the law.

But as this book opens, it’s been three months since her last mission with the major, a mission that turned dark.  It’s now January of 1941, and Ellie sees an article in the paper about a robbery that feels wrong to her.  Something is off, especially when none of her contacts have heard anything about it.  Ramsey takes her concern seriously enough to uncover two other odd robberies.  The connection?  The victims were on a recent flight from Lisbon.  What or who was on that plane?  Can Ellie and Ramsey get the prize first?

Before we go further, I should issue my standard “read the series in order” disclaimer.  In addition to a love triangle, there is an ongoing story related to Ellie’s parents, and you’ll best follow what is going on if you are up to the date on the series.

And, honestly, you probably won’t care about the early part of the book without that background as well.  We spend time in the early part of the book working on what to do about those ongoing storylines before the plot of this book really kicks into gear.  This section was a little too contemplative for my tastes, but it wasn’t too bad.

Once the plot of this book kicks into gear, it takes over, and I was onboard.  This doesn’t evolve like a typical mystery would, but it does a great job of keeping us engaged the entire way through.  I was satisfied when we reached the climax, too.

I also like the characters.  There was a new one here I enjoyed getting to meet as well.  And the regulars were their normal charming selves with a bit of development.

I’ve never been a fan of the romantic subplot, and this book didn’t change my mind.  It will be interesting to see where it goes in book five, but I’m sure that will be a weakness for me.

Speaking of which, I am very curious how everything is going to be resolved.  This book ends on a cliffhanger or two (very glad I have the next preordered), and I just don’t see how we are going to resolve everything in one volume.  Something is going to get squeezed.

But that’s the next book’s review.  For now, I enjoyed Locked in Pursuit.  It made me very curious to see just how Ellie’s story is going to be wrapped up.

Unlock the rest of the Electra McDonnell Novels.

Book Review: Buried in Shamrocks by Lisa Q. Mathews (Irish Bed and Breakfast Mysteries #2)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Characters and setting, good mystery

Cons: Uneven pacing; a couple of the subplots

The Bottom Line:

Murder on fair grounds

Summer gets murderous start

Nice return visit

Can Kate Make Her Ex an Ex-Suspect?

It’s been about a year and a half since we got the first book in Lisa Q. Matthews’s Irish Bed and Breakfast series.  I was glad we got to revisit the characters in Buried in Shamrocks.  And it’s out just in time for St. Patrick’s Day!

The first book introduced us to Kate Buckley, a single mother with two daughters.  She grew up in (and her family is still in) Shamrock, Massachusetts, which has leaned into its name and has become a town that celebrates all things Irish year round.

Summer is just starting, and Kate and her girls are returning to Shamrock for the summer.  They are going to help run the family bed and breakfast, fix it up a little, and make a decision about moving back permanently.  But they arrived just in time for the Great Shamrock Fair, which always takes place in late June.

But Kate gets a surprise this year when her ex-husband’s band shows up to play music for the festival.  Yes, Ian is with them.  And he brings along a new fiancée, Fallon.  As unsettling as that is for Kate, she is trying to make the best of it for her daughters.  But then Kate finds Fallon dead on the festival grounds.  The pressure is on to find the killer before it ruins the festival, but Kate is worried that Ian will get arrested for the crime.  Can Kate find the real killer?

The town and characters are charming.  Yes, I’d forgotten a bit of the characters and their relationships since the first book, but it wasn’t long before I felt fully back up to speed and ready to tackle this new case.

And the mystery started out well.  However, I felt that it was a bit uneven as the book went along.  Still, we had some good red herrings along the way to the logical climax.  I really enjoyed how the climax played out as well.

I also felt that a few of the subplots didn’t get the advancement I was expecting.  Yes, I get that they are series long storylines, but I still felt they were missing a little something.

As I said before, I really do like the characters.  We got some nice development to them in this book, and I liked how those relationships advanced.

With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner, now’s the time to pick up this book.  You’ll enjoy spending more time with Kate and the rest of the characters as you get Buried in Shamrocks.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

Movie Review: I Can Only Imagine 2

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Strong message of faith that will leave you uplifted

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

Story behind song

Showing struggles, gratitude

And faith that supports

Walking with God “Even If” It Means Through Fire

Christian band MercyMe exploded on the scene with their first single, “I Can Only Imagine.”  And, eight years ago, we got a movie that told the story of lead singer Bart Millard and how he came to write that song.  Now we get I Can Only Imagine 2 which tells the story of their second biggest hit.

We pick up a number of years after MercyMe has really taken off.  While they haven’t reached the same level of success with their other singles, they are traveling a lot and have released several other projects.  On a personal front, Bart (once again played by John Michael Finley) is struggling with his relationship with his teenage son Sam (Sammy Dell) who is type 1 diabetic.  Because of his own relationship with his late father, Bart is struggling with how to parent his son.

He invites Sam to join MercyMe on their latest tour, their first time headlining.  Along as their opening act is Tim Timmons (Milo Ventimiglia).  Tim has a song he’s been struggling to write.  As he shares his own journey and his affinity for the hymn “It Is Well,” will that get through to Bart?  And Sam?

I’ve been a fan of “Even If” since the first time I heard it.  But I suspected that the story behind the song would include pain.  After all, it’s a song about trusting and following God through trial.  And yes, this movie is hard at times.  I was wiping tears as I watched parts.  Yet, it did not go where I expected and was ultimately uplifting.

Before we go further, I do feel the need to point out this is an “inspired by true events” movie.  Given one of the updates that popped up at the end, I doubt that this story really happened completely as presented here.  But what we get is perfectly dramatic.  And I am watching a movie, not a documentary.

While I did feel one storyline was wrapped up a little easily, overall, I really did like the story.  It is well told.  There are several different storylines that cross and intersect in ways that kept me fully engaged.  A couple of times I saw something coming right before it happened, but most of the time, I was just caught up in the story.

The actors get full credit for this.  Everyone in the cast did a great job of bringing their characters to life.  I don’t know the real people involved enough to know how close they are, but I don’t know that it matters.  I was enjoying watching the actors bring the story to life.

Which brings us to the climax.  As I said, one storyline seems a little quickly resolved.  But overall, it was a fantastic moment in so many ways as we watch the band (or the actors playing them) play “Even If.”  I was struggling not to cry as it played, and I’ve been a fan of the song since the first time I heard it back in 2017.  It still hits that hard, but in the best way possible.  Of course, having watched this story, it hit differently here in a good way

Again, I want to emphasize that this is, ultimately, an uplifting movie.  You have to go through quite a bit to get there, but that’s life.  It is worth it.  And it’s a great reminder to be grateful to God.  Even when it’s hard.

I’m so glad I went to see I Can Only Imagine 2.  If you need your faith strengthened, do yourself a favor and go see this film, too.

February 22nd's Sunday/Monday Post

Welcome to the weekend.  Time again for this week's Sunday/Monday Post.  I will be linking up to:

Sunday Post
Sunday Salon
Stacking the Shelves
Mailbox Monday
It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

It was cold this week.  Okay, I know most of you will laugh at me when you find out I'm talking about low 50's, but for me, that's cold.  And it came with rain.  Not complaining about the rain, especially Monday since I could just watch it from my windows.

But the worst part was the three days I had to be in the office this week.  I don't know if the heater wasn't working or was just set low, but it was cold all week.  Like leave my jacket on indoors all day cold.

Fortunately, it's is supposed to be in the 70's this coming week.

Yeah, this is how exciting my life is, that I'm talking about the weather.  Pretty much, it was work and then come home to watch as much Olympics as I could.  Which never felt like enough.

The cable company did come out and figure out the problem with the sound on my TV was actually one of the HDMI ports not working.  But when someone came out to look at that, it was working just fine.  So we will see if it acts up again.

And my cold is doing better.  Still have a bit of a cough hanging on, but everyone who has gotten a cold recently is experiencing that, so I'm not too surprised.  Still, I wish it would go away completely.

Punny Holiday of the Week:

February 23 – Keep your eyes peeled for any monkey business on Banana Bread Day.

This Past Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - Movie Review: Romantic Rewrite

Tuesday - Book Review: The Queen of Poison by Robert Thorogood

Wednesday - Movie Review: Kingsman - The Golden Circle

Thursday - Book Review: The Big Boat to Bye-Bye by Ellis Weiner

Friday - Friday Post featuring Buried in Shamrocks

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

This Coming Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - Movie Review: I Can Only Imagine 2

Tuesday - Book Review: Buried in Shamrocks by Lisa Q. Matthews

Wednesday - Book Review: Locked in Pursuit by Ashley Weaver

Thursday - The Unkept Woman by Allison Montclair

Friday - Movie Review: Scream 7

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

Depending on how you count it, I have either three books or five books to tell you about this week.

What the heck am I talking about?  Well, the first entry on the list is a three ebook boxed set.  Does it count as one book?  Or three books?  Yeah, I think it counts as three books, too.  Anyway, I happened to catch the set of books 4 through 6 in the Travel Can Be Murder series for free.  Sadly, that isn't the case any more.  Do I have books 1 through 3?  Yes.  Have I read any of them?  Don't be silly!  But still, I couldn't pass up getting more.  Hopefully, I'll enjoy the series when I get to it since I now have over half of the published 10 books in the series.

Also this week, I got the newest Orphan X book, Antihero.  Hard to believe it's book eleven in this series from Gregg Hurwitz.  The last couple have been uneven for me, so we'll see what I think of this one.

Finally, Saturday morning, I spotted a deal on Murder at Arleigh by Alyssa Maxwell.  This is book thirteen in the Gilded Newport series, and I have quite a bit to go before I get there since I recently read book 5 (review to come first week of March).  But I know I will get there eventually because I am really enjoying this historical series.

That's the information on the three five books I got this week.

What I'm Currently Reading:

As I type this, I'm working on Vanished in the Crowd, book twenty-two in the Molly Murphy series from Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles.  I just hit two thirds of the way into the book, and I'm hoping to finish it on Sunday.  As has often been the case with Rhys's books recently, it's uneven.  But I am curious to see how it will end.

If all goes according to plan, I will be starting Antihero by Gregg Hurwitz on Monday.  Yes, it's jumping over the books I was saying last week that I couldn't wait to read.  But the books in this series are longer than what I normally read, and I'm ahead of schedule right now.  So I'll be able to not rush a bit more as I read this one.  Seemed like a good time to pick it up to me.

Have a great week!

February 21st's Weekly TV Thoughts

Wild Cards – I’m glad at least one person is confronting the mom head on.  I get the complicated feelings everyone is going to have, so I hope that is explored a bit more.  And what if she is actually double crossing them and it’s all a lie?  Hadn’t thought of that before.  I liked that we changed our perspective of the victim in the case of the week.  Pretty well executed how we unraveled all of that.  And, I’ve got to say, I didn’t miss the other detective team.  If they wrote them out of the show, I think I’d like it more.

The Traitors – People are finally questioning Rob because of Candace.  I’m a little surprised they didn’t do it right away.  But it didn’t change how they voted at the round table.  And I’m glad because I kinda want Rob to win.  Normally, I’m on team Faithful, but not this season.  Natalie was so angry she was banished.  Granted, I’d probably feel the same way.

February 20th's Friday Post

Welcome to Friday!  I'll be celebrating with a Friday Post, where I'll be linking up to:

Book Beginnings
First Line Friday
Friday 56
Book Blogger Hop

The teasers for the first three will all be coming from Buried in Shamrocks by Lisa Q. Matthews.

This is the second in her series set in at a B & B in an Irish themed touristy town in Massachusetts.  Here's how the book begins:

“Saint Anthony, Saint Anthony, come around. Something’s lost and can’t be found.”
My seven-year-old daughter Bliz, occasionally known as Mary Elizabeth, squeezed her eyes shut in concentration, rocking in her green jelly sandals as she repeated her singsong chant.

What's missing?  Will it be found?  I'm not giving that away!

Meanwhile, we find this at 56% into the eARC I read:

For once Ian’s silence was a blessing. He knew I’d tell him when I was ready.
As soon as I found that note.
Maybe it had fallen out somewhere at the Buckley House. And hopefully no one would find it before I did. But I had Mass, dinner, and dance practice to get through first.

I've finished this one, and I enjoyed it.  It's coming out on Tuesday, and I will be reviewing it that day, so I hope you'll come back to see what I thought.

Let's move on to the Book Blogger Hop.  This week's question is:

When writing reviews, do you align your text to the left, center, right, or justify it?

I left justify.  Anything else just looks weird to read, at least to me, so I wouldn't do that to anyone else.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Book Review: The Big Boat to Bye-Bye by Ellis Weiner (Pete Ingalls, PI #2)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Pete and an intriguing mystery

Cons: Some humor doesn’t work; a bit too much philosophizing 

The Bottom Line:

Blackmailing puppets

Pete is searching for villains

Different but it works

Blackmail and Murder in the World of Puppets

I have some books that have been in my condo for a long time unread. In the case of The Big Boat to Bye-Bye, it’s been decades. I got the book autographed when it came out in 2005, and I never quite got around to reading it. But I decided now was the time to fix that. 

This book is a little different. And it has none of the set up in it you’d need to fully appreciate the character. It’s the second book featuring Pete Ingalls, a PI of sorts. In reality, he’s a man who had an obsession with classic noir movies. After getting hit on the head, he wakes up as Pete, certain he’s a PI. He even dresses in period costumes and uses the slang. He’s got an office in New York City, and his secretary is an actress wannabe. At this point, I don’t remember how the setup was handled in the first book (Drop Dead, My Lovely) since the story is narrated from Pete’s first-person point of view. Heck, I might even have some details wrong. 

This second mystery finds Pete getting hired by the producers of a children’s TV show. The show uses puppets, and each season they have an outtake real they show during the wrap party of the puppeteers goofing off between takes. Some of the material is very raunchy, in a way that would get the show canceled if the reel got out. And that’s exactly what might happen. Someone is blackmailing the studio, and they want Pete to find out who. But when Pete’s investigation leads him to a dead body, can he find the killer?

Quite obviously, this isn’t one of my cozies. Yes, we get more details on what I mentioned in the teaser. And there’s language as well, although it doesn’t come from Pete, who is often telling people to watch their language. So keep that in mind before picking up the book. 

There’s also the theme, which finds Pete philosophizing on multiple personalities. Sort of. It’s hard to explain. I get it in the context of the set up for the series. But it could have been tone down, especially since it often slowed down the plot. 

But when the plot was front and center, it was good. We had quite a few twists, and I was intrigued, wondering where things would wind up. The ending, when we reached it, made sense, although it was a little convoluted. 

Pete, as you might have guessed, isn’t as bright as he thinks he is. And this is the basis of much of the humor in the book. That along with people’s reactions to Pete. At times the humor worked for me. Others, it didn’t. I think it would have worked better if this had been used sparingly. 

Overall, I did enjoy this book, and I’m glad I finally plucked it from my overflowing too be read mountain range. You’ll have to work to find a copy of The Big Boat to Bye-Bye today, but if the premise intrigues you, you’ll want to give both a shot.