November 22nd's Friday Post

Welcome to Friday!  I've got another Friday Post for you.  As usual, I will be linking up to:

Book Beginnings
First Line Friday
Friday 56
Book Blogger Hop

This week, for the first three, I am sharing teasers from Ashes Never Lie by Lee Goldberg. 

This is the second book in the Sharpe and Walker series.  They are arson investigators for the LA County Sheriff's office.  And here's how the book begins:

The charred, steaming hulk of a Toyota Camry sat in a burned-out patch of scorched brush in the middle of what was now the Chatsworth Nature Preserve, which had previous been a sacred Chumash Indian ceremonial ground, a limestone kiln used by Spanish settlers, a movie studio back lot, and the dry lake bed of the long-abandoned Chatsworth Reservoir.

On page 56, Walker has teamed up with homicide detective Eve Ronin (the lead in another series from the author) to go talk to someone.  However, they aren't getting an answer....

No answer.  He leaned on the doorbell and called out to her again.  Still no answer.
Walked look at Eve.  "Maybe we should knock louder."
She smashed the door with the battering ram.

This is a fun book.  I'll be back with my full review on Wednesday.  I hope you'll come back then.

Meanwhile, let's take a look at this week's Book Blogger Hop.  The question is:

Are there any novels set on or near Thanksgiving that you love rereading or recommend as a heartwarming November read?

I did review Sheer Window earlier this month.  It's a Thanksgiving set novella.

On the whole, I don't tend to read a lot of books set around Thanksgiving.  And I don't have the time to reread books as much as I might like, unfortunately. So nothing else is coming to mind.

Have a great weekend.

Book Review: Murder at Glenloch Hill by Clara McKenna (Stella and Lyndy Mysteries #6)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Good mystery with characters we love

Cons: A few minor things, but enjoyable overall

The Bottom Line:

Golfing in Scotland

Finding murder once again

Love these characters

Golf Clubbed to Death

The best part of reading a series is getting to revisit characters we’ve fallen in love with. That has certainly been the case with the Stella and Lyndy series from Clara McKenna. So I was looking forward to revisiting them in Murder at Glenloch Hill, the sixth in the series. 

This book takes us to 1906 Scotland as we check in with the title couple. When we met them just a year ago their time, Stella was an American heiress who wasn’t aware her father planned to marry her off to Lyndy, the heir to a British estate. Despite that less than ideal beginning, the two have fallen in love and are enjoying their married life together. 

When this book opens, it’s been six months since we last checked in with them. They’ve enjoyed that nice break from murder and mayhem, but sadly for them, it won’t last. They are traveling to Scotland to meet some distance cousins that Stella just found out about. They are going to be there during the Open Championship, which is taking place on the Old Course nearby. Since Lindy’s soon to be brother-in-law is a professional golfer, Lyndy’s sister Alice is rounding out the group so the three of them can cheer her fiancé on. 

But an unexpected guest throws a wrench in the party when they arrive. Something is off, but Stella and Lyndy can’t quite figure out what it is. A surprising accusation from a maid only further complicates things. Then Stella finds a dead body, and Lyndy finds himself the chief suspect. Can they figure out what really happened?

As I said earlier, I love the characters. Which made me a little sad that we weren’t at home. We are missing a few of the regulars and the growth in their relationships I have enjoyed watching. Having said that, we got some interesting growth in the characters we did see, which was nice. 

This series uses multiple third person points of view to tell the story. The majority of the book is told from Stella and Lyndy’s points of view, but we get some from other characters, which give us insight into them. All told, I did enjoy meeting the new cast of characters here. 

And yes, since this book takes place in Scotland, we get some dialect in the dialogue. A few times, it was a bit much, but even Stella and Lundy were being frustrated by it. Most of the time, it added a fun lilt to what I was reading. 

The plot was good. A couple of times, I felt it lagged a bit, but it soon picked back up. I was swept up in the final third and didn’t want to put the book down when I had to return to real life. The solution wrapped everything up well. 

The time period came alive for me once again. There is little actual history happening in the pages, but I do feel like I’m visiting the 1900’s when reading these books. 

If you are looking for a series with characters you’ll love, be sure to pick this one up. Fans will enjoy getting to read Murder at Glenloch Hill. 

Visit again with the rest of the Stella and Lyndy Mysteries. 

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book. 

Movie Review: Three Wise Men and a Baby

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Sweet, funny, and charming Christmas movie

Cons: Some of the characters are on the stereotypical side

The Bottom Line:

A sudden baby

Brings three brothers together

Charming Christmas film

“We’re Family.  If It Happens to One of Us, It Happens to All of Us.”

So, apparently, this year I’m giving in and watching Hallmark Christmas movies.  I’ve got multiple on my DVR.  Who knows if I will get them all watched before Christmas (I’m betting no).  I started out with one that isn’t from the 2024 crop of new movies – 2022’s Three Wise Men and a Baby.

The movie introduces us to three Brenner brothers, all of whom still live with their mother.  The most successful is Luke (Andrew W. Walker), a fire fighter who is trying to build his own house so he can move out.  Meanwhile, there’s Stephan (Paul Campbell), who is a pet therapist and lives in the house behind his mother’s house.  Finally, we have Taylor (Tyler Hynes), the video game programmer who lives in the basement and has just been fired from his job.  Again.

Things change when someone leaves a baby boy at the firehouse with Luke’s name on it, asking to help take care of him for a few days.  Since it’s almost Christmas, the family takes in the baby, at least through the holiday.  But when their mom (Margaret Colin) has to go out of town, the three brothers have to take care of the baby by themselves.  Can they do it?  What will they learn along the way?

Obviously, this isn’t the typical Hallmark movie set up.  So maybe this wasn’t the best one for me to start with since it would be a nice break from the formula later.  But I completely enjoyed it.  There were lots of laughs at watching the brothers try to care for the baby, especially as they started to fall into the typical complaints that parents of babies make.

While the set up might not have been predictable, the plot pretty much was.  I did figure out where most of the storylines were going to go early on.  But, as I always say, I don’t mind as long as I’m having fun, and that was definitely the case here.

On the other hand, I did feel like the characters were a little stereotypical at times, especially the men who never move out thing.  But this is a minor complaint.

Yes, this is a Christmas movie, which means there are quite a few Christmas moments.  There’s even a late breaking Christmas plot that comes into play.  And they completely worked.  I was decorating while I was watching, and this just helped put me even more in the Christmas spirit.

This is a Hallmark movie, which means there are some low budget cheese moments.  But these are kept to a minimum.  The acting and writing are both mostly good and really pull us into the story.  Having said that, there are some pretty big plot holes we have to accept in the premise of the movie.  But if you aren’t willing to do that, then Hallmark Christmas movies probably aren’t for you.

I was curious about this movie since I knew it was getting a sequel (which premiers this coming Saturday).  Having watched it, I can easily see why they decided to revisit these characters.  The story is fun, the characters are charming, and the movie will make you laugh and tear up even when you see those moments coming.

So if you’ve missed Three Wise Men and a Baby, you really should fix that this year.  I’m glad I kicked off my Hallmark Christmas movies watch for the year with it.

Book Review: We Three Queens by Rhys Bowen (Royal Spyness Mysteries #18)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Georgie and the cast; history unfolding

Cons: Mystery is uneven

The Bottom Line:

Film crew on estate

An uneven mystery

History unfolds

An Invasion of Guests

It’s been interesting watching the historical arcs develop in Rhys Bowen’s Royal Spyness Mysteries. Even knowing what was coming there, I was fascinated to see how it would play out on the page. We get to see the next part of that, along with mystery and mayhem, in We Three Queens, the eighteenth book in the series. 

If you are new to the series, it features Lady Georgiana, a minor royal in 1930’s England. While the early books spent time on her trying to survive even though she was penniless, she is now married with a baby and a stable if still not wealth home. 

When the book opens, it is October 1936, and Lady Georgie is enjoying her life as a new mother. Things have been quiet for a few months, and she’s happy about that. Unfortunately, that is going to change. 

First comes a request from Georgie’s cousin, King Edward, that they host his love, Wallis Simpson, so the press doesn’t hound her while he tries to convince Parliament to change the law so he can marry her. Then, Georgie’s brother and sister-in-law arrive to stay while they try to find a good school for their son. 

But trouble really arrives when Sir Hubert, Georgie’s godfather and the owner of the estate where Georgie lives, returns home with a film crew in tow. They are filming a movie about King Henry VIII, and they think the house is perfect for some of the locations. Georgie’s trying to make the best of it, but when someone vanishes from the house, things really get out of hand. Can Georgie figure out what happened?

As I said, we’ve been following the saga of Edward and Mrs. Simpson since the beginning of the series, and I’ve enjoyed watching it unfold. I was glad to see it as a strong subplot in this book. 

But things really don’t kick off until the film crew arrives in full force. Unfortunately, even then, I found the plot uneven. The story did reach a logical and satisfying climax, but it wasn’t as strong overall as I would have liked. 

The story is saved by the characters. I really do love Georgie and the others, and it was fantastic to spend time with them again. There were a couple of the regulars we didn’t hear from here, but it would have just slowed things down to shoehorn them in, so it works for me. The new characters fit flawlessly into Georgie’s world. 

Fans will definitely enjoy catching up with Georgie and getting a front row seat to a little more history in We Three Queens. If you are new to the series, I recommend you start with an earlier book. You’ll appreciate this one so much more that way. 

Be sure to check out the rest of the Royal Spyness books. 

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book. 

Ornament Review: Merida and Snow White - 2024 Hallmark Release

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Good mini ornaments of two princesses, especially Snow White

Cons: Merida’s face missing details; weird characters for set

The Bottom Line:

Merida, Snow White

Combined for this mini set

That’s good overall 

A Mismatched Pair of Miniature Ornaments

Over the last couple of years, Hallmark has been releasing miniature ornaments of the Disney princesses – two a year. This year, they decided to release the two ornaments for the year as a set. It makes for a different pairing since they released Merida and Snow White.

Fans of either Princess will be happy with how they look. Merida is wearing her green dress. She has her arms crossed and she is looking out at us. Her mouth is a thin line, so I will say I find her mouth a little hard to see. Given her size, I get it.

Snow White, on the other hand, looks fantastic. She’s wearing her classic dress. She’s got a slight smile on her face, and she has her dress in one hand to strike a classic pose. It looks like she is dancing a little.

I’ll admit, if Hallmark hadn’t bundled these two together, I probably would have only gotten Snow White. I know I’m in the minority, but I’m not a huge fan of Brave. But I couldn’t pass up Snow White. And neither ornament is bad, so I’m glad I didn’t pass up this set. 

I’ve mentioned these are miniature ornaments. I want to emphasize that again since it is important. The ornaments are each roughly an inch and a quarter tall. That’s it. So keep that in mind when you purchase the set. But given that size, the detail is pretty impressive. 

While the princesses are supposedly standing on their feet, they really aren’t big enough to hold them up if you set them out to be displayed. But when you go to hang them, you’ll be happy to see they hang straight. 

It’s fun to have more Disney characters to put on my miniature trees. I’m happy overall I added the Merida and Snow White mini ornament set to my collection. 

November 17th's Sunday/Monday Post

Welcome to this week's Sunday/Monday Post.  As usual, I will be linking up to:

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

I'm looking back at my week trying to find something exciting to talk about.  Don't really have much.  Got a couple of things that we are trying to figure out before our fiscal year end (which is November 30), so that's making things more exciting at work.  Other than that, not too much to talk about.

Two weeks ago, I rearranged my living room to start putting up my Christmas trees.  With how late Thanksgiving is and the fact that I'm always out of town with family for both holidays, I really want to be done, or close to it, by the time I leave for Thanksgiving.  This past Wednesday, I finally got the trees out of their boxes.  But that's it so far.  So maybe I should get on with things and gets some lights and ornaments on them.

Joke of the Week:

Shout out to the people who demand to know what the opposite of “in” is.

This Past Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - Movie Review: The Jungle Book - 2016

Tuesday - Book Review: Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan

Wednesday - TV Show Review: The Amazing Race - Season 36

Thursday - Book Review: You Feta Watch Out by Linda Reilly

Friday - Friday Post featuring Murder at Glenloch Hill

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

This Coming Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - Ornament Review: Merida and Snow White

Tuesday - Book Review: We Three Queens by Rhys Bowen

Wednesday - Movie Review: Three Wise Men and a Baby

Thursday - Book Review: Murder at Glenloch Hill by Clara McKenna

Friday - Friday Post

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

Believe it or not, I only have one book to tell you about this week.  I know, I can't believe it either.

Monday, the Kindle version of Always the First to Die by R.J. Jacobs was on sale, so I snagged it.  Sadly, it looks like the sale is over.  It's a bit of a departure for me since the book is more of a thriller.  But it's about real deaths surrounding the production of a slasher movie in the Florida Keys and the lead actress going back years later.  Given my fascination with slasher movies, this seems like something I have to at least try.  Whether I like it or not will remain to be seen.

What I'm Currently Reading:

As I'm typing this on Saturday afternoon, I'm currently between books.

I recently finished Wedding Bride and Doom by Mary Karnes.  It's the first in a series about a wedding planner solving mysteries.  Unfortunately, it felt a bit like a first book by a new author, which it is.  It needed a little more polish, but the biggest issue is that the climax only works because the main character is completely stupid.  But my full review is to come.

Up next will be Ashes Never Lie, the second Sharpe and Walker novel from Lee Goldberg.  Definitely not one of my cozies, this series features two arson investigators for LA County.  I usually enjoy his books, so I'm looking forward to diving into this one.

That's it for me.  Hope you have a good week.

November 16th's Weekly TV Thoughts

Superman & Lois (11/4) – That was intense.  Yes, they lightened it up at times like the last scene with Sarah and the boys.  And how is it she is talking about junior year next year.  I thought they were juniors when the show started.  I realize it’s been TV time vs. real time, but still, I feel like they should be older by now.  Anyway, there were so many moments in this episode.  I realize we are in the final half (already), but they are going for broke.  And I loved that nod to the original comic’s release in the amount Clark owed in the store.

Tracker – And we’re back to the weird.  I really truly hope they get away from this quickly, or I will drop the series.  Honestly, I don’t think I have much more to say about it than that.  Well, it was nice to get a very little background about one of the supporting players.

The Marlow Murder Club – More fun with some interesting twists.  I’ve very confused as to where it is going.  Okay, maybe I’m also missing who a couple of the characters are, but that’s on me and my distracted watching more than anything else.  I’m definitely enjoying watching these ladies solving the murders.  Several more great lines as well.

Superman & Lois – Please tell me they are going to get another season.  Please.  I need to see more of Clark living in a world where everyone knows who he is.  Yes, it was a quieter episode again as far as suspense goes, but it was so powerful.  And that ending!  Yes, I teared up.  Something about the actor they picked for Jimmy didn’t sit quite right for most of the episode for me, but that last scene where he and Clark reconnected?  He was perfect in it.

Poppa’s House – There were some parts I laughed at.  And some parts I really cringed at.  Not sure if I want to be sticking with this one or not.  And, I’m embarrassed to say I had to look at IMDB to figure out that the headmistress was Rebecca Mader.  I knew she looked familiar, but I just couldn’t place her.  And after being a loyal Lost watcher and huge Once Upon a Time fan.

Rescue HI Surf – Just one rescue, and it impacted a lot of the episode.  Enough that the storyline with the two new lifeguards was very much a sub-sub-plot.  I don’t get why the Cap said anything when it wasn’t sounding good for her to get the promotion.  Unless they cut a scene, he had no business saying anything.  And I had to laugh at how the flying scene at the beginning was filmed.  Every trick in the book to keep from showing the stunt people instead of the actors up there.

Dancing with the Stars – Quite a milestone celebrated in style.  I think I would have appreciated the first round a bit more if they had shown us the original version of the dance so we could see how it was changed up.  There have been so many dances (and so many years), it’s hard to keep them all straight.  I also feel like we had something like the insta-dance in the past.  I’ve got to say my hat is off to everyone for pulling those off as well as they did.  I’m surprised Dwight lasted as long as he did due to that height difference.  But they did a great job each week.  Sorry to see him go, but it probably was the right time for him to leave.

Survivor – Well that drama was fun.  But in the end, every single person voted for Sol.  So Genieve could get her revenge.  Very sorry to see him go.  And sorry that Rachel didn’t have his back after he saved her just two votes ago.  But the scramble and drama sure was fun from the couch.

The Challenge – Michelle manages to hang on when she needs to.  I do but I don’t feel sorry for her and Olivia.  I mean, the way they ran things last season (yes, I hold grudges just like they do) was pretty brutal.  And Michelle can be downright mean as well.  But, Bananas has a huge ego problem as well.  I’d be quite happy to see him be brought down a couple of pegs.

Happy’s Place – Sweet episode overall.  I like the fact that they are rounding out Gabby a bit.  Yes, the character is right in Melissa Peterman’s wheelhouse, but it’s nice that she isn’t Barbara Jean redux.  However, how old is the character supposed to be?  Having a baby?  Really?

November 15th's Friday Post

It's been a few weeks.  Time to jump back into doing Friday Posts.  As usual, I will be linking up to:

Book Beginnings
First Line Friday
Friday 56
Book Blogger Hop

My quotes for the first three will be coming from Murder at Glenloch Hill by Clara McKenna.

This is the sixth Stella and Lyndy Mystery.  This particular book takes place in 1906, and Stella and Lyndy are traveling to Scotland.

Here's how the book opens:

Aggie Neely lingered in the doorway, the fresh breeze welcome on her flushed cheeks, and watched him go.

How does that tie in to the mystery and Stella and Lyndy?  I'll leave that for you to uncover.  Meanwhile, on page 56, we find this exchange between Stella and her maid, Ethel:

"I met a maid this afternoon at luncheon who seemed to have been..." Ethel bit her lip and she sought the right word. "Injured."
"Oh, no. She's all right, I hope. What happened?"

Want to know what happened?  You'll have to read the book.

It officially comes out November 26th.  I got to read an ARC, and I enjoyed it.  I'll have my full review up early, on the 21st, so I hope you'll come back then to see what I thought.

Meanwhile, here's this week's Book Blogger Hop:

Do you like to annotate your books or leave them untouched?

I leave them untouched.  I even try not to crease the covers when I'm reading them.  I like them to look as fresh as possible for as long as possible.

That's it for me.  Have a great weekend!

Book Review: You Feta Watch Out by Linda Reilly (Grilled Cheese Mysteries #5)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Characters we love; Good mystery; Christmas spirit

Cons: I’m not Scrooge

The Bottom Line:

When actor is killed

Carly steps in to clear friend

Strong Christmas spirit

Who Made Sure Marley Really Was Dead as a Doornail?

I hadn’t expected to get a Christmas entry in Linda Reilly’s Grilled Cheese Mysteries this year until You Feta Watch Out crossed my radar. I’m so glad it did since this was a fun entry in the series. 

This Christmas, a theater company has come to town to put on a production of A Christmas Carol. While Carly Hale is focusing on her grilled cheese diner, her friend Gina has joined the cast as a background extra, singing in some of the caroling scenes. Gina’s been excited, so when Carly gets a chance to attend the dress rehearsal, she jumps at it. 

It’s at the dress rehearsal that Carly discovers the flaw in the cast, Preston Lennon, who is playing Jacob Marley. Preston is so disruptive that the production must take an early intermission. But things get worse when Gina finds Preston’s dead body in his dressing room. The evidence seems to point to Gina as the suspect. Can Carly prove her friend’s innocence?

This isn’t the first time I’ve read about a production of A Christmas Carol in a Christmas cozy mystery. I appreciated that it was the actor playing Jacob Marley who was the victim this time. It was a fun little tweak. 

The plot itself is good. We have more than enough reasons to dislike Preston, which means there are enough suspects to keep us guessing. I didn’t figure out what was going on until the end. But the killer and motive made sense when Carly figured it out. 

And the characters are fantastic. I like how author Linda Reilly is progressing their lives in logical ways. The series regulars are fun to be around, and the suspects were believable as well. I also appreciate that, while Carly does get a few warnings to be careful, people don’t pile on her like they did in the previous book in the series. 

I was reading this book at the beginning of November so I’d have enough time to review it around release date. Even so, it put me in the Christmas spirit. I was wishing I had my trees up already so I could be reading it while enjoying them. I’m not sure I’d want to try the new grilled cheese sandwich featured here, but I appreciate the theming there as well. 

Speaking of which, the recipe for that and an appetizer is at the end of the book. 

If you are looking for a Christmas cozy, you’ll be glad you picked up You Feta Watch Out. Grill up a sandwich and enjoy. 

Be sure to savor the rest of the Grilled Cheese Mysteries. 

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book. 

TV Show Review: The Amazing Race - Season 36

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: They go to some amazing places

Cons: The race part is rather boring

The Bottom Line:

South America

Plays host to boring season

For diehards only

The Locations Were Amazing.  The Race, Not So Much

My entire family loves The Amazing Race, so we considered one of the positives from the recent strikes to be the fact that we got two seasons of the show in the 2023-2024 TV season.  Unfortunately, season 36 of the show was a disappointment, especially after the return to Amazing Race form that was season 35.

This season had to overcome the fact that it was filmed in the fall of 2022.  Countries were just starting to really open up again after Covid, so all the filming and planning restrictions we’d seen in seasons 33 and 34 were still in place.  While the show didn’t advertise it, the contestants were all traveling on chartered flights instead of finding their own way.  And the teams were starting each leg in heats.  That meant there was little chance for a team that was behind to catch up.  There were some ranking changes, but they were few and far between.  This was my complaint about the other Covid seasons.  With little in the way of taxis and public transportation being used, the teams tended to go from one task to another without any of the drama that makes the show fun.

This really hurt season 36 since season 35, which was filmed in the spring of 2023, was back to the original format where teams had to book their own flights and had bottlenecks were teams could all catch up.  This season had none of those.

Additionally, the teams weren’t that inspiring.  It was obvious early on who the strongest teams were, and so the show had little in the way of suspense or surprises.  There were several teams I was actively rooting against, but the rest of the teams were okay.  There just wasn’t anything to make us want to root for them.  Once again, the episodes were 90 minutes.  In this case, I’m not sure if that hurt or helped, especially since the season was originally created for the traditional 60 minute run time.

On the other hand, they went to some amazing places.  The season started outside the US, starting in Mexico.  From there, we spent most of the season in South America, wrapping up in the Caribbean before returning to Philadelphia.  There were a couple of tasks that I didn’t quite follow, and the teams seemed to avoid those, so we didn’t get to see how it was supposed to work.  The armchair travel is always fun even if the racing parts aren’t.

My family pretty much agrees with me on this.  While this was better than no season of The Amazing Race, it was definitely at or near the bottom of the show.  If you are a casual fan, skip this one in favor of a more entertaining season.  But if you’ve seen them all but this one, turn it on keeping in mind the weaknesses.

Book Review: Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Strong characters we come to care for

Cons: Lacks focus, so feels disjointed

The Bottom Line:

Chasing Narnia

But plenty else going on

The book lacks focus

Mixed Journey of Self-Discovery

The first time I read The Chronicles of Narnia back in 3rd grade, I fell in love with them. So when I heard about Once Upon a Wardrobe, a novel about CS Lewis and the creation of the series, I was curious. Sadly, the book tried to do too much and fell short for me. 

The year is 1950, and Megs is in her first year at Oxford. She still goes home on weekends, however, to her small village so she can spend time with her younger brother. George has had a weak heart all of his life, and the doctors can’t do anything for him. 

George’s world has been enhanced by the books he reads, and someone has given him a copy of the recently released The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. He’s obsessed, and he wants to know where Narnia comes from. Meg’s will do anything for her brother, so she sets out to see if she can get the answer from C.S. Lewis. But what will she find if she meets the author? 

This book has a lot going on. There’s the story of Megs in the “present,” then there’s what’s going on with George. And, of course, the flashbacks to Lewis’s life. Unfortunately, it doesn’t balance them well. We get some vignettes from Lewis’s life from boyhood to young adult, but many of them are summarized stories for us and don’t really let us get to know much about him. Several of the things that happen in the 1950 storyline are illogical. Don’t get me wrong, I liked them, but they didn’t feel plausible. 

Ultimately, this is a coming of age tale for Megs. Again, I liked where it ended up, but it didn’t quite feel like it worked from what we were being given. 

I think part of this is that the basic premise, where did Narnia come from, is a weird question. Especially since the novel kinds of skirts around, giving us all the answers without giving us any definite answers. Trust me, this makes sense when you’ve read it. 

Ultimately, I feel like this is a book where the author had a grand theme planned, but she couldn’t quite pull off her vision. I’m not quite sure how it could have been fixed. Maybe cut out so much about Megs and her personal life? But that was a storyline I really enjoyed. 

Because, don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy the characters. And the book did make me cry a few times. There is something good in here, but it doesn’t work like it should. 

In the end, Once Upon a Wardrobe is a book you should pick up if you are curious about it. I’m not sorry I read it. But I wish the author had focused just a bit more on a core story. It would have helped cement things. 

Movie Review: The Jungle Book (2016)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Mostly enjoyable; amazing visuals

Cons: Christopher Walken, darker tone

The Bottom Line:

New take on classic

Adds some interesting parts

Darker overall

Disney’s Newest Jungle Book Remake Offers a Slightly Different Take on the Tale

Near the beginning of Disney’s recent live action remake craze came The Jungle Book.  No, I’m not talking about the ones they released in the 1990’s (which I never have seen); I’m talking about the one from 2016.  Unlike the some of the other early ones, this one stuck close to the animated original, but made a few tweaks to the story.

The set up is definitely familiar.  Mowgli (Neel Sethi) is a man cub raised by wolves.  Despite his best efforts, he has never been able to quite fit into his pack because, well, he’s human.  However, when Shere Khan (voiced by Idris Elba) shows up planning to kill the boy, Mowgli gets off with Bagheera the panther (voiced by Ben Kingsley).  What will happen to them along the way?

As I said, if you think you know the story, be prepared for a few surprises along the way.  I appreciated many of them as they helped flesh out Mowgli and especially his relationship with the wolves a bit more.  Shere Khan is a much more fearsome and present villain in this take on the story, another change I appreciated.

Of course, there was the time I spent expecting certain events or characters from the animated film to pop up.  I kept having to remind myself that this was a different take on things and it was okay that it was different.  It’s not like Disney didn’t really change things around when they made the original animated movie based on some unconnected short stories.

I’ve fallen into Disney’s trap so far by referring to this as a live action movie.  It really isn’t.  Mowgli is real, but everything he is interacting with, including the sets, is computer generated.  They do a marvelous job.  It’s easy to turn off your brain and believe that everything you are seeing is real.  The animals do have just a hint of animation to them, making their speaking seem more natural than in the computer animated The Lion King remake.

And I have to give praise to Neel Sethi.  He was interacting with nothing as his part of the film was made, but I believed his performance completely.  It’s real and helps ground the movie for us.

The voice cast is good.  I enjoyed Bill Murray as Baloo.  Scarlett Johansson was fun as Kaa.  I’m realizing I’m not really a fan of Christopher Walken, and that didn’t help me enjoy his take on King Louie.

The movie does incorporate some of the songs from the original, but not all.  They aren’t a big feature of this film, and maybe that’s why a couple of them seemed out of place.  (See once again, King Louie.)  But it’s hard to go wrong with “The Bare Necessities,” and I certainly enjoyed that scene.

Parents of young kids should know that there are some intense scenes.  This movie is rated PG for a reason.  Most kids will probably be okay, but sensitive kids should still with the animated version from the 1960’s until they are ready for something more intense.  I’m sure parents will be able to judge that for their own kids.

I think that darker tone was what bothered me the most about this film.  It felt like they went needlessly dark, keeping some of the humor and fun from the original out.  That doesn’t make this film bad, but I think I prefer the animated original over this one.

I enjoyed most of what the new material added to the story, but overall, I found the newest version of The Jungle Book a little dark for my tastes.  I’m not sorry I finally watched it, but if you want a fun story, it’s best to stick with the original.

November 10th's Sunday/Monday Post

Welcome to this week's Sunday/Monday Post.  As usual, I will be linking up to:

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

We finished month end close at work successfully.  Sounds like just about everyone in the company had some extra stuff to deal with.  Fortunately for me, my extra stuff had been included the week before, so this week was a little easier.  Which meant I got to start in on the account reconciliations for the month.  The ones that have been problems before are still being difficult.  It would be nice if they fixed themselves upon occasion, wouldn't it?

Awe, the glamorous life on an accountant.

In other news, it was really windy on Wednesday.  It had died down some by Thursday.  But Wednesday was the first time in a while that they cut our power as a prevention against fires starting.  Or, I should specify, my neighbors' power.  I could look down the street, and one side had power but the other side didn't.  Fortunately, I was in the part of my complex that had power.  It's strange how they can work sometimes, isn't it?  They didn't get their power back until sometime Thursday night/Friday.  It was still off when I got home at 8:45 PM Thursday night.  The winds had pretty much died down by then, but they'd been without power for over 24 hours.

Got my car smogged Saturday morning.

Really, don't I have the most exciting life?

I was going to start some Christmas decorating this week.  I got as far as rearranging furniture in my living room, but that's it.  Hopefully, I can pull out my trees this coming week.

But today is game day (I'm typing this at 12:06 PM Saturday afternoon).  So let's get this finished so I can go and have some fun.

Pun of the Week:

Why does the stadium get hot after the game?

Because all the fans leave.

This Past Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - Novella Review: Sheer Window by Diane Vallere

Tuesday - TV Show Review: Moonflower Murder

Wednesday - Book Review: A Matter of Life and Depths by K.B. Jackson

Thursday - Ornament Review: N.S.E.A Protector

Friday - Book Review: The Gardener's Plot by Deborah J. Benoit

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

This Coming Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - Movie Review: The Jungle Book - 2016

Tuesday - Book Review: Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan

Wednesday - TV Show Review: The Amazing Race - Season 36

Thursday - Book Review: You Feta Watch Out by Linda Reilly

Friday - Friday Post

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

Would you believe I didn't get any new books this last week?  I wouldn't have believed it either.  That doesn't mean I don't have some books to talk about.  I decided to save some so this section wasn't too long last week.  I'm really glad I did.

Let's start with an ebook collection I probably didn't need.  The Kindle set of the first 8 Dorothy Martin mysteries from Jeanne M. Dams went on sale last week.  As of my typing this, it is still $1.99.  I've read a couple of her books, and always intended to read more, so I snagged them.  Last night, over a week after I bought them, I remembered that I have a bunch of hardcovers sitting on my shelves.  So I probably already have these books.  But at that price, I don't feel too badly if I didn't need to get them.

I also got a Kindle deal on A Lack of Temperance, the first Hattie Davish mystery from Clara McKenna.  I read one of the books back when these books were first being published under the author's real name, Anna Loan-Wilsey.  I enjoyed it, but I never got back to it.  Now that I'm reading her current series published as Clara McKenna, I've been wanting to go back and read more of this earlier series.  So it was great to snag this one.

My final Kindle deal was Cue the Sun! by Emily Nussbaum.  This is a non-fiction book about the birth of reality TV.  While there are a lot of those shows I don't watch, I do watch enough that I was interesting in this book.

Now, to find the time to read all of these books.

What I'm Currently Reading:

I've been working on my last couple of ARCs for November.  And I think I'm only going to have one more ARC for the year.  Okay, so I have an ARC of a book that comes out December 24th, but is anyone going to be paying attention to book reviews around that time?  I don't think so.  I think I'll hold that one until the first week of January.  At least that's my thinking as of now.

But that's for the future.  Here's what I'm reading now.

Friday night, I finished up We Three Queens by Rhys Bowen.  This is book eighteen in her Royal Spyness series, set in England in the 1930's.  It wasn't the strongest in the series.  But I'll have about it when I publish my review in a week or so.

As I type this, I'm about 50 pages into Murder at Glenloch Hill by Clara McKenna.  Yep, the author I was talking about in the Book Haul section.  This is book six in her Stella and Lyndy series set in England in the early 1900's.  We've actually in Scotland for this book at a golf tournament.  So far, there's lot of tension, but the murder hasn't happened yet.  I'm enjoying it, although I am missing some of the supporting players who aren't on this trip.

That's it for me.  Enjoy your week!

November 9th's Weekly TV Thoughts

 Yes, Superman & Lois is missing from the list.  It was preempted in LA due to a basketball game.  And people wonder why I hate sports.  It should be airing on Sunday, so at least I'll get to watch it.

In the meantime, here is what I watched this week.

Tracker – Nothing supernatural about this one.  Or even remotely potentially.  Not to say I didn't have some issues with the violence on the screen.  Especially could have done without that ending.  Still, it was a compelling case, and I definitely didn't figure out what was going on.

The Marlow Murder Club – This episode definitely had what I was looking for in it.  The three women were working together most of the episode, and I loved their dynamic.  And the plot moved forward in some interesting ways.  Still want to see the connection between the two victims, but we are only a third into the story.  I'm very curious to see who the third victim might be as well.

Poppa’s House – I wasn't nearly as impressed with that episode as I was the first one I watched.  Just not as funny, and some of the jokes were in poor taste.  But I'm rather confused.  Did they really change the premise of the show in episode three?  We've gotten rid of the radio station completely already?  Wow!

Rescue HI Surf – I am glad to see that at least a few things are being resolved.  Or at least moving forward.  I felt like we were marking time with some of them.  We'll see if I feel that way next week.  Still not super impressed with the soap opera that the show is, but it is kind of what I expected, to be honest.

Survivor – Is it me, or do plans to vote out certain people not stay in place for more than a day.  When this episode started, we were looking at getting rid of one tribe.  But as soon as their preferred target was safe, they scrambled and turned on each other.  Not that I’m complaining.  Makes for great TV.  And I like the guy who is winning immunity.  I don’t want to see him gone, but I get why they would be gunning for him.  I would be, too, if I were playing.

The Challenge – Have a seen a purge before?  I don’t think so, but I could be wrong.  Really ups the stakes for that challenge, doesn’t it?  The heat seemed to make that mini-final extra brutal.  I was feeling for them struggling.  The elimination was quite inventive as well.  I was impressed with how well they both did at squeezing through the tubes.

Happy’s Place – I loved this episode.  It was nice to see them mixing up the characters who were paired up.  As show that can do that successfully has real legs.  Lots of laughs and smiles as I watched.  And some real heart warming moments, too.

Book Review: The Gardener’s Plot by Deborah J. Benoit (Maggie Walker #1)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: The setting and main characters are good 

Cons: The plot was very uneven

The Bottom Line:

Body in garden

Plus search for a missing friend

Uneven debut

Debut Wasn’t Quite Ready to Bloom

When I saw that The Gardener’s Plot, the debut mystery from Deborah J. Benoit, had won a contest from Minotaur Books and Mystery Writers of America to be published, I immediately took note. There have been a few series that were first published that way that became favorites of mine. Sadly, this doesn’t look like it will be one of them. 

The book introduces us to Maggie Walker, who has inherited her grandmother’s house in a small town in the Berkshires. She’s long been a gardener, so when she is asked to help Violet with the new community garden, Maggie jumps in with both feet. But the morning of the grand opening, Violet is nowhere to be found. Then, a member of the community finds a boot in his plot in the community garden. A boot attached to a dead body. With the police thinking Violet might have something to do with it, Maggie’s set out to find her friend and prove she is innocent. But can she do it?

I feel like there is a good story here, but it needed some polish before it was ready to be published. Take the first chapter. We were introduced to a couple of different characters, and I had a hard time figuring out who was important and why. As the book progressed, I continually found myself realizing that assumptions or connections I made when something was introduced wasn’t necessarily true. The problem was the writing was vague, with the added information being filled in later. And this isn’t a matter of Maggie learning something she didn’t know to unravel the mystery but a case of the full information not being given to us. I get it. It’s easy to think what you mean to say is obvious. I’ve felt that way with the little bit of fiction I’ve done. But it is frustrating when these things haven’t been smoothed out in subsequent drafts so when a reader isn’t confused when he or she sits down to read the story. 

Speaking of story, the pacing was off. Maggie’s investigation starts out well, but then she starts reploughing the same ground. I get that this can happen in real life, but as a reader it was frustrating when I felt the story wasn’t moving forward. Things do come together for a strong and logical climax. 

The main characters are strong. I really enjoyed spending time with them. Unfortunately, the suspects tended to blend together. Again, by the end the killer and motive are clear. But more time with them would have been helpful. 

I also really enjoyed the setting. Even though I can’t grow plants, I enjoyed hearing about the various gardens. The town seems warm and friendly, the kind of place I’d love to spend more time fictionally. 

It’s a shame I struggled with this book overall since I really do feel like the premise and main characters could have been something I would love. But the execution didn’t work for me. 

Others seem to be enjoying The Gardener’s Plot more than I did, so maybe the problem was me. If the premise intrigues you, consider picking it up. Unfortunately, I think this series isn’t for me. 

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book. 

Ornament Review: N.S.E.A Protector - 2024 Hallmark Release

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: By Grabthar’s hammer, this is a great ornament!

Cons: Whoever lists any cons should die!

The Bottom Line:

Galaxy Quest fans

Will enjoy this ornament

Of the Protector

Never Give Up, Never Surrender…Until You Get This Ornament

While I do have quite a few Star Wars ornaments in my collection, it’s been a while since I added any new ones or paid any attention to Hallmark’s science fiction ornaments in general.  I happily made an exception this year to add the N.S.E.A. Protector to my collection.

If you aren’t familiar with this ship, you need to immediately go and watch the movie Galaxy Quest.  I’ll be here when you get back.

All good?

Now, you know why I wanted to add this movie to my collection.  I’ve loved that movie since I saw it in the theater, so a chance to add the ship to my ornaments was a no brainer.  And this ornament is great.  It looks just like the ship does in the film.  Okay, so it’s not necessarily that different from any other space ship, but the design is a little sleeker, at least in my mind.  I appreciated that, in addition to the paint identifying it as the Protector, it includes the National Space Exploration Administration logo.

And any fan of the movie will be thrilled.  While we are a loyal fan base, we don’t have a ton of merchandise, so it’s nice to get this ornament.  It makes me smile to look at it.

Being a space ship, this ornament isn’t that exciting if you just set it out.  I mean, it does sit okay, and it rests at a bit of a fun angle.  It looks like it is about to head up as it flies through space.  But it isn’t very tall, so it is easy to overlook.

Which is why you’ll want to hang this ornament even if you aren’t putting it on your tree.  It hangs straight, and it looks great – like it is ready to fly off into a new adventure.

Any fan of Galaxy Quest will be thrilled to add the N.S.E.A. Protector to their Christmas tree.  I know I am.

Book Review: A Matter of Life and Depths by K.B. Jackson (Cruising Sisters Mysteries #2)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: A different set up used well for character development

Cons: Takes a bit to know suspects; the minor subplot with the great-grandmother

The Bottom Line:

Mistress is onboard

Outstanding character growth

Creative setup

Charlotte Must Face Her Pain Head on

As you’ve figured out by now (since I talk about it quite a bit), I love to pair books with real life when I can. When I got a chance to take a cruise, it worked out perfectly for me since I was already planning to read A Matter of Life and Depths, the second cruising Sisters Mystery from K.B. Jackson. 

When this book picks up, Charlotte and her sister, Jane, have spent a few months living in the suite on the residential cruise ship Charlotte learned she owned after her husband died. Their latest destination in Japan, and it fits well for Charlotte, who is reading the diary left behind by her great-grandmother that details her time in that country. 

But what Charlotte didn’t expect to find is that Kyrie Dawn and her toddler son, Quinton, are on board. Kyrie Dawn was her late husband’s mistress and Quinton was their son. Kyrie Dawn has returned to the ship to become the new yoga instructor. Charlotte isn’t happy with this latest development, needless to say. 

And then a murder happens. And Charlotte finds herself getting involved in the investigation for a reason she never would have guessed. Can she figure out what happened?

Now, let’s be honest - I’ve read books where you see “husband’s mistress” and “murder mystery,” and you can guess the set up. I’ve read that plot before and enjoyed it. But that’s not what we get here, and I loved the book for that. It really did allow Charlotte a chance to grow, and that growth was fantastic. Maybe a little unrealistic, but I am more than willing to let that pass because I like it. The story also allowed us some growth in other characters as well. 

I will say the core group of suspects took a little bit of time to distinguish themselves in my mind. Once again, they were introduced in a group, and that always makes it hard. But as the book went along, we got to know them better, and those problems went away for me. This was how the first book worked for me as well, so I wasn’t super surprised.

And the mystery itself? There were some good twists and red herrings along the way to the logical climax. 

I will say I didn’t quite follow what was happening with the great-grandmother in the diary Charlotte was reading. I get what the author was aiming for theme wise, but I feel like that could have been left out and the story would have been stronger for it. But that’s a minor point since this is a very minor subplot.

While I wouldn’t call this a humorous cozy, there were some absolutely great lines and moments that made me laugh as I read. And the setting is fantastic. 

All told, I did enjoy Charlotte and Jane’s second mystery. If you are looking for something that breaks the mold, you’ll be glad you picked up A Matter of Life and Depths. 

NOTE: I received a copy of this book. 

TV Show Review: Moonflower Murders - Season 2

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Characters and mystery shine

Cons: Pace slows in a couple of episodes

The Bottom Line:

Susan back for more

Second intriguing story

Show is worth watching

Strong Second Case for Susan

As much as I enjoyed Magpie Murders when the TV version aired on PBS, I still haven’t managed to read any of author Anthony Horowitz’s books. But that just meant I was even more excited for Moonflower Murders, the second story featuring editor Susan Ryland when it came to PBS. It didn’t disappoint. 

This season picks up a little while after the first story ended. Susan (Lesley Manville) has now retired from being an editor and is running a hotel on Crete with her partner, Andreas (Alexandros Logothetis). Well, I should say trying to run a hotel. Things seem to constantly be going wrong, and the stress is getting to her. 

That’s why Susan pays attention when two strangers show up looking for her. They are the parents of a woman who has gone missing. They think her disappearance is related to something she read in a book - an Atticus Pund book that Susan edited and was based on a real incident that happens in the hotel they run back in England. They are offering Susan money to come back and see if she can figure out what happened to their daughter. How can Susan refuse? But will she find anything?

This season has the same conceit that the first did. Part of each episode takes place in the present as Susan goes about her investigation. The rest takes place in the 1950’s as we watch Pund (Tim McMullan) take on the fictional case he is working on. Most of the actors play dual roles in both storylines. Honestly, I gave up trying to track them in both timelines and just followed the stories separately. 

And they were both intriguing mysteries. There were so many interesting suspects and varying motives that I was kept guessing. I did feel the pacing lagged a little in a couple of episodes that got caught up in some drama in Susan’s personal life. Or maybe the fact that I hated those developments colored by judgement of them. However, that last episode? It blew me away with how intricately things had been plotted all the way along. 

I was happy to get to visit Susan again, and I liked the way a few other characters from the first season were worked in again. The new crop of characters were intriguing, as I already said. 

All of this is held together by great acting. Those playing dual roles are great at it, but there isn’t a weak link in the cast. 

As with the first story, there are six episodes to this season that are roughly 50 minutes or so. Since this is based on a novel, the story reaches a great end and I feel like things are wrapped up well. Of course, a third novel in this series is coming out next year. I’m hoping that means we’ll get it in TV form soon. 

If you are looking for a well plotted TV mystery, you won’t go wrong with Moonflower Murders. It will keep you entertained until the last minute. 

Novella Review: Sheer Window by Diane Vallere (Material Witness Mysteries #5)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Fun short visit with Poly and a great story

Cons: Thankfully, none for me

The Bottom Line:

Watching the neighbors

Is there a Thanksgiving crime?

A fun novella

Poly Would Be Thankful to Learn What Is Happening Across the Street

Thanksgiving is often an overlooked holiday when it comes to cozy mysteries. Kind of like real life, I guess. So when I heard that Diane Vallere was going to have a Thanksgiving novella for her Material Witness series this year, I started looking forward to it. Sheer Window didn’t disappoint.

This Thanksgiving, Poly Monroe is hosting a few friends for the day in the apartment over her fabric store. When she learns that someone has moved into the apartment over the bar across the street, she decides to invite them to join the festivities. However, not only does she not get a response when she goes over there, but she manages to twist her ankle. Now injured in her apartment, she finds herself watching what is happening across the street. She thinks something strange is going on. Is she right? Can she get anyone to believe her?

Obviously, this story is a loving homage to Hitchcock’s classic Rear Window. I watched the movie years ago, and the details are fuzzy in my mind. There might have been a few Easter eggs I missed, but there are some obvious nods that were fun. But even if you haven’t seen the movie, you’d still enjoy this visit with Poly.

The story itself was great. There is enough happening across the street to keep our interest, but the things happening with all the characters in Poly’s apartment provide the perfect way to distract from the main story. All of this is balanced well, and this novella is a wonderful length for this story. It kept me interested without feeling like it was too drawn out.

And yes, we get to see quite a few of the regulars. It was great to spend the holiday with them. Even if you haven’t met the cast yet, you’ll be able to jump in here and enjoy spending time with them.

As I said, this is a novella. That makes it perfect to be able to slip in to what can be a busy month. You could easily read it in a session or two if you wanted.

Sheer Window is a sheer delight. You’ll be thankful you set aside some time to read it.

You’ll also enjoy the rest of the Material Witness Mysteries.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

November 3rd's Sunday/Monday Post

Welcome to this week's Sunday/Monday Post.  I will once again be linking up to:

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

When last I did one of these posts, I was talking about all the audiobooks I had lined up for the road trip I was going on for my vacation.

I returned them to the library unlistened to.  Because I didn't go on the road trip.

And that's a good thing.

I work for a cruise line, and I wound up being able to go on a cruise at the last minute during that week.  As in I got approved to go about 48 hours before I had to be flying to NYC, where it left from.  So it was a scramble getting ready, but I did it, and it was worth it.

I went with a friend who lives in NYC, and we had a great time.  It was a Canada and New England cruise, but it hit several different ports than I'd hit on the one I went on two years ago.  The weather was fabulous.  While we had heavy fog one day, it had been almost 80 in Boston earlier in the week.  I'm actually still a little sad I didn't get to go on the road trip I had planned, but overall the trip was worth it.  I'll just save the road trip for some other time.  I'm just glad I hadn't actually made any reservations, so it was easy to pivot at the last minute.

I've been home for about a week now.  Enough time to get caught up at work since we are once again in the middle of month end.  Those sure do come around quite quickly.

Two Weeks Ago on the Blog:

Sunday - Podcast Review: How Rude, Tanneritos!

Monday - Movie Review: Ready or Not

Tuesday - Book Review: The Baffled Beatlemaniac Caper by Sally Carpenter

Wednesday - Movie Review: A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Thursday - Book Review: Death Checked Out by Leah Dobrinska

Friday - Ornament Review: Stocking Stuffers #4

Saturday - TV Show Review: Based on a True Story - Season 1

This Past Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Podcast Review: Full House Rewind

Monday - Book Review: The General's Gold by LynDee Walker & Bruce Robert Coffin

Tuesday - Movie Review: Halloween H20

Wednesday - Book Review: Saguaro by Sandy Dengler

Thursday - October 2024's Reading Summary

Friday - Book Review: Murder at Marble House by Alyssa Maxwell

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

This Coming Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - Novella Review: Sheer Window by Diane Vallere

Tuesday - TV Show Review: Moonflower Murder

Wednesday - Book Review: A Matter of Life and Depths by K.B. Jackson

Thursday - Ornament Review: N.S.E.A Protector

Friday - Book Review: The Gardener's Plot by Deborah J. Benoit

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

Of course, I have new books to tell you about.  Did you seriously expect any different?

Let's start with an ARC I've already read.  Sheer Window by Diane Vallere is a novella in her Material Witness series.  It's Thanksgiving themed and comes out on Monday.  I got this a couple of weeks ago, and I've already read it.  In fact, it will be Monday's review (assuming I get the review edited).  Yes, it is an homage to Rear Window.  And if you want to know more about it, you'll have to come back to read my review.

I've also been getting some preorders in the last couple of weeks, all from St. Martin's/Minotaur.  The first is Fondue or Die, the fifth Cheese Shop Mystery from Korina Moss.  The other two are Christmas themed mysteries.  Sleep in Heavenly Pizza is the fourth Deep Dish Mystery from Mindy Quigley.  Meanwhile, Rockin' Around the Chickadee is the annual Christmas mystery from Donna Andrews.  I'm debating about when I will read the first one.  It might wind up in November, but I'm kind of hoping to read it while I'm home for Thanksgiving since it is set in a fictionalized version of where I grew up.  I'll definitely be reading the other two during December.

I only bought one book on vacation, but I couldn't resist.  Our first stop on the cruise was in Newport, Rhode Island.  Earlier this year, I read the first in the Gilded Newport historical mysteries from Alyssa Maxwell.  I read the second on the cruise after the stop.  But in the gift shop for The Breakers, they had several books in the series.  Autographed copies.  Naturally, I had to buy one of them.  I got Murder at Rough Point, which is the fourth book in the series, and the first one I didn't already have.

What I'm Currently Reading:

Friday, I finished up Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan.  Being a C. S. Lewis/Narnia fan, I was intrigued by this book.  I feel like it wasn't completely sure what it wanted to be, and the result wasn't as strong a book as I would have liked.  Still trying to process my thoughts on it a little to write my review.

But don't worry, I'm back to mysteries now.  I'm working on You Feta Watch Out, the fifth Grilled Cheese Mystery from Linda Reilly.  I'm only one chapter in (I've been a total procrastinator Saturday), but I like what's been set up so far.

I think that's it for me.  Have a great week!