Showing posts with label mailbox monday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mailbox monday. Show all posts

Sunday, July 5, 2026

July 5th's Sunday/Monday Post

Welcome to this week's Sunday/Monday Post.  I am way behind where I wanted to be today (Saturday), so let's get to it.  I'll be linking up to:

Sunday Post
Sunday Salon
Stacking the Shelves
Mailbox Monday

Technology is not being my friend right now.  My TV is not connecting to my wifi.  Everything else is connecting to the internet.  I can wire it in, but last time this happened, my TV broke and I had to get it fixed.  I'm worried that's about to happen again.  The fix wasn't cheap, but was covered by my warrantee, which has now expired.

Meanwhile, I got a new laptop a couple of weeks ago.  I'm just now trying to move stuff into it.  Yesterday, it was music and pictures.  Today, I woke up to a notification from Microsoft that I was over my limits.  Turned out, my photos were automatically put into OneDrive for me.  Deleted them from my new laptop, and I'm now no longer over my limit.  So, now, I need to figure out how to store stuff on my hard drive.  You know, what I actually want to do.  It looks like my documents will all be put to the cloud as well.  Keep in mind that I had to get a new laptop because I was out of storage on my hard drive there, so if all that stuff were in the cloud, I wouldn't have room for it without paying a monthly fee.  But if I were willing to do that, then I wouldn't need a new laptop.  (Yes, there were some other reasons for it, but that was the big one.)

I always hate getting a new laptop, and stuff like this is why.

What else have I been up to this week?  I went over to some friends' to watch Wednesday's USA World Cup game.  I'm not a big sports person, but it was nice to get to spend some time with them, and I did enjoy the game

Other than that, it's been work.  I had Friday off, so I went over to paddle about noon.  It was later than I had planned, but the wind wasn't too bad yet, and I enjoyed it.

Joke of the Week:


Why do restaurants on the moon get such bad reviews? No atmosphere.

This Past Week on the Blog:


This Coming Week on the Blog:


Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post
Monday - Movie Review: Toy Story 5
Tuesday - Book Review: The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts by Robert Thorogood
Wednesday - Movie Review: The African Queen
Thursday - Book Review: Death on the Back Nine by Caleb Wygal
Friday - Friday Post
Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

I've got five new books to talk about this week.

Let's start with Serving up the Truth by Debra Klein.  I won it from a blog giveaway.  I'm planning to get to it in August.  Sounds like it's something I will enjoy.

My Kindle buying spree last week was because I had a bunch of Kindle points expiring at the end of June.  I've let some expire this year, but I was close enough to a reward and this was a huge chunk, so I didn't want to let that happen again.  But that also meant I had to use them this week.  Oh darn, right?  I used them to get Homicide on the Range, the newest Hometown Mystery from Rosalie Spielman.  This is book six.  I still need to get book five read, but I'm hoping to do that soon.

Kills Well with Others by Deanna Raybourn went on sale for Kindle this week.  (And it still is as of my typing this Saturday at noon.)  I wasn't the biggest fan of the first in the series, but I've been curious about the sequel, so I decided to snag it.

The last two books are eARCs.  I signed up for a blog tour for A Murderer's Guide to Mardi Gras by Ellen Byron.  The book comes out in August, so I won't be reading it for another couple of weeks, but I've got the ARC for when I'm ready.

Strong Medicine by Steve Hockensmith comes out much sooner.  Like July 14th.  This is the latest in his Holmes on the Range series, which features cowboy brothers solving mysteries in the old west using skills they gleaned from the Sherlock Holmes stories.



What I'm Currently Reading:

I'm sure it's no surprise that I'm currently reading Strong Medicine by Steve Hockensmith.  I'm enjoying it so far, but I need to get more read.  With the morning I had, I haven't gotten as much read as I had hoped Saturday.  I'm still hoping to finish it off on Sunday.

Which means Monday, I'll be working on All Aboard for Murder by Ellen Byron.  Yep, she has books coming out pretty close together again.  I'm part of a blog tour  for it on July 20th, so I need to get it read and the review written.  I always enjoy her books, so I'm looking forward to diving in.

Have a great week!

Posted by at 11 comments:
Labels: , , ,

Sunday, June 7, 2026

June 7th's Sunday/Monday Post

Hello, and welcome to this week's Sunday/Monday Post.  I'll be linking up to:

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

Wow, I'm late getting this drafted this week.  I might not post until late on Saturday, but I usually at least have it drafted by now.

This past week was busy at work.  Thanks to our slightly off fiscal year, I had extra reporting to do.  I thought I was finished when I logged off on Saturday, but I think I need to redo one of the reports come Monday.  Shouldn't be too bad.

Thursday after work, I went over and got passes for paddle boarding again.  And I paddle boarded that evening.  My goal is be over there every Thursday this summer.  We'll see how that goes.  And I'll probably mix some Saturdays in as well, although it is harder when I'm trying to do other things on Saturdays.

Speaking of which, today, my small group went over and cleaned the church.  Then, I headed down to Burbank to the game store down there to join up with a group to play some games.  I almost left at one point, but I wound up staying until about seven thirty.  Been doing some other stuff, which is why I am just now getting to this blog post.

At least I have all my reviews for this coming week drafted, although I am still behind on book reviews.  I've got to buckle down and get some blog work done soon.

Pun-Official Holiday of the Week:


June 11 – Have an a-maize-ing time today.  It’s Corn on the Cob Day.

This Past Week on the Blog:


This Coming Week on the Blog:


Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post
Monday - Book Review: Hot Stuff by Don Bruns
Tuesday - Ornament Review: Gardener Mickey
Wednesday - Book Review: Crown of Chaos by Sarah E. Burr
Thursday - Movie Review: Supergirl (1984)
Friday - Book Review: Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes
Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

I've got five new books to talk about this week.

Two of the books are eARCs from NetGalley.  The first of those is A Taste for Murder by Matt Baker (no relation).  This looks like an import that will finally be published in the US in August.  Either way, it sounds like something I would enjoy.  Hopefully, that will be the case.

The other ARC is Hell Hath No Fury, the fifth Detective Honeywell Mystery from Annette Dashofy.  I always enjoy her books, so I'm very much looking forward to reading this one.

I also got a couple of books for reading later this year.  They are both in series I'm actively working on catching up on.

The first of those is Thicker Than Water, the sixth Laurel Highlands Mystery from Liz Milliron.  I still have book five to go, but I should be getting to this one in a few months.

The Cambodian Curse and Other Stories is a short story collection from Gigi Pandian featuring the characters from her Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt series.  I have the last book in the series on the July TBR pile, but I'll get to this story collection this fall.

Finally, my preorder of Murder by Design by Lee Goldberg arrived.  This is the first in a new series from him.




What I'm Currently Reading:

When Murder by Design arrived, I decided I'd go ahead and read it.  I usually enjoy Lee's books, and he's got another entry in another series coming later this year, so I didn't want to fall behind.  Of course, I got almost nothing read today, so I'm still about 10 pages in.  But I'm sure I'll get hooked soon.

That's it for me.  Have a great week!

Posted by at 5 comments:
Labels: , , , ,

Sunday, May 31, 2026

May 31st'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
Mailbox Monday
It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

We've got a lot to cover, so let's get to it.

Let's start with the reason I didn't post last week.  I went out of town for Memorial Day.  I met up with my parents a couple of hours away from me.  We did do a little bit of touristy stuff one day, but other than that, we stayed around their trailer playing games.  It was wonderful!

This past week, I went from being a hybrid employee to being fully remote again.  My company told us that we could work from home full time.  I've got to admit, it has been a bit more bittersweet than I was expecting.  I am going to miss seeing people in the office three days a week.  But I'm not going to miss the drive to and from the office or getting ready for work.  And I don't have a long or bad commute to really complain about.

I also know that I need to make a point to get out and do stuff on weekends.

Which is what lead me to head to an art festival about 30 minutes from me on Saturday.  I went because a mystery author organization was taking part, but they never posted a schedule, so I don't know who was signing when.  I did stop by while I was there, but I didn't stick around all day to potentially say "hi" to other authors I know.  Instead, I came home after a couple of hours.  I enjoyed looking at some of what was for sale, but I didn't wind up buying anything.

And my blog passed 8 million hits in the last couple of days.  Now, if you are thinking to yourself, "But Mark didn't brag when he passed 7 million hits," you'd be right.  That was about two months ago.  The bots sure have found my blog, and they continue to hit it.  I don't think the numbers are remotely accurate, but I do still want to mark the milestone.

I think that pretty much catches you up.

Joke of the Week:


The roundest knight at King Arthur’s round table was Sir Cumference.  He acquired his girth from too much pi.

This Past Week on the Blog:



This Coming Week on the Blog:


Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post
Monday - May Reading Summary
Tuesday - Book Review: One Final Turn by Ashley Weaver
Wednesday - Movie Review: Superman III
Thursday - Book Review: The Lady from Burma by Allison Montlciar
Friday - Friday Post
Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

I'm sure it's not surprise when I say I have books to tell you about.  Specifically, four of them.  What is surprising to me is that I have none from this week.  They are all from the week before.

The first is my preorder of Newsboy by John James.  John was the first lead singer of the Christian band Newsboys, and this is his memoir.  I've only ever been a casual fan of the band, but thought I'd pick it up.

I placed a couple of orders recently, and purchased the next couple of books I need in Sally Carpenter's Sandy Fairfax Teen Idol Mysteries to get free shipping.  Ironically enough, book six, The Notorious Noel Caper, arrived before book five.  I'll probably save this one for December, although my December is getting a bit crowded.  I definitely won't read this one before I get and read book five.

Switching over to the library, I got the audio version of Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes.  I had to have something to listen to last weekend while driving to see my parents, right?  (We will ignore the fact that this audio book was much longer than my drive, okay?)  I've finished this one.  It wasn't quite what I expected, but it's been on my radar for a while, so I'm glad I listened to it.  More to come when I get my review written.  (And I'm behind on reviews.)

Finally, I got an eARC of Pour Choices, the second in Adrian Andover's Mixology Lounge Mysteries.  Since I enjoyed the first so much, I'm looking forward to reading this one.



What I'm Currently Reading:

I'm currently working on Lost and Clowned by Dana Mentink.  At the rate I'm going, I'll probably finish it on Tuesday, but we will see if I get to it faster than that.  I'm enjoying it so far.  The main character is part of a traveling circus.  I'm curious to see where it is going to go.

That's it for me.  Have a great week!

Posted by at 5 comments:
Labels: , , , ,

Sunday, May 17, 2026

May 17th's Sunday/Monday Post

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

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

Another quiet week around here.  Nothing outside of work.  The temps have been mostly in the 70's, which is pretty standard for this time of the year, to be honest.  As much as I'm ready for summer heat, this is what we often get.

The exception to that was Saturday, when I went down to Knott's Berry Farm.  I hadn't been in decades (like since I was a kid).  It's included with my season pass for Six Flags.  I was going to go last year and never got around to it, but with a free weekend and perfect temps, I headed down this weekend.

It was definitely more crowded than I was expecting.  And I'm not sure how trustworthy their line estimates are.  But I have fun.  I hit three of the biggest coasters there.  But two of them were at the end of the day, and one was the first thing I did when I got there.  It was a little weird being at a theme park I'm not super familiar with since I usually go to Disneyland or Six Flags Magic Mountain, both of which I know extremely well.  I might have done more walking/exploring than anything else, especially when I would turn somewhere and go "Now, what's down here?"  I was in a long line when the park closed, so I got home early Sunday morning.  I should be in bed by now, so shall we get to it?

Joke of the Week:


What happens when you throw books into the ocean?
You get a title wave.

This Past Week on the Blog:


This Coming Week on the Blog:


Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post
Monday - Movie Review: Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3
Tuesday - Book Review: Reckoning at the Riviera Royale by P.J. Fitzsimmons
Wednesday - Movie Review: Best Served Cold - A Hannah Swensen Mystery
Thursday - Book Review: Harm Not the Earth by Liz Milliron
Friday - Friday Post featuring My Nightmare is Yours
Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

Strap in.  I've been very bad this week buying Kindle sale books.  (Or good, if you like to get books at a steal.)

Up first is Killer Brownies, which had just crossed my radar.  A culinary cozy set on the California coast?  I'm there.  This is the first in a series from Amelia Pine.  Looks like it is currently still on sale, but no idea how long it will be 99 cents.

Sadly, this next isn't on sale still.  Crooked Lane doesn't seem to leave their books on sale for very long.  Anyway, I've heard great things about A Field Guide to Murder by Michelle L. Cullen.  The main character is a retired man who tries to find out what happened to his neighbor, helped by his caretaker.  Sounds like it could be lots of un.

Outline for Murder by Anthony J. Pucci has been on my radar for a little while.  The main character is a high school English teacher.  It came out a while ago, so if I like it, I've got quite a few more books to go.  As of my typing this, it looks like it is still free, but I don't know how much longer that will last.

I was looking at the attendees at a convention this week, and one author I hadn't heard of before was Kim Griswell.  Her series is set along the Oregon coast, which caught my attention.  I don't find as many cozies set on the west coast to begin with, and Oregon and Washington are usually overlooked.  And, since the first book was 99 cents, I decided to give it a shot.  Again, as of right now, Murder at Last Chance Cove is currently still on sale, but no idea how long that will last.

Finally comes On the Rocks by Mia Gold.  I got this one from author Julie Mulhern's weekly freebie newsletter.  A bartender in the Bahamas as the main character was pretty much all it took to get me to download it.  I mean, at free, it's risk free, right?

What I'm Currently Reading:

Heading to a theme park by myself.  You can guess what my plan to do in line was, right?  I read on the Kindle app on my phone.  Of course, to do that, I will be pushing things around a little.  Jumping into the gap will be Hot Stuff by Don Bruns.  It's book six in a series about two twenty-something best friends who get dragged into cases.  There are seven in the series, so I'm hoping to finish it this year.  

I have a feeling by Monday, I will be working on One Final Turn by Ashley Weaver.  I just talked about getting this book last week.  I told you I was planning to read it soon!  I'm looking forward to seeing how this series about a lock picker in London during World War II ends.

Have a great week!

Posted by at 9 comments:
Labels: , , , ,

Sunday, May 10, 2026

Mother's Day's Sunday/Monday Post

Welcome to this week's Sunday/Monday post, where I will be linking up to:

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

It was another quiet week.  Work, reading, and a little bit of TV watching.  I finished up my rewatch of season 7 of Once Upon a Time, something I've been going to do for about 4 years now.  My thoughts on the season haven't really changed since it first aired - some great moments and compelling but lots of stuff that they just didn't have enough time to fully develop.

Anyway, our temps stayed in the 60's early in the week, but we are in the 80's now with temps in the 90's predicted for Sunday and Monday.  Then, of course, we start to drop again, but fortunately not quite as far as the 60's.  It's May, after all.  Time for some warm weather.

And today is my friend's game day, so let's get to it, shall we?

Pun-Official Holiday of the Week:


May 13 – Take a leap and be hoppy for Frog Jumping Day.

This Past Week on the Blog:



This Coming Week on the Blog:


Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post
Monday - Movie Review: The Flash
Tuesday - Book Review: Murder, She Wrote - Murder Most Trivial by Jessica Fletcher and Barbara Early
Wednesday - Movie Review: Avatar - The Way of Water
Thursday - Book Review: Murder on the Marlow Belle by Robert Thorogood
Friday - Friday Post
Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

I've got three books to talk about this week.

Up first is my preorder of One Final Turn, the fifth and final Electra McDonnell book from Ashley Weaver.  Yes, the books been out for a year, but I preordered the trade paperback, which came out this week.  I'm very much looking forward to seeing how things are wrapped up.  I'm planning to read it soon, with a review hopefully coming the beginning of June.

I've had my eye on Murder to My Ears by Rebecca McKinnon for a while now.  When the ebook popped up as free, I snagged it.  Looks like it's back to regular price of $3.99 now.

Finally, we have another free ebook that has gone back to regular price ($2.99 in this case).  Murder in the Cranberry Bog is the second in a series from Mike Cassidy featuring a reporter who is traveling the country.  I already have the first, but I haven't read it yet.  But free is a good price to grab book two in case I enjoy the first one.



What I'm Currently Reading:

Friday night, I finished up Harm Not the Earth by Liz Milliron.  Yes, I was just talking about getting this book a couple of weeks ago.  It's book four in her Laurel Highlands series, and I enjoyed it.  Got to get the review written.

Which means I've just started My Nightmare is Yours, the new Madison Night Mystery from Diane Vallere.  Since it doesn't come out for a couple of weeks, I'm reading an ARC.  I'd hoped to get a bit further into it before I left for game day, but that isn't looking good.  Either way, I'm only about 10% into the book, but I'm enjoying it so far.

Have a great week!

Posted by at 6 comments:
Labels: , , , ,

Saturday, May 2, 2026

May 3rd's Sunday/Monday Post

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

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

This week started off magically.  That's right, I was back at Disneyland.  I had one day left to use on the 3 Day ticket I bought when my friends were here a couple of months ago.  I went by myself this time and had fun.  Was pretty productive, too.  I got half of a book read and two reviews written on my phone while I was standing in lines.  I almost got everything in I wanted to do, but just ran out of time.  Considering I was in both parks, I was happy with that.

Other than that, this week has been pretty quiet and ordinary.  Pretty much just work.  I have done just about nothing so far today (Saturday).  It's been nice for a change.

Weather was in the low 60's last Sunday.  It warmed up to the 80's Saturday.  But it will be back to the 60's on Sunday.  I'm ready for it to pick a temperature and stick with it for a while.

Joke of the Week:


Someone ripped the 5th month out of my new calendar.
I’m dismayed

This Past Week on the Blog:


This Coming Week on the Blog:


Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post
Monday - Movie Review: My Dream is Yours
Tuesday - Book Review: Between a Roquefort and a Hard Place by Linda Reilly
Wednesday - Ornament Review: Sandal the Sandman #4
Thursday - Book Review: Stakeouts and Strollers by Rob Phillips
Friday - Friday Post
Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

Last weekend, Barnes and Nobel offered double stamps, so of course, I had to order three more books.

Up first is An Excellent Things in a Woman by Allison Montclair.  It's book seven in the Sparks and Bainbridge series.  I have all of them but this one, including book eight.  So, naturally, I filled in the gap.  I'm a few books behind but planning to read another in the series soon.

I also got Vanished!, the second in James Ponti's Framed! series.  I generally enjoy his books, and I enjoyed the first in this series when I read it last year.

Finally, I got a short story anthology.  Hollywood Kills was created and published last year to raise funds to help the victims of the LA wild fires from last year.  Definitely a cause I want to support.  And it has some authors in it I enjoy.  My track record with actually reading short story collections is dismal, but we'll see if I get to this one.

What I'm Currently Reading:

Friday, I finished Murder on the Marlow Belle, the fourth Marlow Murder Club book by Robert Thorogood.  I found the ending a little disappointing, but overall, I enjoyed it.  But more on that at a later date, after I get my review written.

Which means today, I should have been working on Reckoning at the Riviera Royale by P.J. Fitzsimmons.  But remember how I was talking about having a lazy day?  That includes not even getting any reading done.  But I'm sure I will make up for that tomorrow and be fully invested in the book come Monday.

That's it for me.  Have a great week!

Posted by at 9 comments:
Labels: , , , ,

Sunday, April 26, 2026

April 26th's Sunday/Monday Post

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

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

It has been a week.  In a fun way, but in a busy way.

It started Sunday, when I went to a concert.  It was the MercyMe concert, with Tim Timmons, Sam Wesley, and Big Daddy Weave as their opening acts.  I had a lot of fun, although I was up in the nose bleed section.  But I got home last Sunday night and didn't go straight to bed.

Then, this week, everyone who works for my director was in town for an all hands events.  We had a few meetings and some team building events, like an escape room Wednesday night.  It was all fun and good to see my co-workers (since none of my immediate co-workers are in the office these days), but it meant I didn't get as much work done as I needed to.  This will be a very busy week coming up.

And the fun isn't over quite yet.  Saturday night (tonight), I'm going to see a local theater's production of Wait Until Dark with a friend.  I've seen the play before, and I'm looking forward to seeing it again.  (And if you haven't seen the movie, I also recommend it.)  Hopefully, it's a good production.

Joke of the Week:


The bartender says, "We don't serve time travelers here."  A time traveler walks into a bar.

This Past Week on the Blog:


This Coming Week on the Blog:


Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post
Monday - TV Show Review: Night Court Reboot - Season 3
Tuesday - Book Review: In the Spirit of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge
Wednesday - Book Review: Death on Cozumel Island by Cindy Qualye
Thursday - April Reading Summary
Friday - Friday Post
Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

I've got a lot of books to talk about this week, so let's get to it, shall we?

And let's start with the four books I've been teasing for the last couple of weeks.  They aren't new authors to me, or you since I talk about them quite a bit around here.

I got the next two books in Liz Milliron's Laurel Highlands series - Harm Not the Earth and Lie Down with Dogs.  Since I'm trying to catch up on the series as quickly as possible, I'll be reading one of them in the next couple of weeks and the other in July.

The other two books are also in series I'm trying to catch up on, but not as aggressively.  They are Hot and Sour Suspects by Vivien Chien and Murder at Ochre Court by Alyssa Maxwell.

One of the artists at the concert I was at last week was selling a book, and I got it.  I'm curious to see what Tim Timmons has to say since his story about fighting cancer is very interesting.  Anyway, his book is Waking Up Again.

Also, my preorder of A Cute Little Murder by Molly Harper arrived.  It involves two friends who are former teen detectives getting involved in a murder case as adults.  Sounds like lots of fun to me.

Finally, I got an ARC via Netgalley for the newest Murder, She Wrote tie in novel, Murder Most Trivial.  I'm a fan of this entry's author, Barbara Early, and I'm anxious to spend some more time with the characters I love.

What I'm Currently Reading:

With all the crazy this week, I didn't have as much reading time as normal.  Which means just a few hours ago, I finished up Stakeouts and Strollers by Rob Phillips.  I was just about to start it when I created this post last weekend.  Yes, that's slow for me.  But I did enjoy the book.  Full review to come in May.

And now?  I'll be starting Murder Most Trivial since it comes out May 12th.  It will take Jessica, Seth, Mort, and Mort's wife to Hollywood to participate in a trivia contest.  Sounds like a fun premise to me.  Hopefully, the execution lives up to it.

That's it for me.  Have a great week!

Posted by at 5 comments:
Labels: , , , ,

Sunday, April 19, 2026

April 19th's Sunday/Monday Post

Welcome to 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?

I'm typing this Saturday night after spending the day at USC for the LA Times Festival of Books.  Unlike last weekend, when it cooled off and rained a little, today was warm and sunny.  While I do prefer to have it be sunny, it was pretty hot to be out walking around in the sun.  But it made the time I was sitting in the shade feel that much better.

It was crowded, which is mostly nice to see.  It did make some of the booths hard to get into and actually look at the books they were selling.  As always, I walked around and looked at all the booths, but I mainly hung out in the section where the Sisters in Crime and the Mystery Writers of America booths were.  I mean, that is the kind of book I tend to read, right?  I got to chat with some authors I know, which is always fun.  And I made several impulse purchases.  Why else do you go, am I right?  But we'll get to those purchases in a minute.

Sadly, the friend I usually go with wasn't able to make it this year.  I missed getting to hang out with her.

One author I was really hoping to get to see is only there on Sunday.  I was tempted to go back, but I've decided against it.  At least I think so.  We've discussed me being indecisive before, right?

Pun-Official Holiday of the Week:


Hummus fun will bean had on April 21st.  It's Chickpea Day.

This Past Week on the Blog:


This Coming Week on the Blog:


Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post
Monday - Ornament Review: From Sketch to Screen
Tuesday - Book Review: The Bush Tea Murder by Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier
Wednesday - Movie Review: Furious 7
Thursday - Book Review: Blues in the Dark by J.R. Sanders
Friday - Friday Post featuring In the Spirit of French Murder
Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

Last week, I left you with a bit of a cliffhanger.  I had four books in the mail that hadn't arrived yet, and I said I'd talk about them this week.  I'm regret to inform you that post has been preempted.  I'll still talk about them, but I'm going to hold off for now and talk about the six books I got at the Festival of Books today.

So, sorry, you'll have to wait one more week for the resolution of the cliffhanger.

So, what did I get today?  Let's start with the two books I knew I was going to buy going into the day.

I met Elle Jauffret last year at Malice Domestic.  Somehow, I didn't come home with her first book, Threads of Deception.  I had to fix that.  The main character is a lawyer forced to move back to Southern California.  That setting alone makes me interested.

I was also planning to buy Angel City Beat, which is the latest anthology from the LA Chapter of Sisters in Crime.  I had to keep my collection complete.  Someday, I need to start reading these short story anthologies I keep buying.

Friday, I saw an Instagram ad from Marissa Malson that she was going to be at the festival selling her book, The Not So Average Life of Average Jane.  I hadn't heard of her before, but the book sounds fun.  It's about a woman who is used to being overlooked pulled into a mystery in her mother's neighborhood.  So I decided to give it a chance.

I often ignore the people trying to hand out bookmarks, etc. as I'm walking from booth to booth.  Usually, I'm not interested, and I don't want to just bring stuff home to throw away.  But I did get stopped by the person trying to get people to learn more about A Reluctant Spy by Roselyn Teukolsky.  More suspense than mystery, we'll see what I think of it.

Nicholas George's first series, about walking tours in England, didn't appeal to me.  But he was there, and that's when I realized he had a new series out.  You've Lost That Livin' Feelin' appealed to me with the punny title and the fact that's it's set in California.

Finally, I got Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead by Elle Cosimand.  I still haven't read the first book (I know, I know), but I got book two since the author was going to be there signing.  Sadly, she had to cancel last minute.  I wish I'd asked before buying the book, but I'm sure it won't be that big a deal.  If I like the first, I'll be glad I have the second.

Of course, the trick will be seeing when I have time to get to any of these books, right?

What I'm Currently Reading:

With all this time spent buying books, I didn't get as much reading time in as I might have today.  That means, I'm still reading Between a Roquefort and a Hard Place by Linda Reilly, which I started on Thursday.  I'm enjoying it and very curious exactly what is going on.  Which for a mystery is perfect  Hopefully, I'll finish it up on Sunday.

Which means I'll be starting Stakeouts and Strollers by Rob Phillips on Monday.  I'm looking forward to this debut mystery about a man who is a new dad and new PI trying to juggle the two.  Hopefully, it's as fun as it sounds.

That does it for me this week.  Hope your week is great!

Posted by at 7 comments:
Labels: , , , ,

Sunday, April 12, 2026

April 12th's Sunday/Monday Post

Welcome to 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?

Not too much here this week.  I worked.  I came home.  Such an exciting life, right?

The weather has cooled off again.  We're only supposed to be in the 60's this weekend, and we should be getting some rain.  Looks like it will be mostly overnight, ending during church Sunday morning.  I'm wishing that if it were going to rain, it would be Sunday afternoon when I'd be home and able to enjoy watching it.  We get rain so rarely that I enjoy watching it while I'm home and dry.  We're only talking about half an inch or so, but that's a big deal here in So Cal in April.

And, since it's the second Saturday of the month, it's my friends' game day.  So let's get to it so I can finish getting ready to go over there.

Joke of the Week:


I quickly covered myself with my arms as my bookcase fell on me.
My fast thinking was due to the shelf defense class I took.

This Past Week on the Blog:



This Coming Week on the Blog:


Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post
Monday - Movie Review: Wicked
Tuesday - Book Review: Sovereign Sieged by Sarah E. Burr
Wednesday - Book Review: A Thief of Time by Tony Hillerman
Thursday - Book Review: The Ninja's Illusion by Gigi Pandian
Friday - Movie Review: Wicked - For Good
Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

I have books I ordered that are almost here, so next week, I know I'll have plenty to talk about.  Not that I have a small number this week since I have three books on my list.

Up first is Between a Roquefort and a Hard Place by Linda Reilly.  This is book seven in her Grilled Cheese Mysteries series.  The ARC just hit Netgalley, so I snagged it.  The book itself comes out April 21st.  I won't get to the ARC to review it by then, but I'm aiming for the beginning of May for this one.

I won a giveaway from the Facebook Cozy Mystery Party group when Cindy Quayle was hosting a takeover of the group.  My prize included a copy of her newest book Lies are Better at the Lake.  I haven't read this series yet, but with a scuba diver main character, sounds like something I would enjoy.

Finally, I got Blues in the Dark.  This is the latest Nate Ross Mystery from J. R. Sanders.  The series revolves around a PI in Los Angeles in the 1930's.  I always enjoy them.



What I'm Currently Reading:

As I'm typing this, I've just barely started Blues in the Dark by J. R. Sanders.  When it arrived Friday, I decided to start it next.  I'm about 15 pages in at the moment, but I'm hoping to get a bit more read this morning before I leave for game day.  Nate's met his client and found out what he's being hired to do.  That's all I know so far.

Depending on how much reading I get done over the next couple of days, I may or may not still be reading that book on Monday.  Either way, I think next for me will be Death on Cozumel Island by Cindy Quayle.  Yes, I just won book four in this series.  I've actually had the ebook version of this first book for a couple of years.  I'm thinking now is the time to pick it up and read it since I much prefer to read a series in order if I can.

I'm off to read a bit before game day.  Have a great week, everyone!

Posted by at 4 comments:
Labels: , , , ,

Sunday, April 5, 2026

Easter Sunday's Sunday/Monday Post

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

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

Fairly quiet week around here.  Not much going on other than work.

The weather cooled down a bit this last week.  We were in the upper 60's, which is closer to normal this early in the spring that the upper 80's/low 90's we had for much of March.  We even got a tenth of an inch of rain.  Not much, but still something.  And we got wind.  Lots of it on Friday, and some more on Saturday.  Fortunately, it looks like we won't get much on Sunday since my church is having an outdoor service for Easter.

Speaking of which, I did go to the Good Friday service yesterday.  And I'm looking forward to the Easter service tomorrow.  I hope everyone has a great Easter Sunday, especially if you are celebrating.

Joke of the Week:


Why did the Easter Bunny have a panic attack?
He was having an egg-sistential crisis.

This Past Week on the Blog:



This Coming Week on the Blog:


Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post
Monday - Ornament Review: A World Within #11
Tuesday - Book Review: Murder, Local Style by Leslie Karst
Wednesday - Book Review: Fair Warning by Michael Connelly
Thursday - Book Review: Big F@!king Deal by Lawrence Allan
Friday - Friday Post featuring The Ninja's Illusion
Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

Just two books to tell you about this week.

Up first is A Poetic Pox.  This is the third Lady Librarian Mystery from Samantha Larsen.  I loved the first but didn't find the second as enjoyable.  But when I found the Kindle version of book three was on sale for $1.99, I decided to give it a shot.  

I also decided to get another audiobook from the library.  I'm behind in my audiobook goal for the year, after all.  It looks like one of the series I used to get on audio isn't available in any of my libraries.  Two books in a row weren't in the system, so I'll have to see if I have the next in the series somewhere around the condo.  All of that is a long way of saying that I went back to Tony Hillerman for A Thief of Time.



What I'm Currently Reading:

And I've started A Thief of Time.  I'm just over half way.  I'm a little surprised that one thing hasn't been resolved yet, but maybe it is because there is a twist coming.  I'll have to keep listening to find out, I guess. 

I'm also working on The Bush Tea Murder by Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier.  I'm reading an ARC since it comes out in a couple of weeks.  I'm enjoying it, although it's not as focused as I normally like.  Still, I do like the characters and the vibes, so hopefully I'll keep enjoying it.

Have a great week!

Posted by at 8 comments:
Labels: , , , ,

Saturday, March 28, 2026

Palm Sunday's Sunday/Monday Post

Happy Weekend!  Time again for the Sunday/Monday Post, where I will be linking up to:

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

Our temps went down a little this week, but it was still in the upper 80's most of the week, which is unusually high.  Not that I'm complaining.  I much prefer warmer weather to colder weather.

Saturday was quite the day.  I spent the day down in Orange County.  I headed down there for the Muddy Dash.  Yep, another mud run.  It was held on a spot where I've done many mud runs over the years, and it was great to be back on the property.  I got good and muddy, too.  Cleanup wasn't quite as great as I would have liked, but I managed to get cleaned up.

Which was good since I then went to visit some family friends who live in the area.  It meant I got home in the evening, but it was so worth it to catch up with them.  But I will sleep well tonight.  (Yes, I'm typing this up having just gotten home.)

Joke of the Week:


In honor of baseball starting up again this week:

Why are zebras bad at baseball?
Three stripes and they're out!

This Past Week on the Blog:


This Coming Week on the Blog:


Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post
Monday - Book Review: Frozen Stiff Drink by James J. Cudney
Tuesday - Book Review: Vengeance in Venice by Erica Ruth Neubauer
Wednesday - March Reading Summary
Thursday - Book Review: The Maze in the Heart of the Castle by Dorothy Gilman
Friday - Friday Post featuring Murder, Local Style
Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

I've got five books on my haul this week.

Up first is My Nightmare is Yours, the thirteenth Madison Night Mystery from Diane Vallere.  The book is out at the end of May, but I have an ARC, so I'll be reading it in a couple of months.  I'm very much a fan of this author, so I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in this mystery.

Next up is Welcome to Cozy Town, a novella (or maybe a short story) from Marla Cooper.  It is designed to be a spoof of cozy mysteries.  I loved Marla's two cozy mysteries, and I'm thrilled to see she is writing again.  And this just looks like something I am going to really enjoy.  Hopefully, I get a chance to read it soon.

I also snagged Call In for Murder by Tammy Barker.  This is her first novel, and it introduces us to a radio call in host in Las Vegas.

Someone I respect recommended Seven for a Secret Never to be Told by Derek Wheeless back when it came out last fall.  It sounds like something I will probably enjoy, so I finally got it.

Finally, I got Murder at the Karaoke Bar.  I know of three series that call themselves the Bucket List Mysteries, but this is the series by father/daughter duo who write as Elizabeth Perona.  It's the fifth and final book in the series.  While I wasn't a fan of book four, I am curious how they are going to wrap things up.



What I'm Currently Reading:

I feel kind of ashamed to get to this part of the post since this is a rare day when I read absolutely nothing.  (If you need to be reminded why, go back and look at all the fun I had today.  So, I'm not too ashamed).  Well, that isn't completely true.  I finished up Fair Warning by Michael Connelly, the audio book I was talking about last week.

But the book I didn't get to today is Sovereign Sieged, the eighth Court of Mystery novel from Sarah E. Burr.  I am about a third of the way into the book, and I'm enjoying it, although I'm ready for the main plot to kick in.

Maybe I should go see if I can get a chapter in before I fall asleep.

Have a great week everyone!

Posted by at 9 comments:
Labels: , , , ,

Sunday, March 22, 2026

March 22nd's Sunday/Monday Post

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

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

Fairly quiet week around here.  Went to work.  Came home.  That was about it.

It was very hot.  Like upper 90's all week.  As much as I am a summer/warm weather guy, I wasn't quite ready for it yet.  I would have preferred to have some spring weather first.  But I'm sure it will cool back down to upper 70's or low 80's here soon.  That's the sweet spot for me.

Joke of the Week:


Why did the turtle break up with the giraffe?  They never saw eye to eye.

This Past Week on the Blog:



This Coming Week on the Blog:


Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post
Monday - TV Show Review: The Traitors - Season 4
Tuesday - Book Review: Birth of the Black Orchids by M. R. Dimond
Wednesday - Movie Review: Tremors 5 - Bloodlines
Thursday - Book Review: Broken Trust by Liz Milliron
Friday - Friday Post featuring Vengeance in Venice
Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

I've got four books to tell you about this week.

Up first, is an audio book.  It's been a while since I listened to one, so I got Fair Warning by Michael Connelly.

I also got a finished copy of Vengeance in Venice by Erica Ruth Neubauer.

I was thinking that Stakeouts and Strollers by Rob Phillips came out this coming week, so I was surprised when my preorder shipped.  Yeah, it came out this past Tuesday.  It's the first book, and it won a publishing contest - one that a couple of authors I've really enjoyed previously won.  The main character is a new dad and a new PI trying to juggle the two.  It sounds fun, so I'm hoping to get to it...soon.

Finally, I got a comic strip book.  Been a while since I've bought one of those.  But I've become a huge fan of Strange Planet, a comic from Nathan W. Pyle.  I think between his social media posts and the page a day calendars I've had last year and this year, I've probably seen them all, but I still decided to get this collection of the strip.



What I'm Currently Reading:

You'll notice, I didn't say much about those first two books.  That's because I'm currently working on them.  So I saved talking about them for this part of the post.

Fair Warning is the third book Michael Connelly has written about reporter Jack McEvoy.  I'm about a quarter of the way into the book, and I'm definitely interested in seeing where it is going to go.  It's got a crazy connection, but I also really like that connection.  It's going to make for an interesting ride seeing how it plays out.

Vengeance in Venice is the seventh Jane Wunderly mystery from Erica Ruth Neubauer.  In this book, Jane and her new husband are taking a long delayed honeymoon in Venice, but they've gotten involved in murder.  It's set in 1927.  I always enjoy Jane's adventures.  I'm about a third of the way into this one.

That's it for me.  Have a great week!

Posted by at 7 comments:
Labels: , , , ,

Sunday, March 15, 2026

March 15th'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
Mailbox Monday
It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

It was a quieter week at work.  With the craziest deadlines behind us, I was able to focus on what I'd normally be doing.  And I got it all done.  So now I can spend the next couple of weeks working on some other projects that come up.  It never ends, does it?  I guess that's job security.

In addition to the extra daylight at night (love it!), we also got warmer temps.  It was in the upper 80's on Friday.  That's rare this time of year, but I will take it!

Last Sunday was my birthday.  I had a couple of celebrations this week, dinner with friends Tuesday and lunch with another friend on Thursday.  Plus, I've been using all those emails you get from loyalty programs for extras, like desserts.  I need to cut back this coming week!

I think that's about all the news around here.  And since Saturday (today) is the game day my friends host, let's get to it.

Pun of the Week:


We've got another punny holiday coming up on Saturday.  Third Saturday in March – Needle-less to say, Quilting Day is always sew much fun.

This Past Week on the Blog:


This Coming Week on the Blog:


Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post
Monday - TV Show Review: The Amazing Race - Season 38
Tuesday - Book Review: Death at Tidal Creek by Caleb Wygal
Wednesday - Movie Review: Nelly Knows Mystery - All Manners of Murder
Thursday - Book Review: Fatal Fried Rice by Vivien Chien
Friday - Friday Post featuring Broken Trust
Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

Of course, I got books for my birthday.

The first book I got was The Pirate's Secret by LynDee Walker and Bruce Robert Coffin.  It's the third in a treasure hunt series.  I enjoyed the first, but the second not as much.  I want to give the series another try before I decide on it one way or another.

My other gift was The Glass Thief, the sixth Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery from Gigi Pandian.  I need to read book five still, but I really want to get caught up on this series this year, especially since Gigi just announced she's be writing more with these characters, the first of those new books coming out next year.  Anyway, I will hopefully get to this book this summer.

This last book was a birthday gift from the author.  Only, she didn't intend it as such.  The ebook version of Campfires & Corpses by Nikki Weber went on sale this week for...free!  I've had my eye on this book for a while, so I snagged it.  Maybe this will be the summer I get to the camping themed cozies I've gotten over the years.  Anyway, this book looks like it is still free as of me typing this Saturday morning.  



What I'm Currently Reading:

I'm hoping to get Frozen Stiff Drink by James J. Cudney finished before I head to game day.  But we'll see if I make it.  This is book six in a series, and I am determined to finish the series even though the writing is weak, making the entire book less fun to read.

Up next will be The Maze in the Heart of the Castle by Dorothy Gilman.  She's one of my favorite authors, so I'm sure I will love it, although it's a bit different since this is more of a coming of age story than a mystery/adventure.  At least I think it is.  It will be interesting to see what I think of it and how it unfolds.  But it has a connection to her book The Tightrope Walker, which I read last fall, so it made me want to read it.

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

Posted by at 6 comments:
Labels: , , , ,

Sunday, March 8, 2026

Birthday Sunday/Monday Post

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

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

You'll remember last week, I talked about having internet issues.  Last Sunday, the tech came out and fixed whatever was going on with my internet.  He's not completely sure what he did, either.  He tightened a few connectors and checked a bunch of stuff.  He confirmed it wasn't working right when he got here, so something he did fixed the problem.  And my internet has been working just fine since then.

Other than that, it's been a bit of a crazy week at work.  But we have the extra reporting with insane deadlines finished up - or at least my part of it.  Now, to start working on my normal next work load starting on Monday.

Pun of the Week:


I pirated a movie yesterday...
I gave it 3.14 stars.

This Past Week on the Blog:



This Coming Week on the Blog:


Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post
Monday - Movie Review: Sugar and Vice - A Hannah Swenson Mystery
Tuesday - Book Review: Vanished in the Crowd by Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles
Wednesday - TV Show Review: The Brady Bunch - Season Two
Thursday - Book Review: Antihero by Gregg Hurwitz
Friday - Friday Post featuring Fatal Fried Rice
Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

It's another four book week here.

Up first is the only physical book, and it is an ARC of In the Spirit of French Murder, the fourth American in Paris Mystery from Colleen Cambridge.  This series features Julia Child as a supporting character and is set in Paris in 1950.  I usually enjoy it, so I'm looking forward to seeing what the characters get up to next.

This next one was a spur of the moment purchase.  I can't exactly call it a splurge since the ebook was on sale for 99 cents.  Murder by the Book is the first in the Cosy Crime Club Mysteries by M. R. G. Davies.  It sounds like something I would enjoy, and for that price, I'm willing to give it a shot.  

The final two books are ebooks I bought because they are next in series I read and I'm hoping to get to them soon.

Home Sweet Homicide is the fifth Hometown Mystery from Rosalie Spielman.  I read and enjoyed the first four last year.  I plan to read this one soonish so I'll be ready for book six, which I believe is coming out this fall.

Finally came Hawai'i Volcanoes, the latest Jack Prester Mystery from Sandy Dengler.  The main characters here are National Parks rangers who head to parks that are having extraordinary problems.  This is a series I've enjoyed for years, so I'm always happy to jump into the latest entry.



What I'm Currently Reading:

I'm currently working on Birth of the Black Orchids by M.R. Dimond.  It's really more a novella length with two short stories in it.  I read the first story on Friday and I'm hoping to get further into the second one.  The first was a little slow, so I'm hoping this one will be better.  It's off to a promising start.

By Monday, I expect to be working on Broken Trust.  this is book three in the Laurel Highlands Mysteries from Liz Milliron.  This is one of two series I'm making a concerted effort to read more books in this year.  I won't get caught up, but I'm hoping to be much closer.

Have a great week!

Posted by at 9 comments:
Labels: , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)