Ornament Review: Race Car - Advance to Go #2 - 2001 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Perfectly captures the race car Monopoly token

Cons: Tips forward slightly

The Bottom Line:

Popular token

Becomes a fun ornament

Collectors will want

You’ll Advance to Go Quickly with the Race Car

In a survey of the most popular Monopoly game tokens, the Race Car was the clear winner.  So it makes sense that Hallmark would choose it for the second in their Advance to Go miniature ornament series.

Unlike some miniature ornaments which seem small, the ornaments in this series don’t seem small at all.  That’s because we are used to these tokens being small.  They are game pieces after all.  But Hallmark still has put the detail you’d expect in them, and that’s wonderful.

This ornament, for example, is an exact replica of the race car token from the game.  Of course, it’s an older race car that is more a convertible rather than the sleek ones we are used to seeing today.  It’s silver just like the token as well, and we can see the grill work on the front of the car, the tires, and other detail like that.

Honestly, if you’ve seen the token, you’ve seen this ornament.  But that is what makes it perfect for Monopoly fans.  If you like the game and want to have the token on your tree, this is the perfect way to get it.

Just like the token, this ornament sits flat on its four wheels.  Turn it over, and you’ll find the 2 in a Christmas tree series marker painted on.  You’ll also find the copyright information, which is the only place you’ll find the date on this ornament.

Unfortunately, the car does tip forward just a bit when you go to hang it.  It is enough to be noticeable, but you can disguise it with the tree branches if you are careful in how you place it.  Or maybe you can say it is racing downhill to advance to go.

That is the only flaw in this ornament I can find.  So if you are a Monopoly fan, you’ll want to race to own the Race Car ornament.

Be sure to get a monopoly on the rest of the Advance to Go ornaments.

Original Price: $9.95

Book Review: Custom Baked Murder by Liz Mugavero (Pawsitively Organic Mysteries #5)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Strong characters and community; good mystery

Cons: Sub-plots a little strong early on in book

The Bottom Line:

Murder gives reason

To visit Frog Ledge again

Great community

Party Ends in Murder

There’s a reason I love reading a series.  When an author does their job well, we really get to know the characters and it is a pleasure to visit them again in every book.  That’s certainly the case with Custom Baked Murder.

This is the fifth book in the Pawsitively Organic Mysteries by Liz Mugavero.  As it opens, Kristan “Stan” Connor is a few months away from opening a shop for her organic pet food and treat business.  She is juggling getting things ready for that while also continuing to make orders for her existing customers.  Add to that her mother’s engagement to the town’s new mayor and her sister being in town for an unannounced, extended visit, and Stan is very busy.

Which is why Stan is an hour late to her mother’s engagement party.  However, she isn’t the only one late – her mother’s fiancée has also not arrived yet.  To add to the drama of the night, Stan starts running into former co-workers from her time in corporate America, including her ex-boyfriend.  Stan doesn’t think the night can get any worse, but it does when a body is found upstairs.  The police close the case quickly, but Stan is certainly they have the wrong person.  Are the police trying to cover something up?  Who is the real killer?

As I said earlier, the characters in this series are great.  The last book was actually set out of the area, but we are back in Frog Ledge, Connecticut, for this book, and it is great to spend lots of time with all the regulars again.  What I especially love in the growth we are seeing in Stan and her relationships.  Liz Mugavero has built a real community here, and it is a fantastic place to visit.

The book has several sub-plots in addition to the murder mystery.  I felt those sub-plots overpowered the main mystery in the beginning of the book, but when we reached the second half, the mystery really took over.  But here’s the thing – I was never bored.  I was as interested in the sub-plots as I was the main mystery.  And those sub-plots helped drive the character building and sense of community that I was just praising.  Never fear, the mystery does have some good twists and several viable suspects before we reach the logical climax.

Like the earlier entries, this book has four recipes for the healthy pet treats that Stan makes.  I’ve got to admit, they sound good even to me.

If you’ve missed the Pawsitively Organic series, you really should pick it up.  Start at the beginning so you can fully appreciate what happens to the characters in Custom Baked Murder.

If you are looking for more of Stan’s adventures, here are the Pawsitively Organic Mysteries in order.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

Pin Review: Lambert the Sheepish Lion - Storybook Classics Collection #4 - 2016 Disney Store Release

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Two great scenes capture highs and lows of story

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

A pin for Lambert

With his lows and with his highs

Story in two scenes

Lambert Finally Gets a Pin

After so many years of Disney pins, it’s hard to believe there is a character they haven’t done at least once.  But it appears that the Lambert the Sheepish Lion pin released as part of the Storybook Classics Collection series is the first one to feature anything with the character.

This pin is designed like a storybook, with one picture on the front and other picture inside.  The front is gray with the characters outlined in orange.  The scene we get is close to the one we get in the ornament that was also release as part of this series.  Lambert has just been pushed into the pond.  He’s coming back out of the water, and we can see some lily pads on him.  The ram that pushed him in is standing on the bank.  Above this scene, we get Lambert the Sheepish Lion written in red.

When we open the pin, we get to see a full color picture.  This one depicts Lambert with his mother lamb.  She looks like she is walking toward where he is sitting and we can see a big bush behind them.  Both of them are smiling.  I’m guessing this was an illustration in the book that Disney released based on the short, but I’ve never seen it.  I can easily picture it as a final picture after Lambert has saved the day.  I have seen a cover of the book, and the cover of this pin is definitely the same, which is very cool.

I am still loving these pins that coordinate to the ornaments.  It’s fun to add to both of my Disney collections at the same time.  I’m a bit more forgiving on these moments not being in the shorts themselves now that I have learned there are actual storybooks they can pull material from as well.  And the two scenes here are truly great, capture the good and the bad that Lambert faces as his story progresses.

Plus this is a character I know I didn’t have in my pin collection.  How incredibly cool is it to have a pin with a new character after all this time.  I love that!

Once again, there are two posts in the back since this is a heavier pin.  Hopefully, that will help anchor it if you decide to wear it.

For the fans of the rarer Disney characters, this is a pin worth tracking down.  After all, we have to help honor Lambert the Sheepish Lion.

Don't miss a moment of the Storybook Classics Collection.

Ornament Review: Lambert the Sheepish Lion - Storybook Classics Collection #4 - 2016 Disney Store Ornament

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Rare character captured in a great ornament

Cons: Moment captured is not a happy one

The Bottom Line:

Disney character

You don’t see often captured

In good ornament

Lambert Doesn’t Make a Sheepish Ornament

When my younger brother was picture book age, we discovered the wonderful picture books of Bill Peet.  A couple of years later, we discovered that he’d worked for Disney.  In fact, he was heavily involved in some of the films and shorts, even turning a picture book idea of his that wasn’t working into the short “Lambert the Sheepish Lion.”  So when they announced a Lambert ornament as part of the Storybook Classics Collection ornament series, I was super excited.

If you aren’t familiar with the short, it tells the story of Lambert, a lion who is accidentally delivered by a hapless stork (voiced by the short’s narrator and Disney regular Sterling Holloway) to a flock of sheep.  He is mocked by the other lambs until one day a wolf comes and tried to eat Lambert’s mothers.  Naturally, something clicks inside him, he finds his inner lion, and he saves the day.  By the time I saw the short, I knew the Bill Peet story behind it, but if I didn’t, I would have recognized his fingerprints all over it.  It feels like a Bill Peet book with themes that he went back to for many of his books.

This ornament comes before the heroic climax.  Instead, it captures a moment when Lambert has been pushed into the lake by one of his “brothers.”  Lambert is sitting in the water with a lily pad on his head.  There’s another one floating in the water near him.

No, this definitely isn’t a heroic moment, but it’s actually one of the most iconic moments in the short.  It perfectly captures his relationship with the rest of his flock until he saves the day.  It’s sad, but it’s hard to picture another moment that would work better, especially since anything heroic would be too big and involved to make a good ornament.

And this is a good ornament.  There isn’t much detail to be had outside the character himself, but any Disney fan would immediately recognize him.  In fact, this has been one of the bestselling ornaments in the Storybook Classics series to date.  The amount of detail we do get it appropriate for the ornament, like the ripples in the water.  It’s just that this is a simple scene captured, so there isn’t much needed.

The water provides a nice, flat base, so you can easily display him year round is you so desire.  But if you want to hang him, you’ll find a red ribbon already threaded through the loop on the top of the ornament.  He hangs straight.

Lambert is certainly a lesser known Disney short and character, but those who love the obscure were thrilled to get this ornament of him.  If you missed him, he’s definitely worth tracking down.

Don't miss a moment of the Storybook Classics Collection.

Original Price: $19.95

Book Review: Iced Under by Barbara Ross (Maine Clambake Mysteries #5)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Wonderful plot with characters you care for

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

Necklace in the mail

Brings up questions from the past

Fantastic story

Family Secrets and Mysteries

I hate winter.  There is a reason I live in Southern California, after all.  But I’m perfectly okay with reading a book set in winter, which is a good thing because Iced Under takes us to Busman’s Harbor, Maine, in the middle of a cold February.

This is the fifth in the Maine Clambake series.  Obviously, the clambake run by Julia Snowden and her family isn’t open for business.  In fact, anyone who could get out of town for warmer climates has, including Julia’s boyfriend Chris.  But that doesn’t mean Julia can’t find a good mystery to solve.

Actually, this one finds her when her mother, Jaqueline, receives a mysterious package in the mail.  Inside is a necklace with a large black diamond surrounded by many smaller diamonds.  Jaqueline recognizes it as a family heirloom she’s heard of but never seen since it vanished in the 1920’s.  But where did it come from?  The package has no return address and a blurred postmark.

Jaqueline’s mother died when she was a toddler, so she doesn’t know much about her family history.  What little she does know, like the story of the necklace, came from her cousin Hugh, who vanished on Jaqueline’s 21st birthday and has been presumed dead for forty years.  Intrigued by the necklace and the idea that there might be more family out there, Julia begins to investigate.  What will she uncover?

The plot of this book doesn’t feel like a normal cozy.  In fact, I couldn’t help but compare it to a Nancy Drew storyline.  Yes, there is a murder before we reach the end of the book, but if you sit down expecting a normal cozy plot, you will be sorely disappointed.

Don’t let that stop you at all, however.  What we do get is a very well done mystery that kept me turning pages.  When Julia does uncover an answer, it only leads to more questions.  There are some interesting twists and turns before we reach an ultimately satisfying climax.  In fact, I was glad I finished the book on my couch at home instead of the break room at work since I couldn’t stop the tears in the last couple of chapters.  (I was crying in a good way, trust me.)

I love this series because I love the characters.  We get to see most of the regulars, some in just cameo appearances, but the book is also filled with new characters.  They were all fantastic and add so much to the book that I didn’t miss seeing as much of the regulars as we normally might.  In fact, if some of these characters pop up again in future books, I wouldn’t complain at all.

I mentioned the winter setting of the book earlier on purpose.  Winter and cold infuse this book.  I could feel the ice and snow when Julia was outside, and it really added to the feel of the book.  It made me want to snuggle under a blanket and keep reading, which I did, reading just about half of it in one day.

The emphasis in the recipes at the end of the book is on comfort food this time around.  We get such tempting sounding dishes as beef stew, meat loaf, lasagna, and ginger snaps.  And yes, if you want sea food, there are recipes for lobster fra diavolo and monkfish marsala as well.

Because of the way this story fills in background on Julia’s family, I recommend it more for people who are already fans of the series since they will best appreciate all that is happening here.  However, this is one of my favorite series, so I have no doubt that if you have yet to start the series, you will soon find yourself caught up and racing through the pages of this book.

And if you are already a fan, pick up Iced Under.  Time spent with Julia is always wonderful, and this book is no exception at all.

Looking for more?  Here are the Maine Clambake Mysteries in order.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

Movie Review: The Julius House - An Aurora Teagarden Mystery

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Great mystery, lots of fun

Cons: Usual Hallmark cheese

The Bottom Line:

Roe finds her dream home

Filled with mystery, of course

Movie has clues, fun

“Aurora Teagarden Not Interested in a Mystery?  Do You Have the Flu?”

Aren’t you glad you aren’t an ameautur sleuth?  Even something as exciting as finding your dream home can lead to a mystery and danger.  Yes, that’s the set up for The Julius House, the fourth Aurora Teagarden Mystery movie, and the mystery is a very good one.

With some money that Aurora “Roe” Teagarden (Candice Cameron Bure) has inherited, she is hoping to buy her dream home.  The only problem is, she hasn’t quite found it yet.  Each month, she and her mother (Merrilu Henner) head out to look at the new properties.  This time, they hit the jackpot when Roe falls in love with a house a little ways out of town.  She makes an offer and then remembers why the house looks familiar to her.  Four years ago, the Julius family vanished from the house and were never seen again.

At first, Roe isn’t too interested in the history of the house, but while renovating it, she begins to find clues that intrigue her.  As she keeps exploring, she finds evidence that the story from all those years ago is full of holes.  Can she piece together what a happened back then?  What will it mean for the present?

The way this mystery unfolded was surprising, clever, and fun.  I was intrigued almost from the very beginning, wanting to know what exactly had happened in the past and how Roe would figure it out.  She was rather stupid at the end, but that was my only issue with the climax and resolution.

Those who want an update on her love life will be glad to know that Martin (Yannick Bisson) is still in the picture.  In fact, as the movie opens, they are just 21 dates into the required 25 before Roe’s mom will officially consider them a couple.  Their relationship is completely charming, and I love it.  I know it is going different from the books (something I just know based on book jacket descriptions since I’ve never read the series), so I am curious where they will go with it in future movies.

Yes, this does come with the usual Hallmark cheese in both the writing and acting.  I’ve become very accustomed to it, however, and I’m only noticing it in passing, in fact.  I’m actually really starting to look forward to these movies for the light, fun mysteries they are.

Which is exactly what The Julius House is.  It will entertain you for an hour and a half, and that’s all it needs to be to be perfectly fun.

This movie is part of the Aurora Teagarden Movie Collection.

Merry Christmas!

No new review today since I will be celebrating Christmas with my family.  But I wanted to take a moment to wish you all a Merry Christmas.  And if you celebrate some other holiday instead, warmest wishes to you no matter what you are celebrating this time of year.

Ornament Review: Winter Fun with Snoopy #8 - Sledding - 2005 Hallmark Release

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Cute scene in a small size

Cons: Tip would be nice to help with the illusion of sledding

The Bottom Line:

Having fun sledding

Two friends in miniature

Make small, cute delight

It’s Sledding Time!

The very first Winter Fun with Snoopy ornament features Snoopy and Woodstock sledding in Snoopy’s supper dish, a staple of the Peanuts comic strip.  They’ve returned to the sport, but on a more traditional sled, for the eighth entry in the series.

Snoopy is sledding face first down a hill.  He’s smiling and wearing a green hat and red scarf.  He must be moving pretty quickly down the hill because his scarf is streaming out behind him.  Woodstock is hanging on to the back of the scarf, enjoying the ride as well.

As usual, it’s the little things that make me love an ornament.  In this case, it’s Woodstock hanging on to the back of Snoopy’s scarf.  I just love that touch!  Snoopy’s sled is the traditional wooden sled.  While I never used one when we went to the snow as a kid (we used other things), I get the nostalgia factor seeing this ornament would be for others, too.

This is a miniature ornament, which means it is small.  It’s not larger than an inch in any direction.  And yet Hallmark still manages to get so much detail in the piece it’s amazing.  I’ve really started to appreciate that so much this year.

Because of its size, you will want to be very careful how you display it if you decide to display it somewhere other than a tree.  You can certainly set it out as part of a scene since the bottom of the sled provides a nice flat surface.  You’ll also find the 8 in a Christmas tree on the bottom.

Or you can hang the ornament on your tree.  The loop on Snoopy’s hat provides great balance.  Unfortunately, it’s too great and Snoopy and Woodstock hang straight.  Because they are supposed to be sledding down a hill, this is definitely a case where I wish the ornament tipped some to help with that illusion like they did with the earlier skiing entry in the series.

That lack of tip is the only disappointment with this ornament, however.  Snoopy and Woodstock sledding is definitely a fun addition to your Winter Fun with Snoopy series.

If you enjoy this tributes to winter in miniature, here are the rest of the Winter Fun with Snoopy ornaments.

Original Price: $6.95

December 24th's Weekly TV Thoughts

It's a quiet week for TV.  It's like the networks are taking time off for the holiday or something.  Frankly, it allowed me to rewatch some Christmas favorites, so I'm not complaining.  But there were a few new shows on this week.

The Librarians – The story starting in the middle with characters who don’t remember what is happening can be a fun device.  But how many weeks in a row are they going to do that to us?  Find a new way to tell the story.  Having said that, I did enjoy the episode.  The fair was creepy, and the climax was great.

The Wall – After seeing so many promos, I decided to give it a shot.  As I figured, they milked the drama and made it way longer than it should have been.  Fun concept, but I’d only tune into this game show again if I were bored and ran across it.

Team Ninja Warrior College Madness – I was rooting for UCLA (got to root local) to face MIT, but I was hoping for the finals.  UCLA didn’t do so well here, but MIT continued to impress.  They were my second choice, but I’m okay with Wisconsin winning, too.  MIT certainly has nothing to be ashamed of since that was such a close finish.  In fact, many close finishes.  A truly fun episode.

Book Review: The Poet by Michael Connelly (Jack McEvoy #1)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Strong characters, ingenious twisty mystery

Cons: The profile/character of the villain is a cliché

The Bottom Line:

Suicide it’s not

Starts us on fun mystery

With clichéd villain

Jack is on the Trail of a Well Disguised Serial Killer

Even before I started reading any of Michael Connelly’s books, I’d heard lots of references to his book The Poet, so when I discovered it was next in line for me to read, I was looking forward to seeing what it was all about.  Maybe my expectations were too high, but I didn’t find it quite as good as the praise lead me to expect it to be.

The book introduces us to Jack McEvoy, a reporter in Denver, Colorado.  He’s been a crime reporter for years, but his world is rocked when he finds himself on the other side of the story after his twin brother, Sean, commits suicide.  Sean was a cop, and he’d been obsessed with one case, a brutal murder that no one seemed able to solve.

Everyone has ruled it a suicide, even the cops.  Jack doesn’t quite buy it, but it isn’t until he is researching a story on cop suicide for the paper that he makes a startling discovery.  As the facts fall into place, Jack finds himself on an investigation that will take him all over the country and put him in contact with the FBI.  But can he learn the truth?

I can certainly see why this book is so praised.  The plot is ingenious.  Even early on when we knew where the book was going, things were set up so well that I was riveted.  The way the plot unfolds is absolutely wonderful.  I did figure a couple things out early, but it didn’t dampen my enjoyment as I wanted to learn if I was right and how Jack would piece things together.

This book is now 20 years old.  Maybe that is part of my issue with the story, but I found any of the parts of the story where the characters were trying to profile the villain to be very cliché.  Maybe if I had first read it when it came out, I would find it fascinating.  But if you have read or watched any profile heavy mystery, you know where things are going.  Likewise, the scenes written from the point of view of the killer are equally predictable and slow things down.

On the other hand, the characters were all strong.  This is the first time that Michael Connelly had written about any of them, but by the end of the book, we’ve gotten to know all the major characters well.  Even the minor characters were strong for the page time they had.

I listened to the audio version narrated by Buck Schirner.  This is the first time I’ve heard a book he’s narrated, and he did great.  My only complaint here was the occasional time when they tried to add an effect to the story; it always added too much in my opinion.  If you are doing an audio book, just narrate the story, don’t add digital menace or an echo to the voice.

It goes without saying since we are dealing with a serial killer that this is definitely darker than my normal cozy stories, and it has the language, sex, and violence you’d expect.  Be prepared for that before you pick up this book.

Even though I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would, I still enjoyed The Poet.  It’s easy to see why some consider this a high point of Michael Connelly’s career.

This review is part of this week's Friday's Forgotten Books.