Disney Mug Review: Pocahontas - Disney Wisdom Collection #5

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Great quote; great looking mug

Cons: None related to the mug itself

The Bottom Line:

A great wisdom quote

Captured on a stunning mug

Glad I got this one

Good Reminder on a Fun Mug

While I will never love the movie Pocahontas, I definitely appreciate Disney using a quote from it as part of their Disney Wisdom Collection.  This beautiful mug is a great addition to my collection.

The color of the month is a pretty blue green color.  The result is absolutely beautiful.  On one side of the mug, we have Meeko the raccoon, this month’s mascot, and Flit the hummingbird.  They are in various shades of blue, which isn’t their natural color, but I’ve gotten used to these stylized characters, and I like how they look.  They don’t have as much doodle around them, but what they do have looks like leaves and branches.

On the other side is the quote of the month from Grandmother Willow.  “Sometimes the right path is not the easiest one.”  There is a lot of truth in this quote since it seems like the right path is rarely the easiest one.  And the quote looks amazing.  They use pink and orange extensively, which really makes it pop out.  I think they outdid themselves with the presentation here.  Again, the quote is surrounded by leave doodles.

Of course, looks aren’t important if this isn’t a good mug.  Fortunately, that’s not a problem at all.  The mug is wide and short, but it still easily holds 14 oz.  It is designed so that you can stack it with others from the set to take up a little less room in your cupboard, which is nice since I really don’t need any more mugs.  And, like most mugs today, it is dishwasher and microwave safe.

I have very little Pocahontas merchandise, and I don’t see that changing.  I’m happy to have this mug as one of those rare exceptions.

Disney Pin Review: Pocahontas - Disney Wisdom Collection #5

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Great quote, set looks good

Cons: Not a fan of the movie the quote comes from

The Bottom Line:

Great quote from poor film

With good reminder on life

Anchors a fun set

Wisdom from a Tree

When I saw that one of the quotes in the Disney Wisdom series was coming from Pocahontas, I was less than happy.  I have major issues with that film, including its historical inaccuracies and its including fantasy elements in a historical story.  Yet, when I actually thought about the quote they included, I loved it, so I was happy to add this pin set to my collection.

Ironically, the quote, which I love, comes from one of the fantasy characters, that of Grandmother Willow.  But the quote!  “Sometimes the right path is not the easiest one.”  That’s actually a very true statement.  In fact, I would argue that the right path is rarely the easiest one.  Yet people are too willing to go along with others and take the easiest path instead of standing up for what is right.  It gets more complicated when you factor in people who think they are on the right path when they really aren’t.  It’s why Jesus said in Matthew 7 “Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”  (Yes, I did just quote the Bible in the same paragraph with a mystical talking tree.  No, that doesn’t mean we should blindly accept anything that is said, but we should filter everything through the lens of scripture.)

Anyway, on to the pin set.  As usual, there are three pins.  The first is the quote in stylized calligraphy and a rectangle frame.  The two characters pins are of Meeko the raccoon and Flit the hummingbird.  Once again, we don’t have a pin of the person who gave us the quote, but we are three for five for not getting a pin of the person being quoted, so that’s not really a surprise.

The color of the month is blue again, but more of a blue green than the baby blue from the Dumbo set.  It’s a very pretty color.  The quote is mainly pink, white, and orange on the blue background, while the characters are a couple of shades of blue.  I feel like the quote is the boldest color choices yet (which is ironic since the theme for next month’s quote is bold), but it works well.  As to the characters, neither of them is usually blue, but their look here is in keeping with the series and mostly works.  Flit could be a little easier to recognize; you certainly wouldn’t know who he was out of context, and he’s mostly one shade of blue, but that’s a minor complaint.  Since I’m not a fan of the movie, I know I don’t have these characters in my pin collection since I would have skipped over them at the parks.  It’s not a hole I was looking to fill, but I am fine with adding these two characters since their antics are definitely a highlight of the film.

No, this pin set hasn’t changed my mind on the movie.  But I am glad to add this part of the Disney Wisdom Collection to my pin collection.

May 18th's Weekly TV Thoughts

And the schedules for next year has been announced.  Everything I'm currently watching is coming back with one big exception (which I already knew about), and almost everything is on at the same time.  The only real surprise is that Batwoman is going to premier in the fall on the CW and Legends of Tomorrow won't be back until mid-season.  I figured it would be the other way around.  Of course, we will see if I stick with any of those shows after the big fall cross over and the end of Arrow.

But that's seven months away.  For now, let's look at this week's shows, including that big finale I already mentioned.

Supergirl – While I’m still not super impressed with this season, at least we were telling a story and moving it forward and not preaching this week.  How Supergirl is going to prevail is well beyond me.  I feel like we are completely at war right now, too.  I don’t see how we go back to something resembling normal after all of this.

Legends of Tomorrow – Again, the show feels like it is out of control, and I’m not sure how we go back and fix things.  Maybe that is because we are currently in the present, so we have to save our time to do it.  Gary turned out to be a handful when he gets upset.  And the Fairy Godmother was much more devious than I thought she was.

Arrow – No real surprises as far as I was concerned.  It helped that I knew who was leaving and had read some theories about next year’s crossover.  Based on what they’d been doing this season in the present and the future, it all made sense.  But it still hit me very hard.  Darn it, I want a happy ending for them.  It really does feel like it’s been pointless watching the show all these years.  And I know that was my complaint all season, but this didn’t help at all.  It was nice to see Curtis come back and see the return of Black Siren, not that I thought she was gone for long.

The Flash – Another emotional hour.  Cisco isn’t Vibe anymore?  That’s going to be hard for him and the writers.  And they’ve moved up The Flash’s vanishing act, although I’m not surprised with the big Crisis crossover coming next year.  Reverse Flash is back on the loose, so when will he pop up again?

Survivor – So the guy I was rooting for didn’t win.  But I’m not surprised that Chris won.  He got back in after spending almost the entire game on the edge, and then he made that big move in the fire getting out the guy most people had been trying to get out for a couple of weeks.  I’m okay with that outcome.

The Big Bang Theory – That finale was perfect!  As uneven as this season has been, I couldn't have asked for a better send off for these characters. So many laughs. Even the moments that I was expecting still came in a way that surprised me and made me laugh.  And the little moments.  So many little moments I completely enjoyed.  Thanks for 12 great years filled with laughter and friendship.

Book Review: Murder in Little Italy by Victoria Thompson (Gaslight Mysteries #8)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Strong characters and mystery

Cons: None worth bringing to the present

The Bottom Line:

Irish mother dies

Ignites some racial tension

Always engrossing

An Irish Death in Little Italy

I have quickly come to learn exactly what to expect when I pick up one of Victoria Thomas’s Gaslight Mysteries – an engrossing trip back in time that completely captures my interest.  That’s exactly what happened again with Murder in Little Italy, the eighth entry in the series.

The series features Frank Malloy, an Irish police Detective Sergeant, and Sarah Brant, a midwife, in 1890’s New York City.  Their paths seem to keep crossing at the site of various murders around the city and Sarah uses her position to find out information that helps Frank solve the case, much to Frank’s dismay.  The two have also developed very strong feelings for each other, feelings that neither of them are willing to admit to.

Sarah is called by the Ruocco family for a birth in their home over their Italian restaurant.  Antonio’s new Irish wife, Nainsi is in labor, but she is two months early.  However, when the baby arrives, Sarah begins to suspect that the baby is actually full term and Nainsi lied about when she got pregnant.  When Sarah returns for her follow up visit the next day, she finds that Nainsi died in the night – although sarah quickly realizes that Nainsi didn’t die from complications from child birth and sends for Frank.  Since Frank is Irish, his presence draws suspicion from the family.  As the racial tensions in the city over this incident begin to rise, Frank must find a way to solve the case.  Can he do it with Sarah’s help?

The previous books in this series have explored many different neighborhoods and elements of the city at the time, but they have only mentioned some of the racial tensions of the city.  This one brings it to the foreground, and it adds a nice element to the mystery.  It also means that Frank gets a partner in the investigation, a newer Italian police officer, something he hasn’t had in the past.  I hope we see this character again since I really liked him.

The books in the series usual do a good job of balancing Sarah and Frank investigating and finding clues.  I can’t point to anything specifically here, but I feel like Frank did more investigating this time around.  This isn’t to say that Sarah isn’t an active part of the book, but she isn’t questioning people or finding reasons to visit them as much in this book.  She still manages to find out some key information that helps solve the case, so maybe it’s just my perception instead of reality.

Either way, the two continue to be strong lead characters.  While we do get a little forward progress on some on-going storylines, it is very minimal and even some of the supporting players don’t put in appearances.  The focus of this book is on the case at hand without much room for sub-plots.

This case is certainly strong enough to support that.  The new characters are wonderful.  They sprang to life from the first time we met them, and I honestly could have seen any of them being the guilty party before the book was over.  We get several good clues and some red herrings and twists before Sarah and Frank both figure out what really happened.  And make no mistake, they do both figure it out.

Murder in Little Italy is another strong trip back in time to solve a fantastic mystery.  These visits are over all too quickly.  Now to reluctantly return to the present until I get a chance to return to Sarah and Frank’s world.

After reading this, you'll definitely want to check out the rest of the Gaslight Mysteries.

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

Movie Review: A Prescription for Murder - A Hailey Dean Mystery

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Entertaining mystery

Cons: Hallmark cheese

The Bottom Line:

Hospital setting

Another entertaining

Hailey Dean movie

Murder at a Hospital

You can set a mystery just about anywhere, and I can’t think of very many places where one hasn’t been set over the years.  A hospital is nothing new, but it can be quite creepy, which is the case in A Prescription for Murder, the second of this month’s Hailey Dean Mystery Movies.

Erica is the new administrator of the hospital, having gotten the job about a year before.  However, it appears the stress is getting to her because she has developed a heart murmur.  On the advice of the hospital’s cardiologist, she is under observation in the hospital when she takes a turn for the worse and dies.

So how does Hailey (Kelly Martin) get involved?  Her boyfriend Jonas (Matthew MacCaull) is called to do the autopsy, and he can’t figure out what actually killed her.  It doesn’t appear to be natural causes, however.  Then, when the police get involved, Finch’s (Viv Leacock) girlfriend Megan becomes the prime suspect.  So Hailey starts sleuthing to figure out what really happened to Erica.  Can she figure it out?

What makes this movie so creepy?  I think it’s the idea of being helpless in a hospital that makes me feel that way about the setting.  There is certainly nothing creepier than other Hailey Dean movies on the screen.  And maybe it’s been I’ve stayed in the hospital that makes this feel more real to me than some other settings.

Anyway, we have another solid mystery here.  While it is easy to write off one or two suspects early on (and Hailey does as well), we still have plenty of motives and suspects.  The ending was a little obvious, but there is so much going on that I thought I might be wrong.  In fact, the plot involves some good surprises along the way.

Some of those other things going on include a sub-plot involving Hailey meeting Jonas’s father.  I really enjoyed this storyline since it provided some much needed comic relief.

The story of the prisoner up for parole introduced in the previous movie also continues here.  It is obvious that Clayton Morrel (Bradley Stryker) is going to be the through line for these three movies, and also helps explain why they have made a big deal about Lauren Holly guest starring in these three movies as Paulina, the DA.

In other continuity news, they actually reference the calendar that Jonas was part of in the previous movie, which was fun.  However, they seem to have dropped the minor cliffhanger involving Hailey’s professional life from the end of the last movie.  That surprised me a bit.

Naturally, this comes with the standard Hallmark cheese factor, and again, it seems a little stronger here than in some of the other franchises.  Nancy Grace, creator of the character, has her usual cameo, although this one wasn’t quite as fun as some of them are.

While this isn’t my favorite Hallmark Mystery franchise, A Prescription for Murder still a fun way to spend a couple of hours, especially if you do like the characters.

Dying for Devil's Food Winner

I realize I'm a day late, but I have finally pulled the winner for Dying for Devil's Food.  And that winner is...

...Lori!

I've sent your an e-mail, so be sure to be looking for it so I can make sure you get your prize.

Ornament Review: Tea Time! #3 - Nutcracker - 2018 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Creative tea set with a nutcracker theme

Cons: Nutcrackers aren’t short and squat like the tea pot is

The Bottom Line:

Nutcracker tea set

Becomes cute ornament set

Creative and fun

Why Do I Like This Ornament Set?  It’s Not a Tough Nut to Crack

While I don’t have that many, I do love nutcrackers.  This is something that came done from my grandma to my mother and on to me.  So when I saw that a nutcracker was the inspiration for the third Tea Time! ornament, I was excited.

This two ornament set features a festive tea pot and matching cut.  The tea pot itself is a classic looking nutcracker.  He’s done up in red and green with black, gold, and white accents.  While I do typically picture nutcrackers tall and thin, this one is short and squat, the better to look like a tea pot.  Also to help with the tea pot illusion, one arm is bent to form the handle while the other is at an angle to form the spout.

Okay, so the short and stout thing does bother me, I’ll admit it.  I just don’t picture nutcrackers looking quite like this one does.  But I just keep reminding myself that this is “really” a tea pot, and then I’m okay.

And it helps to look at the “mug” that comes with the set.  This second ornament is a nut.  How perfect is that?  I should say it is half a nut since the top of the shell has been cracked off so we can use it to drink the hot beverage, which appears to be either hot chocolate or tea.  Yes, I know the series is entitled Tea Time!, but some other have pretty obviously been hot chocolate.

Together, the two ornaments make a great set.  Once again, I could see a tea set that actually looks like this selling well, which is why I enjoy this series so much.

Since these ornaments are supposed to represent a tea pot and a tea cup, it’s no surprise that they have flat bottoms.  You can easily set this series out to be displayed if you so desire.  They are also perfectly balanced, so they hang straight when you go to hang them on your tree.  Looking for the series marker?  You’ll find the 3 in a Christmas tree on the bottom of both ornaments in this set.

The creativity in Tea Time! continues to appeal to me.  If you enjoy creative tea sets, you’ll want to add this ornament set to your collection.

Here are the rest of the Tea Time! ornament sets.

Original Price: $19.99

Book Review: Double Whammy by Gretchen Archer (Davis Way Crime Capers #1)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Characters; glamor, fun

Cons: Too many logical flaws, especially in the final third

The Bottom Line:

Casino caper

I think I over thought it

Wanted to like more

I Wanted to Like this Book More Than I Actually Did

Obviously, I have a very hard time getting to all the books I intend to read.  That’s why Gretchen Archer’s Davis Way series has been on my radar for years but I finally just picked up the first book in the series, Double Whammy.  I really wanted to enjoy it, but it had too many issues for me to fully do so.

When we meet Davis Way, she has finally landed a job.  Working for the Bellissimo Resort and Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi, might not be her dream job, but after a year of unemployment, she’ll take anything she can find.  As a former police officer in her small home town of Pine Apple, Alabama, she is perfect for taking on under cover security for the casino and hotel, finding guests and employees who are trying to make their own luck.

Her first assignment is to figure out how people are winning the big jackpot on the Double Whammy video poker machines.  Unfortunately, the man who is cashing in each time the jackpot gets high is her ex-ex-husband Eddie.  Can she figure out how he is cheating the system?  Even more importantly, can she do it without getting into more trouble over this man she thought was out of her life?

While I don’t like to gamble myself (I hate to lose money on it), I find the glitch and glamor of casinos to be fascinating, which is why I’ve been drawn to these books.  And we do get a healthy dose of that glamor here.  Okay, so some of Davis’s jobs along the way are less than glamorous, but the entire book had a sheen to it that kept me from seeing some of the flaws until I had finished the book.

First up is the plot.  There is a good plot here, however, it is slowed down by some side trips that don’t do much to add to the overall story.  Davis has a complicated backstory as well, and we are treated to that in small doses as the book progresses.  Considering I hate having backstory dumped on me, I did appreciate how that was doled out.  The main storyline of the book does have some interesting twists and surprises to it, but I wish it had been more the focus of the entire book.

Which brings us to the characters.  Davis is an interesting main character, and I can see plenty of potential in the supporting characters to grow into even more complex characters as the series progress.  I liked the cast, which again I think helped me overlook some of the issues.

My issues come to Davis herself.  She makes some incredibly stupid choices over the course of the book, especially in the final third.  Honestly, she is extremely lucky that she even made it out of the mess she was in.  I wouldn’t have done what some of the other characters had done to help her.  Of course, there are some other flaws with this part of the book, but I’m being vague to avoid spoilers.  I just had a hard time swallowing the final third of the book, which is ironic because that was also the part that kept me turning pages the fastest.  Again, it was only when I was done with the book that I began to question what had happened.

This book bills itself as a comedic caper, and I think that may be part of the issue.  I find that they either work well or completely miss the mark as far as I’m concerned.  The series has quite a few fans, so I’m obviously in the minority when it comes to this book, which leaves me wondering what exactly I am missing when it comes to this debut.  Is it me?  Or are others having too much fun to think things through as much as I am?

I bought this book a couple of years ago (told you it’s been on my radar for a while), and after I bought it, the authors released a “Special Edition” that was edited to make it flow better.  She was nice enough to give me a copy of that new edition, and that is what I read.

Ultimately, I think I am just the wrong audience for Double Whammy.  Based on the number of people who love it, there is definitely a fan base out there for Davis and her antics; I’m just not part of it.

Movie Review: The Rookie

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Moving, powerful, and enjoyable story

Cons: Plot predictable, but you won’t care

The Bottom Line:

A baseball movie

Hits familiar notes but is

So enjoyable

Root for the Double Underdog

I firmly believe there is only one true sport (ultimate Frisbee), but that doesn’t stop me from watching sports movies upon occasion.  I always intended to watch The Rookie at some point, but I finally got around to watching it recently, and I wish I’d seen it sooner.

The movie is inspired by the true story of Jimmy Morris (Dennis Quaid).  As a kid, he lived for baseball, playing every chance he got.  His father (Brian Cox) was in the military, so they moved around quite a bit.  Furthermore, his father never understood Jimmy’s obsession with the game.

But the story really picks up with Jimmy as an adult in the small Texas town where the Morris family had settled.  He’s married with kids of his own, and he teaches chemistry and coaches baseball at the local high school.  This being Texas, baseball doesn’t get much respect, and his team doesn’t seem to care much.  While trying to give a motivation speech about taking risks and trying your hardest, the team turns it back on Jimmy.  Finally a deal is struck.  If the last place team wins enough games to go to division, Jimmy will follow his lifelong dream and try out for the majors.  What will happen next?

Actually, no one tries to hide what happens next.  I knew the basic outline of the story when the movie hit theaters over a decade ago.  And if you don’t, well, it’s a PG sports movie from Disney.  I’m sure you can figure out what happens.

Yet knowing what happens going into this movie isn’t a disadvantage at all.  It is a wonderful story from start to finish.  I was pulled into the film much more than I expected to be, tearing up more than once as the events unfolded.  Even the expected character development from some of the cast moved me.  But I really liked the relationship between Jimmy and his wife Lorri, played by Rachel Griffiths.  They felt like a real couple to me, with real struggles.  But what I loved is, even when they disagreed, they worked through things as a couple.

Naturally, this means I found the acting great.  Even the kids in the cast were enjoyable.  There’s nothing here that won’t pull you into this film and keep you watching until the end.

This film is a perfect example of a film where the journey to the end is worth taking even if you know where it is going.  If you’ve missed The Rookie, you should fix that today.

Book Review: Spy School British Invasion by Stuart Gibbs (Spy School #7)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Good characters, fast paced plot, fun

Cons: None on either side of the pond

The Bottom Line:

Trail leads to England

Gives us another wild ride

Filled with heart and fun

Can Ben Track SPYDER Without Causing an International Incident?

The previous book in the Spy School series was the first time that we actually left the United States in our quest to vanquish the evil organization SPYDER.  Of course, since Ben Ripley, our main character, is only thirteen, it makes sense, right?  However, in the last book, Ben was in Mexico, and now he’s leaving our continent for Europe in Spy School British Invasion.

Before we go any further, I do want to issue a minor spoiler warning, not for my review but the book in general.  Because this book picks up moments after the end of Spy School Goes South, it naturally discusses the events of that book, especially the climax.  So, if you want to read that book and be completely surprised, you’ll need to pick it up first.  Honestly, that’s no issue at all.  In fact, I highly recommend this entire series and reading it in order.  They are all so much fun.

Anyway, on to this book.

Ben Ripley and his team of fellow spies think they have been handed the key to finally taking down the evil organization SPYDER.  As it so happens, the key is a literal key.  Ben’s friends piece together that it most likely belongs to a storage space under the British Museum.  Since no one knows who in the CIA is really a SPYDER double agent, only Ben and his friends from Spy School can be trusted to go and retrieve whatever the item might be.  And so Ben, Mike, Zoe, Erica, and Erica’s parents make their way to London.  What will they find when they land?

Those who have been reading all along will recognize SPYDER since they’ve been a thorn in Ben’s side from the very first book – originally trying to recruit him as a double agent and then trying to kill him when those plans failed.  It’s no surprise that we are battling them again, although what we learn about them along the way here does include a surprise or two.

Like early books in the series, the plot is a wild ride.  There are multiple action sequences and close calls as Ben and the rest of the characters run from one dangerous situation to another all in their quest to defeat SPYDER.  If it all feels a bit over the top at times, I’m sure that’s on purpose.  I’m equally certain that kids won’t mind at all; I know I don’t.

Underlying all the life and death action is the humor.  This book will make you laugh.  Heck, I chuckled at something on the very first page.  I might not have been laughing out loud quite as much as I was with the previous book, but I was definitely still laughing and enjoying the antics of all the characters, both good and bad.

But here’s the thing – those characters are still very real.  They might come across as larger than life at first, but everyone has a moment or two that shows they are human.  I loved seeing some of these characters in a very different light before the book was over.

Once again, author Stuart Gibbs has woven together a spy thriller that is perfectly entertaining for the target audience of middle grade readers as well as older readers.  Grab your passport in book form and enjoy Spy School British Invasion.

Missing one of Ben’s adventures?  Here are the Spy School books in order.

This review is part of this week's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday.