March 18th's Weekly TV Thoughts

Quantum Leap – A very interesting episode.  I love the way they switched things up.  Did I miss something or were they just hinting at Jenn’s past for a reveal down the road?  Or have they told us and I’m not remembering it?  Anyway, the mystery/legal thriller aspect of the book was a great hook for me, obviously, with my love of mysteries.  So much going on, and I loved how things came together at the end, although it would have been nice for Ben to see his win.

Night Court – This show is very uneven.  When it is on, it is funny.  When it isn’t, we get episodes like this one.  I feel like it could have worked, but it just never clicked for me.  There were a few funny lines, but that’s about it.

Superman and Lois – Interesting episode.  Definitely set up some arcs for the third season.  I wasn’t sure if they were going with a pregnancy for Lois or not, but now I’m worried about what is going on with her.  And I don’t know how I feel about Chrissy and Kyle.  At least when Lana showed up, she wasn’t showing up to try to get back together.  Although, honestly, I wish they would get back together.  I get that we need the soap opera, but I really liked them in season 1.

Gotham Knights – I’m intrigued by the storyline.  I want to know who is behind everything (if it isn’t Harvey Dent, is he not always Two Face?).  This Court of Owls sounds a little more sinister than we needed to hook me in the premier, and it got a little gruesome at the end.  My biggest eye roll is how diverse the characters are.  I know it’s not popular to say, but it felt like they were ticking check marks off than building true, interesting characters – at least at this point.

The Mandalorian – Someone needs to tell then that going off and spending an entire episode with characters no one remembers seeing is not good TV.  Wow was that predictable and boring.  The beginning was good, but by the time we got to the final scenes, I didn’t care that much any more.

The Flash – I wonder why they didn’t have Barry and Iris around for most of the episode.  Usually, they do that during the big crossover events.  But either way, it was a fun episode.  I’d forgotten the meta they featured, but I liked how it all played out.  It helped that it was a comedy heavy episode.

Survivor – I feel so sorry for Claire.  I would have been right there with her – “Sit me out.”  But I can’t understand why it would lead the team to vote her out.  I feel sorry for Matt with his fake idol.  I know the odds are stacked against them, but I really want to see both he and his love interest go pretty far.  I like them.

Lingo – I thought the second set of teams were better overall, but clearly that wasn’t the case when we hit the final showdown.  They just couldn’t get anything together.  Not that I do much better watching from home.  Most of the time, I’m drawing blanks as I watch.

True Lies – The show’s a little less fun each week.  It has it’s moments, but the wit of the pilot seems to be gone, and it’s a little predictable.  Still, I’ll stick with it, at least for now.

Movie Review: Unexpected Grace

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Strong characters, satisfying story

Cons: Several issues with the plot

The Bottom Line:

Looking to make friends

With expected results

Good despite plot flaws

Ultimately Hopeful Look at Loss

I’m not completely sure why I decided to watch Unexpected Grace.  I am expanding my Hallmark movie viewing a little, but I could tell this one was going to be sad from the commercials.  Honestly, I think the biggest draw for me was Erica Durance in the lead role.

As the movie opens, we meet mother and daughter Noelle and Toni (Erica Durance and Sophia Powers) in the local tea room.  While Toni is clearly entering early adolescence, we can tell the two are close.  Toni is looking for a best friend, and Noelle decides to help out.  They buy a helium balloon, Toni attaches a note to it, and they let it fly.

Two years later, the balloon is found by Grace (Erica Tremblay).  She and her dad, Jack (David Attar), have recently moved to Ashland, Oregon.  Grace is desperate for friends, so she reaches out to Toni, and is thrilled to hear back from Noelle.  What will their new relationship bring everyone?

The way the previews were cut, I guessed one plot point before I even started watching the movie, yet the film kept teasing it until about the half way point.  Honestly, I’m not sure why since it is very obvious what is going on.

There’s also a rather big plot hole – why Noelle keeps emailing Grace.  I get it, to drive the plot.  They try to explain it later in the movie, but it never made much sense to me.

And there’s the completely unneeded sub-plot involving Jack and Grace’s neighbor.  It does nothing but slow things down early on.

Yet, the story itself was rather compelling.  Despite all these things that were jumping out at me, I was drawn into it.  I wanted the characters to reach a level of peace with what is going on in their lives.  I found the climax satisfying.

It helps that the main characters are all likeable.  Yes, Grace acts out at times, but underneath it, we can see why (usually), and it allows for some growth for her character.  The script is strong in this area – it’s just the plot that could have been better.

Praise here also goes to the actors.  Everyone is strong, bringing the words to life and fully inhabiting the characters.  It had a bit of the Hallmark effect to it, but it was kept to a minimum.

If you are looking for a light, fluffy movie, this isn’t for you.  But if you are looking for something a little heavier, albeit with some plot issues, you will want to check out Unexpected Grace.

St. Patrick Day's Friday Post

 Happy St. Patrick's Day!  Let's kick the day off with a Friday post, featuring:

Book Beginnings
First Line Friday
Friday 56
Book Blogger Hop

For the first three, I'll be sharing teasers from Apprehend Me No Flowers by Diane Vallere.

This is the seventh in her Madison Night series.  Madison is a huge fan of Doris Day movies, hence the play on Send Me No Flowers in the book's title.

And flowers come right into play in the first line:

The flowers were a nice touch.

And no, I'm not giving you any more context than that.  Meanwhile, at 56% into the book, we find this:

Nate’s face reddened. “I know who you are. Get out of my showroom. I don’t want your business.”

I enjoyed this book.  I'll be back Monday with my review.

Let's end things with the Book Blogger Hop.  This week's question is:

Do you post every day on your blog and/or social media?

I do on my blog.  I don't always on my social media.  And, for some of them, I might not post blog stuff on days I post.  My Instagram, for example, is a mix of blog and personal.  I also don't tend to promote these posts and my Sunday/Monday posts on the social media.

Hope you have a great St. Patrick's Day and weekend.

Book Review: Hooked on Murder by Betty Hechtman (Crochet Mysteries #1)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Strong characters; overall, a good story

Cons: Pacing could be much stronger

The Bottom Line:

Good deed gets punished

So Molly must clear her name

Some promise in book

I Wasn’t Quite Hooked on This Debut

Last spring, I discovered that the Crochet Mysteries were set in Southern California.  Since I always enjoy a cozy set in an area I know, I decided to give the debut, Hooked on Murder, a chance.  I liked the characters, but it wasn’t quite as good as I’d hoped it would be.

Recently widowed Molly Pink has landed a job as the events coordinator at a local independent bookstore.  Part of that is overseeing the crochet group that meets in their event space.  When one of their members, Ellen Sheridan, leaves behind her crochet needles, Molly decides to run them home.  Unfortunately, she finds Ellen’s dead body, and the police are right behind her.  Molly has more of a connection to Ellen then she lets on at first, and the police think that makes her a great suspect.  Can she figure out what really happened?

I’d originally passed on this series because the hook, crocheting, didn’t appeal to me as much as so many of the other cozy themes out there.  In recently years, I’ve started expanding my interests a little when it comes to theme, and I’ve found some crafting themed cozies that I’ve really enjoyed.  While crocheting was definitely a part of the book, and at times, I didn’t quite feel like I was following the discussions about it, it didn’t overwhelm the story.

However, the pacing of the mystery was off.  At the center of the book was a good mystery, which some nice clues, a couple of great red herrings, and a fantastic ending.  However, there was lots of filler with some sub-plots and lack of progress with the story that made the book seem slower.  Things needed to be unraveled a bit and tightened up.

I did really like the characters.  Molly is middle aged, widowed, with two grown sons.  I found that dynamic interesting since it isn’t the typical series lead.  There are some (fictional) celebrities and plenty of other interesting characters in the cast, and they came to life.  I’m also curious about how Molly’s love life develops since this book looks like it is setting up a love triangle.

Part of my issue was the writing, which was a bit vague on things.  I couldn’t follow how much time was passing, for example.  It felt like I was on the outside looking in more often than not.  I sometimes feel this way at the beginning of a book and begin to feel more closely involved as the book goes along, but that wasn’t the case here.

For those who are learning how to crochet, there is a project at the back of the book.  You’ll also find a delicious sounding recipe.

If the plotting had been better, I’d definitely be picking up the sequel to Hooked on Murder.  Since I liked the characters so much, I am still debating about giving the series another try.

Ornament Review: Carl and Ellie - 2022 Hallmark Release

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Captures a great moment from Up

Cons: Slight tip back

The Bottom Line:

Love story captured

Moment that Up fans will love

In great ornament

Capturing the Love Story of Up

Up is one of my favorite movies of all time.  So I immediately planned to add the Carl & Ellie ornament to my collection.  It captures such a great moment from early in the movie that I had to have it.

If you aren’t familiar with the movie, Carl is one of the main characters of the movie.  For most of the film, he’s an old man, but for the first few minutes of the film, we meet him and the love of his life, Ellie, and watch the ups and downs of their life together.  One of those ups was getting their house and painting their names on their mailbox.

And that’s the moment that is captured here.  Ellie is kneeling in the grass just having completed the task.  Carl is leaning on the mailbox looking at her.  They are both smiling, and the love captured in their faces is perfect.

Which is why I wanted to get this one.  Their relationship is such a key component of the movie and this moment helps define that.  Looking at the two of them together like this makes me smile.

Since this is a scene, it has a nice flat base, so you could set this out and enjoy it year-round.  After all, there isn’t anything Christmassy about the scene.  It is a little bigger than your average Christmas ornament, but not that much bigger, and it makes sense given the fact that we’ve got two adults with some space and a mailbox in between them.

The ornament is as balanced as it can be given the design.  It does tip back ever so slightly when you go to hang it, but it really isn’t that bad.  When you get it around tree branches, you definitely won’t notice.

Those who want to celebrate the love story that kicks of Up will be glad they added Carl & Ellie to their collection.

Book Review: All That is Hidden by Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles (Molly Murphy #19)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Molly and the rest of the characters, interesting story

Cons: Pacing in the mystery

The Bottom Line:

Major announcement

Politics mixed with murder

Good historical

Politics Turns Molly’s World Upside Down

When Rhys Bowen resurrected her Molly Murphy series last year with the help of her daughter, Clare Broyles, I was among the many who were happy to once again return to Molly’s 1900’s New York City.  All That is Hidden is their second collaboration and the nineteenth book in the series overall, and it will again have fans happily getting lost in the past.

Molly Murphy Sullivan is shocked when her husband tells her that he has quit his job with the New York City police department to run for New York Sheriff on the Tammany Hall ticket.  And this means that they will move out of their modest house on Patchin Place and into a much larger house, with servants, on Fifth Avenue.  Not only is she angry that he is making these changes without consulting her, but she also worries about what this means.  Tammany Hall is notorious for bribery, something Daniel has always been against.  He tells her to trust him, but she can’t help but worry.

The move happens a few days later, and Molly finds herself struggling to adjust to her new life as the lady of a house.  But everyone else seems to be adjusting just fine; even Molly and Daniel’s ward, Bridie, makes a friend as a result of the move.  But then Molly and Daniel are on hand when a murder takes place.  What will this mean for their new life?  Can Molly figure out what is going on?

As is often the case with one of Rhys Bowen’s books, this one takes its time getting to the plot.  We have to check in with the other characters before the story can really begin.  I could feel some of the plot threads developing early, but they still could have cut out a little more before things really got going.  There is a decent mystery here, however, and I was impressed with how most of the story was paid off in the end.  I did feel one aspect was wrapped up a little abruptly, but that was minor.

I have a love hate relationship with Daniel, despite the fact that he’s been around since the beginning of the series.  I actually liked him here.  Yes, his announcement at the beginning was horrible and in keeping with his typical personality, once we got past that, he was a great partner for Molly.  I hope that this personality is back in the next book in the series.

Molly herself is charming, smart, and resourceful as always.  I do enjoy spending time with her.  The rest of the supporting characters are here and are lots of fun.  We meet some interesting new characters in this book as well, most of whom double as the suspects.  Since I liked them, it make the stakes in solving the mystery that much more important.

This book takes place in October 1907.  I felt like I was with Molly in that time and place on every page.  It’s interesting viewing what they see as new and exciting things that we take for granted now.

If you are looking for an engrossing trip back in time, you’ll enjoy All That is Hidden.  Fans old and new will be happy that Molly is back.

Enjoy more trips back in time with the rest of the Molly Murphy Mysteries.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

Movie Review: Nikki and Nora - Sister Sleuths

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Interesting mystery and backstory

Cons: Acting could have been better

The Bottom Line:

Strange inheritance

Followed quickly by murder

Could start a franchise

“I Spent Three Years Studying Law.”  “Great!  You Could Tell Us What Laws We’re Breaking.”

Despite regularly watching for new Hallmark mystery movies, I somehow missed Nikki and Nora: Sister Sleuths when it premiered late last year.  And it’s taken me until now to catch a rebroadcast of it.

Nikki (Hunter King) and Nora (Rhiannon Fish) are fraternal twins, but after a tragedy in their past, they haven’t seen each other in a decade.  Nikki has pursued a career in acting, with mixed results, while Nora has become a lawyer at a firm in their native Chicago.

Nikki has recently moved back to the city, but she hasn’t reached out to Nora until she is approached about a surprise inheritance from someone named Charles Porter.  Charles has left her everything, including his detective agency.  Just one catch, he’s left it to both Nikki AND Nora.

Since Nikki desperately needs the money, she approaches Nora, but their reunion doesn’t go well.  However, murder complicates their reunion when they find Nora’s mentor at her law firm dead in his living room.  The police are quick to rule it a suicide, but Nora insists something else was going on.  Will they figure out what happened?

Obviously, with that amount of set up, they are hoping to turn this into a new franchise.  I mean, there’s a lot of backstory.  I was able to view it through that lens, and as a result, I enjoyed it.  Yes, this backstory is fairly predictable, but the execution is fine.  And with how the movie ended, I’m definitely curious to see where the story is going to go.

It helps that the mystery doesn’t take super long to get going, and we have some decent surprises along the way to the ending.  I am conflicted a little on the ending, but that’s all I will say about it.

My biggest issue with the film was the acting.  Yes, I hold Hallmark movies to a different standard than other movies I watch, but even by that standard, I felt like this one needed a step up in the acting department.  Or maybe it was the directing since this issue inflicted the cast pretty much equally.  And no, I don’t feel like it was the writing in this case.

Yes, this movie is clearly paying homage to The Thin Man with some of the character names.  And yes, the characters do acknowledge that at one point in a fun way.

Fans looking for a new Hallmark mystery movie will want to catch Nikki and Nora: Sister Sleuths.

Book Review: The Shimmer by Ridley Pearson (Kingdom Keepers Inheritance #1)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Action and Disney magic

Cons: Characters, and their connections, could be a little stronger

The Bottom Line:

Magic in future

Facing evil once again

Good start for saga

Danger Shimmering into Disney Parks

When Ridley Pearson announced he was returning to his Kingdom Keepers world with Inheritance, a new series that looks at what happens to the kids of the characters we know so well, I naturally paid attention.  After all, I enjoyed those earlier books.  What Disney fan wouldn’t love spending time in the various Disney parks at night?  The first in this new series is The Shimmer, and we are off to a fun start.

If you haven’t read the original series, it involves young teens who were hired to be holographic hosts.  But they discovered a weird side effect – they would cross over into the Disney parks as they slept.  In reality, they had been unknowingly recruited to fight against Disney villains who were trying to take over the Disney parks.  They are fun and imaginative filled stories that appealed to the Disnerd in me.

In the near future, Eli Whitman lives in the newly built EPCOT.  It is outside the original park and been designed to fulfill Walt Disney’s original dream for a community that live, work, and play together.  His birthday coincides with a solar eclipse, which will be passing right over Walt Disney World.  Naturally, everyone is excited.

However, Eli’s party doesn’t go as planned.  First, his parents are called away for a secret meeting the day before, and they aren’t back in time as promised.  Then, the video game he is playing with his friends comes to life and he is pulled through a shimmer in the air.  Who took him?  And where did he wind up?

I’m going to leave the teaser there since there is so much fun stuff to discover in this book, and it is best to find it on your own.  The book twisted in a couple of places I wasn’t expecting it to, and I enjoyed that.  I’m still a little unclear exactly where the threat is ultimately coming from, but the characters aren’t sure about that either, so it is okay.  The plot has a couple of nods to the original Kingdom Keepers stories but forges its own path.

Part of that is the time.  Since our new heroes are the kids of the original Kingdom Keepers, these books are set a couple of decades into the future.  That allows Ridley Pearson to have some fun imaging how technology will change in that time, and I loved living in those dreams.

I was a little overwhelmed when the book started with all the characters we were meeting.  Fortunately, there are a core cast who step to the front of the action once the story gets going, and I was able to remember who they were easily.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t quite connect them to their parents as easily; it’s been too long since I read the earlier Kingdom Keepers books.  But that doesn’t impact the story that much.  The characters could be a little stronger, but that’s a minor complaint.

Speaking of the original characters, they are minor characters here who have more than just a cameo, which I appreciated.  I get that it isn’t their story any more, but I enjoyed getting to see them in action a little.

And yes, there is plenty of action here.  You’ll be turning pages quickly several times as you read this book.

While the action here is resolved, this book obviously serves to introduce a larger story.  And I will be here for every book in the new saga.  If you fell under the spell of the original Kingdom Keepers books, you’ll be glad you started the Inheritance series with The Shimmer.

Enjoy all the Kingdom Keepers books.

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

March 12th's Sunday/Monday Post

Time to start another week, which means it is time for another 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?

It was a busy week at work with the ending of quarter 1 reporting.  Lots of work and fast deadlines.

Outside of work, the big news was my birthday on Wednesday.  Not that I did much.  I worked (see last paragraph), and I talked to my family that night.  Grabbed a slice of cake from the farmer's market they hold down the street for me on Wednesday's.  Low key day, but it was nice.

Honestly, it's been a fairly quiet week.  It rained again Friday, and I didn't try to go paddleboarding Saturday morning.  But it's game day, so I'll be having fun hanging out with friends later today (Saturday), assuming I get this post finished up.

This Past Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post 

Monday - Movie Review: Pitch Perfect 3

Tuesday - Book Review: Record Store Reckoning by J. C. Kenney

Wednesday - Ornament Review: That Holy Night

Thursday - Book Review: Vinyl Resting Place by Olivia Blacke

Friday - Friday Post featuring Hooked on Murder

Friday - Movie Review: Scream VI

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

This Coming Week on the Blog:

Last week, I talked about having a theme of record shop mysteries for my books.  This week, I have another theme, albeit a coincidental one.  Both of the mysteries I am reviewing this week have a main character named Molly.

Sunday - Book Review: The Shimmer by Ridley Pearson
Monday - Movie Review: Nikki and Nora - Sister Sleuths
Tuesday - Book Review: All That Is Hidden by Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles
Wednesday - Ornament Review: Carl and Ellie
Thursday - Book Review: Hooked on Murder by Betty Hechtman
Friday - Friday Post
Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

It was another three book week.  No, I didn't get any books for my birthday, which considering how few of my Christmas books I've read yet really isn't that bad.  Instead, I got some movies and music I wanted, which is great.  But I still got new books.

Diane Vallere put Stark Raving Mod on sale.  This is book thirteen in her Samantha Kidd mysteries.  Somehow, I still need to get twelve, but I snagged this one while it was on sale.  Still a couple behind, but I'm working as hard as I can to catch up.  It's still on sale if you are looking for a fun mystery series.

My other two books are ARCs.  For April, I snagged Digging Up Daisy, the first in a new series from Sherry Lynn.  It sounds like a fun book, so hopefully, it will be good.

And I have another June ARC.  Hidden Beneath by Barbara Ross arrived this week.  Since I love this series, I can't wait.  This is book eleven in the series.

What I'm Currently Reading:

Friday, I finished another Diane Vallere book, Apprehend Me No Flowers, which is in her Madison Night series.  I'm trying to catch up on both series at the same time instead of my usual one series at a time approach.  Anyway, I enjoyed it.  Now I need to write the review, but I'm not planning to review it until the 21st, so I've got a little time.

Which means I've barely started on Four Parties and a Funeral by Maria DiRico, the fourth Catering Hall Mystery.  I love this series, so I can't wait to get fully lost in the pages.  I'll be working on this one this weekend and finish it up early next week.

Hope your week is a good one.

March 11th's Weekly TV Thoughts

 Yes, I got to start True Lies this week, and it is fun.

True Lies (3/1) – That was as much fun as I’d hoped it would be.  I had missed (or didn’t remember) that Steve Howey was playing the male lead.  Fun to see him in something else again.  Anyway, this had exactly what I was hoping for – action and comedy.  On the whole, it was a pilot, and they had a lot of story to tell in this first hour to really set things up.  I’m anxious to see where they go from here, but it’s looking like something I will enjoy.

The Company You Keep – As soon as I realized the mark was Ava from Legends of Tomorrow, I didn’t want her to be conned, so I was thrilled with that twist.  This show is getting stronger every week.  I am enjoying watching the con in action.  Did not see that cliffhanger coming.  Disappointed we have to wait two weeks to find out what happens next.

Quantum Leap – It was nice that we got to learn a bit more about Addison and her family in this one.  Plus, it was another thrilling episode.  And the mysterious leaper showed up again, too.  They only have a few episodes left, and they’ve promised to explain the mysteries they’ve started so far.  I don’t see how we have nearly enough pieces to put it all together, yet, however.

Night Court – Not as good as last week’s episode, but still fun.  I didn’t see that ending coming.  Could have done without quite so much bathroom humor, but it was a good ending overall.

The Mandalorian – I’m shocked.  What we saw happen in this episode I expected to be the season finale.  I figured we’d be having adventures along the way.  So now I’m really wondering what they intend to do for the rest of the season.  Maybe if I’d been paying better attention I would have picked up on some other plot threads.  And yes, I jumped near the end.

The Flash – Did I miss something, or did they not tell us where Batwoman has been all this time?  Since the real one was missing.  I was expecting some kind of explanation, but there wasn’t one.  Glad Grogg wasn’t a bigger part.  Hope they got him out of their system.  Obviously, we are on to another arc next week.  So who is the new villain going to be?  And what a way to announce the news at the end, I give them credit for finding a new way to do it.

Survivor – Can we please get Carolyn off my TV?  I find her annoying at one hour a week.  I can’t believe people would want her to stick around.  I am impressed with her getting the idol and not being anyone suspect, however.  Good for her.  I have a feeling that Jeff and the producers think we all love her, so we will be seeing lots of her this season.  And I’m betting she goes far as well.

Lingo – Okay, here’s the scary thing.  I wouldn’t have gotten Baker when that was the word either.  I was looking at it trying to figure out what in the world it could be.  (In case you’ve missed it, that’s my last name.)  I wasn’t surprised at who the final winners of the night were since they were easily the better team.  I felt like they were the best team of the night, in fact.

True Lies – The stuff with the exes was just okay, but they managed to finally get some of the witty dialogue I was looking for near the end.  Not quite as good as the pilot, but still enjoyable.