May 15th's Sunday/Monday Post

Welcome to the half way point of May.  Okay, so it's probably really noon on Monday, right?  But since this is a post for Sunday and Monday, that should count for something.  Anyway, hard to believe it's the middle of the month already, isn't it?

As always, I will be linking up this week to the following:

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

The fun this week (because work is never fun) was that I got to do Rugged Maniac yesterday.  It's an obstacle/mud run.  Unlike many I do, it was even here in my neck of the woods.  A friend signed up to do it with me at the last minute, which made it even more fun.  We were in an early wave, trying to avoid the heat.  We weren't completely successful, but we missed the worst of it.

Because it is hot here in Southern California.  We started off the week with temps in the 60's, but then on Thursday, they started to climb.  Today, it's in the 90's.  Mind you, I am not complaining.  I'm a hot weather fan.  I love where I live as a result.  Yes, I do have to plan around it for things like mud runs, but I get cold easily, so I'd rather be hot than cold.  And having air conditioning helps tremendously.  I don't think I'd enjoy living here without my AC.

This Past Week on the Blog:

Remember last week when I was debating about what I'd put up on Friday - a Friday post or a movie review.  Surprise!  I did both!

Sunday - Disney Pin Review: Stitch Crashes Peter Pan

Monday - Ornament Review: Book Lover Belle

Tuesday - Book Review: The Shadow of Memory by Connie Berry
Wednesday - Can't Wait Wednesday featuring Bayou Book Thief

Wednesday - TV Show Review: Moon Knight

Thursday - Book Review: Murder at Blackwater Bend by Clara McKenna

Friday - Friday Post featuring The Lessons We Learn
Friday - Movie Review: Fast & Furious

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

This Coming Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Disney Pin Review: Peter Pan's Flight - Cuckoo for Disney Pins
Monday - Book Review: Murder, She Wrote - Killer on the Court by Jessica Fletcher and Terri Farley Moran
Tuesday - Ornament Review: Duke of Winter
Wednesday - Book Review: Blood Red by Sherri Leigh James
Thursday - TV Show Review: Signed, Sealed, Delivered
Friday - Book Review: The Lessons We Learn by Liz Milliron
Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

Got three books this week.  Two were a surprise.  I had placed pre-orders for Buried in a Good Book by Tamara Berry and A Sprinkle in Time by Dana Mentink.  Both are supposed to be published on the 24th, but my pre-orders shipped early.  I'm definitely not complaining.  I also decided at the last minute to snag an eARC of Smile Beach Murder by Alicia Bessette.  That one came out this past Tuesday, so I'm actually reading an ARC after release date.  That's rare for me.

What I'm Currently Reading:

But not that far behind release date.  That's right, I'm currently reading Smile Beach Murder.  Assuming I make good progress with it on Sunday, I'm aiming to finish it up on Monday.  Then I'll be picking up A Sprinkle in Time.

Have a wonderful week!

May 14th's Weekly TV Thoughts

 As I'm writing this on Thursday night, there were lots of cancellations today.  (We'll see if any come in after I schedule this.)  Honestly, I'm not sorry about Naomi, United States of Al, and How We Roll being cancelled.  As you'll see below, I was very underwhelmed by Naomi's finale on Tuesday, and I wasn't planning to be back next season.  And the sitcoms?  Very few laughs coming from them.  We'll see if there is much I'm super excited about watching next season, but so far, not too many shows have caught my attention.

But that's still a few months away.  Here's what I watched this week:

American Ninja Warrior – Yes, that was me you heard cheering when Jessie won.  I’m thrilled she and Megan were the final two again.  I really do like Megan.  But I want Jessie to get her pool.  Or a nice wedding.  (I thought she and Chris already got married, guess I was wrong.)  So many great competitors and performances overall.  Can’t wait for the new season next month.

Holey Moley – Oh, so the Muppet thing is a season long thread.  Or at least a few episodes.  Got it.  Stephen is certainly a good sport with what they are having him do, although as a executive producer, I’m sure he could have vetoed it.  Some impressive playing with quite a few amazing shots and a put off at the end.  Plus, how about neither golfer getting knocked in the mud at Hole Number 2?

Naomi – Not sure what I think of that twist at the end.  It felt forced and out of left field to me.  And not sure if I will continue even with that cliffhanger if it comes back.  We’ll have to see what else is on opposite it if that happens.  Elsewhere, when did Naomi decide to go back and get her friends to help?  Mind you, I did like the moment, but it also came out of left field.  I get it, they had to surprise us, but still, I expected something.  And the final confrontation seemed anticlimactic, mainly because they ran away.  Probably won’t be back, the more that I think about it.  (No, I didn’t edit this after the news of the cancellation came out.)

The Flash – Good character development, but an overall quiet episode.  I get it, a way to honor Frost.  The stories Iris got for her podcast were great.  I knew Caitlin was up to something, but doesn’t she know that these kinds of crazy schemes to bring someone back always go bad?  And I was wondering if they were going to ignore what was going on with Iris, but obviously not.

Survivor – Just like last season, the Do or Die challenge ultimate kept two people safe.  I feel like these twists to the game aren’t working out as the producers envisioned they would.  They’ve certainly been the same in both seasons.  Same with the steal the idol advantage.  Drea going out tonight was epic because of the twists and turns.  And I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much because of the person who was leaving than I did tonight.  She certainly took it well.

Domino Masters – My heart breaks for Mechanical Mavericks.  Honestly, I could see myself losing it like those team members did, blaming myself.  Especially after 24 hours with how tired they all were.  It was hard to watch, but I get it.  And, as always, my hat is off to the host and judges who found great things to say and were there to pick them up (if not their dominos) and encourage them.  That’s one of the things I have loved about this show.  I called it right last week – Dominerds won.  They were impressing me week after week, so I’m happy about it.  But I would have been happy with any of those teams.  They were all great and all deserved it.  Truly, a great show.  I hope it comes back.

United States of Al – When the show became about nothing but the character’s sex lives, it really went downhill.  Not that impressed with this episode as a result.  I hope they resolve things next week since that’s going to be the series finale, not just the season finale.

How We Roll – Maybe it was finding out this show was cancelled, so I was being more critical, but I found both of these episode more cringe inducing than laugh inducing.  Mind you, I never laugh much at the episodes, but these were both pretty bad.

Movie Review: Fast & Furious

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Action and stunts

Cons: Weak story and characters

The Bottom Line:

Gang back together

Trying to take down drug lord

Mindless but great stunts

“I Bet You’re Gonna Enjoy This.”  “A Little.  Yeah.”

Most of the time, when Hollywood makes a sequel, they try to bring back the entire cast, or as much as they can.  It’s one thing that makes The Fast and the Furious franchise stand out.  The second one only featured one member from the original movie, and the third was a completely new cast.  But Fast & Furious, the fourth movie, is more of a traditional sequel.

Brian O’Connor (Paul Walker) is back in the FBI’s good graces and back in Los Angeles.  He’s part of a task force that has been working for a long time to try to bring down Braga, a notorious heroin dealer.  Unfortunately, no one even knows what he looks like.

Meanwhile, Braga has also made Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) angry – angry enough to return to LA in an attempt to get revenge.  Naturally, Dominic and Brian cross paths, and, given their past history, they aren’t inclined to trust each other.  However, trusting each other might be the only way to take down Braga and get out alive.

Writing the teaser, this sounds like a coherent, well thought out movie.  And yet, watching it, I felt like it was still lacking something.  Probably because the plot is still just an excuse for over-the-top stunts and a deep dive into street racing culture.  I keep looking at the events on the screen and wonderful why the characters are doing what they are, and that’s all I can come up with.  And some of the dialog?  Wow!  The actors try, but some of it is very cheesy.

But let’s be honest, we watch these movies for the over-the-top stunts.  And this movie delivers.  From the opening set piece, to the climax, there are several other can’t look away for a second sequences.

And the actors are trying.  I give them credit for that.  I just feel like this movie knows it is an excuse for stunts, and so no one tried that hard when it came time to think about things like characters or story.

And yet, I care enough that a felt a couple of the twists that happen late in the film.  Maybe, if I were watching the movies closer together instead of one every year or so, I’d be more invested in the characters.

A fun bit of trivia about this film – it is Gal Gadot’s first movie credit.  She’d reprise her role here in the next couple of movies in the franchise.

I think I’m beginning to care about the characters enough that I will get through the rest of the franchise.  But I don’t see myself ever spending more effort than watching them on TV to see them.  If you want a fairly mindless way to spend a couple of hours, you’ll enjoy Fast & Furious.

May 13th's Friday Post

Hi everyone, and welcome to Friday the 13th.  Okay, so it isn't payday, but it is still Friday, and that's always good in my book.

Time for a Friday post, which will contribute to this week's:

First Line Friday
Book Beginnings
Friday 56
Book Blogger Hop

This week, I will be pulling teasers for the first three from The Lessons We Learn by Liz Milliron.

This is the third book in the Homefront Mysteries, set in Buffalo in World War II.  I really enjoyed this book, definitely the strongest in the series to date.

Shall we get to it with this week's First Line Friday and Book Beginnings?  I've got the entire first paragraph here, but I really like how it all comes together to introduce the story.

When I was little and I did something wrong, Pop would punish me.  Later, he'd ask if I learned my lesson and 'course I said yes.  I knew that if I didn't, he'd punish me again.  Back then, I thought those were the hardest lessons I'd ever learn, way worse than anything school could come up with.  What I didn't know was that the lessons you learn as an adult are much tougher than anything you face as a kid.  maybe 'cause they're a lot more life-changing.

Page 56 is the start of a chapter.  As such, it doesn't make for the most dramatic Friday 56, but I did find this:

I'd decided the visit was a bust and we'd have to come back later when the front door opened.

I actually finished this book earlier in the week, but I won't be reviewing it until next Friday, so I hope you'll come back then to read my full review.

Shall we move on to the Book Blogger Hop?  This week's question is:

Do you post negative reviews? Do you promote those reviews if you post?

The answer to the first question is yes.  I review every book I read, and if I don't like it, I'm going to say so.  I don't tend to post a lot of negative reviews since, usually, if I don't like a book, I don't read more by that author.  Or, occasionally, it is a one off by a favorite author and the next book is as strong as normal.

I do this because, while I hope my reviews help readers find authors I enjoy and buy more of their books, I also feel like I should warn people about books I didn't like.  Of course, everyone's tastes are different.  I get that.  But I am going to share why I didn't enjoy a particular book I read on my blog.

I do minimal promotion of my negative reviews, however.  I still share links on some social media, but I don't tag the author.  And I don't promote it in the groups I am part of on Facebook.

Book Review: Murder at Blackwater Bend by Clara McKenna (Stella and Lyndy Mysteries #2)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Wonderful mystery, mostly charming characters

Cons: Stella’s dad is too much at times

The Bottom Line:

Body in river

Mostly charming second book

Had fun reading it

Fishing for Bodies

Last year, I discovered the Stella and Lyndy Mysteries.  This series, set in the New Forest region of England in 1905, features an American heiress who has found herself engaged to a member of the English nobility thanks to an arranged marriage.  After enjoying the first, I was looking forward to the second, Murder at Blackwater Bend.  I wasn’t disappointed.

Over the last few months, Stella Kendrick and Viscount “Lyndy” Lyndhurst have been getting to know each other as they plan their wedding.  Stella has found that, no matter what she does, she can not please her further mother-in-law, but she is growing to love Lyndy.

An early morning fishing trip embroils the two in another murder, however.  Stella’s line snags on something, and when she goes to free it, she finds it to be the dead body of Lord Fairbrother, a neighbor.  Lord Fairbrother was not a nice man, but the main suspect seems to be the local snake catcher, someone that Stella has befriended.  Will Stella and Lyndy figure out what really happened?

Like the first book, this story is told from multiple third person points-of-view.  The changes are always easy to follow, and they help us get a complete picture of what exactly is going on.

The mystery is wonderful.  I loved how things developed as I was reading.  We get some nice sub-plots and red herrings along the way.  Yet, everything comes together for a logical climax.  As I reached the ending, I was actually in awe with how everything tied together at the end.  It really is a masterfully put together plot.

The characters are mostly wonderful.  Stella and Lyndy certainly are great.  I love spending time with them together and separately.  Watching them build their relationship is a true highlight of the book.  Lyndy’s mother is a pain in the neck, but in an enjoyable way.  Okay, I probably wouldn’t like her if I had to deal with her, but since I’m just reading about her, I can enjoy her.  I wish I could say the same for Stella’s father.  He crosses some lines for me that take him from enjoyable to horrible a few times.  Fortunately, the rest of the book makes it easy to overlook how boorish he can be.  And the rest of the cast is charming when they aren’t leading our sleuths astray.

Murder at Blackwater Bend proves this is a historical series to pay attention to.  I plan to read the third soon.  If you haven’t started the series yet, I definitely recommend it.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Stella and Lyndy Mysteries.

TV Show Review: Moon Knight - Season 1

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Weird, trippy, but ultimately rewarding

Cons: Violence a couple of times, a major question about the final scene

The Bottom Line:

Weird superhero

Keep watching to understand

Makes sense in the end

“I Don’t Have a Card for That.”

Since I’ve never really followed superheroes, I only know the most famous (and mostly the DC) heroes.  As a result, I came into Moon Knight completely blind about what it was going to be about.  The result was…strange.  It took a bit to adjust to it, but in the end, I was glad I watched it.

In the very first episode, we meet Stephen Grant (Oscar Isaac).  He works at the gift shop of the British museum.  He lives alone with only a fish for company.  You’d call his life boring except that he finds himself waking up in some strange places after blacking out.  And he doesn’t drink so that’s not the problem.

Things get even worse when he starts waking up finding himself in danger.  He’s got people calling him Marc.  Then there’s the weird run in he has with Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke), who wants to bring about peace and harmony, but seems shady, too.  Will he figure out what is going on?

I’m leaving my teaser there without introducing any of the other characters since you really need to experience this show as it unfolds for yourself.  I really don’t want to risk spoiling any of the fun surprises along the way.  It’s trippy and confusing at times.  It takes a lot of effort and attention to follow it.  But it is worth it.  The payoffs will reward you in the final few episodes.

Having said that, I am going to say the story does get heavily into Egyptian mythology.  Personally, I didn’t mind since many superhero stories involve references to other cultures’ gods, etc.  Thor and Wonder Woman are two prime examples.  Know that going in, and you’ll be fine.

Along with the twists, this show features plenty of action.  Some of it is straight action, and some of it is rather comical.  The stunts and special effects that go along with it are well done.  A couple of times, a special effect seemed a little off, but the majority of them work perfectly.

I have to praise the acting.  There isn’t a weak link in the cast, but Oscar Isaac is outstanding.  This show required a lot from him, and he really delivered.  There is so much nuance to his performance, and so much screen time for him.  The show would be worth watching for him alone.

Having said all this, I do have a few niggles with the show.  Like the fact that the final scene of the finale doesn’t make logical sense.  I’m not talking about the mid-credits scene, which does make sense.  To say more than that would involve spoilers, but it’s a major sticking point for me.  I get what they are doing from a storytelling point of view, but from a logic point of view, it doesn’t work.  A few scenes are more violent than I feel like we really needed.

Most of my concerns from the early episode are addressed/resolved before the show is over, so keep watching and you will be rewarded.  And since it is only six episodes, you don’t have to invest too much time and effort before you are rewarded.

I’m glad I was patient with Moon Knight.  It’s a wild, crazy, trippy ride that is ultimately rewarding.

May 11th's Can't Wait Wednesday

 We are midway through the week, so it must be time for Can't Wait Wednesday.  And we definitely have a book that I can't wait to read this week.

I'm featuring Bayou Book Thief by Ellen Byron.

Ellen is an award-winning author, and if you are familiar with her books, you know the awards are well deserved.  This is the first in a new series set in New Orleans.  Here's the official teaser:

Twenty-eight-year-old widow Ricki James leaves Los Angeles to start a new life in New Orleans after her showboating actor husband perishes doing a stupid internet stunt. The Big Easy is where she was born and adopted by the NICU nurse who cared for her after Ricki’s teen mother disappeared from the hospital.

Ricki’s dream comes true when she joins the quirky staff of Bon Vee Culinary House Museum, the spectacular former Garden District home of late bon vivant Genevieve “Vee” Charbonnet, the city’s legendary restauranteur. Ricki is excited about turning her avocation – collecting vintage cookbooks – into a vocation by launching the museum’s gift shop, Miss Vee’s Vintage Cookbooks and Kitchenware. Then she discovers that a box of donated vintage cookbooks contains the body of a cantankerous Bon Vee employee who was fired after being exposed as a book thief.

The skills Ricki has developed ferreting out hidden vintage treasures come in handy for investigations. But both her business and Bon Vee could wind up as deadstock when Ricki’s past as curator of a billionaire’s first edition collection comes back to haunt her.

Will Miss Vee’s Vintage Cookbooks and Kitchenware be a success … or a recipe for disaster?

The book comes out June 7th, but I've got an eARC already and I will be reading it in the next couple of weeks.  I'm looking forward to meeting this new cast of characters and finding out what they get up to here.

Have a great rest of your week.

Book Review: The Shadow of Memory by Connie Berry (Kate Hamilton Mysteries #4)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Strong main characters; puzzling, well-plotted mystery

Cons: My memory doesn’t recall any cons

The Bottom Line:

Case with ties to past

Lots of threads to unravel

Engrossing story

Is a Cold Case Leading to Modern Murders?

I’ve been looking forward to The Shadow of Memory by Connie Berry for a while.  I’ve enjoyed the first three books in her Kate Hamilton Mysteries, so I figured this one would be great as well.  I wasn’t disappointed.

It’s late summer, and Kate Hamilton should be planning her upcoming wedding to Detective Inspector Tom Mallory.  However, the two of them are having a hard time making decisions about where they will live after they get married.

Fortunately, Kate’s work with fellow antiques dealer Ivor Tweedy has landed her a distracting assignment.  They’ve been asked to handle the auction for some antiques that the former Netherfield Sanatorium is looking to sell to help finance the conversion of the property into luxury townhomes.  The highlight is a painting that should fetch millions.  However, Kate thinks something might be off about it.

Then there’s the murder that has taken place back in Long Barston, where Kate is living.  The victim is a retired criminal inspector.  He was also the first boyfriend of Kate’s friend Vivian Bunn.  Vivian hadn’t seen Will in decades.  Learning of his death reminds Vivian of the week they’d spent together poking around an old house where two deaths had taken place – a house with connections to the Netherfield Sanatorium.  The more Kate learns, the more she can’t help but wonder if everything is connected.  Can she figure out what is happening?

If this sounds like there is a lot going on here, that’s because there is.  But don’t worry, the story expertly weaves all these various plot threads together into a satisfying whole.  Even with a story that spans decades between what happened in the past and what is going on today, I was never lost about what was happening and who the players were.  It helps that we don’t have flashbacks but instead the story of what happened in the past as Vivian and others remember it now.

While there is a who done it element to the plot, there is so much more to the story.  And yet, even with all the pieces we are getting to various puzzles, nothing is dropped along the way.  Everything is accounted for when we turn the last page.

The book takes place in the Suffolk region of England, and the countryside is brought to life perfectly.  I felt like I was right there with Kate as she worked to figure out what was going on.

Kate and the other returning characters are strong.  We continue to see growth in them and their relationships.  The new characters are as strong as they need to be to make the plot work.  We don’t see as much of some of them as others, but everyone feels real and feels like they could be a key to the story.

Yes, this is a cozy, but this is a more serious cozy than some of the books I read.  The more serious story and the cozy elements are blended together perfectly.

Life got in the way of my reading time when I was working on this book, and that was a frustration for me.  I wanted to keep reading and find out what was going to happen next.

The Shadow of Memory is another strong enjoy in a great series.  Kate Hamilton fans will be glad they picked up this book.  If you have missed this series, do yourself a favor and pick up a book in the series today.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Kate Hamilton Mysteries.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

Ornament Review: Book Lover Belle - 2021 Hallmark Release

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Fun pose with a great message

Cons: None worth dwelling on

The Bottom Line:

As Belle strikes a pose

She reminds us not to judge

Book lovers will love

This Book Lover Had to Get Book Lover Belle

I’ve long said that Belle is my favorite Disney princess, and I have the ornaments to back that up.  Seriously, I have significantly more of her than any other princess.  So I wasn’t going to buy 2021’s Book Lover Belle.  However, when I found it on sale after Christmas, I just couldn’t pass it up.

This ornament features Belle in her yellow dress.  She has a book in one hand, and both hands are on her waist.  Across the front of her dress is written “Never judge a book by its cover.”  With the tilt of her head and the expression on her face, it almost looks like she is in the process of reminding someone that they shouldn’t be judging.

It’s that look that makes me really love it.  I can almost hear her saying, “Really?  You should know better than to judge on appearance.”  And that’s a great saying for Belle in general since it is the entire theme of the movie summed up in a book cliché.

Belle has one foot sticking down below her dress enough to be seen.  It helps convey the attitude I was talking about earlier.  It also helps her balance.  The ornament isn’t completely stable, but it is stable enough that I wouldn’t worry about setting it out most places.

The ornament is slightly crooked when you set it down.  It’s not super noticeable.  In fact, I hadn’t really noticed it until I put the hook in the loop on Belle’s head and watched the ornament straighten up.  It definitely hangs straight, which is the most important thing for an ornament, right?

Yes, I’m glad I wound up with Book Lover Belle.  With a great message and a fun pose, what book lover could resist?

Disney Pin Review: Stitch Crashes Peter Pan - Stitch Crashes Disney #11

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Stitch and Peter Pan are a great mix

Cons: You’ll be green if you miss this one

The Bottom Line:

Stitch doesn’t grow up

A great mix with Peter Pan

Fans will enjoy pin

Stitch Flies into His Latest Disney Film

I’ve always loved Peter Pan, so I was excited to see that one of Stitch’s stops as he went about crashing Disney movies was that movie.  Not surprisingly, I like the results.

For this pin, Stitch has turned green.  Despite what I said in early for this pin series about some of the color choices not working, I feel this one does.  Then again, I love green, so that’s no real surprise.  Stitch is sitting looking at us with his mouth opened in what passes for a grin from him.  You can see little sparkles of pixie dust in his ears, and there’s a silhouette of Tinker Bell in his left ear.  Looking at his body, you’ll find that it looks a bit like a map of Neverland.  And you’ll find Peter Pan’s shadow in his body as well.  Stitch also has clear fairy wings attached to him.  I love that touch.

As always, the card the pin comes on is getting into the act.  Behind Stitch, we see Neverland as it first appears when Peter and the Darling children fly toward it.  At the bottom of the card there are clouds, which really help with that feeling.

As I said earlier, I really do like this pin.  It’s the little touches that appeal to me, and I think they will to any fan of the movie.

We’ve had to be patient to get these final few pins in the series.  It’s nice to finally have Stitch’s visit to Peter Pan.