6:45PM? Feel like it's 10PM!

The end of daylight savings time. Blah. 

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Oh good- it's not just me. 😏

Other than feeling like it's hours later than it really is, let's see what else is going on around here.

• It's been "warm" for November in New England (in the 50's!), so John and I were able to get out yesterday and take a walk on a local rail trail. We walked to the Merrimack River and sat on a bench and just took in the scenery. It was beautiful.

• I've gone to Pilates three weeks in a row, which for me is good! The class is early Monday evening, which can sometimes be tough. Mondays are always crazy at work, but I've made it a priority to go.

• John and I always have trouble finding a TV series that we're both interested in watching. I found this list of the 18 best Netflix Original Series and we made a list of seven that we were interested in trying. When we sat down last night to actually watch, we determined that two I wasn't really that interested in, one was totally hokey, and one was meh. So, yeah- we'll give the others a shot, but it's back to the drawing board. (Suggestions? Throw them out!)

• I've tracked all my meals on WW (Weight Watchers) for the past week and did it sporadically prior to that. The scale shows it's working. 

• The six month anniversary of my Dad's passing is coming up this week. Some days it seems like it happened yesterday and some days it seems like it's been longer. Grief is weird.

Since it's only 6:45 🙄, I'll try to catch up on some book reviews- plenty of time!

BOOK REVIEWS 2021

Book #49: So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Aluo

Summary: The book is about race in the contemporary United States, each chapter titled after a question. Oluo makes the argument that America's political, economic and social systems are systematically/institutionally racist. The book provides advice for readers when discussing race-related subjects, such as how to avoid acting defensive or getting off-topic. Statistics are used to support the book's arguments. Oluo also describes her upbringing and experience living in Seattle, Washington. She was raised by a white single mother and became a single mother herself to two mixed-race sons at a young age.

Rating: A-. I found this book to be informative and definitely worth a read. (Admittedly, I am very behind on reviews and I read this one a while ago, so my in-depth impressions have gone out of my mind...lol. This will be applicable for the next set of reviews, as well. 😀)

Book #50: The Bombay Prince by Sujata Massey

Summary: Bombay’s first female lawyer, Perveen Mistry, is compelled to bring justice to the family of a murdered female Parsi student just as Bombay’s streets erupt in riots to protest British colonial rule. Sujata Massey is back with this third installment of the series set in 1920s Bombay.

Rating: A-. I've really enjoyed this series. I love that Perveen is blazing a trail as Bombay's first female lawyer and breaking down barriers. The time period and setting are fascinating.

Book #51: Who Moved My Goat Cheese by Lynn Cahoon

Summary: Angie Turner is back in her hometown of River Vista, Idaho, ready to open her own farm-to-table restaurant. Together with her friend and business partner Felicia, Angie is lining up vendors from local farmer’s markets to Old Man Moss’s goat dairy farm. Not everyone in the Boise suburb is keen on having a fancy new eatery in town. But the cantankerous Moss takes a shine to Angie, as does his kid goat Precious. When Angie hears the shocking news that Moss has been killed, she jumps in to mind the man's livestock—and help solve him murder. Now with her grand opening just days away, Angie has grave reservations about her new neighbors. But one thing's for sure, Angie's not about to let some killer get her goat.

Rating: A-. This was a fun/light cozy mystery and I will definitely be reading the next one in the series.

Book #52: What's Mine and Yours by Naima Coster

Summary: When a county initiative in the Piedmont of North Carolina forces the students at a mostly black public school on the east side to move across town to a nearly all-white high school on the west, the community rises in outrage. For two students, quiet and aloof Gee and headstrong Noelle, these divisions will extend far beyond their schooling. As their paths collide and overlap over the course of thirty years, their two seemingly disconnected families begin to form deeply knotted, messy ties that shape the trajectory of their lives. On one side of the school integration debate is Jade, Gee's steely, single, black mother, grieving for her murdered partner, and determined for her son to have the best chance at a better life. On the other, is Noelle's enterprising mother, Lacey May, who refuses to see her half-Latina daughters as anything but white. The choices these mothers make will resound for years to come. And twenty years later, when Lacey's daughters return home to visit her in hospital, they're forced to confront the ways their parents' decisions continue to affect the life they live and the people they love.

Rating: B+. The premise was good and I liked it, but I wish I'd liked it more.

Book #53: Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia

Summary: Harlem, 1926. Young Black women like Louise Lloyd are ending up dead. Following a harrowing kidnapping ordeal when she was in her teens, Louise is doing everything she can to maintain a normal life. She’s succeeding, too. She spends her days working at Maggie’s Café and her nights at the Zodiac, Harlem’s hottest speakeasy. Louise’s friends, especially her girlfriend, Rosa Maria Moreno, might say she’s running from her past and the notoriety that still stalks her, but don’t tell her that. When a girl turns up dead in front of the café, Louise is forced to confront something she’s been trying to ignore—two other local Black girls have been murdered in the past few weeks. After an altercation with a police officer gets her arrested, Louise is given an ultimatum: She can either help solve the case or wind up in a jail cell. Louise has no choice but to investigate and soon finds herself toe-to-toe with a murderous mastermind hell-bent on taking more lives, maybe even her own....

Rating: B+. A decent start for this new series. This is a period in history that I've always been interested in, so hoping the series continues.

October is Slipping Away...

 ...and before it does, I want to take the opportunity to do something I haven't done previously.

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October is indeed Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In my opinion, every month should be Breast Cancer Awareness Month, or just Cancer Awareness Month, in general.

While I've been affected by breast cancer, I've never felt the need to raise funds for research or promote awareness. What's different this year is my father's passing. He passed away from bile duct cancer, a fairly rare cancer with no warning signs/no preventative measures.

I started thinking about this and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I don't want to lose anyone else from a cancer that can be prevented or caught early enough to mitigate.

I said I'd personally been affected by breast cancer. My maternal grandmother passed away from breast cancer in 1982 at the age of 57. I was young so I don't have all the details, but from what I know/heard, she knew she had a lump but was scared to go to the doctor, so by the time she did, it was too late to treat her. I don't know if she got annual mammograms, but if I had to guess, I'd say she didn't.

It was the 1980's, so I don't know how robust treatment was then, but I'd like to believe that had she gotten mammograms or gone to the doctor as soon as she realized she had a lump, her life would have been prolonged. 

My mom had breast cancer. She did get mammograms yearly and was lucky to catch it early. In 2008 or 9, she had a lumpectomy, they couldn't get clean margins, so she had a mastectomy. Four years later, she had a lump in the other breast and had that breast removed. Today she's cancer-free.

In 2016, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I had said to John occasionally, "I know I'll get breast cancer, it's just a matter of when." I got mammograms annually and due to having dense breast tissue and my family history, it was recommended I go to the Breast Cancer affiliated with my local hospital. I remember asking my primary care doctor if she though I should go. She said, "It never hurts to have another set of eyes." I am glad I listened.

I went to the Breast Center and it was decided that again, due to family history, I should be watched more closely. The plan was that I would get checked every six months- alternating between a mammogram and a breast MRI.

The breast MRI I had in late December 2015 showed very early stage ductal carcinoma. A few months later I had a lumpectomy and a sentinel node biopsy. They got clean margins and the cancer was not in my lymph nodes. Hallelujah. I followed up with radiation. I am cancer-free.

So, please get an annual mammogram. (The 30 seconds of squeezing is minimal!) 

If you are recommended to go to a breast center, please go.

If they want you to have breast MRIs, please do. 

Early detection is key here. 

Cancer is scary, but you have the power to make it less scary by being proactive and getting screened.

Thank you for "listening."

Sucked Into the Depressing News Rabbit Hole

 

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I do not watch the news on a regular basis, however, if a "train wreck"-type story pops up (which it often does), I get sucked in. I want to know everything I possibly can about the story. I often let myself be consumed by the hunt to find details, digest them, and then speculate, speculate, speculate. It can be mentally exhausting. I liken it to how I feel after watching an Intervention marathon. Major downer! 

The latest I am trying to distance myself from is the Murdaugh saga.

OK- this is just plain nuts. I first heard about it on an Instagram story for someone I follow (a "guilty pleasure" kind of follow, so I think I'll omit her identity...LOL). I heard Southern wealthy family mixed up in/with a handful of murders.

I then took off to find information. The Murdaughs have been influential in the judicial system in the Lowcountry of South Carolina for over 75 years. They run one of the most powerful law firms in Hampton County. In June, Maggie Murdaugh and her son Paul (22) were shot to death. Found at the family's hunting property (that should clearly indicate how much money we're talking here...) by Alex Murdaugh, Maggie's husband/Paul's father. Just last week, Alex Murdaugh was shot in the head- at first he claimed someone tried to murder him. He then recanted and admitted he hired someone to shoot and kill him so his other son (Buster) would get a $10 million insurance policy. Say what???? (Oh and he said he has an opioid addiction, thus causing this crazy action.)

Oh, it gets weirder. In 2019, Paul Murdaugh, his girlfriend, and two other couples were heavily intoxicated and riding in Alex's boat. Paul proceeded to crash the boat. One girl did not emerge from the water and her body was found a week later. Alex went from hospital room to hospital room telling the young adults not to talk to anyone about the accident and he'd "take care of it." Paul was scheduled to be arraigned for BUI charges just a short time after he was shot.

But wait...there's more. In 2015, a young man was allegedly killed in a hit and run on a rural road in South Carolina. Evidence points to this not being a hit and run. Multiple people interviewed by law enforcement indicated that they'd heard that Buster Murdaugh was involved. There are no records indicating that he was ever interviewed.

Lastly, in 2018, the Murdaugh's long-time housekeeper died in an alleged trip and fall accident. However, her death certificate indicates she died of "natural causes." There are rumors that Paul Murdaugh had something to do with her death.

Yeah, so totally Crazytown. Further proof that all the money and power in the world cannot buy you brains, morality, common sense, etc. etc.

One last thing- IF you are prepared to get sucked down the rabbit hole, check out Mandy Matney's podcast, Murdaugh Murders Podcast. She's a SC reporter that's been covering the Murdaugh family for over two years.

BOOK REVIEWS 2021

Book #44: The Versions of Us by Laura Barnett

Summary: Eva and Jim are nineteen, and students at Cambridge, when their paths first cross in 1958. Jim is walking along a lane when a woman approaching him on a bicycle swerves to avoid a dog. What happens next will determine the rest of their lives. We follow three different versions of their future - together, and apart - as their love story takes on different incarnations and twists and turns to the conclusion in the present day.

Rating: C+. Meh. The premise is a good one but the back and forth in time and the interweaving of multiple characters made it hard for me to follow and enjoy.

Book #45: Death du Jour by Lou Jane Temple

Summary: Fanny Delarue is a young cook for a wealthy family in the Place Royale. In her heart, she is keeping two fires burning-for food, and for her head chef, Henri. Together they feed the household, above stairs and below, and take lessons from Henri's mentor, Etienne de la Porte, chef to a neighboring household. Tempers flare and nerves are strained, until one day, Etienne is found dead under suspicious circumstances. The Place Royale is in tumult, and Fanny must solve the crime before the flames converge on her hopes for her own future.

Rating: C. Double meh. This is the second in Temple's Spice Box mystery series. It will be my last.

Book #46: My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman

Summary: The story takes place in Sweden and follows Elsa, a 7-year-old who knows she is different from other children her age. Elsa has a habit of correcting others' grammar, she is smart for her age, and is especially close with her grandmother (Granny). When Granny dies, Elsa slowly discovers more about her grandmother's past identities, as well as the lives of people affected by her grandmother.

Rating: A-. I've read other books by Backman and really enjoyed them, but for whatever reason had not picked this one up. My friend Andrea mentioned how two of her friends read it and had completely opposite reactions to it. This intrigued me. Of course, I saw her in person not that long ago and she asked me what I thought. Do you think I could remember? No. In writing this, I do remember enjoying it. Backman has a "unique" way of storytelling and I think you like it or you don't. There was also an element of repetition in this book and I could see how it might wear the reader down. But, don't let me sway you- read it and form an opinion on your own!

Book #47: Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano

Summary: Finlay Donovan is killing it . . . except, she’s really not. She’s a stressed-out single-mom of two and struggling novelist, Finlay’s life is in chaos: the new book she promised her literary agent isn’t written, her ex-husband fired the nanny without telling her, and this morning she had to send her four-year-old to school with hair duct-taped to her head after an incident with scissors. When Finlay is overheard discussing the plot of her new suspense novel with her agent over lunch, she’s mistaken for a contract killer, and inadvertently accepts an offer to dispose of a problem husband in order to make ends meet . . . Soon, Finlay discovers that crime in real life is a lot more difficult than its fictional counterpart, as she becomes tangled in a real-life murder investigation.

Rating: C+. This book had potential to be hilarious. Great premise, just too much. Too many unbelievable mishaps and coincidences. 

Book #48: The Sixty-Eight Rooms by Marianne Malone

Summary: Almost everybody who has grown up in Chicago knows about the Thorne Rooms. Housed in the Children’s Galleries of the Chicago Art Institute, they are a collection of 68 exquisitely crafted miniature rooms made in the 1930s by Mrs. James Ward Thorne. Each of the 68 rooms is designed in the style of a different historic period, and every detail is perfect, from the knobs on the doors to the candles in the candlesticks. Some might even say, the rooms are magic. Imagine—what if you discovered a key that allowed you to shrink so that you were small enough to sneak inside and explore the rooms’ secrets? What if you discovered that others had done so before you? And that someone had left something important behind?

Rating: B+. In case you couldn't tell from the summary, this is a children's book. I have a thing for dollhouses and I recently read something from the New York Public Library that listed books featuring dollhouses in their storylines. I decided to give this a shot. It was pretty darn good. This is a series and I plan to read the next one.

Under the Boardwalk...We'll Be Havin' Some Fun

We are back from our (sort of) annual vacation to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware! We've been going for ~10 years, with hiatuses for a wedding in Aruba, a cancer battle, and COVID. (We didn't have COVID [thankfully, ::knocking on wood::], but didn't go last year due to quarantine.)

It was great to be back (although certainly a different experience from years past). The one constant is the boardwalk. It's a great place to do a brisk two mile morning walk when the beach is not yet crowded or take a stroll early evening when the sun is setting. It's also beautiful at night- especially when there is a concert at the bandstand and the moon is shining down on the beach.

There were not nearly as many people as in years past, but it was still crowded (neither of us had been around this many people & although the crowds were mostly outside, we wore masks.) Many restaurants & shops had limited hours due to lack of help and we also found that quality of food/drink was diminished from previous years. 

However, we expected this to some degree and enjoyed our time away from home/work. We also got to stop in Washington, DC on our way home and visit with little John and our friend Andrea. Yay!

Time to get back to business, however. I am 17 (eek!) books behind on my reviews. I'll do a handful here and hope I can catch up in short order.

BOOK REVIEWS 2021

Book #39: Motif for Murder by Laura Childs

Summary: As a memorial to the late Uncle Henry, Carmela puts together a sentimental scrapbook of memories and keepsakes. What she doesn't realize is that her altered book holds clues that could identify the fiend behind the kidnapping and killing. And when the murderer finds out that she may be on to him, he's going to try to close the book on Carmela once and for all.

Rating: A-. This is the fourth in Childs' scrapbooking mystery series. I really enjoy the New Orleans setting and the creative ideas shared in Carmela's shop.

Book #40: Our Woman in Moscow by Beatriz Williams

Summary: In 1948, Iris Digby vanishes from her London home with her American diplomat husband and their two children. Four years later, Ruth Macallister receives a postcard from the estranged twin sister she hasn’t seen since 1940. Since that one catastrophic summer in Rome, as war was engulfing Europe and Iris was falling desperately in love... Within days, Ruth is on her way to Moscow, posing as the wife of Agent Fox in a precarious plot to extract her sister from behind the Iron Curtain. But the truth behind Iris’s marriage threatens to unravel everything, and as the sisters race to safety, a dogged Soviet KGB officer forces them to make a heartbreaking choice...

Rating: B. I had higher hopes for this book. I've thoroughly enjoyed many of Williams' previous books but this one didn't have the spark that took me in like the other ones.

Book #41: Being Heumann by Judy Heumann

Summary: Paralyzed from polio at eighteen months, Judy Heumann began her struggle for equality early in life. From fighting to attend grade school after being described as a "fire hazard" to later winning a lawsuit against the New York City school system for denying her a teacher's license, to leading the section 504 sit-in that led to the creation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Judy's actions set a precedent that fundamentally improved rights for disabled people around the globe.

Rating: B-. Another book that I had higher hopes for. I previously worked at a non-profit that educated parents of children with disabilities about their rights, relative laws, advocacy, etc... I met Judy at a conference I attended and knew her influence on the disability rights movement, so was eager to read this memoir. I felt that this was a case where there was a good story to tell but the voice/pen telling the story was not strong, clear or fluid (if that makes any sense.)

Book #42: The Paper Bark Tree Mystery by Ovidia Yu

Summary: Su Lin is doing her dream job: assistant at Singapore's brand new detective agency. Until Bald Bernie decides a 'local girl' can't be trusted with private investigations, and replaces her with a new secretary - pretty, privileged, and white. So Su Lin's not the only person finding it hard to mourn Bernie after he's found dead in the filing room. And when her best friend's dad is accused, she gets up to some sleuthing work of her own in a bid to clear his name.

Rating: B. This is the third book in Yu's Su Lin series. I appreciate Ovidia Yu's main character being a person with a disability defying the odds.

Book #43: You're Leaving When? by Annabelle Gurwitch

Summary: In these essays, Gurwitch embraces homesharing, welcoming a housing-insecure young couple and a bunny rabbit into her home. The mother of a college student in recovery who sheds the gender binary, she relearns to parent, one pronoun at a time. She wades into the dating pool in a Miss Havisham-inspired line of lingerie and flunks the magic of tidying up.

Rating: B-. I generally don't like books of essays and admittedly I don't think I knew this was that before I started reading it. However, it seemed to flow more easily than a book of choppy/random essays. I found this book pretty funny, but not hysterical. If your child has just left the nest, you might enjoy it.

What the Heck(s)?

I drafted this post quite some time ago (as in at least three YEARS ago). Yes, you read that correctly, but I'm making a concerted effort to post any & all drafts (hey- they were a good idea for a post at one time!)

I was going to sing the praises of the TV show, The Middle.

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Well, in the time that's passed since I started the post, the show went downhill. Went down the crapper. Jumped the shark. (And if you don't know the origin of that last phrase- check out the Wikipedia entry. Very interesting.)

I'm trying not to let the last season and a half (or so) of crap ruin the first six to seven seasons because they were good. Real good.

To be honest, I've had a tumultuous relationship with the show since the very beginning. A few people recommended that I watch it- my boss, John's coworker. So, I decided to give it a try.

I didn't like it.

I didn't think it was funny.

I just thought it was weird.

Some time went by and I was feeling generous (and maybe desperate for TV shows to watch), so I decided to give it a second try. I stuck with it and it grew on me.

I liked it. Then I LOVED it!

In 2016, for my birthday, John got me the first five seasons on DVD.

We binge watched them together and really enjoyed them.

So much so that I laughed so hard during one episode that I peed my pants!

The episode is The Safe. It's from Season 4.

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It's physical comedy- in trying to open the safe, Brick & Sue catapult it through the bedroom wall into the room next door leaving a gaping hole in the wall. (Which comes up throughout the rest of the series.) I don't know why, but every time I watch this episode, I laugh hysterically.

I've thought about going back and giving the last season and a half another shot, but it's not high on my list. I felt like the ending was a Three's Company episode on steroids. (If that makes any sense.) Too MUCH slapdash comedy and too much "oh, person A is the secret admirer but episode after episode, something happens to make it seem like person B is the secret admirer." I can only take so much of that and I felt like it was coloring my opinion of the series.

Have you watched The Middle? If yes, what is your favorite episode? What did you think of the last few seasons?

Before I get to the book reviews, I feel like the next book in line deserves to be promoted to the "main post." It's the third A+ book of the year for me so far, but if I could (which I can!), I'd give it an A++.

Book #34: The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

Summary: 1940. As England prepares to fight the Nazis, three very different women answer the call to mysterious country estate Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes. Vivacious debutante Osla is the girl who has everything—beauty, wealth, and the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses—but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, and puts her fluent German to use as a translator of decoded enemy secrets. Imperious self-made Mab, product of east-end London poverty, works the legendary codebreaking machines as she conceals old wounds and looks for a socially advantageous husband. Both Osla and Mab are quick to see the potential in local village spinster Beth, whose shyness conceals a brilliant facility with puzzles, and soon Beth spreads her wings as one of the Park’s few female cryptanalysts. But war, loss, and the impossible pressure of secrecy will tear the three apart.

Rating: A++. This is 600+ pages of GREATNESS. When I first got it from the library, I thought- ugh- 600+ pages? There will have to be a point in this book where it will hit a lull or I'll wish it was ending. NOPE. The premise of this book is captivating and each female character is amazing in her own right. (Power to the women!) If you read any book this year, I recommend reading this. 

BOOK REVIEWS 2021

Book #35: Cruising Attitude by Heather Poole

Summary: Real-life flight attendant Heather Poole has written an insider’s account of life and work in the not-always-friendly skies. Cruising Attitude is a Coffee, Tea, or Me? for the 21st century, as the author parlays her fifteen years of flight experience into a delightful account of crazy airline passengers and crew drama, of overcrowded crashpads in “Crew Gardens” Queens and finding love at 35,000 feet. Poole not only shares great stories, but also explains the ins and outs of flying, as seen from the flight attendant’s jump seat.

Rating: B-. I saw a snippet in Parade magazine about this title, so thought I'd give it a shot. It was meh. Some of the inner workings of being employed by an airline were interesting, but I found the memoir part just OK. (I really need to drop the memoirs...)

Book #36: A Death of No Importance by Mariah Fredericks

Summary: The woman no one sees, but who witnesses everything, is the ideal person to solve a murder... Invisible until she's needed, Jane Prescott has perfected the art of serving as a lady’s maid to Manhattan's elite. Jane takes up a position with the Benchley family – a family of ‘new money’– who cause outrage when their daughter Charlotte becomes engaged to notorious playboy Norrie, the son of the eminent Newsome family. When Norrie Newsome is found murdered at a party, Jane realises she is uniquely positioned to solve the crime with her access behind the scenes of high society. Many people held grudges against Norrie, and Jane knows that amongst both the upper classes and the city's underbelly, morals can become cheap in the wrong hands. As scandal and violence simmer beneath the surface of New York, can Jane solve the mystery that threatens to result in more deaths?

Rating: B. This is the first in Fredericks' Jane Prescott series. Set in NYC in 1910, this seems like it will be a good series. (I'm a sucker for a historical mystery). 

Book #37: Lowcountry Bombshell by Susan Boyer

Summary: Liz Talbot thinks she’s seen another ghost when she meets Calista McQueen. She’s the spitting image of Marilyn Monroe. Born precisely fifty years after the ill-fated star, Calista’s life has eerily mirrored the late starlet’s—and she fears the looming anniversary of Marilyn’s death will also be hers. Before Liz can open a case file, Calista’s life coach is executed. Suspicious characters swarm around Calista like mosquitoes on a sultry lowcountry evening: her certifiable mother, a fake aunt, her control-freak psychoanalyst, a private yoga instructor, her peculiar housekeeper, and an obsessed ex-husband. Liz digs in to find a motive for murder, but she’s besieged with distractions. Her ex has marriage and babies on his mind. Her too-sexy partner engages in a campaign of repeat seduction. Mamma needs help with Daddy’s devotion to bad habits. And a gang of wild hogs is running loose on Stella Maris. With the heat index approaching triple digits, Liz races to uncover a diabolical murder plot in time to save not only Calista’s life, but also her own.

Rating: B. This is the second in the Liz Talbot "Lowcountry" mystery series. The first one was a tad odd, but I thought I'd give the second one a shot. The whole Marilyn Monroe doppelganger theme was a step further down the weird path. If you like kooky, this series is for you.

Book #38: Black Widows by Cate Quinn

Summary: Blake Nelson moved into a hidden stretch of land - a raw paradise in the wilds of Utah - where he lived with his three wives:

• Rachel, the chief wife, obedient and doting to a fault.
• Tina, the other wife, who's everything Rachel isn't.
• And Emily, the youngest wife, who knows almost nothing else.

When their husband is found dead under the desert sun, the questions pile up. What are these women to each other now that their husband is dead? Will the police uncover the secrets each woman has spent her life hiding? And is one of them capable of murder...?

Rating: D+. Yes, I read two books by an author named C/Kate Quinn fairly close to one another. This author should NOT be confused with the Kate Quinn I sing the praises of above. This book was just plain odd. Steer clear.

I Have Questions...Lots of Questions (And Maybe Some Answers)

Let's jump right in, shall we? Some are rhetorical and some are legitimate.

• Why is Anna Duggar having a SEVENTH child?
• Admittedly I stalk her on IG. That whole family is a train wreck and I can't look away. I wish I had. Seven kids with pedophile...good idea! 

• Why do major league baseball games take 3+ hours to play?
• I thought they were trying to make these games go faster? No?

• Why in 2021 are some cancers still uncurable?
• Ugh.

• Why does my neighbor insist on revving his Mini Cooper whenever he drives away or drives into his driveway?
• Drives John crazy when I complain about this.😅

• Why did I think it was OK in my teen years to buy cute shoes...even if they only had them in a 1/2 size too small for me? (Had two podiatrist appointments already; bunion it is!)
• I'm thinking specifically of a pair of purple "velvet" shoes with pointy toes and tassels that came from Fayva (who remembers Fayva?) I take an 8. They only had 7 1/2. Sold! I'm paying for that now.

• Why did Secret discontinue the deodorant I've been using for YEARS?
• While I wanted to switch to a deodorant without aluminum, I wanted to do it on my own terms- not be forced into it.
• Have you tried Schmidt's? I tried using the Bergamot & Lime. I love the way it smells but it irritated my skin. (That was the stick. They have a cream, which I may try.)

• Why are newscasters insensitive/clueless when doing stories about people with disabilities?
• A story I saw on the local news the other night started with the newscaster saying, "So & so lives with Down syndrome..." Um, it's not a disease. I know I am extra sensitive about this topic, but I cringed big time when I heard that.

• Why are tray tables so stinking expensive?
• We've had our wood tray tables for years and they're starting to break down/get crappy. I did some Googling and say what? Over $100 for tray tables? Nope- you can hold your food in your lap!

• Why did the store that's less than two miles away from my house stop carrying my favorite wine?
• This is it, in case you were wondering- Toad Hollow Rose. 
• The "Wine Locator" says the store has it, but I think that's a big fat lie.

• Why does it take me months to publish a blog post?
• I started this post on 4/27 and am just publishing it now. 
• I thought about finishing and publishing the post I started about our master bath reno (you know, the one that happened two-ish years ago? 🙄), but thought that could simmer just a little longer.

I hope you've had a great 4th of July! Rainy and gray here in New England, so we laid low and John made chili in the Crockpot. (He makes a really basic recipe, which you can find here, but it's delish!)

I Want Claire Foy Back As the Queen!

 

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We started watching Netflix's The Crown a few weeks ago (I know, I know...so late to that party). At first I had mixed feelings- somewhat slow & dark setting (reminded me of the movie Lincoln, which was a two-hour nap for me).

However, over time the show really grew on me. 

Claire Foy WAS the Queen.

Vanessa Kirby WAS Margaret.

Matt Smith WAS Philip.

And then? The rug was pulled out from under me. 

Season three is a completely new cast. It's like a brand new show. While we've only watched the first episode of the season, I'm not feeling it. 

I had a similar feeling when the character Linda was cut out of the TV drama Blue Bloods. Different in that no one replaced her, but that same annoyed feeling. Needless to say that I basically boycotted Blue Bloods from that point on.. (And it wasn't the show's fault, either, according to what I read. The actress that played Linda wanted to leave. So, I probably shouldn't have taken my annoyance out with her on the whole show.)

I will soldier on with The Crown, however. My sister-in-law said she felt the same but after a few more episodes it was like Claire Foy didn't even exist.

We'll see!

BOOK REVIEWS 2021

Book #30: A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley

Summary: In the hamlet of Bishop’s Lacey, the insidiously clever and unflappable eleven-year-old sleuth Flavia de Luce had asked a Gypsy woman to tell her fortune—never expecting to later stumble across the poor soul, bludgeoned almost to death in the wee hours in her own caravan. Was this an act of retribution by those convinced that the soothsayer abducted a local child years ago? Certainly Flavia understands the bliss of settling scores; revenge is a delightful pastime when one has two odious older sisters. But how could this crime be connected to the missing baby? As the red herrings pile up, Flavia must sort through clues fishy and foul to untangle dark deeds and dangerous secrets.

Rating: A. This is the third book in the Flavia de Luce series. If it's possible, I love each book in the series a bit more than the last! If you're looking for a fun series- this is it.

Book #31: Good Harbor by Anita Diamant

Summary: Good Harbor is the long stretch of Cape Ann beach where two women friends walk and talk, sharing their personal histories and learning life's lessons from each other. Kathleen Levine, a longtime resident of Gloucester, Massachusetts, is maternal and steady, a devoted children's librarian, a convert to Judaism, and mother to two grown sons. When her serene life is thrown into turmoil by a diagnosis of breast cancer at fifty-nine, painful past secrets emerge and she desperately needs a friend. Forty-two-year-old Joyce Tabachnik is a sharp-witted freelance writer who is also at a fragile point in her life. She's come to Gloucester to follow her literary aspirations, but realizes that her husband and young daughter are becoming increasingly distant. Together, Kathleen and Joyce forge a once-in-a-lifetime bond and help each other to confront scars left by old emotional wounds.

Rating: C. This was a disappointment. I've loved Diamant's books and thought I'd like this one since I live a hop, skip & a jump from the real Good Harbor beach. It didn't draw me in and I found it to be just mediocre.

Book #32: Candy Cane Murder by Joanne Fluke

Summary: This collection of holiday whodunits, featuring more than fifteen delectable recipes, includes Joanne Fluke's Candy Cane Murder, in which bakery owner Hannah Swenson, while dressed as an elf, finds murder on the agenda at Lake Eden's annual Christmas gala. 

Rating: B+. This is the tenth book in Fluke's Hannah Swenson mystery series. Maybe I liked it because it was only a novella? 🤣 It was a short, fun little story of Christmas (in June.)

Book #33: Gone Baby Gone by Dennis Lehane

Summary: The tough neighborhood of Dorchester is no place for the innocent or the weak. A territory defined by hard heads and even harder luck, its streets are littered with the detritus of broken families, hearts, dreams. Now, one of its youngest is missing. Private investigators Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro don't want the case. But after pleas from the child's aunt, they open an investigation that will ultimately risk everything—their relationship, their sanity, and even their lives—to find a little girl lost.

Rating: C+. This is the fourth in Lehane's Kenzie/Gennaro mystery series. This series is somewhat more graphic/hardcore than the usual mysteries I read, but this one in particular was extremely graphic and disturbing, and not one of my favorites. (And I didn't see the movie, so I have nothing to compare it to.)

Closing in on 400

This is post 397 of my 13ish year old blog. There were times when I was gung ho and wrote almost 100 posts in a year and then there were years when I was in the single digits. I wish I had more discipline and wrote more frequently but I've come to accept that's just not the way it is for me. So, take the posts when you get them!

My employer gives two days off at the 4th of July holiday, so that makes for a lovely four day weekend! I plan to kick it off with a pedicure tomorrow, some errands, and perhaps taking a peek at a bedroom set that I've had my eyes on. The weather here in New England has been oppressive the past few days and we're in for a cooler weekend, which I'm ok with!

While the blog has my attention, I'll try to catch up on some book reviews, since I am SO far behind!

BOOK REVIEWS 2021

Book #25: Uncanny Valley by Anna Weiner

Summary: The book focuses on Wiener's transition from the publishing industry to a series of jobs at technology companies, and her gradual disillusionment with the technology industry. After switching between several companies, she finally settles on the open-source coding company GitHub as a customer service representative. Despite the demeaning nature of her work and the stressful nature of investigating potentially inflammatory or illegal posts on the site, she decides to remain due to the company's various perks, such as being able to work from home. Throughout the book, Wiener ruminates about the moral implications of data collection and manipulation amongst technology firms.

Rating: B. This was recommended to me by my friend Andrea and I'm glad I read it. I've been somewhat down on memoirs lately, but this was interesting. As someone who is a "non-tech" person working at a tech company, I could relate to some of the things that Wiener went through. It was a nice diversion from the books I usually read.

Book #26: The Garden Intrigue by Lauren Willig

Summary: Secret agent Augustus Whittlesby has spent a decade undercover in France, posing as an insufferably bad poet. The French surveillance officers can’t bear to read his work closely enough to recognize the information drowned in a sea of verbiage. New York-born Emma Morris Delagardie is a thorn in Augustus’s side. An old school friend of Napoleon’s stepdaughter, she came to France with her uncle, eloped with a Frenchman, and has been rattling around the salons of Paris ever since. Now widowed, she entertains herself by holding a weekly salon, and loudly critiquing Augustus’s poetry. As Napoleon pursues his plans for the invasion of England, Whittlesby hears of a top-secret device to be demonstrated at a house party. The catch? The only way in is with Emma, who has been asked to write a masque for the weekend’s entertainment. In this complicated masque within a masque, nothing goes quite as scripted—especially Augustus’s unexpected feelings for Emma.

Rating: C+. This is the ninth book in Willig's Secret Carnation historical fiction/mystery series. I generally enjoy the books but I found Whittlesby to be annoying.

Book #27: The Darling Dahlias & the Voodoo Lily by Susan Wittig Albert

Summary: Spring, 1935 finds the little Alabama town of Darling excited about their new local radio station, WDAR. But there are problems brewing at the newspaper, where a trio of new hires causes headaches for editor Charlie Dickens. ​That’s not the worst of it, though, as the Dahlias discover when the newest resident at Bessie Bloodworth’s Magnolia Manor is found dead. She had overindulged in a large and very rich chocolate cake—but was something else baked into that cake? If so, one of the Dahlias is likely to find herself at the top of Sheriff Buddy Norris’ suspect list. That would give Darling something to gossip about!

Rating: B. This is (coincidentally) the ninth book in the Darling Dahlias series. I love this era and the small town feel of Darling. The characters are whimsical and Wittig Albert is a great storyteller!

Book #28: Big Girl Small Town by Michelle Gallen

Summary: Majella is happiest out of the spotlight, away from her neighbors’ stares and the gossips of the small town in Northern Ireland where she grew up just after the Troubles. She lives a quiet life caring for her alcoholic mother, working in the local chip shop, watching the regular customers come and go. She wears the same clothes each day (overalls, too small), has the same dinner each night (fish and chips, microwaved at home after her shift ends), and binge-watches old DVDs of the same show (Dallas, best show on TV) from the comfort of her bed. But underneath Majella’s seemingly ordinary life are the facts that she doesn’t know where her father is and that every person in her town has been changed by the lingering divide between Protestants and Catholics. When Majella’s predictable existence is upended by the death of her granny, she comes to realize there may be more to life than the gossips of Aghybogey, the pub, and the chip shop. In fact, there just may be a whole big world outside her small town. 

Rating: D+. This is the first book in a long time that I seriously considered stopping reading. I got a few chapters in and I found it slow & dull. I forced myself to continue with a glimmering hope that it would get better (it didn't). I'm sad, because the story had possibilities but I really didn't like the way it was told/written.

Book #29: The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict

Summary: In December 1926, Agatha Christie goes missing. Investigators find her empty car on the edge of a deep, gloomy pond, the only clues some tire tracks nearby and a fur coat left in the car—strange for a frigid night. Her World War I veteran husband and her daughter have no knowledge of her whereabouts, and England unleashes an unprecedented manhunt to find the up-and-coming mystery author. Eleven days later, she reappears, just as mysteriously as she disappeared, claiming amnesia and providing no explanations for her time away. The puzzle of those missing eleven days has persisted. With her trademark historical fiction exploration into the shadows of the past, acclaimed author Marie Benedict brings us into the world of Agatha Christie, imagining why such a brilliant woman would find herself at the center of such murky historical mysteries. What is real, and what is mystery? What role did her unfaithful husband play, and what was he not telling investigators?

Rating: D. Two duds in a row! The sad part about this one is that I LOVED it up until the very end. I even recommended it to my cousin and then had to retract that recommendation. Talk about the most underwhelming ending...I can't think of a word other than "lame!"