Week 8 of 2021: Catching Up On Book Reviews

I have fallen behind already and it's only the eighth week of the year. Womp womp.

Before I dive into catching up on that, some GREAT news here. The built-ins are DONE! I will devote an entire post to them, as they deserve one (and more!) My husband is a genius, let's just say that. I can't wait to fill them up with books, photos, and knickknacks! 

BOOK REVIEWS 2021

Book #7: The Orchid Affair by Lauren Willig

Summary: Veteran governess Laura Grey joins the Selwick Spy School expecting to find elaborate disguises and thrilling adventures in service to the spy known as the Pink Carnation. She hardly expects her first assignment to be serving as governess for the children of André Jaouen, right-hand man to Bonaparte's minister of police. At first the job is as lively as Latin, but Laura begins to notice Jaouen's increasingly strange behavior. As Laura edges closer to her employer, she is surprised to learn that she has much in common with him. And Jaouen finds he's hired more than he's bargained for...

Rating: A. This is the eighth book in Willig's Pink Carnation historical fiction series and this was a GREAT one. I loved the Laura Grey character and following her through her first "spy" job.

Book #8: Mandarin Plaid by S.J. Rozan

Summary: It's a long way from the cramped, dreary sweatshops where Lydia Chin's mother once sewed for the heady world of fashion. But in New York City, worlds collide. And a petite, Chinese-American P.I. can still rub shoulders with the rich, the poor, the beautiful, and the depraved. Elegant, porcelain-skinned Genna Jing is sure her latest designs are worth a fortune. That's why she is willing to pay the fifty grand being demanded by the person who stole her design book. But when Lydia--backed by her partner Bill Smith--makes the drop, everything goes wrong. Soon a simple case of high-fashion extortion leads Lydia and Bill from Chinatown to Park Avenue, and from murder to more money: a million dollars in exchange for a missing man's life...

Rating: B-. This is book three in Rozan's Lydia Chin/Bill Smith mystery series. While I've loved these characters in the previous two books, this was one was just average. However, I will keep pushing and read the next in the series.

Book #9: The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald

Summary: It all began with a correspondence between two quite different women: 28-year-old Sara from Haninge, Sweden, and 65-year-old Amy from the small town of Broken Wheel, Iowa. After years of exchanging books, letters and thoughts on the meaning of literature and life, Sara, mousy, disheveled, who has never been anywhere in her life--has really lived only for her work in a beloved bookshop, which has just closed its doors for the last time--bravely decides to accept her unknown friend's invitation to visit. But when she arrives, she finds her house empty, the funeral guests just heading home. . .

Rating: C-. I really enjoyed this book at the beginning. I loved the "pen pal" letters between Sara & Amy as they showed the progression of their friendship. However, once Sara got to Broken Wheel, the characters were a little too wacky for me.

Book #10: The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer

Summary: When Enola Holmes, sister to the detective Sherlock Holmes, discovers her mother has disappeared, she quickly embarks on a journey to London in search of her. But nothing can prepare her for what awaits. Because when she arrives, she finds herself involved in the kidnapping of a young marquess, fleeing murderous villains, and trying to elude her shrewd older brothers-all while attempting to piece together clues to her mother's strange disappearance. Amid all the mayhem, will Enola be able to decode the necessary clues and find her mother?

Rating: A. I LOVED this book almost as much as I loved the Netflix movie based on the book series. It's nice every once in a while to read a young adult book and escape "adult" fiction. The Enola Holmes character is already a favorite in my book.

Book #11: Lowcountry Boil by Susan M. Boyle

Summary: Investigator Liz Talbot is a modern Southern belle: she blesses hearts and takes names. She carries her Sig 9 in her Kate Spade handbag, and her golden retriever, Rhett, rides shotgun in her hybrid Escape. When her grandmother is murdered, Liz high-tails it back to her South Carolina island home to find the killer. She’s fit to be tied when her police-chief brother shuts her out of the investigation, so she opens her own. Then her long-dead best friend pops in and things really get complicated. 

Rating: B. This is the first in Boyer's Lowcountry mystery series. I liked getting to know Talbot and Boyer's (not so) subtle hints at Talbot's OCD. While it wasn't superb, I will give the second book in the series a try.

Book #12: Satapur Moonstone by Sujata Massey

Summary: India, 1922. A curse seems to have fallen upon the royal family of Satapur, a princely kingdom tucked away in the lush Sahyadari mountains, where both the maharaja and his teenage son have met with untimely deaths. The state is now ruled by an agent of the British Raj on behalf of Satapur's two maharanis, the dowager queen and her daughter-in-law. When a dispute arises between the royal ladies over the education of the young crown prince, a lawyer's counsel is required to settle the matter. Since the maharanis live in purdah, the one person who can help is Perveen Mistry, Bombay's only female lawyer. But Perveen arrives to find that the Satapur Palace is full of cold-blooded power play and ancient vendettas. Too late she realizes she has walked into a trap. But whose? And how can she protect the royal children from the palace's deadly curse?

Rating: A. This is a mystery series that I do in fact LOVE. Perveen Mistry, Bombay's first female lawyer in the 1920's is a GREAT character. Her budding relationship with Colin Sandringham in this installment brought a new dimension to her character. Can't wait for the next one!

Week 3 of 2021: A Picture-a-Day

Monday: It was MLK Day (no work), so John & I went for a walk in the afternoon. We walk by this each time we take a walk and each time, what do I think those grassy mops in the water look like?

Cousin Itt from the Addams Family!

Tuesday: Progress, progress, progress on the built in bookcases in our living room. I married a talented man!

Wednesday: While working on the built ins, John was watching the inauguration on his phone. There were a lot of great moments in the ceremony, but the poetry reading by Amanda Gorman, was amazing. It gave me great hope for the future.

Thursday: For the Boston Bruins home opener, the team honored a 40+ year season ticket holder who passed away from COVID-19 two weeks prior. The anthem was sung outside of his house with his family packed on his porch. A nice tribute.

Friday: Friday was a sing along kind of day. I went from Foreigner to Fleetwood Mac and then to the Pointer Sisters. Listening to this I was thrown back to junior high. We had a talent show and my friends & I did a routine to "I'm So Excited." The big controversy was that we wanted to throw glitter at the end and our principal was against it. Yeah, we went to Catholic school. Apparently glitter is sacrilegious. 😎

Saturday: Woke up to this. Even though it was only an inch or so, it was not welcome.

Sunday: The puzzle is DONE! This was one was tougher than it looks, but it was enjoyable.

BOOK REVIEWS 2021

Book #5: We Came Here to Shine by Susie Orman Schnall

Summary: Set at the iconic 1939 New York World’s Fair, Susie Orman Schnall's We Came Here to Shine is historical fiction featuring two bold and ambitious women who navigate a world of possibility and find out what they're truly made of during a glorious summer of spectacle and potential.

Rating: B+. I specifically gave a short summary to entice you. This is a fast/simple read but the backdrop of the 1939 World's Fair was fascinating- slighty more fascinating to me than the actual characters. It's a fun read.

Book #6: Dare to Lead by Brene Brown

Summary: The ultimate playbook for developing brave leaders and courageous cultures. Daring leadership is a collection of four skill sets that are 100% teachable. It’s learning and practice that requires brave work, tough conversations, and showing up with our whole hearts.

Rating: B-. Admittedly this was not a "for pleasure" read. My supervisor recommended it and I decided to give it a shot. Brown is hilarious and her wit and humor helped me to get through the book. Admittedly, I did take a lot of notes (stickies galore) and want to document them here:

• (page xviii): "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better." WOW- right off the bat this book was speaking to me & my personal experiences.
• (page 8): "Rather than spending a reasonable amount of time proactively acknowledging and addressing the fears and feelings that show up during change & upheaval, we spend an unreasonable amount of time managing problematic behaviors." This is cited as one of the 10 reasons that get in our way of leading bravely. Agree!
• (page 20): In relation to the first bullet above, Brown refers to critics as "cheap-seats feedback." She constantly reminds the reader to avoid the cheap-seats feedback. (I need to work on this!)
• (page 21): "Cruelty is cheap, easy, and chickenshit." Hilarious, but oh so true..
• (page 38): "What does support from me look like?" I really like the way this is framed and will try to use this going forward.
• (page 63): "I am a traveler, not a mapmaker. I am going down this path same as and with you." This is brillliant.
• (page 214): Brown talk a lot about assuming positive intent. I have some work to do this in this area, but I am glad Brown continued to hammer this principle.
• (page 256): Box breathing/tactical breathing- strategies for reckoning with emotion.
• Inhale deeply through your nose; expanding your stomach, for a count of four.
• Hold in that breath for a count of four
• Slowly exhale all the air through your mouth, contracting your stomach, for a count of four.
• Hold the empty break for a count of four
• (page 258): I am going to write these out and put them on my computer monitors:
1. Do I have enough information to freak out about this situation?
2. If I do have enough data, will freaking out help?

Week 2 of 2021: What Do I Love About Sunday?

Usually the answer to that question is "not much." 

I usually have the "Sunday Scaries" and mourn the end of the weekend.

However, on this particular Sunday, I can say I love the following about it:

• It's not really a Sunday- it's a second Saturday! Tomorrow is MLK Jr. Day and I have the day off from work. I am extremely thankful for an extra day!

• Sunday (not just this one, but every one) is "change the sheets on the bed day." I really have to rank sleeping on clean sheets up there as one of my favorites things. So, even though it's only 8:00PM, I already look forward to going to bed!

• I made Snickerdoodle Chex Mix. I may have extolled the virtues of this sweet treat in previous blog posts, but I'll do it here. Again. I make it for Christmas and we always end up with lots of leftover cereal that we don't eat, so this year I will make batches until there is no more cereal. It's the simplest recipe and if our house is like yours, you'll find if you turn your head, the entire batch will be gone!

• I was able to make serious progress on one of the puzzles I got for Christmas. I love Charles Wysocki's art, so I expect that this will be beautiful once completed. Fun fact about this- the Amazon driver apparently didn't think it mattered if the box was crushed/broken open. Luckily, the pieces are in a plastic bag inside the box, which was NOT ripped. Of course, I say that now- watch, there will be one piece missing at the end.

• I get to watch one of my top five all-time favorite movies, Sweet Home Alabama. Granted, it's the 7,675th time I've seen it, but it still makes me laugh & smile.

Plenty of stuff to love about this Sunday! I hope you've enjoyed yours, as much as I have enjoyed mine!

BOOK REVIEWS 2021

Book #3: The Frangipani Tree Mystery by Ovidia Yu

Summary: This mystery is set in Singapore in 1936. The main character, Chen Su Lin, is 16 years of age and had been afflicted by polio. Su Lin no longer has any parents. She becomes the nanny of a disabled girl, Dee-Dee Palin, the daughter of the Governor of Singapore, after dodging attempts to have her married off.  The previous nanny, an Irishwoman, died from a neck injury sustained from falling off of a balcony a possible act of foul play. Therefore Su Lin takes over Charity's job. Su Lin decides to investigate Charity's death herself.

Rating: B+. I read all of the book in Yu's other Singaporean mystery series and really enjoyed them, so thought I'd give this one a try. This is the first book in the series and Su Lin is an endearing character. I will definitely read the next one in the series.

Book #4: The Day the World Came to Town by Jim DeFede

Summary: When 38 jetliners bound for the United States were forced to land at Gander International Airport in Canada by the closing of U.S. airspace on September 11, the population of this small town on Newfoundland Island swelled from 10,300 to nearly 17,000. The citizens of Gander met the stranded passengers with an overwhelming display of friendship and goodwill.

Rating: A+. This book came to me at just the right time. At a time in this country where there have been no "feel good" stories of late, I was glad to read this one from 19 years ago. While 9/11 was an absolutely horrific tragedy, the residents of Gander, Newfoundland were a bright light in a dark time. I can't stop thinking of the acts of goodwill that they performed, for not only the humans on the planes, but the animals, as well.

Week 1 of 2021: Can We Get a Do-Over?

A new year is generally looked upon as a fresh start- for exercise, organization, attitude, etc... 

However, just six days into this new year, the US Capitol was stormed by insurgents. For me, it had shades of 9/11. I had an online meeting with my group from work and instead of the usual pleasantries we start meetings with, it was extremely somber. We were all in shock (although not thoroughly surprised) and were trying to make some sense of what was happening. Obviously, we couldn't.

I think I've said before that I am not a person that's well-versed in politics and thus I tend to keep my political thoughts to myself. All I can say is that I sincerely hope that this country can start to heal and that people can begin to look beyond themselves. 

::now back to our regularly scheduled inane blog topics::

• We're having Pulled Pork Nachos from Katie's Cucina tonight for dinner. I think I've shared this recipe before, but I really do love it. It's a nice departure from typical Mexican nachos.

• Construction continues in our living room on the built-ins. I've always dreamed of a room in my house with shelves that I could display my favorite books, photos, and knick knacks, and John is making that dream come to life!

• It's freezing in New England. No surprise there, as it is January. I'm sure I'll jinx us, but the snow has been minimal so far, and I'm totally fine with that.

• I think I mentioned in my last post that we're re-watching Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. We've made it to Season Two and I'd forgotten that there are some really dull episodes in this season- specifically the one about the drunken artist that Benjamin wants to buy a painting from. 

• In other TV news, I tried to watch the Call the Midwife Holiday Special on PBS.org, but it buffered every minute or so, so I only made it through the first 30 minutes. Bummer, because I like it so far!

• And we watched The Flight Attendant on HBO MAX. It's based on a book by Chris Bohjalian (whose books I love, but strangely I have not read this one) and stars Kaley Cuoco (from Big Bang Theory). It's a great thriller series and has some good dark humor moments. I highly recommend!

• I'll be posting my reviews of my books read in 2021 here on the blog, as I have been doing. So far I've already read two books! (Although, technically I started the first one in 2020). I am trying to be more intentional about shutting electronics/TV down earlier at night and reading longer. Hopefully this will result in more books read and better sleep.

• In an effort to make you smile, I leave you with this.

BOOK REVIEWS 2021

Book #1: Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

Summary: New York socialite Caroline Ferriday has her hands full with her post at the French consulate and a new love on the horizon. But Caroline’s world is forever changed when Hitler’s army invades Poland in September 1939 – and then sets its sights on France.

An ocean away from Caroline, Kasia Kuzmerick, a Polish teenager, senses her carefree youth disappearing as she is drawn deeper into her role as courier for the underground resistance movement. In a tense atmosphere of watchful eyes and suspecting neighbors, one false move can have dire consequences.

For the ambitious young German doctor, Herta Oberheuser, an ad for a government medical position seems her ticket out of a desolate life. Once hired, though, she finds herself trapped in a male-dominated realm of Nazi secrets and power.

The lives of these three women are set on a collision course when the unthinkable happens and Kasia is sent to Ravensbruck, the notorious Nazi concentration camp for women. Their stories cross continents – from New York to Paris, Germany, and Poland – as Caroline and Kasia strive to bring justice to those whom history has forgotten.

Rating: A. I LOVED this book. And there is no concise way to summarize this book- the above lengthy description is needed. The characters were rich and fascinating and while the backdrop was, as well, it was also extremely sad. My parents went to Auschwitz and said it was extremely moving and somber. I'm not sure I'll make it to Auschwitz, but reading this book gave me insight into what Nazi concentration camps were like.

Book #2: Poppy Redfern & the Fatal Flyers by Tessa Arlen

Summary: It is the late autumn of 1942. Our indomitable heroine Poppy Redfern is thoroughly immersed in her new job as a scriptwriter at the London Crown Film Unit, which produces short films featuring British civilians who perform acts of valor and heroism in wartime. After weeks of typing copy and sharpening pencils, Poppy is thrilled to receive her first solo script project: a fifteen-minute film about the Air Transport Auxiliary, known as Attagirls, a group of female civilians who have been trained to pilot planes from factories to military airfields all over Britain.

Poppy could not be more excited to spend time with these amazing ladies, but she never expects to see one of the best pilots die in what is being labeled an accident. When another Attagirl meets a similar fate, Poppy and her American fighter-pilot boyfriend, Griff, believe foul play may be at work. They soon realize that a murderer with a desire for revenge is dead set on grounding the Attagirls for good...

Rating: A-. This was another great historical fiction piece, although not quite in the same realm as Lilac Girls. This mystery series is fun (this is #2 in the series) and I look forward to the development of Poppy's character in future installments.

"There's Shrimp In the Eggrolls" and Rounding Out My 2020 Books

 

photo credit

If you haven't watched the Amazon Prime series Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, you must. PERIOD. End of story.

My favorite quote from the first episode is when Mrs. Maisel (Miriam/Midge) is addressing her wedding reception (predominantly Jewish) and she shouts out, "There's shrimp in the eggrolls!" I seriously laugh every time I think of this. And it's not even the funniest line. 

We're re-watching the series and we just started season two. The first episode of season two has probably some of the best one-liners. OK- you have your marching orders- watch it. Laughing is good.

Let's see if I can wrap up the reviews for the rest of the books I read in 2020.

Book #57- The Gift of the Magpie by Donna Andrews

Summary: This is the 28th book and the seventh Christmas mystery in the Meg Langslow series. Meg’s running Caerphilly’s Helping Hands for the Holidays project, in which neighbors help each other with things they can’t do and can’t afford to have done. Her hopes for a relatively peaceful (if busy) Christmas vanish when someone murders Harvey the Hoarder, whose house the Helping Hands were decluttering. Was there any truth to the rumor that he had something valuable hidden beneath all his junk? Was one of his friends, neighbors, or relatives greedy enough to murder him for the rumored treasure? And what about the magpie that has been bringing her family bits of tinsel and costume jewelry—does the bird’s latest gift hold a clue to solving the crime?

Rating: B+. This installment of Meg Langslow & her crazy family/circus was good and it had a holiday "feel good" message. I do wonder when Andrews will run out of topics for this series, but she's already got another one in the works...

Book #58- Betty by Tiffany McDaniel

Summary: Born in a bathtub in 1954 to a Cherokee father and white mother, Betty is the sixth of eight siblings. The world they inhabit is one of poverty and violence - both from outside the family and also, devastatingly, from within. When her family's darkest secrets are brought to light, Betty has no choice but to reckon with the brutal history hiding in the hills, as well as the heart-wrenching cruelties and incredible characters she encounters in her rural town of Breathed, Ohio. Despite the hardship she faces, Betty is resilient. Her curiosity about the natural world, her fierce love for her sisters and her father's brilliant stories are kindling for the fire of her own imagination, and in the face of all she bears witness to, Betty discovers an escape: she begins to write.

Rating: A-. This was a really good book but not easy to read. (If you've seen Hillbilly Elegy or read that book, it's very similar.) While I was reading it, I was saying things similar to after I watched Hillbilly Elegy- this is real life but it's so far from my life and how I grew up. It exposed how sheltered my life was, in some respects. Again, it's a hard read and not by any means, "light," but it's excellent.

Book #59- The Good, the Bad & the Guacamole by Rebecca Adler

Summary:  This is second in the Josie Callahan/Tex-Mex mystery series. Tourists are pouring into the town of Broken Boot for the annual Homestead Days Music Festival. Opening the celebration at Two Boots dance hall is smooth-talking country singer Jeff Clark, the ex-boyfriend of Josie’s best friend, Patti Perez. When the charming Clark woos Patti onstage in an attempt to rekindle some sparks with his old flame, Josie fears her friend will end up as just one more notch on the singer’s guitar strap. To impress her editor at the Broken Boot Bugle, Josie and her Chihuahua, Lenny, pursue the singer to Patti’s house, hoping for an interview. Instead, they discover Clark facedown in a bowl of guacamole with a bloodied guitar at his side. With Patti suddenly a murder suspect, Josie must use her reporter skills to find out who had a chip on their shoulder—before the killer double dips....

Rating: C+. Meh. I always try to give mystery series two books before I make a decision on whether to continue reading or not. Decision made- done with this mediocre series.

Book #60- The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue

Summary:  In an Ireland doubly ravaged by war and disease, Nurse Julia Power works at an understaffed hospital in the city centre, where expectant mothers who have come down with an unfamiliar Flu are quarantined together. Into Julia's regimented world step two outsiders: Doctor Kathleen Lynn, on the run from the police, and a young volunteer helper, Bridie Sweeney. In the darkness and intensity of this tiny ward, over three days, these women change each other's lives in unexpected ways. They lose patients to this baffling pandemic, but they also shepherd new life into a fearful world. 

Rating: C+. This was easily an A+ until the last 20ish pages and then it took an odd turn. The story was extremely well written up until that point and maybe it's just me that thought the ending out of place.

Book #61- Her Last Flight by Beatriz Williams

Summary:  In 1947, photographer and war correspondent Janey Everett arrives at a remote surfing village on the Hawaiian island of Kauai to research a planned biography of forgotten aviation pioneer Sam Mallory, who joined the loyalist forces in the Spanish Civil War and never returned. Obsessed with Sam’s fate, Janey has tracked down Irene Lindquist, the owner of a local island-hopping airline, whom she believes might actually be the legendary Irene Foster, Mallory’s onetime student and flying partner. Foster’s disappearance during a round-the-world flight in 1937 remains one of the world’s greatest unsolved mysteries. 

Rating: A-. The above summary is only a small piece of this story. Williams' historical fiction is always rich and this installment did not disappoint. It provided twists and turns (a few I anticipated, a few I did not). Time period and backdrop are well described by Williams- making you feel like you are there.

Book #62- How to Raise an Elephant by Alexander McCall Smith

Summary:  This is the 21st installment in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Series. Mma Ramotswe must balance family obligations with the growing needs of one of Charlie's pet projects in this latest installment in the cherished No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series.

Rating: B+. This one was "cute" (the elephant portion) and as well written as the preceding ones in the series.

Book #63- The Confession Club by Elizabeth Berg

Summary:  When a group of friends in Mason, Missouri, decide to start a monthly supper club, they get more than they bargained for. The plan for congenial evenings—talking, laughing, and sharing recipes, homemade food, and wine—abruptly changes course one night when one of the women reveals something startlingly intimate. The supper club then becomes Confession Club, and the women gather weekly to share not only dinners but embarrassing misdeeds, deep insecurities, and long-held regrets. They invite Iris Winters and Maddy Harris to join, and their timing couldn't be better. Iris is conflicted about her feelings for a charming but troubled man, and Maddy has come back home from New York to escape a problem too big to handle alone. The club offers exactly the kind of support they need to help them make some difficult decisions.

Rating: A. I really loved this book. It's part of a "sort of" series (if that makes any sense.) There are a few preceding books that take place in Mason with some of the characters carrying on throughout the books. Berg does a great job of sharing the homey/small town feeling of Mason and its residents.

Book #64- The Glass Ocean by Lauren Willig, Beatriz Williams, and Karen White

Summary:  A captivating historical mystery, infused with romance, that links the lives of three women across a century—two deep in the past, one in the present—to the doomed passenger liner, RMS Lusitania.

Rating: A. This was another great book. These three authors separately write fantastic books, but joined together, they create masterpieces. I loved the time period and the backdrop of the Lusitania, which in my mind is always overshadowed by the Titanic.

That wraps up my reading for 2020!

Entertainment PSA: TV Shows / Movies / Books- Winners, Losers & Everything In Between

Here are some "reviews" of TV shows and movies I've watched recently and of course, books I've read lately.

TV Shows:

The Queen's Gambit on Netflix.

I absolutely positively loved this series! When I was young (8-10, I'd say), my Dad taught me to play chess. It was something we could do together and something he was (and still is) very good at. I think that's why I felt drawn to the series. In a nutshell, it chronicles the story of Beth Harmon's life as a chess prodigy. She goes from an orphan with nothing to the top of the chess world- beating the best players in the world. Great drama!

Carmel: Who Killed Maria Marta? on Netflix

While it's a typical true crime series, with A LOT of the information repeated across multiple episodes, it's an interesting story. Maria Marta is an upper class Argentinian that lives in a gated community with her husband, who is said to have ties to some unsavory groups. One group of family members (and a doctor) says she fell in the bathtub, while another doctor finds multiple gunshot wounds in her skull. What has fascinated me about this is how differently crimes are handled in other countries. In this particular case, when an ambulance is called, the 911 operator basically asks for step by step directions on getting to the gated community. There's also a lack of police presence at the crime scene and this seems status quo. 

Movies:

Hillbilly Elegy on Netflix

Another winner! The cast is amazing. Amy Adams and Glenn Close give flawless portrayals of their characters. This is based on a book by the same name and chronicles an Appalachian family and their tough lives. (Tough is an understatement, but I struggle to find the right word.) Violence, drugs, hatred are the norm. This is one of those stories that really sticks with me, as it's so polar opposite of my life and everything I've experienced. 

Chappaquiddick on Netflix (but released originally on the big screen in 2017)

To be honest, this was not a movie that I was interested in when it was originally released and so when my husband asked if I wanted to watch it, I was neutral on the subject. For those who don't know the story, it's about Ted Kennedy and a car accident he's involved in, in which someone dies. The cover-up ensues and the true power of the Kennedy name is shown. I'd say I didn't love nor hate this. It was OK. Some of it was fascinating- the lengths taken for the cover up and how almost everyone in Kennedy's camp was willing to participate in saving his reputation.

Books:

Book #52- The Astonishing Life of August March by Aaron Jackson

Summary: An irrepressibly optimistic oddball orphan is thrust into the wilds of postwar New York City after an extraordinary childhood in a theater. Abandoned as an infant by his actress mother in her theater dressing room, August March was raised by an ancient laundress. Highly intelligent, a tad feral, August is a true child of the theater –able to recite Shakespeare before he knew the alphabet. But like all productions, August’s wondrous time inside the theater comes to a close, and he finds himself in the wilds of postwar New York City, where he quickly rises from pickpocket street urchin to star student at the stuffiest boarding school in the nation. To survive, August must rely upon the kindness of strangers, only some of whom have his best interests at heart. As he grows up, his heart begins to yearn for love—which he may or may not finally find in Penny, a clever and gifted con artist.

Rating: A. I LOVED this book. It reads like a young adult book in some regards, but is extremely well written adult fiction. The character of August is enchanting and mesmerizing. The reader feels like he/she is on August's journey through life.

Book #53- The Operator by Gretchen Berg

Summary: Nobody knows the people of Wooster, Ohio, better than switchboard operator Vivian Dalton, and she’d be the first to tell you that. She calls it intuition. Her teenage daughter, Charlotte, calls it eavesdropping. Vivian and the other women who work at Bell on East Liberty Street connect lines and lives. They aren’t supposed to listen in on conversations, but they do, and they all have opinions on what they hear—especially Vivian.

Rating: D. D is for dull. The premise of the book is good but it fizzled out. Throughout the book the reader was led to a "secret" ending, which I found to be (again) dull. Too bad.

Book #54- The Daughters of Erietown by Connie Schultz

Summary: 1957, Clayton Valley, Ohio. Ellie has the best grades in her class. Her dream is to go to nursing school and marry Brick McGinty. A basketball star, Brick has the chance to escape his abusive father and become the first person in his blue-collar family to attend college. But when Ellie learns that she is pregnant, everything changes. Just as Brick and Ellie revise their plans and build a family, a knock on the front door threatens to destroy their lives. 

Rating: A. The summary above doesn't do the book justice. The generations before Ellie & Brick (and after them) make this a well-written family saga. 

Book #55- The Mischief of the Mistletoe by Lauren Willig

Summary: Despite her dear friend Jane Austen's warning against teaching, Arabella Dempsey accepts a position at a girls' school in Bath, just before Christmas. She hardly imagines coming face-to-face with French aristocrats and international spies. Reginald "Turnip" Fitzhugh-often mistaken for the elusive spy known as the Pink Carnation-has blundered into danger before. When Turnip and Arabella find their Christmas pudding yielding a cryptic message, they are launched on a Yuletide adventure. Will they find poinsettias-or peril?

Rating: A-. This is #7 in Willig's Pink Carnation historical fiction series and is probably one of my favorites so far. The Christmas backdrop is charming and the cameo appearance by Jane Austen is a welcome surprise. However, Turnip Fitzhugh steals the show. In the prior installments in this series, he's a bumbling fellow that seems to fade into the background. I love that he was the main character in this one.

Book #56- Fortune & Glory: Tantalizing Twenty-Seven by Janet Evanovich

Summary: When Stephanie’s beloved Grandma Mazur’s new husband died on their wedding night, the only thing he left her was a beat-up old easy chair…and the keys to a life-changing fortune. But as Stephanie and Grandma Mazur search for Jimmy Rosolli’s treasure, they discover that they’re not the only ones on the hunt. Two dangerous enemies from the past stand in their way—along with a new adversary who’s even more formidable: Gabriela Rose, a dark-eyed beauty from Little Havana with a taste for designer clothes. She’s also a soldier of fortune, a gourmet cook, an expert in firearms and mixed martial arts—and someone who’s about to give Stephanie a real run for her money.

Rating: A. To rate the 27th book in a series as an A is no small feat. Lula, Stephanie's sidekick is really the lynchpin of this series. She makes me LOL multiple times during each book and especially during this one. The Stephanie/Morelli/Ranger love triangle is starting to grate on my nerves, but I'll give it a pass because Lula made me laugh so much. 😅

Consumer Report: Foods Items I'd Recommend - November 2020

I have tried some really good "new to me" (and some not so "new to me") food/drink items of late. (I figure I deserve something new/out of the ordinary considering the current state of affairs.

Do you LOVE chips & onion dip? I do. I'm calling these the lazy man's version:

They're chips & dip all in one bag. No effort to make dip (stirring dry soup mix into sour cream can be exhausting). Honestly, I was surprised at how good these are...and everyone else in my house thought so, as well! (Oh, and by the way- how do you pronounce "Utz?" I say "oohtz" but I've been challenged on that.)

Next up in the dessert category are Yasso Bars. I was on a serious ice cream eating binge that I knew I needed to curb, yet somehow satisfy my craving.

I've had three flavors so far and I'd have to say that these are my favorite. I had the sea salt & caramel, which I'd rate second, and cookie dough, which I'd rate last. They have some holiday flavors that I can't seem to find in my grocery store but they look yummy. These are 150 calories, but most are only 100 calories- win win!

These aren't necessarily new to me, but they only seem to be available in the Fall, so I've been enjoying them recently.

My co-worker/friend was balking at these because they're processed/not homemade. Who has time to make homemade cookies? (Oh, wait...) Anywho, these are tasty and again very Fall-ish.

And in the beverage category, we have the beloved Woodchuck Hard Cider.

Again, not new to me, but a Fall favorite. The flavors in this one are semi-dry, Amber, pear & Granny Smith apple. I'd have to say that the pear is my favorite out of this selection, but if you ever have the chance to try the 802 flavor? Do it! That is my absolute favorite.

And now for some book reviews...

Book #50- Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi

Summary: I'm honestly not even sure I can find a short & succinct summary. It's a take on Hansel & Gretel- that's pretty much all I can say.

Rating: C+. This book was odd. It was very adult fairy tale-esque and I understood that, but it was over the top in weirdness in some parts and I found myself giving it the side eye on a regular basis.

Book #51- A Deception at Thornecrest by Ashley Weaver

Summary: A Deception at Thornecrest is the seventh book in Ashley Weaver's An Amory Ames Mystery series and is a historical mystery set in the 1930s. This is the first book in the series in which we get the see the oft talked about Thornecrest, Milo's family home, as he and Amory prepare for the arrival of their first baby.

Rating: A. I really enjoy this series and the time period it's set in. Milo & Amory have been a carefree couple and the imminence of their baby will be an interesting twist in future books to see how their lives are changed.