Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Things That Are Keeping Me From Reading

Today I'm linking up with Top Ten Tuesday hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl which is all about lists.  Since lists are one of my favorite things this is one of my favorite linkups!  Today's topic is the Thing That Get in the Way of Reading.  I'm sure there are a number of different ways to take this but I'm taking this very literally and focusing on the things I'm doing instead of reading.

1.  Dog Training - In the past year and a half I've really gotten into dog training.  Not only is there working with my dog in classes but I also am an assistant instructor for several classes and am studying to begin getting certain training certifications.  I have absolutely loved all aspects of this but it does take a lot of time.

2.  Homeschooling - Before the pandemic and leukemia we had started homeschooling my then 9 year old.  With  2 and a half years of cancer treatment behind us homeschooling has now started focusing on getting caught up and getting re-energized about schooling.

3.  Mindless Internet Scrolling - While I love most of the things on this list this is one I really am trying to cut down on and eventually get rid of completely.  Between mindlessly scrolling social media or shopping sites I am wasting way too much time without getting any enjoyment out of it.

4.  Cooking - I really love to cook and bake.  I had gotten away with it for awhile and have been really enjoying finding my way again - especially when it comes to baking.  And of course my family does prefer to eat dinner and we are trying to eat out a lot less.

5.  YouTube Watching - I don't really watch much TV anymore but I watch a lot of YouTube.  There are so many fantastic channels covering a wide range of topics between beauty, true crime, food, history, homeschooling and anything else I randomly get interested in that I can always find something to watch.

6.  Blogging - I love blogging and visiting my blogger friends' sites but even though I'm talking and reading about books it does take up time that I could be reading.

7.  Researching Random Rabbit Holes - I do this pretty regularly.  Something will catch my attention and I'll look something up and then two hours later I've learned everything from migration patterns of a certain bird to the downfall of the Romanian monarchy.

8.  Napping -  For the last few months it has really felt like the last few years are seriously catching up with me and I've had some serious fatigue.  I've been sneaking in naps when I can.

9.  Laundry - I don't know how on earth we go through so much laundry but it feels like I'm doing something involving laundry continuously.  The good thing is I can combine sorting, folding and putting up with either YouTube watching or an audiobook.

10. Random Home Projects - This is kind of like the research rabbit holes but usually with organization projects.  I'll go to put something up and then suddenly be reorganizing the linen closet or a bookshelf or who knows what else.

What keeps you from reading?

Dressed to Drills - Cozy Mysteries

Goodreads:  Dressed to Drill (Fixer-Upper Mysteries #10) by Kate Carlisle

Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description: While Shannon Hammer is thrilled to attend the premiere of the movie based on her boyfriend Mac’s latest book, she can’t wait to trade her killer heels for work boots and start her next renovation project in Lighthouse Cove: a quaint Victorian church that has seen better days. And will see them again—as a museum—if Shannon, her talented crew, and her sister Chloe have anything to say about it.

But on the first day of demolition, work comes to a screeching halt when they stumble on the body of a beautiful young woman in one of the chapels. Who killed the assistant art director? Suspects crawl out of the woodwork as fast as Shannon can restore it. The church is hiding a century of secrets from the days that smugglers wreaked havoc on the California coast. But it’s a more recent secret that someone killed to protect. Shannon and Mac will use every tool in their toolbox to nail down the truth before any more lives are sacrificed.

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I have enjoyed all the books I've read in this series so of course I had to see what trouble Shannon and her crew get into this time.  

My Impression:  This was a fast and entertaining read involving church politics, renovation, and secrets.  Oh and a dead body or more of course!  When the book starts we are in Mac and Choloe's world at a premier of a film adaptation of one of his books.  Since we are normally in Shannon's world it was kind of fun to see what happens outside of Lighthouse Cove.  

As soon as Mac and Shannon return to Lighthouse Cove Shannon is pulled into the next renovation project - this time turning a church into an a museum.  While trying to get the project going and get the bits and pieces left behind by the previous tenants out of the building Shannon and her crew stumble over a dead body.  The young woman was well liked and had no enemies so just who could have wanted her dead.  

I really enjoyed the mystery and watching Shannon try and figure out just what is going on.  Her relationship with Mac is sweet and I enjoyed the new developments.  Shannon does suffer a bit from being a bit too perfect but I liked her and the side characters enough that it didn't detract to much from the book.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Of course!  I've really enjoyed everything I've read by this author.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy cozy mysteries this is a fun series to try!

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *

This Week in Reading - May 14

 

It's Sunday Post time!  This is hosted by the awesome Caffeinated Book Reviewer and gives us all a chance to recap our week.

What I Got:

A Fatal Illusion by Anna Lee Huber - I really enjoy this series and I love the cover on this book.  (Publisher)

Hiss Me Deadly by Miranda James - This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series (Publisher)

Catch Me If You Candy by Ellie Alexander - Another favorite cozy mystery series! (Publisher)

Currently:

Reading:  The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies by Alison Goodman and The Cuban Heiress by Chanel Cleeton

Listening:  Mrs. Pollifax and the Second Thief by Dorothy Gilman

This has been a good week.  We had a break from dog training classes but Rover and I got together with a friend and her dog to get some training in which was fun.  I've been watching Bad Vegan on Netflix about a woman who ran Pure Food and Wine Restaurant in New York and it is a bonkers story!

I've also been exploring Reddit.  I'm about 5 years late but I finally decided I needed to figure it out.  I'm not converted but have found some interesting subreddits.  Any bookish subreddits anyone can recommend?

I've been keeping my birthday resolution to read more in May and to focus on getting some reading done during the day and have been really loving it.  I've been surprised how much I've enjoyed taking 5 or 10 minutes to read instead of just flipping on my phone.

Have a great week and happy reading!

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Over the Moon - Middle Grade Review

Goodreads:  Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Over the Moon by Frank Cottrell Boyce

Rating:  Really Liked It! (4 Stars)
Source:   Purchased

Description:  The Tootings are stuck in 1966! Somebody’s stolen Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and left them behind. But that’s not their biggest problem. Their biggest problem is that Little Harry’s been kidnapped by whoever stole their magical car. There’s only one solution: the Tootings must find the Potts — the family that originally built Chitty. Sharing their combined knowledge of how Chitty works, the families may stand a chance of rescuing Little Harry and finding the most brilliant car in the world. But a fiendish criminal has different plans, ones that involve flying Chitty Chitty Bang Bang to the moon and putting an explosive scheme into action.

Genre:  Middle Grade Fiction

Why I Picked This Book:  I have loved the previous 3 books and David Tennant reads the audio and that alone makes this worth listening to!

My Impression:  This book was absolutely bonkers.  It starts off just where the previous book left off with the Tooting family stuck in 1966 and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang disappearing into the future.  I can't begin to describe all the madness that takes place.  Queen Elizabeth II shows up, cars are crushed into cubes, Global landmarks start flying around, are shrunk, and/or disappear.  There's time travel and all the conundrums that that entails.  Oh and there's space flight but not in the traditional ways.

I loved the combination of the Tootings and the Potts family. Things are not going well but Mr. Tooting can't help but keep his upbeat attitude and Lucy Tooting can't help but predict doom and gloom for them all.   I don't want to say too much about all that happens because I did enjoy some of the unexpectedness of the story.  

I highly recommend going the audio route if you can get the audio books narrated by David Tennant.   As well, this series is best read in order as the stories build on each other.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? I would though I'm sad to see that this is the last book in the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang series.

Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy middle grade adventures I'd definitely recommend this series and if you listen to audiobooks you must try David Tennant's narration.

Friday Fives - Five Books On My TBR That Dig Into the Past

I'm taking a bit of a break from my usual Friday Linkups to try something a little different.  I'm in a list making kind of mood so I thought I'd start making random five lists.  Sometimes they'll be bookish other weeks not so much.   This month I'm focusing on my favorite things and one of my favorite things in books are stories where a character digs into the past.  Here are 5 books on my TBR where the character does just that.

1.  The Glass Ocean by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White - I just finished a book by these three and enjoyed it.  This one involves looking into a passenger on the Lusitania so I'm looking forward to it.

2.  Morning Glory by Sarah Jio - The main character discovers a trunk belonging to a previous owner.  Plus, I've really enjoyed other books by this author.

3.  The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis - I love this author and this book not only involves a character looking into the past but takes place in a library.

4.  The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell - I love Lisa Jewell's books and this story of adult children making sense of their own past while revisiting the house they lived in as children sounds interesting.  

5.  The London House by Katherine Reay - A woman goes back to her family's home to uncover the truth about a scandal involving her great-aunt in the 1930s.  

What are your favorite books that dig into the past?

Books from the Backlog - Pleating for Mercy

Today I'm linking up with Carole from Carole's Random Life of Books for Books from the Backlog.  I really enjoy the chance to feature a book that's been hiding in the piles of books for far too long!

Goodreads:  Pleating for Mercy by Melissa Bourbon

Blurb:  When her great-grandmother passes away, Harlow Jane Cassidy leaves her job as a Manhattan fashion designer and moves back to Bliss, Texas. But when she opens a dressmaking boutique in the turn-of-the-century farmhouse she inherited, Harlow senses an inexplicable "presence". Her old friend Josie orders a gown for her upcoming wedding, but when Josie's boss turns up dead, Harlow has to find the killer-with a little help from beyond.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  I have had this book on my shelf for years and have never read it even though it involves ghosts, an old house, and clothes which are some of my very favorite things.

Overdue Reviews - The Vineyard Victims + If You've Got It, Haunt It

Goodreads:  The Vineyard Victims by Ellen Crosby

Blurb:  The death of a former presidential candidate in a fiery car crash at her Virginia vineyard has ties to a thirty year-old murder, as well as to Lucie Montgomery’s own near fatal accident ten years ago, as she searches for a killer who now may be stalking her.
When Jamison Vaughn―billionaire real estate mogul, Virginia vineyard owner, and unsuccessful U.S. presidential candidate―drives his gold SUV into a stone pillar at the entrance to Montgomery Estate Vineyard, Lucie Montgomery is certain the crash was deliberate. But everyone else in Atoka, Virginia is equally sure that Jamie must have lost control of his car on a rain-slicked country road. In spite of being saddled with massive campaign debts from the recent election, Jamie is seemingly the man with the perfect life. What possible reason could he have for committing suicide . . . or was it murder?

Before long Lucie uncovers a connection between Jamie and some of his old friends―an elite group of academics―and the brutal murder thirty years ago of a brilliant PhD student. Although a handyman is on death row for the crime, Lucie soon suspects someone else is guilty. But the investigation into the two deaths throws Lucie a curve ball when someone from her own past becomes involved, forcing her to confront old demons. Now the race to solve the mystery behind the two deaths becomes intensely personal as Lucie realizes someone wants her silenced . . . for good.

My Thoughts:  This is my second try with this series and I think I'm going to admit that it just isn't for me.  I love the wine/vineyard premise and have found the main character's physical disability interesting in that it forces her to deal with physical situations in a different way than I normally see in mysteries.  That said, the mystery was a bit week and Lucie's involvement in the investigation caused me to roll my eyes a bit.  Her entire reasoning for putting her life in danger and causing extra stress to people who are supposed to be dear friends is a garbled remark from a dying intoxicated man and the belief that this same dying intoxicated man is resisting getting out of the car and was therefore trying to commit suicide.  It just seemed a bit of a stretch.  Since all of this is referenced multiple times I had a hard time really connecting with the plot of the mystery or getting investing in the conclusion of the story.  My Rating: Just Okay (2 Stars)

Goodreads:  If You've Got It, Haunt It (A Haunted Vintage Mystery #1) by Rose Pressey

Blurb:   Cookie Chanel has a passion for fashion--and a murder mystery to solve!

Cookie Chanel has opened her own vintage clothing boutique, It's Vintage, Y'All, in the charming town of Sugar Creek, Georgia. Always on the lookout for stylish second-hand steals, she attends the estate sale of deceased socialite Charlotte Meadows. But she gets a lot more than she bargained for when Charlotte's ghost appears before her--offering fashion advice and begging Cookie to find out who murdered her.

As the persistent poltergeist tags along and a possibly psychic pussycat moves into the shop, Cookie sorts through racks of suspects to see who may be hiding some skeletons in the closet. Do a clothing store owner and a disembodied socialite have a ghost of a chance of collaring a killer--or will Cookie's life be the next one hanging by a thread?

My Thoughts:  This was such a fun read! I love vintage clothes and this book did a good job of talking about vintage fashion without getting too bogged down in details.  Cookie is a cute main character who is aware that she really has no business investigating a murder.  I love ghost Charlotte though I am very glad I'm not haunted by her as I think she would get exhausting very quickly.  The possibly psychic cat, Windsong, is also a fun character and I'm looking forward to seeing what skills she develops as the series goes along.  Cookie also has a good friend and a promising start to some kind of relationship with Detective Valentine.  I'm really curious to see how Cookie gets pulled into the next mystery and if she ends up with more haunts.  My Rating:  Really Liked It (4 Stars)