Friday Fives - Five Quick Reviews for Books I've Read Recently

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 week I'm sharing 5 quick reviews for books I've read recently.

1.  Reading People by Anne Bogel - This was an interesting read and one I'm glad I read as a slow read.  I followed The Modern Mrs. Darcy for years and was an early listener of the What Should I Read Next podcast so when this came out I really wanted to read it.  I haven't followed Bogel for a few years - no reason just got more interested in other things - but I had a little reading time so thought I would pick it up.  While I'm not a huge personality test person I did find it interesting to see how the way you process and deal with emotions and actions can impact the choices you make and how you interact with other people.  It didn't make me want to run out and take a Meyers-Briggs test but it did make me consider why I react the way I do to things and what kind of reaction I'm wanting from those around me.  My Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)

2.  Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros - I wasn't really looking forward to this one.  I really liked the first one but found the second book a bit long winded.  This was a pleasant surprise.  I really enjoyed this one both their exploration and the war.   I did really enjoy all the side characters - especially Riddick and their character development.  I find Violet and Xaden to be the least interesting characters so thankfully the romantic scenes weren't constant though they were a bit repetitive.  I'm going to continue with the series though I'm going to wait until it finishes up because this author has never met a cliffhanger she doesn't love and it drives me crazy!  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

3.  What Happens in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand - This is the second book in the Paradise trilogy and I still have mixed feelings about it.  I find the story fascinating and I really enjoy the writing.  I like Irene, Huck, and Maia and Cash most of the time.  The rest of the characters are varying degrees of terrible though I will say they are realistic.  While this is the second book it doesn't suffer from second book syndrome.  The story is progressing for both the characters and for the mystery of just what Russ was up to.  I picked up the third book because I do want to find out what happens next but these aren't characters I will miss once the trilogy is done with.  My Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)

4.  The Last Lady B by Eloisa James - I haven't read Eloisa James in forever and this was a fun read!  I liked Evie and most of the residents of the haunted abbey (with the exception of a specific two).  The banter was fun and ghostly bits were entertaining.  I loved Evie finding her confidence and realizing that maybe she didn't have to be perfect all the time.  I liked the romance and the characters fit well together.   The language is very modern for the time period which pulled me out of the story a little.   I also would have preferred for a pivotal point to have happened earlier so as a reader we could get more time in Evie's future.  Overall, this was entertaining and was a good reminder to read more Eloisa James.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

5.  The Valentine Cipher by Anna Elliott and Charles Veley - This is the 8th book in the Homefront Sleuth series and it was just as fun as the previous books.  Evie is flirting with Nancy Drew territory with the frequency she gets hit in the head and kidnapped but it does make it fun.  I loved the investigation into just what is going on with the weddings.  My favorite about this series is the ensemble cast aspect and while Dorothy and Tom didn't have a big of roles as they usually do.  The mystery was good and I love all the characters.  The audio is always well done.  I look forward to new books in the series and spending more time with these characters.  My Rating: Really Liked!  (4 Stars)

Recipe Thursday - 1 Hour Buttermilk Dinner Rolls

One of my goals for 2026 is to sort through all the recipes I have laying around tucked into folders and notebooks as well as my gigantic Pinterest/food blog collection that hasn't been touched in years.  I've been having quite a good time with it.  I enjoy cooking but it can become a chore pretty easily and this has made it a lot more fun for me as I feel like I'm working on a project.   Around here we've taken to calling it Recipe Thunderdome as all recipes have to be auditioned before earning their place in the final recipe binder. 

*For context I'm a reasonably capable home cook but one who is often trying to multitask and who is pretty much completely self-taught. *

Today I'm Sharing:  1 Hour Buttermilk Dinner Rolls from Creme de la Crumb

Changes:  None.  I followed ingredients and directions and as exactly as I could.

Thoughts on Recipe Difficulty:  It was really easy.  It was a bit different from any rolls I've made before but I figured I'd try it.  Definitely quicker than other rolls I've made before.

Cook Time: About an hour though most of that time was either the rising or baking.  There was a few minutes of kneading but other than that it didn't take much messing with.

Served With:  Marinated chicken, roasted potatoes and zucchini.

Results: So good!  These also held up really well the next day which rolls don't always do.

Verdict: Survived - These might end up being my go-to dinner rolls.

Can't Wait Wednesday - Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel

 

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted here to spotlight the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally, they're books that have yet to be released.  It's hosted by Tessa over at Wishful Endings and you can find out more here.

Goodreads:  Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel by Lucy Foley

Blurb:  High in the Swiss Alps, accessible only by a single, winding railway, stands the luxurious Grand Alpine Hotel. With glorious mountain views and exclusive access to powdery slopes, it draws guests from far and wide.
The notorious actress.
The high-flying politician.
The society wife.
The reckless friend.
The shrewd doctor.

But not everyone is here for a winter holiday.

Beneath the champagne and furs, dark histories simmer; old grudges emerge like cracks in the ice.

And someone is watching from the shadows. A polite, unassuming woman with an extraordinary mind: Miss Marple.

When a body is found and a blizzard cuts off all escape, only Miss Marple can connect the clues before the killer strikes again. Because it isn’t a question of who has a motive, but who’s next…

Why I Can't Wait For This One:  I've had decent luck with Lucy Foley's books and the mystery on this one looks good.  I'm a little nervous about the Miss Marple character but this was authorized by the Christie estate and while I don't love all the Hannah books with Poirot they were at least respectful of the character.  As well, there was a short story collection a few years ago of Miss Marple stories and Foley's was my favorite.  

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Books Set in Places I'd Like to Visit

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 Bookish Places I've Visited. I can't think of very many bookish places I've visited though I do always try and check out any indie bookstore in any place we visit and I'm a frequent visitor to our local bookstores.  Instead, I'm going with 10 Books Set in Places I'd Like to Visit.

1.  Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie (Greenway House, Devon, England) - This was one of Agatha Christie's homes and is at the top of my list for Christie related locations to visit.  

2.  Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (Prince Edward Island, Canada) - Green Gables is probably my favorite fictional location and I'd love to see Anne's beloved Island

3.  Whose Body in the Library by Eva Gates (Outer Banks, North Carolina) - I've been to OBX once and really enjoyed it (though I'm a Gulf fan when it comes beaches) and I'd love to revisit.

4.  A Caribbean Mystery by Agatha Christie (Coral Reef Hotel, Barbados) - I love this book and I'd love to stay at this resort.  I also want to go to Guadalupe where they film Death in Paradise as well.  

5.  The Murder, She Wrote Series (Kennebunkport, Maine) - I love both the book and the TV version and would love to visit the inspiration for Cabot Cove.

6.  Sugar and Spite by Carol J. Perry (Salem, MA) - This is a fun series and I love that Salem is basically a character in this series.  I'd love to visit.

7.  Death on a Scottish Train by Lucy Connelly (Scotland) - There are so many reasons I'd love to visit Scotland and this series is top of my list.

8.  A Bakeshop Mystery series by Ellie Alexander (Ashland, Oregon) - I was thrilled when I realized that the setting for this mystery series is real.  Even though Torte doesn't exist I'd still love to visit Ashland.

9.  The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (Yorkshire Moors, England) - This is one of my all time favorite books and I'd love to visit Yorkshire.  

10.  Murder at the Breakers by Alyssa Maxwell (Newport, Rhode Island) - Granted the book is set in the time of the Vanderbilts when the "cottages" were newly built but I would still love to see them.  

What bookish locations would you like to visit?

Reading What I Love: Bitter Spirits by Jenn Bennett

The last few years I've made a list of 10 books - 5 books off my shelf, 5 books from the library - that I'm really wanting to read.  There's no real rhyme or reason.  I just go through my library list and my shelves and pick the books that are calling to me.  My focus in 2026 is reading books I think I'll love - or at least really enjoy.

Goodreads:  Bitter Spirits by Jenn Bennett 

Blurb:  It’s the roaring twenties, and San Francisco is a hotbed of illegal boozing, raw lust, and black magic. The fog-covered Bay Area can be an intoxicating scene, particularly when you specialize in spirits…
Aida Palmer performs a spirit medium show onstage at Chinatown’s illustrious Gris-Gris speakeasy. However, her ability to summon (and expel) the dead is more than just an act.

Winter Magnusson is a notorious bootlegger who’s more comfortable with guns than ghosts—unfortunately for him, he’s the recent target of a malevolent hex that renders him a magnet for hauntings. After Aida’s supernatural assistance is enlisted to banish the ghosts, her spirit-chilled aura heats up as the charming bootlegger casts a different sort of spell on her.

On the hunt for the curseworker responsible for the hex, Aida and Winter become drunk on passion. And the closer they become, the more they realize they have ghosts of their own to exorcise…

Why I Think I'll Love This One: Ghosts, romantic suspense 1920s setting - what's not to love?

My Thoughts:  This was a fun read.  I loved the time period, the San Francisco setting, and mystery part.  The romantic relationship feels a bit dated with Winter being a bit over the top with the "I'll do what I want" kind of attitude.  I loved the side characters and wish they could have had a bigger role - especially Winter's sister.  Aida is an interesting character as well.  She's had a tough time of it and has had to survive on her own.  Her reactions to what happens around her makes a good deal of sense most of the time.  I did like how it ended for both of the main characters and it makes me curious to track down the other book in the series.  My Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)

The Innocence of Father Brown - Classic Mystery Review

Goodreads: The Innocence of Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton

Rating: Liked It (3 Stars)
Source: Purchased

Description:  Chesterton portrays Father Brown as a short, stumpy Roman Catholic priest, with shapeless clothes and a large umbrella, and an uncanny insight into human evil. "How in Tartarus," cried Flambeau, "did you ever hear of the spiked bracelet?" -- "Oh, one's little flock, you know!" said Father Brown, arching his eyebrows rather blankly. "When I was a curate in Hartlepool, there were three of them with spiked bracelets."
Not long after he published Orthodoxy, G. K. Chesterton moved from London to Beaconsfield, and met Father O'Connor. O'Connor had a shrewd insight to the darker side of man's nature and a mild appearance to go with it--and together those came together to become Chesterton's unassuming Father Brown. Chesterton loved the character, and the magazines he wrote for loved the stories. The Innocence of Father Brown was the first collection of them, and it's a great lot of fun.

Genre: Mystery - Classic

Why I Picked This Book: Chesterton was a contemporary of Christie (well maybe not exactly but there was overlap) and I've been wanting to read his Father Brown series.

My Impression: This first collection is a series of short stories all featuring Father Brown in varying degrees.  I found the more Father Brown was present the more I enjoyed the story.  Chesterton writes a good mystery and creates a good story.  Father Brown is a delightful character - incredibly aware of the evil in the world but never breaking from his somewhat bumbling priest character.  

My primary issue with this collection is that Chesterton is very fond of a well-turned phrase.  So fond that at times it feels like the story itself gets a bit lost in the clever writing.  This story collection works well for a slow read.  I am looking forward to watching the TV adaptation as Father Brown is a fantastic character and I will also be (slowly) reading the rest of the series.  While I do enjoy them frequently the story itself gets lost in the prose which did keep me from really loving them.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Yes, but mostly because I already own the remaining volumes in this series.  I'm not sure I'd search the other books out.

Would I Recommend this Book? Maybe?  If you're a big fan of classic style mysteries or like a slow read with a fun twist this is a good collection.  

Friday Fives - Bookish Confessions

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.  Today, inspired by the Well-Read Podcast I'm listing my 5 bookish confessions.

1.  I don't keep books - I do reread but not very often and unless I'm sure I'm going to want to reread the book it immediately goes into the bin I have to take to the used bookstore.  More often than not if I'm not sure I'm going to reread I go on and trade it in because I can always rebuy it later.  Plus, I have a whole roomful of books that I haven't read so I'd rather keep the space for new acquisitions.  There are some authors I collect - Agatha Christie, Dorothy Gilman, Patricia Wentworth and several others.

2.  It never occurs to me to annotate or write down quotes - It always amazes me when people talk about needing a highlighter to read or annotating while reading.  It never enters my mind regardless of what I'm reading.  I typically skip footnotes too unless I need clarity.

3.  I don't mind a broken spine - As long as pages aren't falling out a cracked spine doesn't really bother me and I'm not horrified if I accidentally break the spine.  This may be because I don't keep books.  

4.  If there's a plot point, character, or animal that I'm really stressed about I sometimes skim the last chapter or so to make sure it works out before I continue reading - It just makes the whole reading experience more relaxing if I'm not constantly stressed about something.  

5.  I can't binge a series - It doesn't matter how much I love a series or the characters I can't finish a book and immediately pick up the next book in the series.  The times I've done it I end up being annoyed about SOMETHING - character quirks, writing style, a plot point, something.  Now I put at least a book or two between the next books in the series.

What are some of your bookish confessions?  Do you share any of mine?