Year of the Projects - Crime Rib + The French House

I do love a good list.  It gives a nice sense of order and focus and I love making lists about the books I want to read.  Last year I focused just on series I was behind on.  The project went great and I caught up on a ton of series but I felt like I was neglecting other books on my shelf and books at my library.  This year I have a few lists going - Series, Library, Clear Off My Shelves, and a random TBR Bingo where I pull books off my Goodreads TBR.  Here are a few of my most recent reads.

Goodreads:  Crime Rib (A Food Lover's Village Mystery #2) by Leslie Budewitz

Project: Catch Up on Series

Blurb: Food Preneurs, one of the hottest cooking shows on TV, has decided to feature Jewel Bay in an upcoming episode, and everyone in town is preparing for their close-ups, including the crew at the Glacier Mercantile, aka the Merc. Not only is Erin busy remodeling her courtyard into a relaxing dining area, she’s organizing a steak-cooking competition between three of Jewel Bay’s hottest chefs to be featured on the program.
But Erin’s plans get scorched when one of the contending cooks is found dead. With all the drama going on behind the scenes, it’s hard to figure out who didn’t have a motive to off the saucy contestant. Now, to keep the town’s reputation from crashing and burning on national television, Erin will have to grill some suspects to smoke out the killer . . .

My Thoughts:  I so enjoy this series!  Budewitz has created a a town and a community that I would absolutely have on my list of places to visit.  Just the description of the Merc alone has me hooked.  I like Erin and her relationship with her family and there are a few scenes where she had my complete sympathy regarding her mother.  This was a fun read and one that kept me invested from beginning to end (though don't read while hungry - the food mentions are mouthwatering!).  This is a series I came into later so I only technically have one more book before I'm caught up on the series and I will miss Erin and the rest of Jewel Bay when I've finished that one.  My Rating: Really Liked It!

Goodreads:  The French House: An American Family, a Ruined Maison, and the Village That Restored Them All by Don Wallace

Project:  Clear Off My Shelves

Blurb:  When Francophiles Don and Mindy Wallace received an offer for a house on a tiny French island, they jumped at the chance, buying it almost sight unseen. What they found when they arrived was a building in ruin, and it wasn't long before their lives resembled it. Plagued by emergency repairs, a stock market crash, and very exasperated French neighbors, the Wallace's could have accepted their fate. Instead, they embraced it. The French House is the delightfully amusing and picturesque memoir about a family who seized life, rose from the rubble, and built themselves a home away from home.

My Thoughts:  This was an interesting read.  I didn't like it as much as I want too but more than I was afraid I might.  The history of the village was interesting as was what it was like to live there.  I also enjoyed getting little snapshots of the different villagers as well as the different rules and regulations and traditions for building in a small Breton village.  I didn't love the parts with Don and Mindy in the States or the parts about surfing which seemed to take up a bit too much page time.  My Rating: Liked It

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Books I Was Excited to Get But Still Haven't Read

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 Books I Was Excited to Get But Still Haven't Read.  A couple of years ago this list was much much bigger but I've really been working on getting some of the books from my shelves read and it's nice to really see some progress!

1.  The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman - I was so excited to get this book the year it came out which was more than a few years ago.  Still haven't read it!

2.  Agatha Christie's Secret Diaries by John Curran - I bought this new in hardback.  Agatha Christie is by far my favorite author.  I have no explanation.

3.  The Last Castle by Denise Kiernan - Of all the places I've visited the Biltmore is in my top 5 places to go back to and I would love to know more of the history.

4.  Love Without Borders by Angela Braniff - Braniff's channel This Gathered Nest is one of my favorite YouTube channels and I preordered this book but still haven't read it.

5.  Death in the Family by Tessa Wegert - I was absolutely thrilled when I got the ARC of this one by surprise but never got around to reading it.

6.  Night of a Thousand Stars by Deanna Raybourn  - I picked up this one the year it was published and not only is it by one of my favorite authors but it sounds amazing.

7.  Poppy Redfern and the Midnight Murders by Tessa Arlen - This is an author I really enjoy and this mystery sounds fantastic.

8.  The Bookshop of Yesterdays by Amy Meyerson - I picked this one up based almost solely on the cover and title and it looks fantastic.

9.  The Spies of Shilling Lane by Jennifer Ryan - I adored a previous book by this author and was so excited to pick this one up.

10. The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton - This is another previous author and this is one I picked up on Audible and still haven't listened to it.

What are some books you were excited to get but still haven't read?

Smile Beach Murder - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads: Smile Beach Murder (An Outer Banks Bookstore Mystery #1) by Alicia Bessette

Rating: Liked It
Source:   Publisher

Description:  When Callie is laid off from her reporting job, she returns to her hometown of Cattail Island and lands a gig at the local bookstore -- the same one where she found comfort after her mother died. In fact, the anniversary of her mother's infamous death is approaching. Years ago, Teri Padget tumbled from the top of the lighthouse. As islanders are once again gossiping about the tragedy, devestating news strikes: the lighthouse has claimed another victim -- Eva Meeks, of Meeks Hardware. The police are calling it suicide, but Callie does not believe Eva jumped any more than she believes her mother did -- especially because Callie knows that before her death, Eva had dug up a long-forgotten treasure hunt that could have put a target on Eva's back. In Callie's search for answers, she enlists the help of some beloved books and several new friends, including the handsome local martial arts instructor, Toby Dodge. But when another death rocks Cattail Island, Callie must face her fears alone. As she earns enemies in pursuit of the truth, Callie knows she will either uncover the killer or become a victim herself.

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I love bookish cozies and beachy cozies and can never resist the first book in a new series and this was all three!

My Impression: This was a bit of an unusual cozy.  It's definitely in a small town and it definitely involves a bookstore but it doesn't have that quirky cozy feeling that small town cozies frequently have.  Callie isn't the most likable of main characters.  She's a bit frustrated with the state her life has ended up in, she's obstinate, prickly and has a bit of a sharp edge.  Despite the fact that she loves her uncle and likes where she grew up she's not particularly thrilled to be home and isn't really looking for anything.  

When a friend of Callie's dies in a manner eerily similar to Callie's mother's death years before Callie can't help but be drawn in.  Callie is not only looking for justice for Eva but is also hoping that if she breaks the story she will get a foothold back into the journalism world she wants to get back to.   This is Callie's story.  While the mystery is important and very front and center the primary focus is Callie's growth.  She's not a character I particularly connected with but she is a character that I found interesting in a community that I enjoyed and that is a bit different from most other cozies I've read.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Yes - I'm curious to see how this series develops.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy mysteries this is a good read.

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

Life With Leukemia, A Puppy, And Some Reading - May 15

 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:

An Unforgiving Place by Claire Kells - I really enjoyed the early Nevada Barr books that were set in National Parks so I was excited to see this one which looks like an intriguing mystery.  (Publisher)

Currently:

Read:  Fatal Flowers by Jess Dylan and The Villa by Nora Roberts

Listening:  Riviera Gold by Laurie R. King

Last weekend we went to Louisiana for the Dream Day Foundation event which is connected to the Baton Rouge affiliate of St Jude Children's Research Hospital.  This is a big event with fishing, a big petting zoo, food and all kinds of different games and crafts for kids and their families who are either in active treatment, through treatment, or the family of those whose fight has ended.  Will's immune system numbers had been trending down and honestly if we had been going anywhere else we wouldn't have been able to go.  We had such a good time!  Pre-pandemic we had spent several months in the New Orleans area so we went down a day early and went to some of our favorite restaurants and the drove over to Mississippi to visit the beaches we spent so much time at.  It was really fun.  The event in Baton Rouge was also so much fun!  We don't really fish but we had a fabulous time at the petting zoo part.  They had a camel, ducklings, chicks, goats, bunnies, a tortoise, an Alpaca, an owl (NOT for petting), some baby alligators and a number of other things.  Will got tired pretty quickly but he had such a good time!  And he ate at his favorite fast food - Raising Cane's 5 times in 4 days.  It's a chicken fingers and fries place and while not healthy I must admit it is pretty tasty.  Unfortunately, his immune system numbers have continued to drop so we are housebound for the week.  Luckily, he's feeling good and not showing any sign of any infection but if something did happen he would really have no defense for it.  This isn't unusual in leukemia patients though he is proving to be extra sensitive to several of the chemo drugs.

While we were in Louisiana, Rover boarded at our vet for the first time.  We love our vet and they kind of a resort boarding area.  Honestly, I expected him to barely notice we were gone but he was so excited to see me when I picked him up I felt a little guilty.  We are starting Manners class again this week.  This is second go round and while he did great he needs a bit more maturity and we are working on him being able to calm down easily.  He's not quite 7 months old so he's still got a puppy brain even though it's in a 60 pound (and growing!) body.

Friday was my birthday and we had such a nice time!  We drove down the beach and stopped in Bay St Louis at this absolutely amazing ice cream place. We stopped at our favorite beach (not the one in the picture) and dipped our toes in the water and just relaxed a bit.  It was such a nice day.  I celebrate a birthday season so I'm still officially celebrating until at least the first week or so of June so I still have lots of plan.  

Have a great week and happy reading!

Ladies' Bane - Classic Mystery Review

Goodreads:  Ladies' Bane (A Miss Silver Mystery #22) by Patricia Wentworth

Rating:  Really Liked It
Source:   Purchased

Description:  No one has seen Allegra Trent since she got married. Her husband swept her off her feet and out of London, to a faraway town called Bleake. She has stopped writing letters, and her family has begun to worry. Allegra’s husband is a strange man, consumed with the dream of owning a ramshackle medieval estate, and he intends to use his new wife’s money to do it. Why he wants to live there no one knows, but Josepha Bowden does not want his castle to become her goddaughter’s prison. She asks the help of Maud Silver, the former governess who now makes a living using her reason to unravel the intricacies of murder. There has been no killing in Bleake, but if Miss Silver doesn’t intervene quickly, there could be one soon.

Genre:  Mystery - Classic

Why I Picked This Book:  I'm finishing the Miss Silver series this year.  

My Impression:   This book frustrated me a bit.  A large part of it was absolutely fantastic - easily 5 Star.  The goings on at the Ladies' House were intriguing with lots of dark elements.  Miss Silver is pulled in an intriguing way, has plenty of page time and is playing very much into her strengths.  The mystery kept me interested and guessing until the very end.  Frank Abbott plays a very small role here but I didn't mind that too much as it gave Miss Silver a bit more time to shine.  

What kept this book from being 5 stars for me is a convoluted beginning and a few almost distracted transition points.  It almost feels like the mystery was written in chunks with breaks in between.  I'm not sure if maybe I was distracted without realizing it but there were a couple of times while reading the book that I had to take a step out and figure out just who was who and what was going on.  While this would normally really annoy me the moments were small enough and I was pulled back into story quickly enough that it didn't ruin my reading experience.

All the Miss Silver books are standalones and this one was no difference.  Despite the chaotic moments this was an interesting and entertaining mystery.  I'm looking forward to the next Miss Silver mystery!

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  Patricia Wentworth is one of my absolute favorite authors and I always enjoying reading and rereading her books.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy cozy mysteries and enjoy Christie's Miss Marple books I think you would love Miss Silver.

Friday Fives - Five Mini Reviews

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

1.  Second Sight by Amanda Quick - This is the first book in the Arcane Society and is the story of Gabriel Jones and Venetia Milton.  Gabriel is in charge of the Arcane Society that has hired Venetia Milton to photograph and document the Society's collection.   Their time together is interrupted by an attack and Venetia is left to rebuild her life as a "widow" running a photography business.  This was an entertaining story with  a likable and practical heroine.  Gabriel is a bit flat and a bit heavy handed on the alpha male side of thing but never got annoying.  This wouldn't be an Amanda Quick/Jayne Ann Krentz without it being an entertaining read and it didn't disappoint.  I'm looking forward to seeing how the series continues.  My Rating: Liked It

2.  The Body in the Garden by Katharine Schellman - I picked this book up because I picked up the 3rd book in the series without realizing it was the 3rd book in the series so obviously I had to read the first 2 books.  This was a delight!  I really enjoy historical mysteries and I'm so excited to find a new series that I really enjoy.  Lily Adler is an interesting and likable main character with common sense and a dash of daring.  I also love a team element and Ophelia Oswald and Captain Jack Hartley make a fun team and work really well with Lily.   The mystery was interesting and while I did guess the reveal a little before Lily I was curious as to how she would pull everything together.  I'm so excited to have discovered this series and can't wait to continue with it!  My Rating: Really Liked It!

3. Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber - This book gave me strong Sarah Addison Allen vibes. It could be because the premise was vaguely similar to a book by that author that I had just read.  Regardless, this is a story set in a small Southern town with a focus on community and healing.  There are strong elements of magical realism and two strong main characters who are connected but have had very different paths.  I absolutely loved this book from beginning to end and wish there were more books to be set in the town of Wicklow, Alabama as there are so many memorable characters in the town that I would love to see again.  My Rating: Loved It!

4.  Crime on the Fens by Joy Ellis - This police procedural set in the UK has been on my TBR for ages and I just finally got around to listening to the audio and I'm so glad I do.  I mostly read cozy mysteries but every once in awhile I want something a little grittier and this was perfect.  While the subject matter is dark and there is violence it isn't overly detailed or grisly.  I really liked DI Nikki Galena.  She's driven and on a mission but not of her own ambition.   The addition of DS Joseph Easter softened the edges without going romantic (and I'm hoping it stays that way) and humanized her.  The rest of the team is capable and interesting.  This is a procedural series I'm really excited to continue with.  My Rating: Loved It!

5.  Marrying Winterborne by Lisa Kleypas - It's been a long time since I read a historical romance and I wasn't sure what I was going to think when I picked this one up.  I ended up absolutely loving it.  Helen is a delightful character.  She's kind natured with a warm heart and is not naturally confrontational but is learning to express herself and stand up for herself.   Rhys is a little harder to like.  He's a kind man with a fair and generous nature but because of his past is used to keeping up his defenses and using arrogance as a shield.  The relationship between the two feels authentic and genuine and it is easy to believe that their relationship is lasting.  There is a Secret in this book which is one of my least favorite plot devices.  However, in this case I can understand why it is kept and not shared.  I'm looking forward to reading more historical romance and more of Kleypas's Ravenal books in the future!  My Rating: Loved It!

What have you read recently?

Books from the Backlog - Deadly Appraisal

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: Deadly Appraisal by Jane K. Cleland

Blurb:  Josie Prescott is settling into her new life in New Hampshire. Her antiques business is thriving, she's beginning to make some close friends, and her relationship with the local police chief is becoming more interesting. Not bad for someone who has completely uprooted her life as a New York City auction house expert in order to get a fresh start in a small New England town. 

 With so much suddenly to lose, Josie can't help but worry when murder invades her seemingly quiet community. Josie is sponsoring the Portsmouth Women's Guild Annual Black and Gold Gala and is looking forward to receiving a kindly worded thank-you for her efforts. Instead, the Guild representative, Maisy Gaylor, dies a horrible death in the midst of the banquet. Who could have wanted to kill earnest, drab little Maisy? "Funny, isn't it," muses the hostile Detective Rowcliff, "how a lot of people end up dead when no one has any enemies."

Everyone who had access to the wine Maisy drank, including Josie herself, soon comes under suspicion. Can Josie manage to ferret out the truth, keep her business running smoothly, and continue to put down roots in her new town, or will everything prove too much for her to handle on her own?

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  Because it's going to have to go back to the library soon!  I've had it for just over two months and I only have one renewal left on it.