Top Ten Tuesday - Ten of My Favorite Agatha Christie Quotes

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 about Book Quotes so I'm sharing a few of my favorite Agatha Christie quotes.

1.  When one thinks of things just before going to sleep, quite often ideas come.  - Nemesis

2.  Cleverness isn't everything.   A Murder is Announced

3.  There are things that cannot be hurried - le bon Dieu, Nature, and old people.  The Mystery of the Blue Train

4.  It really is very dangerous to believe people, I never have for years.  - Sleeping Murder

5.  People who can be very good can be very bad too.  - They Do It With Mirrors

6.  Courage is the resolution to face the unforeseen. - Death Comes as the End

7.  Dogs are wise.  They crawl away into a quiet corner and lick their wounds and do not rejoin the world until they are whole once more.  - The Moving Finger

8.  The young people think the old people are fools - but the old people know the young people are fools.  - Murder at the Vicarage

9.  The impossible could not have happened, therefore the impossible must be possible in spite of appearances.  - Murder on the Orient Express

10. Imagination is a good servant, and a bad master.  The simplest explanation is always the most likely.  - The Mysterious Affair at Styles

Fatal Flowers - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads: Fatal Flowers (A Flower House Mystery #3) by Jess Dylan

Rating: Really Liked It!
Source:   Publisher

Description:  As Aerieville, Tennessee’s Flower House finally gains in popularity, Sierra Ravenswood finds herself feeling ready for new challenges. Luckily, the shop has grabbed the attention of the mayor’s daughter, and bride-to-be, Marissa Lakely. Sierra is thrilled, and nervous, to land her most important job yet: providing flowers for the biggest wedding Aerieville has ever seen.

Fortunately, Marissa bucks all stereotypes and is far from a bridezilla—but her wedding planner, Taz Banyan, has apparently taken on the role for himself. He’s uptight, intense, and a little intimidating. But Taz aside, everything seems to be under control...until Sierra makes a startling discovery in the great room: the wedding planner, lying in a heap at the bottom of the stairs, in very bad shape. In fact, he survives only long enough to mutter: "It was the snake." As Granny Mae would say, seeing a snake is rarely a good sign, and this was clearly no exception.

With the town on edge and the wedding up in the air, Sierra refuses to stop asking questions in her determination to put an end to this latest danger—so both Aerieville and the Flower House can flourish once more.

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I've read the first two books in the series and enjoyed them so of course I had to pick up this latest one.

My Impression:  I've enjoyed the previous two books in this series but I think this was the best one yet.  In the past two books I had a hard time really connecting to Sierra but in this book it feels like she's found her footing.  She's a bit flakey, a touch impulsive, but also quick witted with a big heart.  She's a character I could picture being friends with even though she would be making me shake my head quite a bit.

The mystery is an interesting one.  Sierra finds herself roped into the wedding of the year for Aerieville with no warning and no idea what's going on.  There are all kinds of politics and hidden agendas which wraps up at a vendor meeting with the demanding over the top wedding planner dead.  

Sierra gets pulled into the investigation partly due to her own curiosity and partly due to requests from Aerieville's first family matriarch.  The mystery has lots of twists and turns that takes Sierra on several road trips and deep dives into the world of high end wedding vendors.  

I thoroughly enjoyed this read and was hooked into the mystery from beginning to end.  I'm looking forward to book number 4!

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Definitely!  I really enjoyed this one and am looking forward to seeing how the series develops.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy cozies this is a fun series.  It's probably best to be read in order so you understand the relationships between the characters but it isn't necessary.

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

Friday Fives - Five New to Me YouTube Channels I'm Enjoying Right Now

 

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.  I haven't been watching much TV lately instead have been mostly YouTube.  Here are 5 YouTube channels that I've really been enjoying lately.

1.  Tasting History with Max Miller - I know I've mentioned this channel before but I really don't think I can talk about it enough.  Max does a fantastic job of mixing food and history in an incredibly informative and entertaining manner.  I'm a bit of a history nerd but I've learned more from him than countless books and documentaries.  He covers pretty much all periods of time and has made an amazing variety of food.  

2.  That Chapter - I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this channel before but Mike is my favorite True Crime YouTuber.  He covers crimes from all over the world and does a great job of being entertaining without disrespectful.  Plus, he just seems like the nicest guy ever.

3.  Abby Cox - Abby Cox's channel is all about historical clothing.  She used to be connected to Colonial Williamsburg and her education is in Fashion History.  The most recent video I watched was about Kim Kardashian wearing the Marilyn Monroe Happy Birthday dress (spoiler - she wasn't a fan) and she did an amazing job of explaining the problems with this from an academic and historical perspective.  

4.  Georgia Marie - I just discovered Georgia Marie and am really enjoying her channel.  She does a mix of regular true crime cases, cold cases, Jane/John Does, and history of different points in history.  I just watched a video she had on 5 flights that mysteriously disappeared and it was fascinating.  

5.  Briannah Jewel - So this is a bit different from others but I get no less enjoyment out of this channel.  Briannah has a background in biology, is a certified personal trainer, and is in school to become a registered dietician.  She reviews "fitness influencer" workouts on Instagram and critiques them and then shows how to do the exercise correctly.  She's also worked with registered dieticians to talk about different diet plans.  She's smart, funny, and sarcastic, and has super cute dogs.  

Do you watch much YouTube?

Books from the Backlog - Crocodile on the Sandbank

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:  Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters

Blurb:  Amelia Peabody inherited two things from her father: a considerable fortune and an unbendable will. The first allowed her to indulge in her life's passion. Without the second, the mummy's curse would have made corpses of them all.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  I absolutely adore Barbara Michaels but never read her Amelia Peabody books under her Elizabeth Peters name.  Also, Barbara Mertz (who is both Barbara Michaels and Elizabeth Peters) was actually an Egyptologist with several published books under her real name.

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. *