Future Reader

The Tornado reading We're Going on a Bear Hunt.  They read this at his school quite a bit not too long ago so he has it memorized enough that he feels like he's reading it.  Next year his Pre-K class works on reading.  To be honest, I'll be glad if he learns to read early but I don't think it matters all that much.  Emma started reading in 1st grade and actually took awhile to really enjoy it and she scored a near perfect score on the reading portion of her ACT and can read the entire Divergent series in a weekend.  Ringo started reading early and can't remember the last book he read.  We were talking about it the other day and the closest we can figure is maybe 4th grade.  Early reader or not I just hope he enjoys it.  I'm also looking forward to him being able to read his Thomas and Friends magazine on his own!

This Week in Reading

It's been grey and cold here which makes it perfect for yoga pants, fuzzy socks and reading.  J and the Tornado have been doing pretty much nothing but watching Star Wars so I've had a little time to read.  For some reason I seem to want to spend that time acquiring new books.  It's an illness I think.

What I Read:

At The River's Edge: The Chesapeake Diaries by Mariah Stewart (Review) 

A good read but read the series in order.  It doesn't get confusing but I definitely think you'd understand the characters more.

The Mangle Street Murrders by M.R.C. Kasasian (Review)

Kind of strange but a very well done if a little twisted mystery.  The next one comes out in June and I'll be stalking Netgalley and my library for it.

Delicious by Adrianne Lee (Review)

Definitely not my favorite.  Immature characters with 2 of my least favorite plot devices.  If you have nothing else to read this would work in a pinch but other than that find something better.

The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie

The first Agatha Christie novel not destined to be part of the series.  This one is a fun read.  To be reviewed when I finish the rest of the 1920s stand alones.

What I'm Reading:

Cider Brook by Carla Neggers

New to me author and apparently the 3rd in a series.  I'm not quite sure what I think yet.  I'm about 15% in and it has a lot of potential to be good but it could also go horribly wrong.

The Secret of Chimneys by Agatha Christie

This is one of my favorites.  I always enjoy reading it.

What's Distracting Me:

I finally broke down and agreed to watch the last season of The Office.  J and I used to binge watch it when the Tornado was a baby and having some colic issues and we weren't sleeping much and it became one of our favorites.  After the previous season with all the boss upheaval I kind of lost interest in it and then I heard Pam and Jim were having marital problems in the last season and that made me really not want to watch it.  I'm actually enjoying the last season so far.  I love Nelly's character (Catherine Tate otherwise known as Donna from Doctor Who) and that they've brought back some of the Jim/Dwight pranks.  But J wants to watch them until 11 or midnight and I've got reading to do!  When I'm not watching that I'm in a panic to clear shows of the DVR.  I really need to just cut down on the number of shows I watch. It's a problem.

Delicious - Review

Delicious by Adrianne Lee

Rating: 2 Stars

Description:  Pastry Chef Jane Wilson is less than thrilled when she finds out her mother is going to remarry her 2nd husband.  This is the husband who Jane blames for breaking up her parents' marriage and sending her mother the road to the next 5 marriages and divorces.  She is also less than thrilled that her ex-stepbrother Nick Taziano will be back in her life.  As children they hated each other and did their best to make each other miserable.  Except now there's a whole new level of tension in their relationship.

Genre: Romance

My Impression:  The words Pastry Chef are irresistible to me right now.  If it has a pastry chef in it I'm reading it.  However, this one made me regret that a little.  It's a fast paced book with a few twists at the end so I didn't dislike it but it had some flaws I couldn't overlook.  Jane's immaturity made it hard to really like her.  Her reactions to her mother's remarriage are understandable but her refusal to believe Nick is anything but the boy he was at 13 seems ridiculous.  Her reactions to anything difficult generally include tears and sulking.  Her stepmother makes a fairly reasonable suggestion and she becomes extremely insulted.  Her grandmother who is supposed to be warm and loving and grandmother-y actually comes off as pretty hateful.  About halfway through a plot development came up that is definitely on my top 5 list for least favorite plot lines.  It was handled in an interesting (if somewhat unrealistic) way but not enough to make me love the book.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?:  No, probably not without a strong recommendation from a reader I trust.

Would I Recommend this Book?:  No.  It's not bad but there's enough books that are better.

The Mangle Street Murders - Review

The Mangle Street Murders by M.R.C. Kasasian

Rating: 4 Stars

Description:  After the death of her father, 19 year old March Middleton, goes to live with her unknown godfather and new legal guardian, the famous detective, Sidney Grice.  March is intelligent, compassionate and quick on her feet. Grice is surly, arrogant and believes that women should be seen and not heard.  When a woman arrives at their home to beg Grice to investigate the murder of her daughter and prove her son-in-law innocent Grice and March quickly find themselves at odds.

Genre: Mystery

My Impression:  I was expecting a clean British procedural type mystery like Agatha Christie or Dorothy Sayers.  What I got was a Sherlock Holmes type character with a glass eye with an interest only in justice and a young woman who truly wants to help. Grice is Holmes-like in the fact that he is perfectly aware of his brilliant and doesn't care about making others feel better.  There is no hidden heart of gold here or sudden burst of kindness.  He cares for his reputation as a detective but doesn't care if people like him.  March is easy to relate too.  She's a mix of tough and compassion and is anxious to not just find justice but to make things right.  She dislikes her guardian but admires his brain.  He dislikes her but she earns a tiny bit of respect when she is able to deal with dead bodies without flinching.  The mystery isn't really a who-dunnit and is much more of a did he do it?  All this happens against the dark, dank, crime filled backdrop of turn of the century London.  There were a few things that jarred me while reading this book.  I didn't particularly care for the letters or journal entries that ended a few chapters.  While it provided a deeper look into March's past there wasn't really enough to serve a purpose.  Also, an earlier murder becomes important to the conclusion.  I had to flip back to find the details because it had only been mentioned at the beginning.  The conclusion was wrapped up nicely and had kept me guessing through the book.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?:   Yes, I think these characters have a lot of potential to make a fascinating series.

Would I Recommend this Book?:  Yes, but I think I would be very clear that this is not a cozy.

Top Ten Tuesday - Books that Make You Cry

Today's Top Ten List from The Broke and the Bookish is the Top Ten Books that Make you Cry.  I've been searching my mind trying to come up with books that make me cry for days.  This one was challenging for me since I tend to avoid books that will make me cry like the plague.



1.  Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery

Cried doesn't seem quite strong enough.  I sobbed, wept through pretty much this entire book.  I don't know if it's  having teenagers or having a four year old but even though I've read this book about Anne's children going to war it's never affected me quite like it did a few months ago.  This wasn't just teared up - this was openly weeping to the point if I read more than a chapter or so a night my eyes would be swollen the next day.

2. Marley and Me by Josh Grogan - This is another one I sobbed during.  I cried so hard at the ending that J wouldn't believe I was that upset over  a book.

3.  The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom - I resisted reading this book for awhile despite having a friend strongly recommending it.  I was afraid it would be preachy but it was wonderful.

4.   Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery - This one isn't sobbing but there are scenes that cannot be read without crying.

5.  The Shell Seekers by Rosamunce Pilcher - This one doesn't affect me quite like it used too but I read this book to pieces in high school and college.

6.  Love Story by Erich Segal - I cannot even think about this book without remembering the story a friend told me about how she was reading in class and as she was getting to the ending she all of a sudden remembered the first line and spent the rest of the time torn between not being able to put the book down and not wanting to get caught reading (and crying in class).

7.  Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult - I read this for a book club a few years ago and I have mixed feelings about it.  I cried but I felt so manipulated that I was mad about it.

8.  The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - The scene with Rue's death. Oh the tears.

9.  The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever by Julia Quinn - I know I'm in the minority here but I loved this one.  And cried quite a few times.

10. She: The Old Woman Who Took Over My Life by Kathryn Tucker Windham - this is Windham's final book as she looks back over her life.  She died before it was finished.

Crusin' Thru The Cozies Reading Challenge 2014

This is my last reading challenge!  Really it is!  Actually it probably isn't. I have a tendency to overdue things and apparently challenges are no exception.  When I saw The Crusin' Thru the Cozies Reading Challenge on Socrates' Book Reviews I just couldn't resist.  I think I've been reading cozies since I could read and they probably make up the largest section of my TBR shelves.  So I'm signing up for Super Sleuth (13 - 20) and am hoping for the best.  I think I'm even more excited about reading the reviews from other cozy readers.

So I think I'm at 4 Challenges - Ireland, Foodie, TBR and this one.  That seems perfectly manageable right?

At the River's Edge - Review

At the River's Edge by Mariah Stewart

Rating: 3 Stars

Description:  After Sophie Enright catches her long time boyfriend in a compromising situation with a coworker she heads home to St. Dennis to take a look at her life.  She realizes she misses her family and is becoming dissatisfied with her career as a prosecutor.  She decides a move is in order to be closer to her family and to pursue her dream of owning a cafe.
She meets landscaper Jason Bowers and sparks begin to fly.  However, when it seems like their dreams may contradict each other can they make it work?

Genre: Romance/Fiction

My Impression:  Mariah Stewart has long been one of my go-to author with her more suspenseful books but I've really enjoyed the softer change of pace with the Chesapeake Diaries.  I read the first of the series in December (review) and enjoyed it.  Normally I don't mind reading books out of  order but I think this is a series that would be better if read in order.  There is so much of the town's history and family relationships that are explored little by little in each book that it's a much deeper, more developed read if read in order. I loved Jason, he's intense with his own baggage but still is able to develop healthy positive relationships with people.  I like that he does what he feels is the right thing in regards to Curtis and Logan. I found Sophie a little less likable and all the secret keeping from her family got a little annoying.  However, I love that Stewart makes very different characters for each of her books and it's not the same type over and over just in different situations.  I also love her ability to draw a warm and friendly town environment without being overly cutesy or over the top drama.  The characters aren't perfect but are all the more realistic for that.  This is warm comfortable reading - perfect for a rainy day with a cozy blankets and hot chocolate.  I can't wait to read the rest of the series!

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Yes

Would I Recommend this Book?:  Yes, but I think it's better if you read them in order.