Bookbinder Brooklyn Wainwright is back in the town where she grew up, Dharma, California, for the town’s first ever book festival. The festival is beiBookbinder Brooklyn Wainwright is back in the town where she grew up, Dharma, California, for the town’s first ever book festival. The festival is being planned and organized by a committee run by Brooklyn’s mother Rebecca, and the theme of the festival is Little Women. Brooklyn is excited about the festival, where she will give talks on bookbinding as well as offering crafts for young readers and wine and book pairings, so she and her husband Derek decide to go to Dharma before the festival starts, to see family and help out where they can.
They immediately head to one of the committee meetings, to see Brooklyn’s mom and to check in on the planning for the festival. And they are surprised at what they find.
Most of the committee are in agreement with Rebecca and her vision for the festival, but local businessman Jacob Banyan is not impressed with her leadership. He had moved to town and foreclosed on several wineries in the area so he could buy them for himself. And since Banyan has the backing of a minority of the committee members, he thinks he can interrupt the meeting, trying to bully Rebecca into letting him have a festival booth for his cheap wines. She’d already told him no, and she stuck by her decision. All the booth assignments had been decided long ago and there are no openings. Banyan storms out, his threats ringing the air.
Brooklyn and Derek decide that they will keep an eye on her, to make sure she’s safe.
But then things take a dark turn. The board’s money manager is killed, and they find out that the account has been drained. Rebecca is almost hit by a car. They want to blame Jacob Banyan for everything bad that is happening to the festival and to Rebecca, but he has a strong alibi, so Brooklyn has to turn her amateur sleuthing in a different direction.
Before his death, the board’s accountant had given Brooklyn an old copy of Little Women to restore. She does a little digging and finds out that it’s a first edition, only half of a set, but still worth well over $10,000. Could that have something to do with his death? Or was the motive something more sinister?
As Brooklyn and Derek work to protect their family and the first edition, they find that they themselves are in more danger than they ever expected to be in Dharma. But the only way to get past the danger is to figure out who is threatening them. They have to find a killer!
The Grim Reader is Kate Carlisle’s 14th book in the Bibliophile Mystery series, and it is imminently readable. It’s a light-hearted mystery, with lots of family warmth and friendly reunions. There are crimes, even murder, but they take a bit of a backseat to the talk of the festival, Brooklyn’s work on the first edition of Little Women, and the time spent with friends and family.
I enjoyed The Grim Reader. It’s certainly not a hardcore mystery, but if you’re looking for a lighter cozy with lots of talk about books and family, then this may be the mystery for you.
Egalleys for The Grim Reader were provided by Berkley through Edelweiss, with many thanks. ...more
Sarah Grayson is all about second chances. So much so that it’s the name of her shop, where she restores and sells objects that others no longer want Sarah Grayson is all about second chances. So much so that it’s the name of her shop, where she restores and sells objects that others no longer want or need. From furniture to encyclopedias, glass bottles to musical instruments, Sarah and her crew take discarded pieces and turn them into gems. She and her rescue cat Elvis run the store, try to keep her grandmother and friends from interfering in her love life, and help Charlotte’s Angels solve mysteries.
So when Sarah and her friends go to a reception for North Harbor, Maine’s waterfront restoration, and a property developer ends up dead, Charlotte’s Angels go to work. A group of crime-fighting senior citizens, the Angels work this time for one of their own, Rose’s boyfriend Mr. P., resident computer expert and old friend of the victim’s stepfather. Mr. P. wants to know why his friend’s son was killed and who would do that to him. So the Angels snap to work, and Rose delegates jobs to everyone nearby.
Sarah was there when the developer, Christopher Healey, collapsed at the reception—in fact, she tried to give him CPR—so she wants to find out who killed him too. Where she generally resists the investigations, Sarah is quick to join in with this one and is more than happy to help out where she can. Meanwhile, she keeps busy playing along with her brother’s fake relationship, catering to Elvis’s Jeopardy! habit, helping with a fundraiser for the town, and flirting with her number two in the store, Mac.
But as the investigation goes on, and the suspect list swindles down, Sarah becomes convinced that the killer is someone close to them, that someone will be heartbroken when the truth comes out and the killer is revealed. But Sarah knows that the truth is more important, so she keeps moving forward on the investigation, despite heartache and danger.
Claw Enforcement is book 7 in Sofie Ryan’s Second Chance Cat Mystery Series, but it’s the first one in the series I have read. I’d read one of the Magical Cats Mysteries (written under the name Sofie Kelly), and I liked it, but I enjoyed this one even more. I thought the characters were charming, and Elvis is an especially good addition. I thought that the crime and investigation in Claw Enforcement was fairly mild, making it an excellent series for readers who are sensitive to more graphic mysteries. Basically, I really loved it and need to carve out some time to read more books in this series. I strongly recommend the Second Chance Cat Mysteries.
Egalleys for Claw Enforcement were provided by Berkley through Edelweiss, with many thanks. ...more
Lady Georgiana Rannoch is a busy woman. Her mother is getting married, her grandfather, is getting married, and Georgie herself is getting married to Lady Georgiana Rannoch is a busy woman. Her mother is getting married, her grandfather, is getting married, and Georgie herself is getting married to the dashing Darcy O’Mara. That is a lot of planning and coordinating. And technically, Georgie has no place to live. She is currently living at a friend’s house in London, but Georgie wants a place of her own. In the midst of her very busy schedule, she and Darcy go looking at flats in London, but unfortunately everything they can afford is not at all suitable. She may be royal, but she’s also broke.
And then, out of the blue, Georgie’s godfather writes to her from South America, where he is traveling. He has a house in Sussex, Eynsleigh, and he wants her and Darcy to move in after their wedding. He travels a lot and is barely there, so aside from a few rooms for himself, he wants to offer Georgie and Darcy the place as a home, as it will be Georgie’s one day anyway. He has provided for the upkeep and staffing of the house, so Georgie decides it’s the perfect answer to her prayers and wants to move in right away, to get everything the way she wants it for them to move in after their wedding.
But when Georgie arrives at Eynsleigh, she finds that things are not what they should be. All of the staff members she knew from her time there as a child are gone, and the new butler is less than ideal. His manner is gruff, and he is reluctant to help Georgie out. Once she proves to him that she has the right to live there and that she’s smart enough to catch him—and the other staff members—in complacency, he straightens up some. But she can’t help but think her godfather would be disappointed in the current state of the house, and she determines to get it back into shape.
Georgie starts to make some simple changes. Most of the furniture is covered in sheets, the rooms having been closed off for months. So she sets her sights on getting things back in order, starting by opening up several of the rooms, establishing a routine for a proper dinner, and getting the fountain out front working again. But the more she gets the new staff to make her changes, the more she finds that is amiss at the estate house. It just gets stranger and stranger.
And speaking of stranger, when a stranger showed up unexpectedly and then disappears, Georgie starts to wonder if this new staff isn’t just incompetent. Maybe they’re dangerous. And maybe she’s vulnerable.
Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding is the twelfth in the Her Royal Spyness Mystery Series by Rhys Bowen. It’s the first one I read, as I don’t usually go for historical novels. I was hoping I’d like it okay, but no. I liked it a lot. I thought Georgie was completely charming, and I wanted to learn more about her story. So now I’m going to have to go back and read more books in this series, because this one was so much fun. The writing was clever and effervescent, and the vague anachronisms and modern attitudes just added a sweet whimsy to the story that I enjoyed immensely.
I listened to this one on audio, and I thought narrator Jasmine Blackborow did a wonderful job with this book. Her accents were delightful, and I thought that the energy she brought to Georgie was pitch perfect.
Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding may not be for everyone. To enjoy this, you have to be smart and have a sense of humor and be willing to suspend your strict mindset about what you thought history looked and sounded like. But if you’re willing to take the trip, this book is a lot of fun.
Egalleys for Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding were provided by Berkley through Edelweiss, with many thanks, but I bought the audio book myself through Audible. ...more
When Ollie had to spend the summer before senior year in North Carolina because of a family emergency, he was upset but he went along. He ended up speWhen Ollie had to spend the summer before senior year in North Carolina because of a family emergency, he was upset but he went along. He ended up spending the summer at the lake taking care of his two young cousins while his aunt underwent chemo. Ollie liked Christa and Dylan a lot, so he enjoyed being the uncle. And things got even better when he met Will. Will was a sweet, caring guy, and Ollie fell for him immediately. They spent time together whenever they could, knowing that Ollie was headed back to California at the end of the summer.
Too soon, summer is over. But Ollie’s parents decide to stay in North Carolina for the year, staying on to help with Aunt Linda’s cancer. That’s harder for Ollie to take. He wants to be in California, spending his senior year with his friends and his band. Now he’s stuck in a high school where he knows nobody. Except for Will. So there’s that.
Ollie quickly meets a group of girls who take him in as part of the circle. He tells them about his summer romance with Will, not realizing that they know him. Not realizing that he’s not open about his sexuality yet. Not realizing that he’s a popular guy, part of the basketball team, a class clown, and part of a circle of guys who make rude jokes about any feelings that are not heteronormative. Will acts like he doesn’t know Ollie. Ollie is devastated. Or maybe only mostly devastated.
But Ollie has his friends. And he finds a new band, playing the bass for some of his fellow music lovers. And he has his family. Christa and Dylan love having him around, and he helps by babysitting them when he’s needed.
And then, one day, Will shows up in music class. And they start talking again. It’s not the big romance that Ollie was hoping for, but it’s something. Maybe it’s a start. And as the year goes on, through dances and basketball games, hospital visits and parties, tragedy and triumph, Ollie figures out what’s really important to him. And once he know that, he can go after it with all his heart.
Only Mostly Devastated is a YA novel about an epic teenage love story. The characters are so real and the situations so pitch perfect that I felt some of my old high school angst creeping back in. Author Sophie Gonzales offers up a queer love story that embodies all the hurt and hope of young love, with just a touch of Grease for the theater kids.
I really enjoyed Only Mostly Devastated. It has its heartbreaking moments, but it stays true to the story and to the characters, as well as to that time of life when life is filled with so much emotion, so much anticipation, more than a few stupid mistakes, and lots and lots of friendship. If you’re looking for a big-hearted story with lots of love and laughter, this is one not to miss.
Egalleys for Only Mostly Devastated were provided by Wednesday Books through Edelweiss, with many thanks. ...more
Isabel is a kid with a lot o energy. She runs fast, and she runs hard, and sometimes she makes decisions without really thinking them through. Some ofIsabel is a kid with a lot o energy. She runs fast, and she runs hard, and sometimes she makes decisions without really thinking them through. Some of those decisions happen when she’s playing with her best friend Zoe. And some of those decisions get them both in trouble, like when they got sent to the principal’s office when Izzy took things a little too far at recess.
Zoe doesn’t like to get in trouble. Izzy is one of her best friends, and when she gets Zoe in trouble, Zoe needs to take a break from her and spend time with her other best friends. But Izzy doesn’t have any other best friends. It’s only Zoe. So when Zoe is mad at her, she is sad.
What makes it even worse is that Izzy’s mom is out of town. She has to travel for her job sometimes, and Izzy’s nanny Rosa takes care of her. Rosa does a good job, and Izzy loves her, but it’s not the same as when her mom is home. Because her mom adopted Izzy, she picked her specifically, and Izzy loves to hear that story.
But then her mom does come home, and she decides that Izzy needs a new friend, so they go to adopt a puppy. Izzy is super-excited, not just about the puppy, who she adores, but also because it gives Zoe a good reason to become her best friend again.
Izzy in the Doghouse is an adorable early chapter book for kids in grades 1-4 (although I’d say it’s better for advanced K-2 readers who can handle a chapter book; I think fourth graders might find Izzy a little immature for them). Author Caroline Adderson has written this as a spin-off from her Jasper John Dooley series, and illustrator Kelly Collier adds lots of fun drawings throughout.
I really loved this book. I think I was overly excited about some things at that age (maybe always asking everyone to play board games or card games with me!), so I get her enthusiasm. And I understand that pain of rejection. So this one resonated with me, and I think it would be a good choice for advanced readers around ages 5-7.
Egalleys for Izzy in the Doghouse were provided by Kids Can Press through Edelweiss, with many thanks. ...more
When editor Susan Ryeland left publishing behind to move to Crete to open up a small B&B with her fiancé, she expected it to be forever. She thought sWhen editor Susan Ryeland left publishing behind to move to Crete to open up a small B&B with her fiancé, she expected it to be forever. She thought she would be happy there, away from London, away from editing, and away from Alan Conway. Although Alan had been their most popular author, he’d been a pain to work with. When he’d died, and she had figured out how much he’d resented his creation, private detective Atticus Pund, she was thrilled to walk away and put that entire part of her life behind her.
And then the Trehearnes showed up at her tiny hotel with a story about a murder, their daughter Cecily’s disappearance, and one of Alan Conway’s Atticus Pund novels.
The murder had taken place several years before, at the Trehearnes’ hotel. A guest had been killed by their handyman, a Romanian ex-con who was now serving a life sentence in prison. Alan Conway had heard about the murder and checked in to the hotel to research it for a book. After looking at the case, Conway realized that there had been a terrible mistake. The wrong man was in prison for the murder, and Alan had figured out who the killer was. But instead of going to the police with what he knew, he chose to divulge the killer through a series of clues placed in his novel Atticus Pund Takes the Case.
The Trehearnes had come looking for Susan because their daughter had read Alan’s book, realized who the killer was, and then promptly disappeared. Susan had been the editor of Alan’s Atticus Pund books, sp she knew them better than anyone. The Trehearnes had come to her to ask for her help. Maybe if she came back to England, to their hotel, then she could help find out what happened to Cecily. Maybe Susan could see what Cecily had seen in Alan’s book and figure out where she went.
Susan had gotten restless in Crete, struggling to keep the hotel afloat and missing her former life. If she said yes, the funds would certainly come in handy. But she would have to deal again with Alan’s infuriating puzzles. Is she willing to risk her new, safe life for this adventure? Could it also mean she was risking her own life?
Anthony Horowitz once again plunges us into the world of the late writer Alan Conway and his editor Susan Ryeland. In Moonflower Murders, as Susan investigates Cecily’s disappearance, and also the murder that had happened years earlier at the hotel, she finds that she is the only one who can draw out all the clues that the killer—and Alan—left behind.
Like Magpie Murders before, Moonflower Murders once again contains the entire text of an Atticus Pund novel (how does Anthony Horowitz write so much, so beautifully, so fast?!), and the mystery contained in Atticus Pund Takes the Case and the brilliance of those investigating shocked me with one revealing surprise after another as the pieces snap together. Everything is there, laid out for all to see, but I find that I keep getting distracted from the details and they slip through my hands until later, when they come back to slap me in the face.
Horowitz’s delightful mystery-within-a-mystery series just keeps knocking me off my feet. My only disappointment with these books is knowing that that there are a limited number of Atticus Pund books to draw from. Otherwise, I find these books simply breathtaking, and I highly recommend them to all mystery fans.
Egalleys for Moonflower Murders were provided by Harper through Edelweiss, with many thanks. ...more
When Susan Napier’s grandfather passed, she was handed the job of running the restaurants he had built. Financial problems forced them to close all buWhen Susan Napier’s grandfather passed, she was handed the job of running the restaurants he had built. Financial problems forced them to close all but the flagship Elliot’s, named for her grandfather, located in Edinburgh. But as soon as she returns to the city, she is faced not only with a head chef who clearly doesn’t intend to take any direction from her but also with the man she once thought she’d spend the rest of her life with.
Chef Chris Baker has returned to Edinburgh, the city of his childhood, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. He got his start as a cocky young cook in the kitchen of Elliot’s, falling in love with the kitchen and his granddaughter. But when things went south for him, and he and Susan broke up, he traveled the world, finding refuge in kitchens and learning cuisine from other countries. He ended up in New York, where he stumbled into the opportunity to host a cooking competition show. The show was a hit, and he became a household name in America and Europe. But he wanted nothing more than to move back to Scotland and create his own place.
The weeks go by, and Susan is able to find a replacement executive chef pretty quickly but not a new pastry chef. A baker herself, she understands how important the right desserts can be for a restaurant. Finally, her new chef convinces her to give it a try herself, so Susan jumps in and starts to create new recipes with her pastry skills. But a radio interview of Chris Baker raises her hackles when he says unflattering things about Elliot’s. So when the opportunity appears for Elliot’s new chefs to go up against Chef Baker in a competition at the food festival, they jump at the chance.
Chris feels a little manipulated to be in the competition at the festival, but he agrees to it because he knows that Elliot’s has been struggling, and he does want to help Susan. But when he does see her again, and her food turns out to be delicious, he is plagued with conflicting emotions. Elliot’s is where he started, and he wants them to succeed, but after what happened to him there, he also just wants to protect himself. Which would be easier if Susan weren’t still so beautiful. But so much happened. Would they ever be able to get past it all?
As the weeks go by, and the restaurants consume all their time, Susan and Chris find that despite their attempts to stay apart from each other, fate keeps bringing them into each other’s lives. And the more time they spend together, the more their feelings bubble up. But with the missteps and mistakes, the interruptions and the interlopers, will Susan and Chris ever get a second chance to get it right?
All Stirred up is Brianne Moore’s look at love in the kitchen. This delightful romantic comedy is a fun view inside a professional kitchen as well as a bit of family drama from things left unsaid for too long. The characters that dance across these pages feel like they could be the people sitting next to you in the cafe or on the bus. And as a lover of all things Scottish, I adored the descriptions of life in Edinburgh and felt like I got to take a mini-trip there for awhile.
I got to listen to the audio book of All Stirred Up, and narrator Mary Jane Wells is a revelation. She could pull off the Scottish brogue when it was called for, not an easy task, and made the rest of the story charming as well.
I loved every minute I got to spend in this story’s universe. I loved how the characters were mature and took responsibility for their mistakes. I thought the story was honest and interesting, and as I mentioned, I adored the setting. I recommend All Stirred Up for foodies, for fans of a good rom com, and for anyone who wants to have a really good story read to them by a fantastic narrator.
A copy of the audiobook for All Stirred Up was provided by Dreamscape Media through NetGalley, and I received a copy of the egalleys from Alcove Press, with many thanks....more
Lucci Meyer is looking for a job. Although her work editing horror novels was good and the books were on the bestseller lists, the whole publisher sheLucci Meyer is looking for a job. Although her work editing horror novels was good and the books were on the bestseller lists, the whole publisher she’d worked for got bought out by another and the entire staff was let go. Now Lucci needs a new job, and she is down to her last chance. Blackwood-Patterson, the reputable publishing house known for its literary fiction, isn’t somewhere she thinks she’ll fit in, but she has to try to make it work.
Walking in for her interview, she can’t help but notice the imposing gothic building with the iron bars on the windows. Her interview with the publisher, Mr. Blackwood, doesn’t go well. But somehow, Lucci gets the job of senior editor and is tasked with finding the next great horror manuscript to help the company make some money. It’s the 1980s, and horror novels are big money, and it’s time for Blackwood-Patterson to get their cut of the market.
As Lucci navigates the cliques and the shoulder pads, the new-girl hazing and the pastry thief, she realizes that while someone at the office clearly doesn’t want her there, she has more resources than she realized to deal with their animosity. And then, when a Secret Santa exchange ends up with her receiving a creepy demonic looking doll, Lucci isn’t sure if she should be flattered or afraid. But after a series of incidents in the office that Lucci feels are connected to the doll, she grows worried about possibly putting them in danger, or even being in danger herself. Can she summon all of her knowledge of horror novels and movies and find a way to control the demon doll, or are they all doomed?
Secret Santa is a hilarious parody of horror novels, with more than a few true creepy moments thrown in. This is set in the 80s, with all the fun of Aqua Net, Waldenbooks, the metal-studded jean jacket, and side ponytails, with lots of references to the the most popular works of horror. Author Andrew Shaffer offers us a trip through time to the middle of a Stephen King novel set in the middle of a Gremlins movie, and it’s big fun for fans of horror, the 80s, and really funny satires.
I loved Secret Santa. I thought it was a lot of fun, and at just over 200 pages it’s a quick read. If you have a secret Santa exchange and happen to pick the name of someone who loves horror and has a good sense of humor, this would actually make a perfect Secret Santa gift to give, because this book is a gift (a hilarious, twisted, chilling gift) in and of itself.
Egalleys for Secret Santa were provided by Quirk Book through Edelweiss, with many thanks. ...more
The name is Faulkner. Nelle Faulkner. And if you have a case and you need looking into, she’s your person. Don’t be fooled by her age. She may only beThe name is Faulkner. Nelle Faulkner. And if you have a case and you need looking into, she’s your person. Don’t be fooled by her age. She may only be 12, but she’s been in the investigating game since she was just a kid. That’s why Eddie de Menthe came to her.
Eddie was the leader of one of the local candy gangs. Ever since the new mayor made candy illegal and closed the local chocolate factory, the gangs have been running candy, selling to the local kids. And now one of the leaders is in Nelle’s office, in the back garden of her mother’s house. Eddie is there, needing help. His Teddy bear was stolen from his office, and he needs someone like Nelle to find it for him.
Nelle starts her investigation at the scene of the crime, and gets a first-hand look at how Eddie and his crew sell their candy on the old playground. She starts to think this case is bigger than just a stuffed bear and starts asking more questions about the candy gangs. She knows Sweetcakes from her last case. Mary Ratchet is something of a bully at school, but as Sweetcakes, she and her Sweetie Pies rule the library. And Waffles supplies the back room of Mr. Singh’s shop, where his son Bobby sells chocolates and gum.
Nelle finds that even after all that, she’s no closer to finding the Teddy bear when she finds out that Eddie himself has gone missing. Add in a break-in to Nelle’s office and her home, a couple of Prohibition officers who don’t seem opposed to breaking laws themselves, and an arson, and Nelle will need all of her wits and smarts to figure out who’s really behind the crime spree.
The Candy Mafia is a witty, fun middle grade novel written with whimsy and intelligence. It’s Willy Wonka meets Sam Spade, and it’s just big fun for everyone. Author Lavie Tidhar brings this story to life, using tropes from hard-boiled crime fiction (but soft-boiled for the younger readers) and the stories from Prohibition as a backdrop to this mystery novel. Illustrator Daniel Duncan adds playful drawings that emphasize the personalities of these characters and add extra sweetness to the story.
I loved every page of The Candy Mafia. I grew up on a series of hilarious mystery novels* that made me an early lover of the genre. I think The Candy Mafia can offer that same experience for today’s kids. If I were still a kid, I would love this book and read it over and over. Now I’m an adult, and I still loved this book. If I didn’t have a TBR pile that could topple and kill me, I’d probably read this one more than once, and love it every time. I strongly recommend this one for kids and for kids at heart!
(*The McGurk mystery series by E.W. Hildick. No longer in print, but you can still find used copies of the old paperbacks if you look hard enough.)
Egalleys for The Candy Mafia were provided by Peachtree Publishing Company through Edelweiss, with many thanks. ...more
Author Sarah Kieffer knows a thing or two about cookies. She’s made thousands of them since she was a teenager. She used baking as a way to cope with Author Sarah Kieffer knows a thing or two about cookies. She’s made thousands of them since she was a teenager. She used baking as a way to cope with junior high and high school, and after falling away from the kitchen in college, she got a job at a small coffee shop as a barista and ended up filling up their pastry displays. And after many years of baking, creating recipes, testing recipes, and sharing baked treats, she is giving us all her best insights for baking delicious cookies.
After getting us set up for success by talking us through the equipment we’ll need, she talks the ingredients, going so far as to tell us major brands she used for recipe testing (and they’re not expensive, hard-to-find brands—she used Gold Medal and C&H and Land O’Lakes). After some tips about measurements and making sure your oven temperature is consistent and things like tempering chocolate, then Kieffer pulls the curtains back and gets to the recipes.
First, the classics, starting with the obvious: Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies. Because what cookie is more iconic than that? But if a soft cookie isn’t your thing, she offers several variations for you to try instead. And then it’s on to other classic cookies, like Peanut Butter Cookies, Sugar Cookies, (my personal favorite cookie, that you can see right on that cover) Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, Snickerdoodles, Ginger Cookies, and Shortbread.
Then it’s to Brownies and Blondies, where she again offers several variations of a classic brownie—My Favorite Brownies, Fudgy Brownies, Cakey Brownies—before moving on to Cream Cheese Brownies, Turtle Brownies, Rocky Road Brownies, and even Marshmallow Peanut Butter Brownies. There are also several takes on White Chocolate Brownies and Blondies (Cinnamon Roll Blondies? Come on! I have to try those!)
And since that’s not enough, there is a chapter for the Fruitextravaganza, with Lemon Sugar Cookies, Orange Almond Shortbread Cookies, Raspberry Rye, Banana Cream Pie Bars, Danish Pear-Apple Bars, Mixed Berry Crumble Bars, and Red Wine Cherry Cheesecake Swirl Bars, just to name a few. And then there’s a chapter called The Next Level, as if these recipes weren’t already next level. There are Smoky Butterscotch, French Meringues, Double Chocolate Espresso Cookies, Chocolate Hazelnut Bars, French Silk Pie Bars, Creme Brulee Cheesecake Bars, and Carrot Cake Bars with Meringue. Then it’s Time to Play, with Macarons, Neapolitan Cookies, Kitchen Sink Cookies, Chocolate-Peanut Butter Pretzel Bark, and Caramelized White Chocolate Pistachio Bark.
And then you find out Kieffer was just getting warmed up. In her chapter Pan-Banging Cookies, she shares her unique technique of tapping the pan several times during baking, which creates a cookie with ripples at the outside. That creates a crisp outer edge and a chewy center, together in one cookie. And then she gives her recipes for her pan-banging classic Chocolate Chip Cookies, Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies, Rum Raisin Cookies, Rocky Road Cookies, Toasted Sesame Cookies, Peanut Butter Cookies, Ginger Molasses Cookies, Snickerdoodles, and others.
Finally, she’s all about the Mix and Match, like her Peanut Butter Cookies with Peanut Butter Filling, Ginger Cookies with Salted Caramel Ice Cream, Oatmeal Cream Pies, Brownies with Coffee Ice Cream, and Chocolate Malt Ice Box Bars, for example. And finally, she offers up basic recipes that you’ll need to put all these together (think of this chapter as a masterclass of baking techniques): Rough Puff Pastry, Pastry Cream, Lemon Curd, Caramel, Marshmallows, No-Churn Ice Cream, Whipped Cream, Candied Nuts, and Caramel Shards, just to name a few.
100 Cookies is the cookie cookbook we need right now, with lots of gorgeous photos, classic recipes, new techniques, and even a list of music to bake by. Cookies are such a basic form of comfort food. They’re portable, freezable, and so very giftable. But mostly, they just remind us of childhood, of home, of family, and of all that’s good in the world. And that is something we desperately need these days.
Egalleys for 100 Cookies were provided by Chronicle Books through Edelweiss, with many thanks....more
You have a problem. Your younger sister is getting married, and you have no date for the occasion. Your mother is the wedding planner, so you know eveYou have a problem. Your younger sister is getting married, and you have no date for the occasion. Your mother is the wedding planner, so you know everything about the wedding day will have to be absolutely perfect, including your date. You tried a blind date, but it was disastrous. Like, the kind of horror story that will get shared on social media over and over. So what do you do?
If you’re an engineer for Automated Human Industries (AHI) who is currently tasked with creating a caregiver robot that the company can sell to investors, you can just pilfer some spare parts from work and build yourself a date. And that’s exactly what Kelly Suttle did for her sister Clara’s wedding. Using all her research for her caregiver bot (Confibot), Kelly put together a tall, handsome, intelligent date whose blue eyes shimmer like the ocean.
Ethan is the perfect guy. Kelly snuck him out of AHI and into her apartment, and she spends the first week or so with him, trying to help him be smoother in social situations. At first, his conversation is stilted and literal, but she suggests he do some research on humor, and the more Ethan learns, the more his communication becomes thoughtful, subtle, and funny.
But there’s a problem, which Kelly doesn’t see until she starts introducing Ethan to her family and friends. He’s too perfect. Kelly worried that people would be able to tell he’s a robot, but he has learned to mimic human behavior so closely that almost no one figures it out. But he’s specially attuned to Kelly and her thoughts and desires and needs. He makes tiny adjustments to his behavior to make her life easier, more relaxed, happier. And Kelly gets used to it. Ethan was supposed to just be a wedding date, but as time goes on, Kelly finds herself actually falling for him.
As Kelly tries harder to keep Ethan’s secret, she finds herself distancing herself from friends and family. Her work starts to suffer. And while she knows that there will come a time when she will have to disassemble him, she finds herself choosing over and over to keep him just as he is.
Is it possible to find love with. a robot? Or is that just a fantasy Kelly’s created to keep herself from a human relationship?
The Plus One by Sarah Archer is a funny, compelling look at love in a world where technology is becoming more and more human. There are moments of The Plus One that feel like a pretty typical romcom, but there are also moments where it goes deeper and asks bigger questions about what makes someone human, what makes a relationship, and how love asks us to sacrifice. Kelly’s journey is the story of a strong, smart woman who loses and them finds her way by being a smart, strong woman. Be prepared to laugh and to think, and maybe to start to think about how you’d go about making your perfect man too.
Galleys for The Plus One were provided by G.P. Putnam’s Sons through Edelweiss, with many thanks. ...more
Annie Cassidy writes movies. And when she sells a rom com to the movie industry and the movie actually gets made, she becomes Hollywood’s sweetheart. Annie Cassidy writes movies. And when she sells a rom com to the movie industry and the movie actually gets made, she becomes Hollywood’s sweetheart. She leaves her drab Ohio life and moves to Los Angeles to follow her dreams, and the man who stole her heart.
Meanwhile, back in Ohio, Annie’s best friend Chloe is still living her regular life, serving coffee, keeping an eye on her father, and bantering with her boss about his bad taste in music. She loves bright colors and yacht rock and butterflies. They help her stay positive and grounded while she finishes her business degree online, works full-time to help pay for her father’s care facility, and experiments with delicious baked goods for herself and for the coffee shop.
Meanwhile, Annie’s movie, Coffee Girl, is getting tons of press. And Chloe doesn’t really appreciate that, as the main character in the movie, “Zoe” helps to take care of her ill father, works in a coffee shop, and is secretly in love with her boss. Chloe feels a little exposed by Annie’s movie, and she is not—definitely not—looking for love. And if she were, she wouldn’t be looking at her boss Nick.
Except that she is.
In between the yacht rock she plays at the coffee shop, chatting with her favorite customers, and selling her baked goods and drinks, Chloe wonders what it would be like if Nick kissed her. Good, she thinks. But that’s irrelevant, because her life isn’t a movie. And rom coms aren’t reality. And her life is way too complicated for her to take on anything else. Even if that kiss might be really, really good.
Not Like the Movies is the follow-up to Kerry Winfrey’s Waiting for Tom Hanks. I really liked her first in this series, and I had some misgivings about revisiting this coffee shop in Ohio to do it again. And boy, was I wrong. I liked Annie. She was sweet and believed in big ideas like Love and Romance and Movies. Chloe isn’t like that. She’s down-to-earth and realistic and self-reliant, and I think I like her even more.
Chloe’s story picks up a little after Annie’s leaves off, and while the two novels together are superfun, either can be read as individual stories, independent of each other. But if you’re a fan of rom coms, then you’ll want to read them both, just because they’re that good, and they leave you feeling better about life, love, and music.
Are they the novel equivalent of You’ve Got Mail or The Proposal or Sleepless in Seattle? No, probably not. But they’re a solid 27 Dresses or The Wedding Date or Two Weeks’ Notice. Definitely worth the time and effort, especially with popcorn or chocolate and a good playlist.
Galleys for Not Like the Movies were provided by Berkley through Edelweiss, with many thanks. ...more
Emily didn’t have much going on in her life when her sister April got into a bad car accident and needed help recovering and with her teenaged daughteEmily didn’t have much going on in her life when her sister April got into a bad car accident and needed help recovering and with her teenaged daughter Caitlyn, so Emily didn’t hesitate before moving to small-town Willow Creek, Maryland. At first, her days were filled with caring for April, chauffeuring her niece, and doing the cooking and cleaning. Then Caitlyn wanted to volunteer at the Rennaissance Faire, and Emily’s summer schedule changed drastically.
Emily went to drop off her niece at the school to get the Faire rolling for her, and then she was informed that Caitlyn needed an adult volunteer to be there with her. Through the entire Faire. Every weekend, all summer long. Emily takes one look at her niece’s face and knows she can’t say no, so Emily fills out a volunteer form and goes to sit down for the meeting. But as she turns in her form to the solemn Simon, his judgment on her hastily filled in form is obvious. Emily is not at all certain that she’s going to last all summer under Simon’s fastidious eye. But then she meets Mitch.
Mitch, the lanky, charming, muscled gym teacher, smiles at Emily (and every other woman in the room) and starts talking about his kilt. Emily immediately decides that she’s in, despite Simon’s sourness. She is all in for Faire.
As the weeks go by and Emily finds herself making friends in town and flirting with pirates at the Faire, she starts to feel like maybe she could belong in this town. But she’s not sure she’d truly be welcome, and she worries that there really isn’t a place for her there, or anywhere. After all, her last boyfriend tossed her aside like she was nothing. What is he was right?
Well Met is an adorable rom com filled with interesting characters and lots of good, olde-fashioned Renaissance fun. Jen DeLuca’s debut novel is a fun romp through small-town life, sister struggles, Faire frolics, and heated kisses. I completely enjoyed reading this book, from beginning to end, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a light-hearted comedic romance that celebrates family, friendship, finding yourself, and Faires.
Galleys for Well Met were provided by Berkley through Edelweiss, with many thanks....more
Mimi Lee has just opened her new business, a pet grooming business called Hollywoof. To celebrate, her younger sister brings her a gift—a beautiful whMimi Lee has just opened her new business, a pet grooming business called Hollywoof. To celebrate, her younger sister brings her a gift—a beautiful white cat, who Mimi names Marshmallow. Mimi is excited about her new business, and making her dreams come true. Her first clients are all teacup chihuahuas, friends from a shared dog yoga class. And while they are all good natured and adorable, Mimi also notices that they all have something wrong with their leg.
As Mimi talks to their owners, all glamorous and successful California women, she learns more about the breeder who sold them their dogs. Mimi thinks it’s odd that all the dogs have the same issue with their leg, and she starts to check into the dog breeder. But as she’s starting her investigation, she hears a strange voice in her head. She tried to shake it off, but eventually she realizes that she’s not crazy. Somehow, Marshmallow is able to talk to her, telepathically. He learned the human language by watching television, and he’s able to transmit his thoughts, but only to his owner. Mimi is the only one who can hear the voice of Marshmallow.
Meanwhile, Mimi’s Malaysian mother has an agenda of her own. She is doing everything she can to set Mimi up on dates, from adding Mimi to a dating app without her knowing about it to ordering a Chinese food feast so she can meet the delivery guy. But despite all of her mother’s plotting and planning, it’s by doing laundry that Mimi meets Josh, the cute lawyer who lives in her apartment building.
Mimi manages to track down the dog breeder and goes to look at his dogs. What she finds is a dirty environment with too many dogs in too small a space. She leaves with bad feelings towards the breeder and immediately reports him to the authorities. She hopes that the dogs will be rescued. It’s not until the next day, when the detective comes to visit her at Hollywoof, that she finds out the dog breeder was murdered. And she was one of the last people to see him alive.
Mimi realizes that it will be up to her, with the help of Marshmallow, to figure out who killed the breeder so she can clear her own name. But she quickly learns that it’s not so easy to brush out a killer, and it will take all her resources to clean up well.
Mimi Lee Gets a Clue is a sweet cozy with a strong young woman and her talking cat at the center of the story. Author Jennifer J. Chow has started strong with her debut mystery novel, and the light-hearted fun of Mimi Lee and Marshmallow will charm readers looking for an easy-to-read murder mystery. I listened to the audio book for Mimi Lee Gets a Clue, and narrator Natalie Naudus brings Mimi to life with her lively reading of the book.
I wanted to really like Mimi Lee Gets a Clue. There is a lot to like. There is a talking cat. Mimi’s family is adorable. Mimi herself is interesting, and I think she will grow into a very interesting character. But I did find some holes in the writing that I struggled with. The police investigation was problematic, as was Mimi’s understanding of how to run a business. The idea of this series has potential, but it needs more work to be exceptional.
Egalleys for Mimi Lee Gets a Clue were provided by Berkley through Edelweiss, with many thanks, but I bought the audio book myself through Audible. ...more
Rose Gold was a sick child. She spent an inordinate amount of time at doctor's’ offices and in hospitals. She had to be home-schooled, because being iRose Gold was a sick child. She spent an inordinate amount of time at doctor's’ offices and in hospitals. She had to be home-schooled, because being in school was too stressful. She couldn’t keep food down, so she had a feeding tube. She wasn’t strong enough to walk, so she used a wheelchair. She didn’t have a lot of friends. She didn’t get to do the things that kids normally did growing up—playing on the swings, passing notes in class, going to prom. But she loved her mom, and her mom loved her. They were two peas in a pod.
And then Rose Gold stumbled on the truth.
She wasn’t sick. She didn’t have food allergies or gluten sensitivities or the chromosomal deficiency that her mother told her about. Her mother had been poisoning her for Rose Gold’s entire life. She was simply malnourished and not given the chance to thrive.
There was an arrest, and then a trial, and then her mother went to jail. It seems like the story should end there. But it’s just the beginning.
As Rose Gold’s mother Patty gets out of prison, she finds herself without a friend in the world. Except one: her daughter, Rose Gold. Even though it was her damning testimony in the courtroom that put Patty in jail, after a couple of years, she and Rose Gold reconnected. Now Rose Gold has a son, Adam, and Patty can’t wait to meet her grandson.
Darling Rose Gold is a crazy thriller based loosely on the true story of DeeDee Blanchard and her daughter Gypsy. Author Stephanie Wrobel gets into the minds of these characters, of both a perpetrator and a victim of Munchausen syndrome by proxy, and creates a compelling, chilling, even creepy story of a mother-daughter relationship gone terribly wrong.
Told in chapters that alternate between Patty’s time after being released from prison and Rose Gold’s time while Patty was in jail, Darling Rose Gold puts the piece together in a way that is compelling, surprising, and definitely twisty.
I enjoyed the pace of this book, but I couldn’t help but feel there was something inherently distasteful about the story behind the story, and for that reason I kept setting this book aside from time to time. But once I got to the end, I was glad I’d finished it. The ending is satisfying, but you have to be able to put up with a lot of creepiness in order to get there. This book isn’t for everyone, but those who like genuinely spine-chilling stories will find happiness here.
Galleys for Darling Rose Gold were provided by Berkley through Edelweiss, with many thanks. ...more
Divorce attorney Richard Pryce has been killed, bludgeoned and then stabbed with a very expensive bottle of wine, not long after being threatened by tDivorce attorney Richard Pryce has been killed, bludgeoned and then stabbed with a very expensive bottle of wine, not long after being threatened by the wife of a client in a busy London restaurant. The award-winning literary fiction author poured a glass of wine on him, saying she wished that she’d had a bottle. But if he had actually been killed by her, would the police had to have called private investigator Daniel Hawthorne in to investigate? Clearly, things in this case are not as simple as that, so Hawthorne called his friend Anthony Horowitz to join him for another investigation, and another book.
Hawthorne and Horowitz question Pryce’s husband, his client and his ex-wife (the author who had threatened the lawyer), his colleague, and his friends, but it’s not until Horowitz notices a small unrelated piece in the local paper that they realize the murder could be due to a caving accident from Pryce’s past. Add in a manipulative police detective, a little bit of literary snobbery, shooting problems for his television show Foyle’s War, a book club meeting, some near shoplifting, an unlikely computer hacker, and Hawthorne’s irritating way of always being a step ahead in solving the case, and you have The Sentence Is Death.
The follow-up to The Word Is Murder, this clever murder mystery plays with reality by Horowitz using himself and some real aspects of his life in these novels while making up the crimes to solve and the relationship between himself and Hawthorne. I know some find the author’s use of himself in the novels as off-putting, but I find these to be fun and engrossing, a sort of satire of the Sherlock Holmes stories I loved so much as a kid. Horowitz slyly makes himself the butt of the jokes, as he has a tendency to get everything wrong as he and Hawthorne work on the case. I think that’s the only way that these stories could work, and Horowitz is especially astute as he plots these novels out. I hope that more are forthcoming.
I listened to this on audio, narrated by Rory Kinnear with a brilliant ease. There is something about his voice that makes me feel like I am there, in that moment with Hawthorne and Horowitz as they masterfully weave their way through the suspects and put the puzzle together. I highly recommend these as audio books. The adventure comes to life, and I am transported to modern England, a trip I will always take when given the opportunity.
Galleys for The Sentence Is Death were provided by Harper through Edelweiss, but I bought the audio book myself through Audible, with many thanks. ...more
Almost Everything is a manifesto of hope, something we desperately need these days. This short book that is long on wisdom is a balm to the soul. AnneAlmost Everything is a manifesto of hope, something we desperately need these days. This short book that is long on wisdom is a balm to the soul. Anne Lamott’s thoughts on faith, on relationships, on writing, on family, and on unplugging offer a refreshing antidote to the noise of our cell phones, televisions, tablets, and social media. Whether she’s trying to figure out how to support her alcoholic friend without trying to take over her life or having her Sunday school class acknowledge out loud, “I has value,” Lamott does her best to write with honesty, transparency, and grace.
I have been listening to Anne Lamott read Almost Everything to me in my car, which means I have been starting my day with her workaday spirituality every morning this week. And that has been such a blessing. As Almost Everything is about hope, that means I’ve had a daily injection of hope, of humor, of insight, and a reminder to keep my shoes tied and to stay present in the moment.
Listening to (or reading) Anne Lamott is like having a best friend who is both human enough find 81% cacao too bitter to eat and a spiritual guru who remind you of the beauty of a plum. She is wise and fallible, smart and petty, strong and tired, funny and fearful, making me feel that it’s okay to be full of foibles, of cupcakes, of paradoxes and all the other things that make us human.
She makes me think, reminds me to breathe, and sometimes makes me laugh out loud. She reminds me that it’s okay to pray, encourages me to live with intention, and makes me feel that all my failures and losses will turn out okay in the end. Her gentle dignity about this messy life makes me not only want to be a better person but to believe that that is possible, maybe even probable. Because I has value. And so do you.
Galleys for Almost Everything were provided by Riverhead Books through Edelweiss, with many thanks, but I bought the audio book myself through Audible. ...more
Fiona Sheridan had only been 17 when her older sister Deb had been murdered and dumped in a field outside of the defunct Idlewild School. That was 20 Fiona Sheridan had only been 17 when her older sister Deb had been murdered and dumped in a field outside of the defunct Idlewild School. That was 20 years ago, and Fiona still isn’t over it. Deb’s boyfriend at the time, Tim Christopher, had been convicted of the crime and served his prison sentence, but he always protested his innocence. Fiona never bought it. So the day Deb would have turned 40, Fiona finds herself once again on that creepy road outside of Idlewild, and that’s how she found out that someone had bought the school and was getting ready to refurbish it.
Back in 1950, the school had been a boarding school for wayward girls. Katie Winthrop had been a spirited kid, strong willed and stubborn and able to get other girls to follow her lead. Cecelia (Cece) Frank was the bastard daughter of a rich man, her mother a housekeeper. Roberta Greene had been a good kid until she saw her WWII veteran uncle try to commit suicide and stopped talking for several months due to the shock. And Sonia Gallipeau, a European refugee from the war, where her father had been placed in Dachau concentration camp.
At school, the girls had been there for each other, helping where they could and filling their time by reading a contraband copy of Lady Chatterley’s Lover and telling ghost stories of Mary Hand, who was rumored to be buried on the grounds and was seen on occasion by Idlewild girls. Through the decades, the students left notes to each other in their textbooks, telling of ghost sightings and helpful ideas to help them get through the boredom of their classes. But eventually the girls grew into women and moved on, and Idlewild closed.
But now, someone has bought the long abandoned school and started construction, trying to bring it back to life. However, the construction doesn’t get very far before they find the body of a girl buried in an old well on the school grounds. The tag of her sweater still has her name: Sonia Gallipeau. And just like that, Fiona and her journalist instincts are on her way to finding out what else happened on the grounds of Idlewild School.
Simone St. James’ The Broken Girls tells the story of Fiona in 2014, still haunted by her sister’s murder and trying to find the truth of what happened to her, while also trying to find out what exactly happened back in the 1950s that ended up with a beautiful young girl getting killed and hidden in a well. There is a supernatural aura to this novel, along with the investigation, and there are a lot of smart, determined women who aren’t afraid to do things on their own terms. I love that!
I listened to the audio book on this one, and narrator Rebecca Lowman really took me to Vermont, where I lived in the past and the present through the voices of these young women. I loved it, and I recommend the experience of The Broken Girls on audio!
Galleys for The Broken Girls were provided by Berkley through Edelweiss, with many thanks, but I bought the audio book myself through Audible. ...more
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