Sunday Post 105

Hi everyone!

Through Monday, I am linking with the following: 

Reading Reality, who hosts Stacking the Shelves

Readerbuzz, who hosts Sunday Salon

Caffeinated Reviewer, who hosts Sunday Post

The Book Date, who hosts It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

On the above blogs you will be able to see links to the posts from others who are participating in those blog hops, and if you're a blogger, you can join too. 

I hope this post finds you well. I had a couple of appointments last week that all went well. I also had a good week of getting enough sleep most nights (all except one night and even that one wasn't too bad), which in turn made my days better. Adequate sleep is the foundation for me, so let's hope that continues!

I looked up events that are happening at the library this coming week and I found three that I'm planning to attend. One is a monthly event for people with disabilities. They have a different theme each month (I believe this month's theme is Oceans) and there are a variety of activities to participate in. I can come and go whenever I want during the two hours and I can choose whichever activities I want to participate in. The two I'm most looking forward to are arts and crafts and exercise.

The second event is one where we talk about books on our shelves. That's it. We just talk about what we're reading (or want to read or have read) and anything else bookish we want to discuss. I thought it might be a good opportunity to meet new people who are local, enjoy reading, and are available at the times I am. The event takes place in the early afternoon on a weekday, which is ideal for me since I don't work. It's so hard to meet people with common interests who are available at the same times I am. I'm hoping this event fixes that.

The third event is a puzzle swap. We donate any gently used jigsaw puzzles we are able to (though this is not required), then at the end of the week, we show up for the swap and just take one home to keep. I might find a new puzzle and meet some fellow puzzle enthusiasts.

In addition to these three library events, my community has Bingo every Tuesday evening. I've been wanting to go, as I love Bingo, but the time is weird for me. It's at 6pm - dinnertime. I'm sure they did this on purpose since it's held inside the international food court in my community. It's a good way to increase business. The prizes are all for the eateries in that food court. I might give it a try even though the time isn't ideal for me. 

I'm trying to make more of an effort to get out and about. Finding virtual things to do is easy and I love my at-home hobbies, but I want the in-person social interaction too. It's time to get back out there into the world more often.

So, next time we meet, I might have a lot to tell you about. Lol. I'm not sure if I'll have time to publish a Sunday Post next weekend, but rest assured, I will be back soon after that. I'll try not to make it a whole month's absence this time, though.  :)

IN THE BOOKS

RECENTLY FINISHED

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I listened to #FollowMe for Murder (Trending Topic Mystery 1), written by Sarah E. Burr and narrated by Laura Darrell. I read this book two years ago and I've been reading each installment after that as they are published. It was fun to go back to where it all started and notice how the characters have grown. You can read my review here.

IN PROGRESS

I started reading the chapter on math and logic problems in The Puzzler: One Man's Quest to Solve the Most Baffling Puzzles Ever, from Crosswords to Jigsaw to the Meaning of Life, by A. J. Jacobs. I didn't get very far yet because I was busy trying to solve the problems that are presented in the chapter. Logic problems are not always easy for me, but I enjoy the process of trying to solve them.

I'm almost done reading Banshees, Boomboxes, and Bones (Bewitcher's Beach Mystery 4), by Emily Fluke. I'm planning to publish my review next week, Tuesday or Thursday. In the meantime, please visit Friday's post to read some excerpts from it.

My current audiobook listen is Take the Honey and Run (Bee Keeping Mystery 1), by Jennie Marts and narrated by Cris Dukehart. This is the June pick for The Cozy Mystery Book Club. Although there is some mild language in it, I'm enjoying it overall.

UP NEXT

What the Spell? (Spellbooked Magical Cozy Mystery 1), by Elle Wren Burke, is still up next. I should be able to start it early in the week. The author's newsletter subscribers played a role in writing this book. Every couple of weeks, she had us vote on certain elements of it, such as the title of the book, which animal the familiar would be, what the familiar's name would be, etc. It will be fun to read the final product.

ON THE SCREEN

• Andor - Since I subscribed to Disney+ for one month, I'm rewatching season 1.  It's been a few years since I watched it, so I want to refresh my memory before moving on to season 2.
• Murder, She Wrote - I watched a few more episodes in Season 4. I'm still really enjoying this season so far. I'm also listening to a rewatch podcast after each episode. The podcast is called The Cabot Cove Gazette.
• Mufasa: The Lion King - This movie is one of the reasons I started a temporary re-subscription to Disney+ and it was so worth it! I adored this movie so much! I thought it was even better than the previous live action Lion King movie (which I also loved).
• Billy and Molly: An Otter Love Story - I don't know why it took me so long to watch this documentary. I absolutely loved it! The story is so heartfelt and even humorous at times, and the scenery is breathtaking. I loved the narration too. It brought crocodile tears to my eyes in the best way. If you've ever loved someone (even a pet) and then had to let them go for whatever reason, it's very relatable and uplifting. This is also streaming on Disney+
• Encanto - This is another one that's streaming on Disney+. I enjoyed the story and the vibrant animation. Some songs were catchy, but I could have done without it being a musical (either that or make the songs more memorable).

Okay, let's address the elephant in the room. There are no Hallmark movies on this list. I know, right?! Hallmark has aired no new movies recently and since there were movies I wanted to see on Disney+, I decided this was a good time to watch those. Don't worry. Next time I publish a Sunday Post, there will be Hallmark movies on this list!

ON THE BLOG

• Sunday Post - 05/31 - Weekly Recap
• Book Review - 06/02- #Throwback for Murder (Trending Topic Mystery 4), by Sarah E. Burr
• Book Review - 06/05 The Adventures of Dagobert Trostler: Vienna's Sherlock Holmes, by Balduin Groller
• The Friday Six - 06/06 - Bookish response and excerpts, Feline Friday, Nature pic
• Puzzle - 06/07 - Pyrgos Village

Have a great week!

Puzzle 107 - Pyrgos Village

It's difficult to find puzzles on this site where the default is rotating pieces and it fits all the other options I'm looking for. So here's one where the pieces do not rotate, but you can change that option if you click on the puzzle and do it on the website.

I did this one with 35 non-rotating pieces and it took me 3:48. I thought it was pretty challenging, compared to some other ones where the pieces also do not rotate.

Just for fun, I also did it with 35 rotating pieces and it took me 7:59.

Both times I did it without looking at the picture, so the frame was the toughest part. I had a hard time figuring out on which sides the pieces went. Once I got that done, the rest was easier.

The Friday Six 19

Happy Friday!

It's been a while, but I'm once again participating in six blog hops.  You can click on the host links below to find the blogs of others who are participating in each blog hop. If you're a blogger, feel free to join through the host links.

BOOK BLOGGER HOP, hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer

Isn't that image so cozy? I grabbed it from host's blog.

Question: How do you strike a balance between providing enough information to pique readers' interest without giving away too many spoilers in your reviews?

My response:  I write just a few sentences about the plot (usually even less than what's given in the book's official blurb), then I share what I thought about the characters, setting, mystery (because most of my reviews are for cozy mysteries), and anything else that's notable about the book. My reviews are mostly what I thought about the book.

FIRST LINE FRIDAY, hosted by Reading is My Superpower

FRIDAY 56, hosted by My Head is Full of Books

BOOK BEGINNINGS, hosted by Rose City Reader

Today's excerpts are from the Kindle format of Banshees, Boomboxes, and Bones (Bewitcher's Beach Paranormal Cozy Mystery 4), by Emily Fluke. 

Here is the beginning:

Smelling people's emotions came with a hefty dose of drama and the constant temptation to diagnose the source of every smell. Like did all four of my children stink of rotten fish because they rolled around on the beach while in their wolf forms? Or were they all in a collective lie that sparked the stench of guilt?

And here is an excerpt from 56%:

    A sweet smell filled the air around me. Hope lifted my heart with the scent of key lime pie.

I have about an hour left to read in this book, then I'll publish my review next week. I'm aiming for Thursday. I hope you'll come back and check it out!

FELINE FRIDAY, hosted my messymimi's meanderings

Here is Miss Tinker Bell channeling her inner Mufasa.

NATURE FRIDAY, hosted by Living the LLB Life

It's the dandelions that I love most of all.

The Adventures of Dagobert Trostler: Vienna's Sherlock Holmes, by Balduin Groller

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I recently read the English translation of The Adventures of Dagobert Trostler: Vienna's Sherlock Holmes, by Balduin Groller. This book appealed to be for a few reasons. One is that I have really enjoyed the handful of Sherlock Holmes stories I've read. So I thought I'd enjoy reading stories with a similar sleuth and a similar vibe. Another reason it appealed to me was because it's an international mystery series, which is different from the usual books I read. The third reason this book appealed to me was because it contains short stories and I've been wanting to read more of those.

There are six short stories in this book. They are "The Fine Cigars", "The Great Embezzlement",  "Anonymous Letters", "An Arrest", "The Cheat", and "The Mysterious Box". None of these contain murder, but the crimes still have high stakes, especially for that time period in Vienna.  I found the mysteries to be clever and fun. Every story ends with a common theme that is different from any other mystery I've read. 

Dagobert Trostler, like Sherlock Holmes, is a private investigator. However, Dagobert Trostler is more laid back. He enjoys the simple things in life like delicious food and great company. He has friends that are recurring characters in multiple stories, but he does his sleuthing mostly alone. Unlike Sherlock Holmes, Dagobert Trostler does not have a "Watson". 

If you're a fan of Sherlock Holmes, I encourage you to give The Adventures of Dagobert Trostler: Vienna's Sherlock Holmes, by Balduin Groller a try. You'll feel right at home with the overall vibe, yet there are differences that will surprise you. There is some mild language and I did find the writing a little dry at times, but in general, it as many of the elements that fans of cozy mysteries enjoy.

Thank you to Kazabo Publishing for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

#Throwback for Murder (Trending Topic Mystery 4), by Sarah E. Burr

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I have been enjoying Sarah E. Burr's Trending Topic Mysteries since the beginning, so I was very excited to receive an ARC of the fourth installment in the series, #Throwback for Murder. I'm happy to say, it did not disappoint. In fact, this may be my favorite book in the series.

It starts out at a festival to celebrate the opening of the Central Shores Community Safety Center. The celebration is interrupted when a blast from the past falls ill and eventually dies. (I must point out here how the title of this book fits perfectly with the victim's story.) Evidence points to Charlotte, one of Coco Cline's best friends, as the one who potentially murdered the victim. Lifestyle Influencer, Coco, and her friends use a mix of modern technology and good old-fashioned sleuthing to uncover the truth and clear Charlotte's name.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Central Shores, Delaware, once again visiting with the Sleuth Squad. I loved that this book starts at a festival and the reader is fully immersed in the experience. It felt like I was there. 

Having just re-listened to the first in this series, I can say that these characters have shown tremendous growth since the beginning. Relationships are evolving and there is now a cat added to the mix. This isn't Coco's cat. Miranda's human is Jasper, and I am here for it. Jasper is my favorite character in this series and I just love that he now has a cat. The scene where Miranda is first discovered nearly brought tears to my eyes. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see how it was going to all unfold. There is another scene later in the book that did bring tears to my eyes, but those were tears of laughter because it was so funny!

There are a lot of characters in this book, but I was okay with that. It was fairly easy to differentiate who the suspects were and who were simply members of the community. Even with that differentiation, I still could not figure out who the culprit was. It surprised me, but it came to a logical conclusion. Speaking of the conclusion, I love how this book shows that not every case is cut and dry. The lines are sometimes blurred. You will have to read the book to find out exactly what I'm talking about.

One thing I always appreciate in these books is diversity. The communities created by Sarah Burr truly are welcoming to everyone. On a personal note, in this series it's especially heart-warming to see at least one physically disabled character living life just like everyone else in the community. This character is working and could possibly be involved in a romantic relationship soon. That's the way I love to see representation. It makes me feel like I could easily fit into that community.

I also love that Coco is seeing a mental health professional. It isn't a large part of the book, but it's there to let us know that Coco isn't dealing with everything on her own. Of course she has her friends, but it's good to know she's open to professional counseling. 

I really enjoyed the scenes with Coco's family. I especially loved the scenes with Coco's father. I hope to see more of her family in future installments.

Along with the mystery, there are a number of subplots that are naturally and seamlessly woven into the story. These subplots never interfere with the flow of the mystery and they give us glimpses into the characters' lives other than solving mysteries. I enjoyed seeing the natural progression of their lives and I'm even more enthusiastic about seeing them continue to grow in future installments.

There are some serious topics covered in this book, as indicated by the trigger warning in the beginning. While these topics do play a role in the overall story, they never felt overwhelming to me. Sarah Burr has a gift for lightening the mood without glossing over serious situations. It's the perfect blend of heart and humor. 

I have to admit, I got a kick out of the multiple references to the Baltimore Ravens football team. They are my team! But I promise you, you don't have to be a football fan to appreciate these references. They are worked into the book in a way that works well with the story.

As with most cozies, this is a self-contained mystery, but I recommend starting with book 1, #FollowMe for Murder, so you can see the growth of the characters. If you've been reading each installment, then this is certainly not one you'll want to miss. #Throwback for Murder is a strong addition to a modern and entertaining series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Level Best Books, and Sarah E. Burr for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Sunday Post 104

Hi everyone!

Through Monday, I am linking with the following: 

Reading Reality, who hosts Stacking the Shelves

Readerbuzz, who hosts Sunday Salon

Caffeinated Reviewer, who hosts Sunday Post

The Book Date, who hosts It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

On the above blogs you will be able to see links to the posts from others who are participating in those blog hops, and if you're a blogger, you can join too. 

It's good to see all of you again! I can't believe it's been about one month since I've published a Sunday Post! About a week after Malice Domestic ended, life threw me some curve balls and I needed to focus my attention and time elsewhere. 

When things were finally beginning to settle down, my neighborhood and beyond were hit with a 10+ hour power outage. (Some people around here lost electricity for days!) We were lucky this time considering our last power outage lasted 27 hours a couple months ago. Both outages were caused by high winds, with the most recent one being accompanied by a severe thunderstorm. The storm was fairly brief, but fierce. After the the storm left and took our electricity with it, the sun came out. It was as if it was laughing at us. 

I'm just really glad it happened in the evening when we were past the heat of the day and moving into the nighttime hours. It came back on at 4 a.m. the next day, thankfully.

The day that the electricity came back on was hot and humid, but the next day was very comfortable. In fact, we've had cool weather with low humidity for the past two weeks since then. I can't stand the heat and humidity of late spring and summer, so this has been quite a treat. Next week we'll be in the 80s and possibly 90s, so I'm enjoying the cooler weather while I can. At around 1pm today we were in the very comfortable upper 50s!

When I first moved into my condo in 2005, and for many years after that, we rarely had power outages. It has definitely increased recently. Every time we have a thunderstorm or high winds, I get nervous. As I'm typing this on Saturday night, it is once again very windy. Hopefully, the power stays on!

So with all the discombobulation, I really needed some time to recalibrate. One thing I have consistently kept up with is reading. I set a goal at the beginning of the year to read at least one chapter each day. So far so good. Some days it has only been one chapter and some days it has been more than one chapter.

IN THE BOOKS

RECENTLY FINISHED

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I listened to Maverick, Movies, and Murder (Katie and Maverick Cozy Mystery 1), written by Mary Seifert and narrated by Erica Sullivan.  This was tough for me to get into. It is a puzzling mystery with interesting characters, but there was a lot going on and it was difficult for me to keep track of everything.

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I listened to Mimi Lee Gets a Clue (Sassy Cat Mystery 1), written by Jennifer Chow and narrated by Natalie Naudus. I didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. The theme of animal cruelty took me out of the story. I also had a difficult time connecting with the talking cat. Otherwise, it is a strong mystery with fun characters. 

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I read an ARC of #Throwback for Murder (Trending Topic Mystery 4), by Sarah E. Burr, and I loved it! This book will be released this coming Tuesday, June 3rd. My review is set to be published on Monday, so I hope you'll come back and read why I loved it so much. In the meantime, you can read some excerpts here.

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I read The Adventures of Dagobert Trostler: Vienna's Sherlock Holmes, by Balduin Groller. This is the English translation of a book of short stories that were originally published in the late 1800s/early 1900s. Since I became an avid reader a few years ago, this is the first book of short stories I've read. I'm planning to publish my review on Thursday. 

IN PROGRESS

I read the chapter on mazes in The Puzzler: One Man's Quest to Solve the Most Baffling Puzzles Ever, from Crosswords to Jigsaw to the Meaning of Life, by A. J. Jacobs. This chapter also included labyrinths. I thought the distinction between mazes and labyrinths was interesting, and now I want to find some labyrinths to explore.

I started reading Banshees, Boomboxes, and Bones (Bewitcher's Beach Mystery 4), by Emily Fluke. I'm loving it so far. It's very fast-paced and fun. Some elements of it remind me of Harry Potter. This is a paranormal series I've been enjoying from the beginning. 

I'm listening to #FollowMe for Murder (Trending Topic Mystery 1), written by Sarah E. Burr and narrated by Laura Darrell. I read this book two years ago and I've been reading each installment after that as they are published. I'm reading/listening to this one again because it's the pick for a a book club I'll be participating in soon and it's also part of a summer challenge. 

UP NEXT

My next audiobook listen will be Take the Honey and Run (Bee Keeping Mystery 1), by Jennie Marts. This is the June pick for The Cozy Mystery Book Club. I'm actually terrified of bees...lol...but this looks like a cute cozy mystery. 

I'm also going to read an ARC of What the Spell? (Spellbooked Magical Cozy Mystery 1), by Elle Wren Burke. Her newsletter subscribers played a role in writing this book. Every couple of weeks, she had us vote on certain elements of it, such as the title of the book, which animal the familiar would be, what the familiar's name would be, etc. It will be fun to read the final product.

ON THE SCREEN

• The Food That Built America - I'm on Season 4, but I'm going to take a break from this show while I indulge in Disney+ content during the month of June.
• Murder, She Wrote - I watched a few more episodes in Season 4. I'm enjoying this season so far.
• Sherlock Holmes - On Sherlock Holmes Day, I watched one episode from the 1980's series that I have on DVD. The one I watched was The Naval Treaty. I really enjoyed it. I then read the short story, which I also enjoyed. I'm impressed with how true to the stories the television series is. Do you have a favorite Sherlock Holmes story?
• The Golden Girls - I watched the pilot episode, which I enjoyed. I can't remember ever having watched a full episode of this series before that. I decided to dive into it since there's now a cozy mystery book based on the characters from the show.
• Diagnosis Murder - This is another show I had never seen before I watched S04 E18 called Murder, Country Style. I loved it, mostly because it was all about country music and it had a lot of country singers in it. I'm not sure I'd enjoy the series as a whole, though, because I don't really like medical settings.
• Captain America: Brave New World - I finally watched this since it's on Disney+. Overall the movie was just okay for me.
• The Personal History of David Copperfield - I thought I would enjoy this movie more than I did. The plot was fine, but I thought it was a little slow. I still want to read the book, eventually.
• Hallmark and Great American Family - I'm not going to list all the movies I watched on these two channels. Just know that during the month of May, I did enjoy a plethora of cozy mysteries and cheesy romcoms. :)

ON THE BLOG

• Sunday Post - 05/03 - Weekly Recap
• Book Review - 05/06 - Chocolate Bunny Betrayal (Holiday Cozy Mystery 5), by Cindy Quayle
• Movie Review - 05/08 Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Moon and Back
• The Friday Six - 05/09 - Bookish response and excerpts, Feline Friday, Nature pic
• Puzzle - 05/10 - Shells

Have a great week!

Puzzle 106 - Shells

This puzzle is somewhat related to the setting in the cozy mystery I'm currently reading, #Throwback for Murder (Trending Topic Mystery 4), by Sarah E. Burr. Like last week, the pieces rotate, but you can change that in the settings if you don't want them to rotate. To rotate the pieces using your keyboard, you can use the right and left arrow keys. (Thank you to my commenter who pointed that out last week! :) )

My time on this one was 4:48 using 25 rotating pieces.

Enjoy!