What's Eating Jackie Oh? by Patricia Park

stars

This book comes out April 30, 2024

ARC kindly provided by Random House Children's and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack

stars

This book comes out April 30, 2024

ARC kindly provided by Minotaur Books

Opinions are my own

Snoopy: Beagle Scout Adventures by Charles M. Schulz

Charlie Brown is off to camp. His parents think he'll make friends but he's not so sure. It doesn't start off well with people making fun of his name and finding out that his baseball team is winning without him. 

The next year, Linus goes and also meets Roy. He also has his blanket with him but isn't worried about being teased. Of course, he tells everyone about the Great Pumpkin and gets elected camp president. 

We also get to see Snoopy in the Beagle Scouts and as the various kids apply to NOT go to camp. Of course, Charlie Brown is turned down but he somehow doesn't make it to camp. 

A little more scripture than I remember but still a really enjoyable read.

Four stars

This book comes out April 30, 2024

ARC kindly provided by Andrew McMeel Publishing and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

Supercommunicators by Charles Duhigg

I was hearing about this book on a number of different podcasts so I thought I'd pick it up. I love a good book on communication and was pleasantly surprised that this one, while still picking up threads that I've read in numerous other books, brought some new things to the conversation.

The thought is not only do we need to listen, but we need to understand. First, we need to understand what kind of conversation are we having? A tool teachers use is actually asking students if they want help, a hug, or to be heard (is this practical, emotional, or social). Knowing what you want the conversation to be is going to help you be more productive in reaching a conclusion. 

We need to know where we ourselves are coming from but also where others are coming from. Duhigg uses gun control to show that we don't always know everything that we think we know.

Lastly, we need know ourselves. Our social identities are the ways that we frame ourselves and our own histories. They help us to relate to others but they can also serve as barriers to true connection. 

There was a little too much going on in this book but I overall enjoyed this one. 

Four stars

This book came out February 20, 2024

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent by Judi Dench; Brendan O'Hea

Did you know you needed a book of Judi Dench talking about Shakespeare? I didn't. What a fabulous audiobook has been created here. Brendan O'Hea interviews the icon Dench and it results in what seem to be spontaneous discussions about various plays with sprinkles about her life experiences both off and on stage. It is beyond delightful to hear Dench describe her experiences as various characters. As they talk about each play, describing he remembers quotes from all of the various plays. 
The two seem like old friends who are just having conversations, batting quotes and reminiscences back and forth with a delightful epilogue where they discuss their discussions. 

Four and a half stars

This book comes out April 23, 2024

ARC kindly provided by Macmillan Audio and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Earls Trip by Jenny Holiday

stars

This book comes out April 23, 2023

ARC kindly provided by Kensington Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Last Word by Elly Griffiths

This book comes out April 23, 2024

ARC kindly provided by Mariner Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

A Share in Death by Deborah Crombie

Duncan Kincaid just needs a vacation. He's lucky enough to be able to use a timeshare that his cousin can't take. The other visitors are certainly an interesting bunch: two sisters, one who might be losing her memory, the other who reminds Duncan of particularly strict teacher; a husband and wife who own a health food store and have their two children along; a self-proclaimed "spinster" who seems to be at this time share during this week for a specific purpose; a recently divorced father with his teen daughter; a couple where the husband is a budding politician. For the staff, he heard Cassie and Sebastian arguing when he walked in though the two quickly reverted to their polite masks. 

By the next morning, one of the them is dead. And they're not the last person to die. The local constabulary aren't real excited about him potentially helping (at least not the one in charge.) 

I had heard about this series on the Modern Mrs. Darcy and I am excited to read the next one. 

Duncan Kincaid & Gemma James #1

Four stars

This book came out in 1993

Followed by All Shall Be Well

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Not That Duke by Eloisa James

Lady Stella Corsham is short and freckled, not exactly a diamond of the first water. But she has a large dowry so she doesn't lack for suitors. She mostly tends to play chess with Sylvester Parnell, the Duke of Huntington and hang out with her friends.
Sylvester is in love with the most elegant young woman of the season (and heroine of book 2 in this series). Or so he tells himself. But he has these annoying... feelings... for Stella. Of course, because his mother declares she is the woman for him, he's going to push back against that but he eventually realizes that he would be happiest with Stella. Now he just has to convince her.
I liked that the characters mostly communicated pretty well. Sylvester definitely had some missteps at the end of the book but it was overall an enjoyable read.

Would-Be Wallflowers #3

Four stars

Follows The Reluctant Countess

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Death Comes to Bath by Catherine Lloyd

In the last book, Major Robert Kurland was having some problems with the same leg that has been giving him trouble since Waterloo. His doctor (and family friend) recommends a trip to Bath to attend the healing waters. 

While there (along with Lucy's sister Anna and Penelope Fletcher who insists on coming along), they meet Sir William Benson. He is an irascible old man who seems to like no one in his family but really strikes up a connection with Robert. Of course, he will be the one to die. Robert is one of the first to find him and recognizes that, though he has appeared to have drowned in one of the baths, the man was really murdered.

Then comes a complex mystery including the man's own sons (really only two of the three are focused on), his two stepsons, the wife who looks so much younger than him, and their personal doctor. It's another mystery for Robert and Lucy to solve and they are going to have to solve some number puzzles in order to do it.

Kurland St. Mary Mystery #6

Three stars

Follows Death Comes to the School

Followed by Death Comes to the Nursery

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Plus Catalog

Opinions are my own

Death Comes to the School by Catherine Lloyd

Lucy and Major Kurland have been married for three years. Recently, Lucy has had some miscarriages and they are both a little tender and walking softly around each other. But that doesn't include the new school teacher. She was hired while Lucy was in her sick bed and she is... really not good. But is she connected to the poison pen letters that people have been receiving? Including one to Lucy herself?

When the teacher is killed in the classroom, no one is really upset but Lucy and Robert still want to know why it happened. Was she the author of the letters? Or was someone else trying to make trouble?

There were a few too many Big Misunderstandings at the end of this book (especially around Robert and a secondary character) but it was still enjoyable to listen to.

Kurland St. Mary Mystery, #5

Three stars

This book came out November 28, 2017

Follows Death Comes to the Fair

Followed by Death Comes to Bath

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Wait Until Midnight by Amanda Quick

Caroline Fordyce, the well-known widowed author of sensational novels, seems to be caught up in a real-life sensation of her own. She was just trying to do research for her next novel but, after the medium she was visiting is killed, Caroline comes under the focus of Adam Hardesty. Normally, she is not the sort of person he would focus on. At least in her opinion. They move in entirely different social circles. So why is he focusing on her now? Soon the two are caught up in a world of murder and blackmail. And, quite possibly, they are finding their way to true love.

A typical Quick book. Good for a light, fast read.

Three and a half stars

This book came out January 25, 2005

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Plus catalog

Opinions are my own

Ghost Hunter by Jayne Castle

When Elly found out that Boone Cooper was only engaged to her because it was good for the Guild (of which he is the Aurora Springs boss), she broke off their engagement and fled her small town for the big city. When she calls him, he's quietly sure that she's ready to come back to him. It comes as a big shock when she asks for help finding a lost friend. It's even more shocking that finding her friend pulls them into a drug ring conspiracy and hunting down a man determined to kill Boone.
Decent story in the Harmony series though not one of my faves.

Ghost Hunters #3

Three stars

This book came out May 28, 2006

Follows After Glow

Followed by Silver Master

Hard copy of mine

Opinions are my own

Death Comes to the Fair by Catherine Lloyd

The fourth in a series, I did not feel like I was missing anything by not having read the first three. Miss Lucy Harrington, rector's daughter, is engaged to Major Robert Kurland. He is anxious to get married but her fancy-pants relatives are planning the wedding of the century and it's taking forever. Even the village fair is more irritating than he thought. Especially since he is the one who is supposed to judge the entries. To Lucy's dismay, he decides to buck the tradition of spreading the winners among various families and just assigns whoever he thought won. She knows that it will create resentments among the villagers, especially since Ezekiel Thurrock, the church verger, is the one to win most of the prizes. Major Kurland thinks that everyone needs to just suck it up, but when Mr. Thurrock is found dead, his head bashed in by a gargoyle, he wonders whether there are more tempers related to the fair than he thought.

There was a lot going on in this book which made it a little busy at times and the ending was... odd but overall a very readable book.

Kurland St. Mary Mystery #4

Three stars

This book came out November 29, 2016

Follows Death Comes to Kurland Hall

Followed by Death Comes to the School

Hard copy from library

Opinion are my own

An Enchanting Case of Spirits by Melissa Holtz

 In my life, I've never had the urge to see a ghost. Neither has Alyssa Mann but, after a 40th birthday party gone awry, here she is with a ghost in the house. Then another. And all of them want something. But she doesn't know how to help them. So she enlists the help of the medium who seemed to have unlocked the power.
Suddenly, she and her two besties (as well as the psychic, Corinne) are trying to figure out why the ghost of an obnoxious young man whose death was declared a suicide is hanging around her. He's the first, but he certainly won't be the last. Except the only one she doesn't see is her husband. Which is probably good because, like many cozies, there is a Hot Detective.
An interesting start to a series though I don't generally enjoy books where the point of view switches and this one was so infrequent it often confused me the first three or four sentences when it switched. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out April 9, 2024

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Lie by Moonlight by Amanda Quick

Concordia Glade thought that she had landed the perfect job. She had just been fired from her last position and working as a teacher to four girls at an out of the way castle seemed like a dream come true. Except that the dream was more like a nightmare. The girls kept telling her that their last teacher disappeared mysteriously and Concordia is beginning to think that she's about to do the same. She and the girls concoct a plan to escape. Their pyrotechnics display annoys Ambrose Wells who has come to the castle in order to disrupt the plans of a master criminal. Ambrose uses his Vanza training to help right wrongs and this is a huge speed bump.

Concordia and Ambrose will have to work together to save the girls and maybe even fall in love along the way.

Vanza #4

Three stars

This book came out in 2005

Follows Wicked Widow

Audiobook from Audible Plus catalog

Opinions are my own

After Glow by Jayne Castle

Lydia Smith is having issues. Her love life is a little uncertain (she loves Emmett but isn't sure of his feelings), her job isn't her favorite (but Shrimpton's House of Horrors is beginning to grow on her), and now she's found another body. This time it looks like an overdose. But why did Professor Maltby call her? And what the heck is going on with Emmett?

Ghost Hunters #2

Four stars

This book came out February 24, 2004

Follows After Dark

Followed by Ghost Hunter

Hard copy of mine

Opinions are my own

Death Comes To Kurland Hall by Catherine Lloyd

After the less-than-romantic proposal at the end of the last book, Lucy Harrington is ready to be home. Especially since her best friend is getting married to a man that is perfect for her. Too bad his best friend is Major Robert Kurland, a man Lucy would be perfectly happy to avoid. 

She'd also love to avoid Robert's former fiancee, Miss Penelope Chingford, and her family. Too bad the three women have not only been invited to the wedding, they're staying at the vicarage with Lucy and her father. And, unfortunately, Mrs. Chingford hasn't gotten any more pleasant, still spreading venom hidden behind sugared words.

It's even more unfortunate that Mrs. Chingford gets engaged to Lucy's father. And then ends up dead. Was her fall down the stairs an accident? Or murder? It's up to Lucy and Robert (only recently reconciled to each other) to figure out exactly what is going on.

I fell in love with the first book and enjoyed this one as well, though not quite as much. The patter between Lucy and Robert wasn't as fresh. Though I did enjoy seeing Penelope Chingford become almost likable.

Kurland St. Mary Mystery #3

Three and a half stars

This book came out November 24, 2015

Follows Death Comes to London

Followed by Death Comes to the Fair

Hard copy from library

Opinion are my own