In the Hall with the Knife by Diana Peterfreund

Okay, Peterfreund obviously has a deep and abiding love for the 1980s movie version of Clue with at least a dozen little easter eggs sprinkled into the text as homages to that amazing cult classic. Otherwise, this is a completely re-imagined version of a bunch of people with names (first, last, nick) that are related to colors who are at Blackbrook, an elite academy, over the winter break when a flood/snowstorm collide to make for a really uncomfortable time. Headmaster Boddy gathers all of the students, including at least three who had negative interactions with him recently, in the Tudor house with the woman in charge of the house, Mrs. White and one adult janitor, Rusty. However, one of the students, the one we follow most closely throughout the third person narration, Orchid, wakes up early on the first morning after they're gathered and finds the body of Boddy in the kitchen, stabbed. Almost all of the people gathered in the house have secrets they'd like to keep - Vaughn Green, the local boy there on scholarship; Phineas Plum, first among the science students and one of the students called in to talk to the Headmaster; Scarlet Mistry, Finn's humanities counterpart and partner in ensuring they both come in first in their respective fields; Beth "Peacock" PIcah who may have thrown a candlestick at Boddy after a loud argument followed by a thud; Orchid McKee who is hiding her true identity but someone has found her out; Samuel "Mustard" Maestro who has only been at Blackbrook for a month after getting booted out of military school mid-semester.
Though it took me quite awhile to get into this book, I have to admit that I*m looking forward to the other two books of this trilogy.

Four stars
This book came out October 8th

Followed by In the Study with the Wrench
ARC kindly provided by Amulet Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Rituals to Observe: Stories about Holidays from the Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction -- anthology

The title pretty much explains what you're going to be reading in this book, short stories that won the Flannery O'Connor Award. That means that you're going to be reading deep stories with deep themes. And, though the book is out in October, it doesn't mean that the books all center around the same holiday. Instead, it runs the gamut of the year.

I think people that don't mind some stories that make you really think, even if they are a bit depressing, will enjoy this book. For me, this was not a good time to read these stories so I don't think I connected to them well.'

Three and a half stars

This book came out September 1st

ARC kindly provided by University of Georgia Press and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Charlie Brown: All Tied Up Charles M. Schulz

Another great collection of Peanuts comics. We have Charlie in a fight with the kite eating tree, Sally trying to write a report that is factual, and Lucy still working on getting Schroeder to notice her. Of course, we get some glimpses into various baseball games and more than a few Beagle Scout trips (addition of Harriet and her Angel Food Cake with Seven-Minute Icing.)

An excellent addition to the Peanuts canon.

Four and a half stars

This book comes out October 15th

ARC kindly provided by Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Christmas Card Crime and Other Stories edited by Martin Edwards

With a series of stories from the Golden Age, all set at winter holidays, this set of stories is a lovely tome to read in front of a roaring fireplace. The story from which this anthology takes its title is a locked room mystery that takes place when a group of railway travelers is stranded at a hotel that they are warned not to stay at. But what else are they to do?
Also included are stories by well-known authors and names that have been lost to the past alike, this is a lovely story for when the snow starts to fly.

Four stars
This book came out October 1
ARC kindly provided by Poisoned Pen Press and Edelweiss
Opinions are my own

The Unicorn Whisperer by Dana Simpson

Another winner from Dana Simpson. Phoebe and Marigold go through another school year including

Halloween. Phoebe goes... as herself but with super powers. She also has a sleepover with Max and gets a bedtime story from her dad. Marigold deals with Phoebe having to do homework and Phoebe works through Marigold finding a new friend (but not a BEST friend.)

Four and a half stars
This book comes out October 8th
Followed by Camping with Unicorns
ARC kindly provided by Andrew McMeel Publishing and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

The Christmas Project Planner by Kathi Lipp

I don't necessarily feel any pressure to prepare the perfect Christmas but I do generally love all things surrounding the holiday and thought this looked fun. And it was -- my favorite aspect was creating a mission statement for your Christmas. I think that very much helps keep people on track.
However, that was one of the things I liked least about this book as well-- it was sort of... corporate. Not in the things that Lipp suggested but rather more the suggestions of how to deal with the holiday. It's as if a regular planning tool (not even a personal one) was taken and given a veneer of Christmas. Good suggestions; nothing particularly new.

Three stars
This book comes out October 1st
ARC kindly provided by Harvest House Publishers and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Cowboy Christmas Redemption by Maisey Yates

Caleb Dalton fell in love with Ellie Bell the day he met her. Too bad she was always fated to marry his best friend, the eminently better man. But her husband died fighting fires and now Caleb is Ellie's rock and his family is helping her to raise the daughter her husband barely knew she was carrying. Without him, Ellie would have been lost. But now she's finally starting to come back to life, to feel as if she deserves something more. She's got a new job and she's ready to start dating. Or at least have sex. It comes as a huge surprise when Caleb is the one man who makes he feel lust. And while Ellie is coming to terms with falling in love with her husband's best friend, Caleb still has some things to work through.
I didn't love the last Big Misunderstanding - I didn't feel like it was consistent with Caleb's arc- but overall a nice Christmas read.

Four stars
This book came out September 24th
Follows Lone Wolf Cowboy
ARC kindly provided by Harlequin and NetGalley
Opinions are my love