Little Bosses Everywhere by Bridget Read

Read goes through the history of MLMs, multi-level-marketing companies. She starts with Rehnburg and Nutrilite, detailing how the man started in business then started branching out to make money off of his salespeople, rather than off the product itself. Rehnberg was just one of the prongs though, it really took off when he met Meidinger and Castleberry, the latter at a Carnegie course. 
From Nutrilite, she goes through the histories of Mary Kay, Holiday Magic, Costcot, and Dare to be Great. 
Read walks us through the different ways these MLMs started, and how they grew. They might start with vitamins or makeup but then morph into self-help and or leadership courses. 
Woven in with these histories are the stories of women who took the MLM pill. Each one had a different reason for joining. All left, disillusioned. 
An in depth look at a number of MLMs and why they are still succeeding today. A good recommendation from NPR's Best Books.

Four stars

This book came out May 6, 2025

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie

A visit to the dentist doesn't usually but end up with a visit from the police, but it happens to our favorite protagonist. After he sees Dr. Morely for a tooth issue, the man ends up dead. It is possibly a suicide but Japp would like to talk to Poirot anyway. Alistair Blunt had an appointment with the same dentist and there is a possibility that this was an assassination attempt on the banker. 

There is a sprawling cast of characters in this one including an actress who was also at the dentist but who has since disappeared, a political activist, and the people who live with Mr. Blunt. The solution is a bit convoluted but wouldn't be out of place in a story that was written today. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out November 11, 1940

Follows Sad Cypress

Followed by Evil Under the Sun

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

Beast Business by Ilona Andrews

The Book Devouring Horde (fans of Ilona Andrews) have been clamoring for an HEA for Augustine Montgomery. After all, he is not only a single man with a good fortune, he is the head of his family. He's been aware of Diana Harrison (the head of her own family), as the sister of one of the employees that the Baylors employ. When she comes to him for help finding an animal that was stolen from her family, he's willing to help. 

The story is less about the two falling in love than it is about kicking butt and taking names, but we do see them acknowledging that they are each other's HEA.

Four stars
Hidden Legacy #6.5

This book came out January 29, 2026

Follows Ruby Fever

Ebook of mine from Bookfunnel

Opinions are my own

How to Winter by Kari Leibowitz

I love winter. After a Midwestern fall (yes, very specific to the Midwest) it is my favorite season. This book appealed to me because I thought I'd find ways to love it even more. And that is in there, to an extent, but there is a lot about how the author hates winter. And how she believes that all Americans hate winter. Which, you are allowed to have your own opinions about the season but she talks about it quite often. Quite. Often. 

All things being equal, there a number of good suggestions that fall under the broader categories of appreciating winter (get out into nature, speak positively about the season at least once a day), make it special (use low, warm light, extend the holiday feeling into the new year), get outside (how to dress for the weather, using friends, concentrating on the easy wins.)

Three stars

This book came out October 22, 2024

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me by Django Wexler

Davi and her team are back. They are trying to have the humans and the wilders join forces. To do that, she and Tsav have donned disguises. Davi isn't sure how she's going to convince her erstwhile lover (not in this time loop) to join her cause, but she knows him inside and out. Or does she?

This Prince Johann is not only married, he seems to be in love. And the running of the kingdom is being left up to Duke Aster who is... less than receptive to Davi's overtures. Even though she has the super-good plan of pretending to be the new oracle. 

Everything is in shambles and there are enemies not only surrounding her, but coming from inside the camp. And an ancient evil is rising once again. 

A fun story that lagged a little in parts but was overall an enjoyable read. 

Four stars

Dark Lord Davi #2

This book comes out May 27, 2025

Follows How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying

ARC kindly provided by Orbit Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore by Emily Krempholtz

Growing up as the ward of an evil lord, it's not like Violet could any way to be other than just evil. However, when Guy Shadowfade is killed, the hero gives Violet a chance to change her life. And she's trying. She's opening up a flower shop in the nearby town, starting to make friends. Then, the blight starts. Plants and crops are dying. Even worse, one of the other wizard's from Guy's parcel has returned to town, and he is hell-bent on... well, something nefarious. 

A cute story that moved along pretty quickly while still developing the characters. 

Four stars

This book came out November 18, 2025

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Strong Female Character by Fern Brady

Recent biographies I've led have seemed rather shallow. This, is not one of those. Brady lays out all of her stories and experiences in raw detail, most of it revolving around growing up as someone whose autism went undiagnosed until she was an adult. Even her own family just thought she was an asshole for awhile.

Of course, she grew up in a time when autism wasn't widely diagnosed, and even when it was, it was to a narrow band that she wasn't a part of. After all, as several doctors tell her, she has boyfriends! and can maintain eye contact! and isn't an "unattractive sea monster with no interest in forming meaning ful relationships." Instead, her quirks seem to have gotten her branded as a manic pixie dream girl. But her "quirks" include things like scratching her arms after people touch her and having episodes where she destroys rooms and furniture. Brady is also very up front about using people for housing, attacking someone with a bottle, and her life as a stripper. I wondered about the last as strippers are often touted as having good people skills (and she says several times she doesn't understand social nuance) but she talks about the fact that she was able to do the same routine every night in dim lights. 

There is quite a bit about her time in entertainment as well. I knew her from her season on Taskmaster where she was a bit chaotic but a lot of fun. She talks about that time as a dream job which makes sense because she was allowed, at times, to drop her masking completely.

Highly recommend the audiobook as Brady reads the story herself. 

Four stars

This book came out February 14, 2023

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own