Spy x Family, Vol. 12 by Tatsuya Endo, translator Casey Loe

Our favorite family is dealing with a world post-Anya's class being kidnapped. Anya has to go back to schoole while Yor and Lloid go back to work. Yor's coworkers are skeptical when she refuses to speak ill of her husband so she creates problems that don't really exist. Meanwhile, Lloid is also dealing with her brother Yuri as both sides race to get to super spy Winston Wheeler before the other. 

Four stars

Follows Vol. 11

Followed by Vol. 13

This book came out October 4, 2023

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

Harvest Season by Brynne Weaver

Nolan and Harper are back again. Less killing in this book but they are still having to deal with all of the deaths in the first book. The true crime group who lost two members in the first book are in town trying to figure out what happened to their friends. There was also a big reveal at the end of the last book that is having consequences in this book. Consequences that leave Nolan and Harper at odds at the end of this book.

Three and a half stars

Seasons of Carnage Trilogy #2

Follows by Tourist Season

This book came out June 9, 2026

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Probable Caws by Donna Andrews

The book is off to a galloping (pun, har) start when Meg gets a phone call from her father. A local horse rescue has been pushed off their land and are being moved to Ragnar's property. All hands are needed. 

There are a few prickly characters in this book including Abel, the man whose land the horses were on, his brother George, who thinks he inherited half the property and wants the horses off, and Helen, the woman who runs the Hoof and Hearth nonprofit. There is a death but it was not anyone I expected at first. 

A lot of our favorite returning characters are away for this book which was fine. The mystery was a bit thin and the solution a bit improbable but I still enjoyed the reading. 

Four stars

Meg Langslow #39

Follows Five Golden Wings

Followed by Jay to the World

ARC of ebook kindly provided by MacMillan and Edelweiss

July 2026 Rereads

A Quiet Life In The Country by T. E. Kinsey

Three and a half stars
Lady Hardcastle Mysteries #1
Followed by In the Market for Murder

This book comes out October 4, 2016

A Super Scary Narwhalloween by Ben Clanton

Four stars

A Narwhal and Jelly Book #8

Follows Narwhalicorn and Jelly 

Followed by Narwhal's Sweet Tooth

This book comes out July 4, 2023

Identity by Nora Roberts

Four stars

This book comes out May 23, 2023

Hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

Odie Unleashed! by Jim Davis

Odie gets his own book? Delightful. All of the strips in this book include Garfield's best frenemy. They certainly weren't pals when Odie first showed up with Jon's friend, Lyman. But, when it comes down to it, Garfield is always going to protect his pal. Or show just how empty his head is. But Odie occassionally gets his own back and it is just as funny. 

Four stars
This book came out September 27, 2005

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Secret of Shadow Ranch by Carolyn Keene, Mildred Benson (Ghostwriter)

Nancy is meeting Bess and George at their aunt and uncle's ranch. There's a phantom horse causing issues across the ranch and they are close to having to abandon the ranch altogether. But is there really a phantom? And does it have anything to do with the notorious outlaw Dirk Valentine who is reported to have hidden a treasure somewhere on the ranch?
Nancy gets knocked out in this book. This seems to happen to the poor girl so many times. This book is definitely dated - fascination with the old west, some of the clues wouldn't be as well known today, bit it is a fun book with a glimpse into the time the book was written.

Three and a half stars

Follows The Mystery at Lilac Inn

Followed by The Secret of Red Gate Farm

This book came out in 1931

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Murder at First Slice by Valerie Burns

Michael and Madison are getting married. But not until after  Baby and Daisy. Madison has recovered from that and from the hangover left after her bachelorette party when she gets another shock. One of the invited guests is someone that her favorite baker (and Micahel's aunt), Miss Hannah, absolutely hates. And this is one one of her good days from the dementia that is ravaging her mind. 

As they get to know Dorothy Wilson, it soon becomes clear that she is probably one of the family members that should not have been invited. She is not only rude, she manages to piss off almost everyone she meets. So, it's no surprise that she's the one to die in this book. The larger surpise is who is standing over her with a wedding gift that was given to Madison just the day before.

There was a lot crammed into a small number of days in this book which made it somewhat hard to follow but was still a fun book to read. 

Four stars

This book comes out July 28, 2026

Baker Street #5

Follows Icing on Murder

ARC kindly provided by Kensington Publishing and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Echoes in Death by J.D. Robb

Eve and Roarke are just back from vacation and are attending a super-fancy party. Eve isn't supposed to go back to work until Monday but (as is no surprise to regular readers) gets pulled back in early when she and Roarke see a naked, bloodied woman almost get hit by a car. They manage to get her to the hospital in time to save her life but her husband is already dead. 

After a dinner party, Daphne and Anthony Strazza were attacked and then, while he was tied up, she was beaten and raped by a man dressed as a devil. As usual with the "In Death" series, there are layers to the story. Daphne is twenty-four and married to a man nearly twice her age. She doesn't seem to be able to make decisions for herself and her husband, though known as a brilliant surgeon, is also known as something of a... well, he's an asshole. So was this attack tied to Daphne and her husband? Or is it tied to two similar attacks?

A nice addition to the In Death series

Four stars

In Death #44

Follows Apprentice in Death

Followed by Dark in Death

This book came out February 7, 2017

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories by Agatha Christie with Hugh Fraser (Narrator), Christopher Lee (Narrator)

Witness for the Prosecution

The story on which this story is based was turned into a really good play. Leonard Vole is a suspect in the murder of the elderly Emily French. His solicitor isn't sure that the man will be found innocent, even with the evidence given by Leonard's adoring wife, Romaine. But there is a shocking turn of events when it starts to appear that Romaine might not be so loving after all.

The Red Signal

A talk between friends brings up premonitions of danger. One character brings up the idea of a "red signal" and a "green signal." One warns of danger. Suddenly, Dermott feels that signal rear its head again. But he's among friends. Yes, he loves his friend's wife, but that shouldn't cause danger, no one knows about it and he's certainly not going to act on it.

Fourth Man

Three men sit in a train carriage. One is Canon Parfitt who actually knows one of the other men, Sir George Durand who is a famous lawyer. The third man is Dr. Campbell Clark who is an eminent psychiatrist. But the title is about the fourth man, the one who appears, at first, to be asleep.

They begin discussing the case of Felicie Bault who apparently had more than one personality. They discuss her story, but are surprised when the fourth man actually has the story behind the story.

S.O.S.

Mortimer Cleveland has had two flat tires and considers himself lucky to find himself in the Dinsmead's family's home with their two daughters and son. But there is an odd air in the house. The two girls go upstairs to make up his bed and on the table next to it is written, "SOS."

Wireless

An elderly worman is told not to excite herself. But the new radio her nephew bought for her seems to be channeling her dead husband...

The Mystery of the Blue Jar

A young man hears a woman screaming about murder at the same time every day. Is it a hallucination or could it be something more fantastic?

Sing a Song of Sixpence

When people promise that they'll do anything to help someone, they rarely actually mean it. Which is what Sir Edward Palliser meant when he said it to Magdalen Vaughn ten years ago (when she was, ew, seventeen and he was in his fifties and he was flirting with her.) Now, she's OLD (ew) and he doesn't really want to help but he promised.

Magdalen's aunt was killed and everyone is a suspect. She would like some help.

Mr. Eastwood's Adventure

Mr. Eastwood has writer's block. He has started writing the mystery of the second cucumber but none of his usual writing methods are working. But then he gets a call. It's obviously not for him, but the code word is "cucumber." What a coincidence! Suddenly he's buying a drink set, meeting a gorgeous woman, and very nearly being arrested. But what is actually happening in this story?

Philomel Cottage

Alix Martin has been having dreams that her old friend/crush has killed her husband. So, when he's in the area, she puts him off. But then, she starts to discover that he may not be the man he presented himself as. Newspaper clippings of a man who has killed his wives make her even more concerned. Then comes the twist ending...

Accident

Now retired Inspector Evans is surprised to recognize a woman in a small village. She was acquitted of poison nine years ago. She said her husband was an arsenic eater and accidentally poisoned himself. The jury let her go. But now she's married again and the Inspector is worried that history might repeat herself.

The Second Gong

Is dinner being served late? Why else would the dinner go off late? Or twice, as one character believes. It seems dinner was pushed back for a visitor. And that visitor is Hercule Poirot. So, you know something has happened. 

Rocky Road by Bob Mayer

If you are expecting this to be a continuation of the Rocky Start series, it is. To an extent. This is very much an instrospectie journey for Max to heal himself (as much as he can) from the pyschological toll his job took on him. His goal is to finish the Appalachain Trail, but his friends and family have added an additional goal of getting out of his own head by talking to at least one person every day.

It's a little corny but it really works for Max and he saves a bunch of people along the way. 

Three and a half  stars

Rocky Start #3.5

Follows Honey Pot Plot

This book came out March 17 2,026

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

Hiding in the Bathroom by Morra Aarons-Mele

I can't quite put a finger on why this book didn't resonate with me more. Maybe because it's more of an introvert's guide to navigating the corporate world (as opposed to the regular world). Maybe the audiobook was not the best way to consume this information. Maybe it was that parts of it felt tone deaf; the author was very lucky in her resources but didn't seem to factor that in to her success. I think a large part is that the title and description make it seem like something it is not. If it were marketed as a book to help introverts network, that might have better set expectations. 

Three stars

This book came out September 26, 2017

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

The Honey Pot Plot by Bob Mayer, Jennifer Crusie with narrators Eric G. Dove, Cris Dukehart

How can there be even more dead bodies in Rocky Start? Weren't there enough in the first two books? Yes, this is a town with a higher number than average of former asssassins. But most have been retired long enough that no one should be after them any more. But now there are two attempts on the women in the town. 

At the same time there are kilings in town, someone tries to take Max out while he's just trying to finish the Appalachian Trail. Are the attacks connected or is something else going on? And will peace ever come to Rocky Start?

A fun series that seems like it is wrapping up. It's fast, fun, and fluffy but gave me something to listen to. 

Four stars

Rocky Start #3

Follows Very Nice Funerals

Followed by Rocky Road

This book came out March 20, 2025

Borrowed as audiobook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

The Cherkley Court Conundrum by Benedict Brown

Marcus is just about to declare himself to Bella when a face from his past appears. His romantic past. Which I was frankly surprised about since I had the impression that he was not very good with women. Well, Nerea needs help. A maid in the house she works for was attacked and nearly killed. She has read that Marius and Bella solve mysteries and hopes that they can come help her. 

There are strange things happening at Lord and Lady Sheridan's house. He is mostly absent, the children are beyond spoiled, and she is hosting a number of artists. Not everyone is who they seem to be and suspicion has settled on an absent gardener, Nerea's new love. 

I really liked this mystery because it moved several storylines along while still focusing on the mystery in front of them. I also liked that Valentine is once again part of the group. 

Four stars

Marius Quin Mystery #7

Follows The Holly Village Murders

This book came out July 17, 2026

ARC kindly provided Storm Publishing and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Our Marriage Is Murder by Carol Goodman

After twenty years and as many co-written mystery novels, Thea is ready to get out. Both out of her marriage and out of writing. The convention they're traveling to will be their last. But that doesn't mean she wants their lives to end. And there are an awful lot of people dying at the beautiful Casstelarosa. Suspiciously dying in the ways and order that Thea and her husband put in their first mystery. 

The local inspector seems inordinately suspicious of Thea so she's going to have to some sleuthing on her own to try and figure out what is going on.

I appreciated that Thea didn't immediately become a super sleuth just because she was a mystery writer. Parts of the plot were a little heavy handed for my tastes and Thea was a little too self-righteous. Overall, I finished the book and enjoyed the ties to Agatha Christie. I also really enjoyed Goodman's characterizations of fervent book fans and laughed out loud over a line about not crossing book club ladies. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out July 21, 2026

ARC kindly provided as ebook by William Morrow and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Lady Jewel Diviner by Rosalie Oaks

Lady Elinor Avely has a gift. Unfortunately, that gift has made it appear that she is a jewel thief. While she would have preferred to stay in London and brave the gossip, her mother thought it best that they retire to the country to let the rumors die down. Fortunately, Elinor had one friend left who was willing to ask her father to loan them a cottage. Unfortunately, it is just a stone's throw from Lord Beresford's family estate; he had stepped up and offered to sae her name by prettending to be engaged, but Elinor had quickly dismissed that claim. 

In the country, she's thinking she might be safe to use her gift to look for a cache of jewels. And she might learn even more about her Discernment from the little vampiri, Miss Andreda Zooth who just fluttered into her window. 

I had read some books in the series that followed this one. They are fast, fun, and fluffy with a world that is fairly well-developed, even in this first book. 

Four stars

Lady Diviner #1

Followed by 

This book was re-released July 11, 2026

Opinions are my own

Immortal in Death by J.D. Robb

Oh noes! Eve's best friend Mavis has been found standing over a dead body. The body just happens to be that of the woman who threatened Mavis' current luvr. The woman was supposed to model Leonardo's clothes but she threw a tantrum when he started dating Mavis.

Eve has to not only work on clearing Mavis and Leonardo but also getting prepped for her marriage to the gorgeous and mysterious Roarke.
Peabody gets her first love interest in Illegals cop, Castro.
Fun read.

Four stars

In Death #3

Follows Glory in Death

Followed by Rapture in Death

This book comes out September 8, 2026

Ebook ARC kindly provided by St. Martin's Press and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

Mrs. McGinty's Dead by Agatha Christie

It seems obvious that Mrs. McGinty was killed by her lodger, the obnoxious James Bentley. So why is Superintendent Spencer coming to a retired Hercule Poirot and asking him to look into the case? 

Because it's complicated. Boy. Is it ever complicated including people showing up from at least two different murders that happened decades ago. 

There is a bright point in Ariadne Oliver showing up. She is very much the parody of an eccentric writer but is grounding in interesting ways. 

Three stars

Hercule Poirot #28

Follows Taken at the Flood

Followed by After the Funeral

This book came out in 1952

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

Garfield Brings Home the Bacon by Jim Davis

This book starts out with a series of Christmas strips. Once again, Garfield is trying to find a way to work around the "being good" theory. There are also a number of strips relating to winter that follow soon after. We also have Garfield's mouse friends as swell as strips with Arlene. We see a lot of jokes around the "Beware of Dog" sign and more strips that make us wonder why Liz is (still) with Jon. There is a recurring character, the waiter Armando, who shows up again. 

Four stars

Follows Garfield Lard of the Jungle

Followed by Garfield Gets in a Pickle

This book came out January 31, 2012

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Learning and Development Essentials by Albert Singh, Vibrant Publishers

A nice, basic book that is a decent introduction to Learning and Development. It covers things like basic theories of not only learning and development but of learning. It covers some of the tools that you might need if you are developing an L&D program and even touches on data gathering and reporting. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out July 18, 2026

ARC kindly provided by BooksGoSocial and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Family of Spies by Christine Kuehn

Kuehn didn't know the story of her family until a filmmaker sent her a lettter. At first, she ignores it, thinking that it must be a mistake, he must have meant some other Kuehn's. But as she digs into her family's past, she discovers that her family was more invovled with WWII than she ever knew. 

It's an interesting story that certainly has missing pieces bcause Kuehn's aunt burned much of the family's memorabilia and most of the people involved are dead. 

Kuehn did a LOT of research to put her files together. And most of the work was done pre-internet so she had to figure out whereto go to even look to find information. 

Four stars

This book came out November 25, 2025

Hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

The Cloak and Dagger Club by Jackie McMahon

Lucy Hubbard has been invited to the exclusive Cloak and Dagger club for a meeting. The founder and president, Horace Hazelmoor, himself invited her. She's not sure why. Yes, she had a book published and, yes, it was well reviewed, but why her? Somehting happened at a party that she's still embarrassed about but we don't know what it is at the beginning. Instead, we're treated to a third person look at Horace's mind and the fact that he is planning to use Lucy for nefarious purposes. 

But before Horace's grand plan is realized, he is killed. And all of the authors at the club come under suspicion. Especially Frank, with whom Lucy has a past. So she decides to make like Pandora Grey (her fictional detective) and solve a murder.

There's a lot going on in this book with the main focus being on Lucy and Frank but our third person omniscient view swings around to other characters as well. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out July 14, 2026

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Country Christie Country Tales from the Queen of Mystery by Agatha Christie

The book opens with an introduction of a snippet written by Christie, talking about her life as a young child in Torquay. In this book are gathered many stories that are set in that same contryside. The stories are wide-ranging pulling from some of Christie's most well-known characters like Hercule Poirot (the Plymouth Express, The Unbreakable Alibi, The Cornish Mystery, The Case of the Missing Will, Double Sin, The Flock of Geryon, The Adventure of the Dartmoor Bungalow) and Miss Marple (Ingots of Gold, The Bloodstained Pavement). Tommy and Tuppence are becoming more well-known with the new television series and one of the stories from Partners in Crime (The Unbreakable Alibi) is included. Parker Pyne gets a story as wella(The Regatta Mystery) as an inclusion from one of her weird horror/psychological short stories (The Hound of Death, The Edge.) 

Yes, all of these stories have some connection to the country, but for some of the stories the mention is incredibly brief and somewhat tenuous. For the most part, I wasn't sure there was enough of a connection to make a coherent whole even though the stories themselves were all excellent choices. I also couldn't decide if I enjoyed the different narrators or that only highlighted how disparate these stories were. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out July 14, 2026

ARC kindly provided by HarperAudio Adult and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Book Club Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday

Blaire Kellermoon is still trying to find her footing after her divorce. Both of her children are now out of the house and she's moved back into the home she and her husband had kept even though they had moved into a much larger mansion. She used to be a rom-com actress but lately has been working as a producer. There is one book that she particularly wants to get done, The Green Light, but she's having problems. In the meantime, she's trying to get the rights to a book written by Jack Branksome.

Jack wrote the book when he was much younger. Since then, he's been teaching but he's trying to write another book. He's not much impressed by Blaire and denies her request. Too bad everyone assumed he'd do it and the news had already leaked. 

Now he's feeling bad. And shocked that she responds by inviting him to write in her pool house. Even more shocked that he accepts.

The two slowly start to get to know each other an themselves. The book has some weird bits that don't always get explained, but it made me smile a number of times.

Four stars

This book comes out July 14, 2026

ARC kindly provided by Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Exquisite Torment of Loving Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley

Four stars

Dearly Beloathed #2

This book came out on July 7, 2026

Follows The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley

Opinons are my own

What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Hotter by Laura Clery

Clery is a well-known internet personality whose most memorable character is probably Pamela Pumpkin. I didn't know much about her but I've been on a biography kick lately and picked this book up. 

I was not expecting to find out about her marriage imploded as her husband spiraled further and further into some sort of madness. We get a deep look into the answer of "why did she stay?", at least her version of it. And it makes sense in that it was very much a case of a frog being boiled. Did she make bad decisions even after her divorce? Yes, she did. She's very up front about that. 

This is more a selection of essays than a coherent book which threw me off but I did, ovrall, enjoy her stories and a glimpse into the life of someone who is trying to do the best she can by her children and then for herself.

Four stars

This book comes out July 14, 2026

ARC kindly provided by Gallery Books and NetGalley

Opnions are my own

Garfield Belly Laughs by Jim Davis

Garfield is back with his usual jokes about naps and eating. He also has a series of strips about horror monster theater where various classics film tropes get an update. There is a large section devoted to Christmas strips, including holiday apparel (e.g. Jon and Odie dressing as candy canes.)

Four stars

Garfield #68

Follows Garfield Slurps and Burps

Followed by Garfield Easy as Pie

This book came out December 10, 2019

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Taken at the Flood by Agatha Christie, narrator Hugh Fraser

Gordon Cloade did his family no favors. Yes, he showered them with money, but he made them entirely dependent on him. So, when he died in an air raid only weeks after marrying a new wife, all of his money went to her and his family had no idea how to cope. It might have been fine if the pliable Rosaleen had been on her own, but she has a brother who will not let her release any of the funds. 

Most of this story is getting to know the different characters, their problems, and how they approach Rosaleen for help. But then a man, who may or may not be Rosaleen's first husband, is killed, setting off the mystery.

Hercule isn't in the book much and the ending is a kick in the pants. 

Three stars

Hercule Poirot #27

Follows The Labours of Hercules

Followed by Mrs. McGinty's Dead

This book came out in 1948

Borrowed as an audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

Very Nice Funerals by Bob Mayer, Jennifer Crusie with narrators Eric G. Dove, Cris Dukehart

Max Reddy doesn't want to stay in Rocky Start. It's a town with two many secrets that he doesn't want to be a part of. And one person he's going to hate to leave. But on the next-to-last day before his self-imposed return to the AT, someone cuts a rope bridge while he's on it. So... now he's sticking around. 

Meanwhile Poppy's life is changing. She had a traumatic incident in the last book and now her life is changing. And she's not sure if she likes where it's going but she knows that it is not going to be what she had originally planned. 

Four stars

Rocky Start #2

Follows Rocky Start

Followed by The Honey Pot Plot

This book came out July 21, 2024

Borrowed as audiobook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

Garfield Book One by Jim Davis, Mark Evanier, Scott Nickel with illustrators Gary Barker, Dan Davis, Mike DeCarlo, Andy Hirsch, Mark Heike, Stephanie Heike, David DeGrand

I loved reading Garfield books when I was young and thought that these might be a reprint. I didn't recognize any of them. 

The book is ten chapters with two stories per chapter. Of course, they are mostly centered around food or food is a theme. There is a story of a rare comic book, of mice being friends with Garfield (a cat!), a genius who moves to the neighborhood and learns to make friends, and of Quentin the mouse trying to become a cat, then a dog. 
There is a nice mix of illustrating styles - some that look like the original Garfield and some that look more like the more modern Garfield (what we see on the cover). 

Four stars

This book comes out July 7, 2026

ARC kindly provided by KaBOOM! and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

Rocky Start by Bob Mayer, Jennifer Crusie with narrators Eric G. Dove, Cris Dukehart

This book is pure fluff and has Crusie's fingerprints all over it. If you know her writing, this book will feel very familiar. 
Rosalee "Rose" Malone has lived in Rocky Start for nineteen years. Ever since her 12-year relationship ended when she got pregnant and he threw her under the bus for fraud. Now her daughter is about to graduate high school and her mentor is dead. But there are weird things happening in Rocky Start including two gentleman. One who attacks her in her store and one who says he saved her (though she thinks she was doing a pretty good job herself, thankyouverymuch.)
Max Reddy and his dog Mags are in town to pick up a new pair of boots while he's out on the Appalachian Trail. This town is out of the way but this is where his old boss sent the package. It's an interesting little town, straddling the line of Tennessee and South Carolina. The people there remind him of the people he used to work with in his old job; lots of secrets to hide.
Rosalee bothered me a little; she sticks her head in the sand about a lot of things. But I still enjoyed the book quite a bit. 

Four stars

Rocky Start #1

Followed by A Very Nice Funeral

This book came out July 21, 2024

Borrowed as audiobook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

Garfield Donut Disturb by Jim Davis

Generally known for his love of lasagna, the truth is that he loves all food. In this book, there are a higher number than usual strips devoted to his love of donuts. We also see his relationship with Arlene as well as with Odie. There are still more jokes about "Beware of Dog." Just a delightful read.

Four stars

Garfield #76

Follows Garfield Fully Caffeinated

Followed by

This book came out August 27, 2024

Garfield Easy as Pie by Jim Davis

This book has a number of strips devoted to relationships. Garfield talking with his girlfriend Arlene (and somehow often bringing food into the equation. Sometimes she is even on the same page. Jon somehow managing to hold on to Liz. Garfield loving Pookie. 

Four stars

Garfield #69

Follows Garfield Belly Laughs

Followed by Garfield Goes Hog Wild

This book came out July 14, 2020

June 2026 Monthly Rereads

Opinions are my own

Stolen in Death by J. D. Robb

Four stars

In Death #61

Follows Framed in Death

Followed by Fury in Death

This book comes out September 2, 2025

Borrowed as hard copy from library

The Shop on Hidden Lane by Jayne Ann Krentz

Four stars

This book comes out January 6, 2026

Loosely connected to the Fogg Lake books

Enter the Nightmare by Jayne Castle

The book opens with Alice Radstone returning to the Hotel of Dreams. Except this time, she's there on purpose. It's been ten months since she escaped a ward for the criminally insane after being dubbed "The Mad Bride." Everyone thought she had killed her husband, but she has no memory of that night. Nor has she any memory of that husband.

Owen March is feeling guilty. He helped a very wealthy man track down Alice, but he's beginning to thingk that the story he was told is a lie. He's going to make sure that Alice can return to her regular life a free woman. And to do that, he'll have to keep her safe by marrying her.

Is this book a little bonkers? Oh yeah. Did I still enjoy the ride? Mostly. It stretched my disbelief suspension to the max but I overall had fun.

Three and a half stars

Ghost Hunters #18

This book comes out June 30, 2026

Follows It Takes a Psychic

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Bungalow Mystery by Carolyn Keene

This book starts with a literal bang when Nancy and her friend, Helen Goulding, are trying to outrun a storm but, when their boat hits a log, they have to swim for it. They are saved by Laura Pembleton who mentions that she might need Nancy's help. She has new guardians and is wary of them

The couple is certainly a piece of work. The wife is rude and demanding, even before she meets Laura. The husband nearly drives Nancy and Helen off the road. Things get stranger from there. 

This book is somewhat disjointed with parts and characters popping up without rhyme or reason but it was still an interesting read. 

Three stars

Nancy Drew #3

Follows The Hidden Staircase

Followed by The Mystery at Lilac Inn

This book came out in 1930

ARC kindly provided by Dover Publications and Netgalley

Opinions are my own

Seven Reasons to Murder Your Dinner Guests by K.J. Whittle

Seven people gather for a dinner. Seven people show up. Seven people are given envelopes, but only five open them. In each envelope is a number preceded by the words "You will die aged..." But this can't be a predictor of the future, right? For the first person, no one is really sure. But then the second person dies. Now a pattern has started and everyone is nervous. Will anyone make it out alive?

I liked the premise of this book and appreciated the tie to one of Christie's but it felt overly simplified and a little bit preachy at the end. 

Three stars

This book came out September 9, 2025

Borrowed as hard copy from the library

Opinions are my own

Garfield Caution: Wide Load Jim Davis

Variety of topics. Several strips on Garfield having a kiddie pool including chemical upkeep (pool mouse) and sharing with various other characters. There are also extended stories as Jon dates Liz and ordering pizza.

Four stars

Garfield #56

Follows Garfield Sings for His Supper

Followed by Garfield
Souped Up

This book came out May 3, 2013

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

A Murder Most Camp by Nicolas DiDomizio, narrator Mark Sanderlin

Mikey Hartford IV has been called to the carpet. He knows his lifestyle isn't great but, knowing he's a nepo-baby, he had decided to throw himself into the role. Until now. Now, his father, upset over Mikey's latest over-the-top purchase, has taken the advice of Mikey's step-grandmother (four years older than Mikey himself) and decreed that Mike must "do good" until his 30th birthday or the funds from his trust won't be released as planned. 

His step-grandmother has another suggestion, Mikey can go with his twelve-year-own aunt, Annabelle, to camp. He'll be working with children and can even help her come out of her shell. And she does. With Mikey assigned to the Special Activities Group (he'll only work with a small number of campers), Annabelle is able to interact with him as well as meeting new people. The group is immediately intrigued by the true crime of a counselor who disappeared over a decade earlier. It was said that she died (though not everyone believes that.) 

Four stars

This book came out April 28, 2026

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Garfield Older & Wider by Jim Davis

Jon and Liz are dating! And that's despite Jon's accordian playing which takes up several strips. 

But then there's Garfield, teasing dogs, avoiding eating mice, taunting dogs, and kicking Odie. But it's also his 24th birthday and that takes up a lot of the book space because this cat, definitely does NOT like getting older.

Four stars

Garfield #41

Follows Garfield Survival of the Fattest

Followed by Garfield Pigs Out

This book came out January 1, 2005

Borrows as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Garfield Cooks Up Trouble by Jim Davis

Lots of Garfield comics. Storylines include the usual including Garfield eating, Jon not dressing well, and lazy days. There are also a few storylines about the darkness. And a week's worth of strips about Garfield eating fish. It's always so funny to me that he'll eat fish and birds but refuses to chase mice. We also get the strips leading up to Christmas and Garfield trying to pretend he's been a good boy the whole year. 

My favorites are the ones where the last panel takes a twist. 

Four stars

Garfield #63

Follows Garfield Listens to His Gut

Followed by Garfield Feeds His Face

This book came out June 13, 2017

Opinions are my own

The Cornish Honeymoon Murder by Fiona Leitch

Fiona and her husband Nate are newly marrired and ready for their honeymoon. Suddenly, they are taking it... along with her mother, daughter, and dog. At least it's a free trip to an almost carbon-neutral resort in one of the Isles of Scilly off Cornwall Why free? Because multi-millionaire owner, Isaac Barnes,believes someone is sabotaging the opening and he wants the help of the woman who solved a murder for him a few years ago. 

At first, it seems like a lark. There are a lot of famous people to ogle. The resort is right plush. Unfortunately, the pranks start escalating. And a death is discovered, just as a storm comes bearing down on the island. Nate and Fiona are on a timeline to find out who killed this thoroughly objectionable character before the storm clears up. 

Three and a half stars

The Nosey Parker Mysteries #9

Follows The Cornish Christmas Pantomime

This book comes out June 26, 2026

ARC kindly provided by HarperCollins UK and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Slasher Summer by E. L. Chen

Patrick just wanted to gather his friends for one last summer. The group had come together because of him, The Jumpscare Society. After his sister's murder he needed something and the group had worked, putting on shadow plays of the Slasher movie, filmed right in their home town. Until their senior year when it fell apart. But now, Patrick has pulled them back together for one last night: the druggie, the preppie, the football king and his cheerleader queen, and the goth girl. Everyone except the Final Girl. But Carrie shows up anyway bringing with her a host of unresolved issues. Or maybe they all brought issues. Especially the person who shows up dressed as the Slasher. 

A fun take on horror films. The book is third person omniscient from most of the character's viewpoints and uses over half the book to build tension before the killings begin. This is going to be a weird thought but I was thrown off by exactly how perfectly the movie beats were hit in a book. It was like hearing a Queen song sung as a madrigal. It mostly works but feels just a little off. Other than that, a really fun summer read. 

Four stars

This book comes out June 23, 2026

ARC kindly provided by Crown Publishing and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Mushroom at the End of the World by Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing

This book is made up of short chapters looking at how we can survive in our current world. Specifically, looking at it through the lens of the matsutake mushroom. This is a mushroom that grows where things have been destroyed and there are whole communities built around finding them. For me, the description of the communities was the best part of this book. 

It was an interesting collaboration of ethnography and anthropology. I didn't always understand the points the author was trying to make. I also thought the subtiled was misleading as this book wasn't particularly political.

Three stars

This book came out November 28, 2017

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Garfield Blots Out the Sun by Jim Davis

Another amazing collection of our favorite comic book cat. I don't know how Davis keeps coming up with so many different strips that cover the same topics. This book has many of the old favorites including, eating, being lazy, and gags around a beware of dog sign. This book also has some strips about yarn.

Four stars

Garfield #43

Follows Garfield Pigs Out

Followed by Garfield Goes Bananas

This book came out January 1, 2007

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

When I Was Your Age by Kenan Thompson

I love a biography read by the author and this book proves excatly why. Thompson is open about his life, starting from his time in Georgia and wending through his time on Nickelodeon. He focuses on his own life though it touches that of many famous other people. Of course, he talks about his time on Saturday Night Life. 

There are also stories of his family. Both growing up and now his daughters. 

Four stars

This book came out December 5, 2023

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Murder Will Out by Jennifer K. Breedlove

Willow Stone used to spend summers with her godmother Sue on Little North Island. But when she was fifteen, the summers stopped. Now she's grown, and an organist and curious about Sue. But what she finds is not what she expects and it sends her back to the island. 

Now, she's trying to figure out a weird small town that has... dynamics. Plus, there are ghosts. Which I wasn't expecting.

Three stars

This book came out February 17, 2026

Borrowed as hard copy from the library

Opinions are my own

Funny Man Patrick McGilligan

A deep dive into the life of Mel Brooks. This book starts, as many good books do, at the beginning, with Brooks' birth in 1926. The whole first chapter is devoted to his first eighteen years, growing up in New York as the youngest of five, being coddled and cosseted. The books moves on to his time in the army during WWII, his time in television, and his movies. There are touches on his marriages and other romances. 
This book is not sycophantic, acknowledging that Brooks was often a horrible coworker and employee, stealing ideas, not crediting people, and often raging at them. 
I'm not sure why, in this day and age, various slurs were in this book They weren't needed for verisimilitude and any number of other words could have been used instead. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out March 19, 2019

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

The Final Target by Nora Roberts

Arden is just starting out as an author at the beginning of the book. She's at a book signing and shrugs it off when one of her fans asks her to grab a meal or coffee with her. But then she sees him again. And again. And someone breaks into her house. Then again, when she's home. But he's wealthy so he gets off with a time of five years. 

In that time, Arden begins to heal, writes more books, and decides to move to Oregon, following her family. She also meets the people of her town, including Joe Riley who owns the hardware store as well as his grandson, Gideon. Gideon is a double-threat as a romance hero, being not only a woodworker but a former cop. 

Of course, the two begin to fall in love. But the danger still lurks.

If you like Roberts, you will enjoy this book. It definitely follows her formula but it's a good formula and enjoyable. 

Four stars

This book came out May 26, 2026

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own