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 mothher, 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. 

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

The Hidden Staircase by Carolyn Keene

Nancy is trying to relax and read a book but is having trouble concentrating. Luckily, she's interrupted by a knock on the door. Not so luckily, it's Nathan Gombet who is trying to get something from Carson Drew. Her father isn't home but, when he comes back, confirms that Gombet is someone that Nancy should avoid.

Luckily, she has a mystery to distract herself. There are a pair of elderly sisters who are concerned that their house is haunted. Nancy decides to stay at their house so she can experience what they are hearing. And it is certainly puzzling, but she is able to figure out what is happening in the end, leaving the sisters with a happy ending.

This book hasn't aged as well as the first one. I think it was just some of the language that made me realize how old these books are but I'm going to keep working my way through the series. 

Three stars

Nancy Drew #2

Follows The Secret of the Old Clock

Followed by The Bungalow Mystery

This book came out in 1930, rereleased June 16, 2026

ARC kindly provided by Dover Publications and Netgalley

Opinions are my own

Freedom by Angela Merkel, narrator Juliet Stevenson

I was a little intimidated by the 27 hour listening time but was intrigued by a woman who I only knew a little about. And I'm glad that I picked up this book. Not only is it well-written, Merkel has lead a fascinating life. The narrator was a perfect fit, reading the book as I imagine Merkel would, albeit in German. 

As the foreward notes, the book is almost equal between her time out of the chancelloarship and in it. She starts at the beginning, growing up in the GDP, eastern Germany. She was born before the Berlin Wall went up, and was old enough to understand what happened when the wall came down. 

During her time as the Chancellor of Germany, Merkel dealt with any number of political pitfalls. There is a large section given to refugees in Germany. She also crossed swords with Putin and spent time with both Bush and Obama (she speaks of the latter two highly.) She speaks very... professionally about President Trump.

Four stars
This book came out January 1, 2024

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz, narrator Ari Graynor

Isabel "Izzy" Spellman grew up with parents who are private investigators. She also grew up with an older brother who was perfect. So she decided to become a nosy screw up. That more or less changed when she messed up enough to bother even her brother when she turns 23. Now she's 28 and her sister has been missing for three days. There is a little bit of hopping in time but most of the story is told in chronological order describing her parents, her former cop uncle, and her fourteen-year-old sister who wants nothing more than to be a private investigator. 

This book has actually aged better than I thought.

Four stars

#1 Spellman Series
This book came out January 1, 2007

Followed by Curse of the Spellmans

Audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Garfield Beefs Up by Jim Davis

Lots of familiar themes in this book  - though some of them went on a little long. Jon can't find a date. Garfield taunts dogs and is friends with mice. Somehow, though, he tends ot eat mice. We also have long stretches of Garfield watching tv as well as making various snowmen. We even get a few strips of Garfield doing his stand up comedy on the (back?) fence. 

Four stars

Garfield #37

Follows Garfield Hogs the Spotlight

Followed by Garfield Gets Cookin'

This book came out October 1, 2000

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

A Tarnished Canvas by Anna Lee Huber

Kiera is excited to attend an auction and perhaps bid on a favorite artist. The room is becoming more and more crowded, Kiera is just considering moving when the floor gives way. Both she and Gage are alive as are the majority of the people in the room but there are a number of injuries and one death. Strangely, it is a man Kiera saw break up a fight earlier in the day. 

Of course, Gage and Kiera are going to look into what happened. Their explorations will bring in Bonnie Brock once again as well as several new people, one of whom is very impressed by Kiera and her work. This doesn't help much as Kiera is already nervous about having her first show. 

Four stars

Lady Darby #13

Follows A Deceptive Composition

Followed by A Bitter Cut

This book came out June 24, 2025

Borrowed as ebook from library

Opinions are my own

Murder Under the Mistletoe by Erica Ruth Neubauer, narrator Sarah Zimmerman

Jane is engaged! And she's going home to meet Redvers' family. Well, his father as his mother and brother are both dead. It's quite a shock to find out that his father is engaged as well. To a woman who has had two previous husbands. When Jane and Redvers ask the local doctor about the cause of her last husband's death, he is more than a little abrupt in asking them to leave. 

As the story goes on, Jane meets Redvers aunts and is surprised to see her own aunt as well. There is a death and people's true motives are uncovered. 

A nice book between the others. 

Four stars

Jane Wunderly Mystery #4.5  

Follows Intrigue in Instanbul

Followed by Secrets of a Scottish Isle

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Widows’ Guide to Murder by Amanda Ashby

Ginny Cole has been surprised by a lot of things lately. Her husband's death, how much more expensive everything is without him, the fact that she was hired so quickly as a part time librarian in her new home in the village of Little Shaw, the murder of her new, thoroughly dislikeable boss Louisa. 

Because Ginny is the first person in, she is the one to discover the body. And that also gets her pulled in to working with three other widows in Little Shaw to protect Alice, one of the women's daughters. 

I enjoyed this cozy because Ginny did seem well-rounded and actually worked with police and didn't take unnecessary chances. I wish we had gotten to see more of some of the other characters be as built-out as Ginny but there were a number of characters and this was (I'm assuming) a first book in a series. The number of characters also filled in some of the space for the plot so there wasn't a lot of space for this to be a fairly-clued story. 

Three and a half stars

The Widows' Detective Club #1

This book came out March 3, 2025

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Redshirts by John Scalzi

I think knowing the conceit of this book, since it was recommended to me by at least two people, took me a little bit out of the story itself.

Andy Dahl is about to join the spaceship Intrepid. He's going to added on with four other people, two he knows. But there's something strange on board the ship. The crew tend to scatter whenever the officers come around. And four is a large number of people to replace at one time. As Andy and his crewmates begin to explore, they begin to realize that not all of them will survive to a happy ending.

Three and a half stars

This book came out June 5, 2012

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Labors of Hercules Audiobook edition Agatha Christie with Hugh Fraser (Narrator)

Hercule Poirot is feeling like he is in a rut. Then a friend mentions that he is not very like his namesake, Hercules. So he decides to undertake the Labours of Hercules before he retires. In fact, he will only take cases that relate the the labors. So, a Pekignese dog becomes the Nemean lion. The multi-headed Hydra becomes a rash of gossip. He even has to descend into Hell.

During the short stories, we see familiar characters like Miss Lemon, George, even the Countess, Vera Rossakoff. An interesting mix of stories; some stretch quite a bit to be added to the original labors while others (like the last) are almost spot on the nose. 

Four stars

Hercule Poirot #26

Follows The Hollow

Followed by Taken at the Flood

This  book came out in 1947

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

Age Happens by Jim Davis

Most of the book is dedicated to various birthday strips. Mostly Garfield's but some of Jon's. There are also sections with quizzes, fan art, and even an interview with the cat himself. The best, in my opinion, were Jim Davis's favorite strips with explanations of why. 

Four and a half stars

This book came out June 19, 2018

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Garfield Bigger Than Life by Jim Davis

This book includes veterniarian and love interest Liz as well as the diner and Irma. We also get introduced to one of Garfield's great enemies, the world's cutest cat, Nermal. Although, he doesn't seem to mind Nermal too much in the first visit. 

There are a LOT of turkeys and chicken legs consumed and furniture scratched by our favorite orange cat. Unfortunately, not all of the furniture belongs to Jon. 

Four stars

Garfield #3

Follows Garfield Gains Weight

Followed by Garfield Weighs in

This book came out in 1981

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own 

Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees by Patrick Horvath, Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Sam is a simple bear. She lives in her quiet town, runs her hardware store, and kills people to muffle the voices in her head. Of course, she doesn't kill anyone in town. That would be way too obvious. So why does a body show up during the local parade? And why does she think it may only be the first.

Suddenly, Sam is under the gun herself in a bid to find out who is a serial killer before her own misdeeds are uncovered.

This was an interesting story and I was bemused to see Sam encounter bears in the wild as opposed to herself. There was an interesting difference between the somewhat cheerful drawings with mainly pastel colors and the grim storyline.

Four stars

This book came out October 18, 2023

Borrowed as ebook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Oh Susan Elizabeth Phillips, you do make me smile. In this book, Dean Robillard, quarterback for the Chicago Stars, picks up a woman on the side of the road dressed in a beaver suit. Blue Bailey hsd been dumped by her boyfriend and had her accounts cleaned out by her humanitarian mother, her car died and the woman who was supposed to pick her up from her recent roadside advertising gig never showed up. Instead, she gets picked up by a gorgeous man whose perfect body is splashed over billboards all around town. The two are not immediately attracted but definitely intrigued. Dean needs relief from boredom and Blue needs a ride to Nashville. She agrees to ride with him to his farm where he's resting up for the next football season. What neither of them knows is that Dean's estranged mother has been masquerading as a housekeeper in order to fix the house up for him. When his half-sister and estranged father also show up, a family special it is not. 

Love the book. Made me laugh. Witty banter and real family problems kept me interested. Will definitely read again (and again, and again...)

I wrote this in 2010 and have, indeed, read it again and again. Don't love it as much as I did in the beginning but still enjoyable.

Four stars

Chicago Stars #7

Follows Match Me if You Can

Followed by First Star I See Tonight

This book came out February 6, 2007

Hard copy I own

Opinions are my own

Says Us! Scripts and Quips from Says You! Vol. 2: The Words Spread by Richard Sher

Such a fun way to consume one of my favorite radio shows. It's even better to listen to them but this wasn't bad. Twenty games of six rounds each, consisting of games like defining words, guessing the best definition, and terrible (-y good?) puns. 

Best consumed slowly. 

Five stars

This book came out in October 2012

Hard copy I kept

Opinions are my own

May 2026 Monthly Reread

Connections in Death by J.D. Robb

Three and a half stars

In Death #48

Follows Leverage in Death

Followed by Vendetta in Death

This book came out February 5, 2019

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Vendetta in Death by J. D. Robb

Three stars

In Death #49

Follows Connections in Death

Followed by Golden in Death

This book came out September 3, 2019

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Golden in Death by J. D. Robb

Three stars

In Death #50

Follows Vendetta in Death
Followed by Shadows in Death
This book came out February 4, 2020

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Shadows in Death by J. D. Robb

In Death #51

Follows Golden in Death

Followed by Faithless in Death

This book comes out September 8, 2020

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Faithless in Death by J.D.Robb

In Death #52

Follows Shadows in Death

Followed by Abandoned in Death

This book came out February 2, 2021

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Forgotten in Death by J.D. Robb

In Death #53

Four stars

Follows Faithless in Death

Followed by Abandoned in Death

This book came out September 7, 2021

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Abandoned in Death by J.D. Robb

In Death #54

Follows Forgotten in Death

Followed by Desperation in Death
This book came out February 8, 2022

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Forgotten in Death by J.D. Robb

In Death #55

Follows Abandoned in Death

Followed by Encore in Death

This book came out September 6, 2022

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Encore in Death by J.D. Robb

Four stars

In Death #56

Follows Desperation in Death

Followed by Payback in Death

This book came out February 7, 2023

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Payback in Death by J. D. Robb

Four stars

In Death #57

Follows Encore in Death

Followed by Random in Death

This book comes out September 5, 2023

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Random in Death by J. D. Robb

Four stars

In Death #58

Follows Payback in Death

Followed by Passions in Death

This book came out January 23, 2024

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Passions in Death by J. D. Robb

Four stars

In Death #59

Follows Random in Death

Followed by Bonded in Death

This book came out September 3, 2024

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Bonded in Death by J. D. Robb

Four stars

In Death #60

Follows Passions in Death

Followed by Framed in Death

This book came out February 4, 2025

Framed in Death by J. D. Robb

Four stars

In Death #61

Follows Bonded in Death

Followed by Stolen in Death
This book came out September 2, 2025

Garfield at Large by Jim Davis

The Garfield origin stories. He looked a little different in the beginning, but his love of lasagna has been around since then. So has his fear of baths. And his laziness.

We also get to see when Odie is introduced. While their relationship eventually mellows, it was more than a bit contentious at first.

Four stars

Garfield #1

Followed by Garfield Gains Weight 

This book came out in 1980

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Curious Inheritance of Blakely House by Joanna Davidson Politano

Sydney Forrester has never known her mother. But little did she know that a search for the woman would lead her to a new life. While more or less happy in London, Sydney is given the chance to change her life at Blakely House when she learns that she's the sole inheritor of the place. She assumes it's a small cottage but instead, it is a large house on a small island and it is feared by the neighbors.
She arrives with her cat, Micah, in the middle of a storm. She is saved (?) by a one-armed Frenchman but finally makes it into the house where she is immediately charmed by all of the movement, then immediatley after scared by the servants. It's then that she finds out that she is not actually the sole inheritor but one of four. Now it's up to her to figure out not only the machinations in the house, but in person.
The ending to the main story was a little overwrought but an overall okay story.

Three and a half stars

This book came out Aprill 15, 2025

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Apprentice in Death by J.D. Robb

The book opens with two people entering a hotel room. They have a direct line of sight to a nearby park, the place where their target is ice skating. By the end of the prologue, three people are dead, the target and two more.
It's up to Eve and her team to work on discovering who the LDSK (long distance serial killer) is/are and what the thread is among the people they've murdered.
It was really interesting to me that Eve seems to pick up almost immediately on the fact that this isn't just random killings, that someone seems to be targeted. I was also a little bummed that we didn't get much character movement in this novel. It was pretty much the same team without much except Bella's birthday going on behind the scenes. Not like the last book where we got a nice glimpse of the Miras, especially Dennis.

Four stars

In Death #43

Follows Brotherhood in Death

Followed by Echoes in Death

This book came out September 6, 2016

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Replaceable You by Mary Roach

I usually read Roach's books in hard copy but the audiobook was available sooner. I'm not sure if that contributed to my not enjoying this book as much as usual. Like in most of her books, Roach does a deep dive into a particular topic, this time in the ways that we enhance and recreate our own bodies. Some are practical ways like new hearts or intubation but there are also skin grafts, hair transplants, and plastic surgery that she explores. A lot of it was matter-of-fact but I was surprised to hear that one person told Roach that being intubated was a relief as it allowed her to breathe for the first time in awhile. 

Three stars

This book came out September 16, 2025

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Blood Rites by Jim Butcher

Harry has been asked to help a director who seems to be under a curse. At the same time, he's still dealing with the threat from the vampires. Although not all vampires since Thomas, a recurring character in this series, is the one to ask for his help. 

Harry will, of course, have a number of battles, will end up bruised and bloodied. But he will also come out of this book with some unexpected family. However, he will live to fight another day. 

Three stars

Dresden Files #6

Follows Death Masks

Followed by Dead Beat

This book came out August 3, 2004

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Ode to the Bones by Carolyn Haines

Sarah Booth Delaney and Tinkie are on the hunt for a missing farmer. Oscar had to foreclose on his family's farm and is now concerned that the young man, Danny, is missing. But is he missing just because he is ashamed to have lost the farm? Or is there something more sinister at work?
The actual mystery didn't take center stage as much as the plight of today's farmers. There are so many factors working against the people who love the land of the south and for more than just development. Yes, there is a developer who is not set up as the Big Bad as much as a general nuisance. 

The ending was a bit dramatic but does set us up for the series to continue.  

Three and a half stars

Sarah Booth Delaney #30

This book comes out May 26, 2026

Follows Doggone Bones

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

Opinions are my own

The Dark Lord's Guide to Dating (And Other War Crimes) by Tiffany Hunt

This books is VERY like the Assistant to the Villain series although Arabella doesn't end up with Kazimir by choice. Instead, she is kidnapped because of her bloodline. The Dark Lord needs someone with magical blood to help unlock an ancient artifact. However, it seems like the artifact needs more than just marriage to have the powers the Dark Lord needs. Kazimir doesn't want to trick Arabella but the attraction they feel toward each other isn't necessarily a bad thing so a lot of Happy Fun Times ensue. It's just a darn shame that every time they have sex, they destroy a little more of the castle. 

Three and a half stars

Guides to Villainy and Love #1

Followed by The Dark Lord's Guide to Honeymooning (and Other Acts of Tyranny)

This book came out May 24, 2025

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Ending Writes Itsel by Evelyn Clarke

I read a book so similar to this recently, I really had to think about whether I was re-reading a book. Sometimes ideas are just in the atmosphere. 

Six writers are invited to the island of a reclusive best selling author who is finalizing the last book in his series. He also often holds exclusive But when they get there, they are told that the author has died with 90% of his novel completed. These six authors are going to complete the novel with the best ending getting not only a million dollars but the promise of a publishing house throwing its full weight behind their publicity tour. of course, things are going to go off the rails.

I'm not sure if I would have enjoyed this more if I hadn't just read the other story. This also had a weird insertion of a plotline that only showed up a bit in the beginning and at the very end. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out April 27 2026

Borrowed as ebook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

The Hollow by Agatha Christie, Hugh Fraser (Narrator)

Dr. John Christow has a varied romantic background. Now, at a weekend at his friends' Sir Henry and Lady Lucy Angkatell's house, known as The Hollow, he has his wife (Gerda), his girlfriend (Henrietta, an artist), and an ex, Veronica (moviestar). It's supposed to be a relaxing weekend away, but the romantic entanglements are going to create stress. It doesn't help that the nephew of the Angkatells, Edmund, is loafing around making eyes at Henrietta.

But tensions rise and John is dead. Henrietta is standing over him with a gun. It seems to be an open and shut case but Hercule Poirot is on site and working with Inspector Colquhoun to discover what really happened.

Three stars

Hercule Poirot #25

Follows Five Little Pigs

Followed by The Labours of Hercules

This  book came out in 1946

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

The Bookshop Below by Georgia Summers

They say you can't go home and Cassandra Fairfax is about to discover exactly how true that sentiment is. She's received a letter from her mentor, Chiron. She arrives in his living quarters above a bookstore to find him dead. She is the sole inheritor and left in a state of confusion. The split between Cassandra and Chiron was not amicable and they did not have a chance to  come back together. Now, she's back in a world she's been living on the fringes of for a number of years. 

Thought of as a child prodigy, Cassandra has not (legitimately) been in a bookshop for a long time. She is shocked that the river beneath it, the one that helps keep the bookshop running, is so low. The start is to bond with the bookshop and bring it back to life. The second is to find a bookseller. Third? Find out why so many people are so interested in the bookshop.

It took me awhile to get into this world and I'm not sure that it was fully put together. An interesting premise maybe not fully realized. If there were another book, it might build the world out better.

Three stars

This book came out November 28, 2025

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own