Mind Magic Audiobook by James R. Doty

I normally love reading books about scientific discoveries, even if I can't always understand all of it. This book, however, reminded me of some of the healing frauds that were so prevalent in the late 80s/early 90s. I also have to say that the "Manifesting" language also reminded me of some really bad churches. So, most of this book I listened to with great skepticism, even knowing that it came from the mind of a neurosurgeon. I did like how he mentioned that it could be the fact that you are concentrating on a goal that leads to to achieving it - not just manifesting it

Three stars

This book came out May 7 2024

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Once Upon a Thriller by Carolyn Keene, narrator: Jorjeana Marie

Nancy, Bess, and George are on a "camping" trip, staying in a cabin. They get to the location, take a quicky hike around the lake, then decide to visit the nearby town. Once there, they discover that the local bookstore, Paige's Pages has burned down. Outside are a number of fans who had been getting ready for a book signing by a reclusive author who only ever signs books at that particular store. 

That's not the only odd thing to happen in town and many of the strange happenings seem to mirror the plot of the author's first book.

An interesting story that is fluffier than the others so far in this series but it is aimed at the middle grade so that is something to consider.   

Four stars

Nancy Drew Diaries #4

Follows Mystery of the Midnight Rider

Followed by Sabotage at Willow Woods

This book came out May 7, 2013

Opinions are my own

The Mystery at Lilac Inn by Carolyn Keene, narrator: Laura Linney

I didn't remember this book from reading it before. It's nice to find new titles even in a series I thought I had completed. Granted, this is a children's series, but there was a lot of coincidence and some fairly unbelievable aspects to this story. It was certainly interesting to think of Nancy in scuba gear. 

She's helping her friend Emily who is having some problems while converting a family house to an inn. She is also engaged to be married. There are any number of things going wrong including her jewelry inheritance being stolen from a room that a whole group is in.

There is also a sub-but-related-plot of someone impersonating Nancy.  

Three and a half stars

Nancy Drew #4

Follows The Bungalow Mystery

Followed by The Secret of Shadow Ranch

This book came out in 1930

Mystery of the Midnight Rider by Carolyn Keene, narrator: Jorjeana Marie

Nancy and Ned are at the horse show. Nancy never misses it and Ned has a family friend, Payton Evans, who is competing. Rumors are that Payton is being considered for the Olympic team. That would definitely cause a lot of jealousy and may be part of the reason that someone seems to be trying to sabotage her efforts. 

A really fast read but, like chips, still enjoyable. And the ending made sense which was nice. 

Four stars

Nancy Drew Diaries #3

Follows Strangers on a Train

Followed by Once Upon a Thriller

This book came out May 7, 2013

Opinions are my own

How to Menopause by Tamsen Fadal

I really enjoyed this book. It's so informative and the author often encourages you to work with your doctor and to find what works for you. I really dislike books that are all or nothing. However, there is a certain assumption of access to care that may not apply to every reader. 

Even though I am in the group for peri-menopause, I didn't think I was having any symptoms. But, there are 34. 34 symptoms of menopause. And a whole bunch of things I thought were related to another health issue made more sense as being related to my age. 

Fadal covers any number of topics including sleep, brainfog, yoga, sex, eating, clothes, community, . For each of these, she goes through potential solutions both medical and not. I was happy to learn that the diet (close to the Mediteranean) that I am on for my high cholesterol is also recommended for menopause. 

Four and a half stars

This book came out 

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own 

The First 90 Days, Updated and Expanded by Michael D. Watkins

This was a really interesting book in how the ideas for getting up to speed in a new job should be prioritized. I enjoyed that the author prioritized learning the company's culture over making immediate changes. I don't love the layout of authors telling stories around why their programs work (So-and-so did this thing and here's one example of why that failed). I really enjoyed the narrator but would advise people to read the e- or physical book. There were a lot of references to charts that probably would have been helpful to see. 
Was it perhaps written with an overly idealistic idea of most companies? Yes, yes it was. But that doesn't mean there aren't some good takeaways. It is perhaps geared a little bit more toward the upper echelon than frontline managers so may not be AS useful for them.

Four stars

This book came out September 18, 2003

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Curse of the Arctic Star by Carolyn Keene, Jorjeana Marie (Narrator)

Nancy, along with Bess and George, starts what seems to be a series of somewhat interconnected mysteries. There have been some rumors surrounding the opening of a new cruise ship. People are thinking it might be cursed. So the granddaughter of the owner asks Nancy for help. In return, they will get to stay in one of the fanciest suites on the boat which includes four rooms. And Bess decides to invite her boyfriend du jour so the mystery is complicated by the fact that Nancy doesn't want him to know that she's doing detective work. 

There were some things that irked me about this story but might not occur to a middle schooler. I'm definitey going to keep reading. 

Three and a half stars

Nancy Drew Diaries #1

Followed by Strangers on a Train

This book came out February 5, 2013

Opinions are my own

Murder at the Beacon Bakeshop by Darci Hannah, Amy Melissa Bentley (Narrator)

I heard about this book from The Cozy Mystery Bookclub. They were so enjoying the story that I decided to pick it up before I heard the ending. I'm glad I read it first but I was a little disappointed in who the murderer ended up being, it didn't feel fairly clued. 

There are definitely some beats which don't read quite cozy. I know that it generally means murder happens off-page but there was also a little more "on page" in this romance than you usual see. 

Three stars

Beacon Bakeshop #1

This book came out February 23, 2021

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Read Your Mind by Oz Pearlman

I hadn't heard of this author before, just enjoy reading books about how to be successful. Coming from a mentalist, it makes sense that most of the habits have to do with working with people. Nothing really ground breaking but an interesting way to experience them, through various tricks that he used in both his magic and mentalist shows. I love hearing about memory tricks, but they don't work for everyone. He trains people on the alphabet backward using a storyline and pnemonic but assumes that people will remember that particular device. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out October 30, 2025

Borrowed as audiobook 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

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

The Exquisite Torment of Loving Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley

Osric and Aurienne are back. In the last book, Osric had sought out Aurienne as someone who could possibly heal his rot, even though he was more morally black and she walked on the side of light. Together, they figured out who was creating a plague that was killing children. In this book, they find out that just because the people made the plague, that doesn't mean they were the BIG bad. Now, they are on an adventure to take down the evil behind the evil while trying not to hope too much that Osric's disease seems to be reversing. It is a fast, fun, fantasy ride that maybe goes a little long but is as delightful as the first book. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

You Wanna Be on Top? by Sarah Hartshorne

I didn't pay attention to the subtitle when I reserved this book. I didn't realize this was a memoir and thought this was a history of ANTM. It took me a bit to pivot into enjoying this book, but I was quickly on board. 
Sarah starts her story when she's in college, her friend(s) encouraging her to try out for the show. She walks us through her tryouts with a glimpse into how her own life was edited to make her more interesting for the audience. 

Four stars

This book came out July 8, 2025

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

  Opinions are my own

You with the Sad Eyes by Christina Applegate

I've been on a run of celebrity biographies lately and have to say that I enjoyed this one. Applegate talks about most of the things that I think fans would want to know about. There are a number of names redacted and she has memories that she just can't bring to the fore for various reasons but we get to know about this amazing person who has been acting since she was a child. She talks about her childhood, the famous people she's met at various stages of her life, the shows and movies that she was a part of, and how she is dealing with her MS diagnosis. 

Four stars

This book came out March 3, 2026

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own