Superfudge by Judy Blume

Peter and Fudge are about to have some major life upheavals. First, their mother is pregnant. Second, they're going to be living in Princeton (NEW JERSEY!) for a year while their dad takes a sabbatical to write a book. 

Peter is NOT happy. And finding out he's going to be in the same school as Fudge makes it even worse, especially when he's called into the principal's office on the first day to help deal with Fudge. But he does make a new friend, Alex, so that's not so bad.

Is this book a little dated? In some ways. As with many of Blume's books, though, the overarching themes stand the test of time. 

Four stars

Fudge #3

This book came out in 1980

Follows Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great

Followed by Fudge-a-Mania

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Too Old for This by Samantha Downing

Lottie Jones is long past retirement. Not just work, but her early crime spree. So why is someone stirring up the past? It's too bad that the trend of docuseries has come to roost on her doorstep in the form of Plum Dixon. So she has to die. But cleaning up is harder than it was in her youth. And people keep following up on Plum.

Three and a half stars

This book came out August 12, 2025

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Experimental Magic by Iris Beaglehole, Lorna Bennett (Narrator)

In the first book of the series, Rosemary and Athena discovered they are witches and are now trying to navigate their new normal. Athena is about to start school and Rosemary is just trying to figure out her powers. And money. For now, she's working in the bakery. 

Athena is trying to figure out how school is going to work. She missed all of the basics and isn't even exactly sure what her power is or if she has power. 

Both Athena and Rosemary have some learning to do in this book. When Athena follows the boy she met in the first book into another realm, it's up to Rosemary and Athena's new friends to help her figure out a way home. Although, Athena does do a lot to help herself (and her father) as well. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out September 5, 2023

Myrtlewood Mysteries #2

Follows Accidental Magic

Followed by Combustible Magic

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

Just Stab Me Now by Jill Bearup

This was an interesting premise and I think Bearup did a fine job at having a story within a story but having so many characters started to weigh down the actual progress of any of them DOING anything.

Caroline Lindley just wants to finish her book. If only her characters would do what they are supposed to. But her characters don't really understand their motivations and they tell her so. Especially Lady Rosamund Hawkhurst. 

As the widow of a prominent nobleman killed in war, Rosamund us used to holding her family together. A new threat has come to the kingdom and she is required to go back to her home country to try and broker peace. She's to travel with one knight who most definitely is not going to be a love interest. No matter what Caroline tries.

Three stars

This book came out February 5, 2024

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann, Anthea Bell (Translator)

A story told from the third person omniscient point of view of a flock of sheep whose shepherd has died. They adored their shepherd. He read to them every night, gave them good grass, and took them out into the fields. But now he's dead. And it is, apparently, murder. The sheep don't trust the humans to be able to solve the case so they start working on it themselves. 

It is interesting to see both how perceptive the sheep are and how they so very badly read into the human situations. 

Three stars
Sheep Detective Story #1

Followed by Big Bad Wool

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great by Judy Blume

Sheila Tubman was a side character in Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. Now, she's front and center. She has a little bit of a lying problem along with a fear of swimming and dogs. Her family is getting out of the city for the summer and watching another family's house. And dog...

She's going to make some new friends this summer, including Mouse who isn't going to put up with Sheila's lies, but is surprisingly good at not calling her out on it. 

Four stars

Fudge #2

This book came out in 1972

Follows Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

Followed by Superfudge

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Accidental Magic by Iris Beaglehole, Lorna Bennett (Narrator)

Rosemary hasn't seen her grandmother in a long time. That's what makes it so surprising that she's been left her grandmother's whole estate. She's careful not to get her hopes up though anything will help. Her daughter's father has left them in a mountain of debt and Rosemary is drowning. 

Going to the small town to see what her inheritance is, Rosemary is also trying not to get her hopes up. She hasn't spoken to her grandmother in years and the house probably isn't much anyway. Once she's in town, however, she becomes a suspect in her grandmother's murder and isn't allowed to leave. 

The shocks don't stop coming when Rosemary discovers the other family legacy and has to figure out how to save them all.

Three and a half stars

This book came out July 25, 2023

Myrtlewood Mysteries #1

Followed by Experimental Magic

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Plus

Opinions are my own

Mrs. Pollifax, Innocent Tourist by Dorothy Gilman

Let's be honest, the Pollifax books are a product of their time. It's aging better than some books and definitely captures the tone of its time.
John Farrell is back and needs the help of Mrs. Pollifax. There is a manuscript that needs to be smuggled out of a Middle Eastern country and the author only trusted Farrell. Having Emily P. will help him fly under the radar. Or so they would think. But Emily is seated next to a man who is not only overly garrulous, he is more dangerous than he appears. And that will double the danger they are in as he has done something that will affect their safety even more.

Three stars

This book came out in 1997

Mrs. Pollifax #13

Follows Mrs. Pollifax and the Lion Killer

Followed by Mrs. Pollifax Unveiled

Hard copy I did not keep

Opinions are my own

Mistletoe Murders 3 and 4 by Ken Cuperus, Raymond Ablack (Narrator), Ann Carol Ann, Cobie Smulders (Narrator), Anna Cathcart (Narrator)

Mistletoe Murders 3

It's a year later and we're back in Fletcher's Grove. Emily's past has come back to haunt her. Not only is it possible that the group that almost took her out before is trying again, but her old boss and former flame is now in town trying to keep her safe. That is throwing her current relationship a little bit.... off. They're still finding time for themselves but it has to be a little more hidden. Of course, the murders aren't helping...

The first two sets of stories revolve around the wedding of Emily' frenemy. There have been a series of mishaps leading up to the wedding. The wedding day is the lowest, when the husband-to-be is almost killed and his good friend dies in an accident involving an amp. Lots of characters from past stories in this one. 

The last story has Sam's daughter trying to get into a prestigious forensics school. Unforunately, there's a body found on the first day on campus. In this story, Emiliy isn't featured as prominently but she does almost die.

Three and a half stars

Mistletoe Murders #3

This book came out November 7, 2024

Follows Mistletoe Murders #2

Borrowd as audiobook from Audible Plus

Mistletoe Murders 4

These stories are fast, fun, and fluffy. Not a lot of depth but really fun to listen to. 
It's been eleven months since Emily had to leave Fletcher's Grove. We don't know much about what we did while she was gone, but we get the conflicting emotions of her return. While the town doesn't seem to have changed much, it is just enough for Emily to feel off kilter. One of the changes is that Sam seems to have moved on which, fair, Emily had to leave without a word. 
Not everything has changed though, there are still secrets... and murders. So Emily hops right back in with one more person who knows her past and one who seems bent on murdering her. 
The series again ends on a cliffhanger, but this one has more serious implications if it all goes wrong. 

Three and a half stars

Mistletoe Murders #4

This book came out November 6, 2025

Borrowd as audiobook from Audible Plus

Opinions are my own

Murder In An Italian Village Audiobook by Michael Falco, Nichol Zanzarella (Narrator)

Bria Bartolucci is a guest in Positano. Not a tourist but not a resident either. She was moved there by her husband, Carlo, who has since passed away. But she is staying strong for her eight-year-old son, Marco, and his dog, Bravo. She is going to open her B&B, Bella Bella. 

One day she comes home to Bravo barking at one of her guest doors. Inside, a man in a suit who appears to be sleeping. But, this is a mystery, so, of course, he is not. The rest of the book has her running around in one of my least favorite tropes, person with no experience trying to solve a mystery for "reasons" and ACTIVELY interfering in the investigation. And that's when Luca, the cop on the case is Bria's best friend's brother and almost like a brother to Bria herself. To be fair, his partner, Nunzi (sp?), isn't a big Bria fan. Bria is also upset that her handyman, Giovanni, who has a shady past, seems to be a prime suspect. But he's always been so good to her...

I'm not sure if it's a cultural thing but this is the first time in a LONG time that I went and checked the gender of the author because Bria seems like an idealized version of A Woman rather than an actual human being. That along with her meddling, made this book a slog for me.

Two and a half stars

Bria Bartolucci Mystery #1

This book came out September 26, 2023

Followed by Murder in an Italian Cafe

Borrowed as an audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

The King's Ransom by Janet Evanovich

stars

Gabriela Rose #2

This book comes out March 31, 2026

ARC kindly provided by Atria Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Cornish Christmas Pantomime Murder by Fiona Leitch

There's yet another murder in Jodie Parker's small town. This time it occurs on stage during the Christmas pantomime. Both Jodie's daughter and her mother are involved with the pantomime so she's met some of the people involved as well, including the woman who was murdered.

At first, the assumption is that it has to be connected to the pantomime, but it turns out that the murder is connected to a crime that happened over thirty years ago. Jodie, being police-adjacent, is up to her nose in this mystery. I enjoy this series because Jodie was once a policewoman and she also is invited to help with solving the crime, not just running around on her own. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out October 31, 2026

The Nosey Parker Mysteries #9

Follows The Cornish Castle Murder

ARC kindly provided by HarperCollins UK and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume

This book actually holds up from my childhood and hearing Judy Blume read it herself was... just so amazing. 

Peter Hatcher is nine years old and is figuring out his life, especially having to navigate it with his two-year-old brother who everyone calls Fudge. Both are a little precocious but hearing about Peter's book report, and how others rely on him to help not only navigate the world (Fudge's birthday party and then Dad taking them to the moview) but to demonstrate to Fudge how he should be acting. Then there's navigating having a little brother who breaks into his room, destroys his homework, and eats turtle.

Four stars

Fudge #1

This book came out in 1972

Followed by Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Middlebridge Mysteries by Ken Cuperus

This was a fast, fun, and fluffy offshoot of the Mistletoe Murders. Violet Winters was introduced as the daughter of a policeman in that series but now she is starting school at the illusterious Middlebridge University. Her mom's alma mater and Violet's dream school. She is working on graduating with a degree in criminology, but she has to make time to study and not be so distracted by mysteries. Mysteries like a missing cadaver, a professor who may or may not have completed his own work, and football players who are popping positive on drug tests yet claiming they are clean.

Violet was a little annoying and made a lot of bad decisions but it didn't seem outside the scope of a teenager who is just figuring out how to make her way in the world. It just made her a little more annoying than I thought she needed to be. 

Three stars

Middlebridge Mysteries #1

This book came out July 24, 2025

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Plus

Opinions are my own

Witch and Tell by Angela M. Sanders

Josie Way hasn't been enjoying life lately. Her love life is in the dumps and someone is siphoning off her magic. Now, her friend's boyfriend seems to have disappeared and there is a townsperson who has started a crusade against cats. And not just cats in real life, but book cats as well.

There was a lot and yet nothing going on in this book. The pacing of these books seems to be slow, slow, A LOT IS HAPPENING, slow. It can make it reading the books a bit of a slog, sometimes. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out October 28, 2025

Witch Way Librarians #7

Follows The Witch is Back

ARC kindly provided by Kensington Publishing and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Calling All Blessings by Beverly Jenkins

Another Blessings novel and storylines are being advanced. 

Devon July is getting older. As a child, he was treated as a prodigy, a child who could preach as well as an adult. Now, he's having trouble adjusting, hiding behind a wig and a LOT of denial and ego. 

His adopted great, great-grandmother is also having troubles. Her past has come back to haunt her and she's not sure what do do about it. She has promised to lead Devon on a spirit journey but her own turmoil is interfering somewhat.

There are a number of other characters included. I wouldn't start with this book as the stories are really better when read as a series. 

Three stars

This book came out October 28, 2025

Follows A Christmas to Remember

ARC kindly provided by Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

A Murderous RIde; A Taste of Murder by Helena Marchmont, Nathaniel Parker (Narrator)

 A Murderous Ride

In book one of this series, Alfie went to Bunburry to see the cottage his aunt had left him. He had spent time in the village as a child and being here as an adult was bringing back memories, both good and bad. He decided to stick around not least because he solved a murder with his aunt's friends Liz and Marge. 

We learn that Alfie is not much of a driver; there appears to have been an accident in his past. But he lives in the country and the bus system is... not the best. And his aunt has left him a vintage Jaguar. It is that Jaguar, that ends up on top of a mechanic and lands Alfie straight in the crosshairs of the local sergeant who decides, basically on sight, that Alfie must be the man who murdered him. 

It's up to Alfie and the crew to determine who the real killer was and clear his name.

Three stars
Bunburry #2

This book came out November 1, 2018

Follows Murder at the Mousetrap

Followed by A Taste of Murder

Audiobook from Audible

A Taste of Murder

Vivian has been mentioned in previous books. Her absence from Alfie's life has been a bit murky. In this book, we get more information not only on why she is no longer with Alfie, but also how the two met. But that is wrapped around a murder in the present day. 

A local farmer is murdered. Alfie's friend Betty is suspected of the crime as she had had an arguement with the man about how he treated his animals. 

Three stars

Bunburry #3

This book came out November 1, 2018

Follows 

Followed by Death of a Ladies' Man

Audiobook from Audible

Opinions are my own

A Wedding in the Lowcountry by Preslaysa Williams

Trevor and Avila were childhood friends and could have been something more... but weren't. No they're both back in Myrtle Beach. Trevor as a professor at a nearby university, and Avila is there to get her recently deceased mother's house on the market. 

Also with Avila is her daughter, the one with whom she got pregnant after a one night stand and the reason her mother kicked her out of the house. 

I liked that Avila had room to grow but wish had started earlier in the book as she was somewhat annoying before she started to open up. 

Three stars

This book came out February 18, 2025

Hard copy I didn't keep

Opinions are my own

The Shining #1 The Shining Stephen King , Campbell Scott (Narrator)

I read this most years around Halloween.  Absolutely spooks me every time.

The story of a recovering alcoholic who takes his family up to a secluded mountain hotel where he'll stay as the winter caretaker. However, his five-year-old son, Danny, is special. He has "The Shining," a mystical second-sight that allows him to sense the thoughts of those around him. And it's waking up the hotel....

Four and a half stars

This book came out January 28, 1977

The Shining #1

Followed by Doctor Sleep

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Burning Court by John Dickson Carr

I picked this one up because I enjoy John Dickson Carr but I forgot how off the rails the solutions can be. The writing throughout most of the book is smooth and interesting. And it stays interesting but I don't think it's a solution that would be put out today. 

A publisher, Edward Stevens is reading a book on female murderers by a a reclusive author. He is astonished to see a picture that looks startlingly like his wife, down to the bracelet that she wears. But by the time he gets home, the picture is no longer in the manuscript. 

That concern is overshadowed by the fact that he is called because his friend believes that the friend's uncle, Miles Despard, was murdered. Stevens is skeptical because the idea had never been presented before. There WAS the testimony of the housekeeper that there was a woman dressed in old fashioned clothes who seemingly walked through a wall that has been covered up for over two hundred years. She has nothing to gain by saying that  and more evidence starts to mount. What actually happened?

Three stars

This book came out in 1937, reissued November 4, 2025

ARC kindly provided by Penzler Publishers and NetGalley

Opinions are my own