The Pomodoro Technique by Francesco Cirillo

How can you work smarter? Through good planning and time chunking according to the Pomodoro Technique. If you plan to work for 25 minutes at a time with breaks of 3-5 minutes, Cirillo promises that you will be able to move mountains. This book apparently adds on sections for teams. 

This was originally published online so you can find it and the planning for it in various places but this book does set out some more rules.

It's an interesting idea but I think you need more self-discipline than I have...

Three stars

This edition came out August 14th, 2018

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Murder Most Fowl by Donna Andrews

Something's afoot when Meg's twins find what appears to be a hand in the local woods. Thank goodness it just ends up being some interesting-looking mushrooms. She's already got a lot going on. Their rambling house is once again full of actors; this time Michael is directing Macbeth and some of the actors might be truly be trying to bring their roles to life. There's also a camp of medieval reenactors in the neighborhood who might be taking their vow to live like those in Macbeth's time a little too seriously, especially because they're not doing it well. Just ask the sheep they "liberated" from Seth Early's farm. 

To add on to everything else, there's a filmmaker capturing it all on camera and he's not just annoying because of his noise level, it seems like he's trying to film something more like an expose than a straight up documentary. When his first edit is screened in the library, somebody sees something they don't like and the documentarian ends up dead with his trailer trashed and all of the raw footage gone.

Another enjoyable book. Many mysteries overlap to make for many people but not overly complicated.

Four stars

This book comes out August 3, 2021

Follows The Gift of the Magpie

Followed by The Twelve Jays of Christmas

ARC kindly provided by Macmillan and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

Reread January 2022

A Boldly Daring Scheme by Lynn Messina

 Up until this book, all of the stories have been narrated by Beatrice Hyde-Clare, now a newly-minted duchess. She has described her cousin Flora as somewhat caring but basically a fluff brain. In this book, we jump into Flora's first person narration and see that, yes, she is sort of fluff-brained but that may, in part, be because no one has asked her to step up. In this book, she decides to do it on her own.

Even though Beatrice is now married, Flora knows that Beatrice must be missing her former fiance. Of course, Flora hasn't quite figured out that the fiance is fake but... at least her search gives her a purpose in her life. Of course, it does put her in the notice of Mr. Holcroft. She danced with him once but... meh. And now he's asking her what she things she's doing and being almost interesting.

An interesting diversion from the Beatrice books but Flora is still a bit vapid, even when she's doing interesting things. I have a feeling that she could grow into a stronger character but it wasn't in this book.

Three Stars

This book came out October 23, 2020

Follows A Sinister Establishment

Followed by A Ghastly Spectacle

This book came out June 16th, 2020

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

Tattoos and Clues by Trixie Silvertale

Mitzy is just settling in to her new home town. And with the realization that she is seeing her grandmother's ghost. She's also dealing with the fact that her grandmother has no boundaries; or, at least, is giving Mitzy no boundaries. The woman (ghost woman?) can literally read Mitzy's thoughts. Which is not great at the best of times and is especially hard because Mitzy is dealing with a murder that hits close to home. She is walking Pye (her cat) on the beach when they come across a dead body. The man is not only Odell's (the man who runs the local diner) brother but he also had a daughter. Sort of like Mitzy being left orphaned. 

Odell asks Mitzy to look into the problem so she jumps into the fray. Like, she is put in some pretty severe danger in this book. Your general Mary Sue detective who doesn't turn over evidence to the police. 

The mystery is a little weak in this book though I did really enjoy the character development in this book as well as seeing Mitzy and her father's relationship growing. Mitzy seems to be gaining a LOT of powers. Like, a lot. I don't mind someone being powerful but she just keeps adding to her skill set and it's getting to be a lot. Will try the next book in the series but I'm hoping it levels out soon. 

Three and half stars

This book came out November 19th, 2019

Follows Fries and Alibis

Followed by Wings and Broken Things

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

A Void of Magic by Sandy Williams

Four years ago, Kennedy Rain got out of the family business. She wouldn't have come back now except her parents want to go on a second honeymoon. Again. So now she's back. And there's something going on, secrets that her parents have been keeping. It's well known that The Rain is a "null place". The problems (and pluses) that come with being a paranormal (vampire, werewolf, etc.) are voided in The Rain and there has been a treaty in place for hundreds of years keeping Kennedy's family and The Rain safe. But someone isn't happy with the status quo. Suddenly, the tables have turned and the treaty has been breached. 

This book, of course, reminded me of the Innkeeper's Chronicles by Ilona Andrews. The ages are a bit younger but you have the site of an Inn being "neutral territory" and a hotel owner who has (or at least it's hinted out) powers as well. 

Like most first books, this book is just the seed of an idea. There's not a lot developed about the hotel and there are a lot of secrets that even the readers don't get to know. It's an interesting start and I suspect the readers of Williams's other books may enjoy this one.

Three stars

This book comes out July 27th, 2021

ARC kindly provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

A Good Day for Chardonnay by Darynda Jones

Jones's series often deal with heavy issues but with whacky twists and truly unusual situations. This book is no different. The wackiness is maybe starting to veer a little too far for me but I still highly enjoyed the character building in this book as well as the overarching story. Auri could have been a little quieter but we keep being told that Sunshine was a handful as a child and therefore deserves a child who is just as wild. Though maybe not quite so death-defying. 

Sunny just needs one day off. But she's not going to get it in this book. She is now counting on both hands the number of people who claim to have killed Brick Ravinder, the man who kidnapped Sunshine when she was a teen. Even his brother, in a prison in Arizona, is getting in on the action. And in the middle of all this, she might be developing some feelings for her best friend. Well, she's at least considering it.

Of course, her daughter Auri isn't sitting quietly by either. She's been cleaning out her granparents' attic and discovered a ream of old newspaper articles referring to mysterious disappearances in town. And Auri thinks she knows who is behind it...

Four stars

This book comes out July 27th, 2021

Follows a Bad Day for Sunshine

Followed by A Good Day for a Hangover

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

Opinions are my own

Winterborne Home for Mayhem and Mystery by Ally Carter

Three months after the end of the last book, the children of the Winterborne Home are feeling a little bit desperate. Gabriel Winterborne is back but his abrupt return to life chased off Isabella Nelson, the woman who had been running the home. Everything is falling apart which is not a good time since an agent from Child Protective Services has decided to stop by. And on a day when a new Sadiematic is being tested. And Violet is for sure needing new clothes since Tim had to split the back of her dress in order for her current clothes to fit. It's just not a good time.

But it appears that someone is after April. And, though there are people there to protect her, it might not be how she expects. Or perhaps even wants.

Another interesting book in the series. There is a little bit of character development in this book but it is more about the adventure than anything else. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out March 2nd, 2021

Follows by Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own