Donut Fall in Love by Jackie Lau

A donut baker and a movie star fall in love? Sure! I'll read that book. And it's by Jackie Lau... I'm all in. And Lau didn't disappoint. With well-developed characters and a relationship arc that made sense, this was a book that I adored.

Lindsay McLeod can be forgiven for not recognizing Ryan Kwok when he ducks into her bakery. After all, his most recent fame is for his abs and he's wearing a shirt. But when he calls later to ask her for some help learning how to bake for when he's on a celebrity baking fails show, she's hesitant. The man is hot but way out of her league (as she sees it).

Ryan is reeling from his mother's death. He was never as close to his father and now the man is practically only talking to him in grunts. When he answers the phone; which isn't often. Ryan goes on the baking show as a way to be closer to his mother though it doesn't hurt that Lindsay is a woman at whom he'd definitely look twice.

I loved the way the two fell in love and can't wait to read the next book that Lau puts out.

Four and a half stars

This book came out October 26th, 2021

Followed by The Stand-Up Groomsman

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Book and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Make Your Bed by William H. McRaven

Another book that has been adapted from a commencement speech. Most of what you will read is contained in the speech which is widely available on the web. A lot of what you read is common sense but McRaven manages to wrap in compelling stories from his days as a Navy SEAL. There are things like never leaving a friend behind, making sure that you are taking some risks, standing your ground, and, of course, making your bed (because then you have done at least one thing well in the day.)

Four stars

This April 4th, 2017

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Innocence of Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton, Frederick Davidson

The audiobook of an inauspicious Catholic priest who goes up against some of the most criminally minded men in the world (and comes out on top) is just as good as reading the stories. I've read these stories several times now and each reading is better than the last. You have Father Brown thwarting the notorious Flambeau by creating chaos in his wake. Then Flambeau changes sides and becomes a detective, one who Father Brown often assists such as in the case of the man who worships Apollo and a headless body at a dinner party. Interesting stories that are often fairly clued.

Four stars

This book came out 1911

Followed by The Wisdom of Father Brown

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible

Opinions are my own

The Ideal Man by Julie Garwood

As good as the rest of the Buchanan,etc. books. Not sure how the main characters fit in except that Max is FBI. My biggest beef with this book was the two sets of people trying to kill Ellie. Neither story got developed as well as it could have been done. I know Garwood needed a reason for Max to follow Ellie home (to her sister's wedding, the one that's marrying Ellie's ex-fiancee, the fiancee who cheated with said sister one night after meeting her, which Ellie is having trouble forgiving), but it seems like a little bit of a rehash of Theo's story with protecting the super-smart prodigy doctor. I really enjoyed the book and skimmed through it a lot faster than a lot of the other books I've been reading lately.

Three stars

This book came out January 1st, 2011

Follows Sizzle

Followed by Sweet Talk

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

The Under Dog and Other Stories by Agatha Christie

A series of short stories featuring the amazing Hercule Poirot, the first few stories are better than the later ones. 

The Under Dog 

An older gentleman is killed in his home office. His wife is convinced it was the secretary but why would he do it? Poirot is not convinced but he is willing to go and see the problem 

The Plymouth Express 

A wealthy woman is found dead on a train. Is it possible her husband, the one she was separated from, killed her before they could be divorced? Her father wants answers and he wants Poirot to find them. 

The Affair at the Victory Ball 

The Victory Ball is supposed to be a time of celebration but one man, a collector of statues, was killed by a knife and his paramour is dead of a cocaine overdose. At a party where everyone was in costume, how can Poirot suss out the killer? 

The Market Basing Mystery 

It's a holiday in the country for Japp, Hastings, and Poirot. But a local constable recognizes Japp and asks for help. A gentleman appears to have committed suicide but the doctor says it's physically impossible. A couple recently came to visit; is it possible their threats of blackmail have driven the man to kill himself? Or was it murder? 

The Lemesurier Inheritance 

A young man is terrified by the death of his father. His cousin tells Poirot and Hastings that the family has a curse wherein the firstborn of every generation is slated to die. Now the young man's older son has had several near-death incidents. It will be up to Poirot to save the boy's life. 

The Cornish Mystery Mrs. Pengelley is afraid her husband is poisoning her. She goes to Poirot for help but by the time he gets to her home, she is already dead. The husband is in jail but Poirot suspects that there may be more to the story. 

  The King of Clubs A famous dancer stumbles into a drawing room gasping the word "Murder." A nearby lord has been found dead. The family she burst in on is perfectly respectable but is everything as it appears? 

The Submarine Plans 

A spy is invited into the home where the plans for a new submarine are being housed. When the plans disappear, she is the obvious suspect. Did her maid, who screamed on the steps, have something to do with it? 

The Adventure of the Clapham Cook 

Eliza Dunn, a perfectly good cook, has walked out of her situation. Her lady, Mrs. Todd, wants to know why. It leads Poirot to discovering the perpetrator of a bank fraud.

Three stars

This book came out in 1951

Follows Three Blind Mice

Followed by Mrs. McGinty's Dead

Hard copy I own

Opinions are my own

A Match Made for Thanksgiving by Jackie Lau

Nick Wong left Mosquito Bay and never looked back. He really likes living in Toronto. It's here that a woman just propositioned him for a one night stand. It's just too bad that he's still thinking about that night. And even worse, she's showed up at his family's Thanksgiving dinner... as his brother's date. 

Lily Tseng is not a risk taker. Not until the night she spends with Nick Wong. When she sees him at Thanksgiving, she's intrigued. He was supposed to be one aberration but he still looks so good. And when they're caught by his grandmother making out... 

This is a fast, fun, and fluffy story. It's not long but it was fun. 

Four stars

This book came out October 8th, 2019

Followed by A Second Chance Road Trip for Christmas

Borrowed as Kindle Unlimited book

Opinions are my own

The Mind of the Leader by Rasmus Hougaard

I read this book for work and think that it will work well for me. However, this book is very geared toward "mindfulness" i.e. there are a lot of exercises that ask you to stop, take a moment, and listen to what your brain is saying. This may turn some other people off. 

Mindfulness - makes sure your people are seen and heard; in one survey, making sure that you were present for your team was the most important part of being a leader (not on the phone, not on email, not letting your mind wander)

Selflessness - give people space to develop; Leaders who take blame and pass on praise have employees who will take risks and be creative

Compassion- be able to have the hard conversations when needed; be able to have compassion for self as well as for your team; be able to handle the highs and the lows of life and the job, to acknowledge but then let go of mistakes; be able to understand other people's viewpoints without taking on their emotions

We need to make sure that, as leaders, we are not in a bubble -- we do not have so many people who are catering to us that we think that everything is going fine.

Look for unconscious biases -- use the beginner's mind

Four stars

This book came out March 13th, 2018

Borrowed as audibook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own