The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson

I requested this book from the library based on the title and the cover. It is a short story and fast read about a young woman from America who is studying in England. She has been invited to the home of a friend... a friend-ish type and she is writing about it in her diary. Through her eyes, we get to know Emma's family, especially her twin brother Adam. But, even though Emma's family is wealthy, it is not all sunshine and roses. And our diary writer may or may not make it out of the book alive.

Three and a half stars

This book came out September 28, 2023

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Murder on Black Swan Lane by Andrea Penrose

A. J. Quill is well-known for the cartoons that lambaste various people in high places. The Earl of Wrexford wants to know how Quill knows so much about his life. Especially when Wrexford is implicated in the death of the Reverend Josiah Holworthy.

Charlotte Sloane has any number of secrets to hide (not all of which are revealed in this story). And there are two young boys she is trying to protect. Wrexford, and his search for Quill threatens to upend all of that. But the two will have to work together in order to figure out why Holworthy was killed and why that connection leads back to Charlotte.

I am pretty sure I started and abandoned this book once before. It is a little overwrought in places but ended up being an interesting story.

Wrexford & Sloane #1

Three stars

This book came out June 27, 2017

Followed by Murder at Half Moon Gate

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Not That Fancy by Reba McEntire

Reba McEntire has had a fantastic life. Singing, TV shows, movies, Broadway... the woman does it all and she shares some of that with her readers. The stories aren't particularly deep but they are entertaining. We get to see teh highs of her life as well as the lows. There's not a lot about her personal life, it's mostly about the professional but what is included is all positive. Definitely worth a listen.

Four stars
This book came out October 10, 2023

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Setting the Table by Danny Meyer

I had had this book recommended to me in a couple of different ways and had one copy which I gave away and then another that sat on my TBR for a few years. Finally, I picked it up and realized why people were recommending this book. It did take awhile because this book was more memoir than I realized and I thought it was more about business. It does get there but it is woven in. What finally hooked me was a quote on page 65, "Service is a monologue... Hospitality is a dialogue." 

Meyer gives some other great ideas like looking for an employee that is a 51 percenter - someone whose skills re 51% emotional hospitality and 49% technical excellence. These people have five core skills that he divides out as optimistic warmth, a thirst for learning, a natural tendency to work as well as it can be done, a connection to how other people feel, and an understanding of what makes people tick. On that last one he also tacks on a natural inclination to do the right thing. 

Meyer talks about the the many people who have helped him develop his restaurants as well as his philosophy. One bit that he took from a mentor, Erika Andersen, is that people would far rather be heard than agreed with.

There is a lovely section on traits that his team looked for when hiring managers. There are nine in total and I think I'm going to be trying to hit at least one of these every week until the rest of the year:  infectious attitude, self-awareness, charitable assumption (assume the best), long-term view of success, sense of abundance, trust, approving patience and tough love, not feeling threatened by others, and character. 

The last thing that really resonated with me were the five As for effectively addressing mistakes. I've seen them in various aspects but not necessarily all in one place. He talks about awareness (knowing that the mistake happened), acknowledgement (letting people know that you have had mistakes), apology (in the AHLEI GSG, this is 'Recovery'), action (fixing it if possible; letting people know what you are doing), and additional generosity (extra action if people have been good sports).

Four stars

This book came out October 1, 2006

Hard copy of mine

Opinions are my own

Starter Villain by John Scalzi

I heard about this book on a podcast and thought it sounded interesting. And it was. The whole story revolves around one man who finds himself thrust into the role of a villain. Formerly a journalist and now a substitute teacher, Charlie is divorced and living with his cat. Cats now that he's found another one. But his life is upended when his uncle dies. Charlie didn't know much about the man so he is absolutely shocked by the flowers at the funeral home celebrating his death and the man who comes to stab the dead body. When Charlie goes home, he only barely avoids being blown up in a fire that destroys his entire house. 

Suddenly, Charlie is thrust into a world with literal life-or-death stakes. He also has to deal with dolphins that not only talk, they're unionizing. Oh, and the cats are intelligent as well. In fact, they're management. And they've been watching Charlie.

A different take on the role of villains and it took some time to get on board but I quite enjoyed it in the end.

Four stars

This book came out September 19, 2023

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope

The title and cover of this book were very intriguing. And a description that makes this sound like "Leverage" but set in the 1920s with some fantasy aspects? Yes, please.

Clara Johnson is pretty well-known around some neighborhoods in 1920s New York. She can talk to people on the other side and help make deals for those in our realm. But something strange is happening in this world. People are not quite themselves and they are disappearing. This may or may not be connected to a ring that a powerful entity would like Clara to steal. It may mean that she no longer has to carry a debt to this entity. But she is not the only person trying to get the ring and she may have to work with others, including a handsome, enhanced musician; a former circus freak; a man who wears many faces; and a man who can change memories.

I really enjoyed this story though some parts didn't quite make sense but I really look forward to Penelope's next book.

Four stars

This book came out August 9, 2022

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Rest You Merry by Charlotte MacLeod

Professor Peter Shandy is fed up. His best friend's wife has been bullying him for years to take part in the campus "Illumination." But he's resisted. Until this year. This is the year he hires a company to make the most obnoxious Christmas display, complete with music. Then he locks his electricity box and leaves on a cruise. When he gets back, he expects that Jemima (the friend's wife) will cuss him out but good. What he doesn't expect -- The electricity to his house has been turned off and Jemima is dead behind his couch.

But Professor Shandy is the only one that seems to think this was anything more than an accident. So, can he solve the murder before more people get killed? No. No he can't. But it's a fun story and a great holiday read.

Three stars

This book came out in 1978

Followed by The Luck Runs out

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla 

Opinions are my own