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

Monthly Rereads October 2025

Opinions are my own

Sanctuary by Ilona Andrews

Four stars

This book came out July 30, 2024

Roman’s Chronicles, #1

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Murder at the Mousetrap by Helena Marchmont

Four stars

Bunburry #1
This book comes out September 1
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau, Caitlin Kinnunen (Narrator)

Fourteen-year-old Mary Jane is growing up in 1970s Baltimore. Her family seems "normal" for the time, stay at home, perfectionist mother, emotionally distant working father. But her life is about to be turned upside down when she becomes the nanny for three-year-old Izzy Cone. 
Izzy's parents are nothing like Mary Jane's. They shout, they show public affection, and their house is not organized to within an inch of its life. But there is a lot of love and some famous stars. Dr. Richard Cone is a psychiatrist and has cleared his whole schedule to help Jimmy work on his addictions. Jimmy is married to the electric Sheba who was on a television variety show and has many brothers. 
In a house of chaos, Mary Jane becomes the most stable person. As she tries to bring order into the swirling emotions of the people in the Cone house, she learns exactly how fallible adults can be and starts to see flaws, even in her own family. She also learns that there is no one lifestyle that is going to provide perfection. 
This is very much a book that reflects the values of the time including both casual and fairly blatant racism. Mary Jane is figure out how to navigate feelings that are suddenly bigger than what she is used to. A very familiar feeling for almost anyone who has been a teenager.

Four stars

This book came out May 11, 2021

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

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

Five Golden Wings by Donna Andrews with Bernadette Dunne (Narrator)

Meg has two cousins getting married the Saturday before Christmas. Not a great day to begin with but their inconsiderate choices don't stop there. They are getting married on the same day at the same location and are feuding about it the whole time. Somehow, Meg's mom has become their de facto wedding planner since they've run everyone else off. The only bright point is that they are having their receptions at the Caerphilly Inn and Ekaterina is able to handle their nonsense.

Robin is only a little less adept at handling them at the church. It's just too bad that the front of the church is closed off at the moment and everyone is having to go through the graveyard. The same graveyard that has only just been re-consecrated after a series of pranks by some local teens. The same graveyard where a body is discovered.A

If you are a regular Langslow reader, you will probably clock both the victim(s) and the perpetrator(s) (trying to obfuscate this a little.) And that just adds to the delight of this book. The mystery is overall a little thinner than normal but a good read.

Four stars

Meg Langslow #38

Follows For Duck's Sake

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

ARC of ebook kindly provided by MacMillan and Edelweiss

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