Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing this wonderful Wednesday? Things here are about the same as usual. Took Mardi to get her yearly check up and shots. Other than being dramatic and whining about everything (if the van stopped at a light she cried, if the doctor’s parrot moved she barked, etc.), she was good. She’s a little chunkster (gained almost a pound). But she’s healthy and everyone thinks she’s so cute. Try to take a ball away from her and see how quickly she turns into a murderous demon dog, but I admit she’s still cute when she does. Anyway, this is just a quick post to say how awesome Dr. Thomas and everyone at Rodeo Drive Veterinary Hospital are!
Pretty sure most (if not all) of our animals have been to see Dr. Thomas throughout the years. She’s knowledgeable and kind and a fabulous doctor. All of her people are wonderful as well. Judy and Kandy are always cheerful and helpful. Michele is patient and always takes the time to answer any medication or procedure questions. Shauna is great and always answers my emails if we have random unurgent questions. And they all genuinely care about the animals they take care of. We never feel rushed or like they aren’t listening. It’s a great place with amazing people. So, if any of you are reading this, thank you from me and Dad and Mardi and Sophia and Bonnie!
Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing this wonderful Wednesday? Things here are okay other than Sophia having a severely sprained back. Pupper parent life is at it again, but at least there wasn’t an anal blood crime scene this time. Anyway, it’s the last Wednesday of March! It’s book review time! I went back to the cozy mystery genre this month. One Sharp Stitch by Allie Pleiter is the first in a new series. It was released yesterday (the 25th) from Kensington Books. As usual, I must thank them and NetGalley for access to an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Let’s get to it!
One Sharp Stitch follows Shelby Phillips as she returns home to sort her life out after being laid off and manage her mother’s needlepoint store while her parents go on a road trip. Her strained relationship with her seemingly perfect sister doesn’t equal a particularly pleasant homecoming. Throw in the murder of an old school acquaintance and things get even more complicated. Can Shelby solve her own problems, let alone a murder? She’s sure going to try.
The plot is pretty standard, but with some family drama thrown in for fun. There’s a love interest, an annoyed police chief who isn’t quite as useless as she thinks he is, and a blossoming friendship that is definitely the shenanigans-encouraging bestie. There’s a lot of talking, but not a lot of going out and actually investigating, so the story moves slowly. The actual clues kind of just fall into Shelby’s lap. I’m fine with that, but I admit it’s not as engaging as other series with similar crafting themes. However, there are some nice twists that made me second guess myself for a couple of pages before going back to my main suspect (which was the correct one).
As far as the characters go, I liked them. At the least, they have potential. Shelby and her family are fairly fleshed out. As is the chief. Most of the other side characters are pretty flat, but they each have potential to be more in future books. I found Shelby’s and her sister’s aversion to their parent’s fun weird and annoying. So what if they wear matching shirts and stop at all the corny roadside attractions and take silly pictures? It’s not cringe if they’re enjoying themselves. So, I got a little tired of the teenager-esque “ew my parents still have fun” attitude from a couple of 30+ year olds, but that’s a me thing. Otherwise, the characters were interesting enough to keep me entertained when the plot dragged.
The writing was unobtrusive and nothing special. Sometimes, themed cozies can get carried away with all the technical jargon relating to the topic (needlepoint in this case) because the author wants to prove they know what they’re talking about, but this one doesn’t do that. There’s a nice balance of technical terms and explanations of those terms without feeling like the author is craftersplaining (like mansplaining, but crafters instead of men).
Ultimately, I enjoyed One Sharp Stitch. It has some issues, but nothing major. Most first books in a series have issues that either get better or worse as the series continues, so I’m willing to give this series another shot. I’ll keep an eye out for book two.
Overall, I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. If you’re into cozy mysteries or cross stitching, it’s definitely worth a look.
Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing this lovely Wednesday? Things here are fine so far. As promised, I have pictures of Dad’s hydroponics garden! The bigger plants off to the right are herbs he started in a tiny countertop version he bought. The dill is being ridiculous and showing off, but we don’t really know what to make with it aside from pickles and fish. So if you have a dill recipe, feel free to share it! The smaller plants are various lettuces, Chinese cabbage, bok choy, and probably stuff I’m forgetting. He’s thinking about adding tomatoes and peppers in the future. They’d have to be grown in buckets and need another light, but the pump should be able to handle them. So, yeah. Our spare bedroom is a garden now. Also, bonus pupper pics. Mardi needs a bath and Bonnie runs from the camera. Sophia is absent because she’s in her kennel since we weren’t supervising everyone (yes, she still randomly pees in the house). Anyway, I’ll be back next week with the usual book review!
Hello, hello! How’s everyone doing this wonderful Wednesday? Things here are usual. I was going to show pictures of Dad’s hydroponics system and plants, but he’s busy and can’t take pictures right now, so I’ll do that next week. Today, since it’s women’s history month, I’ll share some books by women authors that I enjoy. I’ll try not to use repeats from recent posts. In no particular order, books by women!
1. The Library of Legends by Janie Chang. This is my current for fun book, but I’m about 75% of the way through and really liking it.
2. Agnes Sharp and the Trip of a Lifetime by Leonie Swann. It’s the second book in a cozy mystery series, but I think it’s better than the first book.
3. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare. An old book, but a lovely read.
4. Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki. A strange combination of horror and sci-fi and life in general that I found lovely.
What are some books by women that you recommend? As always, feel free to share your thoughts or questions here or on my social media pages!
Hello, hello! How’s everyone doing this wonderful Wednesday? I’m tired. Allergies suck. Life is a dystopian hellscape. It seems like every time I wake up, something new and worse is happening. And there are still people who are too… I don’t know if they’re stupid, oblivious, stubborn, obsessed, or what… to acknowledge that this is all stuff that’s been done before and is a harbinger of all the bad things (unless you’re a rich, straight, probably white, cis-dude). And to top it all off, we’re on the wrong side of history this time. Anyway, I’m stressed. I’m tired. I panic check my benefits every day just to make sure the Doggies (DOGE) haven’t randomly cut them off.I have more trouble than usual sleeping. My tachycardia is back to acting up once or twice a week instead of once or twice a month. I expect our Social Security payments to stop and am delightfully surprised when they do show up. I’m waiting for them to officially get rid of Section 504 so they can go after the ADA next. I’m angry on behalf of the people who are already being affected (immigrants, trans, women, etc.). I constantly have to remind myself to unclench my jaw. And I’ve been this way since November. So yeah, I’m fucking tired.
Instead of ranting more, I want you to tell me something good. It doesn’t matter how big or small. Don’t try to tell me my fears are unfounded or that I’m overreacting. Don’t try to turn this into a political debate. Just tell me something good that has happened to you recently. I want to know there are still good things going on in this world, no matter how small.
Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing this lovely Wednesday? Things here are still very much dystopian, but I’m trying hard not to dwell on it all. So, let’s focus on the fact that it’s the last Wednesday of February instead! You know what that means… book review time! This month, I decided to try a little horror (not that I needed it with the state of everything, but yeah). Grim by David Cinnella is being released via The Book Whisperer today (the 26th). As usual, I must thank them and NetGalley for giving me access to an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Let’s get to it.
Grim follows Gabe Matthews from childhood into those angsty teenage years. As a young boy, he loses his father, but discovers a secret silent friend dressed in black robes and carrying a scythe. The problem is that no one else can see this being. At 17, his mother is diagnosed with cancer. In a desperate attempt to save her, Gabe makes a deal with his friend. But can Gabe pull off his end of the bargain and save both his mother and himself?
The plot. It’s a pretty standard “deal with Death” scenario. Gabe’s a momma’s boy and doesn’t have the coping skills to deal with her potential death. He’s a bullied outcast in a small town. So, he talks to his Grim Reaper friend and ends up making a deal that doesn’t go as planned. There’s nothing new or surprising about it. Some of it doesn’t really make sense. Gabe’s leap to “I must murder people” instead of “I have to temporarily take over this dude’s job” when he sees the contract is weird, but I put it off to the whole being a teenager thing. The contract itself is pretty straightforward, so the ending felt like a giant leap. I mean… you wrote the contract. You can’t just randomly add something to it in order to create a plot twist. It feels like author interference rather than a natural progression of the story and that’s not good. It knocked the plot from a solid standard but not bad, down to mediocre.
The characters were mostly fine. I didn’t really connect to Gabe because he was pretty stupid for a supposedly smart kid. I had no idea where his anger at his stepdad came from. Basically, there were far too many things that I had to attribute to his being a teenager rather than being shown why he was the way he was. It was all very surface level. His stepdad was awkward but nice enough. Mom was the perfectly imperfect mother in the hopes that the reader would empathize with Gabe’s plight. Everyone played the role they were made for without much work to flesh them out. They were solidly standard which isn’t bad, it’s just not memorable. And that’s fine.
I’m going to be honest. I finished this book about a week ago and I don’t remember much about it. I remember the parts that didn’t quite make sense and the general story, but nothing really sticks out. Which means I didn’t dislike it, but I didn’t particularly like it either. Nothing about the writing sticks out. I’ll forget it entirely in a few days. A lot of books are like that.
Ultimately, Grim is a thing that exists. It’s neither good nor bad enough to hate. It just is. I’m not going to go looking for more books by Cinnella, but I won’t actively avoid his stuff.
Overall, I gave it 3 out of 5 stars. Actually, 2 and a half. I don’t think you’re missing anything if you skip it, but it’s not something I’ll tell you not to read. Unless you take issue with the whole “killing off/harming a woman simply to motivate the hero/villain” trope. Then you should probably steer clear of this one.
Hello, hello! How’s everyone doing this lovely Wednesday? I’m sure it’s lovely somewhere. It’s cold here. Anyway, there’s nothing to ramble about that won’t send my blood pressure skyrocketing, so you get another list post. It’s still February, so I thought I’d share some of my favorite books by black women. They’re older books, but I love them, so I still recommend them to people. So, in no particular order, here are some books/authors you should check out.
1. The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow. Standalone novel.
2. The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna. Book one of a series.
3. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi. Book one of a series.
4. Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen. Book one of a series.
Feel free to leave your book recommendations here or on my social media pages!
Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing this wonderful Wednesday? Things here are still scary because, well… -gestures at the US in general- … you know our country is actively being destroyed and some people still don’t see it. But otherwise, life is quiet for now. Sophia hasn’t done any more splatter art with her anal blood, so she’s good. I don’t have anything to ramble about, but then I remembered what time of year it is! No, not VD day. It’s Girl Scout cookie time! I don’t know any Girl Scouts, so I don’t currently have a dealer and I’m not going to the stores in search of one, but I can still list my favorite cookies. And my most hated one.
1. Thin Mints. They’re minty chocolate. What more could I want? I like to nibble the edge until an adequate amount of cookie is exposed, then let it soak up milk. Delicious. I’ve heard that people like to pop a box in the freezer and eat them ice cold. I’d try it.
2. Do-si-dos/peanut butter sandwich cookies. I like peanut butter cookies in general. Plus, these are the best Girl Scout cookie for soaking up milk. Most are either resistant to liquids or they crumble as soon as they get wet. The do-si-dos hold enough milk that you get that squishy bit, but there’s also a little bite left to the cookie.
3. Tagalongs/peanut butter patties. I occasionally treat these like Thin Mints where I nibble and dunk them, but they’re better just eaten by themselves. They’re very resistant to milk. But they have a nice ratio of peanut butter and cookie and chocolate. Not my absolute favorites, but definitely not going to say no to them.
In fact, the only Girl Scout cookie that I’ll say no to are Samoas/Caramel deLites. I hate them because I hate shredded coconut. I just can’t get past it. I don’t like it in candy or cookies or on shrimp. It’s weird. I like food with coconut milk and stuff like that in it. It’s just the flesh of the coconut that I don’t like. It’s okay. It just means more Samoas for you!
What’s your favorite Girl Scout cookie? Any you hate? Feel free to share your thoughts and comments and questions here or on my social media pages!
Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing this lovely Wednesday? Things here are okay. Dad’s trying his hand at a hydroponics garden for herbs and lettuce and stuff. He got one for some herbs recently and when they sprouted it made him happy, so he decided to build a bigger one. There will probably be pictures in the future when it’s all set up and things start growing. He used to have an herb garden out back, but the trees blocked all the sun and they died out. It’ll be nice to have fresh stuff again! Plus it means he has to use the stuff, which means more cooking. Huzzah! Anyway, today, we’re here to relive the trauma of Sunday, January 26th. I would’ve written about it last week, but… book review. Here we go.
The culprit (pictured above from when we first got her): Sophia.
Background: The previous few nights, Sophia woke multiple times and needed to go out, which isn’t unheard of, but is unusual for her. Since she spends her nights in a crate, Dad had to keep getting up to let her out. By Saturday night, he was sleep deprived, so when she cried to be let out, he decided to just let her roam. If she peed in the house (which is why she gets crated), whatever. Then, he went back to bed.
The scene: Sunday morning. Dad walks into a bloodbath. The white leather couch is covered in blood, along with the throw pillows. It’s all over the floors; living room, hallway, kitchen. The back patio has splotches of red with raspberry jam looking clumps. Dad looks for whatever poor corpse our dogs have destroyed to no avail. But Sophia is laying in his chair obviously worn out. An inspection reveals blood on her nether regions. She moves around fine, not showing any signs that she’s in imminent danger of dying. She’s just bloody (though not actively bleeding) and lethargic. After a mini heart attack, Dad cleans up and gets me out of bed. We decide I’ll stay up all night and we’ll take her to the vet first thing on Monday because we can’t afford the emergency pet hospitals around here.
The verdict: Dad and I are sure she perforated something, but she’s still alive albeit lethargic on Monday morning. After an hour of trying to get through to vet (apparently their phone system was down), I emailed them on the off chance they’d see it (they don’t check their email often) and got lucky. They said to bring her in at 11:30, so we did. After a bunch of questions and a couple of blood tests, they came back in and nonchalantly told us she had Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis which was probably precipitated by a bout of Pancreatitis, though we couldn’t figure out what she would’ve eaten to bring that on. They gave her subcutaneous fluid because she was dehydrated and sent home some antiemetics (not because she was vomiting, but because it would soothe her stomach), antibiotics in case a bacterial infection was contributing to it, and some probiotic to help with her gut life. And they said and did all this like it was the most common thing in the world. So, she had a severe tummy ache and decided to traumatize us with it.
Like that, but with blood.
By the end of that day, Sophia was mostly fine again. Now, other than still taking the antibiotics, she’s back to her usual piss-on-the-floor-if-left-unsupervised self. So yeah, that was fun and expensive. Let’s not do it again, please.
Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing this wonderful Wednesday? I think it’s supposed to be a little dreary and moist today, but hopefully it’s still lovely. Anyway, it’s the last Wednesday of January, so it’s that time again. Book review time! This month, I went for more of a mystery thriller type book. I was looking for something engaging and quick paced like thrillers should be. The Dark Hours by Amy Jordan was released yesterday (the 28th) from MIRA Books. As usual, I must thank them and NetGalley for giving me access to an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Let’s do the thing!
The Dark Hours follows Garda (Irish policeperson) Julia Harte as both a young woman and as a retired Detective Inspector. It’s a braided narrative where two storylines play out by alternating back and forth. In 1994, Julia’s partner has been murdered by someone who has just killed two young women and has set his sights on Julia for some reason. In 2024, after Julia has retired to a small town, it’s announced that the original perpetrator is dead, but why have two young women just been found murdered in similar circumstances to the 1994 murders? Can Julia figure out what’s going on and why she seems to be in the middle of both these cases?
I didn’t realize this was a braided narrative with present and past storylines or else I wouldn’t have requested it. I’m always bored with at least one of them in crime fiction. This was no exception. The present storyline gives things away about the past and vice versa, but not in a good way. In the past, the main character can be in mortal danger, but there’s absolutely no tension because you already know she survives. It just ruins a lot for me. But aside from that, both plotlines were fairly standard. Retired detective gets on the nerves of the current detective who doesn’t think he needs assistance. Random past cases somehow merge into one convoluted Frankencase. No real twists if you have any experience with mystery thrillers. It was standard and that’s okay. Not bad, but not great.
The main problem I had with this book was that none of the characters were particularly likeable. Young Julia was an idiot with zero sense of self-preservation. Old Julia was stuck pining over someone who wasn’t worth her time. I know I was supposed to feel bad about what happened to her husband, but he was a douchebag. She insists he was wonderful, but every time we see him, his whole vibe boils down to “I knew you wanted to be a cop and focus on your career, so I supported you until we got married, at which point you were supposed to quit and start popping out kids, and since you didn’t do what I wanted, you’re a bitch.” Like, dude… get over yourself. Everyone else were cardboard cutouts. There was no one to really root for or get attached to.
I also had issues with the way the story unfolded. I knew who the murderers were as soon as they were introduced, which isn’t a problem, but their motives just felt random and weak. I think this was because all of the aha moments were pretty random as well. In good crime fiction, you can usually trace a thread of connected events that is subtly woven in with red herrings and character development and all the other stuff that makes a book a book. But once in a while, a book will throw random major plot points at you without the thread. There’s nothing you can look back at and say “oh, that makes sense now.” It’s disconcerting and dissatisfying. This book does the latter and hopes the reader will be satisfied with the explanation that “it’s got to do with one of hundreds of past cases that aren’t connected and weren’t mentioned earlier.” I, for one, wasn’t happy with that.
The writing style was fine. I was hoping for a more exciting story, but it was a pretty quick read, so I can’t really complain about the writing.
Ultimately, The Dark Hours was not for me. It had potential, but the execution was mediocre across the board. If another book by Amy Jordan fell in my lap, I’d give it a shot, but it’s nothing I’m going to look for.
Overall, I gave it 2 out of 5 stars. A lot of the reviews love it, so maybe I’m being too harsh. I wouldn’t recommend it to a fellow writer since a lot of my complaints come from that angle, but if you’re super into mysteries, check it out and tell me if I’m wrong.
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