Mystery

Thoughts on THE DARK HOURS

~ shawnaborman ~ Leave a comment

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.

Thoughts on A TRINKET FOR THE TAKING

~ shawnaborman ~ Leave a comment

Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing this lovely Wednesday? If you celebrate, are you ready for Turkey Day? Dad’s making a whole spread this year. As I’m writing this, it currently smells really good in our house. Be jealous. But anyway, it’s the last Wednesday of November, so it’s book review time! This month, I went with something more on the fantasy side. It’s a mystery, but with a pretty detailed magical system and some extra world building even though it’s mostly just a real world setting. A Trinket for the Taking by Victoria Laurie was released on Tuesday the 26th by 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!

A Trinket for the Taking follows Dovey Van Dalen as she sets out to celebrate her 200th birthday in style. Unfortunately, work gets in the way when a super powerful and deadly trinket (magical device) goes missing. She’s tasked with finding it before the unbound (non-magical) world gets suspicious. It doesn’t help that the thief seems to be targeting a prominent unbound family. And to complicate matters further, she keeps running into a ridiculously attractive FBI agent and she can’t seem to escape him. Nor does she really want to, which is a whole problem within itself. Can Dovey figure out the case and retrieve the trinket before it’s too late?

The plot was pretty good. Entertaining. Standard combination of mystery and fantasy. Magical item must be found before death and destruction ensue. Oops, too late. Magical person teams up with plucky non-magical sidekick. Weirdness happens. Last minute saving of the day. Happily ever after… until the next book. But the pacing was off. The first two thirds of the book was loaded down with world building and character histories and it dragged. A lot. Especially when the same info was repeated two or three times. And because of all this excess information, the last third of the book felt super rushed since it didn’t have any. Don’t get me wrong. A lot of the information was necessary. It just could have been incorporated more strategically. But the three scenes when her hedgehog helps her pick an outfit are completely unnecessary. The first one was cute and by all means keep one scene for fun. But three? During which nothing important is conveyed? No. Either utilize the other two scenes to pass on relevant and new information or cut them. Otherwise, it makes the story drag. Aside from that, there were also a couple of deus ex machina things that made me roll my eyes. One of them made it apparent that a particular character was thrown in as an afterthought just for that moment instead of utilizing any of the existing characters. And the hedgehog in the pocket thing was random and not really necessary when the reader was already told that she had what it gave her. If it had been a surprise, it would’ve been cool, but she literally brought the thing with her in case she needed it. No hedgehog needed.

As for the characters, there were a lot and so many of them did nothing. For instance, there’s a perv at the elevator within the first couple of pages. He literally does nothing but ogle Dovey, then let her take the elevator by herself. And he never shows back up. It was weird. A lot of the characters could have been combined into a one or two. Mostly they do one thing then disappear. It’s annoying. But I mostly liked the main characters. Dovey is interesting. I don’t understand why she randomly falls in love at first sight. It’s creepy. But otherwise I like her. Gib is fun. Ursula could’ve been utilized more. And Elric is just a gross old dude. But overall, I enjoyed most of the characters.

The writing itself was fun. Despite the pacing issues and iffy characters, I read the book pretty quickly and didn’t dread picking it up after a break.

Ultimately, A Trinket for the Taking was entertaining while I was reading it, but not particularly memorable. I will pick up the next book if I see it, but I probably won’t go looking for it.

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Overall, I gave it 3 out of 5 stars. A solid three. If you’re into magical mysteries, it’s worth checking out.

Thoughts on THE DEBUTANTES

~ shawnaborman ~ Leave a comment

Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing this lovely Wednesday? Things here are normal. Nothing really to complain about that anyone would care about. Anyway, it’s the last Wednesday of October, so you know what that means. Book review time! This month, I went with a more traditional YA thriller mystery type thing. The Debutantes by Olivia Worley was released on the 29th (Tuesday) from St. Martin’s Press. As usual, I must thank them and NetGalley for access to an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Let’s do it!

The Debutantes follows Vivian, Piper, April and Lily as they each struggle to come to terms with their places in life, the mistakes they’ve made, and the traditions they’ve inherited from the elite of New Orleans. The Les Masques Ball is the event of the year where teenage girls are paraded in front of their parents and the rest of the city’s elite. The Queen and her Maids. This year is no exception, despite the fact that last year’s queen died. When a protest takes place at the event, tensions run high. But when Lily, this year’s queen, goes missing, the adults are oddly unconcerned. A text from Lily to Vivian, Piper, and April urges the trio to discover the truth behind her disappearance. And what does it have to do with the death of the previous queen?

The plot ends up being super convoluted. There’s the secret society type club that everyone knows about. Then, there’s a secret society within the not-so-secret society that’s just for the white dudes. It’s basically a bunch of dudes in power that do weird stuff in front of barely legal girls and who also help each other cover shit up when one of them does something illegal. Yeah. It’s not a great club. Anyway, the plot consists of kidnapping, murder, attempted murder, harassment, blackmail, etc. It’s not bad, it’s just too much. And the ending is one of those unsatisfying ones where some people get off without any repercussions because they’re rich and no one will talk about their involvement. I know that’s how it would happen in real life, but I don’t read books to see what would happen in real life. I want the spoiled little rich girls who claim they hate their lives to actually rat out the people in power. They only do a half-assed job of it though, so only two people get their comeuppances. Boo.

The characters were all pretty unrelatable. The parts of their personalities that should be relatable feel forced and unnatural. The stuff that feels natural is the rich girl privilege. Which is fine. Lean into it. Don’t force the other stuff. Lily obviously doesn’t hate her position of power, so stop telling me she does. She’s manipulative and gross. Let her be herself. Vivian’s weird lust for Wyatt doesn’t even exist except to forward an unnecessary plotline. Either weave it throughout the book or leave it out. Piper just feels like a caricature. April is probably the best character and honestly, this should have been her story. Get rid of Lily and just make it about April figuring out what happened to Margot. But I’m sure younger people who are still learning about people will like most of these characters.

The writing isn’t bad, but it’s not great either. The book starts out too slow then rushes through the ending. I enjoyed the descriptions. That’s about it.

Ultimately, The Debutantes wasn’t my cup of tea. A lot of my issues with the book are just me problems. I won’t go looking for other books by Worley, but if I stumble across one that sounds interesting, I’d probably pick it up.

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Overall, I gave it 3 out of 5 stars. Two and a half, really. If you like convoluted YA thrillers, check it out. Otherwise, it’s just kind of meh.

Thoughts on OUR WICKED HISTORIES

~ shawnaborman ~ 3 Comments

Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing this lovely Wednesday? Things here are usual. But I realized this is my 500th post. That’s a lot of rambling about nothing! So, before anything else, thanks for reading my randomness. Whether you’re new here or have been around since the beginning, I appreciate it. Now, onto the book review! That’s right. It’s the last Wednesday of July. Can you believe it? Anyway, this month, I decided to go with a YA horror mystery mishmash. Something I would’ve devoured as a kid. Nostalgia. You know the kind of stuff. Our Wicked Histories by Amy Goldsmith seemed to fill the requirements. It was released yesterday (July 30th) from Delacorte Press. As usual, I must thank them and NetGalley for access to an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Let’s do the thing!

Our Wicked Histories follows Meg as she tries to salvage her friendships and reclaim her place at a prestigious art school after she’s suspended and on the verge of being kicked out permanently. Luckily for her, her bestie and one half of the Wren twins, Lottie, invites her to a party at the Wren’s ancestral estate with a plan to help Meg make amends. But the estate is dark and dank and creepy. And according to rumors, it may or may not be plagued by a certain spirit intent on revenge. What has Meg gotten herself into? When bodies start showing up, she begins to question whether the school and her so-called friends are worth all the drama and death. But she’s stuck in the middle of nowhere with no means of escape.

As far as the plot goes, young me probably would’ve loved it. It’s pretty standard horror mystery fare. If you’re familiar with this type of book, it’s not hard to guess the killer or the motivation behind the murders. Two storylines unfold at once, the present with the murders and all that, plus the event that put the present events into motion. It’s pretty easy to follow once you realize what’s going on. Personally, I preferred the past plotline. It wasn’t difficult to figure out what was going on there either, but it wasn’t as blatantly obvious. The horror part of the story is nice until the end. It ends up feeling like it was just something thrown in so Meg didn’t have to save herself. However, this wasn’t written for post-MFA brain, it was written for high school brain. High school brain me wouldn’t have cared that she guessed everything. She would have enjoyed it.

The characters were all pretty unlikable. It’s your basic poor scholarship student trying to fit in with the uber rich kids scenario. All the rich kids are douchenozzles (even the ones who aren’t supposed to be) and Meg is annoyingly clingy. Typical teenager stuff. The only one who has any potential redeemable qualities gets stuck in the gay bestie stereotype and isn’t fleshed out at all. For adult me, it was eye roll inducing. Teen me wouldn’t have really cared. She would have been annoyed that none of the characters were relatable, but she still would’ve enjoyed it for what it is.

As far as the writing goes, it was a smooth and pretty quick read. Teen me probably would’ve gotten through it in a couple of days. It takes adult me way longer because I can’t read a book without studying it anymore. Ugh. Thanks, English professors.

Ultimately, Our Wicked Histories was okay. I enjoyed it enough to satisfy my weird nostalgia mood. It wasn’t great and it wasn’t bad. I’ll check out other stuff by Amy Goldsmith if I run across anything.

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Overall, I gave it 3 out of 5 stars. If you enjoy this type of story, by all means try it out. If you have a teenager who’s into the genre, let them check it out. There are mentions of sex that happens off the page, but nothing explicit. In case you need a warning about that.

Thoughts on THE MASK OF MERRYVALE MANOR

~ shawnaborman ~ Leave a comment

Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing this lovely Wednesday? Things here are still annoying, but I won’t complain. Yet. Maybe next week. Or maybe things will be better next week. Who knows? Anyway, it’s the last Wednesday of June, so you know what that means. Book review time! This month, I decided to go with a standard mystery with historical and horror-adjacent (not quite horror, but close) elements. The Mask of Merryvale Manor by Pete Sherlock was released on some platforms on the 20th and others on the 25th (which isn’t confusing at all, ugh) by Fairlight 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!

The Mask of Merryvale Manor follows Ben, a 14-year-old boy who moves in with his rich aunt’s family after his mother dies. At first, he’s seduced by a life of opulence. He’d do anything to fit in. To be accepted. But a few years later, he returns home from university for his cousin’s wedding and finds remains in the lake that’s on the family property. That’s when he really starts to see the family for who they are. In the end, he must decide if fitting in is worth throwing his morals away.

Plotwise, it’s your standard English murder mystery. If you’ve ever watched Midsomer Murders, you can pretty easily guess where this one is going. There’s only one person the remains could be, so the “figuring out who the victim is” part felt a bit drawn out. I also pegged the killer right off the bat, but it was still an interesting journey to uncover them. There was also a weird fixation on the Ooser mask (it has to do with the region’s folklore) that I enjoyed. Nothing super exciting, but a satisfying plot nonetheless.

According to Historic UK, this is the last remaining Dorset Ooser mask and shortly after this photograph was taken in the late 19th century the mask disappeared.

The characters were interesting, if mostly unlikable. But that’s really the point. As an outside observer, the reader can see how repugnant these people are which ups the pity we feel for Ben as he struggles to fit in with them. Not all of them are evil, some are just so self-absorbed that they fail to see what’s happening around them. I found the book more interesting as a study of human behavior than I did as an actual mystery.

Ben to his family throughout this book.

As far as the writing goes, I enjoyed it. There was an old timey feel to it that lent itself well to late ’50s/early ’60s setting. It created a nice atmosphere.

Ultimately, I appreciated The Mask of Merryvale Manor for what it is. It’s not wonderful or groundbreaking or anything, but it’s a perfectly adequate mystery.

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Overall, I gave it 3 out of 5 stars. It didn’t wow me, but it didn’t disappoint me either. If you enjoy mysteries, especially ones like Midsomer Murders, you’ll probably enjoy this one. It’s worth picking up.

Thoughts on AGAINST THE CURRANT

~ shawnaborman ~ 2 Comments

Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing? Things are normal here. I’m still writing every day. Huzzah! But we’re not here to talk about that. We’re here because it’s the last Wednesday of the month. You know what that means! It’s book review time. For the beginning of the year, I decided to go for something comfortable. A cozy mystery. Against the Currant is the first in Olivia Matthews’s new Spice Isle Bakery mysteries. It was released yesterday (the 24th) by St. Martin’s Press. 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.

Against the Currant follows Lyndsay Murray as she and her family open a bakery in Little Caribbean (Brooklyn, NY). As if opening a business isn’t stressful enough, throw in a rival bakery owner who threatens to shut them down them gets himself murdered the very next day. Lynds is now the main suspect of a murder! Luckily, she and her meddlesome family are on the case despite her protests that she’s just trying to find more likely suspects, not the actual murderer. There’s a hot detective for a potential love interest as well. What could go wrong?

The plot is standard, but a little on the weak side. One mild argument does not a murderer make, especially when there are a plethora of other suspects with much better motives. The detectives in this book are the stupidest people ever. They only focus on Lyndsay and they don’t listen when far better leads are given to them. I mean, I’m okay with nosy people solving cases (it’s why I read cozies), but I hate it when the cops are this dumb. There were plenty of red herrings they could’ve followed that would’ve been fine, but they stuck with the flimsiest one. That was annoying. And I really hope the detective doesn’t end up being the love interest. He’s a dick. Just don’t. Also, there was a character who showed up twice pretty early on for absolutely no reason. All he did was start stuff, which any established character could have done, then he completely disappeared. What was that about?

I liked the characters, though there were a lot of them. While I understand the desire to introduce all of the family (and extended family) at once, all of the names were overwhelming and I couldn’t keep them straight. On top of them, there were two detectives, five or six suspects, and three or four extras. It was a lot for one book. But I liked the ones I could remember. Lyndsay, Dev, Reena, the grandma, and parents. All great with a lot of potential. The murderer was pretty easy to pick out, but a couple of the red herring characters were great and would’ve been just as plausible. Mostly, I think the characters are good and have the potential for growth if the series continues.

As far as the writing goes, it’s a bit repetitive, especially early on. Like, I heard you the first three times. Move on. And there were some tics that kept showing up in multiple characters. If it’s one character doing it, I write it off as a character tic, but if multiple characters do it, it’s probably the author’s go-to reaction when they don’t know what else to use (mine is shrugging or nodding). Lots of kissing teeth, which took me far too long to figure out since I didn’t Google it, but I learned a new phrase, so that was cool. Stuff like that. But it was a quick read nonetheless.

Ultimately, I was kind of meh about Against the Currant. If I catch the next book in the series, I’ll check it out to see if anything changes, but if I miss it, no big deal.

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Overall, I gave it 3 out of 5 stars. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great. If you’re into cozy mysteries set in bakeries, go ahead and try it. There are some recipes included if you’re into that kind of thing too.

Thoughts on ONLY ONE LIE

~ shawnaborman ~ Leave a comment

Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing? How are your holidays going? Looking forward to 2023? The shepherd’s pie was absolutely delicious and our neighbors brought over some tamales colorados on Christmas eve, so we’ve been eating well the past couple of days. Mmm. Anyway! It’s the last Wednesday of the month (year!), so it’s book review time. I decided to go with a mystery. It’s not really a cozy, but it kind of is. There are a lot of the same tropes, but it has the feel of a regular old mystery. Only One Lie by Audrey J. Cole was released from Rainier Publishing (they have no website that I could find) on December 27th. 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.

Only One Lie follows various points of view to tell the story of Vera, a newbie pilot whose husband is being shipped off to war, as she starts a job flying for the Ellis’, a super rich family whose youngest member has been kidnapped. Somehow, Vera gets tangled up in the family’s lies and deceit. Her life is in danger and the only way to save herself is to find the missing boy.

The plot is super standard. Kid gets taken. Kidnappers don’t show up to collect the ransom. No one can find the kid until the nosy woman shows up and gets talked into helping despite her better judgment. Various antics ensue to drag the story into a novel. Kid is found and everything is wrapped up in a neat little bow. But the ending was super far fetched. It’s explained vaguely away by the fact that Vera’s dad is a cop, but it made no sense that she didn’t even get investigated for what she did. It killed the plausibility of the whole thing. And I was kind of disappointed that something better wasn’t done with the baddie. It was set up where they had the potential to be something other than a stereotypical rich dick, but nah. It was sad. But it wasn’t a bad story, just kind of meh. I never considered not finishing the book, so it couldn’t have been horrible while I was reading it.

To the baddies.

The characters were nothing special. The good guys (and gals) were pretty perfect people and the bad guys (and gals) were either rich, corrupt, or both. It really reminded me of that one Danielle Steel novel I reviewed. Granted, this book was so much better, but the character development was still lacking. The only one who seemed to grow at all was Priscilla and even she didn’t change much. I liked Vera, but she was still too perfect. It was annoying.

The writing itself was okay. It was really simplistic, like something I expect to find in middle grade books. I admit I was caught off guard by it, but it was an interesting choice. Bare bones and mostly easy vocabulary. It made for a smooth and quick read.

Ultimately, I wasn’t a fan of Only One Lie. After I put it down, I was just meh about it. The more I think about it though, the more I actively dislike it. I definitely won’t look for anything by Cole, but if something drops into my lap, I’d give it a shot since the writing was okay.

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Overall, I gave it 2 out of 5 stars. When I finished it a week or so ago, I thought I would give it 3, but it just gets worse the more I think about it, so I feel like 2 is fair. If you enjoy Danielle Steel, you might like this book. If not, give it a miss.

Movies and TV

~ shawnaborman ~ 10 Comments

Hello, hello! How’s everyone doing? Are you ready for turkey day (or just Thursday depending on where you are)? It’s going to be another small one this year with the lady across the street as well as my minion and one of his spawn (if they show up on time. If either of you are reading this, here’s an additional reminder that dinner is at 4). But I’m not here to yammer about Thanksgiving! It’s time for another number. Jenae (hugs, sis!) picked number 8. So far, we’ve covered 13 (you can find the prompt list there), 7, and 2. Numbers 3, 10, 6, 14, 11, and 1 are all going to be answered in the coming weeks. There are a few left, so feel free to pick one and let me know. Today’s prompt: Tell me which book had the best movie or show adaptation. Yikes.

I’m not really qualified to answer this one. I mean, I watch a lot of stuff based on books, like most of the cozy mystery stuff and British mysteries. Midsomer Murders, Shetland, Vera just to name a few. The shows are great. Are they good adaptations? I have no clue. I’ve yet to read any of the books they’re based on. And the shows that I should have some experience with the accompanying books, I either haven’t read or read so long ago that I remember nothing. I vaguely remember reading an Agatha Christie book featuring Poirot, but have no clue if the series with David Suchet did it justice. It probably did because it was a good series, but I don’t really know. Shame on me for not reading more.

And if we’re talking movies, I’m even worse because I don’t watch many. Sure, I could talk about Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings or the Hobbit (none of which were super great, though LotR was by far the best of these). That’s about it, though. Oh! Coraline was a pretty good adaptation. It held the creepy air of the book. So that was fun. But mostly I can’t think of movies based on books that I’ve actually read the book version of. I don’t know if I should read more mainstream stuff or what.

Manga to anime is a little better for me. I love both of the Fullmetal Alchemist anime, but prefer Brotherhood as an adaptation. The original is wonderful and I’ve watched it so many times, but it was created alongside the manga and when it reached the end of what was available in the manga, it took a turn and became its own story. Brotherhood follows the manga more closely. Sailor Moon is another one where I prefer the newer releases as adaptations, but still love the original anime for what it was. The original used the manga as a guide, but there was a lot of padding and fluff added in. I love it, though. Cardcaptor Sakura was a fun adaptation too. And please be aware that I’m not talking about the old Americanized versions of SM (with the creepy cousins thing because cousins who flirted with and blushed at each other was somehow less disturbing to kids than lesbians) and CCS (with the random blushing between dudes because they were “jealous” of each other or some similar BS and totally not crushing on each other). Those were awful. But anyway, my knowledge of adaptations is weak even with manga/anime.

Best cousins ever.

I admit it. I’m not a movie or TV buff. I’m not even good about reading things that are popular enough to be turned into movies or shows. Oh well. What are some of your favorite adaptations? Did you see the movie/show first or read the book first? As always, feel free to leave your questions or comments here or on my social media pages!

What Book Scarred Me As A Child

~ shawnaborman ~ 11 Comments

Hello, hello! How’s everything going on this wonderful Wednesday? Things here are pretty good. Can’t complain, though I usually do. Anyway, it’s time for another one of those pick a number things. This week is 2, courtesy of the fab Derek! I’ve done 13 (you can find the prompt list there) and 7. Numbers 8, 3, 10, 6, 14, 11, and 1 have all been claimed, but feel free to pick one of the remaining numbers. Today’s prompt is “tell me which book had a profound effect on you as a kid.” Honestly, most of you probably already know the answer.

I don’t remember being much of a reader as a kid. I read what I was told to read for school, but never had much fun with it. There were two “book report” projects I remember from elementary school where we got to pick our own books from the school library. For one, I chose The Séance by Joan Lowery Nixon. I don’t remember the story itself, but it was my first locked door mystery and I vaguely remember loving it. It was a little advanced for my age at the time (it’s recommended for 12 years and up and I was like 8 or 9), but my teacher and parents didn’t say anything, so murder and mysteries kind of became my go-to at an early age. But still, it wasn’t enough to get me hooked on reading.

The other book from elementary school was Ransom by Lois Duncan. It actually had a cripple dude who wasn’t useless or inspo-pornified. Of course, back then, I didn’t know what inspo-porn really was and I didn’t care that he was cripple. I just liked him because he was the angsty loner guy and I already had the beginnings of a type (which eventually transformed into my love of fictional psychopaths). But it was about a busload of kids getting kidnapped. I loved it. And it wasn’t enough to stoke my love of reading either.

It wasn’t until 1999 (I was 13) that I really got into reading. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King had just come out and Dad plopped it down in front of me and said to try it. It wasn’t the first time he’d tried to get me into reading (even The Hobbit had failed to interest me until later), but it was the one that worked. There was creepy stuff and normal stuff and it wasn’t super scary, but it was something that could happen and that made it awesome (yeah, I was a weird kid). I tore through so many Stephen King books after that. I remember sitting in the library/game area one evening during a hospital stay reading the uncut version of The Stand (I brought it from home, it wasn’t actually in a children’s hospital library) and a nurse came in making idle chit-chat while checking on me. The look of horror on her face when I showed her what I was reading (she didn’t like “scary” books) was priceless. It was my first time seeing a grown person get freaked out over a book. She just didn’t understand why I wanted to read scary things. It was hilarious. But yeah. My early reading habits were strange.

Anyway, I still wasn’t a constant reader after that. I’d go through periods where I would read everything until I burnt myself out, then I wouldn’t read for months. It went on like that until Stonecoast, actually. Ever since then, I’ve learned to read a couple of chapters every day so I don’t burn myself out. And I don’t scold myself if I miss a day or two here and there. But if a book grabs me, I don’t deny myself a good binge either. But I digress. This is all just a big ramble about having to find my way into reading. It didn’t come naturally to me. And it took a while to find the right fit. But that’s okay. What about you? What book(s) had the biggest impact on you when you were young? As always, feel free to leave your thoughts and comments and questions here or on my social media pages!

Thoughts on A DOOMFUL OF SUGAR

~ shawnaborman ~ 2 Comments

Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing this wonderful Wednesday? Things here are about the same as normal lately. But it’s the last Wednesday of October, so at least I have something to ramble about. It’s book review time! I was boring and went back to my comfort zone this month with the first installment of a new cozy mystery series. A Doomful of Sugar by Catherine Bruns was released yesterday (the 25th) from Poisoned Pen Press. As usual, I must thank them and NetGalley for access to an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Cute cover and pretty relevant to the story.

A Doomful of Sugar follows Leila Khoury as she returns home in the wake of her father’s unsolved murder only to discover that he’s left her the family maple business. As any daddy’s girl would, not only does she accept the challenge of the farm, but she also takes it upon herself to solve the murder, no matter who she has to risk alienating along the way. Toss in a hot new employee that may just be a murderer, an overbearing mother, a brother with a chip on his shoulder, and a bestie that supports all the shenanigans and you’ve got yourself a cozy mystery.

Honestly, the plot is pretty standard. The big bad sticks out way too much from the get-go, then kind of fades into the background until a little bit before the big reveal. I mean, why else would Leila’s dad do what he did? Super obvious, but fine. I was willing to believe it without much thought. The twist was where the story lost me. It was also really heavy handed, which is probably why it felt like more of an ‘ugh’ moment than an ‘aha’ moment. It just wasn’t particularly necessary and felt like a leap. It might just be a me thing, but it made the ending too convoluted.

As far as the characters go, I was mostly unimpressed. I think Leila was supposed to be quirky and headstrong and someone who jumps into things without thinking, but she’s kind of a douchenozzle. She insults people all of the time and they magically forgive her. When she isn’t being rude, she’s accusing people of murder with zero evidence beyond the fact that they exist. And, of course, according to her, everyone else is always judging and being mean to her. I liked her mother and Noah. They were the only reasonable adults in this book. Everyone else ranged from flat and stereotypical to immature and annoying.

The writing itself was okay and made for a quick read despite my lack of motivation to finish this one. And there was maple syrup in it, so at least there’s that.

Ultimately, I didn’t care for A Doomful of Sugar. It’s not going on my list of cozies to keep up with and didn’t spark an interest other series by Bruns.

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Overall, I gave it 2 out of 5 stars. One and a half is more accurate. Mostly because it wasn’t my thing, but other people seem to like it. If you enjoy immature characters and an easily decipherable plot, go for it. Otherwise, you’re not missing much.