Nothing. I’m not really reading anything while I’m at Mom’s. We’re been visiting with family, including Mom’s new great-grandson who is a week old today. We’ve done jigsaw puzzles. But, I am going to mention a book below.
What about you? Are you busy with family or friends? Or, do you have plenty of time to read?
So, saying I’m not reading, you might have another nothing week on my blog. I’m sorry. Right now, I couldn’t be happier visiting with Mom.
My next book on my TBR pile is Hannah Langdon’s Christmas with the Knights. Someone mentioned it here last week, so thank you! I know several of us enjoyed Christmas with the Lords last year. Here’s the summary of Christmas with the Knights.
URGENTLY WANTED: a nanny for Christmas. Seeking an adventurous nanny to work for the aristocratic Lord family at their country estate. Must love naughty dogs, mischievous children and Christmas chaos. Room and board provided.
Penny Windlesham is stunned when her long-term boyfriend suddenly dumps her, leaving her with a broken heart just in time for Christmas. At a loose end, she accepts a job as a short-term nanny to a family she’s never met. Climbing aboard a train bound for the Dorset countryside, a tear rolls down her cheek. Alone, working and amongst strangers… could her Christmas be any less magical? As she crunches up the family’s frost-covered drive, Penny’s spirits lift when she glimpses her home for the next month: an enormous manor house, its windows glowing with firelight and festooned with twinkling holly. And, as she settles into her role caring for the adorable Lord children, she finds herself surrounded by a quirky cast of characters, including loveably frazzled Spanish chef Pilar and the children’s grouchy uncle, Lando Lord.
What about you? What are you reading right now?
I already have my first list of Favorites of 2024 from Rosemary! So, no matter how frustrated you are with me right now, I hope you stick around for the new year.
I just started The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel. Our book club at Changing Hands had a book swap tonight (wrap a book off your shelf that had an impact on you, etc.) and I love the book I got. Station Eleven by the author is one of my favorite books so I’m very pleased with my book gift.
Well, I’m just sorry, Melanie, that you got one you already read. Glad you like it, though.
Merry Christmas1
I love that book swap idea!
I read The Glass Hotel a few years ago. I’d be interested to see if yyou enjoyed as much as Station Eleven.
Lesa, I think it’s wonderful that you can be with your Mom for a couple of weeks. Definitely treasure this time, although I know you do.
I remember last January, reading my horoscope for the new year in the newspaper. When I read the words ‘medical trauma’, I quit reading. For the whole year these two horrible words have been in the background of my mind, tormenting my thoughts. With only two weeks left in the year I figured I was safe but … not so. In the wee hours of Monday morning my heart felt weird so I asked my husband to listen to it. Not two seconds later he said ‘Well that doesn’t sound right.’ Anyway, long story a bit shorter – he called for an ambulance, and in short order there were 3 firefighters and 4 paramedics in our living room, I was being given an ECG while sitting in the chair, abnormal heart rhythm bouncing around between 110 and 200 beats per minute, blood pressure 202 over 100 something, I was taken to hospital by ambulance, where they ‘shocked’ my heart back to normal rhythm, and sent home with blood thinners, and told to follow up with my doctor. Scary stuff but I feel fine now. And I will not be reading my horoscope this coming January!
Only one book read this week:
MURDER AT HOLLY HOUSE by Denzil Meyrick
Set in 1952. Inspector Frank Grasby has bungled a case and is sent off in humiliation to investigate a series of thefts from farms in the small village of Elderby in the north of England. These farms belong to Lord Damnish, who wants the perpetrator(s) brought to justice swiftly. No sooner has the Inspector arrived at Holly House to speak with Lord Damnish, than a body is discovered up the chimney. Things don’t get any easier for the Inspector, as it seems everyone is lying and/or keeping secrets; and just when he gets a theory in his head something happens to turn it all upside down again. Ultimately the case proves to be about much more than mere thefts from farms.
The Christmas-themed cover and the blurb both promised a light, holiday-infused, humorous cozy mystery. I was to be disappointed though, because those were the only Christmassy things to be found.
I’m sorry to say I didn’t really like this book. There was humour but I found the overall tone was one of seeming to try too hard to be witty and clever; after a while it started to grate on me. The inspector made questionable decisions, and just stumbled into situations more than actively trying to solve anything. I couldn’t summon much empathy for him or for any of the depth-less characters, so – for me – the book had great potential but didn’t live up to it.
OMG, Lindy, I’m sorry you had to go through that, and reading that horoscope at the beginning of the year must have been scary and bothersome. I hope 2025 is a better year for all of us. Please take care.
Lindy, i am so sorry for what you suffered and hope you continue feeling better!
Medical Trauma are not good words to read in a horoscope, or maybe we should call it a horrorscope.
Oh no, Lindy! What a horrible scare for you. I do hope you’re feeling better now.
Yikes! Scary, Lindy. Hope you are feeling better now. Take care of yourself.
Take care of yourself . Glad you’re feeling better.
Oh, Lindy! I can’t imagine reading that horoscope, knowing it’s hanging over your head, and then having heart problems. I bet you even thought of that when you were in the chair in your living room.
Take care of yourself. See your doctor. And, don’t read your January horoscope!
Sending hugs!
Oh Lindy! I am so sorry. How scary for you. Hopefully 2025 will be better!
Lindy, stay away from horoscopes! I hope that you are now recovering from your awful experience.
What a frightening experience for you and your husband. I am glad it ended well.
My mystery set at Christmas was full of Christmas, although the protagonist Dave was bah humbug about Christmas, and the overdone music blaring all the time.
It’s been a busy week! Son Nick and I went to the Harris Center twice–last Thursday night for Hadestown (loved it) and Monday night for Girl Named Tom’s Christmas show. They’re the brothers-and-sister trio who won The Voice about 3 years ago, and it’s the second time I’ve seen them in person. They are fabulous! All with wonderful voices, and they all play more than one instrument. They recently toured with Pentatonix. Besides a couple of card games, I
had my first hand rehab appointment this morning, with back therapy to start next Monday. Tomorrow I have a dentist appointment and a pedicure, in addition to Toastmasters. Just finished writing my Christmas cards tonight (late this year) so I’ll have to make a trip to the post office tomorrow. as well. And I haven’t wrapped a thing yet. Oh, and my old Bay Area hair stylist volunteered to stop by my house yesterday when she came up from Salinas with her roommate to visit other friends, and she gave me my first (sorely needed) highlights in two years (she lives 3 hours away). It was wonderful to catch up with her, as she is a friend as well, and so nice not to (yet) have to find a colorist I like locally. And I forgot to mention that my backyard fence collapsed in the face of very high winds last Saturday! The neighbor with whom I share the fence and I have to get it fixed and pay for it–no help from the HOA, of course. And I just finished having someone paint my front fence at the HOA’s direction. Yikes!
So it should come as no surprise that I only finished one book (!) this week, but I’m more than halfway through Louise Penny’s The Grey Wolf and enjoying it. More on that next week.
Lesa, I’ve been afraid to pick up the book you mentioned because I so loved Christmas With the Lords but the author’s next novel, not so much. However, the book I did read this week seems to have a very similar plot. I did see Fredrik Backman’s and Nita Prose’s new books on NetGalley today and requested them, so fingers crossed!
I was attracted to CHRISTMAS EVERY DAY by the title, which turned out to be misleading. But having enjoyed another holiday-themed book by author Beth Moran, I plunged right in and, after a slow start, became fully engaged. Jenny’s twin sister, Zara, is everything Jenny is not–sophisticated, Oxford-educated, beautiful, and nasty, although she is currently (reluctantly) providing a home for her sister. But when Zara’s engagement is announced at a corporate Christmas party–to the man Jenny was expecting to propose to her–Jenny has no option but to leave their mutual employer and move to her deceased grandmother’s cottage in Sherwood Forest. It’s not as if it is her decision to make, as her violent reaction to the announcement has left her without a job, a place to live, or her self-respect. The rest of the story begins with Jenny’s horror at discovering her new home, a virtually unlivable cottage, choked with hoarded items at every turn. Fortunately, she makes a new friend who employs her as a nanny for her five children, including 4-year-old triplets who are unruly, hilarious and lovable. She joins a book club where meetings are filled with fraught conversations and the occasional almost-fistfights. And she embarks on a quest, along with her fellow book club members, to change and enrich her life. It doesn’t hurt that her neighbor, prickly but attractive Mack, seems determined to give her help she hasn’t asked for. I warmed to Jenny as she slowly calmed down and accepted her new situation, and I absolutely loved the character of neighbor Mack. One particularly affecting character is the oldest of her friend/employer’s sons, a talented writer and artist at age 11 who needs a lot of help accepting himself and letting friends into his life So although this “holiday” novel contains few references to Christmas–the corporate party, an over-the-top Christmas-in-July wedding, and the final scenes–the book was a good choice for reading less than 2 weeks before Christmas.
Happy Holidays/Merry Christmas to all of you who celebrate.
I LOVED Christmas With the Knights!!!
So. It is now 1:15 a.m. and I have just finished reading Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman. A very different sort of book from her previous novels. I loved it. It wasn’t love from Page One, but it was definitely love.
I am a huge Laura Lippman fan, love her Tess Monagan novels, and adore France. The cruise Mrs. Blossom is on follows the itinerary of the cruise my husband and I took took last December. I felt like this was my book to love and I was not disappointed.
Description from NetGalley (pub date 6/25)
“Whenever a new Laura Lippman comes out there is reason to celebrate!” –Louise Penny
Highly acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Laura Lippman returns with an irresistible mystery featuring Muriel Blossom, a former private investigator and middle-aged widow whose vacation on a Parisian river cruise turns into a deadly international mystery…that only she can solve.
Mrs. Blossom has a knack for blending into the background, which was an asset during her days assisting private investigator Tess Monaghan. But when she finds a winning lottery ticket in a parking lot, everything changes. She is determined to see the world that she sometimes feels is passing her by.
When Mrs. Blossom booked her cruise through France on the MS Solitaire, she did not expect to meet Allan on her transatlantic flight. He is the first man who’s sparked something inside her since her beloved husband passed.
She also didn’t expect Allan to be found, dead, twenty-four hours later in Paris, a city he wasn’t supposed to be in.
Now Mrs. Blossom doesn’t know who to trust on board the ship, especially when a mystifying man, Danny, keeps popping up around every corner, always present when things go awry. He is convinced that Allan was transporting a stolen piece of art, and Mrs. Blossom knows more than she lets on, regarding both the artifact and Allan’s death.
Mrs. Blossom’s questions only increase as the cruise sails down the Seine. Why does it feel like she is being followed? Who was Allan, and why was he killed? Most alarmingly, why do these mysterious men keep flirting with her?
Margie, i can’t wait to hear what you thought of the new Louise Penny!
Kaye, I can’t wait to read the Laura Lippman. I downloaded it on NetGalley after you mentioned it yesterday. I’m so glad it lived up to your expectations. And, now when I read it, I’ll see you and Donald as fellow passengers on that cruise.
Margie, It’s a busy time of year for everyone, so I don’t feel bad that I haven’t read anything. Especially since you only read one. I love that you have Nick to go to the theater with.
Christmas Every Day seems annoying to me since I don’t like the sisters’ relationship even without reading the book. I’m glad you enjoyed it, though.
Lesa, I am glad you are with your mother and other family at this time of year, and taking it easy (I hope).
Not much new going on here. We are healthy and the weather is mild. I do hope we get some rain in January. We are going out Thursday morning to shop which is why I am putting my comments up early. We are getting groceries in preparation for Glen cooking his Christmas spaghetti, which I love.
During the last week I finished THE UNFORTUNATE ENGLISHMAN by John Lawton, the 2nd book in his Joe Wilderness series. I liked it because it is a spy novel, it has great characters, and the setting is great (London, Russia and Berlin, Germany). It covers mostly the time period in the late 1950s and the early 1960s.
Then I read MOM MEETS HER MAKER by James Yaffe. This is the second book in the Dave & Mom series and it is set at Christmas. Dave is an investigator for the Public Defenders office in a Colorado town and he is good at his job, but often it is really his mom who solves the mystery. Published in 1990. There is a short story book of Dave and Mom’s crime solving which preceded the series; I read it a few years ago.
Glen has just started reading THE EARLY TUDORS AT HOME, 1485-1558 by Elizabeth Burton. The book was published in 1976 and tells about the social life and customs in England during that period. The author wrote a series of books on various periods in England, and Glen has three more of them. They also have lovely illustrations.
He is still reading his short story book, HAUNTERS AT THE HEARTH: Eerie tales for Christmas Nights, but he is close to the end.
I read some of the Dave & Mom mysteries, Tracy. You’re right. I liked them.
Glen’s book sounds good, too. As does his Christmas spaghetti! Merry Christmas!
I’ve been Christmas shopping. I’m almost done. I think I liked it better before Amazon and on-line shopping, though.
This week I read:
The Magdala League: The Maple Street Mystery by Sarah L. Hicks; An Inspirational kids mystery, which isn’t too bad, but nobody talks like a human being.
Booth: A Novel by David M. Robertson; One of the conspirators tells about how he was lured into Booth’s web of delusions. If the whole conspiracy had succeeded, everything would be different.
Framed by RFK Jr.; A True Crime novel by our soon to be Secretary of HHS. Maybe Skakel is innocent, maybe he isn’t, but he took the fall that Ted Kennedy should have taken.
The Mouse That Roared by Leonard Wibberly; Only in the 1960’s.
Sprinkle With Murder by Jenn McKinlay; First entry in the Cupcake series. Mel and Angie have just opened their bakery, and have a crazed competitor. A bridezilla wants 500 cupcakes, And to own the recipes. She is quickly offed, to everyone’s relief. Not bad, but it takes a while to get all the characters introduced and world built.
Knife Edge by JT Sawyer; This guy’s certainly prolific. This is his fourth book this year, I think, could be his fifth. In this one, his usual spec ops guy goes to a small town so he and his friend can take an Easy Rider type motorcycle trip. When he gets into town, the friend is dead, apparently in a car accident. Of course, it wasn’t really an accident, and our boy starts wasting wimps. Not bad for what it is, but I really don’t think you can take out over a dozen people without some legal repercussions, even if they are gangsters.
I read The Mouse that Roared, Glen, probably in the early ’70s.
I totally agree with you that shopping was more fun when it wasn’t online. But, then, we had stores to go to – May Company, a decent Penneys (they’re so trashy now). It was magical when there were real stores.
A lot of characters to introduce in Jenn McKinlay’s first Cupcake book!
And I was in the school play, “The Mouse That Roared” in my senior year of high school! (I had a very small role, but it was fun.)
Lesa, this is a hobby, not a job. So you can take time off and it’s perfectly okay. (And yes, I need to learn that lesson myself. Maybe I should make that my 2025 resolution to take vacations from my blog as well as my real job.)
Speaking of which, I am still working, so I’m not visiting family yet. I’m heading out on Saturday, and boy, do I still have a lot to do. Although I made a good dent in the presents that needed to be wrapped tonight while watching the season finale of Survivor. (Something of a Christmas tradition, depending on how organized I am. I’ll also watch while watching Christmas specials and movies, which I will probably do tomorrow to try to finish up.)
Reading wise, I’m working on the new holiday novella anthology from Kensington. It’s IRISH SODA BREAD MURDER, with stories by Carlene O’Connor, Peggy Ehrhart, and Liz Ireland. Of course, I’m reading it for Liz Ireland’s Mrs. Claus story, but so far, I’ve just read Carlene O’Connor’s title story. It was good, although I feel like it contradicted last year’s novella from her time wise. It definitely didn’t keep it’s own internal timeline consistent. And I’m being nitpicky here, but that is the kind of thing that bugs me. Nothing connected to the mystery (which took place in 24 hours.)
Wow! I must be tired with how much I’m rambling. Time to go to bed.
I appreciate your comment, Mark, about not a job. Thank you! I need to remember that.
I think I brought that collection with me, even though I haven’t picked up a book since I’ve been here. I plan to finish one tonight though. I only have a chapter or two to go.
Thank you! I needed your rambling post. Hugs! Merry Christmas!
Good morning all, not from Aberdeenshire but instead from Whitechapel, London, where we are staying for 3 nights.
Like you Lesa I’ve read almost nothing. And as always I’ve still brought 2 books down with me, AND downloaded films, etc onto my iPad ‘to watch on the train’. And as always what we actually did on the train was play Travel Scrabble and eat all the free food….
We only arrived last night, so haven’t done much yet, though we did walk from King’s Cross station to our hotel (about an hour’s walk) so we saw a good bit of the actual City of London, including part of the original London Wall, and lots of buildings with fabulous Christmas lights and decorations. The pubs were overspilling with people celebrating pre Christmas.
We had dinner at a vegan restaurant – a new experience for us. I had a wonderful Caesar salad with tempeh – something I’d never tried before and it was delicious. And for pudding we shared the most amazing chocolate and salted caramel cake that you’d never have guessed wasn’t made with butter, eggs, or any of the standard cake ingredients.
So no books from me this week, but I do wish everyone a very happy Christmas!
Rosemary, we are overwhelmed with British TV shows here, which is a good thing. Jackie watched (I refused) THE PASSENGER, which she sort of liked, only to find after 6 episodes that there was a cliffhanger ending and it wasn’t renewed. We finished FAT FRIENDS and the latest WHITSTABLE PEARL series, as well as series three of the Bertie Carvel DALGLEISH series. Now have SHERWOOD and SHETLAND and CHELSEA DETECTIVE on deck, and waiting for the final Christmas Special of GAVIN & STACEY.
Rosemary, London sounds delightful this time of year. I’m thinking I should do that some year if I’m still able to travel.
I’m glad I’m not the only one not reading! You make me feel better.
Happy Christmas and hugs, my friend!
I stopped by to wish everyone a Merry Christmas- less than a week away now. Of course, we have a series of storms coming through for the next two weeks, but I have no plans to be out on snowy roads.
I’ve been enjoying a new collection of short stories, CHRISTMAS CRIMES AT THE MYSTERIOUS BOOKSHOP (Otto Penzler).
Merry Christmas, MM! I’m glad you’re tucked in with no place you have to go. Stay safe. And, enjoy that collection. I think I have it someplace, so I’m glad you’re enjoying it.
Lesa, enjoy the time with your family. That’s more important than daily blog posts. We went to the annual festival of trees at out county’s environmental education center this week. It’s the only place I know where you can look at Christmas trees and then go down the hall and see fish, frogs and cockroaches.
This week I read A KNIFE BEFORE CHRISTMAS by Kate Carlisle. Instead of renovating a house, contractor Shannon Hammer and her team are building an old fashioned winter carnival for a local hotel and of course a dead body turns up.
THE RIGHT TO BEAR CHARMS by Denise Swanson, a paranormal mystery featuring witches. I liked it well enough but there’s a story line running through the series which ended on a cliffhanger and I don’t think there will be any more books in the series.
HAUNTING AND HOMICIDE by Ava Burke. Lou Thatcher can see and talk to ghosts. Since she gives ghosts tours in New Orleans her ability comes in handy. Until she trips over the body of a rival tour operator and his ghost asks her to help solve his murder.
Thank you, Sandy! I’m enjoying every moment with my Mom.
It’s hard to believe there’s less than a week now until Christmas. Mom always says, a week from now and it’ll be all over. I don’t want to think that. I enjoy the tree and lights.
Enjoy your books. Merry Christmas!
What am I reading? Funny you should ask. Actually, we got home late Friday night from Scottsdale, and I read nearly half of Michael Connelly’s latest, The Waiting, on my Kindle on the plane. I saw exactly ONE person reading an actual book on the plane, but it’s possible some of the people glued to their phone or tablet screens were reading, though I think most were watching videos or texting. Anyway, I finished the Connelly book since, and it will definitely be on my Favorite Books list (which I will send to you next week – at the moment I have 5 non-fiction books on it and 18 fiction, though I will pare that down). This is a Renee Bsllard book, despite the “Ballard and Bosch” claim on the cover. Harry Bosch does not turn up until after the 20% mark, and he has a role in only one of the three central stories. Or perhaps the “Bosch” can be read to include his daughter Maddie, now an LAPD cop and part of the story too.
The three threads are as follows: 1. Renee Ballard runs the Open/Unsolved Cold Case Squad with a group of volunteers. She is also an avid surfer, often going in the morning before work. One day she returns to her car to find her gun and badge have been stolen, along with other ID. She is desperate to get them back, preferably without the brass finding out, and this is the thread where Harry Bosch helps her out. It may not be totally believable, but it all works out for her.
2. The second, main thread, is the identified DNA for a serial rapist turned killer from 20+ years earlier. There are many twists and turns in trying to identify this guy, and there is one shocking twist you won’t see coming.
3. Elizabeth Short, the famed Black Dahlia. That alone should get your attention, and Maddie Bosch is in the middle of this one.
As always, Connelly’s smooth, seemingly effortless writing, carries you right along. He might well be my favorite current mystery writer. Highly recommended.
Max Allan Collins, Quarry’s Return. I’ve been reading Collins since the late ’70s, with the first Quarry book (BAIT MONEY) being inscribed by the author at the 1983 Bouchercon (the second one in New York). Quarry came home from Vietnam, where he was a sniper, only to find that his wife was having an affair. He killed the guy, then was recruited by The Broker (the alternate title for the book) as a hitman, which he did for many years. Later in life, he discovered a grown daughter he never knew he had, and he is groping towards a relationship with her. In the current (last?) book, Quarry’s Return, the now 70 year old former killer, survives a hit attempt on him (thanks to a deus ex machina), and then must find his missing daughter before she is killed. (She writes true crime books, and the theory is a killer she was writing about might have found out about her.) As usual, Collins makes great use of the Quad Cities Illinois-Iowa setting, and the book moves quickly, as long as you can suspend disbelief.
Crimes of Cymru: Classic Mystery Tales of Wales is the latest British Library collection edited by Martin Edwards, readable as ever, though to my mind not one of his best. I thought the previous one, set in Scotland, was much stronger.
Also reading collections by Lydia Davis and Diane Oliver, plus AGENTS OF TREACHERY: SPY STORIES edited by Otto Penzler. I do have two or three collections in paperback that I will be taking to Florida.
Jackie read Richard Osman’s WE SOLVE MURDERS, which I think she enjoyed more than I did, and is now reading A STRANGER IN TOWN, book six in Kelley Armstrong’s Rockton series.
After a very long wait, Kristin Hannah’s THE WOMEN came in from the library (Kindle edition). Have you ever waited a long time for a book, only to be sorely disappointed when you started to read it? When I read the first chapter of this, I thought, uh oh, here we go again, but I needn’t have worried. From chapter two on, it was what I expected (only 10% read yesterday). In 1966, innocent 20 year old Frankie McGrath is about to become a nurse, one of the three paths most women of the time saw as open to them, the others being teacher or secretary. (Jackie turned down nursing because she couldn’t stand the sight of blood, but she did both the others, and she has often said she was told the same thing about choices then.) But when her beloved older brother goes off to fight in Vietnam, Frankie impulsively decides to join up herself and see him there. Very good so far.
Have a good week everyone, and Merry Christmas to all who celebrate the holiday. We leave for Florida two weeks from tomorrow.
Oh, yes, Jeff. I have waited for a book, and then been disappointed. I’m glad The Women got better for you. And, I’m really happy to hear Connelly’s latest will make your Favorites list. That’s exactly why I wait until almost the end of the year to do mine. There might still be something I love!
Thank you! I’m loving my holiday break with my Mom. And, I bet you’re looking forward to Florida! Sending hugs to you and Jackie!
It certainly won’t make mine. In fact, I was so disappointed in it, I did not bother to review it.
Back in Bern after three weeks away and very happy to be home despite having had a great time in Ecuador! Since we got back, we’ve bought and decorated a Christmas tree and started sending out Christmas cards. Saturday night, it’s my turn to make Christmas dinner for our ten-person Swiss family (next year, it will be my sister-in-law’s turn; my mother-in-law is 89, and she retired from being the Christmas cook ten years ago—good for her!) I’m going untraditional this year and skipping the roast to make a big vegetarian spinach lasagna, salad, and chocolate cake with thick chocolate frosting. That will fill us all up! December 24 evening (the most important part of Christmas in Switzerland), I’ll make another dinner, but only for us two, our son, and my mother-in-law. December 25 will be Christmas breakfast, presents, and a walk (in the snow? We’ll see.)
I’m back to finishing Ann Cleeves’s Vera series–my latest is THE SEAGULL, with two more to go after this. I recently read Lee Goldberg’s CALICO, which I can’t say much about without giving the twist in the plot away–I’ll only write that I enjoyed it a lot. I confess that I’m taking a break from Chris Whitaker’s ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK, in which the two main characters are searching for one or more serial killers of young women (and for the women’s bodies.) It’s well-written, and the characters are odd but intriguing; still, it’s not a book for Christmastime.
Thank you, Kim! One reason I love the blog is everyone’s comments about their own family get togethers, and how they differ. So, Christmas Eve is the most important part of Christmas in Switzerland. I asked my Mom about their Christmas customs when she was a child because her grandparents were German, but she said they didn’t spend Christmas with them. She was the second youngest of seven, so she was home with brothers and sisters for Christmas.
I’m glad you’re home with family for the holidays. Merry Christmas!
That book sounds delightful, Lesa! As does family time and jigsaw puzzles. Don’t feel at all guilty – you deserve some R&R!
I was able to read the latest Stephanie Plum novel by Janet Evanovich this past week. “Now or Never” is #31 in the series and, as usual, was great fun. It has a surprise ending, too!
I also finally received “A Ruse of Shadows” – Lady Sherlock #8, by Sherry Thomas – from the Library. It has been a quite popular hold. Another great adventure with Charlotte Holmes, and Mrs. Watson and Ash. One word of warning is that there are very many storylines going on at once and a good amount of prior knowledge of previous books in the series is necessary to follow all of the various storylines. I do hope there’s another one in the series. The only thing that was lacking for me was a follow up at the end about Moriarty. He seemed to be strangely missing in this installment.
Wishing everyone a happy holiday – enjoy, relax, and hopefully find some time for reading!
Merry Christmas, Mary! Yes, we’re working on a fun Christmas puzzle right now, 1000 pieces, with Santa, puppies and a cat. It’s a fun puzzle.
I used to enjoy the Stephanie Plum books. I’m glad this one was still fun!
Merry Christnas!
I am happy you are with your mom over the holidays, Lesa.
I read two books this week. My favorite was Goodbye Birdie Greenwing by Ericka Waller. Birdie is at loose ends since the deaths of her twin sister and husband. Jane moves to Brighton to try and get a new start from her overbearing mother with her neurodiverse daughter. Ada is a Polish doctor in a new country but missing her family. Their lives all intersect in a truly wonderful story. Found family type stories seem to be my favorite right now.
My second book gave off Downton Abbey’s vibe but was a little darker. The Housekeeper’s Secret by Iona Grey tells the story of Kate Furness who is the housekeeper at remote Coldwell Manor in remote Northern England in 1911 with a past she would rather keep hidden. Jem Ardem arrives and applies as a footman to try to uncover the mysterious disappearance of his younger brother. It also has a dual storyline written in letters from 1916 with Jem in WWI. I nearly gave up at the beginning trying to keep track of all the characters, but I am very glad I finished.
Happy Holidays and Happy Reading!
Thank you, Sharon! I like the sound of both of your books this week. Sooner or later, I’ll get back to books.
Merry Christmas, and hugs, Sharon!
Now reading Spared: A Memoir of Risk and Resolve by Lori Jones. She wrote about growing up while her father had Huntington’s Disease. She describes it like having Parkinson’s, ALS and Alzheimers at all once. It also has some Bi-Polar thrown in. My dad had Bi Polar. Her father has to quit looking for employment so he became the stay at home parent for his two daughters. She has some good memories of him but most of the time is was like walking on eggshells. Her mother worked all night as a key punch operator. He could stand to hear certain noises, smells and so much more. He had constant mood swings, never hurt her but he smashed holes in the walls.
It is taking me longer to read it because I have to pause every now and then. Now I realize that the spouses and children of people with that disease are going through so much. I hope that that there is more care so the family can get breaks. Her childhood was……………
I can see why that book is taking you a while, Carol. I’m sure it’s not easy to read.
Sending hugs!
I am reading Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands. Emily is searching for a lost door to Wendall’s fairy kingdom so that he can challenge his stepmother for the throne. It is a fun read, although between babysitting and preparing for family, not much reading is happening
Take as much time off for the holidays as you would like. Just relax and enjoy the family time. Thanks for all you do here.
Happy Holidays everyone!
Thank you, Jennifer! I do have a review up for tomorrow. We’ll see after that.
Happy Holidays!
Lindy’s story reminded me that I had two “ride to the hospital in the back of an ambulance” experiences too. The last was six years ago (December 9, 2018), where I tripped in the living room, went flying across the room, and crashed into a bookcase. I felt my right elbow and it felt too loose, if you know what I mean, and I told Jackie to call 911. My guess was a dislocation, but it turned out I had broken my shoulder! Amazingly, though, I was lucky that the surgeon said I did NOT need surgery, just several months of physical therapy (so no Florida in 2019).
How horrible Jeff!
Two of my friends have had similar shoulder injuries. One had to have surgery, the other didn’t. Both have recovered well but it took a while. My doctor friend told me that surgeons who operate on shoulders are very highly skilled, and are revered even by other surgeons, because shoulders are such complicated joints.
Oh, Jeff. No Florida, but of course it was a bookcase that took you out. We can joke about that five years later, but it sounds miserable.
I’m heavily into comfort reads right now, so am rereading an old favorite, M.J. Scott’s “Four Arts” series. Greatly enjoy the world she created, with all its magic, intrigue and romance. Have a feeling I will also feel compelled to continue my rereading with her “Daughter of Ravens” series. When I finish with that I will be raiding my TBR pile for C.L. Miller’s The Antique Hunter’s Death In the Red Sea, since I very much enjoyed her Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder.
It’s the perfect time of year, and a perfect year, for comfort reads, Beth. I read The Antique Hunter’s Death in the Read Sea and enjoyed it, so I’m sure you will since you liked the first book.
Merry Christmas, Lesa! I am staying home for Christmas this year so I hope to get lots of reading in. I am currently reading Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray (Arc releases Feb 4) and The Note by Alafair Burke (e-arc releases Jan 7)
Katherine, I hope you have just the kind of holiday you want, with lots of reading. Merry Christmas!
Still reading HEAD CASES by John McMahon.
Read a little bit today, outside, after writing a review of a short story collection. It was low 60s here and sunny so I took advantage of the weather and got outside a bit.
By the way, if you have Amazon Prime, check out the movie, RED ONE. Yes, it bombed at the ballot box after critics trashed it. It is setting movie viewing records at Amazon and for good reason– it is fun. I never was one for holiday movies, and that feeling got way stronger after Sandi passed, but this one worked and was funny and a lot of fun. My son liked it too.
I’m going to watch it after Christmas since I’m awa;y. Thank you for the recommendation, Kevin. I hadn’t heard anyone talk about it, and it does look fun!
We watched Red One Saturday. It was not great but really fun!
I want to thank so many of you who sent me good wishes and cared about what happened to me. Very heartwarming, and I appreciate all of you.
Lindy, Isn’t Thursdays at Lesa’s a wonderful place to be? People do care what happens to people who have become book friends.
Merry Christmas with hugs!
You’re so right Lesa. I sometimes talk to my family about my friends who ‘meet up’ on your blog on Thursdays. I expect they think I’m a sad case 🙂 but I really do feel I know a lot of you now, and Thursday’s blog is one of my happy places. Thank you Lesa for bringing us all together.
Rosemary, I’m so happy that we all found our way to Lesa’s Book Critiques, but especially on Thursdays. I look forward to it every week.