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The Yuletide Inn is a cornerstone of Rudolph, New York, offering a nice place to stay and nice restaurant for the many people who come to take part in the Christmas festivities that the town hosts all year long. When the owner has a heart attack just a couple weeks before Christmas, his son Gord comes to town to help run things, but he immediately starts making plans for big changes – changes that could hurt the town. Merry is concerned about what this will do to her own shop, her friends, and family. But when Gord is killed, she has a new concern – find the killer before someone she loves his arrested for the crime.

I was in the mood for a Christmas cozy, and this one delivered in spades. Being set in December certainly helped. The author does a good job of setting up suspects and motives before the murder happens, but I did feel the book stalled out a bit in the middle as events pushed actual investigating to the background. The characters are wonderful and charming once again.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book in hopes I would review it.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/12/book-review-we-wish-you-murderous.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
A State of Freedom
A State of Freedom
Neel Mukherjee | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
A series of interconnecting stories.
I very much like books set in Asia, and in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh in particular. The stories they tell are far from the world that I live in, and I like to think that I'm going to learn something about those worlds and peoples.
This novel follows the lives of multiple people who are all connected in some way (even the first person we meet is connected, albeit in a very tenuous way). The stories are fascinating: from the privileged son of a couple who live in Calcutta who is visiting from London for a month, to the young girl (a child) who is sent to work in other people's houses and is treated like a slave in one of the houses she works in. I won't say any more about the stories of these people, but I loved where their stories led them, no matter how uncomfortable it was for me to read.
The writing is beautifully descriptive: it gave a feel for the sights, sounds and smells of where these people lived. It described the caste/ class system of India, the slums and the places where the better off lived. I really enjoyed this book, it really is well worth reading.
  
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Sharpie0499 (114 KP) rated Speak Your Mind by Anne-Marie in Music

Jul 13, 2018 (Updated Jul 13, 2018)  
Speak Your Mind by Anne-Marie
Speak Your Mind by Anne-Marie
2018 | Pop
Catchy songs (3 more)
Excellent songwriting
Songs are relatable
Remarkable vocals
Only two songs I don't like (0 more)
Impossible To Not Listen To
Since I heard 'Ciao Adios', Anne-Marie had me hooked. I was so excited when I heard about her debut album 'Speak Your Mind'. Since it was released in April, I have not stopped listening to it. The songs are catchy, relatable and I can't help but sing and dance along to them whenever I hear them. Her song-writing skills and vocal abilities are amazing and I think she is one of the best female pop artists at the moment. I would say that she is up there with Ariana Grande and Demi Lovato, whose songs are amazing and vocals are incredible also. The only downside to this album, is that there are a couple of songs I am not such a fan of: 'Can I Get Your Number' and 'Some People'. If I heard them, I would listen to them and maybe even sing along, but I do prefer her other songs and feel that these two are the weakest on the album. Overall, this album is amazing and I don't think I'm going to stop listening to it anytime soon.
  
Two Little Girls In Blue
Two Little Girls In Blue
Mary Higgins Clark | 2018 | Mystery
10
8.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Two Little Girls In Blue By: Mary Higgins Clark
Adult Mystery 322 Pages

This book was not disappointing in keeping you wanting to know what was going on. Another 5 star read for me.

This book is about two twin girls who are kidnapped on the evening of their third birthday. Both parents go out that evening to a black tie event and when they get back the baby sitter is out cold and the girls are gone.
There is a ransom note asking for 8 million dollars. The couple do not have this kind of money. How will they get this kind of money to get their girls back unharmed. The police and FBI are called. Why did the kidnappers chose this family. Who are the kidnappers.
The book tells how events are unfolded and how he girls are talking to each other in what their parents call twin talk. This is very important to know but I won't tell how.
This is a mystery book and I don't want to give too much away. You really should read this book and any other book by her. She does a great job in spinning a tale.
I have read almost all of her books and have never been disappointed.
  
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Tammy (5 KP) rated The Husband's Secret in Books

Aug 16, 2018 (Updated Aug 16, 2018)  
The Husband&#039;s Secret
The Husband's Secret
Liane Moriarty | 2013 | Fiction & Poetry
9
7.7 (31 Ratings)
Book Rating
Strong female characters that are easily relatable in one way or another. I couldn't put this book down and when I did, I found myself thinking about it and unable to concentrate on anything else. (0 more)
Gritty, gripping with a perfect plot
I've read big little lies and knew how Liane Moriarty liked to base the plot around a number of strong female characters that captivate and draw you fully into the story. 'My husband's secret' was no different! This book kept me hooked from start to finish, I literally couldn't put it down at times and spent a couple of nights without much sleep as I kept saying 'one more chapter'. It took me three days to read this spell bounding novel. When I had to function in the real world, I found that I was thinking about what could possibly happen next in the book. I'm not going to give anything Away with 'spoilers' but let's just say that if you like a dark and gritty book full of twists and turns, strong relatable characters with passionate backgrounds, then this is the book for you. I've just started 'truly, madly, guilty' written by Liane Moriarty and I'm hoping it's going to be just as good. I have found a new great author!
  
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ClareR (5950 KP) rated Bottled Goods in Books

Aug 18, 2018 (Updated Aug 18, 2018)  
Bottled Goods
Bottled Goods
Sophie van Llewyn | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry, History & Politics
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Life in Ceausescu’s Romania.
Set in Romania in the 1970’s, this portrays life for Alina and her husband, Liviu, under the Communist Ceausescu regime. Life for them becomes even harder when Alina’s brother in law defects to Germany. Her husband is a head teacher and is transferred to a difficult, failing school and seems to rely heavily on the alcohol that he drinks on the long train journey home. Meanwhile, Alina is harassed by a Secret Service agent, and this becomes very sinister.
The bottled goods of the title could be used as a metaphor for different aspects of this story: the perfumes Alina covets from the West; Liviu’s reliance on alcohol; how the couple (and probably their countrymen) bottle up their emotions and desire to defect; and a final, more fairytale bottling up - which I won’t give away.
This was all presented in the form of flash fiction that joined together to make a whole story. I liked this approach. It made the whole book feel uncomfortable (you never quite get in to the swing or the rhythm of the story), probably how Alina and Liviu felt, constantly under threat of arrest.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Fairlight Books for my copy of this book.
  
This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor
This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor
Adam Kay | 2017 | Biography
10
9.0 (44 Ratings)
Book Rating
MUST READ
After I graduated this summer I was reading just about anything I could due to all my free time and I saw sooooo many people recommending this book so although it’s not what I would normally read I gave it a go. I am SO glad I did, I read it within a couple of hours and I would argue it is my favourite book of the summer! It is incredibly eye opening. As a law graduate I like to think I am relatively clued up about society and although I knew that the medical profession gets no where near the credit they deserve I couldn’t believe how much they are put through! Adam Kay writes such a powerful piece while still being witty and engaging, you almost forget it is a true story! I fully support his message and as soon as I put the book down I was telling everyone I could about it! I would urge everyone to read this book! As a side note (and probably completely irrelevant) I couldn’t believe it when I saw an acknowledgement to one of my closest friends at the end of the book, it’s such a small world!
  
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Sarah (7800 KP) rated Sharp Objects in TV

Aug 29, 2018  
Sharp Objects
Sharp Objects
2018 | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Brilliantly dark and intriguing
It’s rare to find a tv show like this nowadays. I’ve watched the entire series across two evenings, and for me this is definitely not a common occurrence!

I love Amy Adams (and not just because I’m jealous of her hair), she’s a fantastic actress and is brilliant as the haunted and troubled Camille. She’s supported by a great cast and there is a lot of well done character development. Even if Adora is one of the most infuriating characters I’ve seen on screen for some time. The series itself is very dark, covering everything from Camille's past to the current murder and disappearance of the young girls. Everything from the music to the directing and cinematography is perfect for this story, and every episode left me wanting to watch more.

My only criticisms are that the ending was a tiny bit predictable (I’ve probably read too many books, and I haven’t even read this one!), and whilst I enjoyed delving into Camille’s past and family, I found that the story about the two girls wasn’t quite in the forefront after the first couple of episodes. I know the reasons for this, but for me the investigation could’ve been a little more prominent.
  
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Katie (868 KP) Dec 2, 2018 (Updated Dec 2, 2018)

I also thought the plot was predictable, but the character development made up for it.

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Katie (868 KP) Dec 2, 2018

@Dean and there is an after after credits scene of the "woman in white"! I almost missed both of them.

L is for Lawless
L is for Lawless
Sue Grafton | 2009 | Mystery
9
8.0 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
Simple Favor Gets Out of Control
Kinsey is taking a rare week off from her PI business for William and Rosie’s wedding, but before she can get too relaxed, Henry asks her for a small favor. One of their neighbors has recently passed, and his family is having a hard time getting the death benefits from the government since they have no record of this man having been in the service during World War II. Kinsey doesn’t intend to get too involved, but when the man’s place is broken into and searched, she becomes curious. Just what is really happening?

I love it when a book takes off in ways I don’t expect, and that’s just what happened with this one. The plot was great, and even when we have most of the answers, there is still the question of what will happen next to Kinsey to keep the pages turning. It is fun to meet the rest of William and Henry’s family, and the character involved in the mystery are as strong as always. A series thread introduced a couple of books back comes into play here again as well. Fans of the series who have missed this one won’t be disappointed.
  
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Sarah (7800 KP) created a post in Dear Smashbomb....

Sep 9, 2018  
I’ve had a bit of a hard time recently and have discovered that sharing really helps, so bear with me while I share the very shortened version. I found out a couple of weeks ago that my partner of 3 years was seeing someone else behind my back. Needless to say I kicked him out and haven’t heard anything from him since, but the whole thing has just left me shattered. It was a complete shock, something I would never have suspected from him, and I myself was so happy and oblivious, which just makes it worse. I’m so angry and upset and the past few weeks have been a huge struggle.

I think the worst part of it all is the thought of starting all over again. I’m 31 and the thought of starting dating and relationships again terrifies me. All of my friends have or are settling down, this is what I wanted too yet i now feel so alone, like the odd one out. I know i can’t do anything about all this, but it sadly doesn’t make it any easier to deal with.

Not looking for advice, just looking for an outlet and a sympathetic ear!
  
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Ross (3284 KP) Sep 10, 2018

Sorry to hear what you've been through, feel free to vent whenever you need.
I too feel for you - I can't even pluck up the courage to do raids with other people on Pokémon Go, the thought of having to date again fills me with dread. But I'm sure you'll meet the right person when you least expect it.

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Sarah (7800 KP) Sep 10, 2018

Thank you @Ross and @Lee - we definitely do have some fantastic people on here!