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Hanging by a Thread

Dorothy Howell

4.0 (1 Ratings) Rate It

Book

From USA Today bestselling author Dorothy Howell, the charming new cozy mystery featuring...

Connected: Discovering Your Inner Guides: A Kid's Guide to Navigating Their Emotions

Seema Desai and James Ballance

9.0 (1 Ratings) Rate It

Book

What if you could... make life easier and more fun? create choices for yourself, even when it...

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2444 KP) rated Love Me or Grieve Me in Books

May 9, 2024

Obituary Error Puts Madison in Danger

It all starts with a mix up in the paper. Addison Nigh, a once famous jazz singer, has died, but a small paper in town mixes it up with Madison Night, and other papers pick up on the error. Naturally, this creates problems for Madison since banks freeze her accounts and clients cancel appointments, or don’t show up at all.

But Madison can’t help but be curious about Addison. As she begins to meet the woman’s friends and family, she stumbles over a dead body. Can Madison figure out what is really going on?

I always love it when an author comes up with a creative premise for a mystery, and this is one of those. It leads to so much happening that it is hard to put down. I couldn’t figure out which thread was important until Madison figured it out at the end. The premise also allows us to see real growth in Madison and her relationship with her boyfriend, which I enjoyed. There are some great comic moments as well. Fans of Doris Day movies will not only recognize the title but also some of the details in Addison’s life, but that’s only a jumping off point. Anyone who enjoys a great mystery will be glad they picked this one up.

Kudos

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2444 KP) rated Claws Out in Books

Sep 17, 2025 (Updated Sep 17, 2025)

Claws Out

Cate Conte | 2025 | Mystery

7.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Taking the Cafe on the Road for a Cat Lit Fest

Maddie James and her family and friends are taking their cat cafe on the road thanks for a giant food truck donation. They are heading off island to Provincetown to a literary festival that focuses on cats in fiction. But Maddie keeps hearing things that show not all is well behind the scenes. On the second morning, one of the headlining authors is found murdered. Who killed her?

I love how the author came up with such a creative way to take the cat cafe on the road. The murder took a bit of time to happen, but there was enough set up I didn’t find my interest waning. Maddie seemed to abandon her responsibilities a bit more than normal to investigate, but we got some good twists along the way to a logical if rushed climax. I was bothered by a couple needless misandrist comments that were irrelevant to the story. There were also a couple of glitches that I couldn’t tell if were poor editing or unclear writing. I appreciated how many series regulars we got, although one subplot with them wasn’t developed as well as it felt like it should have been. While there were lots of small things that annoyed, overall, I did enjoy this entry in the series.

Kudos

Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) in Movies

Mar 5, 2020

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

1937 | Animation, Classics, Family

7.8

(68 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

Start-to-Finish Entertainment!

Princess Snow White finds herself on the run from her evil stepmother the Queen when the Queen finds out that Snow White is the prettiest girl in the land. First released in 1937, I’ve gotta say this movie still holds up today! Snow holds it down as the first Disney princess to grace the big screen.

Acting: 10

Beginning: 10
There’s some serious conflict going down in the castle and we come to learn that within the first ten minutes. The Queen is a real threat and we immediately come to worry about innocent Snow White who just wants to sing and be merry all day. I was immediately whisked away to this other place and time and I was excited for the journey.

Characters: 10
Still some of the best characters in film history. Having seven dwarfs with different personalities was genius! Sleepy was my dude! And there’s just something about Snow that really captivates me. She has a pure soul that inspires everyone around her, even the animals.

Cinematography/Visuals: 10

Conflict: 8

Entertainment Value: 9
Between the dwarfs, the fun musical numbers, and that cackling Queen, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs kept me entertained from start to finish. Disney is a victim of its own success, however, as there are other animated movies I felt entertained me a wee bit more. That being said, this is a movie that could still capture and hold a kid’s attention today.

Memorability: 8

Pace: 10
Gets off to a pretty quick start and holds your attention from there. Even the songs aren’t wasted as they segment into the next important plot piece. The movie is a perfect example of rising conflict, then bringing the audience down for just long enough before hitting them again.

Plot: 8
My gripe with the movie’s plot is pretty small, but just enough to annoy me. I felt like the Queen went through A LOT of trouble just to turn into that witch only to give Snow an apple. At that point, if you want to kill her so bad, just make it happen right then! Classic case of a movie overthinking things and trying to be creative for the sake of being creative. Again, it’s small but too noticeable not to bring up.

Resolution: 10

Overall: 93
It always impresses me when classic films hold up today. I can imagine some of the older crowd might be offended by that just as if I might be offended if some young punk in 2035 is watching Jurassic Park and says, “Wow, this film is still solid to this day!” I get it, but I can’t help but admire a movie that is (as of this writing) eighty-three years old! Bananas. Disney came out of the gates swinging and hasn’t looked back since.