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Good Riddance
Good Riddance
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Daphne has just inherited her mother's yearbook from the class of 1968 at Pickering High School in New Hampshire. That year her mother was not only the English teacher, but also the yearbook advisor. Mrs. Maritch has gone to every reunion and each year she has added notations to the yearbook to all of the students. Daphne has no need or room for the yearbook in her small New York City apartment, so she puts it in the recycling. A neighbor who is also a budding documentarian finds the yearbook, and is determined to make a movie with her findings. When Daphne finds out a dark secret at the 50th reunion they attend, she will stop at nothing to make sure the yearbook is not made public. With family secrets around each corner, Daphne will try her best to keep her mother's legacy in tact and her father's heart from being broken.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I remember the thrill of getting my yearbook from middle school all through high school and having all of my friends sign it. I don't think that I ever had or even wanted any of my teachers to sign it though. And I've been to one or two of my reunions and I surely didn't go back and makes notes on what everyone is up to now.

This was a quirky story that had quite a few different elements in it. A little bit of romance, some mystery, and an annoying neighbor. Daphne is newly divorced and trying to find her way in New York City. Her apartment is small and there isn't any room for much more than her. She is going to school to be a chocolatier, but that's not really working out. She tries going back to teaching at Montessori school which she did before she was married. But with the contents of the yearbook and rumors about her mother maybe reaching the public Daphne's plate seems to be overflowing. Can she keep her mom's legacy alive and keep herself from going crazy at the same time?
  
MA
Murder at the Makeover
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Kaye twins Georgie and Aleta are invited to what they believe is an impromptu reunion with classmates from high school, but it turns out to be what Georgie calls a makeup Ponzi scheme. She doesn’t want to take part in a makeover using unusual ingredients and wants to high tail it out of there. Unfortunately, an old classmate is found dead in the ladies room and the girls find themselves on the case.

Georgia and Aleta are 60+-year-olds, full of spunk, and can’t resist tasty pastries. They often find themselves in the middle of murder investigations and often find themselves in trouble with Georgie’s ex-husband Stan. Did I mention that he is a homicide detective?

If you like humor, hijinks, cozy mysteries, and fun-loving characters then this book has what you are looking for.
  
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John Berendt recommended In Patagonia in Books (curated)

 
In Patagonia
In Patagonia
(0 Ratings)
Book Favorite

"This is travel writing at its best. As a boy, Chatwin was fascinated by a dried-up piece of skin and hair, said to be from a brontosaurus brought back from Patagonia by a distant cousin and and kept in a glass-fronted cabinet in his grandmother’s dining room. Chatwin’s musings about the brontosaurus eventually led to a trek through Patagonia described in ninety-seven brief chapters filled with sharp observations and crystal-clear prose, gem-like entries in a brilliant diary. The narrative meanders, just as Chatwin did on his journey. Passages describing the stark landscape are juxtaposed with profiles of people encountered, nuggets of historical lore, and the details of rugged overland travel. Readers who insist on a traditional narrative thread might be disappointed, even put off. But for me, Chatwin evokes a serene curiosity that I find ingratiating."

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    Filipino Food Lovers Free

    Filipino Food Lovers Free

    Food & Drink and Lifestyle

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    Delectable recipes from the famous food blog filipino-food-lovers.com by Robert Colinares are now...

Open for Murder
Open for Murder
Mary Angela | 2020 | Mystery
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Opening Weekend Features Murder
Zo Jones is thrilled to have her best friend Beth Everett back in her life. The two were inseparable every summer when Beth would visit her aunt in Spirit Canyon, South Dakota. Beth has inherited the lodge her aunt owned, and, after renovating, she is ready to reopen just in time for summer tourists. However, the first night the lodge is opened, one of the guests is murdered. The victim was a local competitor, and the police begin to look at Beth as their prime suspect. Zo doesn’t believe her friend would do something like this, but can she find the proof?

Zo owns a souvenir shop, and between that and the setting, I had to give this series a try. I loved the setting. The book took a couple of chapters before it introduced us to the victim and suspects, but it picked up from there. I did find some of the motives weak early on, but they got stronger the further into the book we got. Likewise, it takes a bit for the characters to be developed. There is still room for the main characters to grow as the series progresses. We get a recipe for a delicious sounding S’more brownie at the end of the book. If you are open to a new series, this is one to check out.
  
Allie Larkin is back home in Mystic Bay, Connecticut, recuperating from a broken ankle and helping her aunt Gully with her new Lazy Mermaid Lobster Shack. Aunt Gully has only had her business open for a few months, but it’s attracted enough attention to land her a spot as a finalist in the YUM! Network’s lobster roll contest. However, after sampling the first contestant’s entry, the judges start to collapse. Someone poisoned the rolls, but who was the target? And why?

This book opens the morning of the contest, so things get off to a strong start. It does seem to slow down a little in the second quarter, but it picks up again as Allie tries to figure out who the target of the poison was. This added twist was very welcome and helps the book stand out. There is room for the characters to grow as the series progresses, but we get to know several of them well here. The suspects are great at keeping us guessing until the end.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2018/01/book-review-curses-boiled-again-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018)
The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018)
2018 | Fantasy, Horror, Mystery
Could've been so much more
I knew relatively nothing about this film but having been impressed by the recent Goosebumps films (not the new sequel), I had fairly high expectations. Sadly it didn't live up to them.

For me this film seemed to be nothing new. I was bored for the most of this and there were only a few parts that I really enjoyed. A lot of the humour and banter between the characters seemed a little too ott and forced and made me cringe more than it made me smile. The effects were alright and there were some truly creepy scenes, just not enough. Cate Blanchett probably saved this, as even Jack Black couldn't bring back the magic he had with RL Stine. And the evil warlock wasn't particularly scary or threatening, and the whole ending was lacking any sort of menacing terror or suspense.

I also spent the entire film thinking the kid was the one from Room (Jacob Tremblay), and wondering why on earth his acting was so bad. The kid was one of the problems in this, I won't lie and his crying was particularly horrendous. And then when the credits rolled I realised it wasn't him after all...