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Plain Like Vanilla: An American Tale
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Plain Like Vanilla is a gripping tale of murder, betrayal, and awakening. Charlottesville,...
Mystery
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2540 KP) rated Sugar Plum Poisoned in Books
Oct 12, 2023
Christmas Concert Caper
Angie Harper is thrilled that her friend, singer Shelby Vaughn, is in town for a couple of weeks doing Christmas concerts, and Mel DeLaura quickly warms up to Shelby as well. The duo are providing cupcakes for the VIP concert goers, so Mel and Angie get a firsthand view of the drama swirling around Shelby. But then Mel finds a dead body backstage after the opening night concert. Can she figure out what is going on?
This is another fun entry in the series. The plot did a good job of setting things up, so when the murder happens, we are off and running. I did find a couple of minor things got dropped and the ending was a bit rushed, but neither is a big deal since things are wrapped up. Plus, we get to spend more time with Mel, Angie, and the gang, which is always a delight. Since the series is set in Arizona, we don't get a traditional cold, snowy Christmas, but we still get a very funny subplot for the holiday. And we get recipes for five Christmas themed, drool worthy cupcakes. Fans new and old will gobble this book down as quickly as they can.
This is another fun entry in the series. The plot did a good job of setting things up, so when the murder happens, we are off and running. I did find a couple of minor things got dropped and the ending was a bit rushed, but neither is a big deal since things are wrapped up. Plus, we get to spend more time with Mel, Angie, and the gang, which is always a delight. Since the series is set in Arizona, we don't get a traditional cold, snowy Christmas, but we still get a very funny subplot for the holiday. And we get recipes for five Christmas themed, drool worthy cupcakes. Fans new and old will gobble this book down as quickly as they can.
Incredulous Moshoeshoe and the Lightning Bird
Book
Nelson Mandela is about to die. Again. Leftist militants and white nationalists prepare for war...
horror urban fantasy thriller bookbuzz gothic
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2540 KP) rated Pretty Lentil Liars in Books
Oct 9, 2024
Can Jackie Find the Truth in a Town of Liars
Jackie Norwood has landed in Holland, Washington, for their lentil festival. It quickly becomes evident that the organizer has exaggerated how big the crowds will be, but Jackie wonders what else the organizer is hiding after she receives a note claiming the organizer is a constant liar. Then she hears about the teen who vanished on prom night twelve years ago. Can Jackie find the truth about what happened that night?
I was thrilled to be back in Jackie’s presence for this book. The set up was fun, and I quickly got caught up in the story. I thought I had the villain pegged early on, but I turned out to be wrong. Still, everything made sense when I was done. The characters are great, new and old alike. One of the supporting characters gets a chance to shine, and I liked the growth we saw for Jackie. We also get some humor, including puns, which I enjoyed. There are 10 recipes at the end featuring lentils, from the traditional soups to the more creative. If you are looking for a great book that is a fast read, you’ll be glad you picked up this book.
I was thrilled to be back in Jackie’s presence for this book. The set up was fun, and I quickly got caught up in the story. I thought I had the villain pegged early on, but I turned out to be wrong. Still, everything made sense when I was done. The characters are great, new and old alike. One of the supporting characters gets a chance to shine, and I liked the growth we saw for Jackie. We also get some humor, including puns, which I enjoyed. There are 10 recipes at the end featuring lentils, from the traditional soups to the more creative. If you are looking for a great book that is a fast read, you’ll be glad you picked up this book.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2540 KP) rated Too Much Stuff in Books
Feb 4, 2026
Will Skip and James Find the Key to Gold?
Skip More and James Lessor are about to get their second client for their PI business thanks to Skip’s girlfriend, Em. The client claims to be the great granddaughter of a man who was in possession of a shipment of gold in 1935 right before a hurricane slammed into the Florida Keys. In the resulting chaos, the gold was lost. Even if the client is telling the truth, can the duo find it? Oh, and there’s the small matter that the last PIs hired to find the gold vanished six months ago.
I’ve been determined to finish this series since it’s been on my radar for a while. Turns out, I really enjoyed this one. The plot isn’t a traditional mystery. While a couple of side stories could have been better developed, it all holds together well. I also appreciated that Skip and James weren’t as dumb and immature as the previous book. That’s still part of their characters, but it was more balanced with their deductions on this case. And I also liked Em’s dynamic with the two. Finally, the language was toned downs. If this holds true going forward, I’ll enjoy the rest of the series.
I’ve been determined to finish this series since it’s been on my radar for a while. Turns out, I really enjoyed this one. The plot isn’t a traditional mystery. While a couple of side stories could have been better developed, it all holds together well. I also appreciated that Skip and James weren’t as dumb and immature as the previous book. That’s still part of their characters, but it was more balanced with their deductions on this case. And I also liked Em’s dynamic with the two. Finally, the language was toned downs. If this holds true going forward, I’ll enjoy the rest of the series.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2540 KP) rated The Last Line in Books
Aug 16, 2025 (Updated Aug 16, 2025)
Murder in a Teacup…Live on Stage!
The latest production at the theater Ellie Marlow owns is Murder in a Teacup. Unfortunately, the lead is Reginald Thornton IV, who seems to be going out of his way to alienate everyone. His character is supposed to die as part of the play, but opening night, he really dies. While the state detectives are quick to judge it natural, something doesn’t sit right with Ellie. Can she figure out what happened?
I picked this book up expecting a cozy, but it quickly became evident this is a bit more of a traditional than a lighter cozy. As long as you know this going in, you should be fine. The mystery is good, and I was fooled until the end. Ellie has Tourette’s, something that overwhelms at times and proves to be a distraction. On the whole, I did love her character and the co-lead as well, as well as how their marriages were shown. The story is told from several points of view, but at times, we have some head hopping. This feels like a standalone instead of a series opener, but if we get a sequel, I’d be interested in revisiting the characters.
I picked this book up expecting a cozy, but it quickly became evident this is a bit more of a traditional than a lighter cozy. As long as you know this going in, you should be fine. The mystery is good, and I was fooled until the end. Ellie has Tourette’s, something that overwhelms at times and proves to be a distraction. On the whole, I did love her character and the co-lead as well, as well as how their marriages were shown. The story is told from several points of view, but at times, we have some head hopping. This feels like a standalone instead of a series opener, but if we get a sequel, I’d be interested in revisiting the characters.
David McK (3773 KP) rated War Machine (2026) in Movies
Apr 26, 2026 (Updated Apr 26, 2026)
I've never seen Jack Reacher.
Which might sound as a strange thing to be saying about this 2026 Netflix action adventure movie, but there is a reason: namely, that it derives a lot of its selling power from the fact that the star of the Jack Reacher TV series (so not Tom Cruise) is the main lead in this.
In what is, effectively, a movie that very-much-s stick to the traditional three act structure: intro, and boot-camp training (with breadcrumbs dropped for future payoff), main body where the star and his colleagues - initially believing themselves still to be on a training mission - are hunted through the woods by the War Machine of the title (that looks a bit like a grown up ED-209 from Robocop), and a final confrontation between the star and his enemy where he uses his smarts to finally defeat said War Machine.
No clue is ever given as to why these alien machines as susceptible to earth-based physics, or why they are even attacking ...
Still, if you can put that aside and prepare yourself in advance for a bit of Jingoistic ra-ra-America, it's an enjoyable enough ride.
Which might sound as a strange thing to be saying about this 2026 Netflix action adventure movie, but there is a reason: namely, that it derives a lot of its selling power from the fact that the star of the Jack Reacher TV series (so not Tom Cruise) is the main lead in this.
In what is, effectively, a movie that very-much-s stick to the traditional three act structure: intro, and boot-camp training (with breadcrumbs dropped for future payoff), main body where the star and his colleagues - initially believing themselves still to be on a training mission - are hunted through the woods by the War Machine of the title (that looks a bit like a grown up ED-209 from Robocop), and a final confrontation between the star and his enemy where he uses his smarts to finally defeat said War Machine.
No clue is ever given as to why these alien machines as susceptible to earth-based physics, or why they are even attacking ...
Still, if you can put that aside and prepare yourself in advance for a bit of Jingoistic ra-ra-America, it's an enjoyable enough ride.
Merissa (13958 KP) rated Fangs & Freaks (Shifters of Myth and Legends #1) in Books
Apr 2, 2025
FANGS & FREAKS is the first book in the Shifters of Myth and Legends series and features Bloody Mary. Bellonna was wrongly accused of being a witch by her so-called best friend, pressed and burnt. At the last moment, she calls on Lilith to help and spends the next three hundred or so years becoming Bloody Mary.
Varys is a unicorn who was kidnapped. Blackwell is the psycho boy, and Warrick is his brother and president of the MC. These four cause chaos and wreak mayhem on pretty much every page and I am here for it.
It is a dark read with TWs, so take note! It is fast-paced and with plenty of bl00d and s3x, although only one scene with the four of them together. Although not a traditional one, our guys do get a HEA.
This was a great read that I definitely recommend and I look forward to reading more in this series.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Apr 1, 2025
Varys is a unicorn who was kidnapped. Blackwell is the psycho boy, and Warrick is his brother and president of the MC. These four cause chaos and wreak mayhem on pretty much every page and I am here for it.
It is a dark read with TWs, so take note! It is fast-paced and with plenty of bl00d and s3x, although only one scene with the four of them together. Although not a traditional one, our guys do get a HEA.
This was a great read that I definitely recommend and I look forward to reading more in this series.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Apr 1, 2025
AirStrip - Cardiology
Medical
App
*** NOTE: Requires iOS 7.0 or higher *** IMPORTANT: AirStrip Cardiology is intended for use by...
Lee (2222 KP) rated Joker (2019) in Movies
Oct 6, 2019 (Updated Oct 6, 2019)
Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is a down on his luck loner, currently taking seven different kinds of medication and living with his frail old mother (Frances Conroe). Arthur fantasises about living a ‘normal’ life, with hopes of becoming a stand up comedian and dating his next door neighbour, and the lines between reality and fantasy begin to become just as blurred for us during the movie as they do within Arthur’s mind.
We’re in Gotham City during the early eighties. A garbage strike means that the city is currently suffering from a build up of garbage on the streets and the subsequent arrival of ‘super rats’. The rich are getting richer, the poor and the underprivileged even more so. And, at the forefront of all the wealth and power in the city is Thomas Wayne, who is currently looking to run for mayor. There is growing divide and unrest throughout Gotham, all of which serves to add fuel to the increasingly unstable mind of Arthur Fleck.
We’ve had our fair share of Joker portrayals over the decades, the most memorable of which being in 2008, and Heath Ledger’s brilliant take on the character in The Dark Knight. But Joaquin Phoenix brings a side to the Joker we’ve not experienced before - all skin and bone, abused, downtrodden, ridiculed and with a neurological condition that sees him suddenly laughing maniacally and uncontrollably, even during times of stress or sadness. Throughout the movie, we learn that Arthur also had a pretty unpleasant childhood and, for a while, you really can sympathise with him and the suffering he experiences. “I just don’t want to feel so bad any more” he says at one point.
Joker features no CGI, no costumed antics (other than the clowned kind), or any of the traditional comic book movie themes that we’re now so used to seeing. Instead, Joker treats us to something of a slow-burn character study, one mans slow descent into madness, and the birth of one of the most iconic villains of all time. Joaquin Phoenix is incredible in the role, supported by an outstanding cast, including Robert De Niro as a late night talk show host idolised by Arthur and Zazie Beets as the neighbour Arthur becomes obsessed with.
Joker isn’t exactly enjoyable in the traditional sense, uncomfortable at times and a brutally honest depiction of extreme mental health issues. But it’s beautifully shot, subtly weaving itself into the familiar DC universe while remaining unique and original. I was gripped from start to finish and I just hope that the upcoming Robert Pattison incarnation of The Batman fits into the universe and style that has been introduced here within Joker.
We’re in Gotham City during the early eighties. A garbage strike means that the city is currently suffering from a build up of garbage on the streets and the subsequent arrival of ‘super rats’. The rich are getting richer, the poor and the underprivileged even more so. And, at the forefront of all the wealth and power in the city is Thomas Wayne, who is currently looking to run for mayor. There is growing divide and unrest throughout Gotham, all of which serves to add fuel to the increasingly unstable mind of Arthur Fleck.
We’ve had our fair share of Joker portrayals over the decades, the most memorable of which being in 2008, and Heath Ledger’s brilliant take on the character in The Dark Knight. But Joaquin Phoenix brings a side to the Joker we’ve not experienced before - all skin and bone, abused, downtrodden, ridiculed and with a neurological condition that sees him suddenly laughing maniacally and uncontrollably, even during times of stress or sadness. Throughout the movie, we learn that Arthur also had a pretty unpleasant childhood and, for a while, you really can sympathise with him and the suffering he experiences. “I just don’t want to feel so bad any more” he says at one point.
Joker features no CGI, no costumed antics (other than the clowned kind), or any of the traditional comic book movie themes that we’re now so used to seeing. Instead, Joker treats us to something of a slow-burn character study, one mans slow descent into madness, and the birth of one of the most iconic villains of all time. Joaquin Phoenix is incredible in the role, supported by an outstanding cast, including Robert De Niro as a late night talk show host idolised by Arthur and Zazie Beets as the neighbour Arthur becomes obsessed with.
Joker isn’t exactly enjoyable in the traditional sense, uncomfortable at times and a brutally honest depiction of extreme mental health issues. But it’s beautifully shot, subtly weaving itself into the familiar DC universe while remaining unique and original. I was gripped from start to finish and I just hope that the upcoming Robert Pattison incarnation of The Batman fits into the universe and style that has been introduced here within Joker.