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    Suburbia

    Suburbia

    8.0 (9 Ratings) Rate It

    Tabletop Game

    Plan, build, and develop a small town into a major metropolis. Use hex-shaped building tiles to add...

    Rhino Hero

    Rhino Hero

    6.2 (5 Ratings) Rate It

    Tabletop Game

    Super Rhino! presents players with an incredibly heroic – and regrettably heavy – rhinoceros who...

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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2336 KP) rated On Thin Icing in Books

Jan 22, 2022 (Updated Jan 22, 2022)  
On Thin Icing
On Thin Icing
Ellie Alexander | 2015 | Mystery
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Thin on Plot
Jules Capshaw is thrilled to be catering the board retreat for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival at the Lake of the Woods center in the mountains above Ashland, Oregon. However, the weekend doesn’t go nearly as smoothly as Jules hopes. First, her estranged husband shows up, proving to be both a help and a distraction. Then the center’s bar tender is killed and stuffed in a freezer. Now, as a winter storm rages, Jules can’t help but wonder if she is catering to a killer.

Obviously, this is a classic mystery set up, but it failed to fully deliver for me. The mystery was too thin, and the book covers with too many cooking scenes. Still, Jules does piece things together, and the ending is logical. I also appreciated the time spent on Jules’s relationship with her husband since that’s been in the background in the first two books in the series. Obviously, we don’t get all the series regulars, but everyone at least gets a cameo, which makes me happy since I do like them. We get seven recipes at the end, and they range from dinner options to plenty of pastries and desserts. I hope the plot in the next in the series is stronger.
  
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Lindsay (1760 KP) rated Hello! Hometown Heroes in Books

Jan 12, 2022  
Hello! Hometown Heroes
Hello! Hometown Heroes
Toni Armier | 2021 | Children
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
You are looking to introduce your child or children to your hometown heroes in your neighborhood. Well, “Hello! Hometown Heroes” helps to introduce these heroes that could be into your community. These heroes are just ordinary people.

This book is inclusive and represents any child or children; It could be anyone’s neighborhood. The book is a gentle rhyming book. It is suitable for young readers to enjoy and learn to read. The books are ideal for toddlers to hold as the book thickness stands made of a strong board book.

I enjoyed the pictures as they are colorful and enjoyable to look at. This book takes you on a tour of the neighborhood. Meet different heroes throughout the book. You can be heroes to be kind and friendly to your neighbors and say hello. Can your child or children tell you who are heroes in your hometown? Who do you think is a hometown hero in your neighborhood? I believe there are many. Some mentioned in this book are firefighters, teachers, and construction workers. Maybe a librarian is a hometown hero for you or your child. Toddlers can hold and look at this book as well. It is a sturdy book for all children, from toddlers to young readers.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2336 KP) rated Death in a Pale Hue in Books

Jul 20, 2023 (Updated Jul 20, 2023)  
Death in a Pale Hue
Death in a Pale Hue
Susan Van Kirk | 2022 | Mystery
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Unfortunately, This Was a Pale Debut
Jill Madison has returned home to Apple Grove to run the new art center named after her late mother. She is trying to prove herself to the board as she gets it ready to open, but a late night burglary causes issues, especially when the only piece stolen was something of great personal value to Jill. Then the contractors working on the renovation find a skeleton in the basement. When Jill figures out she knew the victim, she steps up her efforts to try to figure out what is going on. Can she do it without putting her job in jeopardy?

This sounded like a fun debut, but unfortunately, it wasn’t as good as I hoped it would be. The book needed another edit to put in more details or make them consistent. I was constantly spending brain power on things like how the art center was supposed to work rather than the mystery. I found the pacing of the mystery uneven and the villain easy to spot. On the other hand, the climax was suspenseful. And I loved the characters. Normally, I’d be looking forward to spending more time with them, but the rest of the weaknesses are giving me pause about continuing the series.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2336 KP) rated Once Upon a Murder in Books

Feb 21, 2024  
Once Upon a Murder
Once Upon a Murder
Samantha Larsen | 2024 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Not as Strong as the First Book
It’s 1784, and spinster Tiffany Woodall is hoping to put the chaos and intrigue of the last few months behind her. However, when she finds a dead body on her way to work at the castle one morning, she knows that isn’t going to happen. When the local bookseller, the man Tiffany loves, is accused of the crime, she can’t help but get involved. Can she figure out what happened?

The first book in this series was one of my favorites of last year. This book wasn’t as good, but it was still enjoyable. As with the first book, the mystery takes a backseat at times. However, here the other storylines weren’t as compelling. This is especially true of the romance. I was glad it wasn’t dragged out too much and I bought it in a way I wouldn’t in other series, but I wasn’t as invested in it. When the murder really kicks in during the second half, I was more fully on board, and I love how that was resolved. Likewise, I still loved all the characters and did enjoy seeing what happened to them. Fans of the first will want to pick this up. If you missed the first, you’ll definitely want to start there.