New Year Nuisance (Holiday Cozy Mystery 4), by Tonya Kappes

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In the fourth installment in the Holiday Cozy Mystery series, by Tonya Kappes, New Year's Eve is fast approaching in the festive town of Holiday Junction. Plans are underway for the Sparkle Ball, when holiday cheer is marred with the discovery of the dead body of a local nuisance. Journalist and quirky amateur sleuth, Violet Rhinehammer, sets out to find out what really happened and bring the victim's killer to justice. Violet's best friend, Mae West, is visiting, and while getting to the bottom of the mystery, Violet must keep her identity as the town's Merry Maker a secret. 

I continue to enjoy this spinoff series from Camper and Criminals, by Tonya Kappes. I love how this town celebrates every holiday, all the while still feeling cozy. New Year Nuisance has the added bonus of having Mae West from the original series visit Violet. I have only read a few books in the Camper and Criminals series so far, so I don't know if these two work together in that series to solve crimes. However, I did love their partnership in this installment.

There were plenty of suspects with motives and means for them to consider.  I did feel overwhelmed by the number of suspects and all the twists and turns at times, but on the other hand, it made for a great mystery that I was not able to solve. I also enjoyed the bit of romance that was woven into the story. 

New Year Nuisance is a quick read that's perfect for around the holidays or any time of the year when you're looking for a cozy mystery that's festive and light. Although it's part of a spinoff series, you don't need to read the previous series in order to enjoy the Holiday Cozy Mystery series, although I'm working my way through Camper and Criminals because I enjoy that one as well. 

The fifth one in the Holiday Cozy Mystery series is Chocolate Bunny Betrayal, which is set around Easter. I am planning to read or listen to it in April. In the meantime, I hope to read or listen to some more books in the Camper and Criminals series as well. I enjoy the author's clean and light-hearted writing style.

Sunday Post 97

Hi everyone!

Through Monday, I am linking with the following: 

Reading Reality, who hosts Stacking the Shelves

Readerbuzz, who hosts Sunday Salon

Caffeinated Reviewer, who hosts Sunday Post

The Book Date, who hosts It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

On the above blogs you will be able to see links to the posts from others who are participating in those blog hops, and if you're a blogger, you can join too. 

First, I want to let those who are in California know that you have been in my thoughts and prayers all week and you will continue to be. I just can't imagine what everyone there is going through. Thank you to all the first responders who are doing everything they can to put out out those fires and save lives.

We got the snow I was hoping for on Monday. I was told we got eight inches, but I think it was more like six inches. Still, it was more than we've had in a few years. The main roads were fine by Tuesday morning, as crews worked through the night and in the early morning hours to clear them. On Saturday morning we were again gifted with another fresh coating, this time about three inches. Roads were fine by mid-morning. I don't think we're expecting anymore snow this week, but it will be cold. In other words, January will behave as January should. I don't have anywhere to go this week, so I'll be able to stay cozy at home.

Here is a picture of the snowfall we got on Monday.

As you can see from my lack of posts over the past week, I didn't get anything done blog-wise. This coming week should be better, as I have at least two reviews to post. I did, however, get some reading and listening done. I'm sharing with you another page from my NetGalley Reading Journal. My goal is to read at least one chapter each day. So far, so good. I've been tracking it on this Habit Tracker. It's fun to see the checkmarks accumulate. One of the features of the NetGalley Reading Journal is that pages can be duplicated. So I've duplicated the Habit Tracker a few times. That way I can have enough for every month of the year. It can be used in various ways, but I'm using it for only one habit.

IN THE BOOKS

RECENTLY FINISHED

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I finished listening to New Year Nuisance (Holiday Cozy Mystery 4), written by Tonya Kappes and narrated by Christina Sagnimeni. This is one of the reviews I'm planning to post this week, hopefully on Tuesday. If you have enjoyed other books by Tonya Kappes, I think you'll enjoy this one too.

IN PROGRESS

I'm almost finished reading an eARC of Felines and Felonies (Chatty Cat Mystery 3), by Elle Wren Burke, which  was released in November. My Kindle says I have about an hour left to read, so I'll finish it today or tomorrow and I'll post my review this week, hopefully on Thursday.

I'm still reading a hardcover book called The Puzzler: One Man's Quest to Solve the Most Baffling Puzzles Ever, from Crosswords to Jigsaw to the Meaning of Life, by A. J. Jacobs. It's basically a deep dive into all kinds of puzzles. I've had this book for two years and I finally decided to start reading it. It's especially appropriate for January, which is National Puzzle Month.

UP NEXT

My next audiobook listen will be a suspense, Girl on the Run, by Daryl Wood Gerber. I received an audiobook code from her and I'm so excited to dive into this new-to-me genre. I could have started this already, but I got distracted listening to podcasts and music. I will start this audiobook this week.

My next paperback read will be Vinyl Resting Place (Record Shop Mystery 1), by Olivia Blacke. I've had this book for a while and I'm happy The Cozy Mystery Book Club picked it for January. I should be able to start this one on Monday or Tuesday.

ON THE SCREEN

• Good Witch - I started watching the final season (7). I think I have five more episodes to go, then I'll be done.
• Snow Bride - I'm not usually a fan of deception in Hallmark movies, but this one was so over-the-top funny that I loved it! It's fake dating...and fake so many other things. It's from 2013. There was one form of deception that didn't sit well with me, but otherwise, it's a great comedy. It's light on the Christmas feels, so it's perfect to watch after Christmas, but still in the winter. I actually watched it twice because I knew I missed some things the first time around.
• Snowed Inn Christmas - This is a 2017 Lifetime movie starring Andrew Walker and Joy Lenz. Forced proximity is the main trope, as two co-workers are given an assignment to work on together. This may just be my favorite Christmas movie ever! It was so cozy and it had just the right amount of humor.
• A Carpenter's Christmas - This is a 2024 Lifetime movie where two childhood friends are reunited. I enjoyed it once, but I'm not sure I will watch it again.
• Polar Opposites - The title of this movie is misleading and the way the female lead got on the ship was cringe-worthy, but after that I was able to suspend belief and enjoy it. There are so many over-the-top moments in this movie, but for me, that's what made it so much fun to watch. It was the second movie to air on Hallmark this year in their "Winter Escapes" lineup. This movie made me laugh so much, and in the second half I nearly shed some tears it was so heartwarming.
• The Way Home - I watched S3 E2 on Friday when it first aired. I am loving this season!! As usual, there is so much to ponder. This show is such a great blend of time travel and mystery.

ON THE BLOG

• Sunday Post - 01/05 - Weekly Recap

Have a great week!

Sunday Post 96

Happy New Year!!!

Through Monday, I am linking with the following: 

Reading Reality, who hosts Stacking the Shelves

Readerbuzz, who hosts Sunday Salon

Caffeinated Reviewer, who hosts Sunday Post

The Book Date, who hosts It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

On the above blogs you will be able to see links to the posts from others who are participating in those blog hops, and if you're a blogger, you can join too. 

It's so good to connect with all of you again! I haven't posted much recently because I needed the time to focus on other things. Last summer threw everything off for me and when I finally did get my mojo back, I was feeling overwhelmed with everything I wanted to do. The good news is I kept up my reading in the fall, just not blogging so much. But I'm back and I plan to start blogging and participating in blog hops more consistently again.

I'm going to do things differently this year, as far as challenges go. I will still do the Goodreads goal, which I've once again set at 52 books. And I'm doing the same on StoryGraph. Those are easy enough to track and I think 52 books is a manageable goal for me. However, I won't be participating in the other challenges I did over the past two years. It's easy enough to complete those challenges, but I felt overwhelmed trying to track everything. 

I am using the NetGalley Reading Journal this year. Do any of you use it? I felt intimidated by it last year, but this past December I took the time to learn how to use it. Now that I've (mostly) gotten the hang of it, I'm finding it's really not that hard to use. Best of all, I'm really enjoying it. It's basically a customizable digital diary. I think it will be fun to look back each month and at the end of the year to see all the books I enjoyed. 

Here is an example of one of the pages:

Oh, how cool. I just realized the page matches the color scheme of my blog. LOL. I couldn't plan it that way if I tried. So you can see, I do have goals, but they are not like the challenges I've been participating in. I'd like to add that I have more than five books I'm highly anticipating. I could have easily chosen some others, but I narrowed it down to these five.

In other news, we are expecting a lot of snow on Monday and I couldn't be more excited. It is predicted to be the most snow we've had in three years. My area is in the 6-10 inch range. I've been waiting for a snowfall like what we're expecting. As long as I can stay home (which I will) and I have all of my basic needs (which I do), I love snow. Bring it on!

IN THE BOOKS

I'm not going to share everything I've read over the past few months. I'll just share what I recently finished (in addition to what's in progress and what's up next).

RECENTLY FINISHED

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I read an eARC of The Tell-tale Homicide (Rare Books Mystery 2), by Daphne Silver. I loved the first book in this series, but this second one was even better! You can check out my full review here.

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I also read an eARC of In the Blink of a Pie (Maple Syrup Mystery 3), by Catherine Bruns. This is a rare instance when I skipped the second book in the series and went right to the third one. I enjoyed it and I didn't feel lost at all. You can check out my full review here.

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I was so excited when I received an audiobook code for Mediums and Murder (Prickly Pear Psychic Mystery 1) by Elle Wren Burke. This book, in other formats, has been out for a while and I've been wanting to check it out. You can read my full review here.

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The most recent eARC I read was You Feta Watch Out (Grilled Cheese Mystery 5), by Linda Reilly, and what a festive one it was! You can read my full review here.

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And finally,  I read a short story, by Sarah E. Burr. This was available through her newsletter. It's called 'Tis the Season: A Glenmyre Girls Short Story. It's a prequel to her Glenmyre Whim Mystery series and I loved it! It isn't a mystery, but rather the story of how one of the characters acquired her whim. It's so full of heart and emotions that I could relate to.

IN PROGRESS

My current audiobook listen is New Year Nuisance (Holiday Cozy Mystery 4), written by Tonya Kappes and narrated by Christina Sagnimeni. This is a different narrator than previous installments, so it's taking some getting used, but it's still enjoyable to listen to.

I'm reading an eARC of Felines and Felonies (Chatty Cat Mystery 3), by Elle Wren Burke. This book was released in November, but I'm only now reading it because I received it after I had a few other ARCs lined up, all of which released in the same week! The cat in this series is hilarious. It's turning out to be another fun installment in the series.

I'm also reading a hardcover book called The Puzzler: One Man's Quest to Solve the Most Baffling Puzzles Ever, from Crosswords to Jigsaw to the Meaning of Life. It's basically a deep dive into all kinds of puzzles. I've had this book for two years and I finally decided to start reading it. It's especially appropriate for January, which is National Puzzle Month.

UP NEXT

My next audiobook listen will be a suspense, Girl on the Run, by Daryl Wood Gerber. I received an audiobook code from her and I'm so excited to dive into this new-to-me genre. 

My next paperback read will be Vinyl Resting Place (Record Shop Mystery 1), by Olivia Blacke. I've had this book for a while and I'm happy The Cozy Mystery Book Club picked it for January. 

ON THE SCREEN

• Good Witch - I've already watched all of the full length movies, so over the past couple of months, I've been watching the 40ish minute episodes. I'm almost at the end of season 6, then I have only one more season to go. I think season 4 has been my favorite so far, but I'm enjoying the series overall. I've been watching it on Plex. It has commercials that I can't skip, but the app is free.
• Hitched for the Holidays - This is a Hallmark movie from 2012. I watched it in 2023 for the first time and I loved it so much I watched it again this past week. It covers Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hannukah, and New Year's Eve. This movie is so funny! The fake dating trope usually is.
• Royal New Year's Eve - This was the last movie of 2024 that I watched and of course I had to watch it on New Year's Eve. It's one of the better Hallmark royal movies, of which there are many!
• A Rose for Christmas - This movie covers the Rose Parade, so of course I had to watch it on New Year's Day. It's cute, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would.
• Christmas Ever After - I saw this movie on Lifetime when it was first released in 2020. It stars Ali Stroker, who is a wheelchair user. I had forgotten how funny it was. I love that it has authentic disability representation, but that the plot has nothing to do with her disability. These are the kinds of movies we need more of.
• Love of the Irish - In true January fashion, this first new Hallmark movie of the year was a bit of a snoozefest. It had great potential with the storyline of the mom finding her birth mother, but the plot was so slow. The scenery was stunning (it's set in Ireland), the plot not so much. January is typically a tough month for Hallmark movies.
• The Way Home - Season 3 premiered on The Hallmark Channel on Friday and it's off to a solid start. I'm so excited to see how everything will unfold!

ON THE BLOG

• Sunday Post - 10/27 - Weekly Recap
• ABCs of Golden Gratitude - 11/01-11/26 - Daily Gratitude Posts
• Book  Review - 11/19 - The Tell-Tale Homicide (Rare Books Mystery 2), by Daphne Silver
• Book Review - 12/17 - In the Blink of a Pie (Maple Syrup Mystery 3), by Catherine Bruns
• Book Review - 12/30 - Mediums and Murder (Prickly Pear Psychic Mystery 1), by Elle Wren Burke
• Book Review - 12/31 - You Feta Watch Out (Grilled Cheese Mystery 5), by Linda Reilly

Have a great week!

You Feta Watch Out (Grilled Cheese Mystery 5), by Linda Reilly

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It's Christmastime in Balsam Dell, Vermont, where Carly Hale is the owner of the well-loved Grilled Cheese Eatery. To celebrate the season, she is excited to enjoy a production of A Christmas Carol...until tragedy strikes. When one of the actors is murdered and Carly's best friend is framed, she is determined to find out who the real killer is.

You Feta Watch Out may just be my favorite installment in the Grilled Cheese Mystery series, by Linda Reilly, thus far.  All of the ingredients come together to form the perfect Christmas cozy. What really keeps me coming back to a series is the cast of characters and this one is certainly no exception. I enjoyed spending time with Carly and her team at the Grilled Cheese Eatery. They have such great rapport and it's obvious that they truly care about one another. 

Specific to this installment, I especially enjoyed spending more time with a character I wasn't sure would be there after the previous book. When this character appeared in You Feta Watch Out, you may have actually heard me shout out with glee. I felt like I was seeing one of my friends again for the first time in a while. I'm hoping this isn't the last we'll see of this character. There is another character from previous installments that was mentioned as well. I like that these characters have not been forgotten. There are also some new characters I enjoyed meeting.

Every solid cozy has a strong mystery and that is the case in You Feta Watch Out. Carly's sleuthing in this installment, at times, reminded me of Jessica Fletcher from Murder, She Wrote. There are plenty of suspects to consider, but not too many to overwhelm the reader. There were also lots of twists and turns. I thought I had the culprit narrowed down to two possible suspects, both of which turned out to be wrong. I was surprised when the killer was revealed, but it all made sense. I also really enjoyed the way in which the killer was revealed and I thought Carly's feelings about this character being the culprit were perfect. 

This cozy is well-balanced with some light, witty humor sprinkled throughout the book. It was just the right amount of comic relief in the midst of the mystery. I found myself chuckling at some of the metaphors several times

For fans of culinary cozies, there are two at the end of the book. One of them has a strong holiday twist, that I likely won't try, but I'm certain there are readers out there who will enjoy it. I like the sound of the second one, so I will have to try that one.

I continue to enjoy this series and I'm hoping there will be more. I'm very excited to see how relationships progress, which new grilled cheese recipe will be served at the eatery next, and what Carly's next sleuthing adventure will be.

Thanks to NetGalley and Beyond the Page Publishing for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Mediums and Murder (Prickly Pear Psychic Mystery 1), by Elle Wren Burke

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I have been enjoying the Chatty Cat Mystery Series, by Elle Wren Burke, since the beginning. This is a spinoff series from the Prickly Pear Psychic Mystery series, which, until now, I had not read or listened to. When I was offered a free copy of the audiobook for the first in the series, Mediums and Murder, I did not pass up the opportunity to begin the series that started it all.

Prickly Pear is a small dessert town in Arizona, where Alara resides. She has psychic powers that she uses only when necessary. The need arises when her friend is found murdered, but can Alara keep her powers a secret so that the townspeople don't judge her? Fortunately, her long lost Aunt Irene shows up and reveals she possesses the same psychic powers, so she serves as a a mentor to Alara. While Alara learns more about her psychic powers and how to use them, she attempts to solve her friend's murder.

I really enjoyed getting to know Alara and all of the main characters in this book. The relationship that develops between Alara and her aunt is heart-warming. There is a hint of romance between Alara and another character that just may be a sign that something more will happen in future installments.

I don't typically read warm-weather books in the winter, but I have to say, the contrast was comforting. I have never been to Arizona, so I appreciated getting acquainted with the area through armchair traveling. It definitely made me want to visit Prickly Pear again.

The mystery was solid and I did not figure out who the culprit was until it was revealed. There were moments in the book when Alara was learning about her psychic powers, which took me out of the story a bit. This is always a challenge with a first in series, especially with world-building in a paranormal, so I certainly understand the need for it, however. I like that the reader gets acquainted with Alara's powers at the same time she does when her Aunt Irene is mentoring her. 

I wasn't a fan of some of the language Alara used, but hopefully this will improve in future installments. At least one real-world serious issue is briefly touched upon in this book. Such a serious topic may not be everyone's cup of tea in a cozy, but it didn't overpower the story and it didn't bother me. In fact, it helps us get to know the characters better.

Since I'm a huge fan of the Chatty Cat Mystery series, the spinoff, I am curious to see how the Prickly Pear Psychic series unfolds. I will definitely be coming back for more. I enjoyed the narration by Vanessa Daniels, so I just may continue the series through audio if and when they're available in that format.

Thank you to author, Elle Wren Burke, for providing me with a free code for this audiobook. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

In the Blink of a Pie (Maple Syrup Mystery 3), by Catherine Bruns

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I am celebrating National Maple Syrup Day by sharing with you my review of In the Blink of a Pie (Maple Syrup Mystery 3), by Catherine Bruns.

Thanksgiving is fast approaching in Sugar Ridge, Vermont. Leila Khoury, manager of Sappy Endings Farm, is hosting a pie-baking contest. Unfortunately, after sampling one of the pies, a neighbor drops dead. In an effort to bring the killer to justice and save her farm, Leila is determined to get to the bottom of this mystery even if it means risking her own life.

I requested this ARC on NetGalley a while ago. I didn't think I would be approved because a long time had passed. To my delight, I was approved! I hadn't even begun the series yet, but I knew I wanted to read it. So I read the first one (A Doomful of Sugar, which I enjoyed), then skipped the second one (for now) and finally read In the Blink of a Pie. I'm happy to say, I didn't feel lost at all. Clearly, some things had progressed in the second book, but the author does a good job bringing the reader up to speed in a concise way.

I really enjoyed my visit to Sugar Ridge, just as I did the first time. All of the main characters are delightful, including Toast, the cat. Some of my favorite scenes are when everyone is sharing meals together. It sets a tone of warmth and love. The food descriptions are also delicious. There are some Lebanese dishes that I made notes of and I will surely be researching them.

I wasn't completely sold on how Leila's and Noah's life-changing decision was handled (no spoilers, so I won't say exactly what that decision was), but I felt more at ease when even Noah recognized it might not have been dealt with in the best way. I'm curious to see how next steps will unfold in future installments of the series.

The mystery was fun, especially with all the talk about pies. Although I identified the whodunnit very early in the book, along with the motive, I still enjoyed seeing how Leila and the authorities would finally solve it. I thought the answer was clear, but sometimes when you're in the situation it's difficult to see. So I understand why Leila may not have seen it sooner.

I love how the title was woven into the story. It certainly fits with the mystery. If you're a fan of culinary cozies, you will be happy to find six pie recipes at the end of this installment. I was hoping for more savory recipes, but the theme of this book is all about pie, so the plethora of pie recipes certainly makes sense.

My next step in this series is to go back and read Syrup to No Good, which is set in the spring. Although I know how everything plays out in this third installment, I'm curious to see how it all came together in the second book. After, that, I hope there will be more in the series. It definitely fits the bill for a cozy and I'm here for it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Golden Gratitude - Z is for Zumba

To see an explanation of how Golden Gratitude works, click here. To see a list of all Golden Gratitude posts, click on the label on the right sidebar or click here.

Z is for Zumba. In 2020, my in-person Zumba class ended. So much of my life changed since then that when the class resumed, I didn't go back. Instead, I found a new Zumba instructor who is a wheelchair users and teaches classes virtually.  I've really enjoyed participating in her class over the past couple of years.

This concludes ABC's of Golden Gratitude! Thank you to everyone who participated. May the spirit of gratitude be with all of us year-round. 

Happy Thanksgiving!