Sunday Post 127

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?

Happy February, friends!

We had a very windy day here today, along with daytime wind chills no higher than 5 degrees! The grocery shopping was done yesterday, so I had no place to go today. My main concern is always the risk of losing electricity due to high winds, but I think we're almost in the clear. It's still a bit windy as I write this on Saturday evening, but it's not nearly as bad as it was earlier. Sunday is expected to be cold again, but without the winds it might feel downright balmy!

Are you watching the Olympics? I decided to temporarily subscribe to Peacock so I can watch it. I enjoy the Winter Games more than the Summer Games. I watched part of the Opening Ceremony, but turned it off sometime during the Parade of Athletes. I thought the  performances before that were good. I'll watch some of the events. When the Olympics are over I will keep Peacock for a few more weeks so I can also watch the Paralympics.

Will you be watching the Super Bowl? Since both of my home teams are out, I am not interested in the game. The halftime show doesn't really interest me either and I can catch the commercials later. The highlights anyway. I will be getting together with my family for dinner, then heading home at halftime.

Because of the snow and ice we had last Sunday, I canceled a couple of appointments last week and switched to virtual for another one. This week I have a few in-person appointments, so I'll be getting out and about more. We're expecting a warm-up, possibly into the 50s this upcoming week, so I may need to break out the summer wardrobe!!

Last week I shared my January wrap-up. Today I share my February Check-In so far:

I'm happy to say my NetGalley ratio has already increased since I filled out the top section on February 1st. We'll see how long that trend continues. Also, this year I have apparently been reading and listening to a lot of books with blue covers and books beginning with M. No big deal. Just an observation.

IN THE BOOKS

RECENTLY FINISHED

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I finished the ARC of Moonlight Murder (Detective Aunty Investigates 2), by Uzma Jalaluddin. Apart from the swearing and one other thing, I really enjoyed this book. You can read some excerpts here and my full review here.

IN PROGRESS

Week 7 in The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year, written by Margaret Renkl and illustrated by Billy Renkl, was about discovering the beauty of winter and recognizing that everything eventually will renew in the spring. I've always been a fan of winter. I love observing the bare branches and the barks of trees. I also love snow and how peaceful it can be.

I'm enjoying The Tell-Fang Heart (Vampire Boutique Mystery 2), by Elle Wren Burke. This one is even better than the first one in the series, A Fang to Remember. The Tell-Fang Heart is set around Valentine's Day and the book really leans into this. Auther Elle Wren Burke is a wheelchair user and her main character has the same disability she does. It's good to see authentic disability representation in a cozy.

I have about one hour left to listen in Sleep in Heavenly Pizza (Deep Dish Mystery 4), written by Mindy Quigley and narrated by Holly Adams. Although it is set around Christmas and Hanukkah, there aren't a lot of holiday feels. It definitely feels like a winter book, though, so it fits well into the current season. The third one, Public Anchovy #1, is a tough act to follow, but I'm enjoying this one too.

UP NEXT

My next audiobook listen was originally titled The Valentine Two-Step when it was first published in 2002, but it is now called Star Valley Winter. I have listened to RaeAnne Thayne's romances before and I really enjoyed them, so I'm looking forward to this one that is set around Valentine's Day.

My next read will be At Death's Dough (Deep Dish Mystery 5), by Mindy Quigley. I won this book in a giveaway last year and I'm excited to finally dive into to it. It's a cozy mystery set around Valentine's Day. I may cry when I finish it because it is currently the last one in the series and I believe it is complete (but I hope I'm wrong).

ON THE SCREEN

• The Traitors - I have been wanting to watch this show ever since it premiered, but I couldn't justify paying for a subscription to a streaming service just to watch one show. Now that the show is four seasons in and I'm watching the Olympics, I can justify binging it on Peacock. I'm starting with season 1 and working my way through all the episodes. I love that I don't have to wait a week to watch each episode because they all end on cliffhangers. I've been watching the beginning of the next one as soon as I finish each episode. (Streaming and the ability to binge watch shows has really spoiled me.) I'm not usually a fan of reality television anymore, but I'm drawn to the murder mystery aspect of this one. (NO SPOILERS, PLEASE!)
• Psych - I already binged this series when it aired in reruns on Hallmark Mystery, but since I have Peacock for a while, I've decided to re-watch my favorite episodes. I started with the one where Gus pretends to be a DJ. I think that one is hilarious!! I really need to watch The West Wing because I love Dulé Hill as an actor. My library has it on DVD, so maybe I'll borrow it after the Paralympics are over in March.
• The Brady Bunch - I grew up watching this show in reruns and I've seen every episode multiple times. It's the ultimate comfort show for me. I had planned on binging the series again, but I might have to put it on hold until after the Paralympics are over. So far I've re-watched the first few episodes. I'm also listening to a rewatch podcast hosted by the actors who played Greg and Peter, Barry Williams and Christopher Knight. It's called "The Real Brady Bros".
• The Golden Girls - As odd as it may sound, I've been watching this show while I exercise on my hand cycle. I have about five more episodes left in season 1. After that, I plan to listen to the audiobook cozy mystery based on the characters - Murder by Cheesecake, by Rachel Ekstrom Courage.
• 12 Gifts of Christmas - This is a 2015 Hallmark movie that I watched for the first time. I really enjoyed it.
• Missing the Boat - This is the last movie in Hallmark's 2026 Winter Escape lineup and it's my favorite of the five new ones. (I still miss the non-holiday winter movies, though!)
• An Alpine Holiday - This was part of the Countdown to Christmas lineup last year on Hallmark. It isn't really a Christmas movie, which was why I saved it for after the holiday season. My expectations were probably too high. I thought it was good, but not as good as I expected. The scenery was great, but the execution of the plot was just okay to me. I think it had potential to be better, perhaps with stronger writing. It was filmed in France, which was fun to see.

ON THE BLOG

• Sunday Post - 01/25 - Weekly Recap
• Book Review - 02/05 - Moonlight Murder (Detective Aunty Investigates 2), Uzma Jalaluddin
• Friday Features - 02/06 - Bookish response, Excerpts, Feline Friday, and Nature Pic
• Puzzle - 02/07 - Valentine Hearts

Have a great week!

Puzzle 127 - Valentine Hearts

Happy Valentine Week!

This puzzle took me 1:33  using 24 non-rotating pieces.

Your turn!

Friday Features 29

Happy Friday!

Today I'm once again participating in six blog hops.  You can click on the host links below to find the blogs of others who are participating in each blog hop. If you're a blogger, feel free to join through the host links.

BOOK BLOGGER HOP, hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer

Question: What drives you to read?

My response:  Connection. I was not an avid reader until about five years ago when I discovered cozy mysteries. Sure, I love a well-told story and everything cozy mysteries have to offer, but I am also driven by how connected I have become to the community - both fictional and in real life. I am a huge fan of cozy mysteries that have a strong sense of community, and that same kind of community can be found with the authors who write them and the readers who read them. I love being able to share this love with the cozy mystery community. I do sometimes read other genres and I love connecting with readers in general, but cozies have my whole heart.

FIRST LINE FRIDAY, hosted by Reading is My Superpower

FRIDAY 56, hosted by My Head is Full of Books

BOOK BEGINNINGS, hosted by Rose City Reader

Today's excerpts are from the eARC Kindle format of Moonlight Murder (Detective Aunty Investigates 2), by Uzma Jalaluddin.

Here's the beginning:

Every action is judged by intention, and every person will gain what they intended. The words floated up to him now, a half-lucid thought as he struggled to open his eyes.

And here's an excerpt from 56%:

    "When I visited your house, I heard you say, 'We should have stayed. Why did we leave him alone?" She watched Reza carefully as she recited his words back to him and watched as his face drained of color."

This book doesn't release in the U.S. until May 5th, but I already finished reading the ARC. I posted my review, which you can read here. (Spoiler Alert: I really enjoyed it!)

FELINE FRIDAY, hosted my messymimi's meanderings

Bell is super excited she gets the spotlight (and the Snuggie) today! 

NATURE FRIDAY, hosted by Living the LLB Life

This is one of my favorite spots to pause on my walks. I love seeing how the view changes through the seasons. I'm not sure if you can see it clearly, but the pond is in the distance. With temperatures below freezing even during the day for nine days straight after the storm, the pond was frozen. It might have started to thaw over the last day or so, but not much. After bitterly cold temperatures are expected this weekend, we are due for a warm-up next week.

Moonlight Murder (Detective Aunty Investigates 2), by Uzma Jalaluddin

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After I read the first book in Uzma Jalaluddin's Detective Aunty series last year, I knew I had the read the next one. I was ecstatic when I received an ARC. I'm pleased to say, Moonlight Murder is even stronger than its predecessor.

Kausar Khan has moved back to Toronto to be with her family. She did not expect to be wrapped up in another investigation involving a suspicious death, but when the teen victim is a friend of her granddaughter's, Kausar feels compelled to get to the bottom of this mystery. 

While investigating the death of her granddaughter's friend, Kausar is lead back to the circumstances around the death of her own son almost two decades earlier. Can she help her granddaughter find closure after the death of her friend and can Kausar finally get closure on the death of her own son, all while navigating a complex relationship with her daughter?

This is a solid entry into what I hope becomes the long-running Detective Aunty Investigates series. What I loved most was that the two mysteries in this one were both strong. The author successfully makes this a cohesive story. There are lots of twists and turns, with several suspects to consider. The reader is also left wondering how the two deaths are connected, if they are connected at all. I had some ideas about the whodunnits, but in the end I was surprised. The events leading up to the big reveals were suspenseful and engaging. Everything came to a logical conclusion when all was revealed.

I love the characters in this series. Kausar and her daughter Sana have a strained relationship, but it's clear that they really do love each other. They have both experienced a great deal of emotional pain over the years and it sometimes shows in their interactions with each other. Kausar is grounded and wise, though. She often says things that make me stop and reflect on my own experiences. There are a few life lessons in this book, but none of it felt too preachy. This is all well-balanced with light-heartedness and occasional humor. Kausar's long distance friend also provides some emotional support and helps keep her grounded.

If you like a bit of romance in your cozies, you'll be pleased to know there is some in this book. It's definitely a slow burn, as I believe it should be. Relationships take time to develop, especially after all the trauma Kausar Khan and her family have faced over the years. The subject of grief (and more) is handled beautifully.

Kausar Khan, her family, and many of the other main characters in this series are Muslim. As someone who is myself a Muslim, I felt seen. I could relate to so much of what I read in this book. Readers who are not familiar with Kausar Khan's culture likely won't feel overwhelmed. Uzma Jalaluddin presents it in a way that is easy to understand.

There are two things, however, that convinced me to give this four instead of five stars. First, and most notable, was the sprinkling of cursing. I was surprised to see it so much in this book because I don't remember any swearing at all in the first book. The first time I read a swear word in this book, I actually laughed out loud because I genuinely thought it was well-placed despite my not being a fan of swear words. However, it continued to happen and such language quickly felt out of place. I would have enjoyed the book more without the cursing. 

The second thing was I didn't understand why Kausar kept things under wraps when she knew more than her family did. I won't spoil it by telling you what the secret was. It just didn't make sense to me why she couldn't be more open about it. Other than these two things, this is a near perfect cozy mystery. There is a cliffhanger at the end, which makes me eager to read the next book. (I hope there will be a third book!) Overall, (minus the cursing in this installment), I did enjoy the author's writing style and I want to explore other books written by Uzma Jalaluddin.

If you're looking for a cozy mystery that is not necessarily set in a small town, but still has a strong sense of community and characters with depth, look no further than this series. Moonlight Murder can be read as a standalone, but for optimal enjoyment and no spoilers, I highly recommend starting with Detective Aunty and reading them in order. Moonlight Murder releases on May 5th in the U.S., so you have time to read the first one before then.

Thanks to Harper Perennial and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book.

Sunday Post 126

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?

So here we are at the end of January. I've been keeping up with NetGalley Reading Journal to log everything I read. These are not so much challenges for me. They're more of a way to track everything after I finish books, simply because I enjoy doing so. Although it's from NetGalley, I use it for all books I finish. Here is my January Check-In:

All of the books I finished were cozy mysteries, so I didn't read any new-to-me genres. I thought In Farms Way, by Amanda Flower, was set in January, but it's actually set in February. Since there were other books I wanted to read in January, I decided to move In Farms Way to my late February TBR. My favorite book was Public Anchovy #1, by Mindy Quigley. Honestly, it's going to be hard to top that one for the entire year. But we'll see.

My NetGalley ratio dropped because I requested and was surprisingly approved for another book - Moonlight Murder, by Uzma Jalaluddin. I'm really going to put more of an effort into reading NetGalley books soon after I receive them, while also reading ones already on my shelf. So hopefully in due time my NetGalley ratio will rise. I was hoping to finish at least one more book by the end of January, but it was not to be. However, I did enjoy all of the ones I finished. Here are the ones I finished:

And here are the U.S. states I visited through cozies:

It's probably impossible to see the titles of the books, but I'm tracking which books took me to each state. Again, not a challenge. I'm not intentionally trying to visit all the states. I just like seeing which ones I do visit. If I visited a state more than once, like Pennsylvania, then I note all the cozies that took me there.

Overall, I'm pleased with how my reading went in January. And I posted reviews for all books I finished.

IN THE BOOKS

RECENTLY FINISHED

🍄🍄🍄🍄
I finished listening to Murder with Cinnamon Scones, written by Karen Rose Smith and narrated by C. S. E. Cooney. This is the follow-up to Murder with Lemon Tea Cakes. The mystery was tighter and more prominent in this one, but I still wanted more "bread crumbs". Also, there were a lot of characters to keep track of. I've gotten used to the narration. I liked the book enough to continue the series in the spring.

IN PROGRESS

Week 6 in The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year, written by Margaret Renkl and illustrated by Billy Renkl, was about finding comfort in nature when the world seems to be falling apart. She recognizes that bad things happen, but that we can also find truths in nature that give us hope. It helps to turn off the news and tune into nature.

Moonlight Murder (Detective Aunty 2), by Uzma Jalaluddin is still in progress. I'm about 60% into the ARC. I'm enjoying it overall, but I'm turned off by the sprinkling of strong language. There was none of that in the first one, so it surprises me to see it in this one. Fortunately, the rest of the book is strong.

I started working on Trapped in the Bookstore, by Beth Martin. This is basically an Escape Room in a book. The reader is the main character and we have to solve puzzles to move on to each part of the bookstore and eventually (hopefully) escape. It's a concept I've never seen in a book. Beth Martin is a local author and I had the pleasure of meeting her last fall.

UP NEXT

I've had The Tell Fang Heart (Vampire Boutique Mystery 2), by Elle Wren Burke, on my TBR for a while and I was recently reminded that it is set around Valentine's Day. So this one is up next. I bought a signed copy directly from the author a couple years ago, so it's also on my physical book shelf.

My next audiobook listen will be Sleep in Heavenly Pizza (Deep Dish Mystery 4), by Mindy Quigley. This one is set around Christmas. I usually save these for Christmas in July or December, but book 5 is set around Valentine's Day and I want to read that one soon without skipping book 4.

ON THE SCREEN

• Gilligan's Island - This is random, I know. I've been recording the whole series. I had seen a few episodes before, but never the pilot. I remedied that. But I don't think I'll be watching too many more episodes. It's a little too over-the-top for my taste. Also, why are Ginger and the movie star not in the opening credits in the pilot, but they are in that episode?
• Let it Snow - This movie, I think, first aired on Hallmark, but it's now on GAF. I've always enjoyed it, so I watched it again. It's fitting for the season even though it's a Christmas movie.
• Christmas Under Wraps - This is another older Hallmark Christmas movie, but is fitting for the season because of the snowy scenes. I had seen it before and enjoyed it, so I watched it again.
• Love on the Amazon - This is part of Hallmark's 2026 Winter Escape series. Hmmm...this is not one I'll be watching again. It's okay, I guess. Maybe.
• Amazing Winter Romance - I love this 2020 Hallmark movie. It has one of my favorite tropes where two childhood friends reunite and fall in love. Their playful banter in this movie is fun to watch. Plus, there's a lot of snow in it.
• Caught By Love - This is another one in Hallmark's 2026 Winter Escape series and so far it's my favorite. The strong leads, Rachel Leigh Cook and Luke McFarlane, make it great. There's a also a fun mystery element to this one.

ON THE BLOG

• Sunday Post - 01/25 - Weekly Recap
• Book Review - 01/29 - The Puzzler, by A.J. Jacobs
• Friday Features - 01/30 - Bookish response, Excerpts, Feline Friday, and Nature Pic
• Puzzle - 01/31 - Winter Promise

Have a great week!

Puzzle 126 - Winter Promise

This puzzle came up as a suggestion for me and I loved it! It took me 4:01 using 35 non-rotating pieces.

Your turn!

Friday Features 28

Happy Friday!

Today I'm once again participating in six blog hops.  You can click on the host links below to find the blogs of others who are participating in each blog hop. If you're a blogger, feel free to join through the host links.

BOOK BLOGGER HOP, hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer

Question: Do you struggle to start a new read after finishing a truly amazing one?

My response:  No, I don't. I'm always excited to start a new book no matter how good the last one was.

FIRST LINE FRIDAY, hosted by Reading is My Superpower

FRIDAY 56, hosted by My Head is Full of Books

BOOK BEGINNINGS, hosted by Rose City Reader

Today's excerpts are from the audiobook format of Murder with Lemon Tea Cakes (Daisy's Tea Garden Mystery 1), by Karen Rose Smith.

Here's the beginning:

The Victorian house with its gray siding and white gingerbread trim loomed in front of Daisy Swanson as she and Tessa Miller approached it.

And here's an excerpt from 56%:

    "Aunt Iris. Are you back home?"

    "Oh, Daisy. I don't know what to do." Her aunt's voice shook and she sounded panicked.

I finished this cozy mystery last week and I really enjoyed it. This week I've been listening to the second one in the series, Murder with Cinnamon Scones. The series is ten books long and I plan to read or listen to all of them.

FELINE FRIDAY, hosted my messymimi's meanderings

This past Wednesday was National Daisy Day, so I'm again shining the spotlight on Fiona Daisy. It isn't enough that there's a cat tower in the living room where the blinds are wide open. She's got to have a challenge, otherwise what's the point?

NATURE FRIDAY, hosted by Living the LLB Life

With the storm that affected so many people last weekend, my area ended up with about 11 inches of snow and sleet. We haven't had temps above freezing since before that storm hit and we won't for at least several more days, so it will stick around for a while. It was an unusual storm with such a thick layer of ice on top of the snow. Our schools have been closed all week. I don't mind the cold weather, as long as the electricity stays on. (It's summer that I'm not a fan of.)