This was just the book to end the unofficial summer season with. This was another "I've seen the movie" book for me and I was not disappointed. It's vThis was just the book to end the unofficial summer season with. This was another "I've seen the movie" book for me and I was not disappointed. It's very different from the movie and I think both stand highly for their own reasons. I found this to be a tense, taut read and I really loved the things that surprised me. I did miss the tennis featured in movie-Guy's character, no offence to book-Guy who is an architect.
I have to admit, I was very impressed by this being Highsmith's first book. That woman knew how to tell a story. I have to give all kinds of credit to the true creep factor of Miriam being stalked and killed simply because Guy picked up a stalker himself. The vitriol directed at her from a man who'd never met her was fairly terrifying.
I found some new-to-me words I learned that I'll add as soon as the holiday is over. One of my favourite reasons for reading old books is picking up new-to-me words. I've listed them below with a shout-out to my fellow word buddy Bob (aka Bobby Lee), who seems not to be around here any longer. Bob, wherever you are, I'll always think of you when I come across new words in my reading and those BLCC reissues. :)
Words I came across that may be useful in word puzzles and crosswords: marcel- curling iron wave in hair. prarie oyster- hangover cure drink (that sounded vile). roundheel-slang for promiscuous woman.
There are a number of great lines that I wanted to remember, here are a few:
"The desperate boredom of the wealthy, that he often spoke of to Anne. It tended to destroy rather than create. And it could lead to crime as easily as privation."
"Miriam. Miriam Joyce." "Hm-m. Smart or dumb?" "She's not an intellectual. I didn't want to marry an intellectual."
"My mistake was in speaking to him. My mistake was in telling a stranger my private business."
"That's the mistake," Guy said aloud, "that nobody knows what a murderer looks like. A murderer looks like anybody!"
Definitely recommended. Also, while it's important to be polite, do be wary of talking to strangers about your personal business. LOL...more
This began a bit slowly with the round-robin style of POVs (Paige, Ted, John, Richard, Serena and only 1 chapter for Sibley).
The Kingsleys are a wealThis began a bit slowly with the round-robin style of POVs (Paige, Ted, John, Richard, Serena and only 1 chapter for Sibley).
The Kingsleys are a wealthy dysfunctional family. Patriarch Richard has decided to set this viper pit onto the sea for a reunion of sorts and his announcement of who will be succeeding him at the top of his empire. Everyone counts on high stakes but none plans on things turning deadly.
Richard's fifth wife, Serena has secrets. Son Ted and his wife Paige, have secrets. Son John and his wife Rachel, have secrets. They all have piles of lies too so there's a lot going on that kept things fun. The first third was slow in the lead-up to everyone convening for dinner the first night but once that happens and Richard shoots his first salvo, the game is on!
I won't spoil, but I will say that everyone's tea was spilled and the grievances flowed. Only daughter, Sibley arrives in dramatic fashion to do her dirt and reveals being in league with an off-the-stage, Uncle Walter (yes, there's even more stuff going on in the wider family!).
This was a good character study and I look forward to the next installment with this hot mess of a family. In book-likes, this reminded me of Shari LaPena's Not a Happy Family.
I have to keep this one short as I'm short on time but I really enjoyed this. This takes place post-pandemic and many things in the world have gone evI have to keep this one short as I'm short on time but I really enjoyed this. This takes place post-pandemic and many things in the world have gone even more pear-shaped. Vigil Harbor is a sort of a coastal cul-de-sac and very much at a remove from many of the bad things happening. The story takes place over about a week and centers on the ripples of upheaval created by two new arrivals in town.
It is pretty slow going a tale for about half of the book but it did keep my interest. There are quite a few narrators and I liked that. Glass has a way with description that made this a very vivid read. There are some threads that weren't my thing. I didn't care for the selkie tangents. In fairness, I'm very particular about magical realism and have only come across a couple authors who hit the right note for me as a reader. This wasn't one of those. Still, my interest didn't wane. I admit to finding the obsession of two characters for a long dead character named Issa more delved into than I really cared about. But the rest, was a joy to read. The questions of what to keep, what to discard, how to process loss was so well done. I'm glad I came across this to read.
This was my first read by Glass and I would read another. Recommended....more
I really enjoyed this. A murder mystery on a space cruiser is just my kind of read. Ace was a great character and Tertio Polaris was as weMore Please!
I really enjoyed this. A murder mystery on a space cruiser is just my kind of read. Ace was a great character and Tertio Polaris was as well. The way the passage of time played out for the crew of the ship, as they spend most of their time in the void, was unique and interesting.
I haven't read anything by Veronica Roth in a while (but do have one of her recent books on my list) and this made me want to get to that sooner. And if she wrote more of Ace's story, I'd read it! So glad I read this through Kindle Unlimited and Amazon Originals. To date, the science fiction/ speculative fiction options really deliver....more
Before this I'd only read a couple short stories by Christianna Brand which I really enjoyed (thanks British Library Classic Crime reissues!) so I camBefore this I'd only read a couple short stories by Christianna Brand which I really enjoyed (thanks British Library Classic Crime reissues!) so I came across this on Kindle Unlimited and decided to give it a read. The blurb was promising. A country house murder with a small group and someone's been found with their head cut off. This is set in the winter and usually, something I'd wait to read when the season synchs but you never know how long something will be in KU so I jumped in. I will give Brand credit for a great set up and her writing is exceedingly readable. Vivid descriptions of the murder(s) and the characters were appreciated.
Sadly the women in this story were some of the dippiest, silliest specimens I've come across in a long while. Sisters Fran and Venetia were awful and I don't mean I needed to like them, simply that they were so ridiculous I didn't care about Fran's plight or her love life, which the story clearly wanted me to. The first victim was so off-putting that their being dispatched was just fine as it was one less pain to bear. There's a copious amount of anti-Semitism and while it was on brand for the time and type of characters featured here, it really wore on my pace of reading. It sometimes reminded me of Bats in the Belfry: A London Mystery by E.C.R. Lorac which I loved. That had one character in particular slinging her slurs so I got to focus my ire and there were plenty of other characters who didn't go in for that nonsense. There was no way to sequester it in Heads You Lose. Even the dog, Aziz got on my nerves but I honestly think it was more his owners that I couldn't actually stand. Inspector Cockrill wasn't in this as much as I'd hoped or expected but when he was, I liked him. The solution in the end was a wild one and was also difficult to squint into something that worked for me. So. I don't recommend this one. Not even free on Kindle Unlimited.
I have more Brand books to read and this in no way deters me from looking forward to those. Until I find otherwise, I'll assume this was one of her worst as all works can't be winners....more
A second outing with Molly was a joy! I will not spoil things but I loved seeing her involved in another mysterious death at the hotel. A prickly authA second outing with Molly was a joy! I will not spoil things but I loved seeing her involved in another mysterious death at the hotel. A prickly author with a huge following is poised to make some huge announcement and summarily drops dead taking his big revel with him into the after. But it turns out not to have been a natural death and there's a good list of people he's mistreated so lots of suspects. Adding to Molly's urgency to figure things out is that one of her trainees is suspected of the murder. Molly, knowing what it's like to be the maid blamed is determined to set things right. What helped this time was having a less adversarial relationship with the police. Molly, like the best sleuths, is often underestimated and as a maid, unnoticed by many. She is a keen observer and listener so those qualities paired with recalling sage advice from her grandmother, she picks up the clues and assembles them into a tidy solution. It's what the best do.
Molly showed great growth and the potential for more and I enjoyed that. I missed Juan Manuel being around but I was glad he'd got to go visit his family in Mexico. Molly's new maid trainees, Lily and Angela were great additions to the story. Molly also has found a wonderful family connection that made me smile. If she takes up an offer or embarks on a new trajectory if there are future books, I will be happy to read about it. Just like the first book, time with Molly makes me smile.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an Advance Reader's Copy....more
This was excellent. Granted, I am a fan of Scalzi's writing so was expecting that as he's told me a great story before, chances were good he would herThis was excellent. Granted, I am a fan of Scalzi's writing so was expecting that as he's told me a great story before, chances were good he would here. He totally delivered!
The story is told by Hope a self-aware ship sent by humanity from Earth into the vastness of space to find another habitable planet and start life anew with humans. The journey of Hope was related in a way that I did not want to put this down. They had a very compelling voice, and there were memorable lines along the way (quite a few for me given that this is a short story). When reading this it very much made me think of parents and children. Parents pour all their ideas into their children and send them off into the world and those children evolve and come up with their own ideas, ways and decisions. Keeping, augmenting, discarding. Growing into their own. When we reach the end here with Hope, I felt like they were on the right path. Their own.
I read this through Kindle Unlimited in their Amazon Original Stories series. I find the topics they choose for these short series of varying interest but the science fiction and speculative fiction offerings have not yet disappointed me. So recommended....more
Nat was one of my favorite characters in The Bayern Agenda so a short story featuring her was welcome. It was well done and left me wanting Good Short
Nat was one of my favorite characters in The Bayern Agenda so a short story featuring her was welcome. It was well done and left me wanting more after gaining more insight into the character. Seeing Caledonia a bit was nice too. ...more
I love Shady Hollow! This was fairly predictable but I so enjoy the charming setting and characters, I didn't mind at all. This is just too adorably cI love Shady Hollow! This was fairly predictable but I so enjoy the charming setting and characters, I didn't mind at all. This is just too adorably cozy and I look forward to the next time I get to stop by.
Vera's sleuthing in the matter of a wife adamant that her husband is dead as he's seemingly right next to her for all to see was fun and introduced a nearby community to Shady Hollow, Mirror Lake. Orville, the town deputy and Vera's beau decided he'd had enough of his superior's slackerdom and threw his hat in the ring to run for Sherriff. Joe of Joe's Mug has rolled out the pumpkin pie and cinnamon coffee. That's right, it's autumn and election season! I'd usually save such a read for autumn, but I just wanted to dive into this now. My summer-themed reads are waiting for me but I'm just not quite in the mood for them. Hopefully the mood will strike before I run out of summer. Anyway, I could see the colourful leaves, smell the seasonal food and feel the crisp air. Lovely. This was just what I was looking for in a cozy read and am very glad I got around to reading this series. I hope it goes on for a while.
Okay, so this was a neat short story. Roy is part of a team that has been cloned and had copies of themselves sent out across the stars in packets to Okay, so this was a neat short story. Roy is part of a team that has been cloned and had copies of themselves sent out across the stars in packets to unfold and restart human civilization. An infinite number of possibilities but for Roy an infinite number of do-overs. It's an interesting story and told in an interesting way. In addition to following along with Roy, there are points of view from groups that made it long enough to forward packets of clones forward and also project information about themselves. Those POVs varied in interest and some didn't really make sense, but served their purpose. I have to say that Roy and the little package each version of himself has along for the ride and why made me think of Cameron Frye of Ferris Bueller's Day Off or more accurately, something Ferris predicted for Cameron. Luckily for Roy (the one readers follow), a couple of transmissions help him get beyond this point to a satisfying conclusion. The final third of this story really was well done and where I found the memorable lines.
Recommended.
The Ferris quote about Cameron: "Cameron has never been in love - at least, nobody's ever been in love with him. If things don't change for him, he's gonna marry the first girl he lays, and she's gonna treat him like shit, because she will have given him what he has built up in his mind as the end-all, be-all of human existence. She won't respect him, because you can't respect somebody who kisses your ass. It just doesn't work.”...more
I picked this up for .39 on Kindle and I have to say that this is the first experience I've had where a book cover does not at all correspond with anyI picked this up for .39 on Kindle and I have to say that this is the first experience I've had where a book cover does not at all correspond with anything happening in the story. The cover depicts a train exploding and propelling people away from it in all directions. This has absolutely nothing to do with the story. A murder happens on a train in this but that's all. I found the disconnect quite funny so that's why I went for this copy. It's as though a litany of broad story keywords were fed into MidJourney and this is what came back. Cover artists, you're still needed!
The mystery of how a man who seems to be healthy and hale one minute quickly expires the next while on a train was a very good setup. I liked how this began and it ticked on well for about a third of the way. There was a main character who withheld information from the police longer than I liked. He wanted to be the one to investigate on his own and then met the victim's granddaughter and fell for her so that added to his motivation. To the good, the information was shared with the police and a sort of collaboration was struck that I liked more.
The anti-semitism in this was definitely of its time for Golden Age crime fiction (and the period just before) and so detracted from the main of the story. When your protagonists solving the mystery are the ones with these character flaws there's no getting away from them in the story and it did affect my enjoyment overall. By the time all was solved in the end, I was glad to be leaving our characters where they were and honestly didn't give a damn about their love connection. This definitely could have been a better read. I would say the mystery itself was enjoyable so that's why three stars over two. This isn't my first read of J.S. Fletcher so I'm glad I've read this. It's by no means my favourite of his. I'd say read it if you're looking to get through all his books. If you miss it, you'll still have lived a full life.
For a few years now I've been reading old crime fiction and in addition to the British Library Classic Crime books, other publishers reissuing these forgotten books are Oleander Press, Spitfire Publishing Ltd (and if anyone has a listing of all they've put out so far, please let me know!) and I have been on a spree of collecting them faster than I can read them. So, I recommend all of that....more
This book caught my eye because it's set in Delaware. It's a rare enough location to come across and I'm on something of a jag right now of wanting toThis book caught my eye because it's set in Delaware. It's a rare enough location to come across and I'm on something of a jag right now of wanting to read books about places I know by having lived there.
This started off doubly fun because my husband is from the state and we vacation at the Delaware Beaches every summer (and visit family regularly). So for every local reference, I read them out to him. Honestly, some of them didn't fit but that part was fun anyway (he appreciated but seriously doubted the beach communities PDs would be in awe of Dover PD (classed as a city but... no). I've been in Dover enough to have quirked an eye at the mention of a fourteen-storey building in town. Not even on Route 13 unless it's the casino hotel (I don't think it's that tall). My husband smiled and chuckled at all these mentions with a self-deprecating "Nice... but no. Appreciate the recognition of Dover's existence though."
The descriptions of the beachy locale and its environs did ring true and had me checking my calendar for how long until next we head that way. So far, so good. The murder victim is found just 11% of the way into the story and that was to the good because that left so much of the book for the investigation. The killer was pretty easy to suss out but I still had fun working that part out. And just beyond those thing is where things started to fall apart.
The setup of the mystery was pretty well done and I liked Coco's determination to investigate to clear her clients and also on behalf of the victim. I liked Coco's friends and her family. I even liked Coco's boyfriend. I did not, however, like Coco. Like at all. I allow for all kinds of first book in a series quirks but I could not stand this main character and worse, I didn't care about her or her success. Not good. Coco is so self-involved that she routinely begrudged her boyfriend for being more locally recognized than she (before all was said and done, he went national, btw). This is a person she is hoping will ask her to marry him for the whole darned book but she's jealous of his successes. What even is that?! I can't root for that. He hypes her and is basically a decent person and she's envious. She never worked through this flaw in the book. It was pretty much her hallmark and nothing made up for her jealousy. I mean, she acknowledges it often so it's not a blind spot. And that is pretty much why 2 stars. The reader has to spend so much time with Coco, that there's no way for escape velocity to kick in for all the rest of the things that work to make this a fun time overall.
I bought this on Kindle and if by any chance I could be persuaded to read the next (because, location), it'd have to be on Kindle Unlimited because I shan't be buying it outright. YMMV....more
I wrote a nice long review and Goodreads glitched it! I can't!
I really enjoyed reading this. Augusta and her BFF Misaki were friend and sleuther goalI wrote a nice long review and Goodreads glitched it! I can't!
I really enjoyed reading this. Augusta and her BFF Misaki were friend and sleuther goals. I had some suspicions and questions at times when Augusta didn't but I did fall for some red herrings. I read this over a busy stretch and when I had to put it down, I thought about it. It sustained my interest the entire time and that's all to the good. A very engaging read. I will read the next and hope there are more to come.
I don't read many romance novels but this one caught my eye because it's set during the Earth going through an impending asteroid collision. The main I don't read many romance novels but this one caught my eye because it's set during the Earth going through an impending asteroid collision. The main characters have suffered previous heartbreak (she with a husband who died and he with a girlfriend who cheated on him with two guys). Neither is dealing well with their circumstances when the story opens and have pretty much walled themselves off from relationships with just about everybody. But they do have a mutual friend who gets them to go hiking with him and before too long chemistry and attraction arrive and an asteroid bearing down adds a bit more pressure and urgency to this situation.
It's true that I didn't show up for the romance but I liked the characters well enough and was rooting for them to make it to their destination before they were swallowed up in the chaos of people or the natural disasters set off by the collision. The bunker in Montana proved to be some journey from Seattle and this book took it right up to pretty much the final pages. It was tense! And that made it a good read for me. Of course, the couple has their HEA implied and I mean, when you're just glad they survived the whole ordeal and will surely live another day, I was satisfied.
As an impending disaster book, this delivered and I am glad I read it (through Kindle Unlimited). I found it unique for a love story and really loved that. If this was made into a movie, I'd watch it (Lifetime, Hallmark, any streamer, do your thing!). It's no shocker to say, I'd read another by this author.
Swanson does it again! I'm so glad that I got to read this early. I love a Christmas mystery. This is the perfect novella as a seasonal read.
I loved tSwanson does it again! I'm so glad that I got to read this early. I love a Christmas mystery. This is the perfect novella as a seasonal read.
I loved the way it was told. Two timelines are presented, a diary from the past and a present-day told from another point of view. The twists and surprises were well done. I did suspect one major point but that didn't diminish the enjoyment at all. As always, I'll continue to be ready to read whatever Swanson wants to write.
Recommended.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an ARC of this work....more
I really enjoyed this story. There's a lot of political intrigue and societal upheaval on a generation ship on a voyage to find a viable destination fI really enjoyed this story. There's a lot of political intrigue and societal upheaval on a generation ship on a voyage to find a viable destination for 250 years that has come upon a planet that may sustain human life. It was a pretty exciting read, told through five narrators: a scientist, a politician, a farmer, a technical engineer and a security officer. Each had an influence on how things played out and strong voices. Mammay has a way with character dialogue and that made for a fun and engaging read.
Seeing how life functioned on the ship in the day-to-day was really well done and one of my favourite parts of the story. From agriculture to recycling (even the deceased human kind because that would be important). Conditioning and training for people for the time when they all see sky and stand on a planet for the first time. Just so many details that I enjoyed having been considered and characters working through big and small things. Even small things on a generation ship make a difference. Also, so much of the conflict is the push-pull between community and individual benefit. And each community splintered into different factions with different needs when problem-solving was required. Do you never change the Charter of governance on the ship which has stood for 250 years or throw it out and start again? Amend it? How? There was so much the characters had to decide and it made me think of current real-world conflicts and questions. The characters figure out how to see their way through and that made me glad. In our own way on this planet we're stuck together with no other place to go that is liveable so maybe we'll figure out how to collaborate too.
It wasn't predictable and moved at a good clip (a good thing for a book just beyond 600 pages). I really liked how everything ended and surprisingly could check in on these characters again if there's more the author wants to write.
I'd only read one other book by Mammay before this one but I'd enjoyed that one so much, I was very excited to see this was upcoming and I'm very glad to have read it. Thoroughly enjoyable. Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an Advance Reader Copy....more
I really enjoyed this timeline look at the GFFA. It's full colour and encompasses movies, streaming shows, books/graphic novels, all in contextual timI really enjoyed this timeline look at the GFFA. It's full colour and encompasses movies, streaming shows, books/graphic novels, all in contextual timelines, so far. Comprehensive and other than some minor quibbles (Bail Organa being noted as Leia's stepfather? Adoptive, surely. Because... accuracy.) I thought it was great. I came by this as a birthday present and am so happy to have this among my collection of Star Wars books. Recommended....more
This is the second book in this series I've read. I liked it but not as much as the other I read. This took me several days to get through and as my sThis is the second book in this series I've read. I liked it but not as much as the other I read. This took me several days to get through and as my schedule wasn't out of hand, I can only attribute it to this not being as cracking a read overall.
I was drawn to this as the story surrounds a murder in a theatre group on opening night in full view of the audience. The stabbing of Polonius scene in Hamlet goes terribly wrong when the retractable knife is switched with a real one and kills the leader of the troupe. The murder victim also happens to be an awful woman of the first order. She exercises power through blackmail and threats via poison pen letters to the rest of the troupe. This means there are many suspects and plenty to sort through for D.I. Ludd, his D.S. MacPherson along with our sleuthing vicar, Shaw. I thought the chemistry between the investigators was the best part of the story. Even when it was a slow go, they worked well together and also kept the reporter covering the story on his toes. The motives for the murder were plentiful and so were the red herrings. The solution and reveal of the killer was well enough done. This hit all the points technically but I just didn't really feel the pull I wanted when I picked it up. Still, I will continue to read others in this series because I do like the characters.
I'd had this sitting on my Kindle for a couple of years and I was in the mood for a Golden Age mystery. Other than this tile, I'd never heard of A.G. I'd had this sitting on my Kindle for a couple of years and I was in the mood for a Golden Age mystery. Other than this tile, I'd never heard of A.G. Macdonell and I am so glad I came across this to read.
In an otherwise nice hamlet, a body is found stabbed in a copse between two manor houses. The victim is a poet, womanizer and also one who likes to harass people generally. He's seemingly been stabbed, robbed of thousands of pounds and oddly, two knives found at the scene of the crime. Stranger still, there may be more than one scene of the crime. Layers and layers of complications for Scotland Yard's Inspector Fleming and his team to sort out. A suspect is soon found but the circumstantial evidence is too copious and too perfect, raising Fleming's suspicion of a framing. I won't give it away here but the solution to what really happened and why is both close to home and elsewhere in the world. Both in the present and in the past. It was a fun read because of that. I was always interested and trying to figure out who did what and why. The characters were, for the most part, well constructed.
This was a 3.5 read for me. I loved the murder mystery aspect. Deciphering who killed Clemmy O'Hara was not difficult as her closest friends and acquaThis was a 3.5 read for me. I loved the murder mystery aspect. Deciphering who killed Clemmy O'Hara was not difficult as her closest friends and acquaintances were revealed but figuring out the why was where the interest was for me. Clemmie was an influencer and parsing the banal from what may be her deeper characteristics was a good tension. This story is peopled with unlikable characters and I admit to not caring a whit about many of them but they started out interesting enough. My problem materialized when so many of them were no more complex than the awful they presented as. It got to be too much of a bad thing as they ceased to be interesting or worse, amusing. Some seemed to be over the top just for the sake of it. I know this is a satirical look but it wore.
The detective, Caius Beauchamp was very well done, with his pretentious leanings and conspicuous consumption. I enjoyed him even when he came off as tedious. Beauchamp's DS, Matt, was also a good character. The third officer, whose name escapes me at the moment (which is a shame because she was the only woman in the group), was a good character as well.
The ending was a bit incomplete, especially with one aspect of the criminal dealings revealed and if there were a second book in the offing, I'd be glad to read it as it was one of the more interesting threads. I have to give Vassell credit, she has a way with the turn of phrase and I very much enjoyed that. Honestly, if this were about fifty pages shorter, I think I may not have felt it was weighed down by itself.
This was my second visit to Shady Hollow and I just adore it! The mystery itself was straightforward and easy to work out, which would usually be a neThis was my second visit to Shady Hollow and I just adore it! The mystery itself was straightforward and easy to work out, which would usually be a negative for me. But Shady Hollow is just a nice, soft landing setting where murder happens sometimes. I
n this case more than a decade ago as bones are unearthed in the apple orchard at harvest time. The bones belong to a moose and before long, Joe, the town's resident moose and coffee slinger is under suspicion for killing his wife and letting everyone think she'd simply left him. Tenacious reporter, Vera Vixen thinks the police have it wrong and of course, begins investigating. This causes problems with the police and her romantic life as she had been dating Deputy Orville Braun. All other denizens of Shady Hollow have opinions on Joe's innocence and some even have information to impart along the way. There's also a new business opening in town, owned by a mink named Octavia who is an etiquette and manners aficionado.
I'm not going to spoil the mystery but the whole thing was just fun time spent with characters I like. It's a feel-good book and I recommend it. I will definitely continue the series....more
This caught my eye and it occurred to me that I hadn't thought much about Home Economics since I had it in school from grades 6 through 8. I'd certainThis caught my eye and it occurred to me that I hadn't thought much about Home Economics since I had it in school from grades 6 through 8. I'd certainly never thought about the history of HE. I'd only known that there had been a degree level Home Economics because U.S Senator Marsha Blackburn earned a Bachelor of Science from Mississippi State University in it back in the 70s and that is the one thing I find interesting about her. That made me wonder how few schools offered study in HE (then and now) and as this book pointed out near the end, how would students prepare for a career they don't know exists? So, all this is to say, I was probably a bit predisposed to an interest in this when I picked it up.
I can only really recall a few highlights from my HE classes: Two cooking successes with spaghetti with meat sauce and apple turnovers, both from scratch and an epic failure of making letter pillows on a sewing machine to spell out my name. Pro tip: satin is slippery and not the way to go for a beginner. Half of my family is into needle arts so I picked up knitting, crocheting and cross-stitching on my own later but exposure to sewing is still appreciated. My metal and wood shop attempts were also epic failures (a nod to my parents for lovingly displaying my awful napkin and pencil/pen holders) but I got out of both uninjured so, I still feel accomplished. I'm glad I experienced all of this stuff even if some of it was stunningly and embarrassingly, not my forte. Both my HE and Shop classes were coed, which I understand wasn't always the case over time.
It was a good book covering its origins and how far-reaching it spanned over decades to its almost present disappearance (after a really unfortunate name change). This covered it being framed as feminism and also anti-feminism. How it was used as a force of good in society and also as a means of oppression. It discussed pioneers and contributors in the field that spanned racial backgrounds. Seriously, I never knew that Margaret Murray Washington (the last Mrs. Booker T. Washington) founded and ran Home Economics at Tuskegee University for three decades and her work went far beyond the university's bounds). This was wholly interesting and I'm very glad I picked it up. Also, I hope HE comes back to school curricula.
I wanted something for a change of pace and this political thriller seemed like it would do. It moved quickly and did well with twists and turns for tI wanted something for a change of pace and this political thriller seemed like it would do. It moved quickly and did well with twists and turns for the most part. The predictable balanced pretty well with the unpredictable, until the last third where it just went sort of haywire for me and I just couldn't hand wave it all away. It cost the story a star in rating but this wasn't a bad read.
It gave me the change of pace that I was seeking and the action scenes were well done and vivid. I could see this as a short run streaming series. ...more
I'm always up for a book about books and readers so I chose this. It was a very quick and easy read and had a good many things that I as a reader relaI'm always up for a book about books and readers so I chose this. It was a very quick and easy read and had a good many things that I as a reader related to. It's not life-changing or anything but I did find myself smiling in recognition, chuckling and finding some poignant passages and moments. I had a good number of highlighted passages to remember and I always consider that a good sign. I read this through Kindle Unlimited.
A mystery set in space is my OTP but this just did not work out. I got to 85% and I'm just not going to force this anymore. I literally don't care howA mystery set in space is my OTP but this just did not work out. I got to 85% and I'm just not going to force this anymore. I literally don't care how this ends and I don't even want to discuss my disappointment with it. I have one compliment, the cover is perfect.
I suggest skipping it but if you absolutely must, make this a library borrow....more
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