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R12: SS Team 6 - Series of Fortunate Events

Don't Hex with Texas
How it fits: book 4 in series
292 pages
Read 10/30
I love this series and read it over and over. I wish that they'd make a film of it, but some scenes might be a little silly. I do wish that I had mini gargoyles as chauffeurs sometimes. I think they make the series.

Week 7: Spot 56

Crime Seen by Victoria Laurie
How it Fits: Psychic Eye Mystery #5
Pages: 282


Book: Owls Well That Ends Well by Donna Andrews
Pages: 326 (Kindle, but I’m listening to audio)
How it fits: 6th book in the Meg Langslow series

Week 7: Spot 56

Crime Seen by Victoria Laurie
How it Fits: Psychic Eye Mystery #5
Pages: 282"
Love this series...


Book: Owls Well That Ends Well by Donna Andrews
Pages: 326 (Kindle, but I’m listening to au..."
Love this series a lot, as well! I have the newest one tbr for tomorrow.

Week 7, Spot 56

How it fits: 6th in the Cajun Country series

Week 7, Spot 56

How it fits: 6th in the Cajun Country series"
This was going to be my selection as well, but the other one fits better with another challenge. If we roll into the 60s next week, I’ll probably choose this. I love Ellen Byron’s books!

Week 7, Spot 56

How it fits: 6th in the Cajun Country series"
This was going to be my selection as well, but the other one fits better with another challenge. If we roll into the 60s next week, I’ll probably choose this. I love Ellen Byron’s books!..."
I'm excited read this next one!

Spot: 56
Alternative: One Word Title
Bunny
307 pages
read 11/1
I picked this book up for bookclub. I knew it was a horror book, but I wasn't sure what to expect. I really was confused for about a third of the book, but then it finally got my attention and I sailed through to the end. I enjoyed it, but I don't think I will read it again.

Spot: 56
Book: La Flor de Lis y el León by Maurice Druon
How it fits: #6 in the Accursed Kings Series
Pages: 344

Week 7, Spot 56 (Oct 31)

How it fits: 6th in the Cajun Country series
I always dying to visit Lousiana whenever I read a book in this series (no pun intended)! Yes, there are murder and mayhem and awful visiting relatives from another country, but interwoven in the story are the mc's terrific family, good friends, local customs, folklore, and lip-smacking food. This was a great addition to the Cajun Country series.


Book: Owls Well That Ends Well by Donna Andrews
Pages: 326 (Kindle, but I listened to audio)
How it fits: 6th book in the Meg Langslow series
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Review:
I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this visit with Meg and her madcap family! When Meg and her boyfriend Michael decide to rid themselves of unwanted clutter (junk) in the home they just purchased, they end up hosting the yard sale of all yard sales, with extended family and friends contributing tables full of items.
Customers in costume (it is October!) flock to the sale in unprecedented numbers. The zany yard sale gets even crazier when the body of an unpopular and unscrupulous antique dealer is discovered locked in a trunk. Things go from bad to worse as a professor, who may just have the final say in Michael's tenure at the college, is arrested and named the prime suspect. In order to clear the name of their friend and, perhaps, save Michael's job, Meg once again must investigate a murder.
The story itself is captivating. There are, as Meg's dad would say, a skulk of suspects, along with red herrings at every turn. Meg is so resourceful, and her sense of humor -- okay, sarcasm -- is just spot on!
Owl's Well That Ends Well may be the 6th book in this fantastic series, but it is my favorite so far. And the narration by Bernadette Dunne captures the humor perfectly! I can't wait to listen to the next book.

Hi, Joeera! Welcome to the team! Glad to have another teammate!

How it fits ( Before I Wake #6 Soul Screamres )

Author:Rachel Vincent
Read ( Nov 4-5 )
Pages ( 339 )
Review
I love this book the jockes are the best part of this story. Who knew that a reaper could have a sence of humor. This book packed a mean punch, it had supence and heartache and I liked the fact that Kalyee had a backbone and she wasn't a doormat. Sabine and Sophie's cat fights were the I king on the cake. And in my opinion Tod +Kalyee make one of the cutest couple's

Week 7: Spot 56

Crime Seen by Victoria Laurie
How it Fits: Psychic Eye Mystery #5
Pages: 282
Finished: 11/6/20
Review: I will admit I wasn't as thrilled with the storyline of this one at first. Luckily it was redeemed at the end, but I can't say that it's my favorite installment of the series. But I am looking forward to continuing on and reading more of these books.

Spot 56

La Flor de Lis y el León by Maurice Druon
How it fits: #6 in The Accursed Kings series
Pages: 344
Finished: November 6th
Review:
I love this series, I have a lot of fun reading these characters and what they are capable of doing to achieve their goals.
I suffer with the fate of some, in this book we see some of the most endearing characters for me, pass away
The true protagonist of this book is Roberto de Artois, who has learned a lot from his uncle Carlos de Valois, and reaches great importance at the French court.
I love to see how all the characters, noble and bourgeois, are intertwined. And the author's way of narrating it gives new life to this phase of French history.
I really highly recommend this series and am happy that I'd got to read it this year.

Previous Spot: 56
Rolled: 2+6=8
New Spot: 64
Alternative: 64. New to You Author
Paula - Review
Barbara - Review
Meg - Review
Denise - Review
Tara - Review
Joeera -Review
Joeera's book earned you the Halloween bonus, so I've added it to your tally. Please remember to make a note somewhere when someone earns a bonus point. Thx! :)


Book: Murder in the Bayou Boneyard by Ellen Byron
Pages: 304 (hardcover, but I will listen to audio)
How it fits: book 6 in the Cajun Country Mysteries

Week 8: Spot 64

Christmas Cookie Murder by Leslie Meier
How it Fits: Lucy Stone #6
Pages: 256

Week 8: Spot 64

Christmas Cookie Murder by Leslie Meier
How it Fits: Lucy Stone #6
Pages: 256
Finished: 11/9/20
Review: This was another fun installment in the Lucy Stone series. I really like these books, they're just a lot of fun. They aren't what I would consider a true cozy, but they aren't hard hitting either. It's a perfect blend for me. I had no idea how this one was going to end and was surprised by the ending. Definitely looking forward to reading on with this series.

Spot: 64
Book: El Dragón de Su Majestad by Naomi Novik
How it fits: New to me author
Pages: 416

Yes it was ... it was a cute little book that I read in basically two sittings.

Week 8, Spot 64 (Nov 7)

How it fits: 6th in Sarah Booth Delaney series
Pages: 305
Read: 11/10
This the sixth book in one of my favorite mystery series. Sarah Booth and Tinkie are hired to investigate the gruesome death of an author who has raised the ire of many old Mississippi families. Her girlfriend has been accused of the murder, and her brother wants her innocence proven. While pursuing clues and leads, Sarah Booth and Tinkie discover other suspicious deaths that had been ruled as accidental, so the investigation becomes a hunt for a serial killer. I was able to guess the villain partway through, but continuing the journey to the end was quite entertaining nonetheless.

Completion Post
Week 8 Spot 67
How it fits ( this author is new to me ) ( You Belong To My Herat )

Author:Nan Ryan
Read from ( Nov -10-11 )
Pages ( 368 )
Review
I really loved this book. It had 2 parts to it, the first part is about how Clay and Mary met and fell in love in their youth. The second part consists of how they met up again after 12 years. When they met again their feeling for each other were not the same as they were when they were young. They both blamed each other for what happen to them in the past.

Spot 64 - new to me author
To Say Nothing of the Dog: Or How We Found the Bishop's Bird Stump at Last
512 pages
I picked this up for bookclub, not knowing what to expect. It turned out to be one of the funniest books I've read this year. I am so glad that it crossed my path. It's definitely worth reading.

Spot 64

El Dragón de Su Majestad by Naomi Novik
How it fits: New to me author
Pages: 416
Finished: November 13th
Review:
This is my favorite kind of fantasy. It had adventure, battles, and speaking dragons!!
This book is set in the 1790s, when Napoleon was trying to take over the world haha. The MC is a Captain of England's Navy, until a dragon chooses him as his companion, so Laurence has to change careers and to join the airforce.
Getting to know the characters was great, I fell in love with Temerario, the dragon. I loved the relationship between Temerario and its human captain, Laurence.
It was so exciting to read the battles, with the dragons as part of the airforce of England and France. I suffered seeing the dragons being hurt in the battles though.
I liked the author's writing style and I want to read more from her.


Book: Murder in the Bayou Boneyard by Ellen Byron
Pages: 304 (hardcover, but I will listen to audio)
How it fits: book 6 in the Cajun Country Mysteries
Date Finished: 11/13/2020
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
Review:
Murder in the Bayou Boneyard offers another exciting visit to Pelican, Louisiana where Maggie Crozat and her family are joining with other area B&Bs to host the Halloween-inspired “Pelican’s Spooky Past.” For their part of the festivities, the Crozats are putting up the cast of the play which is to take place in a local cemetery. Joining the regular crowd are Suzannah MacDowell, a distant Crozat cousin from Canada, her husband Doug, and children Johnnie and Bonnie. Immediately they stir up trouble, insisting that part of the Crozats’s building is really on the MacDowell’s property.
The tensions increase with several sightings of the infamous “rougarou” at the various B&Bs. And things turn deadly when Suzannah, dressed as a rougarou, disrupts the play and collapses in front of the horrified onlookers. With her family high on the suspect list, Maggie must unmask a murderer.
Murder in the Bayou Boneyard has it all – a complicated and intriguing mystery, a plethora of local color, mouthwatering recipes, and a sweet romance. There is even a touch of humor surrounding a missing wedding dress. But the best thing about the book – and, indeed, the series -- are the people. After six books, Maggie, Ninette, Tug, Gran, Bo, and Xander feel like old friends. And the relationships between are both heartwarming and authentic.
Ellen Byron has another hit on her hands with Murder in the Bayou Boneyard, and the narration by Amy Melissa Bentley captures the story’s Cajun flair perfectly. The only downside is that I have now caught up on this series . . . and have to wait (not so) patiently until the next installment.

Previous Spot: 64
Rolled: 6+6=12
New Spot: 76
Alternative: 76. Two Word Title (excluding articles like A, An, The) Deadly Silence, The Hunger Games
Paula - Review
Barbara - Review
Meg - Review
Denise -Review
Tara - Review
Joeera - Review

Previous Spot: 64
Rolled: 6+6=12
New Spot: 76
Alternative: 76. Two Word Title (excluding articles like A, An, The) Deadly Silence, The Hunger Games
Paula -
Barbara -
Meg -
Denise -
Tar..."
Nice roll, Paula!

Spot: 76
Book: The Borrowers Afield by Mary Norton
How it fits: 2 words in title (excluding The)
Pages: 224

Week 9, Spot 76 (Nov 14)

How it fits: 7th in the Country Store series
Pages: 304
Read: 11/16
It was good fun to be back in South Lick, Indiana with Robbie and the gang. In this installment the yearly Blue Grass Festival is taking place, and Robbie has filled the rooms of her new B&B extension. Her father and his wife are among the guests, visiting from Italy. When a performer in the festival is found murdered, along with another key player, and her guests end up on the suspect list, she jumps into the investigation.

Week 9: Spot 76

Darkest Fear by Harlan Coben
How it Fits: Myron Bolitar #7
Pages: 319
Finished: 11/19/20
Review: I always like Harlan Coben's books, that Myron Bolitar is just one funny dude. I liked this one overall, but I was really confused when the ending was revealed. I had a little bit of trouble following the logic of Myron in figuring out who the killer was - maybe I missed something in turning the pages so fast. Either way, I liked this one and am looking forward to reading more Myron!

How it fits ( Cynster #6 ) All about Love

Author:Stephanie Laurens
Read ( Nov -17-18 )
Pages ( 407 )
Review
This story Wes not only about romance but, a murder mystery as well. When Lucifer arrived at this friends house and discovers that he has been murdered. There he meets Phydilla who unofficially runs the town and usually try's to help everyone. Like Lucifer she doesn't want to get married because she knows that all the gentlmen can't offer her anything she doesn't already have. And they both team up to find the muderer and that ends up making her the next victim.


Book: Puzzling Ink by Becky Clark
Pages: 227 Kindle
How it Fits: Two Word Title (Alternate for 76)
Date Read: 11/19/2020
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Review:
Puzzling Ink, the first book in Becky Clark’s Crossword Puzzle Mystery series, is a fresh and intriguing take on the cozy mystery genre. The concept of using crossword puzzle clues to nudge the reluctant police in the right investigative direction grabbed my attention from the start.
Following her ouster from the Denver police academy, Quinn Carr has returned to her parents’ home in Chestnut Station, Colorado, taking a job as a waitress at the local diner to make ends meet. Unbeknownst to anyone except the paper’s editor, she is also responsible for the crossword puzzles in the local paper. She is barely settling into her waitressing position when one of the diner’s customers is poisoned and her boss, Jake Szabo, is arrested for murder, leaving Quinn solely in charge of the restaurant. Unequipped to act as waitress, cook and general business manager on her own, Quinn sets out to clear Jake’s name with the help of her best friend (and police officer) Rico.
Here’s the thing. Quinn is quirky, but in a good way. Her recently-diagnosed OCD turns out to be an asset, as does her police academy training. And, despite the somewhat heavy-handed mention of her OCD, I found myself liking her a great deal. The story was filled with interesting and largely memorable characters, but it was difficult to learn about them in any depth. No doubt this is the result of this being the first in series, but there are several characters whom I would like to know better. Quinn’s parents, for example, were prevailed upon to help out in the diner and did so in a way that was unique and utterly charming. Another character whom I hope to see more of was Quinn’s OCD counselor, Mary-Louise Lovely.
While I definitely enjoyed Puzzling Ink, I do feel that the series could be strengthened in subsequent books by placing a greater emphasis on using crossword puzzles to solve the crime and by downplaying the dramatization of Quinn’s OCD. That said, I will be looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
Note: I received an ARC of Puzzling Ink from NetGalley and Kensington Books. The above is my honest review.

Week 9: Spot 76

Darkest Fear by Harlan Coben
How it Fits: Myron Bolitar #7
Pages: 319
Finished: 11/19/20
Review: I alw..."
I've read all of the Myron Bolitar books, and I love his sense of humor. Glad that you are enjoying the series!

Week 9: Spot 76

Darkest Fear by Harlan Coben
How it Fits: Myron Bolitar #7
Pages: 319
Finished: 11/19/20
Review: I alw..."
Ok, I really didn't need another series, but all I needed to read was "funny dude" and the first book went right on my WL. 😄

Spot 76

The Borrowers Afield by Mary Norton
How it fits: 2 words title
Pages: 224
Finished: November 20th
Review:
It was nice getting to learn what happened with the Clock family after the events of the previous book.
I found Homily truly annoying, but I loved Arriety's adventure spirit and loved our new character Spiller!
I believe I liked this one less than the first, because I didn't like Homily and Pod development as characters. Either way it was a fine and fun read

Lovecraft Country
Read 11/20
329 pages
I loved this book the first time, and with the series on tv this year, I decided to reread it. There were a lot of things that I missed on the first run though, so I am glad that I read it again. It was very informative on the Southern states and the time of the setting of the book. I learned a lot, but I didn't feel like I was being hit over the head with the information.

Previous Spot: 76
Rolled: 4+6=10
New Spot: 86
Alternative: 86. Title 'V'
Paula - Review
Barbara - Review
Meg - Review
Denise - Review
Tara - Review
Joeera - Review


Book: Premeditated Mortar by Kate Carlisle
Pages: 304
How it Fits: 8th book in the Fixer-Upper Mystery series
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Authors mentioned in this topic
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Sarah Noffke (other topics)
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Previous Spot: 45
Rolled: 6+5=11
New Spot: 56
Alternative: 56. One Word Title (excluding articles like A, An, The) The Witness or Divergent
Paula - Review
Barbara - Review
Meg - Review
Denise - Review
Tara - Review
Joeera - Review