It’s time for our Sunday morning chat. On Sundays, I ramble about what’s been going on, whatthe rest of the familyand I have been reading and watching, andwhat I’ve been writing. Some weeks I share what I am listening to.
Yesterday my husband and I celebrated 22 years of marriage. We went to dinner at a nearby restaurant and watched a movie together after shipping off the kids and dog to the grandparents.
It was a nice, quiet, relaxing day and very welcome.
I rambled about our trip to the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon in my post yesterday if you want to read about that.
What I/we’ve been Reading
The Dandelion Cottage by Carol Watson Rankin
Version 1.0.0
Return to Gone Away by Elizabeth Enright (a read aloud with Little Miss).
The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery
When You Returned by Havelah Mclat
Live and Let Chai by Bree Baker (I wanted to like this much more than I did. Not the worst but pretty much like a previous book I read by the author under her real name).
Reneeby Sandra Ardoin
Clueless at the Coffee Stationby Bee Littlefield
Little Menby Louisa Mae Alcott
The husband is reading the latest installment in the Hawthorne and Horowitz series by Anthony Horowitz.
Also, for those who wanted to know, he did enjoy the Patrick Stewart biography.
The boy is in between books because he finished his last read which was an audio version of a Warhammer book.
What We watched/are Watching
Just a Few Acres Farm
There is something so relaxing about just watching Farmer Pete work on his farm or dig holes in his field or feed the cows. When my brain is spinning or I just feel off-kilter, I turn on Pete and just remember the simple things of life.
Last night the kids and I watched Monty Python’s Search for The Holy Grail because we needed a laugh.
The husband and I watched Breakheart Pass with Charles Bronson and Jill Ireland (Bronson’s wife) after our anniversary dinner. I didn’t think it was very romantic but then I got wrapped up in it and needed to know what happened. I’m going to make him watch a romantic comedy with me later in the week.
During the week I watched this YouTube channel because it is also relaxing: Under A Tin Roof.
What I’m Writing
We had a busy week so I did not write as much as I wanted to but I did work on Gladwynn Grant Shakes the Family Tree a little bit.
Now it’s your turn. What have you been doing, watching, reading, listening to or writing? Let me know in the comments or leave a blog post link if you also write a weekly update like this.
It’s time for our Sunday morning chat. On Sundays, I ramble about what’s been going on, whatthe rest of the familyand I have been reading and watching, andwhat I’ve been writing. Some weeks I share what I am listening to.
We have been sweating. We will sweat more this week. We will try to go swimming and maybe do some other things as family since The Husband has this next week off work. I am ready for Summer to be over. I’m sorry Summer lovers but I hate the heat. If it can be 65 to 70 for the rest of Summer, then it can stay. Otherwise – buh-bye *wink*
If you want to read about how much I want Summer to go away and Autumn to come, you can read my post from yesterday.
What I/we’ve been Reading
The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery
Live and Let Chai by Bree Baker
The Chosen Kids Saga Book One: Encounter at the Dunes by R.W. Ruiz (not related to the show The Chosen/children’s book)
Return to Gone Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright (reading with Little Miss on nights we don’t fall asleep early)
The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz
Renee by Sandra Ardoin
Dandelion Cottage by Carol Watson Rankin
Clueless At the Coffee Station by Bee Littlefield
Little Men by Louisa Mae Alcott
What We watched/are Watching
I have been rewatching All Creatures Great And Small (the modern version) and The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew series (more on that later this week), but not a lot else. I’ve been reading and writing a bit more lately.
What I’m Writing
I am working on Gladwynn Grant Shakes the Family Tree (the title is tentative at this point), which is the third book in the Gladwynn Grant Mysteries. I’m having fun writing it and I hope you’ll have fun reading it.
I don’t mention it a lot here but if you want to read the other two books you can find a link to them in the My Books section in the menu at the top of the page.
I’m also offering 50 percent off annual paid subscriptions to my Substack newsletter/author site. I’ll be offering sneak peeks, author interviews, and several other perks on there and this week added an epub version of Gladwynn Grant Gets Her Footing to all paid subscriptions.
If you are interested in the discount, you can use this coupon link:
I am listening to Live & Let Chai by Bree Baker when I am driving somewhere, while also reading the ebook on Kindle.
Music-wise I am listening to Anne Wilson’s Rebel album.
Now it’s your turn
Now it’s your turn. What have you been doing, watching, reading, listening to or writing? Let me know in the comments or leave a blog post link if you also write a weekly update like this.
I saw this prompt for a Mid-Year Book Round-Up (Freak Out) on Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs’ blog a few weeks ago but also saw another version online where the blogger listed more than one book for certain questions so I decided to combine the two.
Best Book (s) You’ve Read In 2024
Little Women by Lousia Mae Alcott and Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne
I know. I know. I went for the classics, but I had never read either of them and ended up loving them both. I started Little Women in December but finished it in 2024, so I am counting it for 2024. I listened to Around the World in 80 Days and maybe it was the narrator that made it so interesting for me, but I really did enjoy it.
Best Sequel You’ve Read In 2024
The Middle Moffat by Eleanor Estes
My daughter and I loved this middle-grade book and, I think, it was the only sequel I read all year so far. It was such a cute book, following the adventures of – well, the middle Moffat, Jane. Her adventures with the Oldest Inhabitant (a 99-year-old Civil War vet) was the cutest part of the book to me. It was also cool that we read the chapter about the Eclipse at the same time the eclipse was happening.
Most anticipated release for the second half of the year?
There are a lot of these (and you can read more of mine here) but for now, I will go with Tracking Tilly by Janice Thompson and I haven’t read it because it actually doesn’t release until August 1.
This one is a mystery that seems pretty cozy so I am looking forward to it.
Here is the description:
Who Stole Tilly from the Auction Block? Breathe in the nostalgia of everything old red truck in book one of a new cozy mystery series. The Hadley family ranch is struggling, so RaeLyn, her parents, and brothers decide to turn the old barn into an antique store. The only thing missing to go with the marketing of the store is Grandpa’s old red truck, Tilly, that was sold several years ago. Now coming back up on the auction block, Tilly would need a lot of work, but RaeLyn is sure it will be worth it—if only she can beat out other bidders and find out who stole Tilly after the auction ends. Hadley finds herself in the role of amateur sleuth, and the outcome could make or break the new family venture.
Biggest disappointment.
I have two for this one:
Hell is Empty: A Walt Longmire Mystery by Craig Johnson
I’ve enjoyed almost all of the Walt Longmire series I’ve read so far but this one was ridiculous and predictable and I was terribly disappointed in it. My husband has suggested I read more books in the series because the rest of them were very good, so I will.
Night Falls on Predicament Avenue by Jaime Jo Wright
This was my first time trying this author and not only was the book repetitive (the woman grew up in a house of death by a cemetery full of death and death was all around her. Yes, got it. Stop repeating it every chapter) but it was extremely, extremely disturbing to me and I didn’t feel it should have been listed under Christian Fiction.
Biggest surprise.
I picked up How To Plan Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin on Netgalley and wasn’t sure what I would think of it but ended up really enjoying it and getting swept up in the twists and turns of this mystery.
Favorite new author. (Debut or new to you)
Isabella Alan would probably be a new favorite for me. Her real name is Amanda Flowers but she writes as Isabella Alan as well and I really enjoyed her book Murder Plainly Read and plan to read more books by her later this year.
Newest fictional crush.
Theo Goodnight in Sharon Peterson’s The Fast Lane. He’s so swoony and sweet and funny and (a small spoiler here!) writes romances that I actually wouldn’t read but we’ll just go back to him being sweet and funny and dreamy.
Here is a little snippet of the book with Theo in it:
Bracing a hand on the table, he leaned close. “I’m beginning to think you don’t know me as well as you think you do.”
My breath caught at the low, gravelly sound of his voice.
He shifted closer, his mouth stopping an inch from my ear. His warm breath on my skin sent a zing of awareness through me. “And I’m definitely not your brother.”
Swoon.
This is a clean romance by the way, so there is a bit of steam, small level of spice but no open door scenes or even medium spice.
Newest favorite character.
I know he isn’t new to others, but he’s new to me: Hercule Poirot. I’ve watched him on TV in the shows, but never realized how savage he was – even more so in the books than the show. The way he slams Hastings, putting him in his place, is just so funny.
From Lord Edgware Dies:
“I have noticed that when we work on a case together, you are always urging me on to physical action, Hastings. You wish me to measure footprints, to analyse cigarette ash, to prostrate myself on my stomach for the examination of detail. You never realize that by lying back in an armchair with the eyes closed one can come nearer to the solution of any problem. One sees then with the eyes of the mind.”
“I don’t,” I said. “When I lie back in an armchair with my eyes closed one thing happens to me and one thing only!”
“I have noticed it!” said Poirot. “It is strange. At such moments the brain should be working feverishly, not sinking into sluggish repose. The mental activity, it is so interesting, so stimulating! The employment of the little grey cells is a mental pleasure. They and they only can be trusted to lead one through fog to the truth…”
Book that made you cry.
Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorensen. ‘
So much of this book was just so sweet and touching. It’s the story of a family who travels to the mother’s grandmother’s former home in the Pennsylvania countryside to try to help the father overcome PTSD. While there they meet a lovely couple, help the couple make maple syrup, meet a man who they thought was weird, but was actually sweet and just grow together as a family. Maybe it is because I am from Pennsylvania that it gave me sentimental feelings, I don’t know, but it really had me teary-eyed.
Book(s) that made you happy.
I’m picking two for this one:
The Cat Who Talked To Ghosts by Lilian Jackson Braun.
This book didn’t make me happy because a side character in the series I’ve been reading since high school was tragically murdered, but because I saw so much more of the main character, Jim Qwilleran’s, personality in this book. There were funny moments and touching moments and it was just such a departure from the other books in the series. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Murder In An Irish Village by Carlene O’Connor
This one was just a fun ride and I really enjoyed learning about Irish culture while also being taken on a journey through an interesting mystery. Plus, I fell in love with the characters.
What books do you want to read by the end of the year?
Here are a list of books I want to read by the end of the year:
The Blue Castle by LM Montgomery (already reading it)
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (because I’ve never read it
Live and Let Chai by Bree Baker (I’ve heard a lot about this one and have it on my Kindle and Audible right now so I am looking forward to it)
The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kipp by Sara Brunsvold (I started this one but it got a bit heavy for me so I would like to finish it)
An Old Fashioned Girl by Louise Mae Alcott
The Cracked Spine by Paige Shelton
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
Are any of these books on your mid-year round-up? Any of them you want to read? Let me know.
It’s time for our Sunday morning chat. On Sundays, I ramble about what’s been going on, whatthe rest of the familyand I have been reading and watching, andwhat I’ve been writing. Some weeks I share what I am listening to.
Can you even believe it is the last day of June? Because I absolutely cannot. June has gone by so fast my head is spinning!
I rambled about my week last week in yesterday’s post where I wrote about swimming and summer and the rain we had all day Saturday
What I/we’ve been Reading
The Women of Wynton’s by Donna Mumma
The Sentence is Death: A Hawthorne & Horowitz Mystery by Anthony Horowitz
The Real James Herriot: A Memoir of My Father by Jim Wight (I have to be honest that this one is a bit boring to me right now so I am not reading it every day)
Return to Gone Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright (a read aloud with Little Miss)
Lord Edgware Dies: A Hercule Poirot Mystery by Agatha Christie
Tracking Tilly by Janice Thompson
The Gardener’s Plot by Deborah J. Benoit
The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes: A Nancy Drew Mystery by Carolyn Keene
The Husband is reading Making It So: A Memoir by Patrick Stewart (he found it on Libby)
The Boy is listening to Soul Hunter by Aaron Dembski-Bowden
What We watched/are Watching
I am making my way through the old Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys show from the 1970s. Why? Yeah…I have no idea but they aren’t as bad as I thought they’d be. I’m even getting to hear some good tunes from Shaun Cassidy. *wink*
Lovejoy. This old show from the 1990s is scratching an itch and I have no idea why. I guess I’m craving old stuff these days.
This video from Under A Tin Roof:
Videos from Just A Few Acres Farm on YouTube.
What I’m Writing
Still working on Gladwynn Grant Shakes the Family Tree and I hope to have it released in the fall. Right now the first two books are on sale on Amazon for $1.99 (ebooks).
Now it’s your turn. What have you been doing, watching, reading, listening to or writing? Let me know in the comments or leave a blog post link if you also write a weekly update like this.
The books for the Apron Strings Book Series keep releasing and this month Cynthia by Jessica Marie Holt was released.
The Apron Strings Book series features books about women in each decade from 1920 to 2020. The characters are connected by one recipe/cookery book, but otherwise the books can be read individually and in any order. My book, Cassie, will be released in August and there are 11 books in all.
Today I am interviewing Jessica about her writing and her book, which was released June 15.
Here is a quick description:
At twenty-two, Cynthia Bailey has had enough family drama to last a lifetime. She loves her small eastern North Carolina town, and longs to settle into a simple, quiet life on her own . . . or maybe with Tucker, the boy next door who won’t stop asking her to marry him. Unfortunately, Momma’s wild ways have a tendency of throwing monkey wrenches into Cynthia’s plans. Besides, without Cynthia there to keep constant watch over her, Momma is certain to get herself into real trouble.
Cynthia has one respite from her problems: Granny Tru’s farm. Momma doesn’t like her going there, as she left Granny and farm life behind long ago and expects Cynthia to do the same. But she doesn’t dare say much, because if there’s anyone more strong-willed and determined than Momma, it’s Granny.
Cynthia secretly wishes everyone would just get along. But Momma and Granny are worlds apart, with bitterness, family secrets, and tragedies between them. It all seems hopeless until, tired of Momma’s frozen TV dinners, Cynthia asks Granny True for help learning to cook. When Granny gives her a vintage cookbook she acquired from a used book shop, she finds much more than cooking lessons. She finds faith, hope, and a way back to healing for her family.
See the bottom of this post for a link to the book.
1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I’m a mom of five, although two of my little birds are grown and have flown the nest. I homeschool my three younger kids. We have two dogs, Jack and Daisy, and two cats, Milo and Whiskey. We also have a hamster named Taco. I grew up in South Florida, but I currently live in central/eastern North Carolina. I absolutely love it here; it has inspired so much of my writing.
I have been writing almost all my life, but I have only been published since 2018, when I dusted off a short story I’d written 20 years earlier and made being a writer official.
2. What is your latest book about? Who are the main characters and when and where does it take place?
My latest book, Cynthia, is part of an amazing multi-author series called Apron Strings. Each book is set in a different decade, and each main character is from a different place and a different walk of life. The stories are tied together by one cookbook from the 1920s.
My book, Cynthia, takes place in the 1970s. Cynthia is a sweet 22-year-old girl who is caught between two very different generations—Momma’s and Granny Tru’s. She’s also caught between a rock and a hard place. She wants to move on with her life and find her place in the world, but she’s stuck. She lives at home with Momma, whose wild ways make it difficult for Cynthia to start a new life on her own—or with Tucker, the boy next door who won’t stop asking her to marry him.
3. What is the overarching message of your latest book?
Mainly, Cynthia is a story about finding the courage to let go and move forward. In one way or another, each of the three women in the story, Cynthia, Momma, and Granny, are struggling with the past and finding it hard to let go and move on.
In our doubt and fear, we often tend to try and hold on to people we love—to manage them or rescue them or control the outcomes of their choices. We do this to protect them, and to keep ourselves from getting hurt. But this kind of “help” isn’t really helpful. At some point, we need to learn to let people go and be at peace. After all, God loves them more than we do, and he’s in control.
4. Did you learn anything about writing or yourself as you were writing the book?
This was a healing story for me. I found a little bit of courage and clarity when I wrote it.
5. Where can readers find out more about you and your projects?
This week the topic is: Top Ten Tuesday Anticipated books for the second half of 2024.
This one is hard for me because I read a lot of older books and because I am always behind on finding out about new releases, even though I am on Netgalley. I don’t have ten books here, but I have seven, and many of these I either have an ARC of (through Netgalley) or hope to get ARC copies of. I also haven’t read books by most of these authors yet, but the plots sound good or I have heard a lot about them.
1. The Gardener’s Plot by Deborah J. Benoit (November 5)
I was approved for this ARC and it looks very good.
Description:
A woman helps set up a community garden in the Berkshires, only to find a body in one of the plots on opening day.
After life threw Maggie Walker a few curveballs, she’s happy to be back in the small, Berkshires town where she spent so much time as a child. Marlowe holds many memories for her, and now it also offers a fresh start. Maggie has always loved gardening, so it’s only natural to sign on to help Violet Bloom set up a community garden.
When opening day arrives, Violet is nowhere to be found, and the gardeners are restless. Things go from bad to worse when Maggie finds a boot buried in one of the plots… and there’s a body attached to it. Suddenly, the police are looking for a killer and they keep asking questions about Violet. Maggie doesn’t believe her friend could do this, and she’s going to dig up the dirt needed to prove it.
The Gardener’s Plot takes readers to the heart of the Berkshires and introduces amateur sleuth Maggie Walker in Deborah J. Benoit’s Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award-winning debut.
2. The Author’s Guide to Murder by Beatriz Williams; Lauren Willig; Karen White (November 5)
This just sounded very good to me. I have not been approved for the ARC, but I’ll read it eventually.
Agatha Christie meets Murder, She Wrote in this witty locked room mystery and literary satire by New York Times bestselling team of novelists: Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White.
There’s been a sensational murder at historic Castle Kinloch, a gothic fantasy of grey granite on a remote island in the Highlands of Scotland. Literary superstar Brett Saffron Presley has been found dead—under bizarre circumstances—in the castle tower’s book-lined study. Years ago, Presley purchased the castle as a showpiece for his brand and to lure paying guests with a taste for writerly glamour. Now it seems, the castle has done him in…or, possibly, one of the castle’s guests has. Detective Chief Inspector Euan McIntosh, a local with no love for literary Americans, finds himself with the unenviable task of extracting statements from three American lady novelists.
The prime suspects are Kat de Noir, a slinky erotica writer; Cassie Pringle, a Southern mom of six juggling multiple cozy mystery series; and Emma Endicott, a New England blue blood and author of critically acclaimed historical fiction. The women claim to be best friends writing a book together, but the authors’ stories about how they know Brett Saffron Presley don’t quite line up, and the detective is getting increasingly suspicious.
Why did the authors really come to Castle Kinloch? And what really happened the night of the great Kinloch ceilidh, when Brett Saffron Presley skipped the folk dancing for a rendezvous with death?
A crafty locked-room mystery, a pointed satire about the literary world, and a tale of unexpected friendship and romance—this novel has it all, as only three bestselling authors can tell it!
3. Murder, She Wrote: A Killer Christmas by Jessica Fletcher; Terrie Farley Moran (October 8, 2024)
I have never read one of these but I’ve heard good things about them. I may end up hating it. Ha!
Description:
It’s Christmastime in Cabot Cove, but there’s more homicide than ho-ho-ho in the newest entry in the USA Today bestselling Murder, She Wrote series.
Christmas is not an easy time to sell a house, but in Boston tycoon John Bragdon, Cabot Cove Realtor Eve Simpson has found a buyer for the old Jarvis homestead. Unfortunately, Eve gets a lump of coal in her stocking in the form of Kenny Jarvis, who has been missing for years and presumed dead but has now come back to stop his sister from selling their childhood home.
Eve presses on, organizing a welcome dinner for Bragdon and his wife, Marlene, to meet the leading citizens of the town, including Jessica Fletcher. Dinner is interrupted by an uninvited guest—not Santa but Kenny, who threateningly promises Marlene she will never live in his house.
When Marlene is found dead a few days later, Kenny is the natural suspect. But Jessica isn′t so sure he′s on the naughty list . . .
4. Tracking Tilly by Janice Thompson (August 1)
I just received my approval for this ARC and I am looking forward to it!
Description:
Who Stole Tilly from the Auction Block? Breathe in the nostalgia of everything old red truck in book one of a new cozy mystery series. The Hadley family ranch is struggling, so RaeLyn, her parents, and brothers decide to turn the old barn into an antique store. The only thing missing to go with the marketing of the store is Grandpa’s old red truck, Tilly, that was sold several years ago. Now coming back up on the auction block, Tilly would need a lot of work, but RaeLyn is sure it will be worth it—if only she can beat out other bidders and find out who stole Tilly after the auction ends. Hadley finds herself in the role of amateur sleuth, and the outcome could make or break the new family venture.
5. Queen of Hearts: A Gripping Psychological Thriller with a Twist by Heather Day Gilbert (July 23)
I may regret it because this is not really the genre of books I read, but I was approved this morning for this ARC.
Her readers love her…but one has gotten a little too attached.
Alexandra Dubois, a NYT bestselling author, has made a name for herself by crafting twisted serial killers in her romantic suspense series. When threatening notes from an “invested reader” escalate into violence, Alex has to admit she’s not safe in her own home. Although her autism makes any changes to her routine difficult, she reluctantly accepts her editor’s advice to fly to his sprawling vacation home in West Virginia so she can focus on her looming deadline.
Fighting paranoia that the stalker has discovered her mountain hideaway, Alex still forces herself to write several chapters in her novel. But when a thunderstorm leaves her stranded and she hears a knock at her door, she’s about to discover that life truly is stranger than fiction.
Fans of Alfred Hitchcock, Mary Higgins Clark, and Misery are sure to be hooked by this clean, fast-paced domestic thriller by RWA Daphne Award-winning author Heather Day Gilbert.
6. The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne (Sept. 3)
I’ve always wanted to read some of A.A. Milne’s work beyond Winnie The Pooh. I know I’ve read that it drove him nuts that Winnie The Pooh took off and none of his more serious work.
A classic Golden Age locked-room cozy mystery by the author of Winnie-the-Pooh — hailed as one of the “20 Best Classic Murder Mystery Books of All Time (Town & Country, 2023)
“Has the pacing equivalent of perfect pitch . . . and spiced with funny comments on the clichés of the mystery novel” — Molly Young, The New York Times (2024)
In a quaint English country house, the exuberant Mark Ablett has been entertaining a house party, but the festivities are rudely interrupted by the arrival of Mark’s wayward brother, Robert, home from Austalia. Even worse, not long after his arrival the long-lost brother is found dead, shot through the head, and Mark is nowhere to be found. It is up to amateur detective Tony Gillingham and his pal Bill to investigate.
Between games of billiards and bowls, the taking of tea and other genteel pursuits, Tony and Bill attempt to crack the perplexing case of their host’s disappearance and its connection to the mysterious shooting. Can the pair of sleuths solve the Red House mystery in time for their afternoon game of croquet?
The Red House Mystery marked Milne’s first and final venture into the detective genre, despite the book’s immediate success. Praised by Raymond Chandler and renowned critic Alexander Woolcott, this gem of classic Golden Age crime sparkles with witty dialogue, an intriguing cast of characters, and a brilliant plot.
7. Sticks and Scones: A Bakeshop Mystery by Ellie Alexander (August 20)
I have read one of the others in this series so this one might need to wait for me but I hope to read it eventually anyhow.
Another delicious installment in the Bakeshop Series set in Ashland, OR!
It’s late spring in Juliet’s charming hamlet of Ashland. Spotted deer are nibbling on lush green grasses in Lithia Park, the Japanese maples are blooming, and Torte is baking a bevy of spring delights—lemon curd cupcakes, mini coconut cream pies, grapefruit tartlets, and chocolate dipped almond Tuiles.
Meanwhile, Juliet’s friend Lance, the artistic director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, is taking center stage with his new theater troupe—the Fair Verona Players. Their performance in Uva’s vineyard promises to be a modern, gender-bending twist on “The Taming of the Shrew,” but as the curtain rises, so do the strange occurrences. Stage mishaps and internal bickering threaten to derail the production. But the real show begins when the leading actor, Jimmy Paxton, meets his final curtain call. Now, Jules is not only in the mix, but she’s going to need to craft the perfect recipe for solving this theatrical whodunit.
What books are on your list for the most anticipated books for the second half of the year? Let me know in the comments.
It’s time for our Sunday morning chat. On Sundays, I ramble about what’s been going on, whatthe rest of the familyand I have been reading and watching, andwhat I’ve been writing. Some weeks I share what I am listening to.
As I wrote in my post yesterday, we have been in the middle of the heat wave like a lot of our country. Yesterday we visited my parents and found out Dad had been able to work on the pool and we could go for a swim.
So, Little Miss and I jumped in for a couple of hours, during which time I was reminded how out of shape I am and that my knee I smashed up three weeks ago is not completely healed yet. It is, however, much, much better.
On our way home a storm started to move in and this time, unlike Friday, the storm was an actual storm and dropped some rain on us and dropped the temps down into normal range for summer in Pennsylvania. It looks like we will have nicer temps this week. I never thought I’d be glad to see highs of 81 in the forecast.
High temps make me very sick so I hide inside a lot in the summer. Usually even seeing a high of 80 makes me antsy but the horrible heat showed me that 80 isn’t that bad after all.
What I/we’ve been Reading
Lake Wobegon Days by Garrison Keillor
The Sentence Is Death by Anthony Horowitz
The Real James Herriot: A Memoir of My Father by Jim Wight
Return To Gone Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright (reading with Little Miss)
I set Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery aside for now but will get back to it.
Lord Edgware Dies: A Hercule Poirot Mystery by Agatha Christie
Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne
I listened to the majority of this on Audible and really enjoyed it. I really wanted to know the ending, though, so before bed last night I opened the book on my kindle since I can read faster that the narrator could read. I think I will go back and listen to the ending on Audible simply because I liked the narrator (David Colacci) so much.
The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipesby Carolyn Keene
Ever Faithfulby Karen Barnett
Dandelion Cottageby Carol Watson Rankin
The Blue Castleby L.M. Montgomery
What We watched/are Watching
I’ve been watching the old 1970s Nancy Drew/Hard Boys show on YouTube, but I think it is also streaming on the Roku Channel.
The Husband made me watch a rerun of Jake And The Fat Man. I’m slightly scarred from it, but also the person who uploaded it to YouTube didn’t finish the episode, so I am traumatized and victimized because I don’t know how the episode ended – though they pretty much had their man already.
I made The Husband watch a movie of Diagnosis Murder that we found on YouTube after I saw a clip of the show earlier this week. I never watched it when it was on the air and I think I know why. The show stars Dick VanDyke and his son Barry and it’s okay but there are some seriously ridiculous elements to it. It is more of a cozy mystery show than anything hard hitting so I guess it is okay to have some ridiculousness.
I’m not sure I will watch more episodes.
I also watched a lot of Just A Few Acres Farm this past week and really enjoyed it. It was so wonderfully relaxing.
What I’m Writing
Gladwynn Grant Shakes The Family Tree – the third book in my cozy mystery series, which will release in autumn. If you’re not signed up for my newsletter, you might want to do so because I will be offering sneak peeks and actual chapters of the book later this summer.
I am also getting ready to release a Christian fiction romance in August – Cassie, which is part of the Apron Strings Book series .. written by 11 different authors. You can pre-order here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D1VW9TVK
I just finished listening to Around the World in 80 Days on audio, as I mentioned above, and really enjoyed it.
I am also listening to Matthew West because I have been anxious and his music calms me down. In the beginning of June, I drove my son somewhere and said to myself on the way back that I really wanted to listen to Matthew. I said it to myself. I didn’t get the songs ready to play before I pulled out yet.
My mind was just swirling with worries. I had my phone in my hand but hadn’t found the album yet in my music library. Suddenly music started playing and when I looked at my phone it was Matthew West. It was a crazy moment and I think God was like, “you need this, and I can’t wait around for you to do it.”
Now it’s your turn
Now it’s your turn. What have you been doing, watching, reading, listening to or writing? Let me know in the comments or leave a blog post link if you also write a weekly update like this.
This week we are supposed to list ten books that are on our book wish list. Some people are buying for each other but you don’t need to do that. I’m just leaving links for anyone who might want to add these books to their lists too.
This one was a bit hard because I have a lot of books on my wish list but some of them are by authors I haven’t tried yet so I could end up hating them. Ha! For now, though, this is my wish list.
Description: This exclusive authorized edition from the Queen of Mystery gathers together in one magnificent volume all of Agatha Christie’s short stories featuring her beloved intrepid investigator, Miss Marple. It’s an unparalleled compendium of murder, mayhem, mystery, and detection that represents some of the finest short form fiction in the crime fiction field, and is an essential omnibus for Christie fans.
Described by her friend Dolly Bantry as “the typical old maid of fiction,” Miss Marple has lived almost her entire life in the sleepy hamlet of St. Mary Mead. Yet, by observing village life she has gained an unparalleled insight into human nature—and used it to devastating effect. As her friend Sir Henry Clithering, the ex-Commissioner of Scotland Yard, has been heard to say: “She’s just the finest detective God ever made”—and many Agatha Christie fans would agree.)
Why It’s On My Wish List:
I read my first Miss Marple book, the first in the series actually, Murder At The Vicarage last year and enjoyed it. I would love to read a selection of short stories about her so I put this on my wish list.
Miss Jane Marple is such a funny, quirky character. I love how she is just taking everything in and filing it all away so she can just solve it all in the end. All the while, though, everyone else in the book thinks she’s just off her rocker.
Taking a curtain call with a live snake in her wig…
Cavorting naked through the Warwickshire countryside painted green…
Acting opposite a child with a pumpkin on his head…
These are just a few of the things Dame Judi Dench has done in the name of Shakespeare.
For the very first time, Judi opens up about every Shakespearean role she has played throughout her seven-decade career, from Lady Macbeth and Titania to Ophelia and Cleopatra. In a series of intimate conversations with actor & director Brendan O’Hea, she guides us through Shakespeare’s plays with incisive clarity, revealing the secrets of her rehearsal process and inviting us to share in her triumphs, disasters, and backstage shenanigans.
Interspersed with vignettes on audiences, critics, company spirit and rehearsal room etiquette, she serves up priceless revelations on everything from the craft of speaking in verse to her personal interpretations of some of Shakespeare’s most famous scenes, all brightened by her mischievous sense of humour, striking level of honesty and a peppering of hilarious anecdotes, many of which have remained under lock and key until now.
Instructive and witty, provocative and inspiring, this is ultimately Judi’s love letter to Shakespeare, or rather, The Man Who Pays The Rent.)
Why It’s On My Wish List:
I don’t read a ton of non-fiction but I heard about this book shortly after I saw Judi Dench recite a Shakespeare sonet from memory on the Graham Norton Show. Her relationship with the bard is a deep one and I think if anyone could write about him and his relationship to her life and make it interesting, she could
When a man is poisoned by tea, Charleston shop owner Theodosia Browning must prove her innocence and track down the real killer…before someone else takes their last sip.
Meet Theodosia Browning, owner of Charleston’s beloved Indigo Tea Shop. Patrons love her blend of delicious tea tastings and Southern hospitality. And Theo enjoys the full-bodied flavor of a town steeped in history—and mystery.
It’s tea for two hundred or so at the annual historical homes garden party. Theodosia, as event caterer, is busy serving steaming teas and blackberry scones while guests sing her praises. But the sweet smell of success turns to suspense when an esteemed guest is found dead—his hand clutching an empty teacup. Trouble is brewing, and all eyes are on Theo….
Why It’s On My Wish List:
I can’t remember where this one was recommended, but I believe it was in a cozy mystery forum I am in on Facebook. This looks like a super cozy which is my favorite so I am really looking forward to it.
When a body turns up on the boardwalk outside Everly Swan’s iced tea shop and café, she becomes the number one suspect in a murder case. Can she bag the culprit, prove her innocence, and dish up the real killer before it’s too late?
Hitting All the sweet-tea spots, this series is:
A delightful Tea Shop and Café Culinary Mystery
The ideal cozy beach read
Perfect for fans of Laura Childs and Kate Carlisle
Life hasn’t been so sweet for Everly Swan over the past couple of years, but now she’s back in her seaside hometown of Charm, North Carolina. The proud new owner of Sun, Sand, and Tea―a café right on the beach―Everly thinks that things are finally starting to look up. Until a grouchy customer turns up dead on the boardwalk with a jar of one of her specialty teas lying right next to him! When an autopsy reports poison in his system, things don’t look good for Everly or her tea shop.
As the townspeople of Charm, formerly so welcoming and homey, turn their back on Everly, she fights to dig up clues about who could have had it in for the former town councilman. With the maddeningly handsome Detective Grady Hays discouraging her from uncovering leads and a series of anonymous attacks on Everly and her tea shop, it will take everything she’s got to keep this murder mystery from boiling over.
Why It’s on My Wish List:
I have heard so much about this modern cozy mystery series that I just knew it was time for me to give a try. I have watched YouTube videos on it and seen it recommended several places, including on Facebook, blogs, Instagram and on TikTok during my very brief visit there. I’m looking forward to delving into this one – maybe later this summer.
Description: Partly autobiographical, this is the second title in Judith Kerr’s internationally acclaimed trilogy of books following the life of Anna through war-torn Germany, to London during the Blitz and her return to Berlin to discover the past.
Why It’s On My Wish List:
I read the first book in this middle grade series – When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit – last year and was blown away by the subtle beauty of it. The story is geared toward younger children but there are definitely adult themes within the pages. I am hoping to continue …. ‘s story and find out how her family continued their lives after being forced to leave Germany.
James Herriot’s timeless, heartwarming, and perceptive stories about animals and people have charmed millions of readers around the world, and millions more have watched the popular PBS series All Creatures Great and Small, which is based on his four books. The Wonderful World of James Herriot excerpts the best of his stories to shape the larger tale of his life, his family, and his world, illustrated with evocative drawings and family photographs, including a special introduction written by his two children Rosie Page and Jim Wight.
With astute observations and boundless humor, Herriot captures the spirit of the Yorkshire Dales and of rural communities on the cusp of change, before tractors and machines had taken over and modern medicines and antibiotics transformed veterinary work. Herriot’s unforgettable portraits of farm animals and the people he served as a country veterinarian are moving, dramatic, warm, touching, and profound. This beautiful book is the perfect gift for Herriot readers of all ages.
Why It’s on My Wish List: I have loved reading through the books by James Herriott and watching the two TV series based on his life. Seeing that there is another, very pretty, book with his stories and some photos in it related to him was very exciting to me. I would love to escape into its pages.
Description: No one was more surprised than Andrew Klavan when, at the age of fifty, he found himself about to be baptized. The Great Good Thing tells the soul-searching story of a man born into an age of disbelief who had to abandon everything he thought he knew in order to find his way to the truth.
Best known for his hard-boiled, white-knuckle thrillers and for the movies made from them–among them True Crime and Don’t Say a Word–bestselling author and Edgar Award-winner Klavan was born in a suburban Jewish enclave outside New York City.
He left the faith of his childhood behind to live most of his life as an agnostic until he found himself mulling over the hard questions that so many other believers have asked:
How can I be certain in my faith?
What’s the truth, and how can I know it’s the truth?
How can you think, live, and make choices and judgments day by day if you don’t know for sure?
In The Great Good Thing, Klavan shares that his troubled childhood caused him to live inside the stories in his head and grow up to become an alienated young writer whose disconnection and rage devolved into depression and suicidal breakdown.
In those years, Klavan fought to ignore the insistent call of God, a call glimpsed in a childhood Christmas at the home of a beloved babysitter, in a transcendent moment at his daughter’s birth, and in a snippet of a baseball game broadcast that moved him from the brink of suicide. But more than anything, the call of God existed in stories–the stories Klavan loved to read and the stories he loved to write.
Join Klavan as he discovers the meaning of belief, the importance of asking tough questions, and the power of sharing your story.
Why it’s on my wishlist:
I am very fascinated with the connection between Judaism and Christianity and having heard Klavan speak about this in a short video, I would like to know the full story.
Description: Meet the Moffats. There is Sylvie, the oldest, the cleverest, and-most days at least-the responsible one; Joey, who though only twelve is the man of the house…sometimes; Janey, who has a terrific upside-down way of looking at the world; and Rufus, who may be the littlest but always gets in the biggest trouble. Even the most ordinary Moffat day is packed with extraordinary fun. Only a Moffat could get locked in a bread box all afternoon, or dance with a dog in front of the whole town, or hitch a ride on a boxcar during kindergarten recess. And only a Moffat could turn mistakes and mischief into hilarious one-of-a-kind adventure.
Why It’s on My List:
My daughter and I read The Middle Moffat a couple of months ago and really enjoyed it so now I want to go back to the beginning of the series.
Description: From L.M. Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables, comes another beloved classic and an unforgettable story of courage and romance.
Valancy Stirling is 29 and has never been in love. She’s spent her entire life on a quiet little street in an ugly little house and never dared to contradict her domineering mother and her unforgiving aunt. But one day she receives a shocking, life-altering letter―and decides then and there that everything needs to change. For the first time in her life, she does exactly what she wants to and says exactly what she feels.
At first her family thinks she’s gone around the bend. But soon Valancy discovers more surprises and adventure than she ever thought possible. She also finds her one true love and the real-life version of the Blue Castle that she was sure only existed in her dreams…
Why It’s on My List:
I’ve heard a lot about this book and simply wanted to try something by L.M. Montgomery other than the Anne of Green Gables books.
A bold, heartfelt tale of life at Green Gables . . . before Anne: A marvelously entertaining and moving historical novel, set in rural Prince Edward Island in the nineteenth century, that imagines the young life of spinster Marilla Cuthbert, and the choices that will open her life to the possibility of heartbreak—and unimaginable greatness.
Plucky and ambitious, Marilla Cuthbert is thirteen years old when her world is turned upside down. Her beloved mother dies in childbirth, and Marilla suddenly must bear the responsibilities of a farm wife: cooking, sewing, keeping house, and overseeing the day-to-day life of Green Gables with her brother, Matthew and father, Hugh.
In Avonlea—a small, tight-knit farming town on a remote island—life holds few options for farm girls. Her one connection to the wider world is Aunt Elizabeth “Izzy” Johnson, her mother’s sister, who managed to escape from Avonlea to the bustling city of St. Catharines. An opinionated spinster, Aunt Izzy’s talent as a seamstress has allowed her to build a thriving business and make her own way in the world.
Emboldened by her aunt, Marilla dares to venture beyond the safety of Green Gables and discovers new friends and new opportunities. Joining the Ladies Aid Society, she raises funds for an orphanage run by the Sisters of Charity in nearby Nova Scotia that secretly serves as a way station for runaway slaves from America. Her budding romance with John Blythe, the charming son of a neighbor, offers her a possibility of future happiness—Marilla is in no rush to trade one farm life for another. She soon finds herself caught up in the dangerous work of politics, and abolition—jeopardizing all she cherishes, including her bond with her dearest John Blythe. Now Marilla must face a reckoning between her dreams of making a difference in the wider world and the small-town reality of life at Green Gables.
Why It’s on My List
Continuing my love for all things Anne of Green Gables (or most things), I thought this would be a fun book to read, even though it isn’t written by L.M. Montgomery.
It’s time for our Sunday morning chat. On Sundays (yes I did post this on Saturday night this week), I ramble about what’s been going on, whatthe rest of the familyand I have been reading and watching, andwhat I’ve been writing. Some weeks I share what I am listening to.
Yesterday I shared in my Saturday blog post that I was in the ER on Monday. I am doing fine now and long story short is my heart felt like it was flipping/skipping for more than 12 hours but because I’ve had this feeling off and on for years (and been checked for it), I delayed going. As it has been in the past, I was told my heart was fine. I don’t know why the skipping feeling was happening and kept happening over and over again and the doctor who was there didn’t either but by Thursday it had stopped for the most part and by Friday it was all the way gone.
I am now thinking it was related to a muscle twitch in my chest caused by – well, who knows. A possible autoimmune condition and just the fact I am over weight (just started an exercise plan and a new way of eating so maybe I strained something)? Who knows.
If you want to read more about my weird and stressful week, you can catch up on that post.
Today, though, I will share that after all of that, I was carrying in groceries yesterday, tripped over a curb in our sidewalk, went flying, and injured my knee. Yesterday I spent half the day with it propped up and frozen veggies on it.
This is where I would like to announce that I will be encasing myself in bubble wrap for the foreseeable future but I really don’t know if that is practical or financially wise.
What I/we’ve been Reading
Currently:
The Real James Herriot by Jim Wight
and
Death At A Scottish Christmas
and
The Women of Wyntons by Donna Mumma (I forgot I had started this one! Whoops! It is for a book tour and it’s good so far.)
So I started the Jim Wight biography of his father Alf (James Herriott is his pen name), but decided it was a little bit dry. I still want to read it but I feel like I’ll need a bit to break up the slower pace, which is why I started Death At a Scottish Christmas by Lucy Connolly. It turns out it was just what I needed to have a little bit of a fun read in addition to more of a educational read.
Just Finished:
I finished The Fast Lane by Sharon Peterson, a fun romantic comedy last week. It comes out June 25. I am behind on reviews, but hope to have one up for this soon. It was a silly, sweet book with a few parts that started to drag but then picked right back up again. I would recommend it for romance fans. I don’t read a lot of romance books but when I do I like Sharon’s, ones by Bethany Turner, and others by Becky Wade.
Soon to be read:
A Line To Kill by Anthony Horowitz
An Assassination on the Agenda by T.E. Kinsey
The Deeds of the Deceitful by Ellery Adams and Tina Radcliff
LIttle Miss and I are reading Return to Gone Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright.
The Boy is reading a War Hammer book that I forgot the name of (he’s at a friend’s house and I don’t want to bug him and ask).
The Husband is reading With A Mind to Kill by Anthony Horowitz
What We watched/are Watching
I watched the last two episodes of the fourth season of All Creatures Great and Small on Thursday and Friday and had a good cry, which was a nice release after the week I had.
I also watched some episodes of The Dick VanDyke Show this week.
Last night The Husband and I watched The Rockford Files.
What I’m Writing
I am working on book three of the Gladwynn Grant Mysteries. I can’t wait to share it with you! I’m having fun!
What I’m Listening to
I am listening to Around the World in 80 Days on Audible. Yes, I’ve been listening to it a long time but I haven’t had a lot of time to sit and listen to it. I am really enjoying it and I would have given up and just read the book except I am really enjoying the narrator.
Photos from Last Week
Now it’s your turn
Now it’s your turn. What have you been doing, watching, reading, listening to or writing? Let me know in the comments or leave a blog post link if you also write a weekly update like this.
