Litsy

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I struggle with this series, and yet the cupcakes keep me coming back. This is book 7–some this far have been good, others not so much. This one I really did not like.

This one focuses more on the personal lives of Mel and Angie rather than the mystery. A woman who looks like Angie is killed at a zombie walk. It‘s pretty obvious Angie was the target (it‘s related to an ongoing situation from the prior 2 books…I‘m going to be as spoiler free ⬇️⬇️

Librarybelle ⬆️⬆️⬆️ as possible) and yet both Angie and Mel basically deny this. They are independent women (and Mel at one point refers to herself as a liberated woman) who do not need help or protection. Except… they do. I‘m an independent woman, and I certainly know if someone in the mafia was clearly out to get me I would listen to law enforcement and my family and stay safe. I‘m not sure if their obtuseness and blatant disregard for loved ones‘ concerns.. now

Librarybelle …is supposed to be a highlighted strength for independent women, as portrayed in this book, or if it‘s a caution that independent women can be obstinate. It left me feeling very disgruntled and yelling at my phone as Susan Boyce reads the story on audio. Yes, it‘s a cozy mystery, so amateur sleuths are known to do silly and dangerous things. But, this just crosses the line. There are other things too that drove me nuts with Mel and Angie. ⬇️⬇️⬇️ (edited) now

Librarybelle ⬆️⬆️⬆️ It‘s fine to be frustrated that people are hovering, but it‘s also not cool to drag people into danger. Sigh…I have the rest of the series on audio, so I will continue to listen (I do like the cupcake talk), but this one was just too much. Disclaimer: My threshold for people‘s poor behavior is pretty low right now given the world‘s issues, so this may play a part in my feelings for this. 🤷🏻‍♀️ now

Librarybelle #LitsyAToZ #LetterD @Texreader now

4 likes4 comments

xicanti

Birding with Benefits: A Novel | Sarah T. Dubb

This week‘s small library haul, plus a guide to the Châteaux of the Loire I found at the thrift store. BIRDING WITH BENEFITS is the last #AuldLangSpine title I‘ll be able to source before month‘s end, but I probably won‘t get to it until early February. HEAVENLY TYRANT is a long-awaited sequel, while the other two were impulse grabs off the shelf. I‘ve wanted to reread ORANGE for ages now, and I‘m excited to read more plays this year.

39 likes

Librarybelle

Sugar and Iced | Jenn McKinlay

pick

A beauty pageant asks for the bakery to make cupcakes for the pageant, and once again Mel and Angie are involved in a murder investigation. This one was better than some of the previous in the series, and I‘m always interested in the cupcakes (but not some of the concoctions created by the pageant participants…yuck).

Mel also has a pretty big life decision to make in this one.

Good listen! #LitsyAtoZ #LetterS #52BookClub25 #APunInTheTitle

Texreader

67 likes

Librarybelle

Going, Going, Ganache | Jenn McKinlay

pick

When a magazine photo shoot goes wrong, Angie and Mel are forced to bake cupcakes with the magazine staff. There‘s a lot of drama in this one, and it‘s not just the murder! Good listen and story, though I‘m now a bit exasperated with Mel. 😂

47 likes1 stack add

TracyReadsBooks

Sulfur Springs: A Novel | William Kent Krueger

pick

This one finds Cork O‘Conner traveling to Arizona after his new wife gets a frantic call from her son. What they find are secrets & lies, a porous border where trouble between drug cartels, vigilante border patrol groups & those trying to keep a low profile as they help undocumented immigrants is brewing, & a past that Cork‘s wife would have preferred to forget about. Solid, although not my fav in the series, story & a good read.

19 likes

TracyReadsBooks

Sulfur Springs: A Novel | William Kent Krueger

Managed to go a week or two without reading a Cork O‘Conner book. I‘m almost caught up on the series so trying to take my time with the last few…

21 likes

peanutnine

Birding with Benefits: A Novel | Sarah T. Dubb

November Fiction #ReadingBracket2024
It was difficult to pick my favorite this month. I read a few really unique romances

30 likes

Blueberry

The 27-Ingredient Chili Con Carne Murders: A Eugenia Potter Mystery | Nancy Pickard, Virginia Rich

#DaysDevotedto... #Soup

@Eggs
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Eggs Excellent 👌🏼 2mo

Blueroseis For some reason Amazon UK is charging £24.20 for this book but eBay has brand new copies for £7.99
I may be tempted to get s copy at that price. 2mo

44 likes1 stack add2 comments

Robotswithpersonality

Dinosaurs | LYDIA. MILLET

pick

I hesitate to mention A Man Called Ove, because there's less concrete plot pieces in common, more a vibe. Gil is a man who is slowly recovering from a bad break up, not the death of his wife, and he's less a crabby old guy than an independently wealthy middle-aged man trying to feel he's doing something worthwhile. 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? His wealth and how people react to it is a topic discussed, but it's less the way the narrative is propelled (no poor-little-rich-boy angle), and more something of a convenient plot device. The story can focus on Gil meeting his neighbours and those he interacts with when volunteering because it's not focused on his need to have a job. 2mo

Robotswithpersonality 3/? In a larger, busier book, maybe the story could be reframed to include him working for a living, but the intimate scale works, as does the motivation of Gil constantly looking to help. People's flaws and the ugly and random things that can happen are not shied away from, but there's a current of strength and warmth that I enjoyed. I like to think it's a well-written case for UBI. 2mo

Robotswithpersonality 4/? What might we do if we had the time outside work? And furthermore how valuable a person's time and caring is, even above their ability to contribute funds. It's Gil taking an interest, taking action, that makes the biggest differences to his friends/found-family. While he's encountered people that want to use him for money, it's the people in his life currently that appreciate him so much more for what he does because he cares. 2mo

See All 6 Comments

Robotswithpersonality 5/5 It's becoming very clear I am partial to any books that take time to speak about birds; there is at least one significant plot point involving them in this book, but I think any space made for idle appreciation of feathered friends improves my opinion of a book. 😊 There's a thinner thread of environmental awareness also wound through the book, I think the sentiment is best expressed by the bird passages. ⚠️ animal death, bullying (edited) 2mo

Texreader Amazing review! 2mo

Robotswithpersonality @Texreader Thanks! Hope you like it! 2mo

14 likes2 stack adds6 comments

Robotswithpersonality

Dinosaurs | LYDIA. MILLET

Hummingbird type: jewel 💎

10 likes1 stack add

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