teaser

Fun in Beaches, Bungalows & Burglaries

Many cozy mystery series begin with the sleuth inheriting a store or home, sometimes from a previously unknown relative, so that she is able to fulfill her dream of opening a book store, bakery, bed and breakfast, etc. In Beaches, Bungalows & Burglaries, the opposite happens. Protagonist Mae West’s husband has defrauded people out of millions of dollars. He is in prison and the FBI have ceased all of his assets, so that all Mae is left with is a little RV park that she never knew he owned. And… spoiler alert… it is not in the kind of shape it was back in its heyday.

Fun in Beaches, Bungalows & Burglaries Read More ยป

Excerpt from Hatchett

I am reading the Newbery Award-winning Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. I’ve always liked survival stories, especially when they involve kids/teens. The book is set in Canada, which is an added bonus, and I didn’t realize that it is the first in a series (The Brian Saga). Despite the fact that this is an award-winner, I have found the writing to be weak in a few places. The plot and the survival techniques are solid. Pacing is reasonably good. Lots of exciting disasters. All of the basic stuff you look for in a survival novel are here.

Excerpt from Hatchett Read More ยป

Excerpt from The Chemist

This isn’t my first time reading The Chemist, by Stephanie Meyer, but I don’t remember a lot of it from the first time, and I am enjoying it quite a bit. I didn’t remember there were so many great tongue-in-cheek comments and dry humour. Alex is a great character and there is a lot of… chemistry… between her and Kevin.

Excerpt from The Chemist Read More ยป

Excerpt from The Reckoning

I have been reading The Reckoning, by John Grisham. I generally like Grishamโ€”at least his legal thrillersโ€”but this one has some issues. The first part discusses the murder and outcome. The second part delves back into the past and spends half of the book detailing all of Pete Banning’s experiences in the second world war, where he served in the Philippines. All of the relevant backstory was given in part one and the second part really doesn’t contribute anything to the plot or the reader’s understanding of the crime.

Excerpt from The Reckoning Read More ยป

Excerpt from What if?

After much consideration, I have decided to go with What if? I don’t do a lot of non-fiction teasers here, but I love xkcd, and after the first few entries in What if? I can say that his humor and brilliance flow through in these Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions.

Excerpt from What if? Read More ยป

Excerpt from Dangerous Minds

Right now, I am reading Dangerous Minds by Janet Evanovich. It is the second book in the Knight and Moon series, and I have actually read the first one as well. I love the characters in this book. Evanovich writes lots of fun, quirky characters, and does not disappoint in this series. We’ve got an eccentric billionaire and the practical woman who tires without success to keep him stable and down to earth. There is a monk who has lost his island, and the billionaire’s cousin, a hanger-on who is eccentric in his own rite. Put it together with an international threat, a secret society, and of course the missing (stolen) island, and you’ve got an Evanovich classic.

Excerpt from Dangerous Minds Read More ยป

Scroll to Top