Day: March 9, 2021

March 1-9

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I’m working on a post about our trip, but want to get the easy part done first. I am sooooo glad to be home working on my computer!

For Women’s History Month my reading goal is to read women I have a history with at least once a day, the one exception being the Mike Fiorito book for the TLC book tour.

I read and watched Murder On the Orient Express this last week. We watched the 2017 film with Kenneth Branaugh as Hercules Peroit and I actually thought it had a chance to be better than the book, which I thought was ok but not great. Unfortunately, although it made changes to make it more exciting onscreen it still failed to wow me.

I read 9 books – 2 mysteries, 1 each of picture books, thriller, memoir, kids fiction, sci-fi, historical romance, and fiction.

The books in the order I liked them best…

I adore Susanna Kearsley and her most recent book is a collaboration with three other women, none of whom I’ve read before. I’m going to ruin the surprise and tell you that I loved this. The Deadly Hours by Susanna Kearsley, CS Harris, Anna Lee Huber, & Christina Trent



There once was a watch made from cursed gold and it ruined the lives of all who touched it. The four women seamlessly tell the tale of the watch, from its inception in 1700s Spain (Kearsley), to 1831 Scotland (Huber), 1870 London (Trent), and finally to 1944 Kent (Harris). The authors use characters from their previous books or series which will make their readers happy, but didn’t confuse me when I wasn’t familiar. It only made me want to read more about them.

I’ve read most of Dorothy Gilman’s Mrs. Pollifax series and continue to do so as I find them. Her memoir came through the library donations – a used copy with a name written in the front cover, covered with protective tape, and two post it notes stuck in the back telling a friend why this was her favorite book. It’s been well loved and has found a new home.

Gilman divorced her husband, raised her two sons alone, and found herself at a crossroads when she sent her last son to college. She took the bold move of buying 10 acres in Nova Scotia and making the harsh landscape her home. She speaks of lobsterman, herbs, growing her own food, living in a small, closed community, the isolation of living alone, and does it all with the words of someone who has thought about her place in the world.

A New Kind of Country took place in the 1970’s and while it’s somewhat dated, the truth of a single woman’s role still rings true. This was perfect reading for Women’s History Month.
We listened to Double Fudge by Judy Blume on the way home from our Tennessee trip. We read Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, the first Fudge book, last month and this 5th and last book about Peter and Fudge was perfect family listening. Peter is now in the 7th grade and Fudge is in kindergarten and OBSESSED with money. He has a money song, a new best friend named Rich, and his own Fudge Bucks that he tries to spend around town. He also meets a family member with his name who is just as much trouble as he is.

Judy Blume is so tuned in to the kid mind. I loved her as a child and love reading her books with Gage 40 years later just as much. Even Jason laughed at Fudge’s exploits 😁
Falling From Trees by Mike Fiorito is a fun collection of sci-fi stories about aliens, communication through dreams, colors and images, longevity, climate change consequences and the journey between space and time. I enjoyed my few hours with these interconnected stories. Each one with something new to consider. Dystopian but not in a dreary way. The stories were short, some only a few pages, but the imagery came through.
I listened to Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express read by Dan Stevens. Hercules Poirot is always fun for all of his pompousness and the train whodunit was told at just the right pace. It wasn’t my favorite of hers, but I always appreciate her ability to say so much with fewer words than most and the thoughtfulness of the mystery itself. There’s a reason Christie is still the master after all these years.
I managed to finish High Treason At the Grand Hotel: A Fiona Figg Mystery by Kelly Oliver. I read the first in the series in January and liked it. Fiona is working at the London War Office during WWII and has been given the opportunity to continue her spying, something she’s not trained for but has come to love. She heads to Paris and runs into all kinds of old friends and a few new ones who meet unfortunate ends.

I like that Fiona bucks the tradition of the day and her obsession with being in disguise. She seemed to have more confidence in her ability to fool professionals than was warranted this time around. Fiona is a fun character who finds herself in crazy situations.

I love the covers of The Ravenels series by Lisa Kleypas. There is always a gorgeous gown that I would love to try on (in the appropriate size after I’ve lost 20 pounds of course!). Then I’d need a place to wear it. And a suitor/husband that was as rich as Jeff Bezos and as sexy as David Beckham. Oh, and I’d need some kind of heavy duty makeover so that I’d stop men in their tracks. There. I think I’ve summed up the series for you!

Chasing Cassandra begins with Cassandra watching her twin sister marry the richest man she knows. She’s upset because she will be left alone in their family home and then real richest man sees her and wants her. So begins a merry chase between two people who obviously care about each other but find a multitude of ways to stay apart.

I poke fun, but I love this historical romance series! I love that each book has the whole family show up at different points so that we can check in with our favorite couples. If you like this genre I think you’ll like the series. And those beautiful covers can sit on your shelves.
Me For You by Lolly Winston. Rudy woke up one morning to find his beloved wife dead. She had passed unexpectedly in her sleep after a doctor declared her healthy the day before. This book covered his year and a half grieving process that landed him in the hospital psych ward for a bit. His daughter and work crush helped him heal while dealing with their own issues.

I didn’t ever really connect to Rudy like I did to the characters in her first two books, but he grew on me and I was happy to see him get a second chance at love. It had some good insight about depression and grieving.
Gage and I read The Night Gardener by the Fan brothers. The story about neighbors that came together over unexpected overnight creations was a little short on details. It’s the topiary creations that steal the show. This was a quick read that sparked the imagination, especially now during this time of finding ways to bring a community together safely.