Wakela Runen's World

Cirque Du Slay by Rob Osler

2024-02-29T20:09:00.000-05:00

Cirque Du Slay

by Rob Osler narrated by Pete Cross

This is the 2nd book in a cozy mystery series. I hadn't read the first book, and it definitely didn't hinder my enjoyment of this book.

The book follows Hayden McCall and his friends as they walk the tight rope of life, love and solving a murder. Hayden and his best friend Hollister are helping out with a fundraiser that is being hosted by Hollister's friend Sarah Lee. However, the main act (Kennedy Osaka) for the fundraiser fails to show. Since Sarah Lee is a longtime friend of Kennedy, she decides to look for her in Kennedy's hotel room. Not only does Sarah Lee find Kennedy murdered, but she is found there by the police while holding the murder weapon. Even though Hayden doesn't really like Sarah Lee, he decides to help his friend Hollister in clearing Sarah Lee's name.

This book is phenomenal! I listened to the entire book in one day. I did have to pause a few times to walk away from the book, but that was with great reluctance. I love the wonderful friendship between Hayden and all his quirky friends. They will go to any length to help each other out. When I say quirky, I really do mean it too. One friend has a pot farm in her basement and raises emus. The majority of the characters are LGBTQIA+ which isn't something that you see in a lot of cozy mysteries.

Pete Cross did a wonderful job with his voices for the various characters. He definitely kept me entertained with his narration.

I am planning on getting Devil's Chew Toy (the first book in the series). Even though some of the plot from that book was mentioned, I loved this book so much that I want to read the first one.

Definitely be on the lookout for this book as it is set to publish on March 5th. It is a good one.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an open and honest review.

The Body's Keepers by Paul Kimmel, M.D.

2024-02-28T19:49:00.000-05:00

The Body's Keepers

by Paul L. Kimmel, M.D. narrated by Lane Hakel

From a medical standpoint, this book is quite interesting. Does it give you information on how to help yourself if you have kidney issues? No, it does not. However, it does a great job of detailing the function of the kidneys, the past and current available treatments, as well as the ramifications of a capitalistic medical machine has on the treatment of patients.

Dr. Kimmel uses medical cases and personal accounts to help you understand the ramifications of kidney disease on your health and finances. Living with kidney disease is not an easy undertaking. I am currently at stage 3a of chronic kidney disease. This means that my kidneys are not functioning to the capacity that they are supposed to be. This book helped open my eyes to what it truly means to have CKD and its effects on my body. You don't really realize how much is affected by your kidneys not functioning at a normal level.

I was able to learn not only the functions, but also the process that treatments are developed. Did you know that in the past, there weren't enough dialysis machines, so a committee was formed to decide who got to use them and who would be left to die? I definitely didn't know any of this. Can you imagine being told that you can't have dialysis because some random people decided you can't? It is just a truly wild concept to me. There were many other facts that blew my mind away.

I find that it is truly hard to truly critique the narration done by Lane Hakel. The main reason is that when you are dealing with a scientific body of work or other type of nonfiction book that delves into science and medicine, you can't get a true grasp on the range of the narrator. She did a good job in keeping me interested. She was not monotone in any way. It is just hard to make this type of book exciting sounding with your voice.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Dreamscape Media and Mayo Clinic Press for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an open and honest review.

Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear by Robin Wasley

2024-02-27T19:05:00.001-05:00

Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear

by Robin Wasley narrated by Eunice Wong

Can I start by saying "WOW"? The audiobook is a little over 12 hours long, but I finished it in one day. I did not want to stop listening at all. Robin Wasley sped out of the gate with her first book, a great combo fantasy/horror book.

First up, the narration. Eunice Wong was incredible. Her voicing of the story kept me on the edge of my seat. There was depth to her characters as well as range in her intonation of the actual story. When characters were whispering, she did too. If the characters were anxious, you could feel it in her voice. I will definitely be looking for more books narrated by Eunice!

The story starts off describing the sleepy little town where tourists visit to see where the magic used to happen. However, the fault lines were sealed off ages ago and the magic is no longer accessible. There is one caveat to that though. There are guardians who hold keys to unlock the fault line. No one knows who they are or how they are chosen. And everyone is just goes about their day staring at the ghostly impressions that rise up regularly.

Unfortunately, things take a quick turn and part of the fault line opens. Chaos ensues as "Shells" start to climb out of the chasm that has opened. It is up to a group of teens to put a stop to the madness.

Robin wove a story rich with imagery and intrigue. My heart was literally pounding at many points during the book. She would switch between the anticipation of the horror into the calmness of simple conversations with such ease. I look forward to hearing more books from this creative author.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an open and honest review.

The Marie Laveau Voodoo Grimoire by Denise Alvarado

2024-02-26T18:50:00.006-05:00

The Marie Laveau Voodoo Grimoire

by Denise Alvarado narrated by Adenrele Ojo

Being a pagan, I have always been interested in the magickal workings of people around the world. And the Louisiana Voodoo community has really had me intrigued. There are too many times in the media, that you see Voodoo and other magickal practices being demonized. I was ecstatic to see find this book that allowed me to take a look at the life of Marie Laveau and learn about her practices.

Adenrele Ojo did a superb job at the narration. There were a few times though that were a little tedious to get through though. I think that was mainly due to it being a list of herbs and their magickal properties. So, it was read more like a bulleted type of list. But I really can't see any way around that scenario happening.

There was so much to unpack in this book. The was a lot of great research done on Marie Laveau. This was done through Marie's diaries, newspaper articles and even interviews with some of her contemporaries. Of course, the interviews were done decades ago by other people than the author. However, being able to hear actual quotes from people who truly knew Marie was incredible.

The author does say that she did not find Marie's actual grimoire. Instead, between the research that she had done, information regarding to Voodoo practices from Marie's time and the author's own Voodoo practices, she was able to conceptualize how Marie would have practiced and what recipes she may have used.

There is one major drawback to the audiobook. There are some great recipes, invocations, and instructions that would really be great to have in order to refer back to at a later date. I highly suggest getting both the audiobook as well as the physical book (or ebook). This way you can listen to the story behind the legend via the audiobook and have the other book as reference material if you are wanting to incorporate some of these practices into your own magickal workings.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Tantor Audio for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an open and honest review.

Remedial Magic by Melissa Marr

2024-02-21T10:28:00.000-05:00

Remedial Magic

by Melissa Marr narrated by Jeremy Carlisle Parker & Max Meyers

There are 2 narrators for this audiobook. Jeremy Carlisle Parker is a woman who is a trained opera singer. I have heard and enjoyed her narration before in The Witches of Thistle Grove series by Lana Harper. Max Meyers who has acted in Off-Broadway productions. I have not listened to any of their previous work. I think that both narrators did the best job that they could in order to portray so many different POVs in one audiobook. However, this book would have benefited better from a much larger cast of narrators in order to help differentiate.

Anyone who has read my previous reviews will know that I rarely DNF a book. Even if there are points about the book that I don't like, I will generally try to stay until the end in order to give the author a chance of redemption. However, I just could not continue listening to this book. I really did try, but I couldn't.

Now the blurb that I read made it seem like the book was going to be about 2 main characters. This is not the case at all. There were so many that it was hard to keep track. This is the reason that I was saying it would have benefitted from a multicast production instead of just the 2 narrators. It got confusing when the POV would switch each chapter and you weren't sure whose POV it was until you got into part of the chapter. By the time you are catching up to who is talking, the chapters change.

As for world building, there wasn't much in the way of descriptions. For instance, in the prologue the POV is from a Hob. What is a Hob you ask? Well, I have no clue at all. All I know is that they are supposed to oversee Crenshaw and make sure that the witches follow certain rules. Well, at least that is what I think they are supposed to do. It was confusing to me. But I have no idea what they look like. Are they tall, short, hairy, misshapen? The only thing that came to mind is a hobgoblin because of the Hob part of hobgoblin.

The character relationships are extremely forced. One second Ellie is saying how boring she is to the point of saying she drives a nondescript sedan. Ellie even had gone so far as saying that she doesn't do anything that is out of her normal routine. Then all of a sudden, she is kissing a complete stranger in the library. HUH? And when I say next second, I mean it is like within less than 5 minutes of meeting Ellie. Oh, and she falls immediately in love with Prospero (the woman she kissed) as soon as the kiss is ended.

And what is up with Maggie? This isn't giving anything away because it was literally all within chapter three of the book. She is driving her son back to her criminal ex-husband. She is deciding on whether or not to tell her son that her ex wants full custody of him. Then her brakes go out and both her and her son are careening off the side of the road. If the father had actually wanted the son, why would he cut the brake lines when he knew his son would be in the car? That just doesn't even make sense. Wouldn't he have cut them when his son wasn't going to be in the car? All of a sudden, Maggie's powers awaken during this "accident" and she is able to save her son. Then she gets out of the car and is in Crenshaw.

Dan just seemed really flat on the page. He was out hiking. He had his clothes, food, "dishes for food", soap for dishes for food". Yea. It actually said soap for dishes for food in the audiobook. GAH! Then he just sort of stumbles into Crenshaw. Now in the regular world, Dan had cancer. When he got to Crenshaw, he was magically cured by just stepping across the border. However, if he wants to go back to see his family and friends, then his cancer will return. Thus, he is forced to stay.

I listened for quite a while before finally just giving up. Probably longer than I really should have. Since this is the first in a series, it would have been better set up with just a 2 person POV. They could have started out with Ellie and Prospero's story in the first book. However, the other characters could be there, but mainly as secondary characters to help Ellie & Prospero's story along. Then in the 2nd book, they could have moved on to Maggie's story. And they can tell how she ended up in Crenshaw through flashback scenes. Finally, in book 3 it would be time for Dan to shine. There would be much more room for character development and world building that way. This was just too rushed.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an open and honest review.

The Wonderful World of Amigurumi by Khuc Cay

2024-02-20T23:49:00.002-05:00

The Wonderful World of Amigurumi

by Khuc Cay

This book has got to have some of the cutest creations that I have ever seen. Each one is so darling and special in its own way. Thankfully, Khuc Cay has provided great instructions that make it easy to create these special animals.

She starts with basic instructions on how to crochet and even embroidery work. Of course, she provides a list of which types of supplies you will need to finish these projects, as well as which brands of yarns that she likes to work with. There are also great tips such as putting blush on the cheeks of your creations to increase their cuteness factor. She also gives tips on how to make them bigger if you would like.

Before the instructions for each amigurumi, she tells you a little bit about its personality. For instance, the picture on the cover of the book is of Onni the Platypus and he likes to hang out near the water eating ice cream.

The instructions include information on who it is rated for (beginner, intermediate, advanced), the tools you will need, the completed size, and the yarns you will need. You always have the option to change the colors of the yarn to make it more personalized. In fact, for Felipe the Fennec Fox, she provides you with two color palettes to show the possibilities. On Keiko the Crocodile's instructions, she demonstrates creating two different sized animals with the same pattern.

I just really can't get over how adorable these creatures are. Even Sunny the Anglerfish is cute (and they are very ugly in real life!).

Thank you NetGalley and Fox Chapel Publishing for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an open and honest review.

Once Upon a Murder by Samantha Larsen

2024-02-18T23:49:00.042-05:00

Once Upon a Murder

by Samantha Larsen narrated by Marni Penning

This may be the 2nd book in the Lady Librarian book series, but it is the first one that I have read. Not knowing what occurred in the 1st book did not hamper my enjoyment of this book. It would have been nice to know more about some of the situations that were referenced though. I do plan on going back to read the 1st book since I want to know what happened in it.

Take a step back to 1784 and ride along as Tiffany attempts to clear both her and Samir's name of murder. It seems in the prior book; Tiffany had dressed up as her brother and started working for the Duchess of Beaufort as the librarian. In this book, she is now known as herself and is working as the librarian and also as nanny for the young Duke. There are some really cute parts with Tiffany and the young pirate interacting.

This book had way too many juxtapositions of contradicting ideas. Some of them actually concerned me and took me out of the time period. First, some more modern language and sayings were used in the book. Secondly, the townsfolk didn't trust Samir because he is half-Indian, but they have him as the town's only constable. Then you have way too much time spent on describing the main character's monthly cycle.

However, if I just forget what time period it is supposed to be set in and listen to the story itself, it did end up being pretty enjoyable. There were many twists and turns that I felt had more to do with the relationship between Tiffany and Samir than the actual murder.

The narrator did a nice job of voicing the characters. The pacing was well done.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an open and honest review.

Not Your Crush's Cauldron by April Asher

2024-02-16T23:05:00.057-05:00

Not Your Crush's Cauldron

Book 3 of Supernatural Singles

by April Asher narrated by Zura Johnson

This is the 3rd book in the series and I hadn't read any of the prior books. This did not affect my ability to follow along with the story. In fact, I absolutely loved this story. As soon as I was done listening, I bought the first 2 books. I can't wait to listen to those!!

Zura Johnson creates voices for the characters that fit their personality and has great intonation. I do tend to listen to my books at 1.5X speed and the pacing at that rate was great. This is the first book that I have listened to that she has narrated. I plan to keep an ear out for more of her books.

The series follows triplet witches as they try to discover their true selves as well as their one true love. In Not Your Crush's Cauldron, we get to know Olive (the 3rd born of the triplets) much more. She is a reserved, down-to-Earth professor that teaches supernatural studies. She has a normal routine that she likes to follow. However, in order to get a grant approved, she assigns her classes to write a Dare I Docket. What is a Dare I Docket, you ask? It is a list of tasks that are out of your normal comfort zone that you are willing to complete. Then you have to check each of them off. These tasks can't be life-threatening or be so out of your comfort zone that you will have a total meltdown.

Her new roommate, Bax Donovan, has been her longtime friend and major crush. He is the complete opposite of Olive. She starts to realize that she is stuck in a rut and decides to write her own Dare I Docket. Now Bax has been assigned to be her guardian angel, but he can't tell her.

Sparks not only fly, but boy do the pages start to sizzle! Here is a warning to those who like to listen without ear buds or headsets, there are quite a few steamy sex scenes.

While you are waiting on your own book to come in or download, what would you put on your very own Dare I Docket?

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an open and honest review.

The Witches Workshop by Melissa Jayne Madara

2024-02-15T10:44:00.000-05:00

The Witches Workshop

by Melissa Jayne Madara

First, I would like to note that I reviewed the eBook edition. I wanted to mention this since I have already said that I focus on audiobooks. However, with a book of crafts or recipes, I feel that it is necessary to be able to see the process instead of listening and trying to figure it out in my head. It is less noisy this way.

Now on to the book itself. This book is a witch's guide to creating your own tools. The first thing that came to mind when I saw this title was that by crafting your own incense, dyes, or oils you can already start to put your intentions into them while crafting. This way you will have the added benefit during your spell or ritual work. Whereas, if you are buying mass produced items, you don't have the energy already starting.

I know that many people skip introductions in this type of book. There is a lot of great information in this section. The author attempts to show how the very definition of a witch has not only changed over time, but from person to person. She also shows have far back in time people have been harvesting plants for more than food. She then goes on to teach us how to safely forage for plants if you are in an area where you can do so.

In the meat and bones of the book, we start to learn about the various things that you can make and how to make them. You will of course need certain tools in order to do so, but don't worry she lists everything you will need as well as providing alternatives. For instance, not everyone owns a mortar and pestle. She says you can use a food processor or spice grinder instead for the process of making incense.

There are chapters on how to make incense (stick, loose, cones and pearls), natural dyes, inks, paper, candles, powders and oils. She also includes in the back of the book a chart of which plants and herbs create which colors. There is another chart that suggests the best time to create each recipe. One of the things that I really loved is that she gives the measurements in both metric and imperial. Before each recipe, she provides background information of both historical and religious significance. These recipes are just a jumping off point, you can then go on to create your own depending on what you need them for.

For the incense, you learn how to make not only loose incense (powdered), but also cones, sticks and pearls. I hadn't actually heard of pearl incense before. She does provide a picture of it on the page for the Full Moon Pearl Incense recipe.

She makes sure to point out that the mordant stage in creating natural dyes is extremely important since it will help lock in the colors. I love the little tips that she gives on what to add during the mordant stage that will adjust the colors to make them brighter or darker. This can add depth to your projects.

Say you are getting ready for Samhain and are wanting to do a release ritual with fire. Well, you can actually do so with ink and paper that you made yourself by following the instructions in this book. She teaches how to make inks from all different types of herbs, flowers, bark, plants, etc. She even teaches how to make India Ink, Dragon's Blood Ink and Invisible Ink, as well as drawing charcoal.

In the papermaking section, there is one recipe for wildflower seed paper. I was thinking that this would be great to write intentions on and bury. Then have it grow into a plant that can flourish. She does mention being able to plant the paper, but she doesn't put any type of connotation on to why you would bury it other than recycling. There are other paper types that use flowers such as dandelion and rose. These might be interesting for rituals using fire. It might create a nice perfume to the air.

Pair this book with a great book on herbs and plants and the only limits to what you can create with her guidance are only ones of your imagination.

Thank you NetGalley and Watkins Publishing with providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an open and honest opinion.

Crocheting Reversible Amigurumi Projects by Jesse Van In

2024-02-13T18:39:00.000-05:00

Crocheting Reversible Amigurumi Projects

by Jesse Van In

These animals are so cute! I know that this is going to show my age with this comment, but they sort of remind me of Popples! The big difference is that Popples only turned into a ball. Whereas these darlings turn into other things depending on the project you choose. For instance, the pattern for the fox has an inside that is a cat. The otter becomes a seashell.

The other cool thing is that you don't have to make them reversible if you don't want. You can actually make them one sided and seal them closed. So, if you only want that adorable panda bear, then you make the panda part of the pattern and then fill it with stuffing and seal it off. Then you have a cute stuffed panda.

There are so many handy tips and guidance in this book that even beginners like me have a chance at creating these cuties. I know that it will take me awhile to finish one of these patterns, but I am working my way through one at the moment, stitch-by-stitch. Granted, it is turning out bigger than it is supposed to be. That is because my stitches are still pretty loose. But as I said, I am learning, and the directions are easy to follow for a beginner.

Thank you NetGalley and Fox Chapel Publishing for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an open and honest review.

A Midnight Puzzle by Gigi Pandian

2024-02-13T13:50:00.000-05:00

A Midnight Puzzle

by Gigi Pandian narrated by Soneela Nankani

I have been impatiently waiting for this audiobook to be released. I was excited when I learned that I could review the eALC for NetGalley.

First, let me tell you how I learned of this great series. I am a HUGE fan of the narrator. I absolutely love the work of Soneela Nankani and I was wanting something to read, but really didn't feel like tackling my TBL pile. Well, I did a search to see what books Soneela Nankani narrated and came across this series about a stage magician, locked room mysteries and hidden rooms. I was intrigued.

Let me tell you that Soneela doesn't disappoint with her voicing of the characters. From creating the accents for the Indian grandparents to the Scottish grandmother to her American friends, Soneela seems to manage it all without skipping a beat.

As for the story, most cozy mysteries you can skip around in the series without an issue. However, in this particular book, I advise that you read the first 2 books before reading this. Thankfully, you have over a month to get that done before this one is published. The reason that I say this is because the first 2 lay out some much-needed groundwork for the main mystery that takes place in this book.

Tempest Raj's family has been under the impression that there has been a family curse that takes the lives of some of the stage magicians in her family. First her great uncle, then her aunt and finally her mom, all while performing on stage. However, she feels that the deaths of her aunt and her mom may not really be a curse, but murder and she is out to prove who killed them.

Tempest Raj works for her dad's construction crew at Secret Staircase Construction. This is one of the coolest construction companies around. If you want to have a secret room built into your home, then they would be the ones to call. If you want to have some other secret feature built, they would be the one to call. In each of the books, they would describe some of the different features and my mind would go into overdrive dreaming up the elaborate designs. I have always wanted to have cool things like that. In fact, when I was a kid, me and my next-door neighbor wanted an underground tunnel built between our pools. That way we could swim between the two. This would be the company that would be called to build such a tunnel.

However, one of their recent clients has brought a lawsuit against them and has called their very reputation into question. Tempest goes to work with her friends to find out the truth behind the allegations. In doing so, she finds out much more than she bargains.

Once again, Gigi Panian has written a wonderfully constructed story of murder, mystery and magic. I was easily lost in the story and felt that I was right there alongside Tempest as she uncovered all the hidden clues to solve not only the case involving the recent client, but also the murder of her mom and aunt.

It was so nice to see all of the returning characters who have become like family. And I really hope that this series continues. There are so many more adventures that they can take us on.

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for providing me with a free copy of the audiobook in exchange for an open and honest review.

Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan

2024-02-12T14:00:00.048-05:00

Bless Your Heart

by Lindy Ryan narrated by Stephanie Németh Parker

This book is listed as a horror-mystery. I do feel that it is more of just a horror book. That is perfectly fine with me. I spent my teen years reading Clive Barker and Leigh Nichols (Dean Koontz pseudonym). Plus, being a teen in the 80s, I spent time watching horror films such as Nightmare on Elm Street. So, going into this book, I was ready for horror and blood.

This book is based on the Romanian mythology of the Strigoi. I know that many people are not aware of the stories surrounding them. So, the picture on the cover doesn't really make sense to many. The Strigoi are a mix between a vampire and a zombie. They start out as a zombie/ghoul type of being that will feed on humans and gain strength. As they gain strength, they will start to appear more and more human. In the original tales of the Strigoi, they can turn invisible and shapeshift. That didn't occur in this book though. However, the beheading and placing the head face down is mentioned in the book as it is in the mythology.

I really love when authors blend mythology and their writing. Lindy Ryan did a wonderful job of spinning a centuries old tale into a modern yarn. She definitely did her research when it came to the Strigoi and the legends surrounding them.

This was the first time that I had listened to a book by Stephanie Németh Parker. For the most part, she did a pretty good job. There were a few characters that were a little on the annoying side. I am not sure if it was that she was overexaggerating them or if that was the way that they were truly written in the book. For instance, the coroner smacked his lips every time he talked. The narrator would make the noise as she was talking in his voice. It did start to grate after a while. Again, it could just be the way the character was written though. If the sentence said that he was smacking his lips as he said something, then I guess she would have to do it.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. They way it ended, it does seem like there might be a sequel. I actually hope there will be. I am definitely on the lookout if there will be.

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for providing me with a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an open and honest review.

A Killer Romance by Maggie Blackburn

2024-02-09T14:41:00.049-05:00

A Killer Romance

by Maggie Blackburn narrated by Christa Lewis

This is the 3rd book in the Beach Reads series. It is the first book that I have listened to in the series.

Summer Merriweather inherited not only a house, but a book shop from her deceased mom. Once a professor of Shakespearean literature, she has now uprooted her life to run Beach Reads on a small island in North Carolina. Against her better judgement, Summer hosts Lana Livingstone for the Valentine's Day event "Romance by The Sea". Summer feels that Lana's latest book does not fully understand Romeo and Juliet. And talking to Lana, she quickly realizes that Lana has the misunderstanding that "Romeo and Juliet" is a romance and not a tragedy.

It soon becomes apparent that Lana is a suspect in her husband's murder. And when she is found dead at the local B&B, the Beach Read employees are under suspicion.

There were a few things in the story that did bother me a little bit. I was able to look past them though. Once such item was that a detective from Pittsburgh came to North Carolina to investigate Lana. I can understand that he might come to question her about her husband's death, but then to stay for the investigation into her own death is a little beyond comprehension. That is outside of his jurisdiction. And since none of the employees would have known her husband, it would have no effect on his own case. Wouldn't he have to get back to the case he was working on?

I loved the worked that the narrator did on the voices. She did especially a great job on Mr. Darcy (the parrot).

Overall, I did enjoy the book even though there were a few details that bothered me.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with a free copy of the audiobook in exchange for an open and honest review.

The Dollmaker by Morgan Shamy

2024-01-31T19:40:00.001-05:00

The Dollmaker

by Morgan Shamy narrated by Kate Rudd

Set in the 1920s, there were a few anachronisms that did take me out of the time period. However, for the most part, I was right there in the time with the characters.

The story revolves around Dawn, a single woman who wants to be a doctor. This is something of an anomaly for that era. Women were housewives, teachers, nannies or maids. They did not attempt to achieve anything more than that.

Dawn's parents are wanting to marry her off to a grotesque elderly man because he is rich and Dawn's father has lost all of the family's money. Of course, this is something that Dawn is not wanting. In the meantime, women are going missing and parts of them are being found sew together sort of like a deranged Dr. Frankenstein's version of a porcelain doll. It isn't until one of Dawn's friends is taken that she starts her search for the murderer.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I know that some people are upset because women are being treated as objects to be owned, but unfortunately that is how it was back in the 1920s. So, when you are reading a period piece, you sometimes have to remember that times weren't always the way that we would want them to be. Besides, the forced marriages and not being able to work in the chosen fields adds to the story line and doesn't detract from it. Which is why I can see the importance of keeping those types of societal issues in the book.

I have already added the author's other books to by TBR. I can't wait to delve into them. Unfortunately, I do have other books in the queue before them.

This was also the first time I had listened to a book by this narrator. I liked the work that she did on the characterizations. There were a few character voices that were similar in nature, but that was probably because they were related. I look forward to listening to other narrations done by her.

Thank you to NetGalley and CamCat Publishing for providing me with a free copy of the audiobook in exchange for an open and honest review.

A Bean To Die For by Tara Lush

2024-01-26T19:21:00.000-05:00

A Bean to Die For

by Tara Lush narrated by Kae Marie Denino

This may be the fourth book in the series, but it is the first one that I have read. I was hooked from the beginning. I do have to admit, I am not into coffee. Yea, I know that isn't something to admit to. I will drink coladas occasionally. I just don't like regular coffee.

Now that we have that out of the way, the main protagonist is Lana who owns the Perkatory (a coffee shop in Devil's Beach, Florida). She is to the point in her career where she is thinking about growing her own coffee beans. Her dad gets her set up with a plot in the community garden.

Darla, the woman who runs (or should I say rules) the community garden, has a long list of rules that must be followed. It is very easy to get thrown out. In fact, Lana is taking over the plot of someone who was recently thrown out. While she is there clearing out his plot, she finds his dead body.

The victim's name is Jack and at first it looks to be an open and shut case, but is it? Not so fast there, buster. It seems Jack has been making enemies far and wide. So, who would want him dead and why?

It really was a great mystery to listen to. The narrator did a wonderful job on the voices. The story and voices meshed together to keep me wanting to listen all night long.

As soon as I finished listening, I immediately went to the FantasticFiction website to look to see what the names of the other books in the series are. I also see that Tara Lush also wrote a few other series that I will be putting on my to be listened to pile as well. I can't wait to dig in to more of her books.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an open and honest review.

Huggable Amigurumi by Franziska Pfoser

2024-01-20T09:27:00.037-05:00

Huggable Amigurumi

by Franziska Pfoser IG: @franzi_einfach_tierisch

I am fairly new to crochet. Well, I guess not since my mom tried to teach me back in the 80s. However, she was a righty & I am a lefty. So, I made a mess of things. I gave up quickly. I wish that I would have stuck with things though. I was always enamored with all the wonderful things that my mom would make. Now with all the tutorials on YouTube, I have been learning.

Since I live in South Florida, I don't want to make tons of blankets like my mom did. I also don't want to make hats and scarves that I won't be able to use. So, I have been trying out fun and cute patterns that will hold my interest (especially since I am an extremely slow crocheter). This book is full of squishy, adorable cuties!!

Franzi has marked each pattern with stars to let you know how hard they are. They range from 1 to 3 stars. I am still sticking with a 1-star pattern. Yes, I am still working on my first one. It will take me forever to do. However, she mentioned ergonomic needles in the book. I am going to look into getting a set of those. They might be easier for me to use. I have been trying to crochet with regular needles and that has been difficult since my stroke.

Each of these animals are XXL meaning that they are about the size of a toddler!! And they are so adorable. I was looking at the alpaca pattern and thought that if you could add a hump to its back, then it would look like a camel. Then I remembered that I am not that advanced! LOL! That is something that my mom would do, she would be able to look at patterns and adjust them.

Seriously though, who wouldn't want a huge cuddly penguin plushy in their house? Or what about an elephant? or seal? They are all so cute.

I included the author's Instagram handle at the top of the post so you can check out some of her creations. At the time of this posting, she has a picture of the book (which is titled Big Buddies in Germany) and the penguin that is in the book as well. There are pictures from her previous book, which looks like it was only published in German. That one looks to have stuffed animals based on the popular video game Animal Crossing. I absolutely love that game, so hopefully they will translate that one into English as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Fox Chapel Publishing for providing me with a preview copy in exchange for an open and honest review.

Hammers and Homicide by Paula Charles

2024-01-19T13:45:00.000-05:00

Hammers and Homicide

by Paula Charles narrated by Petrea Burchard

A new series by a new author and what a way to start! After the last word of the book was spoken, I immediately wanted the next in the series. Alas, this series is fresh off the press. So, there will be quite a bit of waiting to go.

Hammers and Homicide is the first in the Hometown Hardware mystery series. The main character is a recently widowed woman named Dawna who owns a hardware store that she opened with her husband.

I loved that the author jumped into the story and you learned about the characters as the story progressed. Instead of giving a detailed backstory about the main character first. You meet many of the townsfolk and learn about their quirks and foibles.

There is a very small hint of paranormal to the story as Dawna does feel like the ghost of her deceased husband is still with her. She feels like she smells him around her. She talks to him regularly. Because of this, her kids think she is going a little wonky in her old age and decide that one of them has to move back in with her.

I had trouble getting to sleep last night because I didn't want to stop listening. I finally had to force myself to stop just so I could get some sleep. You know a book is good when you don't want to put it down.

I found out that Paula Charles has another book coming out in March 2024 in a new series under the name of Janna Rollins. That cozy mystery series looks to be about a goat yoga instructor. I look forward to listening to that book and any other book that this author puts out in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for gifting me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an open and honest review.

The Fortune Seller by Rachel Kapelke-Dale

2024-01-18T09:07:00.000-05:00

The Fortune Seller

by Rachel Kapelke-Dale narrated by Stephanie Cannon

Audiobook publication date: Feb 13, 2024

For the most part, I liked the book. However, at times the pacing was a little too slow for me. An audiobook this length would normally take me a day or two at max to get finished. I kept finding myself pausing and it ended up taking me about 4 days to finish.

I loved how each chapter was started with a card from the tarot deck and its meaning. I have loved the tarot since I was young. The "theme" of what was happening in each chapter then revolved around the meaning of the card.

I also don't feel like there was much tension built up to the big reveal. When it came down to it, it was just put out there. But the story along the way was interesting enough to keep me listening.

Would I listen to another book by this author? I am really not sure. Like I said, the story was interesting, but I didn't find myself invested enough to want to keep reading instead of going to bed.

I would like to thank NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for providing me with an advanced review copy in exchange for my open and honest review of this audiobook.

Deadly to the Core by Joyce Tremel

2024-01-17T09:13:00.052-05:00

Deadly to the Core

by Joyce Tremel narrated by Hilary Huber

First, I need to fan girl about the narrator a little bit!! I absolutely love Hilary Huber. 😍 She narrates some of my favorite series and does a fabulous job. So, when I hit play and heard her voice I was overjoyed! There are three narrators that I will go out of my way to look for books that they do, and Hilary is one of them. I always know that she will do a great job with the characters. Ok, gushing over Hilary over.

Let's get on with the review of the actual book. This is a new to me author and I am glad that I found her.

Kate physically survived a crash that took her beloved husband away from her, but mentally she feels like she died with him. Or at least she wishes that she did. That is until her Uncle Stan passes away and leaves her an orchard.

She uproots her life and moves to the orchard in the hopes of starting fresh and healing from her past. However, the orchard manager and her uncle's trusted friend is murdered. Was he doing something shady that caused him to cross the wrong person?

I absolutely loved all of the characters, especially dreamy Daniel. LOL! I did have an inkling of one of the people behind what was going on (which is why I am only giving it 4 stars), but I didn't know the full details. It really was a fun story and I can't wait for more in this series. I hope that it has a long run.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an open and honest review.

Living the Artist's Way by Julia Cameron

2024-01-16T22:09:00.000-05:00

Living the Artist's Way

by Julia Cameron narrated by Eliza Foss

I was so excited when I was accepted to review this book. I had read The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron ages ago when it was first published. I had done my morning pages religiously up until I had my stroke. Then I got frustrated. I was so angry that words didn't come easy to me. I struggled for even the simplest of thoughts. So, I shut myself off from something that really would have been beneficial to me. When you think about it, morning pages aren't about what you write, they are about just the act of writing.

Living the Artist's Way reminded me of that and then took it one step further. In this book, Julia Cameron talks about how we can use our writing to ask our higher self (the higher being or whatever else you feel guides you) to answer questions in our writing. These pages are done separately from our morning pages.

She takes you through 6 weeks of learning how to listen to that guidance and trust in it. There are too many times that we ignore it. How many times have you thought that something was going to happen, but then ignored that feeling? Then afterwards, you think to yourself that you should have listened to that gut feeling. Julia Cameron helps you to start to listen to that feeling and to actually tune into even more.

Even if you have never done morning pages, this book is definitely worth reading. You don't need to have read her original book to gain major insight from this one. I definitely recommend it!

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for providing this audiobook to me for free in exchange for an honest review.

NetGalley Reading Journal

2024-01-16T21:54:00.000-05:00

NetGalley Reading Journal

For about a year now, I kept seeing people posting pictures of their reading journals online in various groups. They would have all these stickers and pictures in them. They were always so cute.

NetGalley has made a reading journal for all the people who do reviews of their books. Inside there are pages for all the books in your to be read (or listened to) pile, pages to keep track of your reviews, pages to keep track of challenges that you are taking part in. They even provided stickers that you can use.

The only thing that I don't like is that I don't find it very easy to use. They could have made it so easy since it is a PDF. When creating PDFs, you can make them where they have fields that are easy to fill-in. Instead, when you want to fill in the field, you have to edit the file and create a text field yourself to fill in the area. You have to do that for each and every area. To me, that is very tedious.

One good thing is that NetGalley did say that they were going to take all the feedback from the reviewers and use it to tweak the journal for next year.

So, if you would like to get your hands on this free reading journal, you can sign up for a NetGalley account and review books on social media, blogs, Good Reads, or anywhere else that allows book reviews. Just make sure to notate that you received the book for free in exchange for a review.

Thank you to NetGalley and We Are Bookish for proving this reading journal to me for free in exchange for an honest review.

The Expectant Detectives by Kat Ailes (audiobook)

2024-01-08T08:58:00.021-05:00

The Expectant Detectives by Kat Ailes Narrated by Kitty Kelly

It has been ages since I have reviewed any books. I would like to apologize for that. I had a stroke, and it took away my ability to read regular books. I was too proud to turn to audiobooks. I finally did and I have been enjoying them. I was too afraid to do reviews because I didn't feel that my words would come to me. Maybe they will, maybe they won't. However, this is my true feelings about this book.

It has been ages since I was pregnant. My youngest would have been 24 this year if she would have survived. So, to say that reading this took me back in time to when I was pregnant is to definitely say something. The author wrote it in such a way that it brought back those memories for me. I could remember the weight of the baby on the bladder and how it felt to walk.

The main character of the book is Alice. She and her partner Joe have just moved to a lovely little village in England named Penton. During her first prenatal class, one of her classmates goes into labor. Yikes! Definitely not a way to give birth (or at least not one that I would want). And it gets worse. The store owner who is graciously allowing them to hold the class in his store is murdered while the birth is taking place. This leaves the entire prenatal class as suspects. The pregnant women take it upon themselves to try to solve the murder.

I absolutely loved this book. Most cozies have the protagonist hiding behind things to listen in to conversations. You definitely can't do that with a pregnant woman. Her belly comes into a room before she does. In fact, many of the tropes that cozies use (running, jumping out of windows, etc) can't be used due to the pregnancies. So, this book breathed a breath of fresh air into the genre of cozy mystery.

Thank you, Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Waiting for Morning by Karen Kingsbury

2018-03-15T15:31:00.003-04:00

Karen Kingsbury has been a well loved author of mine for many years. "Waiting for Morning" is a book about anger towards God and humanity while learning to forgive and go on with life.

A terrible tragedy fills Hannah with unforgiveness, Kingsbury writes in such a way that you feel this characters anger and the need for revenge. Also as she realizes her need to forgive and the need to let go and let God take control.

There are many people who struggle with forgiving those that have wronged them. Karen reminds us that Jesus forgave us of our sins, of our wrong doings. He asked the Father to forgive those that crucified him. We all had a part in that and yet Jesus forgave us. When we forgive, we can have the ultimate peace that can only come from Christ.

This is definitely a book that you need to keep a box of tissues close at hand. Karen writes with such passion that you can feel Hannah's anger and sorrow as well as her relief when she can finally let go and forgive.

I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Getting Back On Track

2018-01-31T11:34:00.001-05:00

I had been doing really great with my weight loss. I lost about 60 pounds but then stalled. So I joined Weight Watchers. I was doing pretty good on Smart Points plan. However, with the new switch to Freestyle, I am really struggling. Don’t get me wrong, Freestyle is a good plan for many people who have willpower and control over their eating. For me, it just isn’t working.

With Freestyle, they have increased the number of foods that are free. My big issue is that I didn’t overeat sweets & stuff like that. I overate most of the foods that they have put to free. It is easy for me to go back for 2nds or 3rds on chicken, fish, etc. I prefer the savory foods. I know that the leaders keep saying to think of it as zero points instead of free. But I have a more logically inclined mindset.

Let me explain my way of thinking. Imagine walking into a store with $23 in your pocket and being told that all the pants are free and you can take as many as you want. You are going to grab each and every one because they are free. Now imagine walking into another store and being told you only have $23 dollars to spend. However, that store has all their pants marked $0. You are still going to grab each and every one because guess what, they don’t use any of your cash. Weight Watchers is trying to tell us that there is a difference between the 2 scenarios. THERE ISN’T!

If I could easily control my eating, I wouldn’t be in the situation that I am in. Having the more rigorous guidelines is what kept me in check. So now I feel like I am wasting money. I like the meetings. I like my leader. I just don’t like the new program.

So today, I am rolling back to the Smart Points plan. I downloaded an app called iTrackBites. It has both Smart Points and Points Plus on it. It has a barcode scanner. And it doesn’t have monthly fees attached to it.

I am going to look to see if there are any general weight loss groups or meetups in the area. Because I know that I still need the support that a meeting would provide.

April Fool Tarot Challenge

2017-03-31T14:09:00.000-04:00

I found some really interesting tarot challenges on Tumblr. I decided to go ahead and post them on my blog as well. You can find me on Tumblr here.

So the first challenge that I will be doing is the April Fool Tarot Challenge. Here is a listing of each day:

1. The April Fool Spread: Shuffle, and find the Fool. The cards on either side are “what to be optimistic about this month” and “what to be wary of, in case it’s a trick”

2. Tarot Garden: Go through your decks and see if you can find at least three different flower species depicted. Take a super aesthetic photo of this tarot garden!

3. The Sun Cross Spread: Shuffle and find the Sun. The cards on either side are things that will warm up your spring

4. Green Thumb: Find three cards (or more!) with green as the dominant colour. Do the cards’ meanings relate somehow? If differentiating colours is difficult, select one or more cards that mean “growth” to you.

5. The April Showers Spread: Pull a card to represent April showers (an upcoming challenge), and another to show May flowers (a potential positive outcome of this challenge)

6. The Spring Cleaning Spread: Pull (randomly or by design) a card to represent something that needs to leave your life

7. The “That Gross Dirty Melting Snow” Spread (I asked my boyfriend what spring reminds him of, which was a mistake): Tell your deck the beginning of a classic joke, and then pull the punchline. Guaranteed to be an experience.

8. The Diamond Spread: For the April birthstone, pull four cards to represent Luxury, Clarity, Strength, and Rarity for the situation of your choosing

9. The Blossom Spread: Pull a Blossom (something to strive for), a Stem (what to do to help you get there), and Roots (what you already have that will guide your journey).

10. Wild Cards: Take a photo of your cards out in nature (or if you can’t leave your house, with a sweet houseplant!)

11. Haiku: Pull three random cards to write a haiku

12. Sweet Pea: For the birth flower of April, talk about a card that always makes you feel good when you pull it

13. Rubber Boots: Pull a card randomly. Its numerical value is your puddle-jumping-armour stat. How wet are your feet?

14. Hanami: Pull a card (randomly or by design) to represent something that doesn’t last long, so needs to be appreciated while it’s here

15. Tea Time: Have some tea with your cards! You’re halfway through and deserve a break.

16. The Two Easters Spread: My family celebrates both new and old calendar holidays, meaning that we usually have two Easters a year. This year, both fall on the same day (today)! To celebrate, pull two cards: The Resurrection (a lesson you could learn from your childhood self), and Renewed Hope (a message you need to hear from your deck). Feel free to alter this one as is comfortable for your spirituality.

17. The Spring Fling Spread: Shuffle, then spread your cards face up. Are the Lovers closer to the Emperor or the Empress? Use this as advice in your interpersonal relationships

18. Fairy Tales: Pull a card or two to tell us what your life as a garden fairy would be like

19. The Aries Spread: For the last day of this sign, pull a card each for the four stars of the Aries constellation. These will represent Passion (something to pour your heart into), Impulse (something to follow your gut on), Optimism (something to lift your spirits), and Aggression (something frustrating to work on).

20. The Taurus Spread: Taurus has way too many stars for this (lol), so instead, pull a card each for its two horns. One to represent something wonderfully stable, and one to represent something just a little stubborn.

21. The Chinook Spread: Pull a card to represent a very rapid change

22. The Earth Day Spread: Pull a card (or two or three) as a reminder of everything the planet has done for you!

23. The Rainy Day Spread: Pull three cards suggesting your next rainy day activities

24. Tanka: Pull five cards to write a tanka (like a haiku, but the syllables are 5-7-5-7-7)

25. Spring Break: Build a house of cards as best you can. Share pictures, even if it’s kind of a mess (I know mine will be)

26. The Weather: Describe today’s weather using tarot cards! Maybe even try to predict tomorrow’s weather, if you’re feeling it

27. The Migration Spread: Place five cards in a V, like geese flying north for the summer. What are you flying towards?

28. The Arbour Day Spread: A pine tree needs all four classical elements to survive: earth to hold onto, air to breathe, water to drink, and fire to release its seeds. Choose one card of each suit to describe yourself.

29. Rainbow: Find cards in each colour of the rainbow, for the sheer aesthetic of it. If differentiating colours is difficult (or your deck is fairly monochrome), find a handful of your happiest cards and lay them out in an arch.

30. Sunday Brunch: You’re off for a lovely Sunday brunch. Which court card(s) do you invite?

Some of these will only work with tarot decks. However, others can definitely work with oracle decks as well.

The hashtag for this challenge is: #AprilFoolTarotChallenge

Join in and have some fun!