BOOK REPORT....A LESSON IN LOVE & MURDER

A Lesson in Love & Murder - Rachel McMillan

Product Description(Amazon.com)
The city of Toronto has been thrown into upheaval by the arrival of radical anarchist Emma Goldman. Amid this political chaos, Benny Citrone of the Royal North-West Mounted Police arrives at Merinda and Jem's flat, requesting assistance in locating his runaway cousin—a man with a deadly talent.

While Merinda eagerly accepts the case, she finds herself constantly butting heads—and hearts—with Benny. Meanwhile, Jem has her hands full with a husband who is determined to keep her out of harm's way.

As Merinda and Jem close in on the danger they've tracked from Toronto to Chicago, they uncover a sinister plot to assassinate presidential candidate Theodore Roosevelt. Will they be able to save the day and resolve the troubles threatening their future happiness before it's too late? 
Series: Herringford and Watts Mysteries (Book 2) 
Paperback: 224 pages 
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers (September 1, 2016) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 0736966420 
ISBN-13: 978-0736966429

MY THOUGHTS:  A Royal North-West Mounted Police wants Merinda and Jem to find his cousin, Jonathon.  He's left the force under mysterious circumstances.  Merinda and Jem take the case.  As Merinda and Jem, with the help of Benny, track Jonathon, it leads them down an explosive path.  Literally, someone is blowing up the Trolley Cars.   Jasper and De Luca find a clue that points to Jonathon.  So they follow the clue which leads them to the followers of a radical anarchist, Emma Goldman.  They track them to Chicago, where there is much more than exploding Trolley Cars going on.  I give this book 5....

This book is for 2 of my reading challenges.....
Outdo Yourself Challenge
11th Canadian Challenge

BOOK REPORT....WORLD WAR ll

World War ll - Mary Pope Osborne

Product Description(Amazon.com)
When Jack and Annie came back from their adventure in Magic Tree House Super Edition #1: World at War, 1944, they had lots of questions. How did World War II begin? Why were so many innocent people killed? What was D-Day? Find out the answers to these questions and more as Jack and Annie learn all about one of the darkest hours of history.

Filled with up-to-date information, photographs, illustrations, and tidbits from Jack and Annie, the Magic Tree House Fact Trackers are the perfect way for kids to find out more about the topics they discover in their favorite Magic Tree House adventures. And teachers can use the Fact Trackers alongside their Magic Tree House fiction companions to meet Common Core text pairing needs. 
Series: Magic Tree House (R) Fact Tracker (Book 36) 
Paperback: 144 pages 
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers; Dgs edition (March 14, 2017) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 1101936398 
ISBN-13: 978-1101936399

MY THOUGHTS:  Ever want to know what started World War ll?  Who started the war and why?  Read this book and you will find out.  The who's who of the leaders is also in this book.  Who was the bad guys and the good guys.  I give this book 5......

This book is for 2 of my reading challenges.....
Outdo Yourself Challenge
Good Reads/Wacky Readers/Strolling Through Non-Fiction

BOOK REPORT....CROSS JUSTICE

Cross Justice - James Patterson

Product Description(Amazon.com)
Alex Cross left his hometown, and some awful family tragedies, for a better life with Nana Mama in Washington, DC. He hasn't looked back.

Now his cousin Stefan has been accused of a horrible, unthinkable murder, and Cross drives south with Bree, Nana Mama, Jannie, and Ali to Starksville, North Carolina, for the first time in thirty-five years. Back home, he discovers a once proud community down on its luck, and local residents who don't welcome him with open arms. As Cross steps into his family home, the horrors of his childhood flood back--and he learns that they're not really over. He brings all his skill to finding out the truth about his cousin's case. But truth is hard to come by in a town where no one feels safe to speak.

Chasing his ghosts takes Cross all the way down to the sugarcane fields of Florida, where he gets pulled into a case that has local cops needing his kind of expertise: a string of socialite murders with ever more grisly settings. He's chasing too many loose ends--a brutal killer, the truth about his own past, and justice for his cousin--and any one of the answers might be fatal. 
Series: Alex Cross 
Hardcover: 448 pages 
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; 1st Edition edition (November 23, 2015) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 0316407046 
ISBN-13: 978-0316407045

MY THOUGHTS:  I started this book yesterday afternoon and just finished it.  I get started on James Patterson's books and I can't put them down....for long.  This one was like this.  Alex has gone back to his home town to help his cousin Stefan, charged with the murder of a young boy.  As Alex looks for clues to help his cousin, he keeps remembering his childhood.  Which leads him to Florida, and a serial killing.  This trip also leads to clue of what happened to his mother and father.  I can't really say any more as it will give away the story, so if you into Alex Cross, you should read this book.  I give this book 5.....

This book is for 1 of my reading challenges.....
Outdo Yourself Challenge

BOOK REPORT....THE RAILWAYMAN'S WIFE

The Railwayman's Wife - Ashley Hay

Product Description(Amazon.com)(https://www.amazon.com/Railwaymans-Wife-Novel-Ashley-Hay/dp/1501128663/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1506196770&sr=8-1&keywords=the+railwayman%27s+wife)
In 1948, in a town overlooking the vast, blue ocean, Anikka Lachlan has all she ever wanted—until a random act transforms her into another postwar widow, destined to raise her daughter on her own. Awash in grief, she looks for answers in the pages of her favorite books and tries to learn the most difficult lesson of all: how to go on living.
A local poet, Roy McKinnon, experiences a different type of loss. How could his most powerful work come out of the brutal chaos of war, and why is he now struggling to regain his words and his purpose in peacetime? His childhood friend Dr. Frank Draper also seeks to reclaim his pre-war life but is haunted by his failure to help those who needed him most—the survivors of the Nazi concentration camps.
Then one day, on the mantle of her sitting room, Ani finds a poem. She knows neither where it came from, nor who its author is. But she has her suspicions. An unexpected and poignant love triangle emerges, between Ani, the poem, and the poet—whoever he may be. 
Paperback: 288 pages 
Publisher: Washington Square Press; Reprint edition (December 27, 2016) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 1501128663 
ISBN-13: 978-1501128660

MY THOUGHTS:  A friend recommended this book to me.  I looked it up at Goodreads to read about it.  It sounded good.  But I found it slow and dark, I felt it was too boring.  Don't know if I wasn't in the mood to read this,  but didn't like it at all.  I did finish the book, but I still didn't like it.  I give this book 2...

This book is for 1 of my reading challenges.....
Outdo Yourself Challenge

BOOK REPORT.....bRITT-MARIE WAS HERE.......

Britt-Marie Was Here - Fredrik Backman

Product Description(Amazon.com)
Britt-Marie can’t stand mess. A disorganized cutlery drawer ranks high on her list of unforgivable sins. She is not one to judge others—no matter how ill-mannered, unkempt, or morally suspect they might be. It’s just that sometimes people interpret her helpful suggestions as criticisms, which is certainly not her intention.
But hidden inside the socially awkward, fussy busybody is a woman who has more imagination, bigger dreams, and a warmer heart that anyone around her realizes.
When Britt-Marie walks out on her cheating husband and has to fend for herself in the miserable backwater town of Borg—of which the kindest thing one can say is that it has a road going through it—she finds work as the caretaker of a soon-to-be demolished recreation center. The fastidious Britt-Marie soon finds herself being drawn into the daily doings of her fellow citizens, an odd assortment of miscreants, drunkards, layabouts. Most alarming of all, she’s given the impossible task of leading the supremely untalented children’s soccer team to victory. In this small town of misfits, can Britt-Marie find a place where she truly belongs?

MY THOUGHTS: This is my book clubs choice for September.  I reading A Man Called Ove, this author tells a story and you want to read it all the way through without stopping.  To find out what happens to the characters.  What's the first thing Britt-Marie does at her new job, she cleans of course.  She soon finds out the little town of Borg has some "different" people living there.  The most she learns is they all love Soccer.  Britt-Marie is dragged into being the soccer coach for a bunch of kids that love the sport, but can't play very well.  Can Britt-Marie get them to the championship and can they win?  Will her husband come get her and take her back home?  I give this book 5.....

This book is for 1 of my reading challenges.....
Outdo Yourself Challenge

I LIE THURSDAY.......

well, maybe not this Thursday.  All the cars, vendors, and campers are in town for the Ducktail Run.  Last year there were 2427 cars registered, and 50,000 people came to this event.  All this in a tiny town of 2,000 folks.   So I hide out at home, not going out any more than necessary.

Now to what I do like.....

My kitchen all cleaned up....

The view from my window while I'm doing dishes.....

And I really like block 20 of my Crazy Quilt.....

I'm linking up with LA Paylor over at Not Afraid of Color for I Like Thursdays.

STITCHING........

I've been working on my Crazy Quilt.  I've gotten 4 rows together.  Laid it out on the floor and I think it needs one more row. 

I've also started the Flower Blanket CAL I'm doing.  It's over at Shar's place, Country Fragrance.  Hop over and check it out.

Last week Heather, at Books and Quilts  asked if anyone makes test blocks.  Well, I made one for the Flower Blanket.  I thought the variegated yarn would look nice as flower petals.  So I made one, and didn't like it at all.  I had a picture of this block, but I've lost it somewhere on my computer and I can't find it.  I NEED A COMPUTER TECH!!!!  Anyway, I've gotten 2 blocks done.

BOOK REPORT....N IS FOR NOOSE

"N" is for Noose - Sue Grafton

Product Description(Amazon.com)
Tom Newquist has died. A detective in the Nota Lake sheriff's office, Tom was tough, honest, and respected by all. He was also a heavy drinker and a workaholic, much to his wife Selma's distress. And now that Tom is gone, Selma can't help but wonder what it really was that was troubling him….
What made Tom so restless during the last six weeks of his life? Why was he up all night and brooding all day long? What―or who―was at the heart of his dark moods? With the coroner's report in hand, Selma decides to enlist the help of Kinsey Millhone to find the truth about what happened to her husband.
But the residents of Nota Lake keep their secrets close―and their enemies closer. And the deeper Kinsey's investigation goes, the closer she comes to confronting the most dangerous outcome of all: the truth… 
Series: Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Mysteries (Book 14) 
Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages 
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks; Reprint edition (October 4, 2011) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 125000649X 
ISBN-13: 978-1250006493

MY THOUGHTS:  This is book 14 of the series, when I started this book I wasn't too sure where it was going.  But as Kinsey keeps digging for clues and info, she comes up with a theory, but now she has to prove it.  While investigating her information, Kinsey is hurt and she heads home to find more clues.  It seems there are clues that leads to a double murder.  But no clue as to who done it.  I give this book 4.......

This book is for 2 of my reading challenges......
Alphabet Soup Challenge
Outdo Yourself Challenge

BOOK REPORT....

The Bachelor Girl's Guide to Murder - Rachel McMillan

Product Description(Amazon.com)

In 1910 Toronto, while other bachelor girls perfect their domestic skills and find husbands, two friends perfect their sleuthing skills and find a murderer.
Inspired by their fascination with all things Sherlock Holmes, best friends and flatmates Merinda and Jem launch a consulting detective business. The deaths of young Irish women lead Merinda and Jem deeper into the mire of the city's underbelly, where the high hopes of those dreaming to make a new life in Canada are met with prejudice and squalor.
While searching for answers, donning disguises, and sneaking around where no proper ladies would ever go, they pair with Jasper Forth, a police constable, and Ray DeLuca, a reporter in whom Jem takes a more than professional interest. Merinda could well be Toronto's premiere consulting detective, and Jem may just find a way to put her bachelor girlhood behind her forever—if they can stay alive long enough to do so. 
Series: Herringford and Watts Mysteries (Book 1) 
Paperback: 224 pages 
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers (April 1, 2016) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 0736966404 
ISBN-13: 978-0736966405

MY THOUGHTS: This is a new author and series for me.  Books that take me on a historical journey are one of my favorites, along with a good murder mystery.  This book has both of them.  And along the way Romance works into the story line.  Merinda and Jem are consulting detective's and they have hung their sign out for business.  First and foremost, they have a murder to solve.  The girls have all kinds of help along the way.  Jasper, a police constable, Ray, a reporter and Tina and Mouse.  They all work into the story of the Bachelor Girl's.  I give this book 5.....

 




This book is for 2 of my reading challenges......
11th Annual Canadian Challenge
Outdo Yourself Challenge 

BOOK REPORT....SHADOWS IN THE VINEYARD

Shadows in the Vineyard - Maximillian Potter

Product Description(Amazon.com)
In January 2010, Aubert de Villaine, the famed proprietor of the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, the tiny, storied vineyard that produces the most expensive, exquisite wines in the world, received an anonymous note threatening the destruction of his priceless vines by poison-a crime that in the world of high-end wine is akin to murder-unless he paid a one million euro ransom. Villaine believed it to be a sick joke, but that proved a fatal miscalculation and the crime shocked this fabled region of France. The sinister story that Vanity Fair journalist Maximillian Potter uncovered would lead to a sting operation by some of France's top detectives, the primary suspect's suicide, and a dramatic investigation. This botanical crime threatened to destroy the fiercely traditional culture surrounding the world's greatest wine.

SHADOWS IN THE VINEYARD takes us deep into a captivating world full of fascinating characters, small-town French politics, an unforgettable narrative, and a local culture defined by the twinned veins of excess and vitality and the deep reverent attention to the land that runs through it. Hardcover: 304 pages 
Publisher: Twelve; 1st edition (July 29, 2014) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 1455516104 
ISBN-13: 978-1455516100

MY THOUGHTS:  Non-fiction is not one of my favorite genres.   I actually have to make myself read them, but once in a while I run across and interesting book.  If you are a lover of wine, this is a book you should read.  This one is loaded with lots of info on the Romanee-Conti Vineyard.  This vineyard produces the most expensive wines in the world.  Aubert de Villaine, the proprietor of the Conti Vineyard got an anonymous note saying his vines would be poisoned.  Aubert didn't believe it.   The story is mostly about Aubert and his life's work at the vineyard, about a quarter of the book is a history lesson on the region, which I didn't like very well.  Which is why I'm giving this book 3....

This book is for 3 of my reading challenges.....
Outdo Yourself Challenge
Alphabet Soup Challenge
Good Reads/Wacky Readers Challenge/Strolling Through Non-Fiction

BOOK REPORT....HOPE TO DIE

Hope to Die - James Patterson

Product Description(Amazon.com)
Detective Alex Cross is being stalked by a psychotic genius, forced to play the deadliest game of his career. Cross's family-his loving wife, Bree, the wise and lively Nana Mama, and his precious children-have been ripped away. Terrified and desperate, Cross must give this madman what he wants if he has any chance of saving the most important people in his life. The stakes have never been higher: What will Cross sacrifice to save the ones he loves? 
Series: Alex Cross 
Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages 
Publisher: Vision (September 29, 2015) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 1455515833 
ISBN-13: 978-1455515837

MY THOUGHTS:  The psychotic genius stalking Alex Cross is Therry Mulch, he wants to turn Alex into a cold blooded murderer.  He kidnaps all of Alex's family, sends pictures of them dead, and turns Alex into a walking "Zombie".  But he's not done with Alex yet.  He keeps giving him things to do, to turn him into a killer.  But Alex won't do it.  He starts to figure out where he is, but keeps missing him, he gets away.  Will Alex ever find his family!  I give this book 5.....

This book is for 2 of my reading challenges.....
Alphabet Soup Challenge
Outdo Yourself Challenge

IT'S THURSDAY.....

What I like about Thursday.....it's only one more day until Friday and the weekend.  I get to stay up late and sleep in.  YEA!

I also have some shopping to do this weekend.  Need laundry items.  And where do I get them....the Dollar Store.  Laundry soap, fabric softener and bleach.  And not name brads either.  Can't afford those.  Dollar Store brands work just as good as the name brands.

The one thing I don't buy off brand is bleach.  It's Clorox for me....

We were all outside this past weekend.  So took some random photos to share. 
The Honeysuckle is blooming.....smells so GOOD.

Bob coming up the the back yard after running around the barn.

Tobby has a roll on the carpet....he looks like he's in heaven.

We have been having cool nights here.  Had to get my fuzzy, snuggle socks out.  When I wear these they remind me of Pipi Longstocking....lol

Here's a few of the places I'm linking up too.....
Tamar at Random-osity/Little Things Thursday
Tanya at Around Roanoke, VA/5 Random Shots
LA Paylor at Not Afraid of Color/I Like Thursday

TO DO TUESDAY......

 I'm joining up with Heather over at Books and Quilts for Needlework Tuesday.  Hop over and check out Heather's newest project.

I'm planning on finishing my Crazy Quilt block 20.  Then start putting the quilt together.  This is block 19.....

I may also work on some crochet, not sure about that one.  I also am starting my book, Hope to Die by James Patterson.  This is part of the Alex Cross series I'm reading.  The last book, Cross My Heart, left me hanging.  That's about it for me.

IT'S MONDAY, WHAT ARE YOU READING......

WHAT I READ LAST WEEK

Both very good books.  I have 2 personal challenges this year.  The Alex Cross series by James Patterson and the Alphabet Mysteries by Sue Grafton.  I have 4 more books in the Alex Cross series.  I am up to "M" in the Alphabet Mysteries.

WHAT I'M READING AT PRESENT

I was desperate for something to read.  Our library has been closed all weekend for the holiday, so didn't have access.  So went to the Dollar Store and bought a book.  I've read several of Suzanne Enoch's books. 

UP NEXT

I'm linking up with Kathyrn over at The Book Date for It's Monday, What Are You Reading.  Hop over and check out what everyone is reading.

BOOK REPORT...M IS FOR MALICE

"M" is for Malice - Sue Grafton

Product Description(Amazon.com)
Brace yourself for an "Electrifying and thoroughly satisfying" read (Publishers Weekly) from #1 New York Times bestselling author Sue Grafton
"M" is for money. Lots of it. "M" is for Malek Construction, the $40 million company that grew out of modest soil to become one of the big three in California construction, one of the few still in family hands.
"M" is for the Malek family: four sons now nearing middle age who stand to inherit a fortune--four men with very different outlooks, temperaments, and needs, linked only by blood and money. Eighteen years ago, one of them--angry, troubled, and in trouble--went missing.
"M" is for Millhone, hired to trace that missing black sheep brother.
"M" is for memories, none of them happy. The bitter memories of an embattled family. This prodigal son will find no welcome at his family's table. "M" is for malice.
And in brutal consequence, "M" is for murder, the all-too-common outcome of familial hatreds.
"M" is for malice . . . and malice kills. 
Hardcover: 300 pages 
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (November 15, 1996) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 0805036377 
ISBN-13: 978-0805036374

MY THOUGHTS:  The head of the Malek family has died.  As the will is ready to put into probate, there is only one thing holding it up.  A missing brother, Guy Malek.  Kinsey is hired to find him and bring him home.  Coming home for Guy is not a good thing.  2 days home and Guy is dead.  And who killed him.  His brothers, a stranger, no one knows.  Kinsey, with the help of Dietz, go looking for clues.  Does Kinsey find the murderer?  I give this book 4.....

This book is for one of my reading challenges.....
Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge

READING MONTH IN REVIEW......

BOOKS READ - 12
(All 5 Stars)
Kill Alex Cross - James Patterson
J is for Judgement - Sue Grafton
Brain on Fire - Susannah Cahalan
The Runaway Midwife - Patricia Harman
Merry Christmas, Alex Cross - James Patterson
K is for Killer - Sue Grafton
Chris Hadfield - Chelsea Donaldson
The Darkest Dark - Chris Hadfield and Kate Fillion
Alex Cross, Run - James Patterson
L is for Lawless - Sue Grafton
Exit, Pursued by a Bear - E. K. Johnston
Cross My Heart - James Patterson

BOOK FORMAT
Hardback books 12

NEW TO ME AUTHORS
 Susannah Cahalan
Patricia Harman
Chelsea Donaldson
Chris Hadfield and Kate Fillion
E. K. Johnston

TOP BOOK FOR AUGUST

All my books listed are linked to my reviews in MY LIBRARY tab at the top of the page, they are in order by author's last name.  I'm linking up with Kathryn over The Book Date for Month in Review.