156. Twelve Slays of Christmas by Jacqueline Frost

#1 Christmas Tree Farm mystery

listened on Audible - free

narrated by Allyson Ryan

Unabridged audio (8:16)
2017

311 pgs.
Adult Cozy Mystery
Finished 12/22/2020
Goodreads rating: 4.02 - 2253 ratings
My rating: 2 (Just not a cozy mystery fan)
Setting: Contemporary small town Maine 

First line/s:   " 'I have two cups of Santa's cinnamon tea, one spicy apple cider, and a peppermint twist hot cocoa,' I said, setting the mugs on the table surrounded by rosy-cheeked women wearing matching holiday sweaters."

My comments: Deceiving title, only one murder.  There's a reason I don't read cozy mysteries. Only ready this because it's set in Maine. This was so sugary sweet, silly, and stupid.  Stereotypical everything, a Hallmark movie extraordinaire in print.  How can a whole town's worth of people fit in one living room a dozen times?  Ridiculous!

Goodreads synopsis:  When Holly White's fiance cancels their Christmas Eve wedding with less than two weeks to go, Holly heads home with a broken heart. Lucky for her, home in historic Mistletoe, Maine is magical during Christmastime--exactly what the doctor prescribed. Except her plan to drown her troubles in peppermints and snickerdoodles is upended when local grouch and president of the Mistletoe Historical Society Margaret Fenwick is bludgeoned and left in the sleigh display at Reindeer Games, Holly's family tree farm.

          When the murder weapon is revealed as one of the wooden stakes used to identify trees on the farm, Sheriff Evan Grey turns to Holly's father, Bud, and the Reindeer Games staff. And it doesn't help that Bud and the reindeer keeper were each seen arguing with Margaret just before her death. But Holly knows her father, and is determined to exonerate him.The jingle bells are ringing, the clock is ticking, and if Holly doesn't watch out, she'll end up on Santa's naughty list in Twelve Slays of Christmas, Jacqueline Frost's jolly series debut. 

Movie - The Postcard Killings

Pandemic Movies Seen at Home That Should Have Been on the BIG SCREEN

(1:44)

3/13/20 Limited and Streaming

Viewed date at home on Sunday, 12/20/20 via HULU

IMBd: 5.7/10

RT Critic: 24   Audience:  37

Critic's Consensus:  

Cag:  4 Liked it a lot, even though it was gritty and sad

Directed by Danis Tanovic

Good Films Collective, K. JAM Media

Based on the book by Paterson

Jeffrey Dean Morgan

My comments:  Set in London, Stockholm, and Helsinki with brief encounters in Hamburg, Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris....very grizzly piece which left me feeling a little bereft, but which took my mind away from my own troubles for a bit.  Jeffrey Dean Morgan is great...

RT/ IMDb Summary:  A New York detective investigates the death of his daughter, who was murdered while on her honeymoon in London, the victim of an apparent serial killer.

155. It's a Wonderful Wife by Camille Pagan

listened on Audible - free

narrated by Amy McFadden

Unabridged audio (1:56)
2020
100 pgs.
Adult Christmas novella
Finished 12/18/2020
Goodreads rating: 3.50 - 562 ratings
My rating: 4

My comments: What a horrible title, I almost didn't read it because of that!  It's quite a fun story despite the lousy title.  Perfect length, enjoyed it a lot.

Goodreads synopsis:  In this charming and heartwarming retelling of Frank Capra’s classic It’s a Wonderful Life, Camille Pagán, best-selling author of This Won’t End Well and I’m Fine and Neither Are You, introduces us to Bailey, a dutiful yet sharp-witted 30-something who finds herself on the verge of a nervous breakdown as Christmas Eve approaches. As if it wasn’t enough that Bailey’s husband has just cheated on her, the family business she’s been running since her parents died, which employs most of her small town, is about to go under. But even as she’s questioning whether her life has any meaning, Bailey bumps into a handsome stranger who claims to know her - and through a series of strange events, sheds new light on what it means to make a difference in this messy, wonderful world.

154. Christmas at Copper Mountain by Jane Porter

listened on Audible, free

narrated by Loretta Rawlins

Unabridged audio (4:00)
2013
152 pgs.
Contemporary Holiday Romance
Finished 12/17/2020
Goodreads rating: 3.95 - 2439 ratings
My rating: 3.5
Setting: Contemporary Wyoming/Montana (can't remember which)

First Line/s:  "Harley Diekerhoff looked up from peeling potatoes to glance out the kitchen window."

My comments: A Hallmark movie-type novella, more or less, except with a little bit of steam near the end.  Bittersweet for sure.  

Goodreads synopsis:  Since the loss of her family in a plane crash, Harley Diekerhoff has led a quiet life and keeps to herself. Taking the temporary job at the Copper Mountain Ranch as widower Brock Sheenan’s housekeeper seems perfect for her. But her calm cocoon is invaded with the arrival of Brock’s pre-teen twins, Mack and Molly who’ve never experienced a proper Christmas and before she knows it, Harley’s determined to make their holiday perfect.
           Annoyed at first by Harley’s interference, Brock is secretly pleased she’s changed Mack and Molly’s world. It doesn’t hurt that he finds Harley incredibly attractive, fierce, smart and passionate. It’s also an added bonus that she’s not afraid to challenge him and get his blood heated! But when sparks fly and the attractions sizzles between them, Harley’s not so sure she can handle something permanent with this dark, taciturn cowboy who doesn’t know how to let her in. But Brock is determined to hold on to her and praying for a Christmas miracle…

153. Fake Date by Monica Murphy

listened - free Audible

narrated by Savannah Peachwood (can't do voices!!) and James McAdams

Unabridged audio (9:46)

2019
358 pgs.
Contemporary Romance
Finished 12/17/2020
Goodreads rating: 3.72 - 144 ratings
My rating: 1 Crappy

Setting:  Contemporary Monterey, CA (with a trip to San Francisco)

First line/s: "Sometimes I marvel at the way my job choices have sent me down."

My comments: There was absolutely nothing to like about this book.  The female reader read everyone's speaking parts horribly except for the protagonist.  She added nuances to the speech that changed the peoples' personalities.  Everything was stupid, the way everyone acted and reacted, the bevy of friends, and all their "advice," and even the (nonexistent) amount of time that she spent "taking care of" her little sister, which se was always complaining about.  

Goodreads synopsis:  Working at Bliss, Sarah Harrison deals with all sorts of—interesting clientele. Yet no one sparks her interest more than Jared Gaines, the ultra-rich, ultra-sexy businessman who frequents her shop, buying delicate little “gifts” for the women in his life.

          But one day, Jared sends her a gift from Bliss. Then another—and another. So when Sarah walks into his office demanding to know why he can't stop sending her gifts, he makes her an offer she somehow can’t refuse: be his fake girlfriend for the weekend while attending his brother’s engagement party.
          Next thing Sarah knows, she’s in San Francisco, pretending to be in love with Jared. Not that it’s a hardship. Once you get the man away from the office, he’s much more relaxed. Sweet. Funny. Even…thoughtful? Oh, and sexier than ever, of course.
          Their pretend relationship feels very real, very quickly. Soon Sarah’s in over her head. Could what she and Jared share turn into something real? Or is it all actually…fake?

Recipe - Christmas Crack

1 cup brown sugar

2 sticks butter

Saltine crackers (48 singles?)

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

optional:  chopped pecans

       

Melt together brown sugar and butter and let boil for 3 minutes (don't stir once it starts to boil).

Line a large sheet pan with tin foil.  Spray with oil. OR use parchment paper.

Lay saltines, salt side up, side by side, on tin foil.

Spread toffee evenly over top of saltines.

Bake at 350 for 5 - 8 min.

Immediately pour chocolate chips over top, let melt, then spread evenly.

Top with chopped pecans for an even crunchier bark.

Let cool in fridge for an hour before cutting (or breaking) into piecesl

152. Agent 355 by Marie Benedict

listened on Audible

narrated by Emily Rankin

Unabridged audio (2:07)
2020
85 pgs. estimated
Adult Historical Fiction (American Revolution)
Finished 12/13/2020
Goodreads rating: 3.67 - 3251 ratings
My rating: 3.5

What I posted on Goodreads:  

My comments: An historical fiction based on the possibility of real facts.  Using details gleaned from many sources, it is know that there was a female spy during the revolution that helped catch Benedict Arnold before his traitorous actions were too debilitating for America. This story is the author's imagining of what could have actually happened.  Interesting, much more so after hearing the author's afterward, the details about the real possible people involved.

Goodreads synopsis:  From Marie Benedict, best-selling author of The Only Woman in the Room and Lady Clementine, comes a captivating work of historical fiction about a young female spy who may have changed the course of American History.
          The tide is turning against the colonists in the Revolutionary War, and 18-year-old Elizabeth Morris cannot sit by idly. Quietly disdainful of her Tory parents, who drag her along to society events and welcome a British soldier into their home during their occupation of New York City, Elizabeth decides to take matters into her own hands. She realizes that, as a young woman, no one around her believes that she can comprehend the profound implications of being a nation at war - she is, effectively, invisible. And she can use this invisibility to her advantage. Her unique access to British society leads her to a role with General George Washington's own network of spies: the Culper Ring.
          Based on true events, Agent 355 combines adventure, romance, and espionage to bring to life this little-known story of a hero who risked her life to fight for freedom against all odds.

Recipe - Ground Turkey & Ramen Vegetable Tomato Soup

1 lb. ground turkey (or leftover meat of any sort)

1 envelope onion soup mix

1 pkg. ramen noodles

1 1/2 seasoning from packet

1 1/2 t. sugar

3/4 t. pepper

46-oz. V-8 juice

1 16-oz pkg. frozen mixed vegetables (I use my own assortment, no lima beans!) 

          (canned green beans and canned or frozen corn)

Scramble-cook ground turkey, add all but noodles. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat.  Simmer, uncovered for 5 minutes.

Break up noodles into small pieces and add.  Cook for 3 to 5 minutes longer, until noodles are cooked.

Makes 6 servings:  Freezes well.

151. Evil Eye - Madhuri Shekar

Listened on Audible - freebie/Audible Original
narrated by many readers
Unabridged audio (1:38)
2019
doesn't say, will count 80 pgs.
Adult CRF Epistolary US & India
Finished 12/12/20
Goodreads rating: 4.06 - 4810 ratings
My rating: 4
Setting: Phone conversations & voicemails between a daughter of Indian background living in LA and her parents in India

What I posted on Goodreads:  same as below

My comments: Spoke theater, the whole thing is telephone conversations and voicemails between a mother, a daughter, the father, and the boyfriend.  It gets creepy.  Creepy fun.  I quite liked it.

Goodreads synopsis: Pallavi is an aspiring writer living in California. Her mother, Usha, is thousands of miles away in Delhi - and obsessed with finding her daughter a husband.

          In Madhuri Shekar’s ingenious Evil Eye, hilarious back-and-forth via phone and social media takes a shocking, supernatural twist when Pallavi meets the perfect man - leading to a climactic showdown that will leave listeners on the edges of their seats.

          (from another reader) this was a chilling and captivating story that I couldn't get enough of. Told through a series of telephone conversations and voicemails, a mother living in Delhi becomes increasingly concerned when her independent and career driven Indian -American daughter begins to be involved with a new man. Although Usha wants nothing more than her daughter, Pallvai to marry, an uneasy feeling begins to grow. Except everyone else thinks Usha is going crazy.

150. Snow Day by Julie Lipson

Audible Original, Acted with background noises
Unabridged audio (1:11)
2020
100 pgs.?
Adult CRF Holiday
Finished 12/11/20
Goodreads rating:  3.60 - 452 ratings
My rating: 2
Setting: train from Florence to Paris

My comments: This was a spoken performance that took place on a Christmas Eve train ride from Florence through Italy towards Paris.  When the train encounters a blizzard it has to stop because it cannot continue, and two people whe have just met explore and get to know each other a little better.  I think there was supposed to be charisma between the two characters, but I just didn't feel it.  It was very short, so it didn't waste much of my time.

Goodreads synopsis:  What makes for a wonderful life? On a crowded Christmas train from Milan to Paris, Amy, an American headed to meet her fiancé, and Martjin, a Finn headed anywhere but home, meet cute. But when their train gets delayed in an Italian Alps hill town due to a snow storm, they, along with a passel of fellow stranded passengers, find comfort and joy in a cozy inn, run by a wise Italian man who forces them to look at the holiday and each other in a whole new light. 

149. Eight Winter Nights by Liz Maverick

free Audible 
narrated by Eva Kaminsky and Jason Clarke
Unabridged audio (2:55)
2020 Audible Originals
approx. 100 pgs.
Adult Hanukkah RomCom
Finished 12/11/20
Goodreads rating: 3.51 - 406 ratings
My rating: 4
Setting: contemporary NYC in December

What I posted on Goodreads:  This is a great length for a romance, less than three hours.  Refreshing holiday story about Hanukkah and a group of Jewish friends in NYC.  Sort of a strange premise, but an easy holiday listen.

My comments: This is the perfect length for a romance, -they should rarely ever be longer - not too much breaking up, getting back together, misunderstanding repeat.  That's not to say that I thought the story was great...though it was definitely different and easy to listen to.  Hanukkah instead of Christmas.  A group of Jewish friends in New York City.  Refreshingly not steamy.

Goodreads synopsis:  

148. Nick and Noel's Christmas Playlist by Codi Hall

listened - free on Audible
narrated by Brooke Bloomingdale and Edward Thomas
Unabridged audio (10:07)
2020 Audible Originals
290 pgs. - an estimation
Adult Christmas RomCom
Finished 12/10/2020
Goodreads rating: 
My rating: 3
Setting: contemporary rural Idaho

What I posted on Goodreads:  Very cutesie story to listen to when trying to get into the holiday spirit. 

Goodreads synopsis:  Press play on happily ever after in this charming, heartfelt holiday rom-com.
         Nick Winters and Noel Carter have known each other their whole lives. After years of shared family holidays, working together on the Winters’ Christmas tree farm, and being each other's safe haven, they wouldn't dream of crossing the line from friends to something more....
          But when Nick comes home for the holidays after serving overseas and finds that his long-term girlfriend has decided to get her stocking stuffed elsewhere, Noel is there to pick him up and show him that instead of a Blue Christmas he can still have a Wonderful Christmastime without his cheating ex.
          A night on the town and an impulsive kiss later has Noel thinking that perhaps this year they’ll be rockin’ around the Christmas tree as a couple, but only if the ghost - er rather - girlfriend of Nick's Christmas past doesn’t decide to haunt their holiday....

Loaded Cauliflower Bake

2 small heads cauliflower, cut into florets

    (it says to blanche for 3 minutes to take less time when baking, but some comments said they didn't blanche, just cooked longer, about 50 minutes.  I like this idea.)  

     NOTE:  Laura used 2 bags of frozen cauliflower, zapped in microwave for a few minutes, then drained well.  I think I'd use 3 bags....

2 T. butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 T all-purpose flour

2 c. whole milk

     (another comment is that they used cream instead of milk and no flour)

2 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar, divided

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/4 c. sliced green onions

Preheat oven to 350.  Blanch cauliflower for 3 min. in boiling water, drain and squeeze out water.

Make cheese sauce:  IN a large skillet, melt butter.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minutes, then add flour and stir until golden, 2 minutes.  Add milk and bring to a low simmer, then add cream cheese, whisking until combined.  Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of the cheddar until melted.  Season with salt and pepper.

In a 9 x 13 dish, add drained cauliflower.  Pour over cheese sauce and stir until combined.  Stir in all but 1 T. each cooked bacon and green onions until combined, then top with remaining cheddar, bacon, and green ionions.

Bake until cauliflower is tender and cheese is melty, 30 minutes.

from Delish.com and first made by Laura.  YUM!

147. Beheld by TaraShea Nesbit

listened on Audible, purchased with a credit
narrated by many readers
Unabridged audio (6:17)
2020
288 pgs.
Historical Fiction
Finished 12/8/2020
Goodreads rating: 3.55 - 1508 ratings
My rating: 3
Setting: 1630 Plymouth

First line/s: "We thought ourselves a murderless colony."

What I posted on Goodreads: same as comments below

My comments: Some of this story was very frustrating because of the flipping back-an-forth timewise and narrator wise.  I enjoyed being put into the middle of the history of early colonization where the author glamorizes nothing.  Who knows what really happened during that time....white male supremacy, God is mightier than anything else, saints vs. sinner (or "hypocrites" vs. indentured servants).  This was not the history I learned, but is probably closer to the truth.  Sadly, so much hate, meanness, selfishness, pettiness. The jumping around was bothersome.  I enjoyed this book in some ways, but less in others....

Goodreads synopsis:  From the bestselling author of The Wives of Los Alamos comes the riveting story of a stranger’s arrival in the fledgling colony of Plymouth, Massachusetts―and a crime that shakes the divided community to its core.
           Ten years after the Mayflower pilgrims arrived on rocky, unfamiliar soil, Plymouth is not the land its residents had imagined. Seemingly established on a dream of religious freedom, in reality the town is led by fervent puritans who prohibit the residents from living, trading, and worshipping as they choose. By the time an unfamiliar ship, bearing new colonists, appears on the horizon one summer morning, Anglican outsiders have had enough.
          With gripping, immersive details and exquisite prose, TaraShea Nesbit reframes the story of the pilgrims in the previously unheard voices of two women of very different status and means. She evokes a vivid, ominous Plymouth, populated by famous and unknown characters alike, each with conflicting desires and questionable behavior.
           Suspenseful and beautifully wrought, Beheld is about a murder and a trial, and the motivations―personal and political―that cause people to act in unsavory ways. It is also an intimate portrait of love, motherhood, and friendship that asks: Whose stories get told over time, who gets believed―and subsequently, who gets punished?

On the Road

Making a Table of Contents for the Wanderings I've Blogged

California May, 2021

California Barn Quilts 2012

Chicago with Fran, September 2010

Colorado Springs Shopping, April, 2011

Las Vegas with Fran & Terry, February 2023

New York City Week with Laura & Ella, June 2015

North Carolina Spring Break Road Trip, April, 2022

Pennsylvania Jaunts

     Includes State Parks, Counties, Quilt Shops....

San Francisco, May 17, 2021

Seattle, December 2011

Solo Cross Country West to East, May 2016

Williamsburg, VA, November 2020