tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-992366217744057962024-03-17T20:02:04.162-07:00Muddy Puddle MusingsReflections on the books, poems, short stories, cereal boxes and small print I'm currently reading AND the films I'm getting to see upon occasion. . . .Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13358133008476086924noreply@blogger.comBlogger3359125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99236621774405796.post-1415717334225350142024-03-16T13:13:00.003-07:002024-03-16T13:13:27.466-07:00Paper Pieced Mini Houses - Easy-Peezy-Simple-Small<div style="text-align: left;">Photo will go here as soon as I create one - can't be downloaded from internet.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogJ2cnfntXI"><i>Stitch with Rachel</i> YouTube directions</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Etsy shop where I purchased the pattern: <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/816677832/mini-house-block-foundation-paper?click_key=9e267694fac493f42953626f8c0ecb2a9a3f54b4%3A816677832&click_sum=8a9b1825&ref=hp_rv-2&sts=1">JitkaDesign</a></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13358133008476086924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99236621774405796.post-16018619590493976222024-03-16T12:51:00.003-07:002024-03-16T12:51:40.502-07:00Shipwreck Casserole<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPaagwUhrio5dMZajO7eJJRu52LEE2X1TDPYD-UZmzFD_A5ZIyf37Kyr6_aBI-E6U9XOxABE3XUKkUWMgtTt5ampvyWKpeR6xu7taPjiRSCTa0yy-8a9-FkWdUVNSV1b1VfdSaoLo8IZEWe_dbncQO7n2a8NEZFmEnIfWuw1XddyEEHDcu6zUaDZQTNpc/s800/shipwreck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="800" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPaagwUhrio5dMZajO7eJJRu52LEE2X1TDPYD-UZmzFD_A5ZIyf37Kyr6_aBI-E6U9XOxABE3XUKkUWMgtTt5ampvyWKpeR6xu7taPjiRSCTa0yy-8a9-FkWdUVNSV1b1VfdSaoLo8IZEWe_dbncQO7n2a8NEZFmEnIfWuw1XddyEEHDcu6zUaDZQTNpc/s320/shipwreck.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />In a large bowl, combine:</div><div style="text-align: left;"> 1 lb. scrambled ground beef</div><div style="text-align: left;"> 3 sliced carrots</div><div style="text-align: left;"> 1 chopped onion</div><div style="text-align: left;"> 1/4 cabbage, chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;"> 1 green pepper, diced</div><div style="text-align: left;"> 4 cups shredded, frozen hash browns</div><div style="text-align: left;"> 3/4 cup instant minute rice</div><div style="text-align: left;"> 1 cup tomato sauce</div><div style="text-align: left;"> 2 1/2 cups water</div><div style="text-align: left;"> 1 can diced tomatoes</div><div style="text-align: left;"> 1 t. salt</div><div style="text-align: left;"> 1 t. pepper</div><div style="text-align: left;"> 1 t. onion powder</div><div style="text-align: left;"> 1 t. garlic powder</div><div style="text-align: left;"> 1 t. Italian seasoning</div><div style="text-align: left;"> 1 t. paprika</div><div style="text-align: left;"> 1 cup shredded cheddar.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Stir together</div><div style="text-align: left;">Dump into sprayed 9 x 13 pan</div><div style="text-align: left;">Cover with aluminium foil</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Bake at 350 for 60 minutes.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Add more cheese, cook for another 15 minutes (or skip this cheese....)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Thanks Julie Pacheko!</div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13358133008476086924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99236621774405796.post-48088541624503000032024-03-16T12:50:00.002-07:002024-03-16T12:50:46.616-07:00Dump & Go Broccoli, Ham and Rice Casserole<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioJd713O4SLLcH2m9_cxuKjvLev09ZLDvzxdiMlfI5BJa8C_89F1GSxETQIRthd_3hU-7D6O5hYelheERa__1SxMFFN4XYtw4Q8IzW5HqpmOMQ59EsKy0Gdr_krUkPXb5v8SKI6czAc_4ayZVppullEtcu43UBx1_Plpw98Bnu2HZA_h4PPuhCGNEiONk/s800/ham.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="800" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioJd713O4SLLcH2m9_cxuKjvLev09ZLDvzxdiMlfI5BJa8C_89F1GSxETQIRthd_3hU-7D6O5hYelheERa__1SxMFFN4XYtw4Q8IzW5HqpmOMQ59EsKy0Gdr_krUkPXb5v8SKI6czAc_4ayZVppullEtcu43UBx1_Plpw98Bnu2HZA_h4PPuhCGNEiONk/s320/ham.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Spray 9 x 13 pan</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">2 c. chicken broth</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 can cream of chicken soup</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 t. salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika</div><div style="text-align: left;"> Whisk together</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 cup uncooked rice</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 cup cheese</div><div style="text-align: left;">12 oz. frozen broccoli</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 lb. diced ham (or chicken)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Stir.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Cover with foil</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Bake at 375 for 55 minutes</div><div style="text-align: left;">Remove foil, stir, cover with another 1 cup cheese</div><div style="text-align: left;">10 more minutes.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Serve.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Another good one from Julie Pacheko.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13358133008476086924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99236621774405796.post-46025627170121304492024-03-13T10:19:00.003-07:002024-03-13T10:19:31.711-07:00Orange Sesame Chicken Salad<div style="text-align: center;">From Andy's East Coast Kitchen</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8bISPUwivxW5FuZPd3VrMnLCY8w2q_Wz3YTCth4RqR-b4Y_t0pFM-tKDKfCamp9DXem-x7CLADfLgCKhLQB5VgxrkZ2O9Tu4xDrSgvjNKgLoJBmh88ZAq6Outl6Jog2zUI0_KGXVwN89hCknskXbx_OW2u90W23-cVaOTu1qSkVeczbI2kwAuR9b_G9Q/s1024/sesame-orange-chicken-salad-01-1024x576.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8bISPUwivxW5FuZPd3VrMnLCY8w2q_Wz3YTCth4RqR-b4Y_t0pFM-tKDKfCamp9DXem-x7CLADfLgCKhLQB5VgxrkZ2O9Tu4xDrSgvjNKgLoJBmh88ZAq6Outl6Jog2zUI0_KGXVwN89hCknskXbx_OW2u90W23-cVaOTu1qSkVeczbI2kwAuR9b_G9Q/s320/sesame-orange-chicken-salad-01-1024x576.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 large chicken breasts, cubed, seasoned with: l T. salt, 1 T, pepper, 1 T. onion powder, 1 T. garlic powder, fried until brown on all sides.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">5 c. cabbage, shredded thin (or cole slaw mixture)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 oranges, segmented</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 c. sliced green onions</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/4 cup chopped cilantro</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Toast and top with:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/4 c. slivered almonds</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2T. sesame seeds</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Dressing, mixed in a mason jar:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 c. sesame oil</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/4 c. maple syrup</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/3 c. soy sauce</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3 t. rice wine vinegar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3 t. fresh ginger</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">zest of one orange</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 T. fresh orange juice</div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13358133008476086924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99236621774405796.post-45545763623511168702024-03-12T12:46:00.003-07:002024-03-13T10:24:22.819-07:00Upcoming Releases<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzzFsFoK-Bbqca13slCZJ7Zfea3FrvJWouk5GxJdBuG75XPAR4C-ZoPeHsTy83UXqO19r64_vOPGQQ7M5-MVrA6DueWNkcf5YXUEpn-wD00VlYRovG3J7gO8ud2XwYCAfx2z5csLRVDMz5rVefqwjTkVaLatX2XRqFBbBVtGm1LZ_ZR2lYQWLyhCHRxMc/s1200/new-book-releases.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1200" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzzFsFoK-Bbqca13slCZJ7Zfea3FrvJWouk5GxJdBuG75XPAR4C-ZoPeHsTy83UXqO19r64_vOPGQQ7M5-MVrA6DueWNkcf5YXUEpn-wD00VlYRovG3J7gO8ud2XwYCAfx2z5csLRVDMz5rVefqwjTkVaLatX2XRqFBbBVtGm1LZ_ZR2lYQWLyhCHRxMc/s320/new-book-releases.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /> 3/28 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/136276877-the-last-murder-at-the-end-of-the-world">The Last Murder at the End of the World</a> by Stuart Turton<p></p><p>4/30 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/150260819-granite-harbor?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=NjNjUEvJg2&rank=1">Granite Harbor</a> by Peter Nichols (coastal Maine murder mystery)</p>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13358133008476086924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99236621774405796.post-69944172304644326182024-03-10T08:06:00.001-07:002024-03-12T07:42:38.637-07:0020. Weyward by Emilia Hart<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0SKYilm8DmkBw5RW8gBcnxL7-SRxF4_S1gKGNttdXxVPOb3oe0PrPTEofKQBISaBxUzaE5xwpeIgKjDGGZwNG6BcchQ8PGxqJ7wZfZtr-Pb72NUKeDNWO9L5YmnJX-pHrR-3JTQJkDr2b_TOJMnPVohNMhJui3N27spACyHZ-hKZwRkABKnzUxRhYqQw/s400/wey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="261" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0SKYilm8DmkBw5RW8gBcnxL7-SRxF4_S1gKGNttdXxVPOb3oe0PrPTEofKQBISaBxUzaE5xwpeIgKjDGGZwNG6BcchQ8PGxqJ7wZfZtr-Pb72NUKeDNWO9L5YmnJX-pHrR-3JTQJkDr2b_TOJMnPVohNMhJui3N27spACyHZ-hKZwRkABKnzUxRhYqQw/w131-h200/wey.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>listened on Libby - borrowed from library</div><div>416 pgs.<br />2023<br />Adult Historical Fiction/Magical Realism</div><div>Finished 3/10/2024<br />Goodreads rating: 4.10<br />My rating:/<br />Setting: Cottage in England during three different time periods: 1619, 1942, contemporary</div><div><br /><b>My comments</b>: LOVE the cover! Told from the point of view of three women in the Weyward family: Altha, in 1619, on trial for practicing witchcraft, supposedly using a spell to have a farmer's cows trample him to death. Violet, in 1942, living a hugely restricted life with her brother, being intimidated by a hateful father. And then there's Kate in 2019, never leaving her flat because of an abusive, controlling husband, until she finally takes matters into her own hands. Three really interesting stories of three strong women, bonded by blood and history and the huge touch of magic that connects them with the natural world, the birds, the bees, the bugs, and all growing things. It was hard to put down and beautifully narrated by three different female voices.</div><div><br /><b>Goodreads synopsis: </b><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: #1e1915;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I am a Weyward, and wild inside.</span></span></div><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; font-family: arial;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">2019: Under cover of darkness, Kate flees London for ramshackle Weyward Cottage, inherited from a great aunt she barely remembers. With its tumbling ivy and overgrown garden, the cottage is worlds away from the abusive partner who tormented Kate. But she begins to suspect that her great aunt had a secret. One that lurks in the bones of the cottage, hidden ever since the witch-hunts of the 17th century.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">1619: Altha is awaiting trial for the murder of a local farmer who was stampeded to death by his herd. As a girl, Altha’s mother taught her their magic, a kind not rooted in spell casting but in a deep knowledge of the natural world. But unusual women have always been deemed dangerous, and as the evidence for witchcraft is set out against Altha, she knows it will take all of her powers to maintain her freedom.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">1942: As World War II rages, Violet is trapped in her family's grand, crumbling estate. Straitjacketed by societal convention, she longs for the robust education her brother receives––and for her mother, long deceased, who was rumored to have gone mad before her death. The only traces Violet has of her are a locket bearing the initial W and the word weyward scratched into the baseboard of her bedroom.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">Weaving together the stories of three extraordinary women across five centuries, Emilia Hart's Weyward is an enthralling novel of female resilience and the transformative power of the natural world.</span></span>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13358133008476086924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99236621774405796.post-48497683934982482572024-03-06T09:07:00.005-07:002024-03-09T08:37:17.651-07:0019. The Man Burned by Winter by Pete Zacharias<div style="text-align: left;"><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7gqQeRQw6f-4fAhKKKnQB7hSdmAa2qr1nhej0eYeKW3zrw_oUGpyt1l5UQQp9XWQgb_MgfEyx4XmslOj8x-81mOF_Zu2MW76ntOrEOARV20f-8j2NEFYza3-FxKziv0JDS_oKr_gGoKkthFrHtsE-MrtEWFiVBk43G79mY5r6zr6M3ewatclXgXf8hQ0/s500/man.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7gqQeRQw6f-4fAhKKKnQB7hSdmAa2qr1nhej0eYeKW3zrw_oUGpyt1l5UQQp9XWQgb_MgfEyx4XmslOj8x-81mOF_Zu2MW76ntOrEOARV20f-8j2NEFYza3-FxKziv0JDS_oKr_gGoKkthFrHtsE-MrtEWFiVBk43G79mY5r6zr6M3ewatclXgXf8hQ0/w133-h200/man.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>#1 Rooker Lindstrom</div><div>listened on Audible/Kindle Unlimited<br />335 pgs.<br />2022<br />Adult Murder Mystery/Police Procedural/Serial Killer</div><div>Finished 3/6/2024<br />Goodreads rating: 4.10<br />My rating: 4 (with reservation, hard to rate)<br />Setting: Contemporary </div><div><br /><b>My comments</b>: This took me a little while to get into but ended up being a solid mystery. Something happened at the very end of the book, though, that I didn't understand because I must have missed a tiny something somewhere earlier; the boy delivering the package containing the last painting; a boy with a scarred hand that Rooker recognized. (Later note: oh my, this was explained in one of the reviews on Goodreads by "Shivam," thank goodness!) I get the feeling this may be the introduction to another story? </div><div> The protagonist, Rooker Lindstrom, a man with an agonizingly horrible past, a man who has sustained incredible psychological abuse - as well as physical - a man raised by a psychopath who killed, then beheaded many women - becomes the hero of the story. I can't wait to read more about his upcoming life and escapades. </div><div> Lots of confusion in the storytelling, as well as a dozen red herrings. I still totally enjoyed it, but not sure how to rate it because of flaws.....</div><div><br /><b>Goodreads synopsis: </b><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: #1e1915; font-weight: 600;"><span style="font-family: arial;">An investigative journalist on the edge. A serial killer testing his limits. What they have in common can freeze the blood.</span></span></div><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; font-family: arial;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">Still reeling from a personal tragedy, investigative journalist Rooker Lindström finds a grim hideaway from the world. It’s the dilapidated cabin on Minnesota’s Deer Lake bequeathed to him by his late father—one of the most notorious serial killers in the state. If the walls of this murder house could talk, they’d scream.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">Detective Tess Harlow needs something from Rooker only he can provide: a window into the mind of a murderer. A copycat is on the prowl, following in the footsteps of Rooker’s father. After reluctantly agreeing to take on the role of consultant, Rooker makes a chilling discovery. Every victim—five and counting—is a depraved taunt meant only for him. Rooker is not just tracking a killer playing sick games. In this brutal Minnesota winter, Rooker is confronting his past.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">Maybe working with Tess is Rooker’s last chance at redemption. But to outrun his father’s legacy, he must follow a darker path still to come.</span></span></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13358133008476086924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99236621774405796.post-80215036136252287882024-03-02T21:00:00.000-07:002024-03-03T08:05:38.759-07:0018. The Egg and Other Stories by Andy Weir<div style="text-align: left;"><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRC4KHa8okADZPrELwB3wXDBih9nU78xTww9KS1SoJ5hI0Zzm7oMJW7WlrR16V7jlhyqFs0OsA4ZZN_DdE6moV9Fzxzqka8ijQl0_yAEXrfAl_ddnE9XaeOZr1bpcOK2c3ZBSZ2l0bUHP4M309Q8Qz43Y0vWfNyDvJvsGL4hASvonPv9nfLLTv0PTGTPk/s300/egg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRC4KHa8okADZPrELwB3wXDBih9nU78xTww9KS1SoJ5hI0Zzm7oMJW7WlrR16V7jlhyqFs0OsA4ZZN_DdE6moV9Fzxzqka8ijQl0_yAEXrfAl_ddnE9XaeOZr1bpcOK2c3ZBSZ2l0bUHP4M309Q8Qz43Y0vWfNyDvJvsGL4hASvonPv9nfLLTv0PTGTPk/w200-h200/egg.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>listened on Audible<br />1:17 audio - 9 VERY short stories.....50 pgs.?<br />2017<br />Adult SciFi Short Story</div><div>Finished 3/2/24<br />Goodreads rating: 3.96<br />My rating: 3<br /></div><div><br /><b>My comments</b>: Nine very short stories. My favorite was the first, "Access." Am man goes to work early one day and discovers a 23-year-old in his office. They have an interesting conversation and the last sentence of the story, the twist, is a hoot. That's what really stood out, the twist at the very end of each of the stories. Some were better than others, of course.</div><div><br /><b>Goodreads synopsis: </b><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: #1e1915;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Collected for the first time anywhere, the nine tales in The Egg and Other Stories highlight Andy Weir's trademark wit and unexpected twists. For the few who have yet to experience The Martian, it's a perfect appetizer. For passionate Weir fans, it's a delicious dessert.</span></span></div><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #1e1915;">Stories included in this audio-exclusive collection are:</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">"Access"</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">"Antihypoxiant"</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">"Annie's Day"</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">"The Real Deal"</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">"Bored World"</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">"The Midtown Butcher"</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">"Meeting Sarah"</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">"The Chef"</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">"The Egg"</span></span></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13358133008476086924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99236621774405796.post-91228228180693213572024-03-02T12:19:00.003-07:002024-03-06T09:49:55.387-07:00Scrap Strips Diamond Trip<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKMYO0TFX6QK6jzc-7AHwQ9QuHLEFVm6jzb-VWZKGdFvAZAiJErAl5iNDC-ODYbyMtKzeq6c4RbAeOuRIvrH_D9bC0GhrJZCFIRwhM7JfoZqvLysQmHzVg9NbiPhg4c_qU7JrK-ZbBR76m4Uzj_T2IW99MD6wgElIA2wrG9jVJ7Ziw01vZgRcAQ8x4w1A/s600/scrap.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="495" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKMYO0TFX6QK6jzc-7AHwQ9QuHLEFVm6jzb-VWZKGdFvAZAiJErAl5iNDC-ODYbyMtKzeq6c4RbAeOuRIvrH_D9bC0GhrJZCFIRwhM7JfoZqvLysQmHzVg9NbiPhg4c_qU7JrK-ZbBR76m4Uzj_T2IW99MD6wgElIA2wrG9jVJ7Ziw01vZgRcAQ8x4w1A/s320/scrap.webp" width="264" /></a></p>Saved under "Patterns" on computer AND here: <a href="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0618/3677/files/Scrap_Strips_Diamond_Trip.pdf?v=1643066829">Scrap_Strips_Diamond_Trip.pdf (shopify.com)</a><p></p><div>You can watch her put it together on her <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWekKVHdMms">YouTube video</a>, too!</div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13358133008476086924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99236621774405796.post-41240336416761827672024-03-02T11:56:00.001-07:002024-03-02T11:56:09.027-07:00Italian Lentil Barley Soup-in-a-Jar (or not)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNXu32ho8O1BI9FiOd960h4NicnOlI7zJc5Zvfd6JZmVVfB6mCXPQbvK4Xl7z0yItAU3bCeWbUPOPCSaBvguDLCFMUjyET_sWgdq8oom_4aKh9-u5E2qAbzMxELgdALpKgkrr5TPfsXhFgBxx2lUgpBmm3sf05yvh7FfrlAcZGTM2UNi8TMO3qsHmzE_k/s1024/Soup-Mix-3.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="683" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNXu32ho8O1BI9FiOd960h4NicnOlI7zJc5Zvfd6JZmVVfB6mCXPQbvK4Xl7z0yItAU3bCeWbUPOPCSaBvguDLCFMUjyET_sWgdq8oom_4aKh9-u5E2qAbzMxELgdALpKgkrr5TPfsXhFgBxx2lUgpBmm3sf05yvh7FfrlAcZGTM2UNi8TMO3qsHmzE_k/s320/Soup-Mix-3.webp" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicPFwtxM74fsc5lJ1F8oMbgoi-ICeu2XXUf0M-sp7Cx7LwAG9ejnu4LT7liOO-mPFd60AbJWysxqjq2rB6i0khP5H7iDq1CiqCclmHoS6dgzQptQCLLEj5SH8rkJf8cobsNZWK5kVTnApR4dV2AgR4C6LDOe_SEsRe6nbjnrG7adIYIr4L5cEUVczU5r0/s1024/Soup-Mixes-3.webp" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="683" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicPFwtxM74fsc5lJ1F8oMbgoi-ICeu2XXUf0M-sp7Cx7LwAG9ejnu4LT7liOO-mPFd60AbJWysxqjq2rB6i0khP5H7iDq1CiqCclmHoS6dgzQptQCLLEj5SH8rkJf8cobsNZWK5kVTnApR4dV2AgR4C6LDOe_SEsRe6nbjnrG7adIYIr4L5cEUVczU5r0/s320/Soup-Mixes-3.webp" width="213" /></a></div><div class="wprm-recipe-container" data-recipe-id="1729" data-servings="5" id="wprm-recipe-container-1729" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #333333; font-family: Sen, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.32px; outline: none;"><div class="wprm-recipe wprm-recipe-tastefully-simple" style="border: 1px dashed rgb(0, 0, 0); box-sizing: inherit; clear: both; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Geneva, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; overflow: hidden; padding: 10px; zoom: 1;"><div class="wprm-recipe-summary" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 10px;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 1em; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px;">This soup mix is perfect to give away or keep. It makes a delicious tomato barley lentil soup that is hearty and flavorful. Best of all, you can have a hot dinner with only pantry ingredients, no chopping, and just 20 minutes in the Instant Pot. WHAT a gift!</p></div><div class="wprm-recipe-details-container" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 10px;"><div class="wprm-recipe-course-container" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="wprm-recipe-details-name wprm-recipe-course-name" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Course:</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-course" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Soup</span></div><div class="wprm-recipe-servings-container" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="wprm-recipe-details-name wprm-recipe-servings-name" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Servings</span>: <span class="wprm-recipe-details wprm-recipe-servings wprm-recipe-servings-1729" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">5</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-details-unit wprm-recipe-servings-unit" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">servings</span></div><div class="wprm-recipe-author-container" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="wprm-recipe-details-name wprm-recipe-author-name" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Author</span>: <span class="wprm-recipe-details wprm-recipe-author" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Faithful Plateful</span></div></div><div class="wprm-recipe-ingredients-container" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 10px;"><div class="wprm-recipe-header wprm-color-header" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-size: 1.4em; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">Ingredients</div><div class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-group" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><ul class="wprm-recipe-ingredients" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin-block: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-inline-start: 0px; padding: 0px;"><li class="wprm-recipe-ingredient" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 1em; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: inherit; list-style-position: inside; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px;"><span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-amount" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/2</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-unit" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">cup</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-name" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">green or brown lentils</span></li><li class="wprm-recipe-ingredient" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 1em; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: inherit; list-style-position: inside; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px;"><span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-amount" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/2</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-unit" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">cup</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-name" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">barley</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-notes" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">(sub brown rice or quinoa for gluten free)</span></li><li class="wprm-recipe-ingredient" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 1em; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: inherit; list-style-position: inside; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px;"><span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-amount" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/2</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-unit" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">cup </span><span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-name" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">split peas</span></li><li class="wprm-recipe-ingredient" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 1em; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: inherit; list-style-position: inside; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px;"><span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-amount" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/3</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-unit" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">cup</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-name" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">wild rice or a wild rice blend</span></li><li class="wprm-recipe-ingredient" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 1em; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: inherit; list-style-position: inside; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px;"><span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-amount" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-unit" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">TBSP</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-name" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">dried minced onion</span></li><li class="wprm-recipe-ingredient" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 1em; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: inherit; list-style-position: inside; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px;"><span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-amount" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-unit" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">tsp</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-name" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">garlic powder</span></li><li class="wprm-recipe-ingredient" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 1em; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: inherit; list-style-position: inside; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px;"><span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-amount" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/2</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-unit" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">tsp</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-name" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">dried basil</span></li><li class="wprm-recipe-ingredient" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 1em; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: inherit; list-style-position: inside; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px;"><span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-amount" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/2</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-unit" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">tsp</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-name" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">thyme</span></li><li class="wprm-recipe-ingredient" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 1em; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: inherit; list-style-position: inside; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px;"><span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-amount" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/2</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-unit" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">tsp</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-name" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">oregano</span></li><li class="wprm-recipe-ingredient" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 1em; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: inherit; list-style-position: inside; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px;"><span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-amount" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/2</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-unit" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">tsp</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-name" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">salt</span></li><li class="wprm-recipe-ingredient" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 1em; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: inherit; list-style-position: inside; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px;"><span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-amount" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/4</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-unit" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">tsp</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-name" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">pepper</span></li><li class="wprm-recipe-ingredient" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 1em; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: inherit; list-style-position: inside; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px;"><span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-amount" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">2</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-name" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">bay leaves</span></li><li class="wprm-recipe-ingredient" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 1em; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: inherit; list-style-position: inside; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px;"><span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-amount" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">4</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-unit" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">tsp </span><span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-name" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">vegetable boullion (or enough cubes to make 4 cups of broth)</span></li></ul></div></div><div class="wprm-recipe-instructions-container" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="wprm-recipe-header wprm-color-header" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-size: 1.4em; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">Instructions</div><div class="wprm-recipe-instruction-group" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><ol class="wprm-recipe-instructions" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin-block: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-inline-start: 0px; padding: 0px;"><li class="wprm-recipe-instruction" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 1em; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: decimal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><div class="wprm-recipe-instruction-text" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 1em; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Layer the ingredients in order in a pint-size jar. Attach the following instructions.</p></div></li></ol></div><div class="wprm-recipe-instruction-group" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="wprm-recipe-group-name wprm-recipe-instruction-group-name" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-top: 3px;">To make the soup:</div><ol class="wprm-recipe-instructions" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin-block: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-inline-start: 0px; padding: 0px;"><li class="wprm-recipe-instruction" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 1em; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: decimal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><div class="wprm-recipe-instruction-text" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 1em; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Add contents of jar to a crock pot or instant pot with 7 cups water, 1 6-oz can tomato paste, and 1 14-oz can diced tomatoes. Pressure cook for 20 minutes (quick or natural release) or slow-cook on low for 6 hours. Makes 5-6 servings. Add more salt and pepper to taste, and red pepper flakes if desired. Delicious served with your favorite crusty bread.</p></div></li></ol></div></div></div></div><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #2d3748; font-family: Sen, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.32px; margin-bottom: var(--global-md-spacing); margin-top: 0px;"></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #2d3748; font-family: Sen, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.32px; margin-bottom: var(--global-md-spacing); margin-top: 0px;"><span class="PIN_1709405513674_button_pin PIN_1709405513674_save" data-pin-href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/" data-pin-log="button_pinit_bookmarklet" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background: url("data:image/svg+xml;base64,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") 3px 50% / 14px 14px no-repeat rgb(230, 0, 35); border-radius: 2px; box-shadow: rgb(136, 136, 136) 0px 0px 1px inset; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(255, 255, 255) !important; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: bold; height: 20px; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: relative; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; vertical-align: baseline; width: auto;">Save</span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> from: </span><a href="https://faithfulplateful.com/italian-lentil-barley-soup-in-a-jar/" style="background-color: transparent;">Italian Lentil Barley Soup-in-a-Jar • (faithfulplateful.com)</a></p>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13358133008476086924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99236621774405796.post-37380309684203725952024-03-01T09:07:00.001-07:002024-03-02T10:24:47.708-07:0017. Georgie, All Along - Kate Clayborn<div style="text-align: left;"><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8LyndAeYnwY89DnNGzSCnD7VVDmMPfbW0vZQqECu-gS7PNT23WkDp8cRgg3iEdqFZmDtst3-ZIRIm56jkb4ohQF9qAn2obiiFnYHJUHNdwocz5Qh6o43ec-2VG-iP0VYzMpffmF1w-cjGbjFXHLSQ8kd5mrPzUA4VmpkEQccJcbsKl52p0DdyHE5S6Yo/s2309/geo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2309" data-original-width="1550" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8LyndAeYnwY89DnNGzSCnD7VVDmMPfbW0vZQqECu-gS7PNT23WkDp8cRgg3iEdqFZmDtst3-ZIRIm56jkb4ohQF9qAn2obiiFnYHJUHNdwocz5Qh6o43ec-2VG-iP0VYzMpffmF1w-cjGbjFXHLSQ8kd5mrPzUA4VmpkEQccJcbsKl52p0DdyHE5S6Yo/w134-h200/geo.jpg" width="134" /></a></div>listened on Libby, borrowed from Library<br />340 pgs.<br />2023<br />Adult Romance</div><div>Finished 3/1/2024<br />Goodreads rating: 3.81<br />My rating: 4.5<br />Setting: Contemporary Virginia, alongside a river</div><div><br /><b>My comments</b>: This one checks off all the boxes for a decent romantic comedy with a little steam. I loved getting to know the characters and their back stories, it wasn't all drama and misunderstandings through those were definitely included. Great narrators, the male put on the southern accent that was quite charming. The philosophical-trying-to-figure-things-out parts didn't drive me nuts, as they usually do. I very much enjoyed this story and greatly looked forward to returning to it.</div><div><br /><b>Goodreads synopsis: </b><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: #1e1915;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A wise and witty new novel that echoes with timely questions about love, career, reconciling with the past, and finding your path while knowing your true worth.</span></span></div><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; font-family: arial;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">Longtime personal assistant Georgie Mulcahy has made a career out of putting others before herself. When an unexpected upheaval sends her away from her hectic job in L.A. and back to her hometown, Georgie must confront an uncomfortable truth: her own wants and needs have always been a disconcertingly blank page.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">But then Georgie comes across a forgotten artifact—a “friendfic” diary she wrote as a teenager, filled with possibilities she once imagined. To an overwhelmed Georgie, the diary’s simple, small-scale ideas are a lifeline—a guidebook for getting started on a new path.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">Georgie’s plans hit a snag when she comes face to face with an unexpected roommate—Levi Fanning, onetime town troublemaker and current town hermit. But this quiet, grouchy man is more than just his reputation, and he offers to help Georgie with her quest. As the two make their way through her wishlist, Georgie begins to realize that what she truly wants might not be in the pages of her diary after all, but right by her side—if only they can both find a way to let go of the pasts that hold them back.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">Honest and deeply emotional, Georgie, All Along is a smart, tender must-read for everyone who’s ever wondered about the life that got away . . .</span></span></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13358133008476086924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99236621774405796.post-76454669487840554012024-02-28T07:49:00.002-07:002024-02-28T07:49:25.597-07:00Homeless Blanket #22 - The Vivian<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgESjDGsQSu9bXNGwilJuMv31mSTEPljgpbQItsTRnPhV2l1xJ39yID8QlaR3EyriDxCF6K5d6WCylXHqhRlvJG6_KL8lRrAXXrwTiUOng3PZp9X3T9If4ZUmxNXsb_sQVGbs_cnHWa7gN-xQTJx5BL15BITg6OgdXnhzywQD89FPPTzF1qF5GqnU1wWDs/s3226/V%20Vivian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3226" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgESjDGsQSu9bXNGwilJuMv31mSTEPljgpbQItsTRnPhV2l1xJ39yID8QlaR3EyriDxCF6K5d6WCylXHqhRlvJG6_KL8lRrAXXrwTiUOng3PZp9X3T9If4ZUmxNXsb_sQVGbs_cnHWa7gN-xQTJx5BL15BITg6OgdXnhzywQD89FPPTzF1qF5GqnU1wWDs/s320/V%20Vivian.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />Greens and Purples</div><div style="text-align: left;">10 rounds before final round</div><div style="text-align: left;">Final round is Herschner's #1087 Greige (8 oz.)</div><div style="text-align: left;">4 x 7 = 28 squares</div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13358133008476086924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99236621774405796.post-41406068655070515412024-02-28T07:17:00.000-07:002024-02-28T07:17:02.486-07:00Easy Peasy Pineapple Fluff<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqN6WF9Mm5NKU5dfYOQID4J30kS9VIbT_ikA0B1ztvl0LcdPivuRQkVQ9bXcnxVl-KpzKv5jG56g_sGAhHHSIrtK1Q8N_6iJTcHjR0aVA6Zvv39vIkAj0vdVXcg4PyEys0mHF1zMi3EXPspDvFlZi3bJ7ZafBfObQbjdGYojZ09L8hyF10DKv7AGpGZ_c/s846/fluff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="846" data-original-width="564" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqN6WF9Mm5NKU5dfYOQID4J30kS9VIbT_ikA0B1ztvl0LcdPivuRQkVQ9bXcnxVl-KpzKv5jG56g_sGAhHHSIrtK1Q8N_6iJTcHjR0aVA6Zvv39vIkAj0vdVXcg4PyEys0mHF1zMi3EXPspDvFlZi3bJ7ZafBfObQbjdGYojZ09L8hyF10DKv7AGpGZ_c/s320/fluff.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />1 pkg. Instant vanilla or cheesecake pudding mix</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 (20 ox.) can crushed pineapple, juice and all</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 (8 oz.) container whipped topping</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Mix pudding mix and fruit together, let sit for 5 min.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Fold in whipped topping.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Refrigerate for at least an hour.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Try with different pudding flavors (banana cream, coconut cream, white chocolate, vanilla, cheesecake...)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Try with different fruits: fruit cocktail, chopped ccanned peaches, chopped mandarin oranges....</div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13358133008476086924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99236621774405796.post-8259951597394476392024-02-28T06:58:00.007-07:002024-02-28T06:58:50.922-07:00Taco Tater Tot Casserole<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjotgetH63Ai0UoCbzMSVZhOAsq9KNtUhlIkfid9FchcyBSHJY0wSbmnCqB9lWt3qt4oB6zvYkRsZva0sbYHw5C5cemuCp5G6UGiejHDnRVQSGSuoRpexjioX3bIBHec1PV1JQ__yStYeqHlzOeu4evAQBKtv4Vp19Zfej33tpB4maN6ARua_IZb4rv3T0/s1024/taco%20tater%20tot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjotgetH63Ai0UoCbzMSVZhOAsq9KNtUhlIkfid9FchcyBSHJY0wSbmnCqB9lWt3qt4oB6zvYkRsZva0sbYHw5C5cemuCp5G6UGiejHDnRVQSGSuoRpexjioX3bIBHec1PV1JQ__yStYeqHlzOeu4evAQBKtv4Vp19Zfej33tpB4maN6ARua_IZb4rv3T0/w240-h320/taco%20tater%20tot.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><ul style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #495953; font-family: Poppins, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0 0 var(--global-md-spacing); padding: 0px 0px 0px 2em;"><li style="box-sizing: inherit;">1 lb ground beef</li><li style="box-sizing: inherit;">1 chopped onion</li><li style="box-sizing: inherit;">1/2 tsp each salt and pepper</li><li style="box-sizing: inherit;">1 tsp each of cumin, dried cilantro,</li><li style="box-sizing: inherit;">2 tsp chili powder</li><li style="box-sizing: inherit;">1/4 tsp cayenne</li><li style="box-sizing: inherit;">1 can corn (drained)</li><li style="box-sizing: inherit;">1 can Rotel Diced Tomatoes & Green Chiles (not drained)</li><li style="box-sizing: inherit;">1 cup sour cream</li><li style="box-sizing: inherit;">2 cups shredded Colby Jack Cheese</li><li style="box-sizing: inherit;">Tater Tots or Crispy Crowns</li></ul><div><span style="color: #495953; font-family: Poppins, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #495953; font-family: Poppins, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17px;">Scramble ground beef, then add rest of ingredients through the sour cream with 1 cup of the cheese.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #495953; font-family: Poppins, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17px;">Cover with remaining cheese, then layer on tater tots.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #495953; font-family: Poppins, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #495953; font-family: Poppins, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17px;">Bake at 400 for 30-35 minutes.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #495953; font-family: Poppins, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #495953; font-family: Poppins, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17px;">Thanks, <i>Cooking in the Midwest</i></span></span></div></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13358133008476086924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99236621774405796.post-28776954619957424112024-02-27T09:07:00.002-07:002024-03-02T08:29:44.007-07:0016. Fragile Designs by Colleen Coble<div style="text-align: left;"><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmPVfvZpdJ7HwszeTRUQtlD-yr_NJGm4_Fd8xjh5vccJwa52KzcYg_R0cH5HYo1O707MguDjlHjugH-TXh7KfMu9DSjJprKEpwyCe-b_AUAOQcTmfpr52FvmPGc-gE3qBMLgzjRnMDo7oI_507yFor-520ixQxlhDPRzEbbo7QdCU2j31wF4kq5pIzthw/s2400/fragile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1575" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmPVfvZpdJ7HwszeTRUQtlD-yr_NJGm4_Fd8xjh5vccJwa52KzcYg_R0cH5HYo1O707MguDjlHjugH-TXh7KfMu9DSjJprKEpwyCe-b_AUAOQcTmfpr52FvmPGc-gE3qBMLgzjRnMDo7oI_507yFor-520ixQxlhDPRzEbbo7QdCU2j31wF4kq5pIzthw/w131-h200/fragile.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>listened on Audible<br />352 pgs.<br />2024<br />adult murder mystery </div><div>Finished 2/27/24<br />Goodreads rating: 4.24<br />My rating: 2<br />Setting: Contemporary Beaufort & Savannah, Georgia</div><div><br /><b>My comments</b>: I'm afraid there were more things I disliked about the story than liked. Very little that happened was believable. The series of events and their numerous characters were even less believable. The outcome was ridiculous. Over-the-top mean, jealous sisters who instantly change their tune after many years. And at the HEA, the baby that was adopted three years previously - a huge part of the plotline - was not even in the picture! Absolutely no mention. And the 70-year-old reunited twins discovered their birth mother was still alive and kicking. On top of all that, add a whole lot of praying and I can't believe I even finished this story. So much eye-rolling during this listen. I DID like the setting.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Goodreads synopsis: NOTE: This synopsis says the neighbor/co-protagonists' name is SIMON. It's Not! If I remember right it's Lucas.... </b><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: #1e1915;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Family secrets can be the most dangerous of all. When Carly Tucker’s police-officer husband is killed during a home break-in, she knows that her side hustle finding the antique treasures at flea markets isn’t enough to support her and their infant son, Noah. So her grandmother’s proposal to have her and her two sisters restore the family’s waterfront Beaufort home into a bed-and-breakfast--that Carly will run--is immediately intriguing. But it’s equally daunting with the animosity that exists between the three sisters. What Carly never expected as she begins to go through the attic was to find a letter in a trunk, written in her husband’s handwriting . . . dated two days before his death. Eric had discovered that Carly’s grandmother was adopted--a fact Carly is certain Gram is not aware of--and had already begun trying to track down her birth family. Is it possible that Eric’s death wasn’t random after all? With few options, Carly reaches out to Gram’s neighbor Simon—and the older brother of her high school sweetheart--who is a local homicide detective. One of the items in the trunk is an enameled egg. If it truly is a Faberge egg, the value could set Carly up for life . . . and would certainly be worth killing for. The journey to find the truth and protect her family will have Carly delving deep into the lost treasures of Eastern Europe--if she and Simon can survive that long.</span></span></div></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13358133008476086924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99236621774405796.post-30315210289988116862024-02-24T09:08:00.001-07:002024-02-25T08:44:05.393-07:0015. The Shadows of Pike Place by D. D. Black<div style="text-align: left;"><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7dTE0YL9P4nR94bJFXbQaZcLgjt86PvqxfQ7OzHxFggSal5ECZJQpNMcJZgnTNZtnJIthuk4SKqqkb7nCFyPxuREphhlDDPDmzcevgoFF9uCcfuHxbCOA58sjKkhyphenhyphenP9954qGT3FR2BWlg0W5HS3fsyb4iIglH5_gGJYCBVECSy75uNZMw2JltLFMeJ74/s2560/shadows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7dTE0YL9P4nR94bJFXbQaZcLgjt86PvqxfQ7OzHxFggSal5ECZJQpNMcJZgnTNZtnJIthuk4SKqqkb7nCFyPxuREphhlDDPDmzcevgoFF9uCcfuHxbCOA58sjKkhyphenhyphenP9954qGT3FR2BWlg0W5HS3fsyb4iIglH5_gGJYCBVECSy75uNZMw2JltLFMeJ74/w125-h200/shadows.jpg" width="125" /></a></div>listened and read both on Audio and Kindle<br />272 pgs.<br />2022<br />Adult murder mystery</div><div>Finished 2/24/2024<br />Goodreads rating: 4.35<br />My rating: 3.5<br />Setting: Contemporary Seattle</div><div><br /><b>My comments</b>: Pretty decent mystery, but I don't like the way it keeps dragging in a problem from the protagonist's past that's going to hang over book after book. This episode was about an extremely rich Seattle family whose matriarch was murdered using yellow oleander. Austin and his sidekick reporter friend jumped in with both feet to figure it out. So much that would never really happen, but it's fiction, right?</div><div><br /><b>Goodreads synopsis: </b><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: #1e1915;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Sometimes the past is better left buried.</span></span></div><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; font-family: arial;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">When the matriarch of a rich Seattle family dies under suspicious circumstances, private investigator Thomas Austin is on the case. This time, the suspect list is easy.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">Seven people were in the lakefront mansion with the millionaire when she died: a spoiled son, a jealous brother-in-law, a beloved chef, a rebellious grandson, an arrogant memoirist, and a pair of successful daughters. All had motive. All had opportunity. But which one is the killer?</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">To solve the case, Austin must look into the past of one of Seattle's most powerful families. With the help of a fiery reporter and a long-lost diary, he uncovers a series of dark secrets that betray the criminal underbelly of old-money Seattle.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">But the closer Austin gets to the truth, the more dangerous the investigation becomes. Sometimes, when you dig into a secret past, the past comes out to bury you.</span></span></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13358133008476086924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99236621774405796.post-8188046265506690462024-02-21T15:48:00.005-07:002024-03-13T12:08:33.011-07:00Cleaning Up My READING DUMPS<p><a href="https://muddypuddlemusings.blogspot.com/2023/10/2023-reading-dumps.html">2023 Reading Dumps</a></p><p><a href="https://muddypuddlemusings.blogspot.com/2024/02/mystery-series-dumps-from-previous-years.html"> Mystery Series August 2020 - December 2023</a></p><p><a href="https://muddypuddlemusings.blogspot.com/2024/02/elly-griffiths-end-of-ruth-galloway.html">Elly Griffiths 13-14-15</a> (All Dispersed)</p><p><a href="https://muddypuddlemusings.blogspot.com/2023/02/notes-dumped-from-phone-notes-for-later.html">Various Dumps from 2020 and 2022</a></p>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13358133008476086924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99236621774405796.post-71391159774120519032024-02-21T15:36:00.003-07:002024-02-21T17:21:01.943-07:00All My Yearly Reading Lists<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://muddypuddlemusings.blogspot.com/2024/01/2024-reading.html.com/2024/01/2024-reading.html"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="448" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLu1b_teTUDI5VJjhTG-RBItXKk2mGh06axeaXVo3jqexc4USq3Mu2aLRo0-hWUdEy2ZXyDFQ8drkafhCi1UFSRqlWHybwN9h3Nd-ffUmm6Z0rk7Xke2Bvv_E-AOGNC5mFITGwpoLMDg3gf9Ki5Ekfg319HUlSSg90HQCmfrsBhqIEsxZY4LBP-20qpFY/w156-h200/esqTsdJGiP3E3yli1plh--1--yqesp.webp" width="156" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://muddypuddlemusings.blogspot.com/2024/01/2024-reading.html.com/2024/01/2024-reading.html">2024 Reading List</a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://muddypuddlemusings.blogspot.com/2023/01/2023-reading.html">2023 Reading List</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://muddypuddlemusings.blogspot.com/2022/01/2022-reading-challenges.html">2022 Reading List</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://muddypuddlemusings.blogspot.com/2020/12/2021-reading-challenges.html">2021 Reading List</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://muddypuddlemusings.blogspot.com/2020/01/2020-reading-challenges.html">2020 Reading List</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://muddypuddlemusings.blogspot.com/2018/12/2019-reading-challenges.html">2019 Reading List</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://muddypuddlemusings.blogspot.com/2017/12/2018-reading-challenges.html">2018 Reading List</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://muddypuddlemusings.blogspot.com/2017/01/2017-reading-challenges.html">2017 Reading List</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://muddypuddlemusings.blogspot.com/2016/01/2016-reading-challenges_1.html">2016 Reading List</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://muddypuddlemusings.blogspot.com/2015/01/2015-reading-challenges.html">2015 Reading List</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://muddypuddlemusings.blogspot.com/2014/01/2014-reading-challenges.html">2014 Reading List</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://muddypuddlemusings.blogspot.com/2012/12/2013-reading-challenges.html">2013 Reading List</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://muddypuddlemusings.blogspot.com/2011/12/2012-reading-challenges.html">2012 Reading List</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://muddypuddlemusings.blogspot.com/2010/12/my-2011-book-challenges.html">2011 Reading List</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://muddypuddlemusings.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-2010-book-challenges.html">2010 Reading List</a></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13358133008476086924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99236621774405796.post-13173256014440936792024-02-21T14:57:00.022-07:002024-03-13T12:10:32.628-07:00Mystery Series "Dumps" from Previous Years<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b> Alphabetical by Book Title</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div> Dispersed</div><div><i>Bad Memory</i> - Lisa Gray</div><div>#2 Jessica Shaw</div><div>2019, 311 pgs.</div><div>4/8/22 </div><div>Audible. It took me awhile to get through this for some reason....it was somewhat interesting, but didn't grab me. There were two mysteries being investigated that really were part of the same mystery, unbeknownst to any of the main characters. That someone could be in jail for 30 or 40 years and be completely innocent distressed me. And that inky blackness dug away in the back of my mind throughout the story. 3.5</div><div><br /></div><div><div> Dispersed</div><div><i>Crimson Lake</i> - Candice Fox</div><div>#1 Crimson Lake</div><div>2017, 348 pgs.</div><div>6/8/22 </div><div> Number one in a series of three so far. The unique setting of northeaster Queensland along the tropical, crocodile-infested border is actually one of the characters in the story! And what a story it is, I couldn't stop listening. Police officer Ted Concaffy is falsely accused of abducting and raping a 13-year-old, which has, of course, turned hi life more than pside down. He has escaped from Sydney to this tiny town of Crimson Lake and immediately becomes acquainted with the other Crimson Lake pariah, Amelia Farrow, who was charged with the murder of a young girl when she herself was only around 17. Skinny and totally covered with tattoos, Ted never knows what she is going to be muttering. She absolutely refuses to ride in a car, always riding on her yellow bicycle. Such anger at some of the horrible characters suffused me as I read! How Ted could keep his cool when horrible things that people with vendettas against him threw at him, I'll never know. Amanda and Ted spend about a third of the book searching for the killer of a local popular author. The intricate, excellent story intertwines three or four stories so brilliantly! Read by an Australian-accented narrator, I was right there with them. Fascinating. 5</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"> Dispersed</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Fallen</i> - Linda Castillo</div><div style="text-align: left;">#13 Kate Burkholder</div><div style="text-align: left;">2021, 320 pgs.</div><div style="text-align: left;">9/11/2021 </div><div style="text-align: left;">A 29-year-old previously Amish is murdered in a motel room in Painters Mill, beaten brutally with a bat. Kate discovers that not only does she know this woman, she had babysat forRachel Schwartz many years ago. Rachel had been a wild child, leaving the Amish life when she was 17. She was still friends with her best friend from childhood. Kate, with the help of Tomasetti, solves part of the mystery quite quickly, but then discovers that there's more...much more. This was an interesting story. I liked it better than some of the more recent titles in the series. 4</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> Dispersed</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>In the Clearing </i>- Robert Dugoni</div><div style="text-align: left;">#3 Tracy Crosswhite</div><div style="text-align: left;">2016, 335 pgs.</div><div style="text-align: left;">10/12/21 read</div><div style="text-align: left;">Tracy investigtes two different murders, one a cold case from 1976 and the other of a wife and son both claiming to kill the father. Set in Seattle near the Yakima reservation. A niteresting plot that kept my attention most of the ride from Carlisle to Trenton and even back to Portland. 4</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div> Dispersed</div><div><i>The Insider</i> - Craig Schaefer</div><div>#2 Charlie McCabe</div><div>2020, 329 pgs.</div><div>3/3/22 read</div><div>Contemporary Boston. Interesting, complicated plot of a couple of different groups of very bad guys...and one buffoon assignment (??) Bad cops a a smooth, brilliant antagonist from Charlie's past. I'm sure there's going to be a number three....but when? 4...almost a 5 but a little too dragged out.</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"> Dispersed</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Red Hot Fix</i> - T. E. Woods</div><div style="text-align: left;">#2 Justice series/Mort Grant/The Fixer</div><div style="text-align: left;">2014, 288 pgs.</div><div style="text-align: left;">10/24/21 read</div><div style="text-align: left;">T. E. Woods can certainly spin a good tale! Same two protagonists. Mort is dealing with two different murders that are related and Lydia is dealing with her own pedophile case. Hopping back-and-forth between the two keep it totally and completely interesting. A female serial killer, a supposed prostitute name Trixie, is killing johns. A national league basketball owner is murdered halfway through the book after we follow him in his pursuits with his team. Looks like the series will continue, and I'm on it! 4.5</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div> Dispersed</div><div><i>The Short Drop</i> - Matthew Fitzsimmons</div><div>#1 Gibson Vaughn</div><div>2015, 397 pgs.</div><div>8/16/20 read</div><div>Well, this was a great purchase. I'm not a huge fan of political thrillers, but I enjoyed eing inside the head of this extremely bright ex-marine hacker who is trying to figure out what happened to a very close friend who disappeared/was kidnapped ten years previously. Along the way he makes many discoveries about questionable details of his own past. Definitely not a dull story. I wasn't crazy about the narrator, he did something wierd with the end of his words that I didn't care for. 4.5</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> Dispersed</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Tell Me</i> - Anne Frasier</div><div style="text-align: left;">#2 Inland Empire</div><div style="text-align: left;">2021, 285 pgs.</div><div style="text-align: left;">4/14/22 read</div><div style="text-align: left;"> Audible and Kindle. A good mystery told from both the inside and outside of the investigation, from bad guys and good guys point-ov-views. Nice twists that I didn't see coming. I really do enjoy Frasier's writing, characters, and plot twists. 4</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> Dispersed</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Whispers from the Dead</i> - Karen Ann Hopkins </div><div style="text-align: left;">#2 Amish Sheriff Serenity Adams</div><div style="text-align: left;">2015, 282 pgs.</div><div style="text-align: left;">7/6/22 read</div><div style="text-align: left;"> Audible and Kindle. Serenity is asked to travel to another Amish/English community in northern Indiana to figure out why a series of barn burnings are taking place. I don't like the way the reader does Amish OR men's voices, she has a slowness to them that makes them sound like they've got some medical disabilities, lol. The story is okay. There are some questionable Amish cultural factors that don't quite meet what I've come to know about the Amish, but I realize there are many big AND small differences between communities. Also, some of the things that Serenity does seem pretty questionable to me. 3. Sequel on hand.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> Dispersed</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>The Woman in Blue</i> - Elly Griffiths</div><div style="text-align: left;">#8 Ruth Galloway</div><div style="text-align: left;">2016, 370 pgs.</div><div style="text-align: left;">7/23/22 read</div><div style="text-align: left;"> Audible. This one was all about the Catholic Church and priests and religion, something that makes Ruth Galloway uncomfortable. Too many coincidences and reasong for thigs happening that are iffy to say the least. This was okay, but not one of my favorites. And this isn't so much Ruth's story as it is a compilation of everyone's. So many different characters to remember! 3.5</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> Dispersed</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Secrets in the Grave</i> - Karen Ann Hopkins</div><div style="text-align: left;">#3 Serenity's Plain Secrets</div><div style="text-align: left;">2015, 253 pgs.</div><div style="text-align: left;">7/22/22 read</div><div style="text-align: left;"> Audible and Kindle. So many names, confused all the time because she keeps pulling back people from the first two novels -- which I don't remember. I still don't like her very much, Daniels is okay. Don't get their relationship at all. The mystery was so-so, I figured it out early. Okay for driving, though. 3</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> Dispersed</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Hidden in Plain Sight </i>- Karen Ann Hopkins</div><div style="text-align: left;">#4 Serenity's Plain Secrets</div><div style="text-align: left;">2016, 217 pgs.</div><div style="text-align: left;">August, 2022 read</div><div style="text-align: left;"> Kindle. Another Serenity Adams, Amish community in Indiana, who takes off all sorts of time to take a supposedly {quick" trip - many times back-and-forth to Lancester County , Pa to help them solve a 15-year old cold case. I don't get the same feeling about the way the Amish are portrayed in this book as I have in many of the others, both Christian and non-Christian base that I've read. Don't think I'm going to read any more of them. 3</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">9/13/2022 </div><div style="text-align: left;">No Mercy - Blake Pierce</div><div style="text-align: left;">#1 Valerie Law</div><div style="text-align: left;">58. on September 2022 list, but no summary? Perhaps in another dump?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Verdana, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #eeeecc; color: #333333; font-size: 12.61px;">62. Hatchet Island (#13 Mike Bowditch) - Paul Doiron, Audible (5) 9/22/22</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Verdana, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #eeeecc; color: #333333; font-size: 12.61px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="background-color: #eeeecc; color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.61px;">64. The Midnight Man - Kindle (#1 Slayton Thrillers) Caroline Mitchell 2021 (3.5) 10/4 GR</div><div style="background-color: #eeeecc; color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.61px;">65. The Night Whispers (#2 Slayton Thrillers) Caroline Mitchell - 2022 Audible&Kindle (3) 10/6 GR</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Verdana, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #eeeecc; color: #333333; font-size: 12.61px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Verdana, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #eeeecc; color: #333333; font-size: 12.61px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"> dispersed</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Desert Star</i> - Michael Connelly</div><div style="text-align: left;">#5 Renee Ballard</div><div style="text-align: left;">2022, 400 pgs. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #eeeecc; color: #333333; font-size: 12.61px;">December, 2022 read</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"> OMG, what has Michael Connelly done? He's killing off Harry Bosch? He's made him an old man with a terminal illness. Might this be happening to Michael Connelly himself? This was a very interesting story because of all-of-a-sudden Harry was depicted as being older...being called "old man" constantly. And I hated that. The storytelling was good, finding a cold case murder from many years previously, but it's left me with a totally unsettled feeling, because I don't know in what direction Harry Bosch will be going. Reading about him and watching him on Amazon Prime has sort of been a big part of my life in recent years, and always brings me closer to Steve. Connelly even brought Mickey Haller int the mix at the very end, almost like he was wrapping up loose ends. Is this the last Harry Bosch? How can I evev rate this one?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> Dispersed</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Exiles</i> - Jane Harper</div><div style="text-align: left;">#3 Aaron Falk, Australia</div><div style="text-align: left;">2022, 356 pgs.</div><div style="text-align: left;">3/25/23 read</div><div style="text-align: left;"> Grew on me more and more as the story progressed. At first it just seemed to jump all over the place (it actually did this throughout the story), but once I got used to it, it was easier to follow along a little more esasilty. A complicated story that kept you wondering all the time - which I like. Definitely a good mystery. Happily every after...no more Aaron Falk to come. Ever. 4</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> Dispersed</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Beyond Reason</i> - Molly Black</div><div style="text-align: left;">#1 Reese Link</div><div style="text-align: left;">2023, 201 pgs.</div><div style="text-align: left;">6/17/23 Read</div><div style="text-align: left;"> Kindle. A brand new rookie police officer in a coastal Maine town gets assigned her first case - a homicide - and is paired up with a young but seasoned state police officer. Very unbelievable, as are all the stunts and judgment calls that she makes. Perhaps if she was more seasoned I would believe more, but I kept shaking my head. 3</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> Dispersed</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Hallowed Ground</i> - Linda Castillo</div><div style="text-align: left;">#14.5 Kate Burkholder Short story</div><div style="text-align: left;">6/23/23 Read</div><div style="text-align: left;"> Human bones are found and then Burkholder and Tomasetti discover cemetery graves have been dug up. They solve it quite easily. 4</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> Dispersed</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Close to Home</i> - Robert Dugoni</div><div style="text-align: left;">#5 Tracy Crosswhite</div><div style="text-align: left;">2017, 362 pgs.</div><div style="text-align: left;">6/24/23 Read</div><div style="text-align: left;"> Set in Seattle and across the ferry in Bremerton, this one follows Tracy and her fellow detectives on two interesting cases- one a hit and run, the other a drug overdose of one of Dell's nieces. Much of the story involves the Navy, including some of its personnel - lawyers - from the Navy base in Bremerton. There's a lot of back-and-forth on the ferry. Also, Tracy is constantly trying to get pregnant since she's at the end of the line for that possibility ... and the story ends with a possible HEA. 4</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> Dispersed</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Dead Man's Wake</i> - Paul Doiron</div><div style="text-align: left;">#14 Mike Bowditch</div><div style="text-align: left;">2023, 320 pgs.</div><div style="text-align: left;">7/31/23 finished</div><div style="text-align: left;"> This one takes place completely on an island, Moose Island, on Belgrade Lake. Mice and Stacy are on one side of the lake at Mike's stepfather's summer place when they hear a crash from near the island across the lake. Since Charlie Stevens is also present at the engagement celebration, he is a participant in most of the story, as is his airplane. Good story, kept my attention, made sense, and was definitely full of MAINE! 4</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> Dispersed</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>AN Evil Heart </i>- Linda Castillo</div><div style="text-align: left;">#15 Kate Burkholder</div><div style="text-align: left;">2023, 320 pgs.</div><div style="text-align: left;">8/27/23 Finished</div><div style="text-align: left;"> Libby. Pretty gross murder of a young Amish guy with two close-up arrows, both through and through. Plus....Tomasetti and Burkholder get married at the very end of the book, in the last four minutes or so! 4</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> Dispersed</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>The Final Equinox</i> - Andrew Mayne</div><div style="text-align: left;">#2 Theo Cray & Jessica Blackwood</div><div style="text-align: left;">2022, 336 pgs.</div><div style="text-align: left;">9/3/23 Finished</div><div style="text-align: left;"> This was interesting but had far too much scientific jargon that totally made no sense to me at all. I ended up skimming about 1/3 or the book. I couldn't keep all of the characters straight - who could have been the bad guys, who could've been the good guys, who was on what side..... It will be interesting to see what other people have rated and reviewed about this book, perhaps it's a better actual READ than LISTEN? 3</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">9/19/23</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Nearly Mine </i>- Molly Black</div><div style="text-align: left;">#1 Grace Ford</div><div style="text-align: left;">2023, 170 pgs.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> Kindle. I don't think I really liked the protagonist in this one. She was a little too cocky sure of herself all the time, just a little better than everybody else. The murders were a little far-fetched as well. If I'm able to get book 2 on the cheap I'll probably try it out. Will be easy to pass. 3</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">11/25/23</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>The Spy Coast </i>- Tess Gerritsen</div><div style="text-align: left;">#1 The Martini Club</div><div style="text-align: left;">2023, 341 pgs.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> Audible and Kindle. Ex CIA agent Maggie lives on a small farm on the coast of Maine near four of five other ex-CIA agents that she had worked with years before. She both quit the CIA and lost her beloved husband 16 years before. But somehow, the bad guys from her last case (you guessed it - 16 years before) found her. The story was fun to follow and try to figure out. Set in Maine and Bangkok with quick side trips to other glamorous places. Two time periods. 4</div><div style="text-align: left;">NOTE: Tess Gerritsen lives in Camden, ME</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">12/10/23</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>The Bones at Point No Point</i> - D. D. Black</div><div style="text-align: left;">#1 Thomas Austin</div><div style="text-align: left;">2022, 264 pgs.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> Audible. The serial killer in this book does some pretty horrible stuff - killing newborns and leaving their bones in a bag on the beach. This book introduces Thomas Austin, the NYC cop who caught the original baby killer and has now retired to the coast of Washington state to run a small hamburger joint in a small town near Seattle. When similar baby bones are discovered on the beach of his new community, Austin is asked by the police to consult. There are some interesting characters, and the story moves right along. Not bad, but not great. I will read more because I want to see how this character is going to develop. 3.5</div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13358133008476086924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99236621774405796.post-70297062999926356832024-02-20T10:37:00.004-07:002024-02-20T10:38:04.744-07:00Elly Griffiths - The End of the Ruth Galloway Series After 15 Installments<div style="text-align: left;"> I got really behind with tracking my books in 2023, and I read a lot of Elly Griffiths, so I'm going to combine all the missed ones below:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">#13 <b><i>The Night Hawks</i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"> Finished 6/3/23 (4)</div><div style="text-align: left;"> I almost didn't like Ruth in some of this book! She took over as the head of the archaeology department and it felt as if she had become a little bit snotty. Maybe she's always been this way? LOL. There is the introduction of a new character, the guy what has been hired to take her old job and the university - xyzcyz Gold. He is definitely an unknown commodity, Unking and gruff and eager...but seems to change his attitude by the end. No reasons, in particular, for either of these personality traits. Hmmmmmm. And why in heck is she so drawn to Nelson? I just don't get it, his personality is pretty crappy. Good mystery, though the reason that she and Michelle were brought together near the end was WAY too out there. I read this on the entire drive to Maine of Brendan's graduation.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">#14<b><i> The Locked Room</i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"> Finished 6/17/2023 (4.25)</div><div style="text-align: left;"> COVID-19 hits the world. This book is set between February and May of 2020 and consists of multiple murders that are set up to look like suicides at the beginning of the pandemic. I don't this there were quite as many characters as usual, which made it a little easier to follow. It was a good one, although it had very little about archaeological forensics, which was really quite ok. During the whole time, Nelson's wife, Michelle, was out of town, staying with her mother in Blackpool, so there were a number of first time types of visits between Nelson and Ruth. I still don't get what she sees in this guy. He must be quite a looker!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">#15 <b><i>The Last Remains</i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"> Finished 8/7/2023 (4.5)</div><div style="text-align: left;"> Listened to this one back and forth OTR to Maine. A good one, and it appears to neatly tie up the relationship between Nelson and Ruth. I really hate to see this series end. One of my favorites.</div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13358133008476086924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99236621774405796.post-17178698030630661432024-02-18T09:08:00.001-07:002024-02-20T09:45:10.811-07:0014. Lying Beside You - Michael Robotham<div style="text-align: left;"><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH7B8iTsRN3AscxNXIg6qhK4qtcQlHSjkQypROFUZDTndTcu63lNUsoFVMhchdnwENjOZ5uwRTS29jEzJrTMUIA-wQRKEbRdMafS_JrFbkg_E6tpIKvbwGLgsvhnYiBtvZ4aBvEUvxq8pNWKVI8YMhqhL-dctR2yQM0h4rNNyGJK2ds0JF2uJK-BPncE4/s2093/lying.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2093" data-original-width="1400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH7B8iTsRN3AscxNXIg6qhK4qtcQlHSjkQypROFUZDTndTcu63lNUsoFVMhchdnwENjOZ5uwRTS29jEzJrTMUIA-wQRKEbRdMafS_JrFbkg_E6tpIKvbwGLgsvhnYiBtvZ4aBvEUvxq8pNWKVI8YMhqhL-dctR2yQM0h4rNNyGJK2ds0JF2uJK-BPncE4/w134-h200/lying.jpg" width="134" /></a></div>#3 Cyrus Haven</div><div>listened on Audible<br />352 pgs.<br />2022<br />Adult Mystery - British</div><div>Finished 2/18/2024<br />Goodreads rating: 4.31<br />My rating: 4<br />Setting: Contemporary Nottingham, England</div><div><br /><b>My comments</b>: Back-and-forth between Cyrus and Evie as we follow the progress of a murder, then kidnapping situation. The plot drags for the first half, but moves along really well in the second half. One drawback for me: the narrator makes all the male voices sound like the character's a little bit slow.... And no matter how much I think about it, I cannot come up with any possibilities about why it was titled the way it was. A good story, once it got moving...I plan to read the next in the series while this one is still in my head.</div><div><br /><b>Goodreads synopsis: <span style="background-color: #fff2cc; font-family: arial;"> </span></b><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: #1e1915; font-weight: 600;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Cyrus Haven and Evie Cormac return in Robotham’s latest page-turning, psychological thriller in this series.</span></span></div><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; font-family: arial;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><i style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915;">If I could tell you one thing about my brother, it would be this. Two days after his nineteenth birthday, he killed our parents and twin sisters because he heard voices in his head. As defining events go, nothing else comes close for Elias, or for me.</i><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">As a boy, Cyrus Haven survived a family massacre and slowly pieced his life back together. Now, after almost twenty years, his brother is applying to be released from a secure psychiatric hospital—and Cyrus is expected to forgive Elias and welcome him home.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">Elias is returning to a very different world. Cyrus is now a successful psychologist, working with the police, sharing his house with Evie Cormac, a damaged and gifted teenager who can tell when someone is lying. Evie has gone back to school and is working part-time at an inner-city bar, but she continues to struggle with authority and following rules.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">When a man is murdered and his daughter disappears, Cyrus is called in to profile the killer and help piece together Maya Kirk’s last hours. Police believe she was drugged and driven away from the same bar where Evie is working. Soon, a second victim is taken, and Evie is the only person who glimpsed the man behind the wheel.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">But there’s a problem. Only two people believe her. One is Cyrus.</span></span></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13358133008476086924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99236621774405796.post-19741391819592391322024-02-10T09:03:00.001-07:002024-02-11T11:27:36.471-07:0013. The Boyfriend Candidate by Ashley Winstead<div style="text-align: left;"><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-gEcmlKj_Fi9XRbcWF5Efwgsy6RaSQphSXmV0u3JMLmTGhjLSzSJ_zUdVHWxFtdwrAZXUn1srjJs92cooLJwDiZ8FX0vzfOTUV_SccMiU1A4fXAtAdVKKQrTojF__KT4S_1mnmrSoopO2idOyc30XQR5h0PsT20YqngdmZHTVsTo3vJxGnmBFhQm43ds/s3200/boyfriend.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="2125" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-gEcmlKj_Fi9XRbcWF5Efwgsy6RaSQphSXmV0u3JMLmTGhjLSzSJ_zUdVHWxFtdwrAZXUn1srjJs92cooLJwDiZ8FX0vzfOTUV_SccMiU1A4fXAtAdVKKQrTojF__KT4S_1mnmrSoopO2idOyc30XQR5h0PsT20YqngdmZHTVsTo3vJxGnmBFhQm43ds/w133-h200/boyfriend.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>listened on Libby</div><div><div>2023<br />384 pgs.<br />Adult RomCom<br />Finished 2/10/2024<br />Goodreads rating: 3.83<br />My rating: 4<br />Setting: Contemporary Austin, TX</div><br /><b>My comments</b>: Another fake girlfriend/boyfriend trope. Very cute. Set in Austin, Texas, Logan is running for governor. He is young and smart, brash and outspoken, running for governor. Alexis is, shy and a "yes-girl" because she doesn't want to be unkind to anyone, and a school librarian. Of course there are all sorts of miscommunications between the two but ultimately, as it always does in this sort of novel, the love story wins. (She had no idea who he was in the beginning? Yeah, right.....) Just plain fun - with lots of eye-rolling.</div><div><p><b>Goodreads synopsis: </b><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: #1e1915;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As a shy school librarian, Alexis Stone is comfortable keeping out of the spotlight. But when she's dumped for being too meek-in bed!-she decides she needs to change. And what better way to kick-start her new more adventurous life than with her first one-night stand?</span></span></p><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #1e1915;">Enter Logan, the gorgeous, foul-mouthed stranger she meets at a hotel bar. Audacious and filterless, Logan is Alexis's opposite-and boy, do opposites attract! Just as she's about to fulfill her hookup wish, the hotel catches fire in a freak lightning storm. In their rush to escape, Logan is discovered carrying her into the street, where people are waiting with cameras. Cameras Logan promptly-and shockingly-flees.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">Alexis is bewildered until suddenly pictures of her and Logan escaping the fire are all over the internet. Turns out Logan is none other than Logan Arthur, the hotshot candidate challenging the Texas governor's seat. The salacious scandal is poised to sink his career-and jeopardize Alexis's job-until a solution is he and Alexis could pretend to be in a relationship until election day…in two months. What could possibly go wrong?</span></span></div></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13358133008476086924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99236621774405796.post-85417542088480286632024-02-07T09:08:00.001-07:002024-02-11T09:55:05.034-07:0012. The Taken Ones by Jess Lourey<div style="text-align: left;"><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiauFlhO0lrR7oLU0LT5QW3DMsPWN3cSqC7kV5HFeEfvqKHM1FDlgmidrO0NbYZ4mz2vV_eSv1BNAs9GsFXgdvE48wWWgIsf-pqyUc7A6F1MylZSLrzto9Tf7uhbs2mEmTTly90vHXvQBJqoEtPY5kG414-7w-EjyKeSXgn_SeSy0t2ND_8U1DqbwLRK50/s500/taken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="324" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiauFlhO0lrR7oLU0LT5QW3DMsPWN3cSqC7kV5HFeEfvqKHM1FDlgmidrO0NbYZ4mz2vV_eSv1BNAs9GsFXgdvE48wWWgIsf-pqyUc7A6F1MylZSLrzto9Tf7uhbs2mEmTTly90vHXvQBJqoEtPY5kG414-7w-EjyKeSXgn_SeSy0t2ND_8U1DqbwLRK50/w129-h200/taken.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>#1 Steinbeck & Reed</div><div>listened on Audible<br />339 pgs.<br />2023<br />Adult Murder Mystery</div><div>Finished 2/7/2024<br />Goodreads rating: 4.27<br />My rating: 4.5<br />Setting: contemporary Minnesota</div><div><br /><b>My comments</b>: Van Reed is a cold case agent for the MBsomething-or-other - I think the same agency that Virgil Flowers works for. Her horrible upbringing in a cult has left her bruised with psychic nightmares about really bad people. The characters in this book certainly dip into every possible type.... including a LOT of stupid, mean cops! Well written. Liked it a lot.</div><div><br /><b>Goodreads synopsis: </b><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: #1e1915; font-weight: 600;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Two girls vanished. A woman buried alive. Between two crimes—decades of secrets yet to be unearthed.</span></span></div><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; font-family: arial;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">Summer 1980: With no fear of a local superstition, three girls go into a Minnesota wood. Only one comes out. Dead silent. Memory gone. No trace of her friends. The mystery of the Taken Ones captures the nation.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">Summer 2022: Cold case detective Van Reed and forensic scientist Harry Steinbeck are assigned a disturbing homicide—a woman buried alive, clutching a heart charm necklace belonging to one of the vanished girls. Van follows her gut. Harry trusts in facts. Their common ground is the need to catch a killer before he kills again. They have something else in common: each has ties to the original case in ways they’re reluctant to share.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">As Van and Harry connect the crimes of the past and the present, Van struggles with memories of her own nightmarish childhood—and the fear that uncovering the truth of the Taken Ones will lead her down a path from which she, too, may never return.</span></span></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13358133008476086924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99236621774405796.post-80458719856272557232024-01-31T09:09:00.001-07:002024-02-03T08:20:57.850-07:0011. Dead Letter Days by Kelley Armstrong<div style="text-align: left;"><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlewzWxoxU1Ki18RxupNIdI-9QXKymV_YL5bD4ucoIn4cmxfyXupwEGrEm_MRLSME14iE2J2guWC96xLcJq7odG0M7d4B9JhNwk1tYN5kIkIjWkGrrJsmpeH7YPYWm57hFKTPijggC8KqtuQo-t0ZeSmsNWTazoNsRX-bOXQd5R4-cSrYuZA8NIMWTJU4/s300/dead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="225" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlewzWxoxU1Ki18RxupNIdI-9QXKymV_YL5bD4ucoIn4cmxfyXupwEGrEm_MRLSME14iE2J2guWC96xLcJq7odG0M7d4B9JhNwk1tYN5kIkIjWkGrrJsmpeH7YPYWm57hFKTPijggC8KqtuQo-t0ZeSmsNWTazoNsRX-bOXQd5R4-cSrYuZA8NIMWTJU4/w150-h200/dead.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>#.5 Haven's Rock</div><div>Read - Kindle eBook<br />87 pgs.<br />2023<br />Adult Novella</div><div>Finished 1/31/24<br />Goodreads rating: 4.36<br />My rating: 5<br />Setting: Contemporary Yukon woods</div><div><br /><b>My comments</b>: Unlike all the other Casey Duncan/Rockton books, this one is from Dalton's point-of-view. There are a couple of fairly easily solved mysteries, Dalton's dealing with his own childhood miseries, and then Eric and Casey actually get married. I really like this one, not too repetetive (short!) and quite interesting.</div><div><br /><b>Goodreads synopsis: </b><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: #1e1915;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Eric Dalton spent most of his life in Rockton, a hidden town in the Yukon for people who need to disappear. Now that sanctuary is gone, and he’s holed up in a wilderness lodge with his girlfriend, Casey Duncan, and their friends, as they scout for a place to build their own Rockton. When Eric and Casey find a literal message-in-a-bottle, it leads them to the mystery of a woman who went missing decades ago, having never received that vital message. As they investigate that cold case, Dalton must finally lay to rest the ghosts of his own past and make some overdue decisions before he’s ready to step forward in his new life with Casey.</span></span></div><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; font-family: arial;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">Note: This is not a full-length novel. It’s a novella set between the end of the Rockton series and the beginning of the Haven’s Rock spinoff</span></span></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13358133008476086924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99236621774405796.post-75905266764740775032024-01-29T09:09:00.002-07:002024-01-29T15:13:42.778-07:0010. The Court of Shadows by Victor Dixen<div style="text-align: left;"><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7wIE55S_3SP5ZKGdvezIR_H9ozxZ_T_T41DOE6tJYO8f5yY0KvOKbvLuR7GJKsb1F8Lgk_WFiv3ddgwCmsdFlhjitG8hXtpdZ08DlxQrBmWiB9iaMXxE5lPuyj9UG4jM1QaWZ8prXm_4gvbs6m1lJHj0Hi9T4BccuuQWxeCr4uJeLv5Zy9_0uWcUdq3Y/s500/court.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7wIE55S_3SP5ZKGdvezIR_H9ozxZ_T_T41DOE6tJYO8f5yY0KvOKbvLuR7GJKsb1F8Lgk_WFiv3ddgwCmsdFlhjitG8hXtpdZ08DlxQrBmWiB9iaMXxE5lPuyj9UG4jM1QaWZ8prXm_4gvbs6m1lJHj0Hi9T4BccuuQWxeCr4uJeLv5Zy9_0uWcUdq3Y/w133-h200/court.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>#1 Vampyria</div><div>listened on Audible</div><div>translated from French by Francoise Bui</div><div>364 pgs.<br />copyright 2020<br />Adult Fantasy/Vampires</div><div>Finished 1/29/24<br />Goodreads rating: 3.80<br />My rating: 3.5<br />Setting: Versailles, France, 300 years after Louis XIV was on the throne</div><div><br /><b>My comments</b>: The minute I saw Victor Dixen's name, I decided I must read this book. I read the Phobos series and loved it. It always takes a bit for his books to be translated, and I'm ever so glad this was put into an audio book. The reading was lovely, except for when the names were read - all with a very quick, totally French accent. Couldn't understand them. At all. And I took French for years!</div><div> I'm not certain I ever really liked Jeanne/Diane, the protagonist. The beginning was a bit boring, typical Vampire stuff. The second part of the books was much more creative and interesting, with an unexpected ending to be savored. Looking forward to number two in the series, which should be in America around July.</div><div><br /><b>Goodreads synopsis: </b><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: #1e1915; font-weight: 600;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A fiery heroine seeks vengeance against a royal court of deadly vampires in this epic alternate history set in lavish Versailles.</span></span></div><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; font-family: arial;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">Louis XIV transformed from the Sun King into the King of Shadows when he embraced immortality and became the world’s first vampire. For the last three centuries, he has been ruling the kingdom from the decadent Court of Shadows in Versailles, demanding the blood of his subjects to sate his nobles’ thirst and maintain their loyalty.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">In the heart of rural France, commoner Jeanne Froidelac witnesses the king’s soldiers murder her family and learns of her parents’ role in a brewing rebellion involving the forbidden secrets of alchemy. To seek her revenge, Jeanne disguises herself as an aristocrat and enrolls in a prestigious school for aspiring courtiers. She soon finds herself at the doors of the palace of Versailles.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-weight: 600;">But Jeanne, of course, is no aristocrat.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" />She dreams not of court but of blood.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" />The blood of a king</span></span><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">.</span></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13358133008476086924noreply@blogger.com0