“Caught Read-Handed,” by Terrie Farley Moran ~Cozy Mystery Challenge

Well! My word. Tanya Lipscome is found dead in her hot tub. Very rude, if you ask me. A veteran (Alan) is arrested for the crime and Sassy and her friend Bridgy know he didn’t murder the poor woman. And so it begins . . . 

I enjoyed this book. I thought it was more than a cozy mystery. It’s about community, friends and supporting one another in times of trouble. It’s about food and laughter and getting together and helping one another. I thought there were good characters in the story and who doesn’t love Aunt Ophie??? She is certainly quirky!!! Even though it is a cozy mystery, so tragedy has happened, it was a fun story. 5***** stars on goodreads.

This is the second book in the series, “A Read ‘Em and Eat Mystery.” The first book was, “Well Read, Then Dead.”

HAPPY READING! 🙂

Classic Movie Friday!

 

Marnie (1964)

Tippi Hedren

Sean Connery

This is a Hitchcock Film

Marnie (Tippi Hedren) is a thief and a liar. Mark (Sean Connery) meets Marnie, falls in love with her and marries her, although she does not wish to be married. After they are wed, Mark tries to help her overcome her issues. Mark hires a private investigator to check into Marnie’s life. When he has all the details of her past, Mark is able to confront Marnie’s mother (Louise Latham) and Marnie, discovering what really happened to cause Marnie such distress. I need to say, Marnie’s mother blindsided me! I did not see that coming at all!

I did like the movie. The story leads the viewer, however, it doesn’t reveal the problem until the end. Hitchcock knew how to leave just enough in the movie not to reveal what happened. In a sense, the viewer is the detective. I thought the most interesting thing about the movie was trying to solve the mystery of what happened to Marnie to cause her to be so psychologically troubled??? At the beginning of the film, I didn’t really like her, but as the film progressed that changed and at the end of the film, my heart went out to her.

All in all, it was an interesting film.

Have you seen “Marnie?” I’d like to hear from you. 🙂

 

June Rereads ~

              

        

 

 

“The Curate of Glaston,” by George MacDonald is my favorite book by this author. It’s the story of Thomas Wingfold, a curate in the Church of England. This book is meatier than the other stories. It’s not a quick read. Chew on it. Savor. I’ve read this book several times and I’ve loved it each time I’ve read it.

“Then a shudder would go to the very depths of his heart, and he would go out for a walk in the pine woods. There where the somber green boughs were upheld by a hundred slender columns, he bowed his heart before the Eternal, gathered together all the might of his being, and groaned forth in deepest effort of a struggling will . . . ” ~George MacDonald, The Curate of Glaston

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“Thunder on the Right,” by Mary Stewart! Another favorite. I’ve read it twice and enjoyed it both times. Jenny receives a letter from her cousin Gillian, informing her, she has entered a convent. So, Jenny travels to the Pyrenees, wanting to speak with her beloved cousin Gillian. What a story!!! Danger, skulking around, mystery!

“The black cloak swirled around her like a cloud. One moment she was there, held in the glancing light against the shadows of the great door. Then she was gone, and the draught from the outer night made the candles bow and stream along the air.” ~Mary Stewart, Thunder on the Right

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“The Man in the Brown Suit,” by Agatha Christie is one of my favorites by this author. I believe Agatha Christie had a sense of humor and this book is a good example of said humor. Maybe, it’s just me, but I laughed off and on throughout the mystery. I hooted! And then, my poor husband, endured my re-telling of the story to him. He’s not a mystery fan. It’s a serious mystery with a good dollop of humor.

Soon after the death of her father, Anne Beddington stumbles upon a mystery that takes her shipboard to Africa, in search of a killer and a man known only as the Colonel.

Anne is a great person and amateur sleuth. She manages to stumble through this mystery and solve it. I loved her.

“We reached Madeira about midday. I was still too inert to move, but I enjoyed the picturesque-looking merchants who came on board and spread their merchandise at the decks. The flowers too. I buried my nose in an enormous bunch of sweet wet violets and felt distantly better.” ~Agatha Christie, The Man in the Brown Suit

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Airs Above the Ground, by Mary Stewart is so good. I’ve read it twice now and I’ve loved it both times I’ve read it. It was the first book I read by this author.

Vanessa’s husband has traveled to Stockholm for his job, or so Vanessa thinks, however, soon after he departs, she clearly sees him in a newsreel in Vienna!!! So, she boards a plane to Vienna, with a very interesting companion, in search of her husband. Adventure, romance in a foreign country, who could ask for more???

“The night was sweet, cold and clear. The stars seemed close to the mountaintops, as if they were sharp points of reflection off some high snow struck by the moon, and their light showed the soft slopes of meadow and fir wood in silver monochrome and shadow.” ~Mary Stewart, Airs Above the Ground

Happy Reading! 🙂

Tuesday Teaser! #TuesdayBookBlog

Tuesday Teaser is a weekly meme.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following ~

• Grab your current read.
• Open to a random page.
• Share two or three *teaser* sentences from somewhere on that page.
• Be careful not to include spoilers ~ make sure what you share doesn’t give to much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others.

Share the title and the author too; so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like your teasers.

Without further ado ~

“The Road to Paradise,” is the first book I’ve read by Karen Barnett. Wilderness adventure, romance, what more could we ask for? 🙂 

He tugged at one of his sleeves, the cuffs suddenly feeling a bit close. “I’m use to green and gray, not black and white. I must look like a skunk.” 

Happy Reading! 🙂

 

Classic Movie Friday!

Key Largo (1948)

Humphrey Bogart

Lauren Bacall

Edward G. Robinson

Claire Trevor

Lionel Barrymore

Frank McCloud (Humphrey Bogart) travels to Florida to visit the family of his late war buddy.

James Temple (Lionel Barrymore) and his son’s widow Nora (Lauren Bacall), operate a hotel in Key Largo. When McCloud arrives, he soon discovers that gangsters have taken over the hotel. With a hurricane coming in, and criminals in the hotel, dissension is the inevitable result.

I loved Lauren Bacall in this movie. I haven’t seen very many movies with her, but this one is my favorite. She has a look and a style all her own. And, her and Humphrey Bogart are so good together.  In this film, she was so dedicated and helpful to her father-in-law and she welcomed her late husband’s friend with the greatest of hospitality. She was a tough yet sensitive character.

“Casablanca” and “The Maltese Falcon,” are my two favorite movies with Bogart, however, I did like this film. I was very interested in how Bogart was going to work through and come out of this situation he found himself him. It’s a good movie! ENJOY!

“Wanderville,” by Wendy McClure

This book grabbed my attention on the first page and didn’t let go!!! Kids books usually have such great adventures! 🙂 This one is no exception.

This book is about the kids, not all orphans, on the orphan train to Kansas, the uncertainty, the fear, the courage and stick togetherness of some of these children.

All children in need, are wanted and accepted in Wanderville. 4**** stars on goodreads.

“Jack, Frances, and Frances’s younger brother Harold have been ripped from the world they knew in New York and sent to Kansas on an orphan train at the turn of the century.” ~goodreads 

Favorite quote ~

“We’re not to be pitied or reformed or sent off, placed out like the rubbish, just because we’re kids! Like we’re not yet people somehow.”

Happy Reading!!!

Zoo

 

Last week Rick and I decided to visit the zoo. We have a small zoo in our city, however, it is so nice and it’s well cared for. We have been to the zoo several times, so I didn’t take many photos, but I thought I would share a few of the photos I did take.

Recently, our zoo acquired two koala bears. We only have them for a few months and Rick and I wanted to see them, so that was one of the reasons we visited the zoo last week. I didn’t take photos of the koala bears, but they are adorable. Sleepy bears! Zzzzz.

We have a baby rhino!!!

 

He’s a male rhino and he stays close to his mama. 🙂 He’s so cute!

I don’t really like birds very much. However, my favorite birds are the hummingbird, puffins and the kookaburra bird!!! Yay! I like this feathered friend. He’s a kookaburra!!!

I have never been able to photograph the merry-go-round to do it justice. Mmmm. But, this isn’t a terrible photo. Hopefully, one day, I will discover how to photograph a colorful merry-go-round. Happy Summer!

“Mandy,” by Julie Andrews Edwards

“The magic of finding a home Mandy, a ten-year- old orphan, dreams of a place to call her own. Escaping over the orphanage wall to explore the outside world, Mandy discovers a tiny, deserted cottage in the woods. All through the spring, summer and fall, Mandy works to make it truly hers.” ~goodreads

Oh my word! I loved this book. I read it today. The story has such a magical quality to it or a great sense of wonder. I loved Mandy and my heart went out to her. She lived in a good orphanage. This isn’t a story about a terrible orphanage with a horrible head mistress. The matron of the orphanage is a lovely lady and understands children. But, Mandy wants a place to call her own. She wants a home and a family. After she discovers the cottage, she worked so hard and diligently to make the cottage her own. I loved the flowers and the wildlife. I thought this book was so well written. 5***** stars on goodreads!

 

Tuesday Teaser! #TuesdayBookBlog

Tuesday Teaser is a weekly meme.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following ~

• Grab your current read.
• Open to a random page.
• Share two or three *teaser* sentences from somewhere on that page.
• Be careful not to include spoilers ~ make sure what you share doesn’t give to much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others.

Share the title and the author too; so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like your teasers.

Without further ado ~

“Back in the Saddle,” by Ruth Logan Herne is the first book I’ve read by this author.

It’s described as, “The Prodigal is coming home.” ~goodreads

“Colt strode away, looking as good from behind as he did from the front, mud specks and all. It startled her that the sight of him, tall, rugged, roughed up by a contingent of circumstances both in and out of his control, made her long to soothe him.”

Mmmm. Well, that’s interesting. 🙂  Enjoy!

 

“Savoring the Seasons,” by Traci Borum

“Chilton Crosse #4”

“Julia Bentley spent her fortieth birthday doing what she always does, baking treats for the customers in her Cotswold bakery and taking care of her elderly father. She doesn’t realize how stagnant her life has become until a younger man, Tristan Hannigan, moves to the village and shows interest in her. As Julia becomes closer to Tristan, he begins to season her mundane days and to challenge how she views the world.” ~goodreads

 

Julia has a wonderful father. Mr. Bentley plays the clarinet, meets with his friends for a friendly game of poker once a week and hands out free samples at the bakery when he is able. He loves his daughter dearly and misses his deceased wife. The village characters love him. And! He’s ninety years old. He has my vote for one of the top ten fictional father’s in literature!

While delivering eggs to the bakery, Tristan meets Julia for the first time. He’s attracted to Julia and gently leads her into a relationship with him. Tristan is a gentleman, he’s attractive, kind and always wants to lend a helping hand. He becomes pals with Mr. Bentley and the two men spend a considerable amount of time together while Julia hoovers in the background, keeping busy.

While a sweet relationship between Julia and Tristan is developing and Tristan and Mr. Bentley are getting to know one another, the town busybody decides to organize a celebration in honor of the bakery’s 40th anniversary.

I thought this was a satisfying read. I loved the characters, the romance and the relationship between Julia and her father. This is a curl up in a comfy place, with a steaming drink, let your heart flutter and savor each moment in this story. I loved it! 🙂

5***** stars on goodreads.

I’d like to thank the author for e-mailing her book to me in exchange for an honest review. 🙂