Hello Peoples! It’s my last blog post of 2021! Wonderful! And! What a year it was! A Clue In the Stew by Connie Archer was my last read for 2021, and it was very good. I liked the entire series.
A famous mystery author is traveling to Snowflake, Vermont for a book signing. And! The body of a dead woman is discovered in the woods. Police Chief Nate Edgerton has his hands full trying to discover the identity of the poor woman and reveal the killer. Lucky is busy at her cozy restaurant, By the Spoonful Soup Shop. She’s down one waitress and her remaining waitress is about to quit because she is overworked. Such is the life in Snowflake.
This has been a great series. Snowflake is full of fun and quirky characters. The mysteries are involved, and I can’t say they are easy to solve. A friend loaned me the first four books in the series, and I am glad she did. I enjoyed them. I bought the fifth book. Highly recommend!
Have you read The Soup Lover’s Mysteries? What are your thoughts?
Tacos For Two is reminiscent of You’ve Got Mail ~ no doubt. Rory Perez inherited a food truck from her most beloved aunt. Rory can’t cook. A food truck festival is approaching, and the prize money would help her and her cousin considerably. During this time, she has been communicating with a man online. The messages are cute, warm and full of understanding. I always looked forward to reading the online messages.
Jude Strong has a passion for cooking. He’s tired of working for his dad in his law firm and really wants to get out! The food truck festival seems like the perfect opportunity to escape his dad. If he loses the competition, it’s back to the law firm he goes. Nothing ever goes as planned and Jude discovers the woman he has been communicating with online, is his competition.
I liked Jude. I thought he was a great guy. His dad and his brother were horrible at best. Rory was rude and insulting. I didn’t like her at all. Hannah was my favorite character. She was a sweet person.
I went into this book expecting to like it. I was easily distracted from the story. I just couldn’t stay focused. I thought the second half of the story was better than the first. Rory was irritating and I thought Jude’s brother should get a spine and do the right thing. It just wasn’t the book for me.
I don’t want to discourage anyone from reading Tacos for Two. You might like it and that’s AOK.
Good morning Peoples! I hope all of you had a most enjoyable Christmas. I’m still enjoying the afterglow of Christmas. It’s very early here and I’ve heard we are supposed to have snow showers today. Well! It is the end of December.⛄
I tried to make little apple puff pastry for Christmas, but I didn’t realize my oven wasn’t baking correctly, so, the pastry didn’t puff up the way they were suppose too. They’re good.🍎 They taste like mini apple pies. They just didn’t puff.
Currently Reading ~
Tacos for Two by Betsy St. Amant
Reminiscent of the film, You’ve Got Mail.
What I read in December ~
I’ve been reading A Soup Lover’s Mystery by Connie Archer. I’ve read the first four books in the series, two in December, I’ve really enjoyed them ~ very much. In December I read ~
A Roux of Revenge
Ladle to the Grave
Mimi Lee Cracks the Code by Jennifer J. Chow
Pride, Prejudice and Peril by Katie Oliver
The Wish Book Christmas by Lynn Austin
The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson
Your Favorites at the Cottage in December ~
Merry Christmas ~ December 22, 2021
Carrie Underwood ~ December 15, 2021
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year ~ December 2, 2021
And! That’s a wrap! I’m going to the bakery this morning to read for a while and savor a hot, dark chocolate. Yummy! ☕
Hello Peoples! Baby, it’s cold outside! We have a bad wind chill here. Brrrr. I’m savoring a steamy cuppa hot English breakfast tea, so, I’m good. I found this fun tag over on Emma’s blog. Go check it out. Just click on the below link ~
Mimi Lee and her very interesting kitty cat, Marshmallow, are back and a poor man has been murdered! In this mystery the reader is whisked away to Catalina Island.
What a good puzzle. I was sleuthing with Mimi Lee all the way. I saw all the clues but couldn’t quite put the puzzle pieces in the right places. However, when all was revealed, I wasn’t surprised.
Mimi Lee is a wonderfully fun sleuth/female protagonist. Her and her sister Alice have a great relationship and their mother’s matchmaking attempts are always entertaining! In this mystery, Mimi Lee and her boyfriend have a slight hiccup in their relationship, but who doesn’t??? Pixie is a great character in the series and I’m sure we’ll visit more with her in the future.
I’ve been keeping up with this series and will continue to do so. I recommend you read the books in order, although, probably not necessary. Safe for everyone. 5 ***** stars!
Hello Peoples! I’m not a coffee drinker. Occasionally I have a decaf. I think I enjoyed a decaf in 2019. 😉 So, nope, not a coffee person. When I saw this tag on Masha’s blog ~ go take a look at her blog ~ I thought I would give it a fun try.
Name a series that’s tough to get into but has hardcore fans.
I can’t think of one series, that was tough to get into. Not a one??? I chose The Cosmic Trilogy Series by C.S. Lewis.
Out Of the Silent Planet
Paralandra
That Hideous Strength
Personally, I didn’t really think this series was difficult to get into, but I loved the first two books in the series, the last one didn’t appeal to me. It is C. S. Lewis though and he is always thought provoking.
Share in the comments below if you have read this series and what your thoughts are on it.
~ PEPPERMINT MOCHA
Name a book that gets more popular during the winter or festive times of the year.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Loved it!
~ HOT CHOCOLATE
Name your favorite children’s book.
I love The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye
~ DOUBLE SHOT ESPRESSO
Name a book that kept you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.
Any books by Lisa Harris will keep me on the edge of my seat! I chose Missing by Lisa Harris.
~ STARBUCKS
Name a book you see everywhere.
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
I’ve never read Osman’s book.
~ HIPSTER COFFEE SHOP
Give a book by an indie author a shout out.
To be honest, I have no idea. I’m certain I have read Indie authors, but my mind is blank. I do take recommendations. 😁
~ OOPS! ACCIDENTALLY GOT DECAF
Name a book you were expecting more from.
Shirley by Charlotte Bronte
I love books written by the Bronte sisters, so, when I read Shirley I was expecting to really like it. I was disappointed. It’s muddy.
~ THE PERFECT BLEND
Name a book or series that’s bittersweet or satisfying.
Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs
I loved this book! I was sucked into the jungle with Tarzan from the beginning! It is such a satisfying read.
Hello. Peoples! The weather outside is frightful. Brrrr. Yesterday it warmed up, then it rained. The fog rolled in and the rain became snow. The wind howled. Now it’s wet, cold and windy. Inside the fire is warm and delightful. I have a doctor appointment today that I am not looking forward too. I’m a little anxious about the appointment.
I found this tag, I like a fun tag, at Pretty Purple Polka Dots She found it at Book Tube channel Taylor Reads, so, here we go ~
Go check out Pretty Purple Polka Dots lovely blog.
~ Crackling Fire: Who is your favorite cold character warmed up towards the end?
Caitlin in She’s Mine by Tammy Doherty.
~ Snowflakes: What is a book full of unique characters?
Gertie Johnson Yooper Mysteries by Deb Baker have unique/quirky characters! Oh my word.
~ Gingerbread Family: Which fictional family would you want to be a part of?
Oh my word! I have a few families I love. The March family in Little Women, The VanDerBeeker Family, The Penderwicks and the Pevensie Family from The Chronicles of Narnia.
~ Blizzard: What is a book that had you confused all the time?
The Man Who Was Thursday by G. K. Chesterton
I wasn’t confused as much as I was challenged, fascinated and puzzled. It’s one of my favorite books.
~ Gift Giving: What is the last book that was gifted to you?
Shadows of Swanford Abbey by Julie Klassen
~ Snowball: What is the biggest book you’ve ever read?
The Count of Monte Cristo (unabridged) by Alexandre Dumas.
~ Wrapping Paper: What is your most beat up book?
I take good care of my books, so I can’t think of one book that’s really beat up. I have more than one copy of The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. The paperback copies are probably my most beat up books
~ Christmas Lights: What is a book you own that has many colors on the cover?
I own a few that are colorful, but I will go with Jocelyn by Sarah Monzon.
~ Ice Skating: What is a book that had a plot that was all over the place?
Wow. That’s a good question. I don’t know.
~ Christmas Tree: Who is your favorite character of all time? Yes, you can only choose one.
Aslan from The Chronicles of Narnia
~ The Star: What’s a book you look forward to rereading every year?
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
There you have it. Everyone is tagged. Have a great day.
Phaedra Brighton is a Professor at Somerset University. She is a Jane Austen Scholar. And! She has a cat named, Wickham! I liked the cat. He had plenty of sass. Phaedra has been hired as a historical consultant for a reality tv show, Who Wants To Marry Mr. Darcy? The show is being filmed at Marling, the home where her good friend, Charlene, lives with her new husband. Well, you guessed it. There is a murder. And an expensive piece of jewelry is stolen. The detective is convinced Charlene is the killer, so Phaedra decides to investigate and solve the case herself, to prove her friend is innocent.
This story wasn’t really for me. When I saw it at the bookstore, I was curious. Jane Austen! Yea curious. The story does have many comments, quotes and references to Jane Austen and her books. I wasn’t especially fond of any of the characters, with the exception of the Professor from Oxford, Mark Selden. Detective Morelli was especially irritating to me. And! I thought the mystery moved slowly. It was a baffling mystery though. I didn’t know the identity of the nefarious person at all. It was a puzzle.
I want to encourage you to give it a read. You might enjoy it more than I did. 3 *** stars!
katiescottagebooks 