"Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers." ~ Charles W. Eliot
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"This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook - try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun!" ~ Julia Child
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"She is too fond of books, and it has turned her brain." ~ Louisa May Alcott

Monday, July 22, 2013

A Tangled Summer

A Tangled Summer

A Tangled Summer by Caroline Kington is a book that I saved for reading in the summer months. It is a fun book with humorous moments of the Tucker family just being themselves.

This books is set in the sleepy village of Summerstoke. Marsh Farm has been in the Tucker family for years. Gran (Elsie) set herself up creating a bedroom, kitchenette and sitting room in the attic when her husband suddenly passed away and allowed her son Jim to take over the farm along with his wife Jenny. But when Jim also suddenly passed away, the farm was left to the two grandsons, Charlie and Stephen. Both brothers seems to be at odds about how they want to run the farm. Charlie, a relic of a time gone by is also a schemer as well as a man of agriculture. Stephen who is the quieter brother is a dairy man.

The farm is running down. Elsie sees all that is not being cared for and with those worries combined with the wild oats seeming to be sewn by her granddaughter Alison, she decides she must act to challenge the family to put things to rights. The brothers must find a wife in a year of they will loose their inheritance. But Charlie is determined to save the failing farm in his own way While Stephen likes things the way they are. Ali is told she must go to university to become a vet.

This is a book that not only holds a humorous story line but also endearing characters. At one point in the book, Charlie is described in comparison to Pa Larkin  I loved watching the Darling Buds of May and could see the comparison. You could not help but love him by the end of the book. Stephen is the underdog and I love to root for the underdog. Thankfully my cheers were not in vein. Alison is coming of age. She comes across as a mixed up spoiled little girl but she has come of age by the time the family comes together for another meeting. Jenny is a mother that you just have to take to heart. She struggles with most things in life with the exception of knitting.

The villagers are there too. From Linda and Stan who run the pub to village post office and shop owner Rita to Jeff the local vet to The Merefield sisters and Nanny to Simon and his dog Duchess to Hugh and Veronica "just call me Vee" Lester to Paula and Lenny. With this cocktail of amusing characters, I felt I was reading book that could be easily turned into an itv film. A light fun and entertaining read that is just right for the heat wave we are experiencing right now in Holland.

Happy reading!
Heidi

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

A Slice of Murder

A Slice of Murder (Pizza Lovers,  #1)

I borrowed this book from my mother's Nook and have really enjoyed the first of the Pizza Lovers mystery series by Chris Cavender.

Eleanor Swift owns the local pizzeria of Timber Ridge, North Carolina. Her sister Maddy works with her after Eleanor's husband Joe was killed in a car accident. When her delivery boy calls off sick, Eleanor decides to do a run to deliver a pizza to Richard Olson but, when she arrives at his house, she sees him laying in his kitchen with a knife sticking out of his chest. She calls local police chief Kevin Hurley but, to her surprise, he places her on this top of his list of suspects. The best way she sees to get herself off that list is to do some fact finding with her sister to find the real killer. The more they dig, the more they realize that most of this small town should be listed as a suspect.

I liked the banter of the two sisters, Eleanor and Maddy, in the start of this series. It was a bit predictable but then I kept trying to convince myself that the obvious must be wrong. So for that reason it must be a success right? It is Jessica Fletcher ... Blue Ridge Mountain style ... predictable but fun. But beware as it makes you want to have a pizza. And guess what we had for dinner tonight? Seriously ... we had pizza. *grins*

Happy reading!
Heidi

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Wild Goose Chase

Wild Goose Chase (A Quilting Mystery, #1)


Wild Goose Chase is the first is Terri Thayer's quilt mystery series. This is a book that has been sitting on my bookshelves for ages along with book two and three. Time to immerse myself in the fun of quilting, fat quarters, rotary cutters and murder. Being a quilter makes this book all the more fun to read. 

Dewey Pellicano inherits her mother's quilt shop after her mother dies in a hit and run accident. It is the first time the shop Quilter Paradiso is setting up a stand at the state quilt extravaganza without Dewey's much loved mother. Dewey has taken over and is trying to install a new computerized sales systems while her sister in law Kym is trying to thwart it in all directions. Famed quilter Claire Armstrong offers to buy the shop from Dewey insisting she was already buying it from her mother. But when Dewey discovers Claire's dead body from an accident with a rotary cutter, she is stunned and wondering what to do next. When a second murder takes place, it is obvious that Claire's accident was not that at all and Dewey tries to piece together the puzzle of just who is at this quilt show with deadly intent before another body turns up. 

As with most of the cozy mysteries I read, I have trouble writing a review as I really would not want to give away any of the hints of the book. Dewey is a likable new sleuth. If you are a quilter like me, you will love this book. Even if you don't quilt yourself, it is a great start to a new cozy mystery series. 

Happy reading!
Heidi