Christmas at the Mysterious Bookshop

Loved, loved, loved the idea of this. That a short story, by a well known mystery writer is commissioned each year as a Christmas card/present to loyal bookshop customers. And the stories were nice as well. The description of the book is spot on - some fun/humorous, some straight mystery and some a little creepy. It was my kind of Christmas book! Now I feel like I want to see if I can find the short stories every year or if I need to wait until the next compilation! 5 out of 5 stars. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8487876-christmas-at-the-mysterious-bookshop

An Irish Country Christmas

I am growing to like this world a little bit. I am annoyed with Barry for being so impatient with Patricia, but then I remember that it is mid '60s and (though still not ok) it is a little more tolerable. I still find the overall story a little too pat for my usual taste, it's hard to have any urgency or tension when you're pretty sure everything is going to have a happy ending. But it's a pleasant fantasy and nice to believe that there was once a place like this where everyone knew everyone else and jumped in to help without a thought. A lovely Christmas sentiment. And it was a nice holiday read. 3 out of 5 stars Read this as the alternate selection for the Celtic MKE Irish Book Club - they selected An Irish Country Yule - which is book 16 in the series - I just read book 1 and thought this book - 3 in the series - was probably a better choice. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3688759-an-irish-country-christmas

Cold Mourning

Yeah - another series... can you hear the sarcasm? I picked this book because it took place at Christmas and I like to listen to Christmas books around the holidays, when I'm decorating, walking, driving, whatever. This book started out extremely graphic - I was a little surprised - my own expectations, nothing that was indicated by the book description. But once we got past the back story and into the present day case and scenario, I quite liked the characters and the book overall. It takes place in Canada and addresses a different kind of racism than I am used to in the US. But you really buy the chemestry between the two main characters (Stonechild and Rouleau) and want to spend more time with them. I think it is a series that I will defnintely continue and the back-story or underlying crisis that drives Stonechild is interesting enough to want to learn more. 4 out of 5 stars. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17553897-cold-mourning

The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog

5 of 5 stars I love Dave Barry - I've always been a fan and I think it's because, among other things, he is a dog person. I've wanted to read this book for a while and finally pulled the trigger and just scheduled it for book club. I didn't realize it was a short story and read it in bed on a snowy Saturday morning. Perfect way to help get into the Christmas spirit. Having just lost our sweet Pujolina 2 weeks ago, this book hit very close to home. And I love that he was able to reinforce that my sweet furry friend is with Jesus while making me laugh at the same time. But in addition to the dog story, the antics of the boys in the church was a fun reminder of how my sister and I would torture our mother at midnight Christmas Eve services with our goofiness. And we were far older than Doug. Definitely put the fun in this year's Christmas. This was the December selection for our own Books And Brunch https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/113012.The_Shepherd_the_Angel_and_Walter_the_Christmas_Miracle_Dog

The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War

3 1/2 of 5 stars I find myself reading more war books than are my taste because of the History Buff Book Club through the Milwaukee Public Library. This was no exception (though a Cold War). And also, the second non-fiction Spy book I've read this year. I enjoyed the second half of the book. The first half I found myself bogged down in Russian names and dates. But when we got to the actual escape I was riveted. The urgency and realizations everyone made during the escape. I especially liked the crisps and the dirty nappy distraction. But also the idea of best laid plans. We've finally triggered the extraction and we can't execute what we have been planning for so long because it would be immediately suspicious. The HBBC books are usually outside of my comfort zone, but I usually find that when we get to the discussion, I liked the book more than I thought when I was reading it. This book was the December selection for the MPL History Buff Book Club https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37542581-the-spy-and-the-traitor

Later Gator (Miss Fortune Mystery #9)

3 1/2 out of 5 stars These books are pure brain candy. There isn't a speck of reality in them at all and there isn't enough suspension of disbelief to change that, but I love them. They make me laugh, the imagery is fun (an elderly woman walking an aligator down the street on a leash) and I like the characters. I'm rooting for them. It's also interesting to me that in 9 books, Fortune has really only been in town for a month or so. To date there are 21 books in this series and I have no doubt I'll read them all. My husband reads the Serge Storm series and I feel like this is the girl equivalent. But again, if you're looking for a realistic story, look elsewhere. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33142914-later-gator

The Terror

3 out of 5 stars. I don't think there was anything particularly wrong with this book, it just wasn't my taste. I haven't read anything by Dan Simmons in a while and this seems a departure from what I used to read of his. In general I was bored? I feel like Preston & Child did this story better in Ice Limit and later, Beyond the Ice Limit. After reading The Indifferent Stars Above, about the Donner Party, this book did reinforce my opinion that the Donnor Party seemed to jump to canibalism pretty fast - these guys (fictional) were on the ice for quite some time before it occured to them to start eating each other. In general, this is what you get when you read what is available now, and not something directly from your "To Read" list. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3974.The_Terror

A Steep Price (Tracy Crosswhite #6)

4 1/2 out of 5 stars The only reason I don't give these books 5 stars is because they always have a tendency to wrap up very nicely. And although I am always releaved, it takes a little away from the realism. I don't even remember how I stumbled upon this series, but I really enjoy the ensemble, the characters are likable, flawed in a believable way and the stories are always interesting. I feel invested in them and look forward to my visits with the team. I also like the cases. This story was extremely interesting with the insite into Indian culture and I really appreciated the perspective of the victim. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36392840-a-steep-price

Food - A Love Story

5 of 5 stars I love Jim Gaffigan and because of the Milwaukee connection, we have been lucky enough to see him live. I listened to him read the book and it was so much fun I kept having to register the time stamp for sections I wanted to go back and play for my husband. In the end, we ended up listening to the whole book together. I really enjoy his outlining of the different geographic food areas in the country. There was so much to relate to and also a few recommendations - I would definitely stand in line in a gas station for the right Barbeque. I've heard cuttings from this book as many a "Humerous Solo" Forensics offering, it was great to experience the whole book. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20697471-food