Year's End (December Reads and Favorite Books)

Twenty twenty-five was one of the best years -- and one of the most challenging -- of my forty-four years of life. Goal setting in January didn't include walking with my mom through six short weeks of cancer and death, and yet I wouldn't have it any other way. Caring for her was one of the greatest privileges of my life, and the gift of losing my mom when she still remembered me (unlike her mom, who didn't know any of us when she passed away in her 90's) is something I can genuinely give thanks for. Watching my dad figure out life without his sweetheart of 64 years has been incredibly heart-wrenching, but also given me moments of pride (along the same lines of how I feel as I watch my 21-year old figure out her life). From giving Mom's eulogy on a balmy June evening to sending three of my teenagers overseas for the summer the following morning, God's goodness was manifest to me. Whether saying an earthly farewell to my mom or a temporary goodbye to my kids, I can say with certainty that the Lord is good, His mercies are new every morning, and His faithfulness is, indeed, great.

So many of my goals for the year changed when we found out Mom wasn't long for this world. Originally I had planned to read five books a month -- and was on track to do so -- but when Mom got sick, all ability to read went out the window. Even though I had a lot of time on my hands as I sat in waiting rooms or sat with her, my brain was unable to focus on words. After she passed and I was down to one kid in the house for the summer, I thought I would be able to catch up. Instead, I often found myself sitting in stillness, sometimes crying, as I processed everything that had taken place over the previous months, still unable to pick up a book. By August I realized I needed to revise my goal from 60 books to a mere 36. Life happened. And along with embracing the goodness of God, I also began to embrace contentment. Contentment in the seasons. Contentment in the goals. Contentment in doing what I could and letting go of the rest because, in the end, it really didn't matter as much as I thought it did in January. 

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Even though I had to lower my 2025 reading goal, a few days before the end of the year I still managed to tick that goal box and discovered a rather enjoyable series towards the end of the year. Below you can see both my reviews of what I read in December, as well as my top five books/series of 2025. 

1. The Murders at Clarion Castle by Anna Elliott and Charles Veley - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Overall, I would say that this one was more intense than previous books in the series, it definitely kept my heart rate a little elevated (though I never thought any of the gang would die... it's too Nancy Drew-esque for that!). Evie's realization that {SPOILER} someone she thought long dead was, in fact, not, was not a surprise (saw that one coming from a couple of books ago), however, it didn't dim my enjoyment of the story. The way each of the characters are growing and becoming more confident and working together is enjoyable, and even though I would call this one less "cozy mystery" and more action, it was still a good addition to the series. Four stars. {Amazon Associates Link}
2. The Harvest Festival Murders by Anna Elliott and Charles Veley - ⭐⭐ The authors have been cranking out these books and you can really tell with this one. Lots of loose, dangling ends and the main plot kept getting run over by all the half-finished side stories. Just as Katherine is preparing to unload her story about Greta (the German Land Army girl who disappears from the story and wasn't central to anything!) with Harry and Nigel, the next chapter opens with her standing in the village hall being fitted for a wedding dress. Um, how did we get here? What happened to Greta? One moment Evie is sneaking around a suspicious Spitfire crash site with a gun in her hand, but an hour later she's back at the hospital and kicking herself for not being armed. And if one more woman's hair was described as "Pulled back severely" in a bun, or one more "scared face" with "darting eyes" showed up in the story, I was going to scream. I'm all about getting more books out, but don't sacrifice the editorial portions of the writing. This definitely needed some help and made it far less enjoyable than previous stories in the series. {Amazon Associates Link}
3. The Scrooge Conspiracy by Anna Elliott and Charles Veley - ⭐⭐ I would probably give this one 2.5 stars, but it really needs a good line edit. This series started out strong, and don't get me wrong, I'm still enjoying it, but there are more and more redundancies and explanations of things we already know (that last bit is what makes it feel like a Nancy Drew). I also noticed more loose ends or quickly tied up ends (for example, Lyle's quick summary of what happened with the villain of the story and the leader of the Black Briers). The writing feels rushed (they're cranking out a new book every 2 months or so!), and they fall back on a lot of cliches. All the style critiques aside...it was fun to read this one at Christmas and enjoy the twist of the play (even though the hyper focus on the oil was a bit much for something that was then quickly explained). I'll keep reading, because they're clean and they're fun, and when I just want an easy, mindless read, this absolutely fits the bill and keeps me reading, but I'm still a bit disappointed that rather than getting better (as they did in the earlier books), they've settled into quick writing and pumping them out (a la Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys). {Amazon Associates Link}

Top 5 of 2025

1. The Homefront Sleuth's Mysteries* by father/daughter duo Anna Elliott and Charles Veley - If you are looking for a clean, British, historical mystery/spy/murder story, give this series a try. Aside from editing issues, I really don't have many complaints about any of the books I've read in it. Think Nancy Drew meets Miss Marple. 
2. Born Survivors by Wendy Holden - Absolutely incredible story of life and death and hope within the confines of Nazi concentration camps. This is history we should never forget or we will end up repeating it. Highly recommend.
3. Rocket Men by Robert Kurson - The story of the Apollo 8 crew, their mission, their personal lives, and their dedication to the mission many didn't think would (or should) happen, but ended up being key to helping the U.S. win the moon race. If you're at all interested in the NASA Apollo program, this is a must read. 
4. The Hawthorne and Horowitz series by Anthony Horowitz - I made my way through several of these books early on in the year and was surprised by how much I enjoyed them and even the quirky writing style. Relatively clean, interesting characters, I felt that the books continued to improve, so if you tried one and weren't a fan, try again.
5. The Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman - Loved the first three in this series (a total surprise), but he almost lost me on book #4. There were aspects of the story I loved (and made me bawl, honestly), and parts that I really felt we could have done without. However, he redeemed himself in book #5 and I will definitely give book #6 a try when it comes out.

*Amazon Associates Links

Just as I did in 2024, I'm implementing a book buying freeze (unless I have free ebook credits or other credits) for 2026 as I have collected a substantial amount of TBR stacks again this year (and received more for my birthday and Christmas - no complaints!!!) and it's time to make a dent in the pile. #BookwormProblems And I'm aiming for that 60 book goal again, but holding it loosely, because you just never know what's around the next corner of life, right? Here's to a 2026 that is full of joy, laughter, growth, and, as always, lots of good books!

What's on your TBR list for 2026?

26 Simple Goals in 2026

In keeping with tradition (well, from the last two years anyway!), I spent some time coming up with a list of 26 things to work towards over the next twelve months. If you read my last post, you'll know that these are simply things that I aim towards, giving me something to check off on the days that I accomplish them, and things to help me stay focused when the world is going crazy. When my mom got sick last spring, even on the days when I was at their house all day, every day, I stuck to some of my goals like glue. When I couldn't control anything related to my mother's battle with cancer, I could scrub the individual grout lines of our bathroom floor (one of my simple goals: clean something in the bathroom every day). By the time my Mom passed away, our floor had never been so clean (we have small tiles and lots of grout) and dust bunnies were running for their lives in our bedroom. I remember talking to a friend about it at the time, and her perspective was that it gave me normalcy. Something to focus on besides the fact that my mom was dying. She was right, of course. During that season I never missed a day of walking either. But I needed to breathe, to be away from noise, and have time to process. Walking (another goal) gave that to me. 

Although sometimes we see goals as things to beat us up when we don't accomplish them, I prefer to see them as opportunities each day to celebrate when we do. So what if I didn't walk 5 days a week all year? Most weeks I walked at least 1-2 times, and that's more than I had been doing, so it's still a win. So what if I had to change my reading goals from five books a month to three? My mom got sick and life happened and I still managed to read 36 books last year. That's a win. Perspective changes everything.  

Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash

Not knowing what 2026 will hold (after all, I still have one aging parent and two in-laws, four teenagers - one of whom is college-bound, and a 20-something daughter; I homeschool and proofread and mentor, and let's not even talk about laundry and feeding people!), I stuck with the theme of simple, doable, goals. Areas where I want to continue to grow, where I've already made some progress in the last two years, but that still present a challenge to me, so achieving them feels like a success. 

26 in '26

We'll start with the low-hanging fruit and then move on to the slightly larger goals.

1. Intentionally spend time with my dad each week - this could be dinner out, having him here, taking food to him, or just stopping by to say hello.
2. Intentionally connect with family who are not local to me (text, phone call, cards, etc.)
3. Getting up when the alarm goes off at 5:30 - this is intended to give me space to think, pray, read my Bible, drink coffee, and generally wake up and prepare for the day before school starts at 8:30.
4. Read 24+ books - I'd love to hit 36, or 48, or 60...but I'm holding this goal loosely.
5. Read 1+ chapter a day from a physical book (paper, in my hands, not Kindle)
6. Clean one thing a day in our bathroom - this could mean a 30-second swipe of the counter, or a full-on hand scrub of the floor, depending on the season of life I'm in!
7. Clean/dust something every day in our bedroom (same simple rule as above)
8. Implement "simple cleaning schedule" in a new room each month (living, dining, library, etc.) - I've always hated cleaning, so finding a way to make it less of a dreaded task and more of a "no big deal because it's 30 seconds, not 30 minutes," is the ultimate goal here.
9. Pick one day a week to purge the same number (or higher) of items as the date - so a version of the Minimalists clean out challenge, but just four times a month (4 items on the 4th, 15 items on the 15th, etc.).  
10. Stick to my Christmas and Birthday budgets - I say this every year, that I'm going to go smaller next year, but we really have come to a time when financially and mentally, it doesn't make sense to continue to add stuff to the household. All our kids are getting older, and experiences (or cash) are more appreciated.
11. Make "No Spend Month" the standard rather than the exception - I really don't need anything, but social media and Amazon and bored browsing tell me otherwise, which means those habits need to change as well.
12. Buy no new physical books - I am once again at a point where I have an overwhelming number of books already on my shelves (added to this year), and since I'm working on the budget as well, this seems like a good way to work through what I already have! I'll leave it open for ebooks, as long as I'm using existing credit for them.
13. Save cash for special events - I already have envelopes and checklists set up for this, I just need to be intentional about utilizing them (and filling them).
14. Refill Savings accounts - we have multiple accounts for different spending requirements, but this last year I had to pull from all of them, so it's time to buckle down and repay myself. And on that note...Goal #13...
15. Lunch and dinner at home, 6 days a week (minimum) - back in 2012, when the Hubs and I buckled down to pay off in one year what remained on our mortgage, we limited ourselves to going out to eat once a month. Add 14 years and a handful of kids and going out even once a month is almost cost-prohibitive. Chick-fil-A costs $80 for six of us to eat. The local Mexican restaurant is $150 with tip. So this is really a necessary cut, but makes it more fun if I call it a "goal" and then get to mark it as successful. 😉 
16. Travel somewhere and/or make time to regularly do something fun - this might mean spending some money or getting creative, but the time with kids at home is fleeting.
17. More family movie nights, more intentional time together - see: time with the kids at home is fleeting.
18. Work on photo books monthly - every year for Christmas I make a photo book of everything that's happened in the last twelve months and then have it printed for our kids and my dad. I'm always rushing around at Thanksgiving, trying to get it done so I can take advantage of the Cyber Monday sales. This year, I'd like to work on the book at the end of each month so that when Thanksgiving comes, I'll only have to put in November's pictures and it won't be as rushed or stressful. 
19. Get back into Duolingo French - I've still been using the app daily (a goal from 2025), but I've been focused on learning chess and have gotten away from French. I'd like to become more proficient at actually understanding the language.
20. Watch French language YouTube channels and/or shorts - to assist with the above, and could also be French subtitles on movies I know well.
21. Learn/practice ASL - Last year the Hubs and my kids all started learning ASL. I was in the middle of caring for my mom when this happened and my brain couldn't take on anymore at the time. However, I just purchased Lingvano Pro for the year at 50% off, and I want to make sure I get the most bang for my buck there. Which means I have to use it.  
22. Get moving again - I never did pull out the stationary bike in the basement, and although I did walk more (outside) last year, I'd like this to become something I'm more intentional about doing in 2026. 
23. Drink more water (80 oz. a day - minimum), cut down on sugar (special occasions only, not 4 PM cravings!), and smaller portions - I'm at a season of life where all the things that always worked no longer work. I've accepted I will never be the size I was at 25, but I'd at least like to be healthy as I turn 45 this year.
24. Don't be afraid to pursue jobs that scare me - meaning, jobs that I don't feel qualified for, or jobs that stretch my knowledge base. I come across as confident in many ways, but secretly I fight a lot of impostor syndrome. 
25. Rent a dumpster or set aside a week for a full-house purge this summer - In addition to the regular purging days, it's time for a major clear out. Both the hubs and I are feeling overwhelmed by all the stuff that has collected in our basement, garage, cabinets, closets, and drawers. The time has come. And since we'll be kid-less this summer, seems like a good time to purge.
26. More analog, less screen - I've already been attempting this. With aging parents (and new drivers) we cannot go totally without a phone (emergencies happen), but I want to focus on being more present when people (including my kids) are around, and even when they're not, not to be so tied to the "glowing oracle that rots my brain."   

And there you have it, 26 simple goals in 2026. Okay, some simple, some not so simple. But all of them doable, depending on my motivation and how much time and energy I'm willing to invest. Honestly, I think if I focused solely on #26 (staying away from my phone more), I could probably easily achieve all of the previous 25 goals. It's amazing how much time is sucked away from that stupid little box, not to mention brain cells. 

So what say you? Join me in my quest for simple goals and daily achievements? Join me in setting aside the electronic device that you may very well be reading this on right now? Join me in rejoining the world and making the most of the time that we have been given on this earth? I hope you will!

Here's to a healthy, joyful, and growth-filled 2026!

Share some of your goals in the comments!

3 Lessons from 2 Years of Simple Goals

For the last couple of years I have made the decision to select a handful of "simple" goals to focus on during the year. This has allowed me to keep the momentum going while not feeling like a total failure by the end of January. Whether it's the goal to read more (even if it's just a page or two a day) or move more (walking the driveway once or twice a week) or eat better (put down the cookie, drive past Starbucks without stopping for a calorie-laden treat), being able to check off a box gives me a little boost and keeps me coming back for more. 

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

My first list was "24 in 24" and in looking back at it now, I am so thankful for some of those goals, such as intentionally spending more time with my parents. In December of 2023, when I made that one of my simple goals for the year, I had no idea that my mom would be gone in June of 2025. But for a year and a half I intentionally stopped by their house, made time for meals, and encouraged my kids to spend time with their grandparents. And now that she's gone, I'm not sitting here full of regrets. 

LESSON: If you're putting off seeing someone because the timing is inconvenient, STOP. Call them. Write an actual card and mail it. Stop by their house and spend an hour talking. Invite them over for a meal or offer to bring food to them. There will come a day when that is no longer an option, and you will wish that you could.  

In my "25 for 25" I kept some of the same goals (like spending time with my parents) and tweaked others. Again, in looking back on the goals I set towards the end of 2024, even though I didn't know what the year would hold, I'm actually surprised by the number of them I was able to mark off, even with all the curve balls. I tweaked those goals a bit last January, and I'm so glad I did. Not only were we more intentional with our time, but we took three trips this year and made lots of family memories, we did special events out of the blue, and we were able to focus on different kids at different times. 

LESSON: Aim for something and you'll have a better chance of hitting it. Leave it up to chance, and you'll be left with nothing but a pile of regrets and no time left. It doesn't have to be a trip to Disney with the whole family, it could be $1.50 slushies from the grocery store on a random Tuesday. Don't put a price tag on being together. 

And so here I am, with 2026 bearing down on me, minus one parent, with four teenagers in tow. Our calendar is full, plans are already in process for sending four kids overseas for seven weeks this summer (and we get a temporary empty nest!) and then one kid off to college a week after they return. My dad will be 85 this year, so anything could happen there. I have a physical list of things I need to get done this week, in January, in the spring, before August...you get the idea. 

LESSON: Life never slows down, it just changes. There will never be the "perfect time" to do the things you want to do, so go ahead and make the list. Fix dates on the calendar (in pencil!). Make (refundable) plans. Be intentional with your time, money, goals, and brain space. If you want to read 50 books in 2026, then that means you need to carry them with you, use the Kindle app, and say NO to doom scrolling and binge-watching. We don't get more time, but we do get something of a say in how we use what is given to us. Use it well. 

Are you setting goals (simple or not) for 2026?

Care to share? Hit me up in the comments! 

#iamthankful for BOOKS! (Or what I read in November)

Hard to believe we have just completed the eleventh month of 2025 and there remains just one month between us and a new year. So much has happened since this time last year, so much that was unforeseen (like my mom dying), and it makes me stop and wonder what I'll be saying at this time next year. Will I be adjusting to the loss of another family member? Will I be down to just three kids remaining in our house? Will I still be proofreading and trying to hit reading goals? Only time will tell, but what I know for sure is this...no matter what, God is good.

This was the first Thanksgiving without my mom being around, and we knew it would be different, but it was still good. We headed up to Virginia to spend the holiday with two of my siblings, a nephew and his family, my dad, and some family friends. In a year with so many changes, it was helpful to be somewhere entirely new. 

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash

After our family time, we continued north, taking our school-aged kids to Williamsburg and Jamestown to enjoy the Christmas festivities. What that meant was that by the time Thanksgiving week rolled around, I was pretty much done with all of my reading for the month, but here's what I managed to sneak in around packing 146 Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes, visiting family, and exploring history with our kids.

1. The Spectre of Hawthorne Manor (Homefront Sleuths #2) by Anna Elliott & Charles Veley - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Let me just say that book 2 in this series did not disappoint. While there are some weak spots (Harry continually tripping up right before an attack comes to mind, or dangling plot lines - like what happened to the housekeeper?), this book proves that the series definitely has a lot of potential and I appreciate the lack of crude language or unnecessary lusty bits. They leave it on a nice cliff hanger, while still tying up the story for this book (reminds me a bit of the old Nancy Drew stories, honestly). The writing isn't at the level of Agatha Christie, but it's a really nice group of characters in a lovely little English village, fighting evil and figuring out life in a world continually changing due to the war. Four stars. {Amazon Associates Link - FREE with Kindle Unlimited, or $3.99 to buy}
2. The Spitfire Murders (Homefront Sleuths #3) by Anna Elliott & Charles Veley - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Another really nice addition to the series from Elliott and Veley, complete with character growth and historically-based plots. And I will add, again, that the series continues in the vein of a more grown up version of Nancy Drew, with a cohort of friends swooping in at the last minute to save the day. There were a couple of typos or plot details that were wonky (like, one minute the two hostages are bound and gagged, and the next minute they're no longer gagged), but overall, it was an enjoyable, easy read. The more I read these books the more I am sucked in, and luckily for me...they are writing and publishing the next books quickly. Four stars. {Amazon Associates Link}
   
3. The Judas Monk Murders (Homefront Sleuths #3) by Anna Elliott & Charles Veley - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ This series keeps improving with each book. The writing gets better, the plots become more detailed without becoming cluttered, the characters are developing at an appropriate pace, all in all, enjoyable writing. I will say that there are some plot lines that have not been a surprise...certain people turning up, for example. You can see where they're headed before you get there, but it hasn't made the stories any less enjoyable. Clean, lacking the sensationalism or modern (woke) twists that so many of these types of series have now, which is refreshing. This is the series I've been looking for for a while, just a bit of cozy British mystery, with a hint of romance, but not enough to really distract from the primary plot of the story. I almost gave this one five stars, but I reserve that for the very best of books and writing. But...for a clean, cozy mystery...five stars. {Amazon Associates Link}

Only three books, but I thoroughly enjoyed them all and am about 50% of the way through the next book in the series, and recommended it to a friend over Thanksgiving as well. I still have a few books to go before I hit my (lowered) goal for the year, but I have every confidence that it will happen before the 31st. In the meantime, Happy December, Merry Christmas, and I'll see you in January with a review of what I read this month and my favorite books of 2025, along with some reading goals for 2026. 🎄📚🎯

October Bookworm Update

I always start these posts at the first of the month and update them as life happens along the way. Heading into October, I wasn't really sure what to expect from the next 31 days. I knew my calendar was beyond busy with life events, but if my mom's quick illness and death taught me anything, it's that life can change in the blink of an eye. Although nothing dramatic happened in our immediate family, we did have some pretty serious things happen to several of our friends, once again reminding me to never put off until tomorrow what I should be doing today. Time is fleeting.

Earlier this month my sisters came back to our hometown for the weekend, and we spent some time going through our mother's clothing and jewelry and craft items. What I thought would be a day of tears and wishing Mom was here ended up being a day of laughter and remembering all the ways Mom made us feel loved and cared for. It was another positive memory associated with not only my sisters, but also my mom. Even in her passing she is still making us smile and remember the ways that she poured into the lives of others through her baking, her crafting, and her love of the holidays. As we prepare to head into our first major holiday season without her around, it's been good to remember all the years she loved us so well and made everything special. And it's a legacy we are all attempting to carry on.

Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash

The month started off a bit rough in the reading department. I did finish the first two books fairly quickly, but neither of them were up to snuff, and both were a letdown. However, for the second year in a row I have unintentionally/intentionally focused on cozy murder/mystery books in October, and since I had several in my Kindle lineup that I suspected would be better, things turned around once I headed back into safer waters (authors I already knew I enjoyed). And even though I ended the month with a bust (and in a big way!), you never know unless you try, right?

1.  The Mudflats Murder Club by Brian Thiem - ⭐⭐ Advertised as the perfect book for anyone who loved The Thursday Murder Club (TMC) or Only Murders in the Building (OMITB), it actually caught my attention because the title itself seemed suspiciously similar to TMC, but I was willing to give it a shot anyway as the Kindle version was cheap that day. Bottom line: it was an okay "who-done-it" written by a first-time author. However, the relationship between the two primary characters felt really forced, cheesy, and expected, and I could have done without that. As a fan of both TMC and OMITB, I'd have to strongly disagree that this is at the same level as those. It truly felt like a cheap copy of both. Especial the Thursday Murder Club. Add to that the "swinging" aspect of the story (nothing blatant or obscene, but there, nevertheless), I'd put this solidly in the cheap knock-off beach-read category, and I don't plan to read the next one in the series. {Amazon Associates Link - just in case like cheap beach read mysteries!)
2. The Missing Checkout Girl Mystery (Supermarket Mysteries Book 1) by Rachel Ward - ⭐ I would have given this two stars, because the premise of the book had promise, and because I was surprised by who actually did the crime, but it received one star due to content. It was written to be realistic (I recognize that), but the f-bomb usage and sexual content was just too much for me. This came as part of a set on Kindle (Books 1-5 in the Supermarket Mysteries series) that they were selling all five for $2.99 (that should have been a clue), so since I already have them all, I may give Book 2 a try and see if the author settled in a bit with her writing, but as of right now, I would NOT recommend this book or series. 
3. The Impossible Fortune (Thursday Murder Club #5) by Richard Osman - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I don't know that this is actually a five star book, probably closer to a four, but I was so darn happy to read a book I enjoyed so much after a 2-star and a 1-star book that I slapped five stars on this puppy and called it good! And a definite improvement over book #4. I didn't cry reading through this book like I did through the last one (let's be real, that was just rough, made all the rougher since I was in the middle of losing my mom at the time). Another bonus, no frustrating woke bits. Just the gang back together, Elizabeth figuring out life after Stephen's death (which also hit close to home for me in this season). I honestly loved the sideline of the Ritchie family, the addition of Tia, and Connie's surprise role. All in all, a delightful, easy read, and highly recommended. Perfect cozy fall mystery. Five stars. {Amazon Associates Link}
4. The Blackout Murders (Book #1) by Anna Elliott & Charles Veley - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ In the same way that book #3 of the month was probably more like a four-star book, in all honesty, this is probably more like 3.5 stars, but the premise (murder in a small village during WWII) was intriguing, the characters show promise, and the language is clean. Think the Miss Read books (small English village) meets...Foyle's War. Nothing too gruesome, plenty of tea and scones, a historical setting, a varied set of individuals each with their own stories (and hardships)...all in all, a delightful surprise and one worth trying for yourself (if you enjoy cozy mysteries, British tea rooms, and unlikely civilian sleuths). It was published in 2024, but there are already seven books in the series, so I'm looking forward to trying book #2 (and book #1 is just $2.99 on Kindle if you want to give it a whirl or FREE if you have Kindle Unlimited). {Amazon Associates Link}
5. Murder on the Marlow Belle by Robert Thorogood - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I'll just start this by saying that this isn't my favorite of the Marlow Murder Club series. Book #1 was probably my favorite, but overall I prefer Thorogood's Murder in the Caribbean series, upon which the BBC show by the same name is based. However, this book was still an enjoyable weekend read, the murderer wasn't blatantly obvious, I appreciated how Judith and Co. attempted to not make life difficult for Tanika at the police station, and yet they still investigated. And the ending...well, it certainly was a cliff hanger! But if you're looking for a easy-read murder mystery without all the foul language and extra gore, you can't go wrong with this series. I'm rounding up to four stars, but much like the Blackout Murders, realistically, it's probably 3.5. {Amazon Associates Link}
6. The Cornish Village Murder (Nosey Parker #2) by Fiona Leitch - ⭐ Last month I read the first book in this series and gave it two stars. I was hoping that the author would find her groove between books 1 and 2, but instead of getting better, it got worse and she lost a star! I simply cannot can't get past the raging teenage hormones of the 40-something main character, Jodie. This book focuses on her THREE (count them, one, two three) crushes, including one married(!!!), which I simply couldn't get past (especially when the author decided to throw in there that Jodie's ex-husband had also been married when they met!). The "flutters" and "tingles" and make-out sessions felt like the primary purpose of the story, with the murder being a distant second. It read more like a cheap romance novel with some light detection, mixed with random kitchen baking scenes. I just don't like the main character and the writing is sloppy, which is unfortunate, since I still have more books in the series on my Kindle. I would NOT recommend this book or series. 

Six books in October...one book ahead of schedule again, which, after a long, dry summer, I'll take. I've started book #7, but I don't foresee it being read in a day, so that will have to go in the first of November's list. In the meantime, the weather has turned chilly, we're enjoying lots of rain and wind, the trees are finally turning and the leaves are dropping...which means (for me) it's the perfect season to curl up with a good (or mediocre!) book, and work my way through a pot of tea. Cozy up and join me!

What are you reading? 

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September In the Books

I love a good calendar. I live and die by the digital calendar on my phone. Go to a dental or eye appointment with my kids and set up a follow-up for a year out? It's already in my phone for next year. I've often said, "If it's not in my calendar, it's not happening. It doesn't exist." But recently, I realized that digital-only may not be cutting it for some of my family members, including the Hubs. And so he got a paper planner, which comes back to me at the end of the month to fill out with important family events for the coming month (and beyond), while he adds his own notes about projects and work, which can now fit in with everything going on with the family. Win! 

Additionally, I picked up two wall calendars (April 2025-June 2026) on clearance and got back into my pencil and color-coded ways (every child was assigned a color nine years ago, and it's never changed!), so everyone, at a glance, can see what's happening over the next 30+ days. While some of my kids roll their eyes at me and my calendar-love, it keeps me from answering the same questions over and over again, or missing an event that someone mentioned once. And just like my digital version, if it's not on the paper calendar...it's not happening. 

Which made me stop and think...perhaps I should schedule in reading time for Mom. Time in the day when I give myself permission to sit for 30-minutes and read on my Kindle or from the ever-increasing stack of books next to the bed. Because, just like with everything else, if it's not on the calendar, it often fails to happen. And while I'm all for flexibility, with four teenagers at home, we went from 0-60 MPH in the blink of an eye - as my calendar can testify, and I'm beginning to realize that if I don't make official "room" for things like reading or cleaning out or journaling, there will always be something else to eat up that time. So this month I tried something new, and I scheduled in reading time. Results below. 😏 

Photo by 2H Media on Unsplash

1. The Miracle of Dunkirk by Walter Lord - ★★★★ I borrowed this book from Amazon Prime back in 2018, and it has taken me until 2025 to finally get around to reading it! I thought I knew about the "miracle" of Dunkirk, but what I learned from reading this was just how hectic it was, and what struck me the most was how many men who were saved from the Dunkirk shores...were lost on the crossing when ships were sunk. The numbers are truly staggering. And sobering. War is not a happy read, and yet we read so that we do not forget this fact. This is a well-written historically accurate account of the events which took place over nine days in May and June of 1940. If you don't love history, you might find it a bit dry in places, but if you are at all interested in unique historical events, especially involving the WWII era, I would recommend giving this a go. Four stars. {Amazon Associates Link}
2. These High Green Hills by Jan Karon - ★★★★★ This was at least my fourth time through this book, but I knew I wanted to lose myself in something familiar, something comforting and cozy, to help kick me back into the reading habit. As it happens, I finished this book and The Miracle of Dunkirk the same weekend, so it must have worked. As always, a visit with the (now married) Father Tim is always balm when the world seems to have gone nuts. I made the mistake of popping onto IG the day after Charlie Kirk was murdered, and the comments and posts from my friends on both the left and the right were enough to make me want to close my account and never look back. But rather than do that, I took a "trip" to Mitford, sat in a cave with Tim and Cynthia, laughed at J.C.'s attempts to woo the new female cop in Mitford, and rejoiced when Luella and Miss Patty moved into the new Hope House (for the elderly). The world is sad, but Mitford reminds me of what it once felt like (when there was more optimism than realism). Five stars. {Amazon Associates Link}
3. The Cornish Wedding Murder by Fiona Leitch - ★★ I got this as a cheap Kindle book, and I read it in three days, so it was clearly something I could enjoy, but it's not great literature. The awkward drama between the main character, Jodie (a.k.a. Nosey Parker), and the lead detective, plus the weird friend/more-than-friend tension with Tony (also a suspect, also the fiance of the missing bride, and ex-husband of the corpse) was a little cheesy for me. Not to mention the continual "blushing" whenever she had to bring up the excessive number of "organic sausages" that she had on hand (give me a break, the character is 40-year-old ex-cop, with a 12-year-old daughter...she's not blushing when talking about sausages, though her preteen might be!). That being said...it's a "cozy" mystery, set in a Cornish village, a dash of Jessica Fletcher, and a whole lot of cheese. I'd try another one, but wouldn't recommend the series (there are other similar series in this genre I like better). Two stars. {Amazon Associates Link}
4. Up from Slavery by Booker T. Washington - ★★★★ I started this book much earlier this year, and then life happened, and I finally got back around to finishing where I left off. I don't know that I would say that I "enjoyed" this book, but I'm absolutely going to have my kids read it for school. Washington does a really outstanding job of sharing his own life story, and not dwelling (or glossing over) the hardships, but inspiring and encouraging others (whether black or white) to excel in all things, to the best of their abilities. Towards the end of the book I actually did something I almost never do (and by almost never, I mean, probably not since college when I was reading books to write papers on them)...I highlighted quotes. An inspiring man who didn't let anything stand in the way of an education or of helping others up through hard work. Four stars. {Amazon Associates Link}
5. The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett - ★ Yes, you see that correctly. One star. I simply could not get past the writing style of this book. And what's worse, I'd already read two books by this author and was prepared for the style (Review #1 - 3 stars, and Review #2 - 4 stars), but for some reason the others, even though they were in a similar style (a conglomeration of emails, voicemail transcripts, recordings, etc.), were just easier to read. This...made my head want to explode. The premise was an interesting one, but the unfolding story (which slowly revealed a story within a story, until you finally get to the truth...sort of), was just annoying and tedious. It could have been better, I think, taking the same ideas and using a different writing style (one where the author is telling the story, not a jumble of broken transcripts), and it might have been a three star book. In fact, it was only once the style changed at the very end of the book that I found my interest piqued at all. One star, would not recommend. {Goodreads Link for More Reviews if You Want a Different Take} 

I made it 57% through my sixth book, but didn't manage to finish that up before midnight yesterday, so I will just have to count it for my first book of October and give myself a head start. As you can see, though, giving myself time each day for dedicated reading (plus getting into some more interesting and/or easy books) has helped kick start the reading wagon again, so I'm pretty happy with five and a half books this month, after a summer of drought. 

How about you? How's your reading going? Had a favorite book you've read this month that you're just dying to share? Hit me up in the comments and let me know what I need to add to my TBR stack! 

Here's to a bookish October!  

A Change in Goals (August Reading Update)

And here we are, another month down in the year, and coming into my absolutely favorite season of all...FALL. I have loved the "ber" months all my life. Long before Instagram girlies made reels about "ber" months and Halloween decor. Long before it became popular to go to pumpkin patches for photo shoots (I love them for the pumpkins, weird!), and Pumpkin Spice Lattes didn't have their own hashtag. #PSL Because before there was all of that, Anne Shirley popping off of the page, extolling the virtues of October to a little budding bookworm, curled up in her bedroom in East Tennessee. 📚🍂 

I also love these days because they are growing shorter, and if there's one thing I know, it's that I read more in the dark. It's cozy, I have blankets and hot tea. The kids are all in their bedrooms earlier because the sunset tricks us into thinking it must be close to 9 or 10 o'clock when it's only 6 or 7. Bonus hours for reading.  

Photo by Annelies Geneyn on Unsplash

In the meantime, even though the #PSL is officially out (much to my delight), August was full of summer's last golden days, when the weather can't make up its mind and the grass is still growing, but fall is on the horizon, and mornings are a little crisper than before. And now that the first of the "ber" months has arrived, that means it's time for a review of how I did in catching up on my reading goal last month (Full Disclosure: I gave up and lowered the goal to 36 books, due to circumstances beyond my control this year!). 

1. At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I read this for the first time when I was in high school, back in the mid-90s, when the book first came out. And I fell in love with the characters, the setting, and Karon's writing style. In the decades since then, I have read this series more times than I can count, and it usually gets selected when life feels heavy. I pulled At Home out again when my mom was dying of cancer. I read the first chapter out loud to her on one of the last days that she was able tolerate being read to (as she grew weaker, she just wanted quiet). After she passed, I picked it up and started at Chapter 2, reading it through slowly. I love Father Tim and his crew, not only because the setting is based off of Blowing Rock, NC (a small mountain town I used to visit with my mom and sisters for a girl's day trip), but because of Karon's ability to weave God's truths throughout the story without it being a sappy Christian novel (which I avoid at all costs). If you haven't read the Mitford series, find a copy of book #1, grab a blanket and a cup of tea, curl up in your coziest chair, and let the heaviness of life melt away as you are transported to a simpler time and reminded of the goodness of God. Five Stars. {Amazon Associates Link}
2. A Light in the Window by Jan Karon - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Much like the first book in this series, I always enjoy a re-read and a trip back to Mitford, with all of it's small-town drama, a budding romance between Father Tim and his neighbor with the shapely legs, not to mention Dooley, Puny, and a host of other returning characters. It's fun to imagine myself having lunch at the Grill, or visiting Avis at The Local to grab some groceries for dinner. If only life were as simple as life in the 1990's fictional mountain town. I did find myself a bit annoyed this time through by Father Tim's inability to clearly articulate his feelings for Cynthia, and peeved by Cynthia's assumptions and lack of clear communication. Either I'm getting older and have less tolerance for these kinds of relationships, or I just glossed over it the first few times I read through the story. Either way, it's still a sign of good writing, because I got sucked into their lives and felt annoyed by people who don't exist. Five Stars. {Amazon Associates Link}

Two books. That's it. And two re-reads at that. But at this point, in this year, I'll take it, because doing something is still better than doing nothing. I still have my stacks of books I want to read, stacks that I know I would enjoy and learn something from, but apparently it's just not the season for that. Seasons come and go, and we have to be willing to flex with them. Much to my inner contol-enthusiast's dismay. Perhaps the "-ber" months will be better and see an increase in page numbers, or maybe I just need to finally accept that the entire year hit like a freight train and learning to live with the unexpected is okay too. I guess we'll soon find out. Happy September.