Mini Review: Plum Pudding Murder

My second mini review of the fall is on Plum Pudding Murder, the latest Hannah Swensen mystery by Joanne Fluke.

The book opens 10 days before Christmas. Everyone in Lake Eden, Minnesota, is hopping, getting ready for the holiday. And that's especially true at The Cookie Jar, where Hannah is trying to keep up with her normal customers plus make extra cookies for catering orders and for the Christmas Tree lot in town.

But it's the Christmas tree lot that is proving to be the sour note in the holiday. People are beginning to suspect that Larry the owner isn't as honest as he is cracked up to be. So when Hannah finds his dead body on the lot late one night, it's hardly a surprise. Who shot him?

I love this series. So it's hardly a surprise that I loved this volume as well. There were some slow parts in the first third, but once it got going, it really held my interest. And the characters are absolutely charming. And there are still more mouth watering recipes.

If you enjoy this series, you'll like the latest installment. And if you are looking for a light mystery series, this may be for you. Just start with the first, Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder, as the characters are most of the fun.

Word Association for October 7th

Wow, this thing is getting neglected again. Maybe some word assocation will fool you all into thinking I am still around.

1. Yacht :: Sailing
2. Paula :: Abdul
3. Delete :: All Suspects (Donna Andrews title)
4. Auto :: Car
5. Obsolete :: Typewriter
6. Dedicated :: Hard Worker
7. Old :: News
8. Convince :: Argue
9. Poster :: Child
10. Erase :: Chalk Board

Another Week Gone Already?

Yikes, time does seem to be flying. I mean, we're in October already.

Frankly, this week hasn't been that big a deal. All the fun was last weekend.

Saturday was the launch party for Plum Pudding Murder. It was well attended, although it wasn't as crowded as the last one. That's a good thing. I'm sure the store broke several fire codes that day. Had a chance to chat with Joanne and Laura Levine as well. All in all, it was a fun day.

Sunday, I headed down to Santa Monica for one last summer hurrah. It was still in the 100s here, but down there it was foggy. Still warm enough that I got hot playing ultimate Frisbee. Went down with Daniel and Billy, who played in the water the entire time. Still, it was a very pleasant day.

And Monday night my parents were in town. They were finally heading home from Texas. They got to see my new office and then we hung out at the condo playing Toy Story Mania! They seemed to like it better than I thought they would.

Other than that, I've been trying to keep up with TV, especially since I've been recording Ken Burn's new documentary series on the National Parks. I've watched the first two episodes, and I'm calling it a day. There is some good information there, but it is too slow to really keep my attention. Heck, I downloaded a solitare game for my iPod last night and played that through most of it.

It's certainly cooled off. It is still hitting 90 most days, but it getting to the 50's at night. And the Santa Anna winds were really blowing yesterday. I guess fall is here. Man, I wish it were still summer. I just love that time of year.

Mini Review: The Unusual Suspects

Here we are. Time for the first mini review of the fall. If you happen to be new to my blog, following the link will take you to my full review at Epinions.

Today's subject is The Unusual Suspects, the second Sisters Grimm book by Michael Buckley. The story is set in a universe where fairy tale characters are real. They are trapped in a small New York town, and the Grimm family is responsible for keeping them in line.

Our heroes are Sabrina and Daphne Grimm, two kids who have just learned all of this. They have also learned that their parents are being held prisoner by some strong magic, but no one knows where.

This book, however, centers around their new school. Something strange is happening as half of the students sleep through the day. Then Sabrina's teacher is found murdered in a giant spider web. What's happening?

I found the start of the book rather slow, but once the plot actually got going, it picked up speed quickly and stayed that way. Heck, I read the second half in one evening. And the cliffhanger made me wish the next book in the series were on my Fall Into Reading list.

The characters were a tad on the flat side, but there are moments that hint at the potential for more development in future books.

My take is that the book is aimed at 6th to 8th graders. That did make it a rather fast read for me, but it didn't dampen my enjoyment in the slightest.

Word Association for September 28th

Time for this week's word association.

1. What pleases you? :: A good story
2. Whatever :: Uncaring
3. Chime :: Doorbell
4. Pleading :: Mercy
5. Simulate :: Airplane
6. Flashing :: Warning
7. Directional :: Compass
8. Pink :: Red
9. Access :: Database
10. Ugly :: Beautiful

Yes, I Do Have a LIfe Outside of Books

I know, my blog has turned into all books all the time for the last week or so. And I will have all those mini-reviews as I get into Fall Into Reading. But let's talk about the rest of my life, shall we?

Um....

Okay, maybe it's not quite that bad.

This weekend was relaxing. First one home for a few weeks. Saturday, I went down and played ultimate Frisbee. And it was an absolute chore to get myself out of the house. I'm really glad I went, however. Fun as always. But the rest of the day was unproductive. Just in a blaw mood and I'm not sure why.

Sunday, I got back into things. Wrote several reviews in between church and Joe's. While over there, we finished season 2 of Babylon 5, and he asked Josh and I to be ushers in his wedding in December.

I've started up with crossfit again. So far so good. Well, I've been really soar again. Looking forward to two or three months down the line where I am not soar all the time. But my shoulder seems to be holding up pretty well, which makes me happy.

Not that I've stopped running. Ran three miles again Tuesday. Changed me route some to include the hill that is a nearby park. Did better at it than I thought I would. Need to keep that up as I prepare for the Mud Run in June.

But the biggest news is that I got my iPod Touch. I wrote reviews like crazy for it over at Epinions in August. I found out right before I left for Texas that I had won. Well, it arrived on Friday. I'm already hooked. Heck, I'm already thinking about how much better a real iPhone would be. Is there any hope for me?

And this week, the new TV season is hitting me full force. It would help if Dancing with the Stars were on its normal 3 hours instead of 5. I've got to get home and play some catch up tonight. At least I'm not blogging the show this year. That's been real nice so far. I can half watch the show if I want, and definitely get through faster as I don't have to pause it to make sure I get comments right for the recap. But that's all I've watched this week so far. Well, that and the first hour of Heroes. Tonight will be a big tv marathon.

What's Leaving My Nightstand - Septebmer Edition

In addition to the start of Fall into Reading, today is also the Tuesday for What's on Your Nightstand. Now we had the option of just linking up our Fall into Reading post, but I'm going to take the opportunity to talk about the book I finished on my lunch hour (hence the title of my post).

Docketful of Poesy by Diana Killian is the fourth book in the Poetic Death series. What's interesting is that this is the first entry in three years, the first with a new publisher, and the first to be written in first person.

But it was wonderful to spend time with Grace and Peter again. Grace is an American English teacher who specialises in the Romantic poets. Three years ago, she met Peter, a reformed jewel thief who now runs an antique shop in the Lake District of England.

This book involves a film being made from their first adventure together. But strange things seem to be happening on the set.

This book was slower, especially in the middle, than I remember the others being. Then again, it's been three years since I've read the others, so I could be mistaken on that. The ending managed to tie everything together nicely, however. Peter and Grace are still a wonderful couple, and I got caught up in the story just because of them.

Tonight, I start in on my fall reading list.

Fall Into Reading 2009 - The List

Fall is in the air. At least for anyone not here in Southern California. And that means it is time for the Fall into Reading challenge. (Follow the link to read more about this fun excuse to read books).

So, here are the books I am hoping to read. Okay, so it's an overly ambitious list, especially with starting up Crossfit again. But we'll see how far I can get, right?

Books left over from my Spring Reading Thing 2009 list:
Exposure by Brandilyn Collins
Double Minds by Terri Blackstock
A Date You Can't Refuse by Harley Jane Kozak
Homicide in Hardcover by Kate Carlisle

Recent Books by Favorite Authors I Still Haven't Read:
Dead Man's Puzzle by Parnell Hall
Under the Cajun Moon by Mindy Starns Clark
Ghost a la Mode by Sue Ann Jaffarian
Air Time by Hank Phillippi Ryan
The Treacherous Teddy by John J. Lamb
The Crack in the Lens by Steve Hockensmith
Offworld by Robin Parrish

New Books by Favorite Authors:
Plum Pudding Murder by Joanne Fluke
Dial H for Hitchcock by Susan Kandel
Mr. Monk in Trouble by Lee Goldberg
The Chocolate Cupid Killing by JoAnna Carl

Books Crossovered with other Reading Challenges:
7th Heaven by James Patterson
The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett
Mrs. Pollifax on the China Station by Dorothy Gilman
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
Alice Through the Needle's Eye by Gilbert Adair
Dem Bone's Revenge by Kris Neri

Other Books I Want to Read:
Mama Does Time by Deborah Sharp
Kingdom Keepers II: Disney at Dawn by Ridley Pearson
Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson
The Unusual Suspects by Michael Buckley
A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny

That's 27 books, one less than I attempted in the spring. Back then, I was reading on my lunch hour, so this will be a lot less. And the kid's books I have on my list are longer than the ones I had last time, too. We'll see how I do, I guess.

UPDATE:

Because 27 books just wasn't enough, I've come across too more I have to add.

Heat Wave by Richard Castle
NERDS by Michael Buckley

Word Association for September 21st

In between all my Reading Challenge posts, I thought I'd do this week's word association.

1. Disconnect :: I don't follow
2. Contribute :: Money
3. Dismay :: Shock
4. Constant :: Dripping
5. Nails :: Chalkboard
6. Vibrate :: Color
7. Therapy :: Expensive
8. Stupid :: Poor Choice
9. Poo :: Upset
10. Commune :: Hippies

Reading Challenge: China Challenge

I'm signing myself up for the China Challenge. I mean, how could I resist when I was already planning on re-reading Mrs. Pollifax on the China Station in the next couple of months?

So I am taking the whimpy way out and only reading one book. But I still figured I should sign up. If you think you'd be interested, follow that link to find out more.