Carol – Page 45 – Carol's Notebook

Still Life in Brunswick Stew by Larissa Reinhart

May 3, 2023May 3, 2023 by CarolNo Comments

First, I have to admit I had no idea what Brunswick Stew is. Apparently, it's a Southern dish, a tomato-based stew filled with local beans, vegetables, and originally small game meat such as squirrel or rabbit, though today often chicken or smoked pork. The Brunswick Stew Cook-Off is a major draw at the annual festival in Sidewinder, Georgia where Cherry, a painter, and her friend Eloise Parker, who makes Raku pottery, have set up an art booth. It's not a good day. A bunch of people end up with food poisoning and it kills Eloise. Cherry, of course, is convinced it wasn't an accident and is determined to figure out who killed Eloise. The mystery is not the strongest part of the book. I guessed who the killer was fairly early, but really didn't care so much. The characters and the small-town antics are what drives the book. Cherry is a mess, but likable. She's broke, her love life's a disaster,...

COYER Chapter 2

May 1, 2023June 26, 2023 by CarolNo Comments

COYER Chapter 2 starts today, May1. COYER is hosted by Michelle @ Because Reading, Berls @ Because Reading, Lillian @ Mom With A Reading Problem, and Stephanie @ Once Upon a Chapter. Head to any of their blogs or #COYER 10 Year Anniversary Sign Ups – Because reading is better than real life for more information. As always, the hashtag is #COYER. Chapter 2 will run May – August. It may be summer… but we’re turning things upside down on you and we’ll be giving you a special challenge that we cooked up special just for our 10-year celebration. We hope you like games, because you’ll be reading and racing your way through a board game this summer! You can log-in to the board game at https://coyergroup.com/. Rules for Chapter 2: Work your way through the board game earning ‘spaces’ on the board. We will be sharing the game board with you in April with more specifics. You will move forward, racing towards the finish line by reading books....

May Cloak and Dagger Link-Up

May 1, 2023April 26, 2023 by CarolNo Comments

Happy May! I am looking forward to warmer temps this month. I live in Ohio and we got a too brief taste of summer early in April, but lately it's been cold and rainy. I think we should get into the upper 60s next week. Is anything exciting on your reading list for this month? I have a couple of cozy mysteries from NetGalley that I'm looking forward to. Link up your May Cloak and Dagger reads below. You are invited to the Inlinkz link party! Click here to enter...

24 Hour Readathon

April 29, 2023April 30, 2023 by Carol2 Comments

Happy Readathon Day! I love readathon days. I don’t have much going on today, so I’ll have plenty of time to read. I’ll be trying to update this post throughout the day/night. I’m also on Twitter and Instagram. Opening Survey: What fine part of the world are you reading from today? And what time is it where you are? I am in eastern Ohio. The Readathon started at 8:00 a.m., but I’m starting at 10:00. I slept in a bit. Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? I've been saving The Low, Low Woods by Carmen Maria Machado for today. I've also got a couple of fun cozies from NetGalley I'm hoping to get to. Which snack are you most looking forward to? I’ve got cinnamon rolls and ice cream, peanut butter-filled pretzels, and oreos. And spaghetti for dinner. Tell us something about yourself. I love mysteries and cozy blankets and hot chocolate. What are your goals for this readathon? I don't really have any...

Portrait of a Dead Guy by Larissa Reinhart

April 27, 2023April 27, 2023 by Carol2 Comments

As a small-town portrait artist, Cherry Tucker works hard to make a living. So when she hears that the wealthy Branson family wants a portrait of their trouble-making son, Dustin, she jumps on it. Yeah, painting a dead guy in a coffin is a little odd, but she can handle it. Then she finds herself accused of trespassing and stealing from a corpse. She's also the suspect in a murder. She needs to figure out who killed Dustin if only to save her reputation. Cherry is a fun character. She's sassy, smart, and talented. She has a weakness for pretty men and is firmly loyal to her friends and family. We've got the usual quirky characters and a stubborn goat, but it's all done with a bit of Southern charm and flare. The mystery itself was good. I guessed who the killer was but didn't know the motive. There were several clues and enough red herrings to keep Cherry on her toes....

The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix

April 26, 2023April 26, 2023 by CarolNo Comments

Maybe I'm just tired of "final girls." Maybe the characters were underdeveloped and the plot was not gripping. Maybe the book can't decide if it's funny or not. Any which way, The Final Girl Support Group was a disappointment for me. Our narrator, Lynette, is one of 6 final girls who have been attending group therapy for 16 years in the basement of a church. Lynnette suffers from the aftereffects of the trauma she faced as a teenager over 20 years ago. She is paranoid about safety in her house and rarely goes out. Each of the women has coped with her trauma in different ways, but when one of them is killed, Lynn knows that there's a monster after them and they need to protect themselves and each other. Or at least that's how Lynn sees what's happening. The book has lots of action, some really stupid decisions, some paranoia, and a mediocre motive. A lot of people really enjoyed...