Agony of The Leaves

This book is number 13 in the Tea Shop Mysteries.  I am not sure Theo and Drayton would really want to be the Teashop Two as I called them in one of the challenges of the Wicked Wildfire Readerthon and sing show tunes.  But, I know this was an interesting mystery.

Indigo Tea Shop is one of the vendors catering at the opening of Charleston's Neptune Aquarium.  Theodosia is enjoying looking at one of the tanks when she sees a body - it is her former boyfriend, Parker Scully.  Theo notices wounds on his hands and believes it was not an accident but murder and seeks to find the truth.  There are events that she caters including one at her Aunt's home, a coffee and tea expo and a scavenger hunt in the book.  I am trying to be very vague as all the events help Theo and Detective Tidwell bring the guilty to justice.

Of course, Ms. Childs shares recipes and tea tips at the end of the book.  I love the descriptions in the book and love the series so much, I bought the hardback vs waiting for the paperback to come out.

WW End Post

Just filled in end post for Read-a-Thon even though I might read more.  I finished two books I had started before this began: Flowerbed of State and Sunrise at Sunset  and two I had not started - Getting Old is Tres Dangereux and Agony of the Leaves.  I have two books to start reading: Edge Of Forever and Abe Lincoln Vampire Slayer  which is in my car.  Since, we are going to a play, I am not sure I will not finish another book.

Getting Old

Getting Old Is Tres Dangereux by Rita Lakin

I decided to use this as my G book for this challenge.  Goldy Gold supposedly has her own group of friends who all live in the same senior citizen condo in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  The prologue takes place in Paris, France.  Jack Langford is living with Goldy because his place was destroyed in a hurricane. and they are engaged at the beginning of the book.  The book is classified as a mystery but the biggest mystery is will they get married or not since an old flame of Jack's causes problems.  

Michelle is very French and is a well-known author.  She comes to town to sign books at a book fair at a Hotel in Fort Lauderdale.  Many years before, Michelle and Jack had a fling before Jack walked out on her.  She has her niece with her.  The niece is attacked and Jack becomes Michelle's bodyguard.  

Ms. Lakin evidently polled her readers and let them decide that Goldy and Jack should marry.  The various adventures that occur before they get to the alter make up this book.  I did enjoy reading it even though we know who attacked the niece before they do.

Sunrise at Sunset

This book was a read-along book for June and was obtained at Kindle store on Amazon.com.  Sunrise at Sunset is by Jaz Primo.

I may not have chosen this book about a vampire and the man whom she chooses to love.  It is not one of the genres I would normally read.

Katrina Rawlings was known as Amber Simmons when she first meets Caleb Taylor.  Amber was trying to commit suicide by being out in the sun which is one way for vampires to die.  She changes her mind and a young boy,  Caleb Taylor helps her stay alive.  She erases his memory but decides to kept watching him.  She changed her name and moves back to Atlanta, GA and meets him again.  She decides to take his night History class.  There is an attraction but the two are not allowed to be a couple while she is a student.  After the class is finished, they are allowed to date.  Kat as Caleb later calls her manages to help Caleb, she saves him from a mugger and eventually tells him her secret.  The book follows her search for some missing vampire friends, their romance and how she handles a dangerous enemy.  The book gets rid of some of our ideas about vampires and treats them as another race vs a creature.

I like the romantic aspects of the book much more than the more violent aspects.  I especially like the  relationships between Kat and her vampire friends and the friends and Caleb.

Wrap Up Post

I linked a book I had read to my last remaining item.  I renamed by original post and put the names of the books I had read next to the numbers.  I used Kindle for the PC, hard back books and soft back books to complete the challenge.  I was influence by the movie Along Came a Spider to read the book.  Thanks for an interesting challenge.

Flowerbed of State

Flowerbed of State by Dorothy St. James is about a White House Gardener.  Casey Calhoun is new to the gardening staff at the White House.  She is very interested in organic gardening and has been asked to formulate plans for organic gardening at the White House.

At the beginning of the book, Casey is waking up in a flowerbed after being hit in the head.  She winds up pepper spraying a member of the secret service who she thought was going to attack her.  He is a member of the CAT, Counter Assault Team which is one part of the secret service that the public does not often see.  This will not be the only time that Casey and Agent Turner meet.  he winds up being assigned to protect her.   Casey finds a shoe and when she goes to toss it in a trash can, a body is discovered and the rest of the mystery begins.

The rest of the book deals with Casey's and the authorities search for the person who attacked her and the killer.  One of the only clues she has is that she saw a specific pair of shoes.  Through the course of the book, she sees several pairs of the same shoe.  She is also romanced by a rich banker who was a college roommate of the President.  The book follows her adventures and mis-adventures while trying to find the killer.

I have to admit that because I saw a review of this book, I asked my bookstore to order it for me.  I am so glad I did.  Normally, I would have finished the book in a day or two, other things got in the way.  This book exceeded my expectations,  there are lots of interesting paths taken before the mystery is solved.  I certainly would recommend this book to any lover of mysteries.

WW Updates

Names of books read are in WW End Post.

VAMPIRE CHALLENGE

I would cover feet in stockings - wear pants, long sleeved turtle neck, clock and use sunscreen and sheets to help cover me.  It may be handy to use foil to help deflect sun till I could reach quilted silver colored windshield cover.  I would want to save my husband and two cats if you haven't and they were outside.  I can not imagine why my passport, bag and autographed copy of Margaret Sutton's Judy Bolton's  The Secret of the Sandcastle would be outside but I would have to save them.












BEACH SOIREE

I have a sense of humor so what better than to join Dora the Explorer at the beach.

Of course, you would need another explorer to go with you as your date so why not Indiana Jones.  Dr. Jones is good looking and intelligent what more could a girl ask for.  Just be sure there are no snakes around.

II would want a swim suit that covers.  I like the one on the left in the picture above.

Now, what to read.  How about a Star Wars books - I loved Harrison Ford in his Star Wars role, also.  I picked Deceived: Star Wars (The Old Republic)  May 26, 2012.

Challenge #2:  My favorite drink is actually Crystal Light lemonade.
Use a 2 quart container, add lemonade package, add hot water to dissolve.  Then fill with cold water (from refrigerator) and then drink and or refrigerate.

Picture is of a real lemonade.  I would call mine. Crystal Lemonade.

Most anticipated summer read.  I have the following on my desk:

This book has a bright cover and looks like a good mystery to

June Mini Alphabet

June's mini challenge is to review a book about a father figure.  Like Sands Through the Hourglass is the story of Bill and Susan Seaforth Hayes.  Bill is certainly a father figure as he raised his five children after his divorce from their mother, Mary.  Susan, when she married him was introduced as their stepmother by the spouses of his children and as Susan by the children.  Bill joining the soap "Days of Our Lives" was is part to be able to be home with the children and not on the road.

The title of the book comes from the beginning of "Days" and is spoken by the late McDonald Carey still "Like sands through an hourglass, these are the days of our lives."  Certainly, the book takes us through many of the days of the lives of its authors.  Bill and Susan each tell us about their backgrounds and some of their experiences in show business.  Throughout there are references to Bill's children.  I think the following says why I feel this book fits this mini challenge, "my children, who are--and always will be---my life's treasures,"  if only every father could feel that way.

I am happy to see that I had the opportunity to meet Bill Hayes, many years ago, when he was appearing in summer stock.  He did give me an autograph and I am sure I still have it in my possession.  I may have heard of this book before but an article about the new book the two had written mentioned their autobiography.  I purchased both books, this one in hard copy and the other as an e-book.  There are many things I learned about the Hayes that I did not know before and I really recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a good autobiography.  They mention the famous people they worked with and met in a very positive manner.

We often forget how people whose skins are darker than ours were treated in the early days of television.  Stars like Pearl Bailey, Lena Horne and Nat Cole were not allowed to work with whites on camera.  Bill has an appreciation of diversity as do I and mentions others who have been taught negative concepts as violence and hate.  He then refers to the same Hammerstein song that I refer to often "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught."  We need to remember not to teach our children more about acceptance of others vs hating those we hate.  If I feel ill will toward someone, I hope it is for an action they have taken toward me vs the color of their skin or their political affiliation.

Day 3 BEA

Networking in Real Life

In 1986, I saw an article in the paper that Margaret Sutton would be visiting Coudersport, PA and speak.  I managed to get more information and went to Coudersport to see her.  Judy Bolton books have always been a favorite series of mine.  Most of my books were back in Philadelphia but, I had the last book of the series sent to me.  I did manage to get it autographed.  I also met wonderful people.  Many of them, I still call friends and get to see each year in Coudersport.  The fans I learned are called Phantom Friends.  I am proud to be one of them.

I also belong to JudyBoltonFans and NancyDrewSleuths at groups.yahoo.com.  I am more active on the Judy group than the Nancy one.  The Nancy group sponsers a chat group on messenger.  Through this group, I chatted with Maria, Bill, Todd, JK, or Kevin.   I had met Bill as he is also a Phantom Friend but had not met any of the others until 2007 when I went to a Nancy Drew Convention and met Todd.  The chats with Maria eventually turned into phone calls.  I finally met her in 2008 before she and Felipe married in a church as a way of celebrating their 10th anniversary.  It was not until later that we became Bubba and Zada to her boys who I call our grandboys.

Some of the Phantom Friends are authors and I have been introduced to their works through the yahoo group.  There is a small book store called From My Shelf Books located in Wellsboro.  I am proud to say I am a member there.  The owners have authors come and sign books sometimes.  I order new books through them and sometimes older books.  Since, I started doing reading challenges, I have introduced some titles and authors to them and they have introduced some books to me.

Copy Cat Crimes

Copy Cat Crimes by Karen Ann Wilson is the 2nd book in Samantha Holt series. Sam is a Technician/Assistant to Dr. Louis Augustin. One day a basket of kittens is left at the door of the vet. There is $300 cash in the basket which turns out to be bogus. Only one of the kittens survives as the three had cleft palates. Sam calls the kitten Randy. The kittens look like Pearl which is the cat of one Arnold Silor. The police answer when Sam calls him. They spend the rest of the book trying to find out who murdered Arnold and finding a fourth kitten which they learned Pearl had.


I did not like this book as much as some others I have read but would recommend it as a light read and a good mystery.

Armchair BEA

1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging? I am very recent to blogging I started at the end of last year 2011 because I wanted to enter book challenges and they require you post reviews.
2. What are you currently reading, or what is your favorite book you have read so far in 2012?  I am currently reading a book by Bill and Susan Hayes called "Like Sands Through the Hourglass" as well as an ebook.  I do not have a favorite book that I have read.  I enjoyed the three books that start with Fifty Shades of Grey.
3. Tell us one non-book-related thing that everyone reading your blog may not know about you.  I collect autographs and usually have no problem asking for them but could only say "work" when I was close to Bob Denver (he said that on Doobie Gillis) and is better known as Gilligan.
4. What is your favorite feature on your blog (i.e. author interviews, memes, something specific to your blog)? Mainly reviews for challenges.
5. Where do you see your blog in five years?  I hope I am still able to read and type.
6. Which is your favorite post that you have written that you want everyone to read? Probably my review of Buried since the author liked it.
7. If you could eat dinner with any author or character, who would it be and why?  I did eat dinner at the same time as Margaret Sutton so it would have to be her character, Judy Bolton.  I am a member of the Judy Bolton Yahoo Group and love Margaret's books.
8. What literary location would you most like to visit? Why? I have visited a lot of Judy Bolton locations so it would have to be Dragon's Mouth which is part of Yellowstone.  Would be able to see Old Faithful also and it is reachable without flying.
9. What is your favorite part about the book blogging community? Is there anything that you would like to see change in the coming years?  I would have to say getting to know what is coming out and figuring which ones to buy.  I enjoy the ones I read.
10. Have your reading tastes changed since you started blogging? How?  I have read books I would never have thought of buying like the Fifty Shades of Grey that deals with an area I would not have read about or would have been willing to discuss.  The subject matter of the Fifty books is not one that would have been discussed on talk shows or in public.  I have also been reading in genres I would not have read any books in because of a challenge I entered.