Lilacia Park
Maggie Finds Her Muse
Maggie Finds Her Muse by Dee Ernst
Maggie Bliss, 48, has writer’s block. The second book in her romantic adventure Delania trilogy is to be published soon, and she is completely stuck on the final book. Her boyfriend Greg is completely unsupportive, even when Maggie misses a deadline. Her agent Lee and his partner Martin have an apartment in the Marais section of Paris, and invite her to stay there and write. Maggie gets to spend time with her daughter Nicole, who’s living in Rennes, and Nicole’s father Alan, who’s just retired. They tour the Musée d’Orsay together, and visit Versailles. Lee and Martin have a live-in housekeeper Solange, whose son Max often travels to Paris on business. There’s also a cute dog Jules, who keeps Maggie company when Solange is out of town. Handsome Max becomes Maggie’s muse, and she has trouble writing when he’s out of town, leading to a desperate Maggie lying about trouble between Nicole and her boyfriend Louis. The descriptions of life in Paris, especially the wonderful meals, make for perfect armchair travel, and the possibility of romance between Maggie and Max, or Maggie and Alan, make for very entertaining reading.
I really enjoyed the author’s newest book, Lucy Checks In, set in Rennes, in northwest France.
Brenda
On Earth As It Is on Television
On Earth As It Is On Television by Emily Jane
This debut science fiction novel is a deeply weird yet engaging read. Blaine wonders about his wife Anne, who likes single use plastic more than a green lifestyle and is rather over the top about almost everything, especially bacon. Their kids, Jas and Avril, fight like young wild beasts until the TV catches their attention, or Mr. Meow Mitts, their cat.
In Malibu, Heather is taking a rather aimless gap year before college when alien spacecraft arrive, hovering over major cities, including Los Angeles. Her mother is on vacation with Heather’s stepfather, Jack, a television executive who gained fame on Jeopardy. Jack’s son Alex, a high school senior, is so perfect that Heather thinks her mom likes him better.
Then there’s Oliver, who has an extremely bland existence until the starships arrive. The ships leave, but it turns out there may already be aliens among us. And did I mention the cats?
The characters’ stories mesh together cleverly, and not very predictably. This book will be published in June, and may be a hit. Readalikes include forthcoming novel The Road to Roswell by Connie Willis and also this fall’s Starter Villain by John Scalzi because, cats. No, not because of bacon. I don’t even eat bacon (true). If you’re in the mood for something a bit different, enjoy!
Brenda
Not the Ones Dead
Not the Ones Dead by Kate Shugak
It’s great to see Kate Shugak, Alaskan P.I., back in fine form, along with her sidekick Mutt, half-husky and half-wolf, in this thrilling mystery. A Cold Day for Murder is Kate’s first appearance, while my favorite is the very funny Breakup. I also enjoy Stabenow’s Eye of Isis Egyptian mystery series, beginning with Death of an Eye.
Bobby Clark, a black Vietnam vet who runs the area’s unlicensed radio station, is run off the road near Kate’s homestead. In town, Inuit Kate is shopping with partner and fromer trooper Jim Chopin, when she is snubbed by a guy in camouflage.
A large isolated lodge has a new, unknown, owner and hikers on public trails nearby have been threatened. After a midair collision leaves 9 people dead, Kate is asked to investigate by the children of one of the pilots. There was drone activity in the area, and young reporter Van gets an anonymous email claiming there was a 10th body.
Set in mid to late 2022, the Niniltna Aunties may be looking to add to their group. Bernie’s Roadhouse, where the Aunties quilting group meets, has a serious problem. I won’t say much about the plot, to avoid spoilers. I was intrigued by the author’s note, which gives the inspiration for much of the plot. Welcome back, Kate, Mutt and Jim!
Brenda
Banoffee Peanut Butter Pie
High Spirits
High Spirits: A Haunted Haven Mystery by Carol J. Perry
I really enjoyed this cozy mystery set in the fictional town of Haven on Florida’s Gulf Coast, a sequel to Be My Ghost. Recently, Maureen Doherty unexpectedly inherited the Haven House Inn. The town and the inn are haunted, but the ghosts are not at all scary. Haven’s resident ghost, Lorna, likes to “borrow” Maureen’s clothes and share some history of Haven, which welcomed quite a few celebrities decades earlier. Maureen is slowly refurbishing the inn, and the dining room and bar are next on her list. The local movie theater is showing Christmas movies, so Maureen and chef Ted, who joins Maureen and her dog Finn for early morning runs on the beach, coordinate a dinner and a movie promotion. Petals and Tea, a local business, creates holiday table decorations including antique Christmas ornaments Maureen found.
Unfortunately, there’s a suspicious death during the first holiday movie showing, and gruff police officer Frank Hubbard wants Maureen’s insight. Maureen’s experience buying accessories for a Boston department store proves as useful as tips from the local ghosts in solving the crime. I look forward to future mysteries set in Haven. Readalikes include the Lucky Lexie mystery novellas by Shanna Swendson.
Brenda
Tiny Jungle
These are tiny seedlings, highly magnified. I just transplanted them today into 2 and 3 inch peat and paper pots. Except for the ornamental feathertop grass, they will all have flowers that appeal to hummingbirds, butterflies, or bees.
Brenda
The Wishing Game
The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer
Four adults who ran away to Clock Island in Maine as children are invited back to the island for a competition by reclusive author Jack Masterson. Masterson wrote the very popular Clock Island books for children, and will give the winner the only copy of his long-awaited new book. Lucy Hart was a neglected and lonely child who took refuge in the Clock Island books. Now a kindergarten teacher’s aide, she longs to adopt young Christopher but needs money to buy a car and rent a larger apartment. Winning the competition would make their dream come true.
Hugo Reese is the illustrator of Masterson’s books, and the current caretaker of Clock Island. Handsome and grumpy, he warns Lucy that she will have to face her deepest fears to have a chance in the competition. Melancholy at times, The Wishing Game is a compelling, very satisfying, and memorable read. Perfect for readers who ever wished they could step into their favorite story for real. The power of hope is good to remember. Book groups will likely enjoy. This was very hard to put down, even as I worried, just a little, about what might happen. Publication date is May 20, 2023.
Readalikes include Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein, Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia, and Greenglass House by Kate Milford.
Brenda
Introducing Little Bear
100 Cookies
100 Cookies by Sarah Kieffer
Cookies shown include Thumbprint Cookies, Neapolitan Cookies, Cinnamon Roll Blondies, and Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies. The Neapolitan cookies, made with a vanilla sugar cookie dough to which one part has cocoa powder added, and another part pureed freeze-dried strawberries, is always popular. I make some without strawberries for the vanilla and chocolate fans. These disappeared first, along with the Chocolate Oatmeal cookies. These are one of Kieffer’s famous pan-banging cookies, where you lift up the edge of the sheet pan then drop it with a bang a few times during baking to add ripples to the dough and make the edges crispy while the middle remains soft and chewy. I make the cookies rather smaller than the recipe, and the method doesn’t really produce ripples, though the cookies are delicious. The slightly less gorgeous Cinnamon Roll Blondies and Thumbprint cookies are tender and delicious. Kieffer includes a chocolate bark recipe, but I used a different one here. All told, this is a delicious platter of cookies made from recipes I had tried before. These cookies all freeze well after baking, for at least one month. Another favorite is her Lemon Oat Bars. I am really looking forward to Kieffer’s forthcoming cookbook: 100 Morning Treats, to be published this May.
Brenda
Book Girl & Little Bear 