Here are a few books I've read recently.
Pressed to Death by Kirsten Weiss, mystery, 2017
This is the second book in the Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum cozy mystery series. In this one, Maddie helps solve murders involving local winery owners and one from the past involving a "haunted" grape press. This is an easy, fun read, but I was tiring of it by the end, especially since I had just read the first one. I will probably read another one in the future, but not anytime soon.
Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto, fiction, 2021
Let me say, up front, that I did not finish this book. It's the first of a trilogy about Meddilin and her 3 Asian aunts and mother. All the men in the family— husbands, sons, and cousins —have left, and Meddie feels compelled to stay and be the good daughter. Thus, the aunts are totally involved in her life.
Meddie accidentally kills an aggressive date, and most of the book is about them trying to get rid of the body. I stopped reading after a while because the constant bickering that went on among the aunts was starting to annoy me. Also, it was full of ridiculous situations in a French farce style. Some of that was fun, but it got tiring after a while. When discussing the book with Ward, who has read all three books, I said I can see someone making a movie out of the book that might be okay, but it's not a great read. And, lo and behold, Netflix has done just that. We don't have Netflix, so I won't be watching it anytime soon, but I would watch it sometime if the opportunity presented itself.
Ward, who read all of them, does not recommend them. He said the premise is good, but overdone.
Just for the Summer by Melody Carlson, fiction, 2024
I grabbed this book at the library because it looked like a light read. Two women, Ginny and Jackie, both hotel managers, are dissatisfied with their jobs and seize the opportunity to participate in a job exchange for the summer. Ginny works in a fancy hotel in Seattle, and Jackie works at a fishing camp in Idaho owned by her grandfather. Ginny is the good character and thrives in Idaho. Jackie is the shallow character who only looks out for herself.
At the end, all the characters with big flaws are redeemed, and Ginny finds romance. I told Ward that it was like a Hallmark movie with a little more character development thrown in. As it turns out, many of Melody Carlson's books have been made into Hallmark movies. This will never make it to Oprah's book club, but it was still an enjoyable read.
Things are tough at 12-year-old Sarah's house, which is about to be foreclosed on. With her best friends, West and Hannah, they sneak into an abandoned 1950s fun house looking for the treasure that is rumored to be there. They hope they can find the treasure and save Sarah's house, so she won't have to move. The majority of the book revolves around the trio in the fun house, as they solve clues that lead them through it. The house is elaborately decorated, and the clues are difficult. While solving the clues, the trio also discovers things about themselves and each other. The book is complete with a feel-good ending.
I found the rooms and clues interesting, and I'm pretty sure I would not have been able to make it out of the house if I'd been the one trying to figure them out. I found the feelings part of the book cliche and then remembered that it was a children's book and probably just right for the age group.
The book is the first in a two-part series. The second book is scheduled for release in September. The Mystery of the Locked Room is a New York Times and USA Today best seller, as well as Amazon's editor's pick for 9-12 year olds. Along with everyone else, I recommend it.
That's it for today.
Until next time...
