Book Reviews 2020: Cozy Mysteries

**All reviews on Randomness With Rachel are done on a five-star rating system. The reviews are solely my opinion and no one else's. Randomness With Rachel does not receive any incentives or compensations for reviews.**

I know, it's been a LONG time since I've posted book reviews on here. I said I was going to try and be better about it in 2020, so here we go. So far this year, I've listened to three cozy mystery audiobooks, so I'm putting them all in one post. I'm a big fan of cozy mysteries so you will see more reviews of them in the future. I won't go back and post book reviews from late 2017-2019, but you can check out ALL my book reviews on Goodreads. (Click here to see my past Goodreads reviews.)

Murder at Blackburn Hall by Sara Rosett

Format: Audiobook (Audible)

I am LOVING this series! I enjoyed the first book (Murder at Archly Manor) and I think I might have enjoyed the second one even more. I love the main character, Olive, and am enjoying seeing her character grow from the first book. She seems more sure of herself in this book and is not afraid to do what she has to in order to find a solution to an issue.

I'm interested to see what will happen with Jasper, I feel a hint of something "more" in their relationship. I hope to have more of his character development in the next book!

The author's writing is so good you can actually imagine that you are in England in the 1920s. The description of the setting and clothing makes you feel like you are there. At the end of the audiobook, the author explains how she came up with the story idea and what kind of research went into it. I can't wait to see what Olive's next adventure will be! Spoiler alert: I just started listening to the audiobook for book 3 today.

The Body in the Attic by Judi Lynn

Format: Audiobook (Chirpbooks)

I'm a big fan of cozy mysteries so when I saw this one, I had to check it out. House-flipping. Murder. Family Drama. Mystery. Oh my.

I thought the mystery storyline was well written- it had me guessing until the end. Although I felt the mystery plot was more of a "sub plot". The rest of it isn't bad, it just felt like I was reading a normal fiction novel with a little mystery sprinkled in. I like the characters though- they are well developed and thought out. This is the first book in a series so I hope to see some of the supporting characters have bigger roles in the next one.

I don't mind romance in mystery novels, but I feel this one was a little bit of an overkill and took away from the mystery too much. Even with all of that, I enjoyed it and will check out the next one in the series. This is an easy read for a lazy Saturday afternoon (or in my case, an easy listen).


Lending a Paw by Laurie Cass

Format: Audiobook (Chirpbooks)

Okay, I'll admit, the plot description sounded a little cheesy: With the help of her rescue cat, Eddie, librarian Minnie Hamilton is driving a bookmobile based in resort town of Chilson, Michigan. But she better keep both hands on the wheel, because it's going to be a bumpy ride. 

BUT, this turned out to be a super cute cozy mystery. I was hooked from the moment I started listening to it. The main characters are charming and likeable. Even the minor characters have an endearing element to them.

This is the first book that I've read by the author and I really like her writing style. The plot was well thought out and there were enough twists and turns to keep me guessing until almost the end. This is another book that is a perfect weekend or vacation read. I listened to a good portion of it while out training for a half-marathon. I look forward to checking out Minnie and Eddie's next adventure!

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

I'm loving...

That I got my craft closet organized last weekend. It was a DISASTER. After working on Trunk or Treat decorations throughout October, I let it get so disorganized. I bought a cube shelf from Target and spent about four hours getting it all organized last Saturday. Here's hoping I can keep it this way from now on.  My goal is to declutter and stay better organized in 2020.

Before photos:

After photos:

I'm loving...

The workout app FitOn. It's amazing. I've been using it for 24 straight weeks. I absolutely love it. It's free to download and all the videos are free- no hidden cost. They did just add a FitOn Pro option where you can pay to have a meal plan customized for you, but I'm just using it for the videos. And there are so many (and they keep adding new ones). They range from super easy to "OMG I want to die" hard- and there are 18 different trainers so you can workout for weeks and not get bored with the same trainer. In the past I've become bored with workout videos because it was the same person every day (and a lot of times the same workouts). They also added a section called Before Bed where it has 2-3 minutes videos of stretches to do before you go to sleep. I HIGHLY recommend this app.

After each workout, it gives you the option to take a photo (it saves it in the app, it only shares it if you want it shared). It can help show the progress you are making. Or just remind you that you did the workout and didn't die. Lol

I'm loving...

That I saw my first musical of the year last night. My friend Rob had an extra ticket to the production of The Color Purple at the Winspear Opera House. This was my first time seeing it and the cast was AMAZING. I can't image another cast topping their performance. If you are in Dallas, go see it. I think it's here through early next week.

I'm loving...

That I completed my GoodReads book challenge last year. In years past, I've fallen short (way short). I actually started my 2019 challenge at 30 books, and I met that in early October, so I bumped it up to 40 books. I finished book number 40 on Dec. 31, but I got it done. This year my goal is to read/listen to 45 books. I just started book 5 yesterday. Speaking of books, I know I'm behind on my book reviews on here. I'll try to start doing those for this year (I won't go back the last few years and post any older ones though). I DO keep my reviews up to date on GoodReads if you would like to add me there. Click here for my link.

What are YOU loving today?

XOXO!

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

I've been so caught up in recapping my cruise that it's been a while since I've posted something "non vacation" related.

To those who also do What I'm Loving Wednesday posts, I will continue to do the link up for the people who want to participate! I hope to get back to my weekly WILW link ups!

I'm loving...

That I got to attend my niece's birthday celebration last month. She and I are close in age, so we've been more like sisters our whole lives. We went to Painting With a Twist. I don't think I missed my calling to be an artist, but it was a lot of fun!

My lovely niece!

I'm loving...

That I've been able to hang out with some of my amazing friends over the past few weeks.

I'm loving...

The Valentine my friends Misti and Larry got me- they know me so well! :)

I'm loving...

That I was able to watch my neighbor's dog Holly last weekend while she was out of town. I'm super sad that they are moving soon, I will miss them. :(

Holly got me a gift certificate for a manicure as a Valentine's Day gift!

I'm loving...

That I got to meet comedian Jason Earls last week. He's hilarious. You can check him out here.

I'm loving...

That I got to see my bestie Brandy last week. I don't sit two hours in rush hour traffic for just anyone, but when I do, it's to hang out with her!

I'm loving...

That I was able to see Theatre Arlington's production of School of Rock on Sunday- it was amazing! If you are in the area, there are performances this weekend and next weekend. Click here for more info. My friend's son just happens to have the lead in it- he was fantastic!

The star's proud momma is in front there! :)

I'm loving...

That I've already read seven books in my reading challenge. Hopefully I can actually finish the challenge this year, I have failed the past two years. Oh shameless plug, follow me on GoodReads here.

What are YOU loving??

XOXO!!

Book Reviews 2017: Catching Up On Book Reviews

**All reviews on Randomness With Rachel are done on a five star rating system. The reviews are solely my opinion and no one else's. Randomness With Rachel does not receive any incentives or compensations for reviews.**

Okay, most of these were read in 2016, but of course, I'm behind on my reviews. If you are on GoodReads, you can follow me here. I'm better about posting reviews there as soon as I read the book! :) I also have more reviews there than I have posted on my blog.

The Girl on a Train by Paula Hawkins

It took me a while to finish this book (mainly because I had a lot going on and didn't make time to read). I kept hearing how GREAT this book was, and while I feel it was okay, it just didn't jump out at me as a great novel. Maybe it was too hyped up and I was just expecting too much.

I'll admit, I liked the concept of the story, which is why I wanted to read it. The book jumps around from three different POV- Rachel (the girl on the train), Megan (the missing girl), and Anna (the girl who stole Rachel's husband from her). There was a heading so you knew who was narrating (which was helpful because all three characters talked and sounded the same to me). 

The character of Rachel was super annoying (maybe she was supposed to be). I did feel sorry for her though, it seemed nothing was going right for her and her life was falling apart. She was an alcoholic, she lost her job, and her husband cheated on her and was now married with a new wife and baby. She couldn't control her drinking or her drunk phone calls to her ex. The only thing she has going for her is that she thinks something bad has happened to a complete stranger she passes by everyday. 

After thinking about it, I didn't really like any of the characters in the book- it seemed everyone was messed up and whiny about something. Towards the end of the book, I didn't care what happened to any of the three main women (usually I can sympathize with at least one character and want something good to happen to them- but I couldn't care less what happened to the characters in this one). 

Even though I didn't care for the story itself, the writing style was okay and I would be willing to check out something else written by the author.

Book summary:

Murder Ties the Knot by Christy Fifield

I like Christy Fifield and I think her books get better with each one that she writes. I believe this is book four of this particular series. They are fun, easy to read mystery books. If I had made time, I could have easily finished this book in a day or two (but life gets in the way of my reading schedule, so it took me over a month). 

I love Glory, the main character, as well as Bluebeard, the talking parrot who may or may not be channeling the spirit of Glory's deceased uncle. 

This book didn't have as much to the mystery as the other three, but it was still an enjoyable read.

I read somewhere that the publisher did not pick up another book of this series, but I really hope the author either self publishes or finds someone else to publish one. I really hope there are other mysteries for Glory to solve.

I also love that the author includes the recipes for the meals mentioned in the book. :) 

Book summary:

The Stranger by Harlan Coben

This was the first book I've read (well, listened to) by Harlan Coben and I will definitely be checking out some of his other novels. 

This book has everything- secrets, deception, and suspense. I really enjoyed it. I was guessing up until almost the very end. 

I listened to the audiobook version read by George Newbern and he did a fantastic job. :) I'll also check out some of his other audio work! 

Book summary:

Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight

First of all, I really liked this book- I spent an entire afternoon reading it (it is my first book read of 2017). I personally wouldn't compare it to Gone Girl (which I've also read), but that's just me. It seems lately any suspenseful novel with a female lead character is compared to Gone Girl. In my opinion, this book is nothing like Gone Girl, but it is still excellent.

This is another book full of secrets, deception, but also sadness. Obviously with the description of the book, you know that Amelia is dead (so that's NOT a spoiler), but it's still heartbreaking to read the story of what happened leading up to her death. I don't want to get too much into the story because I don't want to give anything away. 

The author did a great job developing the characters and with the story. I look forward to reading more books by the author.

Book summary:

Have you read any good books lately?

XOXO!

It's Ok Thursday....

It's OK...

...that we didn't have a What I'm Loving Wednesday link-up yesterday. I was sick in bed Monday and Tuesday, so the link-up didn't happen. Thanks to everyone who links up with us, we will be back next week! 

...that lately I've added more books to my "to read" list than my "read" list on my GoodReads account.  If you are on GoodReads, you can follow me here. I'm so behind in my book challenge this year. And in posting my book reviews. Ug!! One day I will get it together. Lol.

Just a small portion of my "to read" list...

...that I finally canceled my cable (I do still have access to local  Dallas channels). Between Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime, I can watch all of my TV shows and a ton of movies. And with my new Fire TV Stick, I can watch them all on my TV instead of my laptop. Yes, I'm sacrificing watching Rangers games from the comfort of my home, but I have friends who have offered to let me watch games with them. As much as I love my Rangers, saving $120 was too tempting to pass up. Once I get some debt paid off, I might go back to cable, maybe. Hopefully by then I won't be forced to deal with the Anti-Christ Time Warner Cable anymore. 

Returned my cable DVRs to Time Warner last week

So far this has been a great purchase!

...that I was excited to sit in the driver's seat of a fire truck (don't judge). My company had a "Bring Your Kid to Work" day and I was one of the volunteers. The local fire department showed up to teach fire safety to the kids. After the kids got a tour of the fire truck, they let the big kids get up there. Okay, they let THIS big kid get up there. Because I asked. Thankfully they humored me. Lol.

Sadly, this was NOTHING like the TV show Chicago Fire

...that I'm over all the political talk in my Facebook feed and Twitter timelines. I'm okay with people voicing their opinions, I respect that, BUT when they start attacking and saying hateful things towards people who disagree with them, I just can't deal with it. I've muted a lot of people right now. 

...that I don't think these sound appetizing. AT ALL.

...that I REALLY want a dog, but I know I can't have one right now. Yesterday was National Dog Day so I made a collage of SOME of my favorite dogs. I even got to spend a little time with one of the dogs after work. Something about a dog makes a bad day so much better. :)

...that I have the worst case of writer's block these days. And it's not just with my blog. It's with my sports writing too. I haven't been able to write anything for months. :( Shameless plug: check out ShutDown Inning for great baseball articles. Okay, mainly Texas Rangers articles, but these are my people, they do good work! I hope to contribute another article soon to the site. Writer's block is also affecting my short story/novel writing. Sigh. I guess all writers go through this. Maybe I will snap out of it.

I know this isn't a link-up anymore, but I wanted to post this week, and this was the only thing I could think of! I hope everyone has a fabulous day! We are almost to the weekend!!

XOXO!