I Read: A Bone to Pick

A Bone to Pick by Charlaine Harris

(Book 2 in the Aurora Teagarden Mysteries series)

I'm glad to have found the Hallmark movies of the Aurora Teagarden series before reading the books. I am a fan of Charlaine Harris in general; her writing style is adorable, if quirky and she creates characters that you just want to take under your wing. They're a little silly, and at times annoyingly impractical, but they are very "Southern girl" stereotype so genteel is a great word. 

Book 2 in the Aurora Teagarden series follows along as per type, and Aurora is involved in another mystery, not of her making. She gets caught up in the situations, and always makes a couple of questionable choices that further the story but makes you just shake your head at her. 

They're easy and fun to read, and keep you guessing at least a little bit from beginning to end. They're no real drama or trauma, just a cute little mystery to solve with some eccentric characters to make it fun. 

#84-2020

I Read: Real Murders

Real Murders by Charlaine Harris

(Book 1 in the Aurora Teagarden Mysteries)

I'd watched a number of the Aurora Teagarden Mysteries from Hallmark channel before I realized that there were books. Then to learn that the books are written by Charlaine Harris of True Blood fame was a bonus. I already enjoy her writing, and the Teagarden movies are enjoyable so I've started hunting for the novels. 

This is the first in the series, and as such is the introduction to Aurora Teagarden and her little town.  And her club that studies famous murders. I won't deny that when I'm reading I picture Candance Cameron Bure because of having seen the movies first, but the books don't disappoint. There is a lot more to Aurora and her town than portrayed in a 90-minute movie. The situations she finds herself in are almost ridiculous, but because everything about the story is riding on that edge of unreal it all makes sense. 

I Read: Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator

Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl

The continued story of Charlie and Mr. Wonka takes Charlie's entire family on an out of this world journey in the great glass elevator. True to Dahl-form there are made up words, and characters and entirely implausible scenarios that seem entirely reasonable within his story. It's what makes reading Dahl fun. 

If you enjoyed Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, I'd recommend reading this to continue the tale. There are even more Oompa Loompas. And buried in the middle are some lessons to learn. Fun!

#82-2020

I Read: Weird things Customers Say in Bookstores

 Weird Things Customers Say in Bookstores by Jen Campbell

This book is a collection of weird things that booksellers have heard from their customers - just as the title would suggest. 

Some things you can't imagine someone would even think, never mind actually saying it out loud. But there is the occasional thing that I shook my head and thought to myself (never out loud!) that I might have said in a particularly blonde moment. 

Others are just examples of people being people. Typical, self-centred people. It's a quick read if you're just in it for a laugh, or two. 

#81-2020

I Write: Virtual Trip

The assignment for Writing Mysteries and Thrillers this week was to take your reader on a virtual trip to a place that is not your hometown. It could be somewhere you've been, or somewhere that you've just researched.  The second part was to guess whether we'd been there or not. 

My piece is below - of course, I talked about a bookstore - El Ateneo Grand Splendid in Buenos Aires. If you haven't heard of it, please google it. It's beautiful. 

I Read: Let it Snow!

Let It Snow! by Maureen Johnson, John Green and Lauren Myracle

No secrets here - I enjoy young adult books. One of the authors I especially like is John Green. I hadn't read any Maureen Johnson until this past year, but I've very much enjoyed her online presence for several years already. 

I picked this up solely because John Green was included in it. And I had aspirations of actually reading Maureen Johnson, so I thought a short story might be the way to start. Thankfully I had read a couple of novels before I read this. 

I Read: Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?: And Other Questions About Dead Bodies

Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?: And Other Questions About Dead Bodies by Caitlin Doughty

I literally picked this book up because I thought the title was funny. I didn't even really pay attention to what the content was going to be. I only knew that it was in the non-fiction section. 

As I started paying more attention, I had a few misgivings - did I actually want to read this book? Am I too close to a significant death in my life to be able to read this and take anything interesting or fun out of it?