Book ~ "Nothing Bundt Trouble" (2020) Ellie Alexander

From Goodreads ~ Spring has sprung in Ashland, Oregon, and everything at Torte seems to be coming up buttercream roses. But just when Juliet Capshaw seems to have found her sweet spot—with her staff set to handle the influx of tourists for this year’s Shakespeare festival while she moves back into her childhood home—things take a dramatic turn. Jules discovers a long-forgotten dossier in her deceased father’s belongings that details one of the most controversial cases in Ashland’s history: a hit-and-run accident from the 1980s. 

Or was it? Now it’s up to Jules to parse through a whole new world of details from another era, from unraveling cassette tapes to recipes for Bundt cakes, before an old enemy brings the Capshaw “pastry case” to a modern-day dead end.

Juliet (aka Jules) was raised in small town Ashland, OR, but dreamed of seeing the world.  She grew up helping her parents in their bakery, Torte, and went on to culinary school.  She got a job with a cruise line and didn't get home often after that.  She met her husband, Carlos, an executive chef, on a cruise and things were going well until she discovered he had a secret.  With a broken heart, she headed home to figure things out.  It's been over two years and, though she doesn't know what will happen with Carlos, she now happily shares ownership of Torte with her mother, Helen. 

Helen recently married Doug, a police officer.  They bought a house and Helen gave Jules her house, which is the one she grew up in.  While she was cleaning out the basement, Jules uncovers a journal of her dad's, who had passed away when she was a teenager, from the 1980s.  Missing him, she decides to read it.  She discovers that Doug, who had been his best friend, had asked him to help solve a hit and run murder of someone that no one seemed to like.

This is the eleventh in the Bakeshop Mystery series and I didn't like it at all.  Doug was a young officer at that time and this was his first big case and he didn't want to blow it.  I thought it was unbelievable that he would ask his best friend to help him out with the investigation and he wasn't allowed to tell Helen he was involved.  The journal took up most of the book and actually read like a book.  When one writes in a journal, they usually say something like "Doug and I talked about the murder victim" rather than a play-by-play of the exact conversation.  And this happened every time.  I didn't find the journal entries interesting since they were sooooo long and detailed.

I've now read all of the books in this series (there are 12) and, except for this one, I like the series.  I have also read all in this author's Sloan Krause Series.  This book works as a stand alone ... there is enough information provided.  It's written in first person perspective in Jules' voice.   It was a quick light read and is a "cozy mystery" so there is no swearing, violence or adult activity. There are recipes at the end. 

Book ~ "A Batter of Life and Death" (2015) Ellie Alexander

From Goodreads ~ It's autumn in Ashland, Oregon - 'tis the season for a spiced hot apple cider with a serving (or two) of Torte's famous peach cobbler. It's also the perfect time for Jules Capshaw to promote her family's beloved bake shop by competing in The Pastry Channel's reality show, Take the Cake. The prize is $25,000. But as Jules quickly learns, some people would kill for that kind of dough. Literally. 

Then, just as Jules dusts off her Bavarian Chocolate Cake recipe and cinches up her apron, the corpse of a fellow contestant is discovered - death by buttercream. What began as a fun, tasteful televised adventure has morphed into something of a true-crime detective show for Jules and everybody else on set. Who could have killed Chef Marco, and why? Can Jules sift out the killer before someone else gets burned?

Juliet (aka Jules) was raised in small town Ashland, OR, but dreamed of seeing the world.  She grew up helping her parents in their bakery, Torte, and went on to culinary school.  She got a job with a cruise line and didn't get home often after that.  She met her husband, Carlos, an executive chef, on a cruise and things were going well until she discovered he had a secret.  With a broken heart, she headed home to figure things out.  It's been a couple months and she now shares ownership of Torte with her mother.  She and Carlos had agreed to not contact each other until the new year but Jules thinks of him often.

The Pastry Channel has come to Ashland to film their show, Take the Cake.  Jules has been asked to be one of the contestants.  Torte could use the $25,000 prize money to buy a new oven among other things so she agrees.  When one of the other contestants is murdered, Jules can't help but get involved, especially since she was the one who found the body, her mother is dating the chief of police and Jules' high school boyfriend is a police officer.  Did someone want to win the contest enough to kill off the competition?

This is the second in the Bakeshop Mystery series and I liked it.  I've read all in this author's Sloan Krause Series.  This works as a stand alone ... I'd recently read the first one and the last one in the series and there was enough information provided.  It's written in first person perspective in Jules' voice.   It was a quick light read and is a "cozy mystery" so there is no swearing, violence or adult activity. There are recipes at the end.  I look forward to reading the others in this series.

Book ~ "No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality" (2020) Michael J. Fox

From Goodreads ~ The entire world knows Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly, the teenage sidekick of Doc Brown in "Back to the Future"; as Alex P. Keaton in "Family Ties"; as Mike Flaherty in "Spin City"; and through numerous other movie roles and guest appearances on shows such as "The Good Wife" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm". 

Diagnosed at age 29, Michael is equally engaged in Parkinson’s advocacy work, raising global awareness of the disease and helping find a cure through The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, the world’s leading non-profit funder of PD science. His two previous bestselling memoirs, "Lucky Man" and "Always Looking Up", dealt with how he came to terms with the illness, all the while exhibiting his iconic optimism. His new memoir reassesses this outlook, as events in the past decade presented additional challenges.

In "No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality", Michael shares personal stories and observations about illness and health, aging, the strength of family and friends, and how our perceptions about time affect the way we approach mortality. Thoughtful and moving, but with Fox’s trademark sense of humor, his book provides a vehicle for reflection about our lives, our loves, and our losses.

Running through the narrative is the drama of the medical madness Fox recently experienced, that included his daily negotiations with the Parkinson’s disease he’s had since 1991, and a spinal cord issue that necessitated immediate surgery. His challenge to learn how to walk again, only to suffer a devastating fall, nearly caused him to ditch his trademark optimism and “get out of the lemonade business altogether.”

Michael J. Fox is an actor and author, originally from British Columbia.  He quit school in grade eleven to move to L.A. to pursue his dream of being an actor.  He married actress, Tracy Pollan, and they have four children (the youngest recently graduated from high school).  After the birth of their first child, Michael found out he had Parkinson's disease.  Over the years, the symptoms have have gotten worse and he eventually retired from acting, though he has done some short term parts over the years.

This book is his story of dealing with Parkinson's and how it has limited his life over the years.  He's got to think about every move he makes before he makes them.  Plus he's had other health issues including having a tumour removed from his spine which was causing him excruciating amount of pain.  He has the support of his family and some great friends.

I liked this book ... it's an interesting story.  I liked the writing style ... despite all he is going through, his personality and sense of humour came though.  I didn't know much about Parkinson's and learned a lot about it (but not in a preaching way).  I'm surprised I haven't read his first two books but I've added them to my "to be read" list.

Book ~ "Any Night of the Week: A D.I.Y. History of Toronto Music, 1957-2001" (2020) Jonny Dovercourt

From Goodreads ~ The story of how Toronto became a music mecca. 

From Yonge Street to Yorkville to Queen West to College, the neighbourhoods that housed Toronto's music scenes. Featuring Syrinx, Rough Trade, Martha and the Muffins, Fifth Column, Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet, Rheostatics, Ghetto Concept, LAL, Broken Social Scene, and more!

For many years after I moved to Toronto in 1987, I went to lots of bars to hear live music ... not so much any more.  Since this book covered those years, I thought I'd check it out.

The author talks about many groups that played in Toronto ... some I knew, some I'd never heard of.  I found myself saying, "I remember them!" and then going to find them on Spotify and then following them there to listen to another time.  He covers many genres of music (folk, blues, rock, pop, rap, punk, etc.).  I've been to many of the bars he spoke of like Albert's Hall, Grossman's, the El Mocambo, the Horseshoe, the Opera House, the Diamond, etc.

The author wrote with knowledge and passion.  There are bits of interviews with some of the singers and groups along with pictures.  As a head's up, there is swearing.

Book ~ "Chilled to the Cone" (2020) Ellie Alexander

From Goodreads ~ The deep freeze has thawed in Ashland, Oregon, and Torte is gearing up for a busy spring. When a surprise opportunity to launch a pop-up ice cream shop comes her way, Jules jumps at the chance to showcase Torte’s signature iced drinks and cold custards. But selling the desserts of her dreams comes at a price and, before she knows it, Jules’s life swirls into a nightmare. 

One of the town’s most colorful characters, a street performer known for wearing capes and a cone-shaped hat, turns up dead just as Torte 2.0 is set to open its doors. 

Can Jules get the scoop on what happened to “The Wizard” of Ashland before her new business venture reaches a chilling conclusion? 

Juliet (aka Jules) was raised in small town Ashland, OR, but dreamed of seeing the world.  She grew up helping her parents in their bakery and went on to culinary school.  She got a job with a cruise line and didn't get home often after that.  She met her husband, Carlos, an executive chef, on a cruise and things were going well until she discovered he had a secret.  With a broken heart, she headed home to figure things out.  It's been two years and she now shares ownership of the bakery with her mother and Carlos has been living with her trying to work things out.

A pop-up opportunity opens up and Jules decides to try it out for the summer.  She's going to sell drinks, ice cream and pastries from the store.  She and her staff are getting the space painted and cleaned when The Wizard, an elderly homeless man, is found dead on the train tracks nearby.  Most of the townspeople had helped the eccentric man over the years but there were some who would have wished he'd stop hanging around.  Did one of them kill him?

This is the twelfth in the Bakeshop Mystery series and I liked it.  I've read all in this author's Sloan Krause Series.  It works as a stand alone ... I'd read the first one in the series last month (but none of the others) and there was enough information provided.  It's written in first person perspective in Jules' voice.   It was a quick light read and is a "cozy mystery" so there is no swearing, violence or adult activity. I look forward to reading the others in this series.

Book ~ "All Together Now: A Newfoundlander's Light Tales for Heavy Times" (2020) Alan Doyle

From Goodreads ~ Is there a more sociable province than Newfoundland and Labrador? Or anywhere in Canada with a greater reputation for coming to the rescue of those in need?

At this time of Covid, singer, songwriter and bestselling author Alan Doyle is feeling everyone's pain. Off the road and spending more days at home than he has since he was a child hawking cod tongues on the wharfs of Petty Harbour, he misses the crowds and companionship of performing across the country and beyond. But most of all he misses the cheery clamour of pubs in his hometown, where one yarn follows another so quickly you have to be as ready as an Olympian at the start line to get your tale in before someone is well into theirs already. We're all experiencing our own version of that deprivation, and Alan, one of Newfoundland's finest storytellers, wants to offer a little balm.

"All Together Now" is a gathering in book form - a virtual Newfoundland pub. There are adventures in foreign lands, including an apparently filthy singalong in Polish (well, he would have sung along if he'd understood the language), a real-life ghost story involving an elderly neighbour, a red convertible and a clown horn, a potted history of his social drinking, and heartwarming reminiscences from another past world, childhood - all designed to put a smile on the faces of the isolated-addled.

Alan Doyle has never been in better form - nor more welcome. As he says about this troubling time: We get through it. We do what has to be done. Then, we celebrate. With the best of them. 

I'm a fan of Great Big Sea and had seen them many times in concert over the years.  I discovered them in the mid 1990s when they were just starting out.  Alan Doyle was one of the members in Great Big Sea and this is his third book.  I had tuned in to his online chat last week with the Toronto Public Library so was looking forward to reading his book.

Alan's not used to not touring and admits that he needs to keep busy.  So he wrote this book telling stories as if he was sitting in a pub with his buddies.  They include meeting Jeff Healey and escorting him to the washing (and not knowing whether to turn the light on for the blind man), touching the Grey Cup AND Anne Murray in Toronto, digging a basement when he and his brother were kids (his parents like to keep them busy), his first visit to London, England, (and his first time out of Newfoundland) and thinking he got ripped off his last 20 pounds from a French busker, acting with Russell Crowe and more.

I liked the writing style ... it was humorous ... and I enjoyed this book as it was light and lively.  I bet Alan would be a fun guy to sit and have a beer with.  As a head's up, there is swearing.

Book ~ "Extraordinary Canadians: Stories from the Heart of Our Nation" (2020) Peter Mansbridge and Mark Bulgutch

From Goodreads ~ In this timely and heartwarming volume of personal stories, Peter Mansbridge and former CBC producer Mark Bulgutch bring together inspiring Canadians from across the country, who in their own way, are making Canada a better place for all.

Hear Gitxsan activist Cindy Blackstock describe her childhood in northern British Columbia where she straddled two communities - Indigenous and non-Indigenous - and her subsequent fight for equitable health care for all children as the executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society. Meet Matt Devlin, the US broadcaster who found a new home in Canada when he got a job with the Toronto Raptors, and read how he helped calm the crowd when a gunman began shooting in Nathan Phillips Square after the team’s NBA championship win. From the young woman living with Crohn’s disease - and proudly modeling her ostomy bag - to the rabbi whose family fled Nazi Germany - and who now gives the benediction on Parliament Hill each Remembrance Day - "Extraordinary Canadians" celebrates the people who have overcome adversity and broken down barriers to champion the rights and freedoms of everyone who calls Canada home.

Featuring voices from all walks of life - advocates, politicians, doctors, veterans, immigrants, business leaders, and more - this collection gets to the heart of what it means to be Canadian. These stories will change the way you see your country and make you fall in love with Canada all over again.

Peter Mansbridge is a former anchor of CBC’s The National and Mark Bulgutch is a former CBC producer.  They have put together a collection of stories of extraordinary Canadians which have been written by the Canadian themselves (so it's in first person perspective).

The stories are varied and interesting.  There is a bio of the person at the end of their story ... I would have moved them to the beginning of the story as I didn't know who these people are as they aren't household names.  I started reading the bio before I read their story to get an idea of who they were and what had made them so special.

Book ~ "Fortune and Glory" (2020) Janet Evanovich

From Goodreads ~ When Stephanie’s beloved Grandma Mazur's new husband died on their wedding night, the only thing he left her was a beat-up old easy chair … and the keys to a life-changing fortune.

But as Stephanie and Grandma Mazur search for Jimmy Rosolli’s treasure, they discover that they’re not the only ones on the hunt. Two dangerous enemies from the past stand in their way - along with a new adversary who’s even more formidable: Gabriela Rose, a dark-eyed beauty from Little Havana with a taste for designer clothes. She’s also a soldier of fortune, a gourmet cook, an expert in firearms and mixed martial arts - and someone who’s about to give Stephanie a real run for her money.

Stephanie may be in over her head but she’s got two things that Gabriela doesn’t: an unbreakable bond with her family and a stubborn streak that will never let her quit.

She’ll need both to survive because this search for “fortune and glory” will turn into a desperate race against time with more on the line than ever before. Because even as she searches for the treasure and fights to protect her Grandma Mazur, her own deepest feelings will be tested - as Stephanie could finally be forced to choose between Joe Morelli and Ranger.

Stephanie works for her bail bondsman cousin, Vinnie, and with Lulu, a former 'ho. They have a few people they have to track down who didn't show up for their court date and, as usual, they have a problem catching them. There are some bad guys after Stephanie's grandmother because they think Grandma as the keys to her late husband's treasure (they had been married briefly in the last book and he passed away on their honeymoon).  So not only is Stephanie trying to catch the guys who skipped their court date so she can pay her bills but she is also trying to protect Grandma.  

Stephanie and her on again/off again boyfriend, Joe, a police officer, have broken up and she is spending more time with Ranger, her former colleague.

This is the 27th in the Stephanie Plum series and I've read them all ... I liked this book better than the last few, though.  It felt like it was written by someone other than Evanovich while sticking to the usual Stephanie Plum formula.  It's written in first person perspective from Stephanie's point of view. There seemed to be more swearing than in the past.

Book ~ "If I Knew Then: Finding Wisdom in Failure and Power in Aging" (2020) Jann Arden

From Goodreads ~ Digging deep into her strengths, her failures and her losses, Jann Arden brings us an inspiring account of how she has surprised herself, in her fifties, by at last becoming completely her own person. Like many women, it took Jann a long time to realize that trying to be pleasing and likeable and beautiful in the eyes of others was a loser's game. Letting it rip, and damning the consequences, is not only liberating, it's a hell of a lot of fun: "Being the age I am - that so many women are  - is just the best time of my life."

Jann weaves her own story together with tales of her mother, grandmother and great grandmother, and the father she came close to hating, to show her younger self - and all of us - that fear and avoidance is no way to live. "What I'm thinking about now aren't all the ways I can try to hang on to my youth or all the seconds ticking by in some kind of morbid countdown to death," she writes, "but rather how I keep becoming someone I always hoped I could be. If I'm lucky one day a very old face will look back at me from the mirror, a face I once shied away from. I will love that old woman ferociously, because she has finally figured out how to live a life of purpose - not in spite of but because of all her mistakes and failures." 

Jann Arden is Canadian singer, songwriter, broadcaster, actor and author, who is now in her late 50s.  Her parents passed away in the last five years ... her father spent years being ill, including dementia, and her mother battled Alzheimer's.  

Jann talks about her family dynamic including the difficult relationship she had with her father, who was an alcoholic and not a happy man.  She loved her mother, who stayed and took care of her father for over 60 years.  Jann tells of the lessons she has learned over the years, of not being happy with her body but being more at peace with it as she gets older, of giving up alcohol and liking the person she has become without it, and how the crazy childhood she had of hiding in the basement to escape her father led her to become a musician because in the dreary basement she had records to keep her company.

This is the third book of Jann's I've read and I liked it.  Her personality comes through and I felt like she was sitting with me and chatting. I liked the writing style ... it was amusing at times and honest.  As a head's up, there is swearing.

Book ~ "Meet Your Baker" (2014) Ellie Alexander

From Goodreads ~ Welcome to Torte -a friendly, small-town family bake shop where the treats are so good that sometimes it's criminal.

After graduating from culinary school, Juliet Capshaw returns to her quaint hometown of Ashland, Oregon, to heal a broken heart and help her mom at the family bakery. The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is bringing in lots of tourists looking for some crumpets to go with their heroic couplets. But when one of Torte's customers turns up dead, there's much ado about murder.

The victim is Nancy Hudson, the festival's newest board member. A modern-day Lady Macbeth, Nancy has given more than a few actors and artists enough reasons to kill her ... but still. The silver lining? Jules' high school sweetheart, Thomas, is the investigator on the case. His flirtations are as delicious as ever and Jules can't help but want to have her cake and eat it too. But will she have her just desserts? Murder might be bad for business but love is the sweetest treat of all.

Juliet (aka Jules) was raised in small town Ashland, OR, but dreamed of seeing the world.  She grew up helping her parents in their bakery and went on to culinary school.  She got a job with a cruise line and didn't get home often after that.  She met her husband, Carlos, an executive chef, on a cruise and things were going well until she discovered his secret.

With a broken heart, she headed home to figure things out.  In the meantime, she started working in the family bakery.  Ashland is a small theatre town which attracts a lot of tourists because of the Shakespearean plays they put on.  When one of the directors of the theatre is found dead in the bakery, anyone could be the murderer because the director was so disliked.

This is the first in the Bakeshop Mystery series and I liked it.  I recently finished reading this author's Sloan Krause Series and like them so thought I'd check this series out. It's written in first person perspective in Jules' voice.  There is a lot of talk about baking and there are lots of recipes at the end, which sound delicious.   It was a quick light read and is a "cozy mystery" so there is no swearing, violence or adult activity. I look forward to reading the rest in this series.

Book ~ "Greenlights" (2020) Matthew McConaughey

From Goodreads ~ From the Academy Award–winning actor, an unconventional memoir filled with raucous stories, outlaw wisdom, and lessons learned the hard way about living with greater satisfaction.

I’ve been in this life for fifty years, been trying to work out its riddle for forty-two, and been keeping diaries of clues to that riddle for the last thirty-five. Notes about successes and failures, joys and sorrows, things that made me marvel, and things that made me laugh out loud. How to be fair. How to have less stress. How to have fun. How to hurt people less. How to get hurt less. How to be a good man. How to have meaning in life. How to be more me.

Recently, I worked up the courage to sit down with those diaries. I found stories I experienced, lessons I learned and forgot, poems, prayers, prescriptions, beliefs about what matters, some great photographs, and a whole bunch of bumper stickers. I found a reliable theme, an approach to living that gave me more satisfaction, at the time, and still: If you know how, and when, to deal with life’s challenges - how to get relative with the inevitable - you can enjoy a state of success I call “catching greenlights.”

So I took a one-way ticket to the desert and wrote this book: an album, a record, a story of my life so far. This is fifty years of my sights and seens, felts and figured-outs, cools and shamefuls. Graces, truths, and beauties of brutality. Getting away withs, getting caughts, and getting wets while trying to dance between the raindrops.

Hopefully, it’s medicine that tastes good, a couple of aspirin instead of the infirmary, a spaceship to Mars without needing your pilot’s license, going to church without having to be born again, and laughing through the tears.

It’s a love letter. To life.

It’s also a guide to catching more greenlights - and to realizing that the yellows and reds eventually turn green too.

Good luck. 

I wouldn't say I'm a big Matthew McConaughey fan.  He seems like a nice fella and a free spirit and I was interested enough in him to read his book.

The book starts back in the beginning with his parents ... who divorced each other twice and married each other three times.  He tells of growing up as the youngest of three boys and their unstable childhood (his parents sound whacked).  He was popular in high school and spent a year in an exchange program in Australia.  He went to university with dreams of being a lawyer but switched when he realized he wanted to get into movies.  He's done a lot of travelling and seemed to go where the wind took him.

I liked the writing style and liked that it was written at a high level (so not a great deal of details).  I found the sticky notes, bumper stickers, words of wisdom, etc. a bit weird so ignored them after awhile as they didn't make a lot of sense to me.  I came away feeling the same about him as before I read the book ... he seems like a nice fella and a free spirit.  As a head's up, there is swearing, adult activity (with himself!) and drug and alcohol use.

Book ~ "Alfie the Christmas Cat" (2020) Rachel Wells

From Goodreads ~ Christmas is around the corner and Alfie and George can’t wait. This year, the residents of Edgar road have come together to put on a festive show and raise money for a local homeless shelter.

As December approaches, plans are in full swing: auditions are being held, props are being built, Alfie and George are rehearsing daily and everyone is having a very merry time.

But then things start to go wrong. And when the residents arrive at the theatre one morning to discover their set has been trashed, it becomes clear someone is trying to sabotage their performance.

Alfie and George know it’s up to them to find the culprit and save the day. Because, after all, the show must go on.

Alfie is a doorstep cat who has many families.  He lives with Claire and Jonathan and their young children.  Polly and Matt (and their young children and cat), and their children, Sylvie and Marcus (and Sylvie's daughter) and Harold (Marcus' father who also has a cat) are their neighbours and Franceska and Tomasz )and their teenage children) are former neighbours.  All the families are very good friends with each other, thanks to Alfie.  Alfie is the adopted "dad" to a cat named George.

Connie, Sylvie's daughter, is dating Franceska and Tomasz' son, Aleksy.  They are doing a school project and decide to do something to help the local homeless shelter.  After brainstorming with everyone, including the cats, they come up with idea of having a Christmas show and giving the proceeds to the homeless shelter.  Plus they will ask for donations of clothing, etc.  The neighbourhood pitches in and they have quiet a show planned.  But someone starts sabotaging it but know one knows who.  Alfie takes it upon himself to find out what's going on. 

This is the seventh and latest in Alfie series and I liked it (I've read them all).  Though it's part of a series, it works as a stand alone.  It is written in first person perspective in Alfie's voice.  We can see the conversations he has with other cats and now Pickles.  Plus he understands the conversations of humans around him (rather than "blah blah blah blah blah Alfie blah blah blah).  Though he can't talk back to them in their language, he does try to communicate in cat-talk and expressions.

Book ~ "Chicken Soup for the Soul Celebrates Dogs: And the People Who Love Them" (2004) Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen

From Goodreads ~ Dogs. Our best friends. From thedawn of civilization, we have cherished them as our loyal companions, exuberant playmates, healing and gentle souls. 

From adorable puppies with floppy ears and wobbly steps to full-grown guardinas of our love and trust, there is no other animal that compares to the dog. A playful growl, a boisterous bark, a cock of the head, an inquisitive stare - each inspires us with love and adoration. 

The stories and photographs in this wonderful volume celebrate the humor, loyalty, love, courage and healing power of our canine companions. Each page in this book rejoices in the wonderful and poignant moments we share with our furry friends and the lessons of love they teach us each and every day. 

I love reading stories about animals.  And I've read a few Chicken Soup for the Soul books over the years.

This is a cute quick read.  There are ten short stories about people and their dogs.  Plus there pictures of dogs throughout the book.

Book ~ "Everyday Hockey Heroes, Volume II: More Inspiring Stories About Our Great Game" (2020) Bob McKenzie and Jim Lang

From Goodreads ~ In this uplifting and entertaining volume of stories, Canadian broadcasters Bob McKenzie and Jim Lang bring together hockey players, coaches and refs, as well as those behind the bench - the parents, scouts, analysts, and agents - to tell us, in their own voices, why they love the game and how they’re shaping its future.

Meet Dallas Stars’ winger Andrew Cogliano, who captivated the hockey world by playing 830 consecutive games, despite various injuries, and hear how hockey and his parents instilled in him the strong work ethic that made his streak possible. Learn about how Jeremy Rupke found his passion and created the popular website, How To Hockey, to help young hockey hopefuls who might not have money for professional lessons develop their on-ice skills and give them the confidence to achieve their dreams off the ice. Read about players like Jack Jablonski, who didn’t let a life-changing spinal cord injury at age sixteen stop him from being a part of the game, and is now using his experience to raise awareness and funds for spinal cord injury research. From LGBTQ players like Jessica Platt who are breaking down barriers to the women such as Danièle Sauvageau who are breaking glass ceilings as coaches, refs, agents, and analysts, these are the everyday heroes who are using hockey to inspire change.

Featuring incredible stories of comebacks, milestones, and friendship, "Everyday Hockey Heroes, Volume II" highlights the very best of hockey: the power it has to unite us to be the best we can be - for ourselves and for others. 

I'm not a big fan of hockey but I do like reading stories about real people and that's why this book caught my eye.

This book is a collection of stories about people connected to hockey and some are Canadian ... hockey players, wannabe hockey players, a gay hockey player, a trans hockey player, scouts, referees, statisticians, agents and more.

Though I'd never heard of anyone discussed in this book, I found the stories inspirational.  I liked the writing style and found there was just enough enough information.  Social media accounts were listed after the stories and I sometimes checked out the Instagram accounts.

Hockey fans will enjoy this book.  Non-fans (like me) will also like this book and it deals with real people.

Book ~ "Without a Brew" (2020) Ellie Alexander

From Goodreads ~ It's winter in the Bavarian village of Leavenworth, Washington, which for local brewmaster Sloan Krause means lots of layers, pine and citrus-flavored craft beers, and getting the new guest rooms at Nitro into pristine condition before visitors flood in for IceFest - a local tradition filled with fireworks, ice carving, and winter games of all varieties. But Sloan and her boss Garrett quickly learn that being brewkeepers turned innkeepers may not be as idyllic as it sounded. 

While one couple staying with them seems completely smitten, a flashy group arrives in the evening demanding rooms. Sloan and Garrett are less than impressed but agree to rent to them anyway. The night takes a turn when brewery patron Liv Paxton finishes her frothy pint and, with no previous plan for an overnight stay in Leavenworth, eagerly takes Sloan up on the offer of sanctuary from the snow - until she has a strange run in with some locals and the other guests. Sloan could be imagining things but when Liv's room is found trashed the next morning, a hateful message painted on her car and Liv herself is nowhere to be found, Sloan is convinced another mystery is brewing. With many of the potential suspects hunkering down under Nitro's roof, she knows her co-workers and friends won't be safe until she serves up the killer a hoppy pint of justice. 

I like beer and I like mysteries so that's why this series has caught my eye.

Sloan had recently discovered her husband, Mac, had cheated.  She was working for his family's brewery and got another job working with Garrett in his new microbrewery/pub, Nitro.  Sloan is enjoying working with Garrett in his smaller business as it gives her a more hands-on opportunity to create interesting craft beers with him.

It's a busy weekend in Leavenworth.  Garrett had been considering opening up some rooms to rent out as a B 'n B and because of a shortage of hotel rooms in the village, goes ahead at the last minute.  There is a couple celebrating their anniversary, two couples who arrived together, and a woman named Liv who gets the last room.  Liv causes a bit of a stir when she arrives at the pub that night but causes even more when she is found drowned the next morning.  There are a few people who could have killed her.

In the meantime, Sloan is ready to move forward with her life.  Though Mac is trying to woo her back, she knows they are done.  But she wants to make sure that their teenage son isn't caught in the middle.  She has her eye on a cottage in the village and is considering buying it so she doesn't have to worry about the upkeep of the house she and Mac shared that is a short drive from the village.

Sloan grew up in foster care and she is starting to delve more and more into what happened.  She has always been close to her mother- and father-in-law but she recently discovered that they know more about her past than they've let on ... and they may be secrets of their own that they have been trying to keep hidden.

This is the fourth in the Sloan Krause Series by this author and I liked it.  I've read the first three and this works as a stand alone (there is enough background provided).  It's written in first person perspective in Sloan's voice.  There is a lot of talk about beer (which I found interesting) and there are also explanations about what was being talked about (what hops are and the varieties, for example).  It was a quick light read and is a "cozy mystery" so there is no swearing, violence or adult activity.  I look forward to reading others in this series.

Other than murders, Leavenworth sounds like a fun place to visit!

Book ~ "Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family" (2020) Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand

From Goodreads ~ The first, epic and true story of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s life together, finally revealing why they chose to pursue a more independent path and the reasons behind their unprecedented decision to step away from their royal lives, from two top royal reporters who have been behind the scenes since the couple first met. "Finding Freedom" is complete with full color photographs from Harry and Meghan’s courtship, wedding, Archie’s milestones, and many more unforgettable moments. 

For the first time, "Finding Freedom" goes beyond the headlines to reveal unknown details of Harry and Meghan's life together, dispelling the many rumors and misconceptions that plague the couple on both sides of the pond. As members of the select group of reporters that cover the British Royal Family and their engagements, Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand have witnessed the young couple's lives as few outsiders can. 

This book is about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.  It gives the background on who they were before they met, how they met, their courtship, their marriage, the birth of their son and their break from the royal family to move to California.

I like reading bios/autobios and I find this couple interesting.  They come from such different backgrounds and managed to find each other.  It was interesting to get the scoop on what dating each other involved with all the secrecy.  And once their relationship was out in the open, what they had to deal with ... racism, her crazy father and siblings, etc.  It's great that they have the support of Meghan's mother (they have always been close) and each other.  It sounds like even Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles approve, though there is tension between Prince William and Kate.

I found it to be an interesting read and there are lots of pictures at the end.  It's hard to say how much is true or not as there as there are many anonymous "sources" but I would suspect that much of it is true.  It will be interesting to see what they will do with their lives going forward on their own.

Book ~ "American Dirt" (2020) Jeanine Cummins

From Goodreads ~ También de este lado hay sueños. On this side, too, there are dreams. 

Lydia Quixano Pérez lives in the Mexican city of Acapulco. She runs a bookstore. She has a son, Luca, the love of her life, and a wonderful husband who is a journalist. And while there are cracks beginning to show in Acapulco because of the drug cartels, her life is, by and large, fairly comfortable. 

Even though she knows they’ll never sell, Lydia stocks some of her all-time favorite books in her store. And then one day a man enters the shop to browse and comes up to the register with a few books he would like to buy - two of them her favorites. Javier is erudite. He is charming. And, unbeknownst to Lydia, he is the jefe of the newest drug cartel that has gruesomely taken over the city. When Lydia’s husband’s tell-all profile of Javier is published, none of their lives will ever be the same.  

Forced to flee, Lydia and eight-year-old Luca soon find themselves miles and worlds away from their comfortable middle-class existence. Instantly transformed into migrants, Lydia and Luca ride la bestia - trains that make their way north toward the United States, which is the only place Javier’s reach doesn’t extend. As they join the countless people trying to reach el norte, Lydia soon sees that everyone is running from something. But what exactly are they running to?

Lydia owns a bookstore in Acapulco.  She mostly stocks books people will actually buy but she also has some of her favourites which are obscure.  Javier stops in the bookstore one day and buys those books ... and so begins their friendship.  He has made it obvious that he would like more but she makes sure he knows that's not going to happen.  Sebastián, Lydia's husband, is a reporter and has been writing newspaper stories about the cartels.  Even when Lydia realizes that Javier is the head of a cartel and confronts him about it, she still can't completely turn her back on him.  

The last story Sebastián writes exposes Javier as the head of his cartel.  In retaliation, Javier has his men go kill sixteen members of Lydia's family during a party.  She and Luca, her eight-year-old son, escape and start making their way to safety in the United States with a just couple of knapsacks and a bit of money.  It's not an easy journey and Lydia and Luca (and the people hook up with) see and experience more than they ever thought possible.  Plus Lydia is always looking over her shoulder to keep ahead of Javier because he could have men anywhere.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I thought it was okay.  It is written in third person perspective with a focus on many characters (it depends on where the action is) but it felt like first person perspective at times because the book tells what the characters are thinking and remember.  It took me a bit to get used to this style of writing and I found I didn't read as quickly as I usually do.  I don't know how much of the story is true-to-life but it is intense (I hope it's not as bad as the author described through Lydia and Luca's travels).  As a head's up, there is swearing and violence.

Book ~ "Bending the Paw" (2020) Diane Kelly

From Goodreads ~ A bloodbath is a shocking new challenge for Megan and Brigit when Detective Audrey Jackson calls them to the scene of what could only be a brutal murder. But the one thing the nightmarish scene is missing is a victim. The frantic homeowner’s husband is gone, seemingly without a trace - and so is the money he was holding. Has a vicious killer committed what might just be the perfect crime? 

Meanwhile, it’s hailing cats and dogs all over Fort Worth, and roofing contractors have descended on the city in droves. With plenty of damage and continuing storms, work delays are building up like so much runoff but Megan is suspicious that one roofer may be a scam artist. Determined to leash every lawbreaker she and her K-9 partner find, Megan is building a case for prosecution, all while Brigit has her nose to the ground for a murderer.

Megan is a police officer in Fort Worth, Texas.  Her partner is Brigit, a German Shepherd.  Megan has aspirations of becoming a detective and is being mentored by Detective Jackson.  Jackson has been called to the scene of a potential kidnapping and/or murder and invites Megan along.  A wife arrives home to find her kitchen awash with blood and her husband is missing.  Blood tests show that it's the husband's blood and his car, also full of blood, is eventually found, but there's no body.  The couple seem to have had a great relationship so it's puzzling as to who would kill the husband and why.

A roofer is taking money from new clients but isn't doing the work.  He is blaming the rest of his crew and a shortage of supplies and Megan isn't sure if he's telling the truth or if he's a scam artist.

This is the ninth in the Paw Enforcement series (I've read them all) but can work as a stand alone and you don't have to read the others to know what's going on (there is enough background provided).

I liked the writing style ... it was amusing at times.  It is written in first person perspective from Megan's point of view and third person perspective from Brigit's point of view (which is funny) and the Slasher's perspective (the chapters alternate and are labeled).

I like Megan.  She's gotten more confident and ambitious as time goes on.  Brigit's funny and likeable and it's fun to get into her head.  Though she is a trained police dog, she can be naughty when she wants to be (like figuring out how to open a cupboard that has been child-proofed and eating a box of Megan's crackers).

Books ~ "Saving Tiberius" (2020) Gordon K. Jones

From Goodreads ~ Morgan Watson has a problem. When word leaked that his cat, Tiberius, miraculously cured itself of diabetes and may hold the key to a cure, he is attacked in his home and almost killed in a bloody fight. 

Paula Rogers, a strong-willed dedicated police officer, has put herself in the line of fire protecting them, and for the first time is stretching the rules and hiding facts from her superiors. 

The two fiercely independent people find their romantic feelings for each other grow as they search to find who is behind the brutal attempts to get Tiberius before they find themselves intertwined with the growing list of dead bodies. 

Morgan works in an office and lives alone with his cat, Tiberius, who had had feline diabetes but seems to have miraculously cured itself of it.  Morgan comes home one evening and finds two men in his apartment, trying to kidnap Tiberius.  They have been hired to bring Tiberius to a man whose only goal is to profit financially from the cure and Tiberius' certain death.  Morgan is able to fend them off but is shaken.  He contacts the police and Paula, an officer, investigates.  There are more threats on Morgan and Tiberius' lives and Morgan and Paula race against time to do all they can to protect Tiberius and stop whoever is trying to kill him.

This book will appeal to readers of crime fiction and cat lovers (like me!).  It is written in third person perspective with the focus on wherever the action.  I liked the writing style and it moved along at a fast pace.  It's got a bit of everything ... suspense, romance, action and a cat!  What more could you want?!  As a head's up, there is violence and adult activity.

Book ~ "Silent Bite" (2020) David Rosenfelt

From Goodreads ~ Lawyer Andy Carpenter can finally take a breath; he’s back on dry land after a family Caribbean cruise forced on him by his wife, Laurie, to get into the Christmas spirit. Of course, the family’s first stop is to the Tara Foundation, the dog rescue organization that has always been Andy’s true passion. 

But when Andy arrives, his partner, Willie Miller, needs his help. Willie’s old cellmate, Tony Birch, has been arrested for murder. Andy doesn’t necessarily believe in Tony but Willie does. And Andy believes in Willie, which is why Andy decides to take the case.

Andy is a criminal defense lawyer who doesn't want any clients.  Because of the money his father left him and some lucrative cases, he is able to not work and spend his time with his friend, Willie, running the Tara Foundation, a dog rescue that he and Willie formed.  He is married to Laurie, they have a young son, Ricky, and he is enjoying his life.  He love love loves their dog, Tara, and thinks she's the best dog in the world.  They also has another less lively dog named Sebastian, who he also loves.

Andy and his family just got home from a cruise, which Andy hated.  He stops in to see Willie who tells him about a friend of his, Tony, who has been arrested for murder.  Willie doesn't think Tony did it and wants Andy to be his lawyer.  Andy wants to be retired lawyer and agrees to meet Tony.  Because Willie is Andy's friend and Tony has a dog, Andy begrudgedly takes the case.

Tony has a past.  He is a former gang member and had spent time in prison for involuntary manslaughter.  When Tony got out, he turned his life around and became a mechanic, eventually buying the garage where he worked.  One of his former gang "colleagues" had testified in court during the manslaughter trial and Tony had sworn in court he would kill him.  He is now being charged with the recent murder of this man plus another colleague.  Plus it didn't help that he has no alibi for the nights of the two murders and the murder weapon was found buried in Tony's backyard.

This is the 22nd in the Andy Carpenter series (I've read them all).  I enjoyed this book and am enjoying this series.  I find with most series that by the time an author has come this far, the series isn't very good and the author is pounding out the books just to get a paycheque.  That's not the case with this series ... the author is able to keep this series fresh and fun.

Even though it is part of a series, it works as a stand alone (so you don't need to have read the ones before it to know what is going on).  I like the writing style as it was funny, sarcastic and amusing.  It was written mostly in first person perspective in Andy's voice but is sometimes in third person perspective when the focus is on other people.

I like Andy ... I think he would be a hoot to be around and he's quite generous with his time and money (his two best friends continue to take advantage of his tab at their favourite bar).  Part of Andy's team is the K-Team (Laurie, a former police officer and now an investigator; Marcus, an investigator with "persuasive" reasoning skills; Cory, a former police officer; and Simon Garfunkel, Cory's former canine partner).  Sam is his accountant who is also a computer hack who wants to be part of the action and he has a new associate named Eddie who is a former football player.  Edna is his secretary who, like Andy, would rather he not take on any cases and she likes getting paid to do nothing.