Book ~ "Boiled Over" (2014) Barbara Ross

From Goodreads ~ For Julia Snowden, the Founder’s Day summer celebration in Busman’s Harbor, Maine, means helping her family’s clambake company to prepare an authentic taste of New England seafood. Any Mainer will tell you that a real clambake needs wood for the fire ... so why is there a foot sticking out of the oven? 

The townspeople want to pin the murder of the RV park owner on Cabe Stone, a new employee of the Snowden Family Clambake Company, who bolted from the crime scene and disappeared. 

Julia knows having another murder associated with her family’s business is a recipe for disaster ... but who is the killer? Cooking up a proper investigation doesn’t leave much time for the rest of Julia’s life, and this is one killer who’ll do anything to stop her from digging up clues.

In the spring, Julia had returned from New York to her hometown of Busman’s Harbor, Maine, to help save her family’s struggling clambake business. The town’s annual Founder's Day celebration is in full swing, with fireworks, food and lots of tourists. Julia’s family clambake has a booth at the festival but things go downhill when a body is discovered in the fire pit used for cooking clams. Even worse, the prime suspect is Cabe Stone, one of Julia’s summer employees. 

Cabe is a young drifter with a troubled past who had found stability working for the Snowdens. Julia believes Cabe is innocent and, determined to clear his name (and protect her family’s reputation), she starts investigating. As she digs, she uncovers secrets in the small town, which she hopes gets her closer to finding the killer.

This story was written in first person perspective in Julia's voice. It's a cozy mystery so there is no swearing, violence or adult activity (just brief references that it had happened). There were lots of characters to keep track of so at times I had to stop and remember who was who. I was okay with the whodunnit. At the end of the book, there are recipes that were mentioned during the story like lobster deviled eggs and blueberry pancakes.

This is the second (of 12) in the Maine Clambake Mystery series. I read the first one last week and liked this one better so I'll keep moving through the series.

Book ~ "Don't Try to Find Me" (2014) Holly Brown

From Goodreads ~ Don't try to find me. Though the message on the kitchen white board is written in Marley's hand, her mother Rachel knows there has to be some other explanation. Marley would never run away.

As the days pass and it sinks in that the impossible has occurred, Rachel and her husband, Paul, are informed that the police have "limited resources." If they want their 14-year-old daughter back, they will have to find her themselves. Desperation becomes determination when Paul turns to Facebook and Twitter and launches FindMarley.com.

But Marley isn't the only one with secrets.

With public exposure comes scrutiny and when Rachel blows a television interview, the dirty speculation begins. Now the blogosphere is convinced Rachel is hiding something. It's not what they think; Rachel would never hurt Marley. Not intentionally anyway. But when it's discovered that she's lied, even to the police, the devoted mother becomes a suspect in Marley's disappearance.

Is Marley out there somewhere, watching it all happen, or is the truth something far worse?

Fourteen-year-old Marley disappears one day, leaving her iPhone behind and a note on a whiteboard saying, “Don’t try to find me.” Her parents are shocked, especially Rachel, her mom, and Paul, her father, starts a huge online campaign to bring Marley back. But as her parents goes public, cracks start to show in their seemingly perfect life and and it becomes obvious Rachel has been hiding things.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I thought it was okay, not great. It is written in first personal perspective jumping back and forth in Rachel’s and Marley’s voices and different timelines (the chapters are labeled). As the story progresses, we eventually discover why Marley ran away and the ramifications of her decision. The police don't seem overly effective or interested in finding Marley and I found it unbelievable that Paul's online campaign was more instrumental than them. Why wasn't there an amber alert issued right away? I didn't find any of the characters overly likeable. As a head's up, there is swearing and teenage "adult" activity.

Book ~ "As Close As Sisters" (2014) Colleen Faulkner

From Goodreads ~ Since the age of twelve, McKenzie Arnold has spent every summer at Albany Beach, Delaware, with her best friends Aurora, Janine and Lilly. The seaside house teems with thirty years of memories - some wonderful, others painful - and secrets never divulged beyond its walls. This summer may be the last they spend together, as Janine contemplates selling her family cottage. 

For now, all four enjoy morning beach walks and lazy evenings on the porch, celebrating Lilly's longed-for pregnancy and offering support during McKenzie's greatest crisis. It's a time for laughter and recriminations, a time to forge a new understanding of a long-ago night when Aurora sealed their bond with one devastating act. And as the days gradually shorten, events will unfold in ways that none of them could have predicted, to make this the most momentous summer of all.

Aurora, Janine, Lilly and McKenzie are in their early 40s and have been best friends since they were 12. Aurora is single and a successful but unhappy artist; Janine is a gay police officer; Lilly is married and pregnant with her first child; and McKenzie is divorced, with teenage twin daughters and has terminal cancer. 

Every summer the four spend a month at Janine's family cottage on the beach and this will probably be the last one the four will be there together. Since it's the only time the cottage is used, Janine is thinking about selling it. As the friends enjoy their time together, they deal with tragic events from the past along with coming to terms with having to say good-bye to McKenzie.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I thought it was okay. Because the friends are dealing with McKenzie's cancer, it is a bit of a downer at times (though McKenzie usually deals with her cancer with humour) and some of the backstories were a bit extreme. It is written in first person perspective in each of the friends' voices (the chapters are labeled). I wasn't crazy with the ending and would have liked it to have ended differently for one of the friends. As a head's up, there is swearing.

Book ~ "The Story of Us" (2014) Dani Atkins

From Goodreads ~ Emma Marshall can't wait to marry her childhood sweetheart, Richard. But then a tragic accident changes everything, and introduces a stranger, Jack, into her life. Gorgeous and mysterious, Jack is like no one Emma has met before. But Richard is the man she loves.

Two different men.

Two different destinies.

How will Emma end her story?

Emma is engaged to marry Richard in a couple weeks. As Emma and her two best friends, Caroline and Amy, are driving home from her bachelorette party with a sober Caroline at the wheel, they get into an accident. Jack, an American writer who is living in England for a few months, happens to come along and helps them before the car explodes. Unfortunately Amy doesn't survive the accident which obviously postpones the wedding. Emma and Jack are drawn to each other and become even closer after Emma learns a heartbreaking thing about Richard.

I thought this story was okay. I found it was a bit draggy and the writing could have been tighter. It is written in first person perspective from Emma's point of view. I found the last chapter a bit confusing so had to read it a few times to realize how it ended. As a head's up, there is swearing and adult activity.

Book ~ "Zipper" (2014) Ellen Miles

From Goodreads ~ Charles and Lizzie Peterson love puppies. Their family fosters these young dogs, giving them love and proper care, until they can find the perfect forever home.

Lizzie meets this sweet, athletic hound mix during another wintertime visit to Vermont, where her family met and fostered Bear.

Lizzie is in elementary school. Her family, the Petersons, have a puppy named Buddy plus they foster dogs and help them find homes.

Lizzie is going away for a winter getaway with her friend, Maria, and Maria's parents. Along the way, the car lands in a snowy ditch and Zipper, a Eurohound puppy, finds them. Zipper is Dillon's dog ... Dillon is a skijorer and was out training when Zipper got away from him. He asks them if they will take care of Zipper for a couple days while he trains for his upcoming race (they are staying at his uncle and aunt's cabin). Of course, Lizzie says yes. Unfortunately Zipper will never be a skijoring dog because he just too curious so Dillon must find a home for him.

Though this book is a quick read and directed at elementary-aged children, I found it entertaining. There is a learning experience and a puppy tip at the end. It is written in third person perspective and first person from Zipper's point of view. It is the thirty-fourth in the Puppy Place series, which currently has 66 books in the series, and works as a stand alone.

Book ~ "Cooper" (2014) Ellen Miles

From Goodreads ~ While rehearsing for a play, Charles meets Cooper, a corgi with a whole lot of personality. Charles only feels comfortable onstage with Cooper there with him. 

Can Charles find this star of a pup a home?

Charles and his older sister, Lizzie, are in elementary school. The Peterson family have a puppy named Buddy plus they foster dogs and help them find homes.

Charles' mom signs him up to be in a play and he doesn't want to do it ... but he has no choice. He is nervous and forgetting is lines. Mrs. Davis, the music director, shows up during one of the rehearsals with a rescue corgi puppy named Cooper. Charles takes to Cooper right away and Petersons foster him. The play's director notices that having Cooper near makes Charles more comfortable and he's written into the play.

Though this book is a quick read and directed at elementary-aged children, I found it entertaining. There is a learning experience and a puppy tip at the end. It is written in third person perspective and first person from Cooper's point of view. It is the thirty-fifth in the Puppy Place series, which currently has 66 books in the series, and works as a stand alone.

Book ~ "Liberty" (2014) Ellen Miles

From Goodreads ~ Charles and Lizzie Peterson love puppies. Their family fosters these young dogs, giving them love and proper care, until they can find the perfect forever home. 

Lizzie and her family go to the beach for a July 4th weekend trip. Liberty, a golden retriever puppy, gets spooked by the fireworks display and loses her owners. Can the Petersons find her home, even while they are on vacation?

Lizzie, and her younger brother, Charles, are in elementary school. The Peterson family have a puppy named Buddy plus they foster dogs and help them find homes.

The Petersons are on vacation with family and are renting a cabin near the beach. There are fireworks one night and everyone is there to watch. Suddenly a golden retriever puppy is running loose and Lizzie eventually catches her. According to the tag on her collar, her name is Liberty. Lizzie's dad calls the phone number on the tag and leaves voice mail messages and the family makes and posts signs. A couple days go by with no response from Liberty's owner(s).

Though this book is a quick read and directed at elementary-aged children, I found it entertaining. There is a learning experience and a puppy tip at the end. It is written in third person perspective and first person from Liberty's point of view. It is the thirty-second in the Puppy Place series, which currently has 66 books in the series, and works as a stand alone.

Book ~ "Gizmo" (2014) Ellen Miles

From Goodreads ~ Charles and Lizzie Peterson love puppies. Their family fosters these young dogs, giving them love and proper care, until they can find the perfect forever home.

After taking in Gizmo, a Sheltie puppy, the Peterson's quickly learn that this little guy is full of zest. This energetic puppy needs something to do, besides destroying everything in Charles and Lizzie's house.

Charles and his older sister, Lizzie, are in elementary school. The Peterson family have a puppy named Buddy plus they foster dogs and help them find homes.

Charles and his mom meet a mother of young twins who is pregnant with triplets. The family has a Sheltie puppy named Gizmo who is a cute bundle of energy. The mother has errands to run and Charles' mom offers to take care Gizmo for the day. Later, knowing the Petersons foster dogs and find them homes, the mother asks if they could do the same for Gizmo. Gizmo loves running and jumping so the family wonders if Gizmo would be interested in agility training that is being taught at their aunt's doggy daycare. It doesn't go as planned but both Charles and Gizmo learn the same important lesson.

Though this book is a quick read and directed at elementary-aged children, I found it entertaining. There is a learning experience and a puppy tip at the end. It is written in third person perspective and first person from Gizmo's point of view. It is the thirty-third in the Puppy Place series, which currently has 66 books in the series, and works as a stand alone.

Book ~ "The Butcher" (2014) Jennifer Hillier

From Goodreads ~ A rash of grisly serial murders plagued Seattle until the infamous "Beacon Hill Butcher" was finally hunted down and killed by police chief Edward Shank in 1985. Now, some thirty years later, Shank, retired and widowed, is giving up his large rambling Victorian house to his grandson Matt, whom he helped raise.

Settling back into his childhood home and doing some renovations in the backyard to make the house feel like his own, Matt, a young up-and-coming chef and restaurateur, stumbles upon a locked crate he’s never seen before. Curious he picks the padlock and makes a discovery so gruesome it will forever haunt him. Faced with this deep dark family secret, Matt must decide whether to keep what he knows buried in the past, go to the police, or take matters into his own hands.

Meanwhile Matt’s girlfriend, Sam, has always suspected that her mother was murdered by the Beacon Hill Butcher - two years after the supposed Butcher was gunned down. As she pursues leads that will prove her right, Sam heads right into the path of Matt’s terrible secret.

Shortly after his wife passes away, Edward decides their house is too much for him and moves into a retirement community. He gives the house to his grandson, Matt, who he and his wife had raised after Matt's mother had died when he was a baby. Matt is grateful to get the house he grew up in. He is a chef and has recently become locally famous. He's under a lot of pressure running the food trucks and restaurant; plus a food channel wants to do a reality show with him. So financially this one less thing for him to worry about. Sam, his girlfriend of three years, expects him to ask her to move in with him and is disappointed when he doesn't.

Sam is an author of true crime books. She is currently writing one about "The Butcher", a violent murderer who was killed in 1985 by the then police chief, Edward. Sam's mother was murdered two years later when she was a baby in the same manner so she's always suspected they never really caught the real murderer. Using Edward as guidance, she has been researching who could be the real killer for her book but more importantly for her own piece of mind.

During renovations, a crate was found buried in Matt's backyard. He is shocked when he discovers what's inside but doesn't know what to do about it. The longer he keeps quiet, though, the more stressed and out of control he becomes.

This is the second book I've read by this author and I liked it.  I liked the writing style and found the story interesting.  I look forward to reading other books by this author.  It is written in third person perspective with a focus on Matt, Sam, Edward and the Butcher. As a head's up, there is swearing and violence.

Book ~ "The Wolfe Widow" (2014) Victoria Abbott

From Goodreads ~ As Thanksgiving approaches, Jordan Bingham is grateful for her job researching rare books for Vera Van Alst, the infamous curmudgeon of Harrison Falls, New York. But when an uninvited guest makes an appearance, much more than dinner is disrupted - and Jordan is thankful just to be alive.

Vera Van Alst doesn’t normally receive visitors without appointment but she agrees to see the imperious Muriel Delgado upon arrival. Shortly thereafter, Jordan is told that her position is being terminated. Evicted from the Van Alst House, Jordan is determined to find out what hold Muriel has over her erstwhile employer.

It seems Muriel has designs on Vera’s money and property - not to mention a particular interest in her collection of Nero Wolfe first editions. When Jordan discovers a deadly connection between Muriel and the Van Alst family, it’s up to her to put the house in order and stop a killer from going back to press.

Jordan has a job buying and reselling books for an older crusty recluse, Vera Van Alst ... she enjoys her job and the cute apartment in Vera's house that comes with it.  One night a stranger named Muriel Delgado shows up at the door and the next day Jordan is abruptly fired.  She wants to know why and starts investigating who Muriel is and how she has such a hold on Vera.  When Jordan is involved in a hit and run, she is even more determined to find out what's going on.

I wasn't crazy about this one.  Jordan doesn't have a lot of friends and it was weird and unbelievable that she wasn't able to reach the few that she has so had to depend on her not-so-smart Uncle Kevin (who works for Vera) and acquaintances.  There was a lot talk about characters from what I'm assuming are Nero Wolfe's books ... I didn't know who they were so that was dead space for me and I skipped over these references.  The ending was convoluted and must tie into a plot from a Nero Wolfe book.

Though this is the third in the Book Collector Mystery series, it works as a stand alone.  It is written in first person perspective in Jordan's voice.  As it's a cozy mystery (so there is no swearing, violence or adult activity), it was a quick easy read.  There are recipes at the end.  

Book ~ "After I Do" (2014) Taylor Jenkins Reid

From Goodreads ~ When Lauren and Ryan’s marriage reaches the breaking point, they come up with an unconventional plan. They decide to take a year off in the hopes of finding a way to fall in love again. One year apart, and only one rule: they cannot contact each other. Aside from that, anything goes.

Lauren embarks on a journey of self-discovery, quickly finding that her friends and family have their own ideas about the meaning of marriage. These influences, as well as her own healing process and the challenges of living apart from Ryan, begin to change Lauren’s ideas about monogamy and marriage. She starts to question: When you can have romance without loyalty and commitment without marriage, when love and lust are no longer tied together, what do you value? What are you willing to fight for?

Lauren and Ryan have been together since they were 19.  Eleven years later, they have been married for six years and aren't happy together anymore.  They decide to take a year apart from each other to have some space and grow and see if they can come back together more happily and healthily.  Lauren will keep the house and their dog.  They agree that there will be no contact with each other at all.

It takes Lauren a while to get used to being alone and she realizes how much of her life Ryan was a part of (both good and bad) ... she's close with her family and a work colleague but that seems to be it.  It's a few months before she lets her family, who loves Ryan as one of their own, know that she and Ryan have split up.  After she discovers Ryan has moved on, she tries to do the same.

I thought this story was okay.  It's written in first person perspective in Lauren's voice.  For the most part, I liked the characters.  With the grandmother saying for years she has cancer, I wondered about her mental capacity but no one seemed concerned.  It was a surprise when she actually had it together to give Lauren advice, which I found to be a weird conflict.  As a head's up, there is swearing and adult activity.

Book ~ "Underwater Puppies" (2014) Seth Casteel

From Goodreads ~ The world fell in love with swimming canines in Seth Casteel's first book, Underwater Dogs. Now, in more than 80 previously unpublished portraits of underwater puppies, we see man's best friends at their most playful and exuberant. Each vibrant and colorful underwater image shows off the wild and sublime range of emotions of puppies, cute and irresistible to the very last.

I like puppies ... I like pictures ... I like pictures of puppies so this book caught my eye.

Casteel photographed more than 250 dogs for his book Underwater Dogs, most of whom had never been underwater before or even been swimming.  In this book, he focused on puppies in water.

It was important to Casteel to feature adoptable and adopted puppies in this book to remind people that adopting a rescue puppy is a fantastic option when bringing a puppy into your life.  The puppies photographed in the book were ages six weeks to six months when he swam with them.  Though puppies apparently know how to swim even at just a few weeks old, each one received swimming lessons to help them prepare for this book.  The puppies were cute and looked like they were having fun.  

It's a quick read as it's just pictures, both full colour and black and white ... but it was a fun book.

Book ~ "Without Warning" (2014) David Rosenfelt

From Goodreads ~ Years ago, Katie Sanford's husband was convicted of the murder of Jenny Robbins, then died himself in prison. It's a small town and memories are long and Katie and Jenny's husband, Chief of Police Jake Robbins, have had to work at putting the tragedy behind them. But it's all brought up again in the wake of a hurricane which has just wreaked havoc on their quiet Maine town. 

Since its founding, Wilton has had a quaint tradition of creating a time capsule every fifty years and the storm unearthed the most recent capsule. As the editor of the local paper, Katie joins Chief Robbins to supervise its opening. Neither of them is prepared for the macabre set of predictions, dating back to months before Jenny's murder, that they find inside. Someone predicted her death, as well as eleven other tragedies, which are still occurring even long after the death of Katie's husband. 

At last, after all these years, Katie has reason to hope that her husband might not have been guilty of Jenny's murder after all. But as she and Jake race to stop the next predictions from coming true, they find themselves caught in a terrifying mind game with no rules ... and life or death consequences.

Wilton is a small town and every 50 years a time capsule is buried.  A hurricane comes through the town and disrupts the time capsule that was buried there about four years ago and a body is found with it.  Jake is the chief of police and wants to get into the time capsule to see if there is anything funky inside it.  Kate is the editor of the local paper and is on hand when it's opened.  Inside are some predictions ... some have already happened (such as the murders of Kate and Jake's spouses, which happened after their deaths) and some, it's assumed, are still to come and Jake wants to make sure they don't, especially when all eyes turn to him as the killer.

I've read many books by this author, mostly his Andy Carpenter series which I enjoy, and this is a stand alone.  I like the writing style and it is written in first person perspective in Jake's voice and third person perspective when the focus is on others.  I thought the "whodunnit" was a bit convoluted, though, and found it unbelievable that the "whodunnit" was able to make it all happen.

Book ~ "Up, Down, All-Around Stitch Dictionary" (2014) Wendy Bernard

From Goodreads ~ Stitch dictionaries are to knitters what Webster’s is to a writer. 

Within the pages of these inspiring reference books are the endless variations of knit and purl stitches that produce the fabrics of all knitting. But in the "Up, Down, All-Around Stitch Dictionary", designer Wendy Bernard does something no other author has done before - she presents instructions for working 150 popular stitch patterns four different ways: top down, bottom up, back and forth and in the round. 

This hefty collection, ranging from lace and cables to colorwork and fancy edgings, is loaded with beautifully photographed swatches of each pattern, plus charted and text instructions. To showcase the stitch patterns in action, Bernard also includes instructions for eight garments as well as her famous formulas for knitting garments without a pattern. 

This is an invaluable go-to resource, sure to inspire legions of knitters to use stitch patterns in new and exciting ways.

I've been doing a lot of knitting in the last year or so making quick projects, mostly mittens and dishcloths.  This book caught my eye because I thought it would be fun to learn some different stitches and patterns.  I tried a few, making them as dishcloths as practice.  It was a fun way to learn and some I can see using as blankets, scarves, etc. someday.

There is a picture of each stitch (similar to my finished dishcloths), instructions if you are making it flat (so back and forth) or in the round (circular or double pointed needles) and some projects using some of the stitches.

The chapters include:

• An introduction on how to use the book and read the patterns
• Knits and purls
• Ribs
• Textured, slipped and fancy
• Yarnovers and eyelets
• Cables
• Lace
• Colourwork
• Hems and edgings
• Projects

I liked the way the book was laid out, with the stitches and accompanying pictures so I could see what it was supposed to look like.  The instructions were explained well.  Some stitches were easy and others were more complicated and it felt like quite the accomplishment when I finished them.

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 ~ "Death by Devil's Breath" (2014) Kylie Logan

From Goodreads ~ In Las Vegas, the stakes are high - and so is the Scoville scale. Maxie Pierce and the Chili Showdown are in town for a very heated contest devoted to judging the legendary and notorious-for-being-self-combustible Devil’s Breath chili. The guest judges are casino performers with a taste for chili and an eye for publicity. 

Maxie is already going mad organizing the event, dealing with her snide half sister, Sylvia, and trying to figure out her hothead of security, Nick. But when a local hack comedian drops dead in the middle of the Showdown, it isn’t the spicy dish - it’s poison. And Maxie is going to have to shuffle through a full deck of suspects to pick out the culprit.

Maxie's father sold spices in a travelling chili cook-off circuit and disappeared eight weeks ago.  Maxie and her half-sister, Sylvia, who she doesn't get along with (they have the same father), keep running the family business.  Now the the Chili Showdown is in Las Vegas.

Minor Las Vegas entertainers (a blind singer, a comedian and a magician) along with a wedding officiant are judges in the Devil's Breath chili contest ... the entertainers want the publicity because whoever sells the most tickets to their upcoming shows will be in attendance a couple days later for a large group wedding.  When the comedian is murdered during the contest, it could have been anyone who did it since no one liked him.  Despite being told to stay out of it by Nick, the Showdown's head of security, she still keeps at it.

Though this is the second in the Chili Cook-Off Mystery Series by this author, it works as a stand alone as there is enough background provided (I'd read the first one).  It is written in first person perspective in Maxie's voice.  I liked Maxie well enough, though I found that she jumped to conclusions as to "whodunnit" without a lot of evidence and doesn't seem to have any filters ... she speaks without thinking (she doesn't seem very mature).  Sylvia was too bitter and nasty and not likable at all.  It's a "cozy mystery" so there is no swearing, violence or adult activity.  I thought story and writing were okay and I liked it enough to read the next one in the series.

Book ~ "Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs" (2014) Henry Carroll

From Goodreads ~ Photography is now more popular than ever thanks to the rapid development of digital cameras. "Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs" is for this new wave of DSLR dabblers and users of compact system, and bridge cameras. It contains no graphs, no techie diagrams and no camera club jargon. Instead, it inspires readers through iconic images and playful copy packed with hands-on tips.

Split into five sections, the book covers composition, exposure, light, lenses, and seeing. Images taken by master photographers – including Henri Cartier-Bresson, Sebastião Salgado, Fay Godwin, and Martin Parr – serve to illustrate points and encourage readers to try out new ideas.

Today's aspiring photographers want immediacy and see photography as an affordable way of expressing themselves quickly and creatively. This book answers that need, teaching readers how to take photographs using professional techniques.

I take a lot of pictures with my phone and/or camera but it's been a while since I've taken photographs ... yes, there's a difference.  I like reading books about photography and using cameras.

This book is directed to beginners to give them a high level explanation of the different things they should know about their camera:

• Composition - framing, symmetry, getting close, leading lines, etc.
• Exposure - modes (program, shutter, aperture and manual), ISO, exposure compensation, etc.
• Light -  hard, soft, natural, artificial, etc.
• Lenses - wide angle, telephoto, prime, macro, etc.
• Seeing - dangers of perfection, a different point of view, etc.

While it is directed to beginners, I don't think there is enough information to fully educate a beginner.  But it lets them know that there is so much more to know so they can move on to read other books, websites, etc. and get out there and practice and figure it out for themselves.

Though I didn't learn anything new, it was a good reminder that I've gotten lazy.  I always shoot in "P" mode (program, which the author approves of) but it's been a while since I've shot in "A" (aperture) mode (I used to all the time).

Book ~ "The Corpse with the Emerald Thumb" (2014) Cathy Ace

From Goodreads ~ A dream vacation at a Mexican beach resort swiftly dissolves into a nightmare for criminologist and foodie Cait Morgan when her significant other, Bud Anderson, is wrongly arrested for the murder of the local florist, a gifted plantswoman.

With Bud’s freedom, and maybe even his life, at stake, Cait has to fight the clock to work out which member of the small Mexican community might have killed the respected florist and why. Investigating under the watchful gaze of the local police, Cait has to keep her relationship with Bud a secret and she soon discovers she’s not the only one with something to hide. Peeling back layers of deceit to reveal even more puzzles, Cait struggles with a creeping sense of unreality as she desperately tries to save Bud ... and ultimately, herself.

Cait is a middle-aged criminologist in Vancouver, BC, and has been dating Bud, a retired police officer, for almost a year.  They head off to Puerta Vallarta, Mexico, for their first ever vacation.  When they arrive at the resort, Bud heads out for supplies.  As Cait watches out the window, someone screams that the owner of the flower shop across the street has been murdered and Bud is found with his hands around the victim's slashed neck.

Bud is immediately arrested and put in jail.  Cait pretends that she doesn't know him and because of her background, is asked to help the local police prove that he did it.  This way she can prove that he didn't.  In addition, there is a serial killer on the loose and the local police chief suspects that it's Bud.  So much for their tropical vacation!

It is written in first person perspective in Cait's voice.  I liked that Cait wasn't perfect ... she was 48-years-old, shorter than average, overweight and smokes.

I thought it was unbelievable that Bud was arrested for the murder in the first place.  He was found with his hands around the victim's throat that had been slashed.  Everyone assumed that he had just slashed her throat and was now strangling her?!  My assumption would have been that he was trying to stop the bleeding but he didn't even try to explain.  Cait has an eidetic memory, which serves her well.  I found it odd when she went into a weird dream-like state to try to solve the murder.  The ending ("whodunnit") was a bit convoluted but entertaining.

This book is the third in the Cait Morgan mystery series (I've read and liked the first two) and I liked it.  Though part of a series, it works as a stand alone as there is enough background provided.  I look forward to reading the others in this series.

Book ~ "Alfie the Doorstep Cat" (2014) Rachel Wells

From Goodreads ~ Can a pet really change your life? 

Alfie is homeless, abandoned after his elderly owner passes away. But when he stumbles on to Edgar Road, Alfie knows he's found his new home. However, the street's residents don't agree - the last thing they need is another stray cat, and he is shooed away from many doorsteps. 

But as life throws its worst at the residents of Edgar Road, they soon realise how much they all need Alfie - a cat who brings hope to the darkest times, and who will always be a friend to those in need.

When Alfie's elderly owner passes away, her daughter and son-in-law plan on taking Alfie to a shelter.  Alfie has heard that shelters are not a good place for cats (he may be euthanized) so he decides to strike out on his own and find a new home.  But Alfie has been a well-cared for and well-loved cat so he's not sure what to do or where to go.

After wandering around for a long time, he ends up on Edgar Road, hungry and thin. Along the way, he had been given the advice by other cats to look for a family with children as he will have a good chance of being taken in. He finds a new home with Claire (a recent divorcée), Jonathan (who lost his job in Singapore and moved back to London,) a young Polish family with two children who recently moved to London and don't know anyone, and young couple who recently had a baby.   As Alfie spends time with his four new families (he splits his time with Claire and Jonathan at night and the families during the day), he discovers they are all sad and though it's time consuming and a lot of responsibility, it's up to him to make things right for them.

This is the first in Alfie series (there are currently five in the series) and I just discovered them this week.  It is written in first person perspective in Alfie's voice.  We can see the conversations he has with other cats.  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.

When I first started reading this book, I wasn't sure who the target audience was since it was about a cat.  I quickly realized that it's for an adult reader as it deals with more mature themes.  I liked the writing style.  As I said, it's in Alfie's voice and I kind of forgot that he was a cat because he has so many human qualities.

I look forward to reading the others in this series.

Book ~ "Fish! A remarkable way to boost morale and improve results" (2014) Stephen C. Lundin, Harry Paul and John Christensen

From Goodreads ~ Here's another management parable that draws its lesson from an unlikely source - this time it's the fun-loving fishmongers at Seattle's Pike Place Market. 

In "Fish!" the heroine, Mary Jane Ramirez, recently widowed and mother of two, is asked to engineer a turnaround of her company's troubled operations department, a group that authors Stephen Lundin, Harry Paul, and John Christensen describe as a "toxic energy dump." 

Most reasonable heads would cut their losses and move on. Why bother with this bunch of losers? But the authors don't make it so easy for Mary Jane. Instead, she's left to sort out this mess with the help of head fishmonger Lonnie.

I've read this book a couple times over the years ... the last time was in 2006.  Gord and I were talking about Pike Place Fish Market a couple days ago for some reason (he hadn't heard of it) and it inspired me to read the book again.

Mary Jane is a widow with two young children.  She recently got promoted to manage a department in the company she works for which is known as a toxic energy dump.  She can't afford to quit her job and her manager threatens to fire her and the team if they don't turn things around.

One day she wanders into the Pike Fish Market and sees how much fun the workers are having.  She is approached by Lonnie, one of the workers, who shares the principles, which are:

1. Choose your attitude
2. Play
3. Be present
4. Make their day

Though Mary Jane and Lonnie's story is a parable, they are good principles to live by.  Reading this book again reminded me of them.