September may be autumn in other parts of North America, but it was still hot out here in the desert. So, that meant, of course, holiday books were on the TBR pile. But first, a little self improvement.
Happier Hour by Cassie Holmes, Ph.D. Dr. Holmes presents a very readable self-help book designed to help people increase the amount of happy hours they have in their days and lives. First, she takes the reader through some simple exercises, like this one she tasked her undergraduates with. How many weekly Sunday dinner have you had with your parents/loved one? How many will you have this year? How many can you expect to have after you move out (assuming you stay in the area)? Throwing in some curveballs, like what happens if you take a job on the other side of the country and can only have Sunday dinner twice a year if you come back for vacation? Realizing you may only have a couple dozen more Sunday dinners with your parents for the rest of your life might make you prioritize it. The second half of the book is dedicated to an exploration of what do you have to do (how many hours per week at your job) vs. what you like to do, and how to create a schedule that prioritizes what makes you happy and what you want to do. Very readable, with simple discussions of concepts like hedonic adaptation. (library)
Create Your Own Cozy by Liz Marie Galvan. Ms. Galvan has written several books based on her blog (full disclosure, I'd never heard of her or her blog before I read this galley), and this book, like the others, is based on the same. I thought the book would be a decorating book, but it's much more than that. Ms. Galvan has monthly lists of things to do around your home (cleaning chores, for example), although they are more for those living in a temperate or northern climate, and there are only a few references to what those of us living elsewhere should do instead. People trying to organize their busy lives may find these monthly chore lists helpful. There are decorating tips, her personal philosophy and outlook on life, and one of the final chapters is a statement of how her belief in God underscores her life. To be honest, the book read as someone trying to make the leap to national-level fame and money a la the Magnolia House people (who, frankly I can't stand; sorry, fans, it's all too perfect). It's laid out nicely, the photographs are nice, with a brown/green/white cozy calm theme. I guess many people find these books aspirational. I find them sometimes condescending, sometimes irritating (money for someone to come clean my house once a month? I wish!), most often too perfect. My life isn't perfect and I prefer not to be reminded that it falls short of these idealized lives. But for those wanting to reorder their lives and in need of step by step guidance, her monthly lists and 100 themes are perfect. (Net Galley)
A Year of Crochet Stitches by Jill Wright and A Year of Knitting Stitches by Tabetha Hedrick I'm reviewing both these stitch guides together because they will be published simultaneously by the same publisher. Like the popular stitch a day page a day calendars, these books present 365 different stitches for the crafter seeking more options for their own designs. Nicely illustrated with color photos, neatly presented instructions, with some patterns at the end as well as general crocheting and knitting information. I didn't test any of the patterns, but I read through quite a few and tried to match them to the photos, to see if I saw any errors, and didn't find any on the days I spot checked. These would be perfect gifts for the crafter in your life. (Net Galley)
Our Maine by Adam Calhoun, Malcolm Hunter Jr., and Kent Redford I love a good travelogue, and I've been wanting to visit Maine for years (certain people went on vacation there without me). This paean to the Pine Tree State is written by three Mainers, and their love for the state winds through their writing, no matter the subject matter. The book begins with a physical description of Maine, its geography (yes, I loved this part, geography and geology nerd that I am), and then moves on to chapters on its estuaries, its rivers, it summits, its fauna and fauna--everything you could want to know about Maine. Some might find it dry, but I found it charming, and am now more determined than ever to find my way to Maine someday. And to learn that my beloved Gazetteers were created by a Mainer--what a wonderful tidbit to open he book with. (Net Galley)
Mrs. Claus and the Trouble with Turkeys by Liz Ireland Delightful and charming cozy mystery set at the North Pole. Amy Claus has told so many of the residents of Christmastown about the joy of the holiday of Thanksgiving that the elves, the people, the reindeer and everyone have decided to hold their own first Thanksgiving holiday. But Gobbler, the live turkey Amy imported from down below, disappears, and then, at a pre-holiday dinner, Elspeth Claus, her husband Nick's cousin, eats one of Amy's hors d'oeuvres--and drops dead. Did Mrs. Claus really poison someone? Of course not, but since she's the main suspect, she springs into action and suddenly finds herself not just trying to solve a murder and find her turkey, but facing unexpected dangers. This series was new to me, and I have to confess that I found it charming and delightful. I have no problem suspending disbelief--of course Santa's reindeer can talk, and of course the elves are not all good workshop minions, and naturally Santa has to have a family. What a funny, clever, and charming series. I am definitely going to hunt down the others in the series, because I want to read how Amy met Nick Claus in Oregon (he was on vacation), and how she reacted to finding out he was part of the Claus family. Highly recommended and perfect for this time of year. (Net Galley)
Murder on Mistletoe Lane by Clara McKenna Another post-Downton Abbey series. Ms. McKenna has penned a number of books in the Stella and Lyndy series, but this was the first I've read. American heiress Stella and her previously penniless husband, Lord Lyndy, are celebrating their first Christmas as a married couple in Edwardian England. Stella is missing some of the traditions from her old Kentucky home, and her snooty and cold mother-in-law is making her life difficult by pressing them to have a baby. Stella's in-laws invite an old family friend and his wife and son to celebrate the holidays at Morrington Hall. But the cook disappears, Stella is menaced by a stalker, and then murder occurs. Stella, with a little help from Lyndy and the local inspector, determines to solve the mystery before the holiday homicides pile up. The main flaw of the series is that Stella, and some of the people around her, act and speak as 2005-era upper crust England and not people living in 1905. Stella may have a car, but the passages where everyone assumes the cook could have disappeared by driving off were ridiculous---it took me one online query to learn that there only 15,000 cars on the road in England in 1905. Many of the people in the book would never have seen a car, much less driven in one. Stella is very modern in action, speech, and thought (insisting on riding in the Point-to-Point holiday horse race, for example). I cannot believe anyone would just come out and ask Stella when she was going to get pregnant, although I do believe her mother-in-law would hint at it (but a stranger? Nope.). Lyndy is a bit of a fop in the worst sense, and I struggled to understand why Stella is so in love with him; perhaps he's drawn better in previous books in the series. I want my historical novels to take me to another time, but accurately; I don't want to hear people talking and acting in a modern manner when they lived in very different times, with different cultural codes of conduct. The series seems to be a favorite with some historical mystery lovers, but it doesn't meet my high standards for historical accuracy. On the other hand, it is an otherwise easy and fast read, and anyone just wanting to wile away some time over the holidays might find the mix of mystery and romance just the ticket. (Net Galley)
Laetitia Rodd and the Case of the Wandering Scholar by Kate Saunders Another historical series that was new to me, but much better than the Stella and Lyndy series in terms of walking a careful line between representing a more accurate view of the past while managing to make the people, language and culture recognizable. The book takes place in 1851 England, and Laetitia, the widow of a vicar, has commenced on a career of helping people and solving some strange occurrences. In this second book in the series, Jacob Welland, a wealthy man who is on his deathbed, has engaged Leatitia to find his brother, Joshua, and to deliver a letter to him, hoping to reconcile before he dies. Both men were in love with the same woman, and after a falling out, Joshua left college to live alone in the woods for decades. He's not a complete hermit in that the people of a small community know who he is and respectfully leave him alone. Leatitia manages to track down people who are in fairly regular contact with Joshua and leave the letter for him written by his brother. But then, just as Laetitia thinks her connection to Jacob and Joshua and the community are over, a murder occurs, and Laetitia must return and help her friends. This was a very good book, well written, and with enough historical accuracy in the way that people act and spoke that one was not torn out of the sense of time and place by jarring modern words or actions. I enjoyed the audiobook very much, and will read the rest of the series. (Audiobook)
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