Hey hey, it’s MJ,

            Writing this post like this seems like such a better choice for me so I think I will continue to write my little blurbs as I finish a book because to me in hindsight and foresight that seems like a much better plan moving forward. 

            So here we are with part four and hopefully the end of my 40 books this year goal. I had a middle schooler tell me today (I’m writing this the day before Halloween so to give y’all some context) that she didn’t trust anyone who read for fun and that to me is so weird because I love to read but I guess that’s not always the case. 

            Welcome to the end of 2020 though and I am hoping maybe by now everything has leveled off but who knows at this point. (haha)

            While you read this post you may be wondering, MJ why so many cozy mysteries? I don’t know I just have really been enjoying them and they are quick reads an that’s about all I can say about them now, I just really enjoy them. 

            So what did I read after my last post of this nature? 

15 Minutes of Flame by Christin Brecher 

            I wrote a whole post about this book and how cool it was so I don’t really want to say all that much here but I will say at least a little, hopefully by the time this comes out I have read the first two in the series, honestly I hope they are underneath this one somewhere soon because I really want to read them. I really enjoyed this book for a kind of Halloween mystery and I liked the concept of the story line of this novel as well as the writing style so overall this would be a book I would suggest to anyone who likes the cozy mystery genre in general.

Crowned and Moldering by Kate Carlisle 

            So I took a break from this one to read 15 Minutes of Flame and then another little break because I was a little burnt out reading and wanted to write like 25 pages in a few days instead but then I got back into this and let me tell you I had the time to finish it in one day and I did.  It was so good and it kept you guessing about who the killer actually was. It was a lot of high school drama being dragged back up and as someone who didn’t like high school it felt very real. I love the character development and the whole world building of this series. My Barnes and Noble doesn’t have the next one so I have to order it which is always a pain because I have to wait to read it but maybe that will make me read them slower, that is utterly doubtful but I can joke about it. 

Murder’s No Votive Confidence by Christin Brecher

            So this is the first book in the Nantucket Candle Maker Mysteries, I read the third one first because it came in as the Once Upon A Book Club Halloween box and as I mentioned above I wrote a whole post on it, so if you are interested go read it. This book was great, I couldn’t put it down. After reading the third book I knew some of the character relationships already but to see them be created and introduced in this novel gave them a new meaning which I really enjoyed. I also really like the idea of having special candles at a wedding that seems like such a fun idea. I don’t know if I would ever do that in reality but I love the idea. It was a really quick read and I still love the story and the characters, it took me a long time to figure out who did it because these books are written giving so many avenues and logical explanations and threads to suspect multiple people. This is one of those series that pull you in from page one and don’t let you go until the very last words and I will probably be reading the second one next so I will be caught up with where the series is currently. 

Murder Makes Scents by Christin Brecher 

            So this is the second in the series and it was so good, it was half spy novel half cozy mystery. It was such a good book, I still love the expansion of the cast of characters throughout a series like this. I was just shocked how much spy novel this one was like actually, I liked the element but it was such a departure from the other two in the series. It wasn’t actually a really long book only like 240 or so which is pretty short for a cozy mystery but it is a pretty quick read and I really enjoyed it. I know that I say that about most every book that I read but isn’t that the point, you want to enjoy what you are reading and if you don’t enjoy it you won’t keep reading it so I want to enjoy what I read. I think that most of November will be cozy mystery month because I still have two more books to read at least this month and I am kind of on a cozy mystery kick. 

And then there were Crumbs by Eve Calder

            I already bought the second one, I finished it in the morning and went to Barnes and Noble instantly because I needed to read the second one; like right now. It was so good, I loved the twists and turns with this book. I love all the characters and there is a poodle in it and by now I feel like everyone should know that I love poodles because I grew up with them so a poodle in a story is an automatic win for me. This was one of those books that I could not put down, the chapters are nice and short, some are only a page or two and so when I flipped through to see the total chapters in the book and saw that there were 69 chapters I thought it was daunting but it was a quick read with a really interesting conclusion on who done it. Let’s just say, it was someone’s ‘just desserts’. Seriously this had been one of the best mysteries that I have read all year and November is mystery month so I’m excited to dive into the next one. 

Sugar and Vice by Eve Calder

            So I read the second one, I could not put this one down and now I am sad because the next one doesn’t come out until next year and I have to wait for it. I love the series, I really really do. I love the characters, the world that is being built, and everything about the mysteries in these novels. So far they are not the traditional “the heroine is trapped about to die” kind of mysteries and I love the change of pace. Again there is a poodle, love poodles so I love the character of Oliver. Seriously these books keep you guessing until the very end and I read most of this book in one day because I could not stop reading it. Today it was rainy and windy so it was the perfect day to curl up with a book. This is one of those series so far that has just blown me away, I want to read more like right now but I have to wait…I don’t wanna but it keeps you gripped from page one and doesn’t let you go until you read the last word. Also I want to make like all of the cookies that they mention in this series, seriously. 

Terns of Endearment by Donna Andrews

            This is something like the 25^th book in the series and let me tell you it’s one of my favorites. I love the characters and the mystery and this one was really cool, like an augmented locked room mystery with the whole cast of characters that I have come to love over the last few years reading this series on a cruise ship that “breaks down” in the middle of a cruise to Bermuda. It was one of those books that kept me gripped to it. It was such a bait and switch mystery that was kind of reminiscent of any of the cruise ships breaking down in the last several years. I loved that it had writers in it on the cruise and expanded on a universe that I found by accident looking for a Halloween themed mystery book a few years ago (Lord of the Wings) and have been hooked ever since. I have the next one and I will be cracking it open tomorrow.

Owl be Home for Christmas by Donna Andrews

            I know, another cozy mystery but at least this one is Christmas themed, this is again another Meg Langslow book and I love the series so much. This like that last was also kind of a locked room mystery with everyone trapped in a hotel for Owl Fest 2019, I mean that sounds fun. I was confused about one thing though, one the back of the book it said that a character was going to be there and I don’t think she was even in the book but I could have just glazed over her, it was just odd. There were a lot of twists and turns in this book and I was shocked but not so shocked about who the killer was. I was shocked by the reason and I feel like it was just another classic case of ‘keep your friends close and your enemies closer’. I was also a little surprised when it resolved with several pages left to go and then I understood why, no spoilers if you want to read the series. I love seeing returning minor characters in series like this because it just weaves an amazing story and world that you can think back to the last time you saw that character. Overall great book, can’t wait to read the next one. 

City Girl, Country Vet by Cathy Woodman

            I am a sucker for romantic comedies, I have been for years and I have had this book in my library for years now and I finally decided it was time to read this. I read it in a few days because I could not put it down. I love the small town aesthetic and this book pulled me in and didn’t let go. I know that the rest of the books in this post are cozy mysteries, even the next one that I am reading, this one was so good though. It wrapped up a little bit of Romeo and Juliette, a little rom com, and a little vet TV show. All of the characters felt real and different which was really nice because not everyone got along and you didn’t have a repetitive story line that you get in a lot of rom coms. I really enjoyed this book and there are more in the series and I may have to read them, I found this out from Barnes and Noble’s website the other day and I may read more eventually because I liked the characters and the writing style. 

Deck the Hallways by Kate Carlisle

            Look at me going back to cozy mysteries because well, why not? I really enjoyed this one because it was Christmas themed also I read it all in one day, it is also my 40^th book this year so that’s also really exciting because that was my goal for this year and I wasn’t sure if I was going to get to that goal this year. But that is not what this post is about it’s about the book that I read, it was so good I really liked it. The story line was awesome with a whole lot of twists and turns and so many familiar characters that just immerse you back into the story. This one involved an ax, a banker, and a Victorian house that is being renovated into apartments. It was great and heartwarming to read even though there was a murder but that’s one good thing about a cozy mystery it’s not just a murder mystery it’s also the building of a community and the allowance to have jokes and fun while still solving a murder. I still love the character of Shannon Hammer because lady carpenters for the win. I cannot wait to read the next one to see the further progression of this series and I actually have the next one so there is a good chance that I will be reading that next because well cozy mysteries. 

            I thought maybe I would get another book read this year but since I finished the last one I just haven’t had the motivation to read, though I did hit my goal of 40 books this year. I may read another one before the end of the year but I had to put this post up early because my fabfitfun box still hasn’t shown up and it shipped like the second of this month so there’s that. I just needed to get a post up and I figured this one would be good. 

If you want to know what other books I have read this year you can with parts 1, 2, and 3.

            This is the first year in three years that I have actually hit my reading goal and next year I have plans to read even more and I have a list of genres and titles that I plan on reading next year which is always a crap shoot whether or not that I actually get them done. 

            Well 2020 is almost over and that’s fine, I did get one of my goals done this year and that was my reading goal. I know people who read 100 books a year and that to me is just too many because I don’t have the time but I can get away with 40. I enjoyed most of the books I read this year but isn’t that the point of reading, to enjoy it? 

            Well we have this post and one more this year and I am excited about that because I am excited to see what 2021 brings in regard to my content. I have a lot of hopes for next year and I will make a goals post in January.

            I will see y’all later in the week for another post, I am really hoping that it’s my winter fanfitfun unboxing but who knows so I will be back Wednesday with a post regardless! I hope everyone had a good holiday and has a good start to the week! 

            -MJ

PS a bonus! This is the stack of books that I read this year, except for three which I gave back to my mom because they were hers but this stack is huge!