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Margaret Y. (frogslady) - , - Reviews

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Adequate Yearly Progress: A Novel
Adequate Yearly Progress: A Novel
Author: Roxanna Elden
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4.2/5 Stars.
 3
Review Date: 10/7/2022


This book tells the story of a year in a Texas high school. The technique is very difficult to pull off, since different chapters are written from the viewpoint of different teachers and the principal of the school. This switches between SIX different characters, and if I had known that at the beginning, I would have been put off. But the author manages this so well that I could not put the book down and read it in one sitting! 


Alice in Murderland (A Paranormal Cozy Mystery) (Magical Bookshop Mystery) (Volume 1)
Review Date: 1/1/2021


It is a short book and I enjoyed it enough that I will read the next one. Alice moves to live with her biological family and discovers that she is a witch. The logic of how magic works in this alternative world did not make as much sense to me as many other alternative worlds.


At Risk of Being a Fool
At Risk of Being a Fool
Author: Jeanette Cottrell
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.6/5 Stars.
 7
Review Date: 12/6/2017


This was a really quick read, and I enjoyed it a lot. This teacher is really an advocate for her students, and her caring seems to make a real difference for them. There is a murderer and the people killed all have a connection to students in a GED class for students with prior criminal activity. So the students are the first suspects. I thought I had it figured out and then I was misdirected, but in the end not that surprised by the killer, though I was guessing till the last few pages who the killer was! I really enjoyed the realistic interactions between teacher and students. I think I'll go see what else this author wrote.


Attic Treasures: Grandma's Doll / Fishing for Love / Seeking the Lost / This Prairie
Review Date: 10/31/2020


This book was four different stories by four different authors. The 4 stories were about 4 female cousins, and each was asked by their Grandmother to pick a personal treasure from her attic when she moved into a retirement village. I felt like some of the stories were lacking in development and it felt like each author was obeying a page limit. On the other hand, I did enjoy the stories. Most of the stories involved the woman finding romance, but one cousin was already married and found a deeper relationship with her husband, so I liked that variety.


Banana Split (Culinary Mystery, Bk 7)
Banana Split (Culinary Mystery, Bk 7)
Author: Josi S. Kilpack
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.9/5 Stars.
 10
Review Date: 2/6/2017


Like most of this series, it doesn't grab me so that I can't put the book down. On the other hand, I do pick it back up because I want to know what happens next. I appreciate this series as I find it more realistic than many. In this one, Sadie is experiencing some anxiety issues after all of the stressful encounters with murderers. This makes so much sense; I have always wondered why the mcs in other series seem to just take murders in stride! I will keep reading this series!


Between Sundays
Between Sundays
Author: Karen Kingsbury
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 4.3/5 Stars.
 142
Review Date: 8/8/2014


Excellent book. I prefer series but this is a good standalone.


A Blessing and a Curse (Mysteries of Silver Peak, Bk 11)
A Blessing and a Curse (Mysteries of Silver Peak, Bk 11)
Author: Carole Jefferson
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 2
Review Date: 4/3/2021


This is another entry in the Mysteries of Silver Peak. As with many of them, the story starts slowly, but I do get caught up in it later and then it goes very quickly. This time Sadie is responsible for some valuable silver articles when they disappear! So she needs to figure out what happened.


Blessings in Disguise
Blessings in Disguise
Author: Nancy Mehl
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 3.9/5 Stars.
 4
Review Date: 5/27/2023


This is book one in the series called Sugarcreek Amish Mysteries. Since it is book 1, there was a lot of time setting the stage. But I liked the characters and I will continue this series at least for a few books. I knew the villian before the main character did, but not too much before. There was a side issue that was not developed much and I am wondering whether it will be a main issue in future books in the series, so this captured my interest.


The BOOB Girls
The BOOB Girls
Author: Joy Johnson
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4.5/5 Stars.
 1
Review Date: 6/22/2024


This is a fun little book!
Four women who live in a retirement center are forced to meet when the management moves to assigned seating for dinner. They have nothing to lose so are  open and honest with each other, making friends and learning and growing. It was great to read about these ladies having adventures and epiphanies and learning from them, even though they were in a retirement center.


The Case for Christmas: A Journalist Investigates the Identity of the Child in the Manger
Review Date: 11/27/2020


I knew that this would be a book that would give evidence for the accuracy of the Bible account of Jesus, but I didn't expect to learn as much as I did. I was really shocked by the Jewish man who thought the New Testament was an American Nazi Party manual and when he finally read it he was thinking " but this is a Jewish story; where are the Gentiles?" and they don't come into the story till Acts. I also had never known that the author of Mark had been Peter's assistant and that is how he knew so much about the life of Jesus. While I knew that Luke had been with Paul, and that Matthew and John were disciples, I didn't really give the author of Mark any thought. So I learned a lot from this little book.


Celebrating Board Games (Collectibles)
Celebrating Board Games (Collectibles)
Author: Nina Chertoff, Susan Kahn
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 3
Review Date: 6/24/2024


This is a fun look at board games. There are lots of pictures of old board games, so that was nostalgic. But I was surprised by how many I had never heard of, and also by the fact that some I played for hours as a kid were not included. For example, where was Hi Ho Cherry-O?


The Counterfeit Caper (Mysteries of Silver Peak #10)
The Counterfeit Caper (Mysteries of Silver Peak #10)
Author: Carole Jefferson
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
 4
Review Date: 1/1/2021


This one was an excellent addition to the series. I really enjoyed the way Sadie suspected people because of their behavior but always gave them the benefit of the doubt until she was able to hear the end of the story. There were several unexpected twists at the end of the story, too, including a solution to a historical crime.


Crime and Clutter (Friday Afternoon Club , Bk 2)
Crime and Clutter (Friday Afternoon Club , Bk 2)
Author: Cyndy Salzmann
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4.1/5 Stars.
 19
Review Date: 4/30/2021


Again,  this is NOT a cozy mystery! In this book, the women discover that one of them has been hiding secrets about her past, but when she is given her father's belongings, she has to face her past. Along the way, the viewpoint from her parents is woven in through jumps back in time, and again, I learned quite a bit about history. I was disappointed to learn that this series did not continue.


Cut the Clutter and Stow the Stuff: The Q. U. I. C. K. Way to Bring Lasting Order to Household Chaos
Review Date: 7/15/2015


I enjoyed reading this book because there were a lot of real-life examples of how people solved clutter problems. I liked the way it started with a quiz so you could see what type of clutterer you are, and then the rest of the book had some hints for everyone, and some hints for each type. There were also specific hints for specific rooms such as bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, etc. I did find some hints and ideas that I will try to use as I pare down the amount of stuff in my house. Its not a keep forever book because once you have learned the ideas there is no reason to reread it.


Cute Yummy Time: 70 Recipes for the Cutest Food You'll Ever Eat
Cute Yummy Time: 70 Recipes for the Cutest Food You'll Ever Eat
Author: La Carmina
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 1
Review Date: 8/3/2014


Really cute ideas, but too much work for everyday food.


Dangerous Beauty, Mysteries of Silver Peak
Dangerous Beauty, Mysteries of Silver Peak
Author: Carole Jefferson
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 3.3/5 Stars.
 2
Review Date: 10/1/2022


This book was a faster read for me than many in the series. Since different authors take turns "being Carole Jefferson," I find that some books in the series flow better for me. In some ways this book was very sad as it turns out that some deaths in the past were very tragic accidents. But on the whole, the book was positive and I liked the way Sadie handled the various conflicts.


Daring Chloe (Getaway Girls, Bk 1)
Daring Chloe (Getaway Girls, Bk 1)
Author: Laura Jensen Walker
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.9/5 Stars.
 43
Review Date: 6/30/2020


When we meet Chloe, she is far from daring! But she gets a big wakeup call one night - the night before her wedding, well early morning of her wedding, at 1:33 am, she gets a text from her finance that the wedding is off! She has always seen herself as a boring, follow the rules person, and her sister as the perfect, can do no wrong one. From reading the blurb at the back, I knew her friends, the Getaway Girls, were going to have Chloe take the already paid for honeymoon trip anyway. But the book was not one of those predicatable ones where she met a new love on the trip! no, indeed. First of all, the "getaway girls" are the members of a book club. Secondly, they aren't all young. In fact two of the members are mother and daughter. I enjoyed the various activities the book club explored and the way Chloe learned to step out in faith and trust God more through this book. I liked the interaction between the women who were at various points in their lives. Although her sister is not a member of the book club, we also see Chloe's relationship with her sister deepen and be more realistic. And the best part might be that there are two more books in the series, each letting us see more about all of the members of the club, but focusing on one in each book.


Death by Sudoku (Sudoku, Bk 1)
Death by Sudoku (Sudoku, Bk 1)
Author: Kaye Morgan
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
 81
Review Date: 1/31/2018


Liza Kelly is leading a double life; she is a PR specialist working with a company that promotes movie stars. But under another name she writes a Sudoku column in the newspaper. When her two worlds overlap, she has to solve the murder case, using her knowledge from both "lives." I enjoyed the Sudoku hints that were scattered throughout the book; I learned some things and I have been solving Sudoku puzzles for a long time.


Desperate Measures (Smuggler's Cove, Bk 1) (Love Inspired Suspense, No 413)
Desperate Measures (Smuggler's Cove, Bk 1) (Love Inspired Suspense, No 413)
Author: Christy Barritt
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 2
Review Date: 7/31/2024


This book was disappointing. Of course you know the romance is going to turn out ok, but I had the feeling that an imposed page limit made the author leave out a lot of back story so that it seemed choppy and incomplete.


Devil's Food Cake (Culinary Mystery, Bk 3)
Devil's Food Cake (Culinary Mystery, Bk 3)
Author: Josi S. Kilpack
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.6/5 Stars.
 20
Review Date: 9/11/2016


This book started a bit slowly, I guess to get the back story listed, but then it really took off and I could not put it down. I liked this one much more than the first two in the series, and they were good.


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