iiiiReader Book Reviews

Fun and fast projects to macrame

Posted on July 26, 2015 by Iiiireader

Macrame Fashion Accessories & Jewelry

By: Sylvie Hooghe

Rating: 5 of 5

I was extremely happy to see a new book about Macrame with up-to-date jewelry and fashion accessories. I learned to macrame years ago and and it was a hobby that I had relegated to the sideline due to lack of updated materials and patterns. I recently just started to re-learn the craft and found that there are lots of new materials available. What I needed was some new patterns and “Macrame Fashion Accessories & Jewelry” by Sylvie Hooghe does a great job of filling that need.

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Great start to a new cozy mystery series

Posted on July 25, 2015 by Iiiireader

Killer Jam (A Dewberry Farm Mystery)

By: Karen MacInerney

Rating: 5 of 5

“Killer Jam” is the first in the new Dewberry Farm mystery series by Karen MacInerney. This is the book I have read by Ms. MacInerney. It does well as an introduction to a new series, which by its nature, is a little more involved than sequels. We are being introduced to all of the characters and that takes some time and explanation which in turn takes time and pages away from the rest of the story.

The author is able to pull this off really well and so we get to know our sleuth, Lucy Resnick quite well. Lucy is an ex-newspaper journalist from Houston who was downsized out of her job (print newspaper) and decides to put her savings into following her dream. She buys Dewberry Farm, which is her old family home which appears to be somewhere between Houston and Austin (her grandparents Vogel owned it until it was sold to the current owner.)

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Fun and pretty socks to crochet

Posted on July 24, 2015 by Iiiireader

New Methods for Crochet Socks Paperback

By: Rohn Strong

Rating: 5 of 5

“New Methods for Crochet Socks” is a set of twelve crochet sock patterns by Rohn Strong. The socks look lovely and I would rate them to be intermediate and above. If you are a beginner at crochet, take your time, be sure you have a resource (friend or online) where you can ask questions if you get stuck, and you should be able to work your way through. I would not suggest these socks as first projects, though, so try a few less involved items first to become comfortable with crochet and then get ready to tackle these.

The book arrived and while I was thrilled with the material, I actually had to have Amazon replace the book because it arrived damaged in shipment. That has nothing to do with the subject matter of the book but it temper my enthusiasm for a minute or two.

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Excellent addition to a great mystery series

Posted on July 23, 2015 by Iiiireader

A Banquet of Consequences: A Lynley Novel (Inspector Lynley Novel)

By: Elizabeth George

Rating: 5 of 5

It has been a number of years since I have read one of the Inspector Lynley books by Elizabeth George. It was surprising to pick up the latest “A Banquet of Consequences” and find that it fit my mood and my remembrances like a well-worn glove.

I stepped back during my read (be aware that this is a fairly long book at almost 600 pages), and took a look at some of the intervening books that I had missed. I was surprised to see that the reviews tended towards the average. If that is the case, then Ms. George is back on the mark with this book as it was truly an excellent and nicely long read.

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Lots of good, hearty and easy to make recipes

Posted on July 22, 2015 by Iiiireader

99 Favorite Amish Recipes

By: Georgia Varozza

Rating: 4 of 5

First of all, the temporary digital copy that I was provided did not include any pictures at all. I’m not sure if that is par for the course with Ms. Varozza’s cookbooks or if it was because this was an Advanced Reader Copy and the pictures were not ready in time to provide with the cookbook. While ARC’s are not finished products, all of the cookbooks that I have received in the past had at least some pictures included. I will not judge this book based on this lack but then again, I cannot comment on the quality of the photos either.

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Crazy fun casino caper mystery

Posted on July 21, 2015 by Iiiireader

Double Mint (A Davis Way Crime Caper) (Volume 4)

By: Gretchen Archer

Rating: 5 of 5

“Double Mint” by Gretchen Archer is a mile-a-minute funny whodunnit mystery. While I had no problems picking up the action in this fourth in the series book (and my first read by this author), I highly suggest reading the books in order. I will be reading and laughing my way through the three prior books shortly.

Davis Way Cole is the top seniority casino security personnel at the Bellissimo Resort and Casino. She is also married to the casino manager but due to her job, no one (well, almost no one) can know who she is or see her in the casino managers suite of rooms. The suite of rooms she wishes she didn’t have to live in because it is an over-the-top representation of a New Orleans Mardi Gras nightmare.

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Fast paced murder mystery

Posted on July 20, 2015 by Iiiireader

Killing Secrets: A Nan Vining Mystery

By: Dianne Emley

Rating: 5 of 5

“Killing Secrets” is the latest entry in the Nan Vining mystery series by Dianne Embley. While it is the first of her books that I have read, it was not at all difficult to read it as a stand-alone book. I could tell from references in the story that there was a long and varied back history for the characters.

In this story, Detective Nan Vining is called to the scene of a possible murder-suicide. It turns out that Nan’s daughter and her daughter’s boyfriend were the ones to find the horrific scene. It also turns out that Nan had no idea that her daughter even had a boyfriend.

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Interesting and Unusual Historical Romance

Posted on July 19, 2015 by Iiiireader

The Other Daughter: A Novel

By: Lauren Willig

Rating: 5 of 5

“The Other Daughter” is a historical literature/romance book set in England in the 1920’s. Prior books that I have read by Lauren Willig were set in early periods of English history.

In this story, Rachel Woodley is a Englishwoman in her latter twenties who is a nursery governess for a demanding family in France. She receives (belated) word that her mother is ill with influenza and rushes home to help her – while losing her job because she left.

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Translated mystery – more literature than suspense

Posted on July 18, 2015 by Iiiireader

The Truth and Other Lies: A Novel

By: Sascha Arango

Rating: 3.5 of 5

“The Truth and Other Lies” was listed as a mystery/thriller/suspense book when I chose to read it. After finishing it, I would categorize it as fiction/literature. It is a book that was originally written in German and its reference point is Germany. Due to the translation, it is a little choppy in spots. I have read a number of recently written and translated books and find that this is an issue with all of them. Because of this, I don’t include that as a variable in numbering my review but I do note it for those who prefer not to read a book of this nature.

As I mentioned, the book is literature. There is no whodunnit as we know all along who did it and why. There is an attempt by the local police force to try to find the culprit, so perhaps that is why it is listed as such.

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Another great entry in the Thunder Point series

Posted on July 17, 2015 by Iiiireader

A New Hope (Thunder Point)

By: Robyn Carr

Rating: 5 of 5

The latest entry in the Thunder Point series by Robyn Carr, “A New Hope” is primarily the story of Ginger and Matt. Ginger was introduced in the last book as a young woman who is struggling to overcome her grief at losing her infant son to SIDS only one year before. When this story begins, Ginger has been able to find her feet and is starting to make a new life for herself. Matt is the younger brother of another resident in Thunder Point and is an agricultural scientist and a farmer. He is still in a state of anger over the ending of his short marriage. The story is how these two individuals learn to deal with their previous lives so they can learn to make a new one together.