Monday, December 15, 2025

The Bustle in a House...

 The Bustle in a House 
The Bustle in a House
The Morning after Death
Is solemnest of industries
Enacted upon Earth –

The Sweeping up the Heart
And putting Love away
We shall not want to use again
Until Eternity –


This was not the post I was expecting to write this week, but then life never goes quite like you plan. My mom passed away last Tuesday. She was in her 90s and getting weaker and more frail these past few months, so we knew she wouldn't be around much longer, but it was still a shock to come home from work on Tuesday and find her gone. Such a wrenching loss. But even in death there are still things to be glad and grateful for. I'm glad her death was peaceful and painless...to die in her sleep was what she wanted. And she's with my dad, who passed away seven years ago, once more. And that also makes me glad.


My mom always viewed death as a kind of graduation...a returning home to our Father in Heaven after finishing this test of life. And I am very grateful for the knowledge and belief I have that there is life after death. That our loved ones are not lost to us forever. That families can be together for all eternity. And that I will see my mom and dad again someday. Though that doesn't keep me from missing them now, or stop the tears from coming. It's hard, but I know it will be okay. And if I'm not around much these next few weeks, you know the reason why. 





 



Friday, December 12, 2025

Haiku Reviews...

 

Beyond Her Reach by Melinda Leigh


A gruesome murder. 
Three possible suspects. Bree
and Matt track a killer.


Mystery .... 3-3 pages .... 4.5/5 stars.
(This is the tenth Sheriff Bree Taggert mystery, and it's as good as all the previous ones. I especially loved the energetic and enthusiastic dog, Turbo.)





Cold Storage by David Koepp


Aggressive fungus
escapes containment; the race
to stop it is on.


Horror.... 308 pages .... 3/5 stars.
(Good, but not as thrilling as I'd hoped.)






A Family Under the Christmas Tree by Terri Reed


Her matchmaking Gram.
A single guy and his nephew.
A cute puppy. And love.


Contemporary romance .... 336 pages .... 3.5/5 stars.
(Predictable and sweet holiday romance.)



Happy Reading!

Tuesday, December 9, 2025

Top Ten Tuesday

 
Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly meme hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week's theme:  Books Set in Snowy Places.

But I feel like I've done this one before. Several times in fact. So, I tweaked it a little and decided to go with 10 Sweet Hockey Romances instead. Because ice skating rinks are cold places and a little bit wintery. Aren't they? 



My Lucky Charm by Courtney Walsh












Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday












The Golden Goal by Annah Conwell




The Kiss Class by Ellie Hall




Ice Melts by Sophia Summers




How to Fake Date a Hockey Star




My favorite hockey romances are the ones written by Jenny Proctor, Courtney Walsh, Leah Brunner and Emma St. Clair. But I enjoyed all of these. Though I haven't read the last two books....yet. 

Happy Reading!

My other winter reading lists:



Sunday, December 7, 2025

December's Bookish Art....

 
Vittore Carpaccio -- The Virgin Reading

"That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you're not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong."
--F. Scott Fitzgerald

Thursday, December 4, 2025

What I've been reading....

 

Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs is the first book about Charles and Anna Cornick, alpha and omega werewolves. It's also the book that introduces Asil, a very old and sometimes very scary werewolf known as the Moor, who is the focus of Briggs' latest book Blind Date With a Werewolf. 

It'd been so long since I first read Cry Wolf, I wanted to reread it so I could better remember Asil's backstory. And I'm so glad I did. I enjoyed it even more this second time around. Anna and Charles are great together. And there's lots of good action, suspense, and magic in it. 


Blind Date With a Werewolf, on the other hand, was unexpectedly funny! All the things that go wrong on Asil's five blind dates just made me laugh. I loved Asil's humor through it all, even as the body count climbed. Each blind date is like a separate short story, but a connecting thread seamlessly weaves them all together. I wasn't sure I would like this format, but Patricia Brigg's writes so well, her books are the epitome of urban fantasy. And this novel is delightful. I ended up giving it 5 stars because it was just so fun. 


Happy Reading!



Monday, December 1, 2025

Randomness...

 I've been listening to (and loving!) Alex Warren's new album You'll Be Alright, Kid. I started to list my favorite songs, but then realized I was listing them all, so instead I will just say that this entire album is amazing and I love every song on it. 

Went and saw the movie Now You See Me: Now You Don't. It's as entertaining and humorous as the first one. I love a good caper movie, and with all the magic tricks and illusions in this one it's non-stop fun. 



More glad things from last month:
  • Had a relaxing and fun Thanksgiving weekend, with three days off from work and lots of game-playing time with my family.  
  • Checked lots of good books out of the library that I'm looking forward to reading this month.
  • Watched the Olympic Curling trials on TV. (I love curling!)
  • Found a few new healthy recipes using red lentils and garbanzo beans that turned out to be really yummy. 
  • BYU's football team pulled off an 11-1 season, which made me very happy. And they've still got the Big12 Championship game to play on Saturday. Fingers crossed they play well and go on to the college playoffs. 
  • But my best glad thing is the many kind comments all of you leave on my blog each week. Your support and friendship mean the world to me. So thank you! 
Happy Reading!




Friday, November 28, 2025

Dying Cry by Margaret Mizushima

 

The plot:  This is the 10th novel in one of my favorite K-9 mystery series. Newlyweds Mattie and Cole Walker, and Cole's two daughters, Sophie and Angie, and their three dogs are out snowshoeing when they hear a terrified scream. Mattie, who is a deputy and K-9 handler with Timber Creek's Sheriff's Department, goes to investigate with her dog, Robo. What they discover is the body of someone they know. And he didn't die from an accidental fall; he was pushed. Once again, Mattie finds herself involved in a puzzling murder investigation. 

My thoughts: I love Mattie and Cole; they have such a supportive and respectful partnership. And Mattie's German Shepherd, Robo, is full of personality. He's one of the main reasons I love this series so much. I also like that Colorado setting. The mystery was good, too. But it's these characters and their development over the course of this series that makes these books so memorable and appealing. (And also why I recommend starting with the first book, Killing Trail.)    ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Happy Reading!


Other books in this series I've reviewed: