Little Pixie

I`m on a bit of a Frances Crane kick atm; they are a bit expensive in the newer editions, but I picked up a few older copies quite cheaply. It`s a series which really rewards reading in order, but they are standalones.

Yay ! Erm, I was saying yay to the book cover.

I read a couple of Leighann Dobbs romance/ urban fantasy/ cosy mystery type books recently - Something Magical, Curiously Enchanted. Maybe that's what you're looking for ?

The Shocking Pink Hat - Frances Crane ( 1946 ) Set just after WW2, this is the 8th book in the Pat and Jean Abbott mystery series. Pat and Jean are living temporarily in a San Francisco flat, this time sadly without usual family members Pancho the Daschund and Toby the Cat, due to housing restrictions. Returning home one foggy night after dinner, they hear the sound of a car crashing and rush to investigate. The driver is found dead at the scene and it initially looks like a tragic accident... but why are there mysterious footsteps heard just after the crash, and to whom does the shocking pink hat in the car belong to... Pat and Jean are pulled into the investigation, in a beautifully described San Francisco. ' The night-fog now lay over the hill thick, wet and icily cold. As we walked the streetlamps showed up one at a time and looked like blurs of cold fire'. A lovely vintage read. I received a free e-book copy ; this is an unbiased review.

It`s a bit sad that it`s over, but the ending was lovely - a nice, bittersweet wrapping-things-up, but pointing you in the direction things would go in the future.

So, I finally finished Jo Dereske`s Miss Zukas, Librarian mysteries, reading the final four book one after another. Written by a real-life librarian, Helma ( `Wilhelmina` ) Zukas is a Lithuanian -American, very prim and a bit OCD, working in a small town in Washington State as a librarian , who somehow keeps stumbling across mysteries, alongside her best friend Ruth, an extrovert artist. Helma might`ve come across as a stereotypical librarian, but the writing gives her life and warmth, although Helma does do `librarian-type` things - for instance, Helma adopts a cat ( Boy Cat Zukas ) , but that`s because he`s an injured stray no-one else wants and even though she`s a bit scared of cats, she gradually comes to like him. There`s also Helma`s Maybe-Boyfriend who`s the Chief of Police, Miss Moon ( Head of the Library and a bit New Age ) , Helma`s widowed Mother and her aged Aunt, who keeps her supplied with traditional Lithuanian food. There are 12 books in the series, involving fun events like Helma taking part in a canoe race, getting trapped in a snowbound cabin with Ruth ( and a murderer ), working in a Native-American Library and one where Boy Cat Zukas goes missing ( spoiler alert ! Everything works out okay. ) It`s a charming mystery series - and if you like this sort of thing - it`s worth a read. Amazon - Miss Zukas and The Library Murders ( Book 1 )

Thanks Gaia. I hope you feel better soon.

Echo, fingers crossed that you get an interview soon. Hugs to Noll and a proxy hug to Caron. I had a really helpful hospital appt this week with the tinnitus specialist ; I`ve had tinnitus for years, but it`s been so bad for a while now, and it turns out that I`ve lost some of my hearing, too, which doesn`t help. Anyway, the specialist showed me some apps and some sound therapy machines for tinnitus, and I`ve downloaded some free apps for my Kindle Fire to try out ( if anyone`s interested, they`re these Sound Oasis ones - also helpful for insomnia - Amazon. ) What I`ve been using though, has been rain/thunderstorm `videos` on Youtube - like this one ). My cat has been quite interested, sniffing at the Kindle and having a listen.

Hurray !

kindle cosy freebies Including a couple of books by Carolyn Haines, who I had on my ` check them out in the future` list. There`s also a FB Save Our Cozies group, which has plenty of offers from lots of authors.

Yes !! I love them to bits. I`m up to date with them, just waiting for Raspberry Danish Murder to come out in paperback. I`ve seen all the films too. Ooh, now I`m sounding like some sort of crazed super fan.

Is it this Neil Gaiman story ? Goodreads

A couple of inches of snow, but nothing since about lunchtime.

Currently reading Bookmarked to Die by Jo Dereske, a Helma Zukas Librarian cozy mystery. I swear, I must spend half my online life correcting the spelling of msyteruy. Gah !

A small amount of sparkly snow.

Congrats Frankie !

Ghostly Paws - Leighann Dobbs Free atm, and one of my Favourite series. Also free by Leighann Dobbs - Reluctant Romance. Amazon US - Click - both free atm.

Cozy Mystery UK US Prize and Prejudice - Miranda Sweet Another cozy UK US Murder by Misadventure - BT Lord Not read either, but thought they might be worth a go, since they`re free.

A lot of ditto to your review of The Invisible Library. I kept hoping it would be ...`better`. It just didn`t quite click for me, and I felt a bit sad that it didn`t. Ah, if only Mr Fforde was writing a bit faster.

That does look good.

Hurrray for new books !

I`m glad Caron`s angiogram went well. That must`ve been worrying for you both.

You`ve expressed such lovely sentiments. And no, I wouldn`t be offended at all, if I lived nearby and you weren`t well enough to meet up. I often cancel things because I`m unwell, for instance with migraines, and a real friend has empathy and doesn`t take umbrage at that. I have a friend a couple of doors away and we message far more than we actually meet up. Anyway,I think you can have far more in common with an online friend than someone who happens to be geographically near you.

Me too, though with me it`s, ` every day`s the cat`s day`.

I saw a nice thing in the paper, someone suggesting it`s for anyone who takes a Mothering role in your life. Any excuse for new books, eh ?