What I've Been Reading - A Slight Change of Pace

I was an avid reader growing up.  While in college, I spent most of my time reading textbooks.  In my adult years, I decided to get back into reading and I remember buying one of the very first Kindles - back when they were black and white and all you could do on them was read books.

I've always enjoyed mysteries, especially those by Sherlock Holmes.  I cannot recall how many times I've read "The Red Headed League" or "The Hounds of the Baskervilles" both in tangible book form and e-books.

I got into a habit of reading a lot of "self-help" books with so many of them being weight loss fads, diets, and trends.  I recently finished The Mountain is You which I definitely recommend if you are like me and struggle with worry, fear, and other self-sabotaging behaviors.

Since my vacation in mid-October, I've started reading more for enjoyment than help or learning.  

Free through Prime Reading, I obtained the book Lotus. When I first started reading the book where a young man returns to his childhood neighborhood after being kidnapped as a child, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it.  It was classified as "dark romance" as Oliver, the young man who had been kidnapped, had a lot to work through which he did while also falling in love with his childhood friend Sydney.  There was a happy ending; I don't want to spoil it for you.

I'm signed up for the Gemma Halliday Publishing mailing list and I have the opportunity to get free Kindle books and I recently read two books from her publishing company.

My Old Kentucky Homicide is part of the "Bourbon B&B" series.  Yes, a recovering alcoholic can read books set in "bourbon" country as long as you enjoy a cup of tea and not bourbon while reading.  This story is about a new bed & breakfast started by two of three sisters named "Three Sisters." The sister who lived in DC came in to help her sisters during opening weekend.  The guests for the weekend were from a group reviewing the B&B for possible admission into a tourism co-op. One of the guests was a cranky gentleman sending bad vibes in the lobby as the guests arrived for the weekend.  The man cited a migraine and laid down for a nap prior to a tour of a barrel factory. When arriving for the tour, the man seemed unwell.  When the tour bus returned the guests to the B&B after the tour, the man was found dead.  The death of a guest along with family drama among the sisters made for story that was hard to stop reading. I will not give any spoilers as to how it ends.

My son and his wife have a dachshund named Mabel and I enjoy taking her for "walkies" whenever I have the opportunity.  My wiener dog grand-pup lead me to choose Pups, Pumpkins and Murder.  I just finished this book and very much enjoyed it.  I might have also enjoyed a pumpkin spice cocoa during one of my reading sessions. My husband found pumpkin spice cocoa k-cups on manager's special at Kroger.  Anyhow, this as another book that was hard to put down.  The main character Samantha or Sam and her wiener dog Porkchop seem to find themselves in the middle of police investigations and that is how Sam met her detective boyfriend Hank.  The community of Wings Falls was having a fall festival to raise money for a camp that helps inner city youth.  There were costume contests for children and pets, a barbeque contest, and a 2,000 pound pumpkin.  Again, I won't spoil it for you other than to suggest that you do not put lavender oil in your pulled pork and that a 2,000 pound pumpkin should be securely tethered to flatbed so it doesn't fall off.  

If you're interested to learn what else I've read, you can find me on Goodreads.