Needled to Death by Maggie Sefton

Kelly not only is learning more about knitting and falling deeper and deeper in love with more yarn, but is also becoming more of a sleuth.  She walks in on another dead body, this time a friend.  She gets in the middle of trying to figure things out and learns much more than she thought she would know about her friends.  She is also learning more about her inheritance that has her mind spinning.  I am curious to see where Sefton is going to take that!  A great read with fun characters and wonderful energy.

An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear

Maisie Dobbs is such a great character.  She has another case that takes her out in the country investigating a land purchase.  There are many secrets where she goes, and many layers to be uncovered.  We also see her developing more and learning more about her past and what she is thinking of the future.  Winspear does a great job pulling you along and tossing in some unexpected twists as you go.  This is a great series with great development. I can't wait to see what Maisie gets into next.

Birthdays can be Murder by Joyce Cato

Not a good book.  There was too much repetition and not enough story.  It was very slow and not very engaging.  There is a traveling caterer who is covering a party and some people die.  You would think things could get exciting and some twists and back stories could develop to engage you.  It did not happen and was all quite boring. With so many mysteries out there, especially culinary ones, this was a real dud.

Getting Old Is Murder by Rita Lakin

Too much fun!  Gladdy Gold is the one that holds the group together.  She drives them where they need to go, everyone checks in with her with the gossip and they hardly ever are separated.  When people start dying you don't think too much of it, it is a retirement community.  But there are coincidences that start bugging Gladdy.  It really is a trip.  I laughed out loud many times and could just hear my own gram being involved in some of these capers.  If you enjoy a good mystery and want to have some fun, don't pass this up!

Uncommon Grounds by Sandra Balzo

Another good mystery that takes place in a coffeehouse.  It was rather subdued, but had some great twists and turns.  All Maggy wants to do is open up her coffeehouse.  On the first morning she finds one of her partners dead.  Maggy learns more about the people in town and her mind goes a little paranoid at times.  The twist at the end was not what I was expecting at all.  This is the first in a series and I have read the second one already.  Looking forward to finding more in the series.

Home by Julie Andrews

Subtitle: A Memoir of My Early Years-- I have always enjoyed Andrews and it was interesting to see how she got started.  It was not a very glamorous childhood and as she got older she was the primary bread winner.  She toured much of England and was loved by many.  It was hard for her to leave home and was very nervous about being so far away, but it had really been for the best and she had Sonera amazing experiences.  Overall it was an enjoyable read, though at times it felt very disjointed.  It was not smooth flowing, but you got the idea.  I need to see if she has continued on with her later years.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

This is a short work of fiction that speaks volumes.  Montag, a fireman, starts to feel he is not doing the right thing, that there is more to life.  This book follows his change, how it affects him and others.  The parallels I came across relating to today and society were quite eye opening.  Get out there, read a book and experience your environment, you never know when that 'freedom' may be taken away.