Sunday Synopsis

 

Hardcore Twenty-Four by Janet Evanovich
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Maybe because I have read so many Stephanie Plum novels, they fail to impress me greatly, but more likely, it was because this one had to do with zombies, and I don't like zombie anything (book, show, movie).

This book has bounty hunter Stephanie Plum continuing to chase FTA's (failure to appear) for her cousin Vinny's bail bonds business. One of her FTA's goes quietly, but only when Stephanie agrees to take care of his giant pet snake. Did I mention I don't like snakes, either? She's also chasing a crook who wants to shoot a movie about zombies, and apparently, there is a new drug on the streets that makes the user into a zombie of sorts. And did I mention there are headless bodies showing up?

Believe it or not, there is actually some humor in the book, in large part (pun intended) from Stephanie's sidekick Lulu, a plus-size black woman in petite-size clothes who used to be a prostitute. Morelli, Stephanie's police officer on-and-off boyfriend, and Ranger, her self-appointed guard, also show up in the book.

This is an easy read, and it would be fun if not for the subject matter, so I can only say that the book was "okay."

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Sunday Synopsis

It's One of Us by J.T. Ellison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a convoluted plot for sure!

Olivia is a designer/decorator. Park is a ghost writer. They have been trying to have a child, but IVF and one miscarriage after another leads to bouts of depression and self-blame.

Meanwhile, a woman's dead body is found. The treatment of the body is very similar to a murder that happened when Park was in college, a murder for which he was questioned since he had been dating the victim.

Then, things get complicated. Detectives start coming around because DNA shows that Park is the father of the murderer. He and Olivia have no children. How could he have a son? Then we learn that Park donated to a sperm bank many years ago. The facility is only supposed to use the sperm on a finite amount of embryos, but they obviously did not follow that rule. Park is the father of many, and one of them is the murderer.

Olivia is devastated by this news. Even though she has her own secrets.

This is a very brief summary of the events in this book, but it has such depth and so many layers to the story, that to reveal it all would spoil the story for others, and I don't want to do that. The plot is twisted. The only part I didn't like was the epilogue where one of the big questions about who murdered the college girl back when Park was questionedin college. I won't give it away, but I did not like the scenario in the epilogue. It didn't add up. But the rest of the book was good: hard to put down!

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Random Happy Tuesday

 Hello!  I didn't forget this week!  But, about the time you read this, I will be under the knife getting a partial shoulder replacement (hemiarthroplasty). Oh what fun (sarcasm)!  But it needs to be done! This may be more info than you want, so keep scrolling if medical procedures give you the heebie jeebies.

It will look something like this.

I wonder where the phrase "under the knife" came from.  Let's find out!  Here's no suprise:  It originated from the field of surgery (duh).  It refers to the instrument used to make incisions such as a scalpel.  It's been used as a metaphorical expression since the early 20th century.

Well, that was not nearly as exciting as I hoped it would be!  I so love looking up the origins of idioms.  Maybe I can find something to make you laugh, although that's not what I'll be doing!

Praying this doesn't happen to me!

And something sweet before you go...

Visit my friends at Stacy Uncorked (Random Tuesday Thoughts) and Comedy Plus (Happy Tuesday) and have a great week!

Sunday Synopsis

 

The Inmate by Freida McFadden
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Brooke Sullivan's parents have died and left her the house she grew up in. She returns to town and takes a position as a nurse practitioner at the men's prison where she's been warned not to get too close to the prisoners. The problem is, one of the prisoners is her ex-boyfriend Shane and father of her child, though he doesn't know it. He's in prison for murder, and Brooke's testimony was the strongest evidence that convicted him.

Brooke has also begun seeing her son's school assistant principal with whom she was best friends growing up. He has always warned her that Shane is dangerous. And when he began spending more time with Brooke, some strange things begin happening and Brooke thinks that maybe the wrong man is in prison, that it wasn't Shane but Tim who killed her friends.

This novel has some twists and turns. You think you have figured it out, then there is a twist. But I do think part of the ending was a little ridiculous due to lack of motive from the character.

Freida McFadden is a new author to me, and I like the way this book had me thinking one thing, then the oppositve would happen. She's not as polished as an author as some others yet, but I think that will improve as she continues to publish.

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A toast!

 

While watching Northern Exposure (never watched it when it was on back in the 90's), Maurice told a story of how the "toast" came to be, and I looked it up thinking he was wrong.  But he was right!  Or the writers were right.  Maurice is just a character!

This is the character Maurice.

But back to the toast! According to Sazerac House (which we visited in New Orleans last week), in the late 17th century, it was customary to put a crouton or a burned piece of toast in your wine.  Supposedly, it made the wine taste better, and perhaps helped the toast taste better, too. It became a party snack! That is why it is called a toast.

But the origin of saying "Cheers" or encouraging words before taking a drink came about in the 6th century with the ancient Greeks.  At first, the sayings were blessings to gods for bringing them health and long life. While the toasts themselves changed over the years, the custom was, and is still, used by many different cultures for many types of celebrations. The good wishes last even after the drink is gone.

But actual toast, now that's under-rated.  There's nothing like a lightly golden piece of buttery toast!

This cracks me up!

Instead of a test pilot, he's a toast pilot!

And last...

Remember to visit my friends at Happy Tuesday,  Random Tuesday Thoughts, and Crafteverly.