REVIEW: Macrame Murder

Macrame Murder
Author: Mollie Cox Bryan

Cora Chevalier and her sidekick, Jane Starr, return in Macrame Murder, the third book in the Cora Crafts Mystery Series. This time, Cora and Jane travel to Sea Glass Island to teach crafting classes at a resort. They are both looking forward to just teaching classes at this retreat, not running it like they do for their own craft business in Indigo Gap, NC. But, this idyllic island crafting retreat quickly goes wrong. The body of a local woman is discovered on the beach. Unfortunately, Cora's boyfriend, Adrian, quickly becomes the main suspect in the killing. He admits that he dated the woman, and that she broke up with him three years earlier. Cora and Jane realize they need to discover the true murderer before Adrian faces murder charges for a crime he didn't commit. When a second body is discovered, they realize that they could all be in serious danger.

I like this series. Cora and Jane are great as main characters. They have flaws and issues, but work through their challenges. Both women are independent, intelligent and feisty. Strong female characters -- love it! The mystery moves along at a good pace, with snippets about various crafts (macrame, sea glass jewelry, knitting, crochet, etc) sprinkled in throughout. At the back of the book are craft patterns for CD/DVD Coasters, macrame friendship bracelets and sand candles. The mystery plot is believable for the most part. There was one instance where I had an eyeroll moment -- the way one body is discovered just seemed a bit silly to me. But hey -- it's a cozy mystery. Sometimes you have to suspend reality and just enjoy the story.

I've enjoyed every book in this series so far. And I will definitely continue reading each book as it comes out!

For more information on the author and her books, check out her website at: http://molliecoxbryan.com/

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Kensington via Netgalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

REVIEW: Murder Wears Mittens

Murder Wears Mittens
Author: Seaside Knitters Society

Sea Harbor, Massachusettts is the home of the Seaside Knitters Society. Society member Cass Halloren is at the laundromat one night when she notices children's clothing has been added to the dryer with her lobster nets. She waits until a boy comes to retrieve his clothing -- jeans and a girl's school uniform. He jumps on his bike and leaves quickly without the clothing, obviously afraid of her...or of something anyway. Cass and her knitting friends track down the kids and return the clothes. But something is wrong....the kids seem to be alone. Where is their mother? The mother turns up the next day, injured. Her head injuries explain why she was away from home all night....but it doesn't explain why her bicycle is discovered at the scene of a brutal crime. Someone bludgeoned a local elderly woman to death with her walking stick....and the children's mother must have been at the scene. The knitters band together to investigate and find out what happened to Dolores Cardozo.

This is the first book in the Seaside Knitters Society series.....but, this series is a continuation of the Seaside Knitters series that has 11 books. I have to admit that I would have enjoyed this book more if I had read the prior series. For the first couple of chapters I felt a bit lost until the story really kicked in and I wasn't trying to figure out who was who anymore. :) The book is well-written. The mystery is interesting, and the characters are quirky and engaging. A reader could jump in at this book and not be completely lost, but I think reading the prior series would make the characters a bit more understandable and familiar. There is a list of characters at the very beginning of the book that gives a bit of background.

The front cover is awesome! There is a knitting pattern for socks at the end of the book as well! :)

For more information on the author and her books, check out her website: http://www.sallygoldenbaum.com/ 

REVIEW: Assaulted Caramel

Assaulted Caramel
Author: Amanda Flowers

Bailey King lives in New York City, working as assistant chocolatier at JP Chocolates. She learned to love chocolate and making candy from her Amish grandfather. When she receives a phone call that her grandfather is very ill, she drops everything and rushes to Ohio. When she arrives, she discovers her Daadi is not only having health problems but he's also being pressured to sell his candy shop to a local developer, Tyson Colton. Several other Amish business owners have been pressured by Colton as well. Bailey is so upset that night she can't sleep. She wanders down to the candy shop from her grandparents upstairs living quarters, only to discover something horrific -- Tyson Colton's dead body bleeding all over the store's kitchen floor. Immediately Bailey finds herself the main suspect in the murder. How can she prove her innocence, make candies for a local wedding, and make it back to NYC in time to find out about an important job promotion?

I loved this book! It is hands-down the best cozy I've read in a long time! The setting and characters are interesting and engaging (except for one annoying woman I wanted to throttle....but I was supposed to hate her. ha ha). The mystery was well-paced, exciting and had plenty of suspects and surprises. I was reading an advanced readers copy on my phone.....I stayed up til 2 am to finish it, reading in bed. I felt like a kid again reading under my covers with a flashlight. :)

I am not surprised at all that I loved this book. Amanda Flower never disappoints me. I enjoy her Magical Bookshop series too! She also writes the Living History Museum mystery series and the India Hayes series. Assaulted Caramel is the first book in the new Amish Candy Shop cozy series. A second book in this series, Lethal Licorice, will be coming out in February 2018. For more information on the author and her books: check out her website at http://www.amandaflower.com/

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. Opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

REVIEW: Futility or The Wreck Of The Titan

Futility, or The Wreck Of The Titan
Author: Morgan Robertson

Morgan Robertson

For years I have heard about this book. Many say this fictional tale about the sinking of a great ship, the Titan, mirrors the wreck of the Titanic in 1912. This fact is astounding because the book was written in 1898, 14 years before the Titanic sank after striking an iceberg. Robertson said the similarities were not because of clairvoyance on his part, but due to his knowledge of sailing and ship building trends.

The book was re-released in 1912 following the Titanic sinking, causing some to say Robertson was cashing in on the disaster. There were a few minor changes made in the 1912 re-print. For example, the weight of the Titan was increased in the 1912 version to better match the size of the Titanic. But, large changes in plot were not made. The coincidences between the fictionalized story of the Titan and the real life sinking of the Titanic are eerie. Both ships are British and quite opulent.  Both sank in April in the Northern Atlantic after striking an iceberg on the starboard side. Both sank near midnight and had too few lifeboats. One notable difference: The fictional Titan only had 13 survivors, whereas 705 passengers aboard the Titanic survived the accident.

Despite being intrigued by the rumors surrounding this book for years, I never took time to actually read it.

Until now. And I'm so glad I did!

Of course, the language and writing style is dated, but Futility is still an enjoyable read.  The book is short and a quick, exciting read. Despite the many similarities to the Titanic disaster, I think this is a wonderful adventure story that should be judged on its own merits.

The basics: John Rowland is a sailor down on his luck. He was demoted from an officer's position due to drinking and is sailing on the Titan as a common sailor. The ship is sailing from America to Ireland. On the first night at sea, the ship strikes another vessel, cutting it in two.  Taking little to no damage herself, the Titan continues on its way, not stopping to attempt to save anyone from the sinking vessel. Officers on the Titan immediately start damage control.....looking for anyone who might have seen the accident and bribing (or threatening) them into silence. Rowland refuses to be bribed and says he will report the actions of the officers as soon as they reach port. The officers plan to discredit him before they reach port given his history of drunkenness. However, before they can attempt more than drugging the man into a stupor, the ship violently strikes an iceberg, listing and sinking almost immediately. Only 13 people make it off the ship alive. Rowland is stranded on the iceberg with a little girl, the daughter of a former love interest of his who happened to be a passenger on the Titan with her husband. Rowland braves a polar bear attack and extreme cold while stranded at sea -- and wily attorneys, stock holders, insurance companies, and even reporters after they are rescued. What an exciting story! The antiquated, larger than life, adventure story style Robertson uses to weave his tale reminds me a lot of the Edgar Rice Burroughs Tarzan books. While I was doing some research before writing this review, I found out that Burroughs was actually inspired by Robertson's writings! :)

So, although the story is similar to the Titanic disaster, most of it is completely different. It is still eerie that the ships are so alike. But as Robertson stated himself, it isn't because of anything supernatural but just a coincidence stemming from his knowledge of shipping, trends in shipbuilding and sailing. Read this story for the joy of adventure and the sea, not from a need to relate it to the Titanic disaster.

As in most larger-than-life old school adventure tales, this story is not realistic. I don't believe anyone on a ship would be oblivious to the fact it collided with another vessel, cutting it in half. The story relates that most of the passengers were asleep and not awakened. Not possible. The iceberg that Rowland and the little girl are stranded seems to be huge....much larger than possible, really. And I doubt a polar bear would be on an iceberg 900 miles off the American coast, but I could be wrong. I'm not a polar bear or iceberg expert. In this instance, I just chose to suspend reality and go with the flow. It's a very testosterone-y, macho, man-against-the-elements-and-evil-assholes kind of story.....and if Robertson wanted a polar bear to be on a huge freakin' iceberg in the middle of the North Atlantic, then so be it. I'm all for it! Sometimes you just have to enjoy the adventure and forget about how things really work. :)

As it is in the public domain after nearly 120 years, the full text of the novel (and also the book The Pirates, also by Robertson) is available for free online here: https://archive.org/details/wrecktitanorfut01robegoog    Look for the Download Options heading and pick what format you'd like to use. I loaded a copy onto my Kindle App on my Iphone and PC quite easily. There are many websites that list the similarities between the two ships, information on Robertson, and about the construction and sinking of the Titanic. I found a nice comparison of the book to the Titanic sinking here: http://www.historyonthenet.com/the-titanic-futility/ . There are also some nice links to Titanic facts at the bottom of that page.

Robertson wrote more than 100 books and short stories before his death in 1915. Unfortunately, most people are only familiar with Futility. After reading this one story, I'm going to find more by this author and enjoy some more adventures! The Grain Ship and Where Angels Fear To Tread & Other Stories Of The Sea are available for free through Project Gutenberg.

REVIEW: Titanicat

Titanicat
Author: Marty Crisp
Illustrator: Robert Papp

Since the sinking of the Titanic more than 100 years ago, tales of superstition, heroism and tragedy have surrounded that fateful maiden voyage. The story of the ship's cat and her litter of four kittens had a more happy ending, for the kitties and a superstitious young sailor. This tale is based on their story.

The illustrations in this children's book are just stunning! Such vibrant colors! A friend who knows I enjoy stories about the Titanic told me about this book. She bought it for her niece, and knew I would love the story and beautiful pictures inside. I checked it out from my local library's digital site. So glad I did! The story is short and sweet...perfect for a primary grade student.

Jim Mulholland signs on to be a cabin boy aboard the Titanic. Among his jobs is caring for the ship's cat, a beautiful calico. He discovers the cat has four tiny kittens as well. He keeps track of them until the ship reaches Southampton. One day he can't find the cat...then he spies her going down the gang plank carrying a kitten in her mouth. Jim finds one kitten left, and grabs it. He's forced to jump off the ship to reunite it with its family. The ship sails off without him. At first he is angry with the cat for making him miss the voyage to America, but he is grateful days later when he learns that the ship sank with great loss of life. The beautiful, former ship cat, saved his life, and the lives of her kittens.

The book is 38 pages long with many color illustrations throughout. Perfect length for young readers, or for reading out loud to them. There is no description of the sinking or deaths...the main characters are off the ship before the disaster. The attention is focused on the cats and the boy, with only a mention that they avoided the accident by leaving the ship early. So, it isn't too morbid for kids. The story is great, but the illustrations really make the book special. Robert Papp's drawings are wonderful!

Marty Crisp has written several children's books including a related one, White Star: A Dog on the Titanic. Robert Papp has illustrated several books and wrote one himself, Spooktacular Special.

REVIEW: The Rejected Writers Book Club

The Rejected Writers Book Club
Author: Suzanne Kelman

I absolutely hate DIY projects. If there is a way to fall off a ladder, spill an entire can of paint on myself or otherwise cause harm.....it will happen to me. With my son turning 13 this summer, it was definitely time to update his room. It's been the same two shades of blue since he was 3 -- the last time I gathered up the courage to paint the walls in there. Before I could come up with an excuse to not do it, I took my son to the local home improvement store and let him pick out his colors. Dark red with a medium tan for the trim. Brushes, little plastic paint cups, wooden stir sticks, plastic drop cloths, holy water, first aid kit....brought it all home and prepared for slow torture. I am decidedly NOT Bob Villa.

I had to find the perfect audio book to keep me company while I tried to complete this painting project without hurting myself, or destroying anything. I chose The Rejected Writers Book Club.

So glad I did! It was the perfect choice!

Silly, light-hearted and fun, this book was wonderful to listen to as I painted the walls (and myself) red and tan. I looked like a murder victim who fell into melted chocolate ice cream -- but I was smiling! So I figure that's a win!  (And I didn't spill any paint! a few drips here and there...but no large Ooooops moments)

The audiobook version of this novel (Brilliance Audio) is narrated by Tanya Eby. I have hearing loss and at times I have trouble understanding female narrators. But, Tanya's voice is clear and her pace is perfect. I didn't have any trouble understanding her. Her tone and inflection was perfect for this humorous, fun book. I soon lost myself blissfully in the story as I worked for hours painting out my son's childhood, morphing his room to a teenager lair.

The basics: small town librarian Janet Johnson is invited to a local women's book club meeting. When she gets there, she is surprised to find that the group is centered around rejection letters from publishers. Every member has had their writing rejected for publication....most multiple times. They have a special book filled with these rejection announcements. They proudly meet each time another is received. Just short of the 500 letter mark (which they plan to celebrate with a big party), disaster strikes. Their leader, Doris, has her book accepted for publication! Oh the horror! They beg for Janet's assistance to get the manuscript back. Janet, who is heading to San Francisco to help her pregnant daughter, tries to refuse...but it just so happens that the publisher they need to contact is located in San Francisco. The ladies embark on the most ill-fated road trip ever......car trouble, rock slides, and many troubles await them as they fight to save their fearless leader from the horrors of publication.

Now, there were just too many pitfalls in this trip for it to seem even remotely realistic. But, I don't care. The story was just hilarious and fun to listen to. I don't give a hoot whether it was realistic or not. It got me through hours of painting  with a smile on my face! Sometimes you just need a simple, funny story -- and for me, this book was perfect. I loved it! Janet Johnson is a fun, slightly snarky, main character. And the group of ladies are all quirky and fun. Add in the silly things they have planned to get the manuscript back (including chaining a member to a toilet until they get what they want) is just complete zany fun.

The Rejected Writers Club is the first book in the Southlea Bay series. I can't wait to read book 2: The Rejected Writers Take the Stage. :) Suzanne Kelman has also published a book of verse, Big Purple Undies. For more information on the author and her writing, check out her website: http://www.suzannekelmanauthor.com/

Podcast Spotlight! Levar Burton Reads

When I started this blog, I called it My Interdimensional Chaos because I enjoy so many diverse things that I didn't want it to get bogged down into one subject....if the title implies chaos then I could flit to whatever topic I wanted. But, alas, it did get bogged down into one thing over time.....book reviews.

So before I have to revoke my license for chaos, I've decided to branch out a bit.

Let's talk about Podcasts!

I love them!

My phone gets used more for listening to audio than for phone calls or web surfing. I'm always listening to podcasts. I listen while I'm driving, doing housework, before bed.....great entertainment! There are so many topics available! I started out with Old Time Radio, then horror, history, book discussions, true crime....there is a podcast for everything! Even how to clean your house properly (my husband probably thinks I need that one...ha ha)

I have a few favorites, so each week I'm going to feature a different podcast. I'm always on the lookout for new things to listen to, so if you have a favorite, always feel free to comment or message!

My first Podcast Spotlight is Levar Burton Reads.

How many remember this?




Levar Burton read to my son all the time! He loved that show! I recorded episodes to VCR tape so that there was always a story from Levar before bed. :)

I was SO excited when I found out he had a podcast -- reading short stories for adults! YAY!! Talk about instant download.....I subscribed to the podcast at the speed of sound almost. :)

Listen to some of the episodes here: https://art19.com/shows/levar-burton-reads
It's also available in all the usual places: Stitcher, Apple Podcast, iTunes, etc etc.

Each week Levar reads a piece of short fiction (chosen from a variety of genres).  It's just like Reading Rainbow for adults! The production value is high and the stories are primo! Episodes run about 30-45 minutes, perfect commute length. And it's not filled with long minutes of ads or Patreon begging. The episodes are sponsored....but the ads aren't annoying or intrusive.

Give it a listen! You won't be sorry! :)