Finally finished this up today for the #SundayBuddyRead - I overall did enjoy the story & it was interesting reading all the real historical aspects of the story. But I didn‘t love it. The main character was not incredibly likable, & I also wasn‘t a fan of the dual timeline here (I don‘t mind when done correctly). I will say, however, that I thoroughly enjoyed the last few chapters. 3.5⭐️ Thanks for hosting @TheBookHippie

Mrs. W. rear-ends an old lady, Mrs. Harrington, then Jess & Liz befriend her & help out around her house. Jess is particularly taken with her, especially once she discovers Mrs. H. is really a famous retired movie star, Dolores Dufay. She pays for Jess to take acting classes & helps her with a school play. I actually really enjoyed this because I love it when Jess acts like a decent person & does the right thing. So refreshing! 😆4⭐️

#SweetValley

I‘m on hold for the next Hamish book so I decided to dive into another cozy mystery series by M.C. Beaton, this time set in the Edwardian era. It had its funny moments & the narrator did a great job with all the voices, but it didn‘t capture my full attention. It‘s not bad, just not my favorite. 3⭐️

#audiobook
#MCBeaton
#cozymystery
#historicalfiction

This is the 1st Hamish book without M.C. Beaton. The changes are subtle, at least imo, but I still thoroughly enjoyed this. Poor Hamish just cannot catch a break with his messy love life. Love this series. 4⭐️

#audiobook
#HamishMacbeth
#MCBeaton
#cozymysteries
#Scotland

The Wakefield family is on vacation at the Grand Canyon. The twins find a large diamond ring while out camping & soon start to argue about what to do with it. Jess wants to keep it & rub it in Lila‘s face (😆) and Liz wants to sell it & buy a computer. Things get very tense for a bit until everything magically works out in the end (wouldn‘t be Sweet Valley otherwise!). 3.5⭐️

#SweetValley
#SweetValleyKids
#SVK
#twins
#nostalgia

Shy, awkward Sandra Ferris comes to Casa Wakefield to hang out with Saint Liz. Jess is mostly annoyed by her presence but decides to give her a makeover, & soon comes to regret it. Sandra goes from wallflower to super popular overnight & even decides to run against Jess for 6th grade citizen of the year. Has Jess created a monster? So fun as always. 4⭐️

#SweetValley
#SweetValleyTwins
#SVT
#nostalgia

Read these to Jace just in time for #foodandlit and St. Patrick‘s Day. The tagged book was really funny, and the one about St. Patrick himself was very informative for a children‘s book. Thanks for the recommendations @TheBookHippie ! 🤗

🇮🇪☘️🇮🇪☘️🇮🇪☘️🇮🇪☘️🇮🇪☘️🇮🇪☘️🇮🇪☘️🇮🇪☘️🇮🇪

#Ireland
#childrensbooks
#StPatricksDay

I got behind last month on #BeyondTheYellowBrickRoad but I‘m loving these books. I‘m a big fan of Return To Oz & this was such a fun read. As always the books & movie are slightly different but I love Billina & Tik-Tok. Billina especially cracks me up! Looking forward to reading the rest of the series. And as always, I‘m struck by the creativity of these books, especially considering the time period they were written. 5⭐️🐓🐓🥚

#Oz
#TheWizardOfOz

I chose these for Jace and I to read together for #foodandlit this month. The alphabet book was cute although kind of grim for a kid‘s book. Let‘s See Ireland was not my cup of tea. Does anyone have any good recs for children‘s books set in Ireland? 🇮🇪

🇮🇪🍀🇮🇪🍀🇮🇪🍀🇮🇪🍀🇮🇪🍀🇮🇪🍀🇮🇪🍀🇮🇪🍀🇮🇪

#Ireland
#childrensbooks

Nancy Sue solves another mystery, this time on a ship headed from the Netherlands to New York (although they never explained what they were doing in the Netherlands in the first place!😆). It was interesting at first but it seemed to be the same thing happening over & over again. Like you said @Librarybelle , at least Nancy doesn‘t speak Dutch! But of course she could speak “finger language”. 🙄 These books are so ridiculous but fun lol. 3⭐️

Sorry everyone for getting so behind on #HitchToScreen ! It‘s been a rough few weeks. But I‘m happy to announce our next buddy read is a favorite of mine, Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. The movie is amazing as well. Remember it‘s very casual. We have 6 weeks to read the book, just post a review & tag me when you‘re done. Anyone is welcome to join! If you‘d like to be added or removed from the tag list, let me know. Happy reading!

Always happy to read a new Agatha Raisin story! It‘s been awhile. While I will always miss M.C. Beaton, I do think the new author has a decent grasp of the characters. It‘s a little different but not enough to make me stop reading. Very happy Penelope Keith narrated the audiobook. 4⭐️

#AgathaRaisin
#MCBeaton
#audiobook
#cozymysteries

This is bittersweet as it‘s the last Hamish book officially written by M.C. Beaton before her passing. But it was a really good one! The shenanigans with Hamish‘s wild cat are very entertaining & I‘m happy to say his beloved Sonsie is finally back. 🐈‍⬛ Loved this one. 5⭐️

#HamishMacbeth
#MCBeaton
#cozymysteries
#Scotland

Been sick & got way behind on my reviews and buddy reads the last few weeks. 🤧 I read this Sweet Valley gem in honor of Valentine‘s Day & it was a riot! Rich Lila Fowler invents a fake perfect boyfriend from a different school after the guy she is crushing on invites someone else to the Valentine‘s Day dance. And everybody else‘s wires get crossed & Jess thinks Liz is trying to steal her boyfriend. So fun. 💕

#SweetValley
#SweetValleyTwins
#SVT

Finally all caught up for #LittensLoveRomance - I‘ve been hearing about this series for years & I‘m glad I can mark it off my list. I don‘t read a ton of fantasy & was pleasantly surprised by this Beauty & The Beast retelling. Looking forward to buddy reading the rest of the series. Thanks for hosting @StayCurious ! 4⭐️

#fantasy
#romance
#ACOTAR

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this for the #SundayBuddyRead - I‘m a big fan of Old Hollywood but don‘t know as much about the silent era, so this opened up a whole new world for me. It‘s based on a real silent movie star (Colleen Moore) which makes it even better. Would love to go visit her fairy castle in Chicago one day. 4.5⭐️ Thanks for hosting @TheBookHippie ! 🤗

#historicalfiction
#OldHollywood
#ColleenMoore

This was a big improvement over The Crash. I thought I had the twist all figured out but I was wrong! I wasn‘t a huge fan of the male narrator but I really enjoyed this. A fun and twisty murder mystery with one or two psychos along the way. 4⭐️

#audiobook
#FreidaMcFadden
#mystery
#thriller

Book 32 down in the Hamish Macbeth series. The next book is the last one written by M.C. Beaton before she passed. Will be bittersweet but I‘m glad they continued both this and the Agatha Raisin series after she passed. Love both series. 4⭐️

#audiobook
#HamishMacbeth
#MCBeaton

Ok this is my 1st time posting while I #ReadLesMis — please tell me I‘m not the only one feeling this way reading today‘s chapter! 😤 People are so cruel and despicable. Poor Fantine.

Another solid entry in the Hamish Macbeth series. My favorite things about this series are Hamish‘s messy yet highly entertaining love life, and the quirky people who live in the village. 4⭐️

#HamishMacbeth
#cozymysteries
#MCBeaton
#audiobook

I usually love Freida‘s books but this one was just ok to me. The 2 main characters were ridiculously annoying & it dragged a bit in the middle. Freida always has great twists but this one was kind of predictable & fell a little flat. 3⭐️

#audiobook
#FreidaMcFadden
#thriller

I chose this sweet story for Jace & I to read together for #foodandlit this month. It‘s about 2 young girls who see a man in the market selling a “magic light”, which they are convinced they need so their baby brother can sleep better & not get congested by the usual kerosene lamps. So they start selling flowers to raise money for it. Sweet & wholesome. 4⭐️🇳🇵

#Nepal
#childrensbooks

Finally finished this for the #FurrowedMiddleBrowClub - it had its funny moments for sure. The book within a book was hysterically bad but actually did hold my interest, but the last 100 pages of the book dragged on a bit. But I enjoyed my first foray into the FMBC and look forward to reading more. 3.5⭐️

It‘s Field Day at Secca Lake & nobody can stop making fun of Andy, who believes in aliens & hopes to see a UFO at the lake. Andy gets the last laugh when a few of them get lost in the woods & come across some strange looking instruments & someone they are convinced is a Martian, but is really a man in beekeeper‘s garb. Fun fun. 👽👽👽

#SweetValley
#SweetValleyKids
#SVK
#nostalgia
#twins

I‘m going to see if I can track down a copy of the 1930s version of this book to see what the differences are. This one seemed a bit disjointed to me, but it has lots of Persian cats so it has that going for it! 😁 Is anyone keeping track of how many times Nancy almost dies or gets seriously injured in these books? 😆 So fun. 🐈‍⬛

#NancyDrewBR
#NancyDrew

It only took 4 months but I finally finished this 928-page chunkster! I love the Outlander show & have been having withdrawals since the new season ended, so I‘ve really been enjoying reading this for an hour or 2 every night before bed the last couple of weeks. I love these characters & I‘m a sucker for time travel stories. If you like the show I‘d highly recommend the books! Or if you like the books but haven‘t watched the show yet, it‘s great!

I have sped through these Hamish Macbeth audiobooks this past month and am almost caught up. The next one is the last one written by M.C. Beaton and it will be bittersweet. Love this series. 4⭐️

#audiobook
#HamishMacbeth
#cozymysteries
#MCBeaton

I read this for #WithTheBanned & give it a soft pick. It‘s not pleasant to read but it does make you think. I wasn‘t a fan of the writing style format & it took awhile to get used to it. I wonder how it translates to audio. 3.5⭐️

Elizabeth befriends the new exchange student from Santa Dora, Arthur Castle. She learns he is really the crown prince of Santa Dora but he doesn‘t want anyone to know & swears Liz to secrecy. He just wants to be a normal kid for a few weeks. Meanwhile, Jess finds out & spills the beans to the Unicorns, & soon the whole school knows. He is convinced Liz told everybody & won‘t speak to her. Jess finally fesses up in the end & they all make up, & ⬇️

The class takes a trip to watch a taping of Dr. Snapturtle‘s Animal Hour. Caroline tells everyone he‘s a fake & not a real vet, and they start to believe her after the twins see him yelling at his dog, Duke. Dr. S. comes to visit the class the next day & explain his bad behavior as being upset over the death of one of his animals. And luckily he is there to save the day when a dog gets hit by a car. 4⭐️

#SweetValley
#SweetValleyKids
#SVK
#twins

Book 29 in the Hamish Macbeth series sees more messy romantic entanglements and multiple gruesome murders. I love listening to these because I love the small town village life of Hamish and all of the eccentric busybodies that live in Loch Dubh. Dunno what I‘m going to listen to after I finish this series. Does anybody have any good recs for cozy mysteries with a decent amount of books in the series? 4⭐️

#audiobook
#HamishMacbeth
#cozymysteries

I‘ve been a fan of Tim Matheson since seeing him in a made for TV movie in the 90s. He has had a fascinating life & career & has been in so many movies & shows, including Leave It To Beaver, Bonanza, The West Wing, etc. And my forever favorite role of his is when he played Lucy‘s stepson on the hilarious movie Yours, Mine & Ours. He narrates the audiobook & does a great job. Highly recommended. 5⭐️

#audiobook
#biography
#memoir
#Hollywood

I haven‘t done an alternate cover of the day in awhile, but this is one of my faves & I just couldn‘t resist. 😆😅

#SweetValley
#SweetValleyTwins
#twins
#nostalgia
#SVT
#alternatecovers
#funny

I love Jessica shenanigans & this one is full of them. Jess gets stuck doing the water balloon booth at the school fair so she wrangles her way out of it into Liz‘s babysitting job, & Liz takes her place at the booth. Much to her dismay the kids she is watching are little terrors. Liz saves the day with a hilarious twin switch which has the kids convinced Jess has magical powers. And Jess gets payback later in the form of water balloons 🎈. 4.5⭐️

Earth Day is coming up, & the 2nd grade class project is to restore a rundown area into a beautiful park. Rich Mr. Patman wants to turn it into a parking garage & make $. The kids‘ only hope is to try to get snobby Bruce Patman on their side. And of course, they do. Mr. P. sees all the hard work they did on the park & Bruce talks him into leaving it be. Cute and wholesome. 4⭐️

#SweetValley
#SweetValleyKids
#SVK
#twins
#nostalgia

It‘s April 1st & the twins have decided to do something a little different this year. They usually do a twin switch every year & everyone expects it. Jess convinces Liz that this year, they shouldn‘t switch & just be themselves. Problem is nobody believes them. Liz has a very bad day as she continues to get mistaken for Jess & that means she gets punished for Jess‘s mistakes as well. This was a lot of fun. Poor Liz!

#SweetValley
#SVT

I really enjoyed reading this for #LittensLoveRomance - I‘m a sucker for the enemies to lovers trope, & they take it to a whole new level with their fake exes give advice podcast. Loved the ending. 4.5⭐️

I finally finished Strangers On A Train for #HitchToScreen - I‘d give it a soft pick & I really wish Goodreads did half stars. The movie, imo, is a masterpiece, & this is one of the instances where I think the movie is better than the book. My biggest gripe is that it‘s too long & dragged a lot. Guy is much more sympathetic in the movie. By the end of the book I was rooting for no one. Still, it‘s a great premise for a book. 3.5⭐️

I chose this retelling of Snow White & the huntsman for the #FairytaleReadingChallenge this month. It‘s book 4 in a series & I haven‘t read the others yet. Although there are things from the previous books referenced, it didn‘t detract from my enjoyment of the story & it can be read as a standalone. I enjoyed this & plan on reading more in the series. 4⭐️

#retellings
#SnowWhite
#fairytale

Hello all! Up next for our #HitchToScreen buddy read is The Lady Vanishes by Ethel Lina White. The movie is from 1938. We will have 6 weeks to read the book starting on Feb 1st. Read at your own pace and use the tag #HitchToScreen & don‘t forget to tag me. Anyone is welcome to join! Anyone who wants to be removed or added to the tag list, let me know. Happy reading! 🤗

#buddyread
#Hitchcock

This one was new to me & so adorable! The twins have to earn their own money if they want to go visit Great Aunt Helen, so they decide to start a dog-walking business. Jess shirks her responsibilities but Ken, who loves dogs but isn‘t allowed to have one, is thrilled to help. They get an opportunity to earn more money when Mr. Quincy brings his dog, Joe, for them to watch for a week. Joe is a Samoyed & is covered in cuts & bruises. The twins &⬇️

This is one of my favorite books & I try to reread it every few years. It starts in Switzerland in 1902, when Marta is 12. She is forced to drop out of school by her abusive father. She has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge & is very ambitious. She eventually ends up in California with her husband & children, & we follow the story of her daughter, Hildemara. Book 2 continues the story of her granddaughter, Carolyn. 5⭐️ Highly recommend.

Jace & I read these for #foodandlit this month. Strega Nona is set in Italy for #Jubilee - and the others are all set in The Netherlands. Strega Nona was very cute, and I also really liked The Hero of Little Street, which has no words but is quite the adventure when a little boy gets sucked into a 17th century painting in Holland. 🇮🇹🇳🇱

#Netherlands
#Italy
#childrensbooks

Patrick Morris has very strict parents who‘ve gotten even more strict lately. His parents forbid him to join the school band, so he practices the saxophone at Casa Wakefield in his free time. He makes the band but his parents still refuse to let him play. He decides to run away, & Winston & the twins help. Eventually he goes home & learns his dad lost his job, which is why they didn‘t want him joining the band. But all‘s well that ends well in SV.

Another solid entry in the Hamish Macbeth series. Although his romantic shenanigans do get a bit tiresome at times. He still has feelings for Priscilla, and he & Elspeth are never on the same page, as usual. But I love this series. 4⭐️

#audiobook
#HamishMacbeth
#cozymysteries
#MCBeaton

I got way behind on my reviews last week! This one is all about Belinda “Billie” Layton, who is a tomboy at heart & loves playing sports. She‘s out of sorts because her mother is about to have a baby & her dad doesn‘t spend as much time with her anymore. Don‘t worry, Saint Liz will help! 😆

#SweetValley
#SweetValleyTwins
#SVT
#twins
#nostalgia

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this for #BeyondTheYellowBrickRoad - I dunno about you guys but old Mombi here used to FREAK ME OUT when I was a kid, watching Return To Oz. The story in the movie is quite a bit different, but Mombi is an ever present evil throughout the book. I‘m amazed once again at the creativity of Mr. Baum & can only imagine what kids back then thought of these wonderful books. 5⭐️

I read every Freida McFadden book I could get my hands on last year. I really enjoy The Housemaid series. This is a novella set between books 2 & 3. It is Millie & Enzo‘s wedding day and someone is stalking Millie. Short & sweet & highly recommended if you enjoy The Housemaid series. 4⭐️

#FreidaMcFadden
#novella
#TheHousemaid

Book 27 in the Hamish Macbeth series is another pick. The murders are getting more and more creative, and this one had a couple of creepy children à la Agatha Christie. 4⭐️

#audiobook
#HamishMacbeth
#MCBeaton
#cozymysteries

Hamish kept me company all day yesterday as I cleaned the house and finally put the Christmas decorations away. 😆 Hamish along with Agatha Raisin are my comfort listens and I love both series. Highly recommended if you like cozy murder mysteries. 4⭐️

#audiobook
#HamishMacbeth
#MCBeaton
#cozymysteries