Elle Hartford

An interesting, and very scholarly, read. Basically, as I understood it, Rupke's point is that religion began (thousands of years ago) as a home or family affair, with daily practices or “rituals” for personal communication with deities or divine forces. From there, he traces how Roman religion developed–temples grew, then priests to tend the temples, then writing about religion, then national identification with religion. The narrative is compelling, though admittedly very dense, and perhaps with some translation oddities.

Check out a more detailed review on my blog~
https://ellehartford.com/book-review-pantheon/

I will say, it helps to read (or re-read) Dracula before you read this book; even though everything is explained and you could follow along without having read Dracula at all, they do get into the nitty-gritty of some of the accounts in Dracula. In some ways, this book reads a bit like someone picking apart the superhero (or supervillain, I suppose, in Dracula's case?) movie while leaving the theater. But that isn't a bad thing in this case, because all those small points do come together to make for a good story! I enjoyed the book and above all appreciated the fact that the author's love & respect for not only Holmes but Watson as well comes through in the details.

Given that the collection is from 1968, I expected the stories to be watered down & cleaned up a bit – and they are, but not unduly. Actually the author's voice is charming, and does recognize characters as morally grey. The book includes a range of stories which can be read straight through as one loose narrative. All in all it's a fun collection, especially for someone already familiar with the stories.

Finished this in one lovely afternoon. It was fun to see Jeeves in a slightly different way – this book is in 3rd person, not 1st, so we get a new perspective. The characters are hilarious, and of course the plot moves along quickly! Definitely a must-read for fans of Jeeves and Bertie (even though Bertie's off learning to darn socks, haha).

I really enjoyed getting to know Moss Haven and the pixies! And I've always loved fairy tales and folklore, so the fae felt familiar, and I appreciated seeing this new take on them. Though I'll definitely be going on to read the next in the series, I think this story could stand alone, too, if you prefer shorter works.

I love Lucas! One of the reviews printed in the book called this “the arthurian legend Wodehouse never got around to writing,” and I feel like that sums it up very well. The plot is a wild ride, so you have to hang in there at certain points, but the ending wraps everything up quite neatly. My two criticisms – mild spoilers!! – are that, despite the plethora of knights running around, there are precisely three women in the story (one inactive queen, one understated love interest, and one evil villain, aside from a very minor character or two); and that Arthur doesn't come across at his best, or even as very likable. But, to be fair, all of those issues are in the original legends too. If you're familiar with the Arthurian legends, you can see the references the author makes, and it will help you keep track of the knights' drama.

Bottom line is, I enjoyed the book and I liked seeing things from Lucas' point of view. This is a very fun, funny adventure through a variety of old legends and one I will definitely reread in the future. :)

A History of Murder is a great example of a well-thought-out cozy. The protagonist, Chloe, has a history in the small town she left behind, and that history intertwines with the present-day murder. Chloe herself is smart, takes initiative, and gets herself into some pretty funny scrapes. All of the supporting characters make sense – no one falls flat or becomes terribly annoying – and her love interest is super sweet. Oh, and she acquires a golden retriever, which of course is worth five stars all on its own. :)

My one complaint as I came away from the book [SPOILERS!] is the way that past-murder subplot was left. The ends aren't tied up. Now, that in itself isn't so bad – it must be a set up for the second book, right? But there's a diary left over from the past, and one clue which seemed like a blazing red flag to me as soon as the characters discussed it. After a moment's reflection, I had a strong suspicion who the past murderer was, and I kept waiting for Chloe to wrap up both murders by the end of book one. It was frustrating to me that she didn't, because it seemed quite simple (read the diary, Chloe!). But, I can understand that she was pretty busy with other big changes in her life, not to mention past trauma.

All that said, I still really enjoyed the book, and the main mystery was well done. I would recommend this to anyone with an interest in cozies, and particularly to people with an interest in history! Chloe's descriptions of her historic town and home are great. (I also loved the professor character!) And, my frustration aside, I will definitely be on the lookout for book two.

Bottom line: a very fun, engrossing read!

A wonderful, fun-filled cozy! The narrative switches seamlessly between a couple different perspectives, which highlights the interwoven story lines and the comedic capers the characters get in to. And speaking of the characters, I love them – human, canine, and dragon alike! Plus, the recipes in the back look delicious.

Overall this was a charming adventure, and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes quirky or paranormal cozy mystery!

I recieved an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion, and honestly I really enjoyed this book. :)

I loved this cozy! I requested an ARC in exchange for an honest review, and quite honestly, I'm so glad I did. :) Normally I'm not a huge fan of puppets, but Jill and her friends and coworkers really made the book for me. I even came around to the puppets by the final scene! Plus, the book is set in NYC, which is a fun change from other cozies.

Jill, who normally works in PR, has taken up a side job running set tours at a children's show. The actors – and especially the puppets – have larger-than-life personalities, which makes the job difficult. However, when one of them is murdered, Jill agrees to help the police figure out who did it. What follows is a hilarious and heart-warming team up between Jill's friends and the PAs on set!

This is the second book in the series, but you can read it as a standalone if you like. Jill is very funny and relatable, and catches you up on anything you missed. I found her to be really relatable and would totally be part of her “posse” if possible. :)

Mystery-wise, [mild spoilers!!] I did not figure out who the murderer was until the very end. It made sense, though, and the end was satisfying. In fact, all the loose ends were tied up well (aside from one plotline which is going into the third book, but isn't really important for this story).

All in all, I would definitely recommend this book to any cozy reader. Or anyone with an interest in TV behind the scenes! And I'll be reading the third book for sure.

Before I picked up this book, I already knew (and admired) Rachel Carson and her work – and Murphy's narrative just made me more impressed than ever with Silent Spring. The writing style is easy to follow and everything is carefully organized. An interesting read for anyone who wants to know more about environmental topics, public debate, or books & media in the 1960s.

I really enjoyed the range of characters (and the explanations of some of the more unusual kinds of fae). [mild spoilers ahead!] It bothered me at first how the primary suspect seemed to be both very obvious and getting away with everything, but then came a great twist, so I was really pleased with the ending! Cari's utter obliviousness to guys being interested in her made me feel bad for her would-be suitors, but I'm excited to see how things develop in the future books. :)

Overall I would definitely recommend this book!

I was instantly drawn to this book because of the cover. I read it in one sitting and loved it!! The premise, that fairy tale characters are semi self-aware and that journal-keeping is forbidden, was a really fun twist on the familiar tale. Plus, Beauty's relationship with the Beast and with other side characters makes it much more real. My one complaint – a very minor one – is that halfway through, I think Ashcroft (the butler) becomes Hobbs. But honestly it was so neat that he was there at all that I didn't mind that much :)

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who loves cozy mysteries, NYC, or the world of PR! Jill's voice as narrator is really entertaining and relatable, and the way her friends come through for her is perfect. Plus, the romance is fun and compelling too! I adore this series and am eagerly looking forward to the next one.

So, to be fair, I am a Washington State native and because of that I was over the moon to find a cozy set in & around Seattle! :D It highlights all of the things I love about my home state: the rainforest, the lakes, the ferries – perfect. :)

Gushing about Washington aside, I had a lot of fun with this cozy. The characters are great (I especially loved Suzie and Connor) and they get into some crazy situations! The mystery itself kept me guessing and wrapped up very well.

MILD SPOILERS! I did get a little frustrated with Crystal at one particular relationship-related point (come on, have some faith! haha), but her thoughts were understandable, I suppose. :)

All in all, I really enjoyed this read and I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in cozies or the Pacific Northwest!

I enjoyed the banter in this book and the peek behind the scenes of conference organization! ;) And of course I adored Scout. About halfway through I guessed the culprit but the motive was obscure until some last-minute sleuthing, which I probably would have done much earlier. . . to be fair though there was a lot going on prior to that point. Overall it was a fun read!

Such a fun and inventive mystery!! I would whole-heartedly recommend it to anyone who enjoys cozies, fantasy, or both.

Emily is a fun protagonist who knows the value of keeping her friends close, which is good because discovering a huge secret about your family could be very isolating. Her friends (and frenemies!) are all interesting, but I have to say, I adored Rabbit most of all. The mystery has several layers and the ending is very satisfying, while still leaving room for sequels. I'm definitely looking forward to more!

A wonderful and adventurous cozy! Having grown up outside of Seattle, I very much enjoyed reading a cozy set in my home state. Crystal is really relatable and Connor is just the best. The mystery had a good twist, too! Overall I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who loves Washington, being outdoors, snowstorms, or cozies!

My favorite book of the series!! And for a trilogy that, from book one, combines wonderful friendships and relatable characters with mystery and magical discovery, that is saying something. :)

Seeing the way Emily and her friends make everything come together is extremely satisfying. Plus, along the way we learn some truly endearing and enlightening backstory about several characters. I won't spoil anything, but I'll say I haven't been so invested in fictional people in quite a while! ;)

This book is funny and adventurous while also being thrilling and touching, too. I didn't see the end coming– and it was perfect! I wholeheartedly recommend this series and can't wait for the next one, The Bellerose Witchline series. I'm definitely going to have that one on preorder as soon as I get the chance! :D