A Killer Maize, by Paige Shelton

A Killer Maize by Paige Shelton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Book 4 in the Farmers' Market series. I really like this series, but this one feels like the weakest of the lot. The last quarter of the book dragged for me. (view spoiler)[After the big roller coaster "accident," I felt like the author was just kind of padding things to hit a specific length, instead of just tying the plot up. (hide spoiler)]

One thing I definitely liked about the book is that Becca finally resolves the annoying love triangle that she had been stringing along for way too long. the love triangle trope in cozy mysteries is seriously starting to get on my nerves. Authors ask us to suspend reality while reading their books, putting in convoluted plot lines, and then they throw in the love triangle, and it's almost too much for me to bare (most of us know that finding one significant other is hard enough, finding a potential second S.O., nope. Heading into Mary Sue territory there...)

All in all, I liked most of the book and I certainly like the series well enough to continue on, with help from my local library.</["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]>

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Killer Jam, by Karen MacInerney

Killer Jam by Karen MacInerney
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked it, but I didn't love it. I'm willing to give the series a chance, because I enjoy the author's Gray Whale Inn series and this was the first in a new series.

It has a little bit of romance thrown in, and lots of likable characters (though some were not so likable, deliberately, of course). The main character, Lucy, seems a bit naive, rushing to buy her grandmother's farm and jumping into homesteading. Then she's broke and trying to figure out how to pay her legal fees, mortgage, etc.

The biggest thing that bugged me about this book was just how petty, lazy, useless and vindictive the Sheriff was. Bet he turns up dead in another book, haha.

I will definitely read the next book in the series, because I think MacInerney has a solid start here and I liked the main characters.

*I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

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Lucky Spool's Essential Guide to Modern Quilt Making: From Color to Quilting: 10 Design Workshops by your Favorite Teachers

Lucky Spool's Essential Guide to Modern Quilt Making: From Color to Quilting: 10 Design Workshops by your Favorite Teachers by Editors at Lucky Spool
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Though the patterns in this book were a bit too modern for me, the basics that this book provides makes it a winner. The principals of color and building a color palette, as well as troubleshooting tips are perfect for a quilting newbie like I am. The chapters on prints and solids are also very helpful.

All in all, even though I didn't care for the patterns, this book has so many helpful tips it's absolutely worth having in your library.

*I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

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Handbag Workshop: Design and Sew the Perfect Bag, by Anna M. Mazur

Handbag Workshop: Design and Sew the Perfect Bag by Anna M. Mazur
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Craft level- Intermediate to advanced sewing skills required.

These are not your basic quilted bags! The patterns in this book are clear, with lots of photos showing the how to do things, step by step. There is a technique section that is helpful, if a bit short.

The majority of the bags seem to be intermediate to advanced, and frankly even the "beginner" bags require more than beginning sewing skills.

To sum up, this book is for a more experience sewer, who is truly interested in making their own handbags on a regular basis, not a one off, as the amount of specialized supplies needed will require a decent investment. The projects in this book use materials such as leather, and involve way too too many steps and too much $ for specialized tools, for this beginner sewer to even contemplate at this time.

*I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

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Haunted Ontario 4: Ghostly Estates, Museums, and Other Sightings, by Terry Boyle

Haunted Ontario 4: Ghostly Estates, Museums, and Other Sightings by Terry Boyle
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I usually love books about ghosts and hauntings, but I had a real hard time getting through this book. It felt really choppy to me, and frankly, boring. It actually felt like I was back in journalism school and had half an article edited out for space. It was obvious something was missing by the way it read, but it's sort of readable. It truly surprised me, because it's book 4 in a series, yet it reads like a self-published first book.

For me, a book about ghosts has to have a great story teller, because that's what they are, a story teller, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat. These anecdotes feel grating and stilted, and well, weird. For example, this sentence in the Emma's Back Porch bit just bugs the snot out of me, "They delighted to take it as an omen of prosperity." Huh??

I can honestly say, had I not agreed to review this book, it would have ended up on my Unfinished shelf on Goodreads.

*I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

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Pirate Hunters: Treasure, Obsession, and the Search for a Legendary Pirate Ship, by Robert Kursan

Pirate Hunters: Treasure, Obsession, and the Search for a Legendary Pirate Ship by Robert Kurson
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Ultimately, I was kind of frustrated with this book. I'm one of the people that is fascinated by the Whyduh pirate ship since seeing a special on TV about it, and I went to the exhibit when it came to Denver. The fact is, the Whyduh is still the only 100% proven pirate ship ever found.

This book is about the search for another pirate ship, The Golden Fleece. And while the clues and circumstantial evidence all point to this being the GF, the proof is not 100% there, since there is no real identifying item on the wreck (the Whyduh was identified by the ship's bell. Merchant ships, which is what the Golden Fleece originally was, don't typically have bells, and being a pirate ship in her final days, she's not going to have her name blazoned on much of anything else) that has been found to date. And since the wreck and all of its treasures are tied up in court proceedings due to financial and contractual differences between the 3 main players, if anything is there, it's not likely to be found. The fact that I got all the way to the end of the book before I found that out, left me feeling very let down. I was expecting pictures, or at least some description of what was found, but pictures are few and far between and the entire wreck wasn't even explored before litigation got in the way.

I also felt as though the author padded the book with a lot more background info on the main characters, in hindsight, maybe because the end of the story can't really be told yet? But really, I skipped through a lot of the padding, wanting to get to the wreck and what it held. Which again left me feeling let down, since THERE IS NO ENDING TO THE STORY!

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How to Knit Socks That Fit, by Donna Druchunas

How to Knit Socks That Fit: Techniques for Toe-Up and Cuff-Down Styles. A Storey BASICS® Title by Donna Druchunas
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a straight forward book. I think if you were new to sock knitting, this would be a great book for you. It's a straight forward how to knit socks book. But, for more comfortable knitters, there are no real full patterns, just knitting stitch patterns you could use to design your own socks. Which if you're an advanced knitter, and comfortable with putting the pieces of a pattern together yourself, this book will appeal. But personally, that's a wee bit out of my comfort zone. I fall into the "comfortable" category, but not quite adventurous or advanced!

One of the major cons for me was there are no photos. For me, one of the things I like best about knitting books are the photos of finished projects. No finished projects means no pretty photos.

*I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

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