Noises Off By: Michael Frayn

I've read this brilliant farce numerous times. I like to revisit it when I need a good belly laugh and its a great mental palette cleanser between books of different genres.

The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies By: Alison Goodman

Twin sisters get embroiled in several exciting and dangerous adventures in the Regency period of England...what's not to love about that?! Society ladies who are not good at being seen and not heard are always fun when they use their feminine invisibility to outwit the bad guys! Great adventures, great dialogue and a great read. Here's to more Augusta and Julia and their ill-mannered ways!

 

Death in a Blackout By: Jessica Ellicott

A wonderful start to a new series.  Billie Harkness is thrust into a new life away from the home she's known, and in the process meets a cousin she never knew about, joins the Constabulary, and finds herself investigating a suspicious death. The female characters in this story/series are wonderfully empowered at a time when women weren't, and in such clever ways.  Ellicott's research is impeccable and her joy in the time period and her own characters comes through.  

Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World By: Benjamin Alire Sáenz

I can't rave enough about this gorgeous sequel! There aren't enough superlatives to describe the utter glouriousness of the continuing story of Ari and Dante. This picks up exactly where the first book left off and we follow the boys as they map out their lives in their final year of High School. At times hilarious, at times anger inducing, at times heart breaking, yet always heartfelt, respectful and loving.

 

Murder in an English Glade By: Jessica Ellicott

 

A large country estate, serene grounds, lovely glades and ponds, the perfect setting for an artist's retreat week with plenty of room for the Girl Guides to camp and work on earning their badges... What could go wrong? Edwina and Beryl find out quite quickly what can (and) did go wrong, in this superbly plotted mystery!

Camelot 3000: Tome 2 By: Mike W. Barr and Brian Bolland

Every now and again I like to revisit this fantastic comic book series.  An ingenious, exciting and fascinating retelling of the King Arthur legend, with gorgeous artwork. Tome 2 contains books 7-12.

Camelot 3000: Tome 1 By: Mike W. Barr and Brian Bolland

Every now and again I like to revisit this fantastic comic book series.  An ingenious, exciting and fascinating retelling of the King Arthur legend, with gorgeous artwork. Tome 1 contains books 1-6.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe By: Benjamin Alire Sáenz

I absolutely adored this book.  The language is poetic.  The characters are exquisitely drawn, and the story is beautifully rendered.  This one gave me all the feels.  I can't recommend it enough!

 

Murder Cuts the Mustard By: Jessica Ellicott

This second reading of this mystery was just as delightful as the first time I read it 4 years ago. It was also a lovely and needed treat to read a well written book with characters I liked, considering the previous book I read was such a major disappointment.

Zelda By: Nancy Milford

I've never been a fan of either of the Fitzgeralds or their work, and this biography only furthered my original thoughts that he was a total prick and she was a spoiled brat.  On top of not caring for the subject of this book, the book itself  was not well written; it contained far too many quoted passages from their books, letters and journal entries with no connecting material to explain them/offer thoughts on them; and there was far too much about Scott and not enough about Zelda.  Just a slog of a read.

 

Killers of a Certain Age By: Deanna Raybourn

This is just what I wanted it to be!  A kick ass novel with great female characters!  Full of action and humor, just what I needed to put a smile on my face!

Baking Yesteryear By: B. Dylan Hollis

I bought this because of my love for Hollis' cooking videos. I read it expecting his humor (which I got), and simple and interesting recipes ( which I got). What I wasn't expecting was the social and culinary history, which was as entertaining as his humor and the recipes. I can't wait to dig in and try these recipes!

Hollywood Remembered By: Paul Zollo

An insightful and fascinating look at Hollywood the physical place from ancient times through 2000, as well as the idea/ideal of "Hollywood". Told through meticulously researched history, oral memoirs from a broad range of folks and buildings. Quite a fascinating read!