Come Get Yer Fixin's | Rocket Fizz Soda Pop Fun

Me and the family took a Friday trip to Chattanooga a few weeks ago for Spring Break.  We were there to visit the Aquarium.  Still, anytime you're in downtown Chattanooga you have to visit the Rocket Fizz shop, as well as the Moon Pie General Store.  And, usually just for me, the used bookstore immediately across the street from them both.  OH, and the cupcake shop.  Almost forgot that.  Well, I actually forgot its name.  Help me out here!

Anyway, to keep personalize this platform.  I wanted to share the four flavored sodas (normally call them "drinks") I got.  To be clearrrrrr, I have a pretty strong Southern accent (though some people think I'm from up North somewhere).  So even I was a little taken aback by the slogan of the Rocket Fizz Soda Pops.

Oooo.  And having finally chugged them over the course of this week.  I can say my absolute FAVORITE was the Sweet Corn.  Second best was the Birthday Cake.  The Cut Grass tasted like an apple Jolly Rancher–a bit.

A Little Library Book LOVE

I love my public library. No, I mean I loveeeee [insert expletive] that place. I’m there 1-2 times a week. And, even as I write this, I want to make a library run. Depending on how sunny it is outside; that place is one of the first stops I like to get out to. Skip the lunch date, eh? Well, unless it's with somebody cute and interesting to talk to. As well as more engaging than a book.

Anyway, there are thousands of reasons why I (and everyone else I hope) love his or her public library. Yet, I wanted to talk about one superficial and simple reason why I love library books themselves. We’ll consider this an off-beat and celebrator post on library book love.

Recently, with purpose, I shelved my trade paperback copy of Nanjing Requiem by Ha Jin. Why? Because I favored my library’s hardback copy. Beforehand, I couldn’t read my book club edition copy of Gary Phillips’ High Hand. So, instead, checked out my library’s copy.

Thought for the Day & My One Petty Moment

Take care of yourself people.  You can't be everything to everybody all the time, but you have to be everything to yourself!  So don't ever slip up and get settled playing roles, when looking up all you have is yourself pushing you to reach your goals.  And baby, that's gospel!

After reaching 1K subscribers having busted my ass creating content on YouTube.
Thanks to everyone who has spent years keeping me going!  I get LOVE EVERYWHERE I GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!  BWHAHAHAHAHAH! #dontbemad #sowhatishine #imnotperfectbutigotfeelingstoo 

Falling for Paretsy. And, Well, Warshawski Of Course!

The number one reason why now I’m in love with Sara Paretsky’s V.I. Warshawski series? Well, I’ve come to realize the books are a mental challenge/exercise for me. And I don’t use the word “challenge” and "exercise" to suggest the books are synonymous with "good" or even "great reads". Don’t get it twisted. Because they are long-winded and sometimes laborious as a mofo to get through (but I refuse to skip a page). They're also loopy and repetitious. How many times Warshawski can walk the dogs in one book makes a dizzying point. How many times Warshawski gets a parking ticket in one book is exhausting to relive. So, without a doubt, they could use some brevity in certain mundane areas outside of the already thick.

Still, they've become a mental challenge/exercise. Once, I was so adverse to how convoluted Paretsky's stories were; having to push through with gritted teeth. Now I find myself engaging with the challenge of keeping up with her offerings. From maintaining tabs on her many busybody characters and her funhousing method of plotting a mystery.

All-In April TBR (Parts Sold Separately/Batteries Not Included)

3 Popular Cozy Mysteries I'm FENCING | #MarchMysteryMadness

I'm backkkkkk.  No, for real.  The second half of my mini-series on cozy series I read back in December.  Three I liked well enough.  Three needs a little more... well... understanding.  These are the "understanding" three.

Once again, I use the filler phrase "you know" all over the place.  Sorry, folks. 

Books Mentioned (Amazon affiliate links):

1.  Murder is Binding (Booktown Mysteries #1) by Lorna Barrett @ https://amzn.to/2WyMp4q

2.  Fool's Puzzle (A Benni Harper Mystery) by Earlene Fowler @ https://amzn.to/2TNhK1m

3.  Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen @ https://amzn.to/2UkTM1Q

Re-UpLoad: A Book Haul (#ReadSoulLit & #MarchMysteryMadness Style)

3 Popular Cozy Mysteries I'm ADORING | #MarchMysteryMadness

Wellllllll, in keeping with #MarchMysteryMadness, I had to share three cozy mysteries (series, I guess) I recently read (as far as December) that I am ADORING.  These are older series.  I find myself liking series that's been around a while, more than the recent ones.  Following this video, I got three series I'm FENCING.  

FYI.  I'm pulling out of a cold here.  If I happen to sound funny; heck, that's why.  Nevertheless, the trick to stunt a cold: BLACK SEED OIL!  

Anyway.  As always READ WHAT YOU LOVE TO READ AND LOVE WHAT YOU LOVE READING.  BOOM.  Look at all those "READS".

And thanks everyone!

Books mentioned:

1.  Crewel World (A Needlecraft Mystery) by Monica Ferris 

2.  Them Bones (A Sarah Booth Mystery) by Carolyn Haines 

3.  Tea For Three (First Three Tea Shop Mysteries) by Laura Child  

Now I'm off to read!  And probably eat an orange or something.  TAKE CARE!

Sara Paretsky's V.I. Warshawski Ebay Lot Sale Unboxing

So I'm suiting up for my 2019 Sara Paretsky V.I. Warshawski project.  Which, I guess I'll simply name, my 2019 Paretsky Project (mainly because those two P's sound so sweet together).  

Anyway, I made this purchase off Ebay–just as I did for my 2018 Marcia Muller Sharon McCone Project.  And just as with that one, I'm reading the entirety of the fictional female private-eye (Chicago-based) detective work of V.I. Warshawki this year.  

Have begun the project with book #9, I'm currently almost through book #11, Blacklist.  This leaves me with 9 entries (only pillar release and no short stories) left. But I'm taking them on a book-by-book bases; breaking whenever I need to.  So long as I get them all done before the end of 2019 to fulfill my project–I'm good.  Nevertheless, I'm doing so happily because I love challenging myself as an endurance reader.  And like with my reading of McCone, I'm taking on Warshawski in honor of Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone.  These are her peers, after all.

Okay, done babbling.

BOOK 10.  Total Recall (2001)
BOOK 11.  Blacklist (2003)
BOOK 12.  Fire Sale (2005)
BOOK 13.  Hardball (2009)
BOOK 14.  Body Work (2010)
BOOK 15.  Breakdown (2012)
BOOK 16.  Critical Mass (2013)
BOOK 17.  Brush Back (2015)
BOOK 18.  Fallout (2017)

Random BOOK - Nightseer by Laurell K. Hamilton

Warming Up to a Mystery Series? #MarchMysteryMadness

How Do You Take Your Mysteries? (Can I Ask Sum'ing?)

For the release of Alibis & Angels by Olivia Matthews

More 2019 Cover Reveals My Body is Ready For

SEPTEMBER 3, 2019 is for Vendetta in Death by J. D. Robb

"She calls herself Lady Justice. And once she has chosen a man as her target, she turns herself into a tall blonde or a curvaceous redhead, makes herself as alluring and seductive as possible to them. Once they are in her grasp, they are powerless. 

The first victim is wealthy businessman Nigel McEnroy. His company’s human resources department has already paid out settlements to a couple of his young victims―but they don’t know that his crimes go far beyond workplace harassment. Lady Justice knows. And in one shocking night of brutality, she makes him pay a much steeper price. 

Now Eve Dallas and her husband, Roarke, are combing through the evidence of McEnroy’s secret life. His compulsive need to record his misdeeds provides them with a wide range of suspects, but the true identity of Lady Justice remains elusive. It’s a challenging case, made even more difficult by McEnroy’s widow, who reacts to the investigation with fury, denial, and threats. Meanwhile, Lady Justice’s criminal crusade is escalating rapidly, and if Eve can’t stop this vigilante, there’s no telling how much blood may be spilled…"

October 1, 2019 is for The Shape of Night by Tess Gerritsen (Stand-Alone) 

"Ava Collette is punishing herself for an unspeakable tragedy. So she flees Boston and rents an old home named Brodie's Watch on a remote coastal peninsula of Maine, hoping to work on a cookbook inspired by New England cuisine that she's been trying to finish for months. She immediately feels at peace in the isolated house--until she starts to hear strange noises. 

Rumor has it that a sea captain named Brodie has haunted the house for decades. Then, one night, Ava is awakened to find herself face to face with an apparition who looks--and feels--all too real. Meanwhile, there's been a series of accidental deaths nearby that don't add up. And as Ava starts to check into the previous renter's mysterious disappearance, she starts to realize that there's a disturbing secret some in town are desperate to keep hidden. 

Soon all of Ava's waking hours are consumed by her investigation, and her nights are ignited by Captain Brodie's ghostly visits. But even as she questions her own sanity, she knows she must uncover the truth before a killer strikes again."

June 4, 2019 is for A Plain Vanilla Murder (China Bayles #27) by Susan Wittig Albert

"China and Ruby Wilcox are presenting their annual ''Not Just Plain Vanilla Workshop,'' always a huge hit with customers at Thyme & Seasons Herb Shop. But someone involved with the workshop is driven by a deadly motive, and China soon finds herself teaming up with the very pregnant Pecan Springs police chief Sheila Dawson to solve a vanilla-flavored murder.  

Sheila, happy to get out from behind the chief's desk, is investigating the death of a botany professor, a prominent researcher specializing in vanilla orchids. China is trying to help a longtime friend: the dead professor's ex-wife and a prime suspect in his murder.  

However, there's no shortage of other suspects: a betrayed lover, a disgruntled graduate student, jealous colleagues, and a gang of orchid smugglers. But the lethal roots of this mystery reach back into the dark tropical jungles of Mexico, where the vanilla vine was first cultivated. At stake: a lucrative plant patent, an orchid that is extinct in the wild, and the life of an innocent little girl.  

A Plain Vanilla Murder is a flavorful blend of mystery and herb lore, present sins and past secrets, and characters who are as real as your next-door neighbors—stirred together in an absorbing novel that only Susan Wittig Albert could create."

COVER REVEAL ~ Nevada Barr's What Rose Forgot

Sooooooo, YEAH. We all know I love me some Nevada Barr. And, well, I love me some of her park ranger murder mystery solving character, Anna Pigeon. True enough Anna is somewhere on hold–after her last adventure in 2016's release of Boar Island. Yet, Nevada Barr is back with a stand alone titled, What Rose Forgot. I learned about this book last summer, and have since kept watch on any and everything related to it. But now, we finally have the cover! I miss Anna dearly, and hope Barr at least give us a book twenty in the series. Until then… well… you know where I’ll be come this September 17th!

"Rose Dennis wakes up in a hospital gown, her brain in a fog, only to discover that she's been committed to an Alzheimer's Unit in a nursing home. With no memory of how she ended up in this position, Rose is sure that something is very wrong. 

When she overhears one of the administrators saying about her that she's "not making it through the week," Rose is convinced that if she's to survive, she has to get out of the nursing home. She avoids taking her medication, putting on a show for the aides, then stages her escape. 

The only problem is―how does she convince anyone that she's not actually demented? Her relatives were the ones to commit her, all the legal papers were drawn up, the authorities are on the side of the nursing home, and even she isn't sure she sounds completely sane. But any lingering doubt Rose herself might have had is erased when a would-be killer shows up in her house in the middle of the night. Now Rose knows that someone is determined to get rid of her. 

With the help of her computer hacker/recluse sister Marion, thirteen-year old granddaughter Mel, and Mel's friend Royal, Rose begins to gather her strength and fight back―to find out who is after her and take back control of her own life. But someone out there is still determined to kill Rose, and they're holding all the cards."

Anna Pigeon or no Anna Pigeon, this is how I am for What Rose Forgot

#MarchMysteryMadness TBR - Stunts & Rumbles

March Mystery Madness Challenges...

1.  Old
Shroud for a Nightingale (Adam Dalgliesh Mysteries Book 4) by P. J. James (https://amzn.to/2U5Yhu4)

2.  Again
Hard Time: A V. I. Warshawski Novel (V.I. Warshawski Novels Book 9) by Sara Paretsky (https://amzn.to/2BMXC9H)

3.  New
Final Jeopardy (Alexandra Cooper Mysteries) by Linda Fairstein (https://amzn.to/2IsKwUA)

4.  Borrowed
The Color of Justice by Ace Collins (https://amzn.to/2TYXuuE)

5.  Blue
Inner City Blues: A Charlotte Justice Novel by Paula L. Woods (https://amzn.to/2U4ahfq)

6.  Optional: Mystery featuring or themed around a wedding!

Sick of Shadows (Elizabeth MacPherson) by Sharon McCrumb (https://amzn.to/2IwFCWL)

PART TWO of #ReadSoulLit TAG (A-LICIOUS)

PART ONE of #ReadSoulLit TAG on my blog!

BOOOMMMMNM!  And the walls SHOOKETH!  Hee-hee.  Here's the second half.  Once more, sorry for any inconvenience.

Sorry if the volume is low.  Tag originator issssss... Brown Girl Reading.  I filmed this on the 14th, but thank FreeFormLady for tagging me.  My ass is just behindddddd–per usual.

6.  A lot of us diehard fans refer to Toni Morrison as "The Queen".  Which writer do you feel could be the next Queen in African-American Literature?  I believe I answered this wrong.  I slipped into my fanboy mode instead of thinking about what NEW author may slide into the potential "Queen" area.  Or something like that.  But you guys know how I am when I get excited into a thought. ;)

Nonetheless, Mama Day & Linden Hills by Gloria Naylor

7.  What's the last book by an African-American author you read, loved and gave 4 or 5 stars?

Life is so Good by George Dawson

8.  Show some beautiful books by African - American authors?

L. A. Banks & Eric Jerome Dickey

9.  Black History Month is about its people.  What book would you like to read to learn more about African-Americans?

From Babylon to Timbuktu by Rudolph R Windsor

10.  Show what you're currently reading from your #readsoullit TBR.

Gathering of Waters by Bernice L. McFadden

PART ONE of #ReadSoulLit TAG (A-LICIOUS)

Sorry if the volume is low.  Tag originator issssss... Brown Girl Reading.  I filmed this on the 14th, but thank FreeFormLady for tagging me.  My ass is just behindddddd–per usual.

IN-TEE-WAY.  I split the video into two parts because the buster was too longggggg.  LOL.  Sorry for any inconvenience.  For my peace of mind, I just try to keep my videos under ten minutes.  And thank you to everyone who understands and stuff!

Part One set of questions goes as (all links are Amazon affiliate):

1.  What book(s) are you looking forward to reading this February in honor of black History Month?

You can check out my #ReadSoulLit TBR video on my blog HERE! 

2.  Cite and talk about a classic #readsoullit book published before 1970 that you love.

Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington

3.  What #readsoullit book would you like to see adapted to film?

Jam on the Vine by LaShonda Katrice Barnett

4.  Show and talk about one of your favorite #readsoullit books by a male author.

The Conjure-Man Dies: A Mystery Tale of Dark Harlem by Rudolph Fisher

5.  What #readsoullit new release(s) are you excited about this year?

Borrowed Time by Tracy Clark

Birthday Book Haul ~ PART ONE

Yeah. Yeah. I want books for my birthday. And that’s what I did throughout many avenues. I shopped at Books-A-Million here. Seriously, they have a better bargain selection than Barnes & Noble. Next to that, my local Book-A-Million is right up the street from my house. Whereas Barnes & Nobles is halfway across town. After spending Saturday with my family enjoying some Cajun food and arguing in the middle of Publix over what's the best kind of sandwich spread; company and tow hit up Books-A-Million. Of course because buying books is the first thing one must do when birthday money lands in said lap.

Well. These are the two I came out with. Additionally, I signed up for their membership program. Which is something I haven’t had since I actually worked for the company.

Anyway, Pachinko by Min Jin Lee was always on my reading list. I want all the Korean drama this books has to offer…

"In the early 1900s, teenaged Sunja, the adored daughter of a crippled fisherman, falls for a wealthy stranger at the seashore near her home in Korea. He promises her the world, but when she discovers she is pregnant--and that her lover is married--she refuses to be bought. Instead, she accepts an offer of marriage from a gentle, sickly minister passing through on his way to Japan. But her decision to abandon her home, and to reject her son's powerful father, sets off a dramatic saga that will echo down through the generations. 

Richly told and profoundly moving, Pachinko is a story of love, sacrifice, ambition, and loyalty. From bustling street markets to the halls of Japan's finest universities to the pachinko parlors of the criminal underworld, Lee's complex and passionate characters--strong, stubborn women, devoted sisters and sons, fathers shaken by moral crisis--survive and thrive against the indifferent arc of history."

When They Call You a Terrorist by Patrisse Khan-Cullors & Asha Bandele is also a backlist hopeful read.  One I found for $5.

"Raised by a single mother in an impoverished neighborhood in Los Angeles, Patrisse Khan-Cullors experienced firsthand the prejudice and persecution Black Americans endure at the hands of law enforcement. For Patrisse, the most vulnerable people in the country are Black people. Deliberately and ruthlessly targeted by a criminal justice system serving a white privilege agenda, Black people are subjected to unjustifiable racial profiling and police brutality. In 2013, when Trayvon Martin’s killer went free, Patrisse’s outrage led her to co-found Black Lives Matter with Alicia Garza and Opal Tometi. 

Condemned as terrorists and as a threat to America, these loving women founded a hashtag that birthed the movement to demand accountability from the authorities who continually turn a blind eye to the injustices inflicted upon people of Black and Brown skin. 

Championing human rights in the face of violent racism, Patrisse is a survivor. She transformed her personal pain into political power, giving voice to a people suffering inequality and a movement fueled by her strength and love to tell the country―and the world―that Black Lives Matter. 

When They Call You a Terrorist is Patrisse Khan-Cullors and asha bandele’s reflection on humanity. It is an empowering account of survival, strength and resilience and a call to action to change the culture that declares innocent Black life expendable."

Anyway, plenty more birthday book hauls down the line.

#ReadSoulLit TBR Add-To

2019 #ReadSoulLit ~ Corrections ~ Black Gold by Anita Richmond Bunkley

I am determined as all get-out to read Anita Richmond Bunkley’s 1994 book, Black Gold.  So much so that I ordered my own copy off Ebay–after my library check-out expired before I got to it.  Well, to be exact, I couldn’t renew the check-out because some other individual in my city decided she/he wanted to read it too.  That was not going to stop me, though.  Anyway, this is probably my most anticipated read off my 2019 #ReadSoulLit TBR.  

And I can't exactly tell you why.  Only that we're talking black landowners in Texas during the 1920's fighting to preserve their oil fields.  Or something close to that degree.  The point is that the book is drenched in saga-style feels.  That–of course–equates to drama.  Who doesn't love drama?  Let’s get into this!

Hallelujah!  I got my book!

  

2019 #ReadSoulLit Monday Readings & Gelato - Life is So Good by George Dawson and Richard Glaubman

"In this remarkable book, George Dawson, a slave’s grandson who learned to read at age 98 and lived to the age of 103, reflects on his life and shares valuable lessons in living, as well as a fresh, firsthand view of America during the entire sweep of the twentieth century. Richard Glaubman captures Dawson’s irresistible voice and view of the world, offering insights into humanity, history, hardships, and happiness. From segregation and civil rights, to the wars and the presidents, to defining moments in history, George Dawson’s description and assessment of the last century inspires readers with the message that has sustained him through it all: “Life is so good. I do believe it’s getting better."

2019 #MarchMysMadness Announcements & Things

Okay.  #MarchMysteryMadness...

March Mystery Madness Challenges...

1.  Old
2.  Again
3.  New
4.  Borrowed
5.  Blue
6.  Optional: Mystery featuring or themed around a wedding!

2019 #ReadSoulLit TBR & Things of That Nature

Sooooo.  Links and such to consider...

Currently Reading...

1.  J. D. Robb/Eve Dallas fans and readers, I haven't forgotten about her latest release of Connections in Death (blog "exclusive").   

#ReadSoulLit-centric...

2.  #ReadSoulLit hosted by Didi over at Brown Girl Reading

3.  #ReadSoulLit Goodreads Group

Connections in Death - J. D. Robb & Eve Dallas TIME!

"Homicide cop Eve Dallas and her billionaire husband, Roarke, are building a brand-new school and youth shelter. They know that the hard life can lead kids toward dangerous crossroads―and with this new project, they hope to nudge a few more of them onto the right path. For expert help, they hire child psychologist Dr. Rochelle Pickering―whose own brother pulled himself out of a spiral of addiction and crime with Rochelle’s support.

Dust jacket/Flaps

Lyle is living with Rochelle while he gets his life together, and he’s thrilled to hear about his sister’s new job offer. But within hours, triumph is followed by tragedy. Returning from a celebratory dinner with her boyfriend, she finds Lyle dead with a syringe in his lap, and Eve’s investigation confirms that this wasn’t just another OD. After all his work to get clean, Lyle’s been pumped full of poison―and a neighbor with a peephole reports seeing a scruffy, pink-haired girl fleeing the scene.

Inside flap.  A New York map marked with all the 1st murders from each book

Now Eve and Roarke must venture into the gang territory where Lyle used to run, and the ugly underground world of tattoo parlors and strip joints where everyone has taken a wrong turn somewhere. They both believe in giving people a second chance. Maybe even a third or fourth. But as far as they’re concerned, whoever gave the order on Lyle Pickering’s murder has run out of chances…"

A puzzle.  Can you solve where the next book's murder will take place?

Connections in Death by J. D. Robb (Amazon affiliate link)

2019 #ReadSoulLit Read-Along ~ Unforgivable Love by Sophronia Scott

Channels & Such Mentioned:

1. [#ReadSoulLit] = Brown Girl Reading   

AND the subsequent GOODREADS GROUP  

2. [Black-a-Thon] = Bowties & Books  

Book Mentioned:

3. [BookOutlet] Unforgivable Love by Sophronia Scott  

4. [Amazon] Unforgivable Love by Sophronia Scott (Affiliate Link)  

"In this vivid reimagining of the French classic Les Liaisons Dangereuses, it’s the summer when Jackie Robinson breaks Major League Baseball’s color barrier and a sweltering stretch has Harlem’s elite fleeing the city for Westchester County’s breezier climes, two predators stalk amidst the manicured gardens and fine old homes. 

Heiress Mae Malveaux rules society with an angel’s smile and a heart of stone. She made up her mind long ago that nobody would decide her fate. To have the pleasure she craves, control is paramount, especially control of the men Mae attracts like moths to a flame. 

Valiant Jackson always gets what he wants—and he’s wanted Mae for years. The door finally opens for him when Mae strikes a bargain: seduce her virginal young cousin, Cecily, who is engaged to Frank Washington. Frank values her innocence above all else. If successful, Val’s reward will be a night with Mae.    

But Val secretly seeks another prize. Elizabeth Townsend is fiercely loyal to her church and her civil rights attorney husband. Certain there is something redeemable in Mr. Jackson. Little does she know that her worst mistake will be Val’s greatest triumph."  

Quick Used Bookstore Pick-Me-Ups

Beholder's Eye (Web Shifters) by Julie E. Czerneda

"United in their natural form they are one, sharing all their memories, experiences, and lives. Apart they are six, the only existing members of their ancient race, a species with the ability to assume any form once they understand its essence.  

Their continued survival in a universe filled with races ready to destroy anyone perceived as different is based on the Rules. And first among those Rules is: Never reveal your true nature to another being. But when the youngest among them, Esen-alit-Quar, receives her first independent assignment to a world considered safe to explore, she stumbles into a trap no one could have anticipated.  

Her only means of escape lies in violating the First Rule. She reveals herself to a fellow captive―a human being/ While this mistake might not ordinarily prove fatal, the timing of the event could not be worse. For something new has finally made its way into the Universe, the Enemy of the Web, bringer of death to all forms of life. And the hunt it about to begin."

Ravenmocker: A Molly Bearpaw Mystery by Jean Hager

"The award-winning author of The Grandfather Medicine introduces Molly Bearpaw, an investigator for the Cherokee Tribe, who looks into a mysterious case of botulism in a local nursing home. She is also asked to verify that the victim's heart was not stolen by a ravenmocker--a Cherokee witch. In sorting through the means and motives for the murder, Molly enters a deadly race for time."

Sweet 16 - R. L. Stine's Cheerleader Series Recap

As a part of my little January Sweet 16 TBR, I read my way through the entirety of R. L. Stine’s Fear Street Cheerleader series (one per day). It came as my way of nodding and recognizing my roots for mystery/whodunit fiction, and how now was the perfect time to revisit one of my favorite young adult series from my time. And, despite twenty-years worth of distance, I found myself still in love with the stories. Mostly. Think about it, though. High school cheerleaders combating a possessing and murderous evil spirit, that was essentially exacerbating the nature of teenage jealousy. An evil spirit who gets inside one girl per book (except for books four and five) to commit its deadly deeds–with "reasonable" nudgings of crushing the competition with newfound power. And each book the questions are: Who's the possessed girl? How do you destroy an evil spirit which keeps coming back?

Still good stuff indeed, man. Really, really good stuff. The series predates my "learning" of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer (the TV show–that is). But the Cheerleaders series definitely has that same metaphoric bend in relating surviving high school with... well... the monster within. I just don't think Stine give it the same thought, though.

What Design For Murder Left Me With ~ By Carolyn G. Hart

"When mystery bookstore owner Annie Laurance is invited to stage a Mystery Night for the annual antebellum house tour of the Historical Preservation Society of Chastain, South Carolina, she instead finds herself the leading lady in a flesh-and-blood drama. The play's the thing wherein the curtain falls on mean-spirited grande dame Corinne Webster. While jeweled fingers point, accusing Annie of murder, the perpetrator lurks within the genteel cast of Murder-Most-Make-Believe . . . and the murder weapon is one of the props. 

In the tight-laced society of Chastain, Annie is guilty until proven innocent. With her fiance, Max Darling, Annie pieces together evidence to clear her name—until her chief witness is murdered. Now it will take all her sleuthing skills to discover the evil in the heart of Chastain's Beautiful People."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The second book in the Death on Demand cozy series came away with a decent four stars from me. I wasn’t bothered by the lengthy coloring of the various characters. Nor was I bothered by the setup before the first murder and whodunit struck almost 100 pages in. Nope. It didn’t bother me because I like the way Hart writes characters–as they feel alive.

Yet, what did bother me was the main character, Anne. She came across as too much of a commanding, reactive know-it-all. And I found myself bothered with how she treated her boyfriend Max. She was rather dismissive of him one too many times.

Nonetheless, hey, I’m ready for the third book in the series.