Disney World, No Cemeteries

When I was growing up, my family went on road trips each summer. We didn't drive off to visit Mickey at Disneyland or Disney World. We didn't drive off to go camping or a cruise. No, our family vacations all centered around cemeteries, courthouses, and libraries. We would go to the states in which my ancestors were buried, or where my dad could locate information about them. You see, my dad was "searching for his old dead grandfathers". He has been a genealogist for over 60 years.

I learned to read wills, deeds, birth and death certificates as a teenager, but I have to say books were actually my favorites. So, you see why I was drawn to S. C. Perkins's Ancestry Detective series, it brings those two together perfectly.

I was immediately drawn to Murder Once Removed (2019) by the cover when I was browsing the Pop Reads section of the Mary Couts Burnett Library at Texas Christian University - one of my favorite places to read. I sat down with this cozy mystery and read through half of the book before it was time to go home. I was intrigued by how this Texas girl (like me) could solve mysteries in the past and the present - with no time travel involved. Well, leave it to a genealogist to find out a family's deepest and darkest secrets, through research. Lucy Lancaster, the Ancestry Detective, helps her clients by solving their family mysteries. If she happens to solve a local mystery along the way, so much better for her Yelp review.

Murder Once Removed is centered around an Austin billionaire and the murder of his grandfather in 1849. With the discovery of an old daguerreotype and a journal, Lucy is able to narrow the killer down to two suspects. While working the case and trying to protect the evidence, another murder takes place. Lucy is tasked with trying to solve both murders simultaneously. Remember, Lucy is not a detective. She is a genealogist who was hired to research the family history of Gus Halloran. It is through her skills as a genealogist she is able to solve the murders.

Lineage Most Lethal has Lucy searching for the lineage of hotel heiress, Pippa Sutton. Again this book is set in Austin around Lady Bird Lake. I am not from Austin but have visited many times. I could picture a few of the places referenced in the book, but the Sutton Hotel is a fictional location. I won't give away any of the plots, but I will say, Lucy once again is involved in solving a murder.

I recommend these books for those who love cozy mysteries and those who enjoy searching for their family's story. You can only hope your story does not include a murder or two.

Lineage Most Lethal and Murder Once Removed are both now available for sale.

*To comply with guidelines set forth by the Federal Trade Commission, Minotaur Books has provided a complimentary digital edition of Lineage Most Lethal for review purposes. This review is my opinion and is in no way influenced by the author or publisher.

A Return to Whistle Stop

I honestly couldn't tell you the last time I read an entire book (except picture or YA books) in one day.  Fannie Flagg's The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop is one of those books.

I remember seeing Fried Green Tomatoes in 1991. I was engrossed in the characters and storyline from the very beginning of the movie. I had no idea it was a book until the credits. I'm one of those people who have to read a book before seeing the movie because I want to have my own movie in my mind. After watching the movie, I had to find the book. I knew even as good as the movie was, the book had to be better. But because Flagg co-wrote the screenplay for the movie, she made sure it was as close as possible to the book. Jessica Tandy will always be Ninny, Mary Stuart Masterson will always be Idgie Threadgoode, and Kathy Bates will always be Evelyn Couch. How could you make any of these characters look any different in your mind?

For those who loved Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe (book-published in 1987), Fried Green Tomatoes (movie), or both, this is a MUST read! Fannie Flagg does not disappoint in her continuation of Buddy Threadgood, Ruth's son's life. You will fall back in love with the original characters and in love with the new ones.

As soon as I started reading The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop, I was immediately back in Whistle Stop. I knew the one-armed boy referenced in the first few pages. I could clearly hear Jessica Tandy's voice narrating the words as I read. Like the chapters in the previous book, these jump around in time (just like the movie).If you know the characters, you will easily be able to follow along with the storyline. Flagg picks up where the previous book ended  as if we never left.

I have seen reviews from readers who have not read the original book. For those readers, all I can say is you have to read Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe to truly appreciate the return of these great characters.

Again, I will say, this return to Whistle Stop is a MUST read for lovers of Idgie and her family. I wonder what will happen next. Will there be another return? I can only hope.

The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop is expected to be released on October 27, 2020, by Random House.

*To comply with guidelines set forth by the Federal Trade Commission, Random House has provided a complimentary digital edition of The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop for review purposes. This review is my opinion and is in no way influenced by the author or publisher.

A History of Absolutely Everything

Christopher Lloyd’s Absolutely Everything!: A History of Earth, Dinosaurs, Rulers, Robots, and Other Things Too Numerous to Mention was published in 2018. However, the wonderful audiobook was recently released. Christopher Lloyd narrates his own book, and the audio storytelling of this rather large book is wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing the history of some many things I have heard of in the past, but never realized the timeline in which the events occurred. Lloyd presented a moment in history and then told other events going on in various parts of the world occurring at the same time.  I was especially intrigued by the way Lloyd compared the creation of the Earth to a clock and what a huge amount of time occurred prior to humans roaming our planet.

I highly recommend this audiobook for middle school readers through adults. I have seen a portion of the book via Amazon preview and believe the illustrations would be an excellent resource, but the size of the book and text might be daunting to younger readers.

*To comply with guidelines set forth by the Federal Trade Commission, the publisher has provided a complimentary copy of the audiobook of Absolutely Everything!: A History of Earth, Dinosaurs, Rulers, Robots, and Other Things Too Numerous to Mention (Spotlight Audio) for review purposes. This review is my opinion and is in no way influenced by the author or publisher.