Claws for Alarm

 I listened to the audiobook version of this 2nd book in the Nick and Nora mysteries by T.C. LoTiempo.   There is quite a bit of family angst in Claws for Alarm as well as a cat with seemingly unusual powers. I often wonder if the cat is a reincarnation of his previous owner- time will tell as the series progresses.  Fans of hidden passages and seemingly locked room scenarios will enjoy the investigation of the murder in this story.   

Claws for Alarm by T.C. LoTempio
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Enjoyable book and mystery but at times it just feels a little too over the top to me. The way so
E of the components overlap just seems a bit much. Additionally I feel it’s a bit to much like it’s trying to be a cozy romance as well with just a bit too much emphasis on the romantic interest and fawning over male models. My opinion may be influenced by the fact I listened to the book and the narrator’s inflection when reading those portions. I do enjoy the Nick character and his human like traits. The ongoing parallel mystery about the disappearance of Nick the PI is intriguing and will probably keep me coming back for more

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  3
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book # 3  
3. Audiobook  #2023AudiobookChallenge #1
4. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes  CA
5. AtoZ   #2023AtoZReadingChallenge  #AlphabetSoupChallenge  C
6. Alphabet Soup Author Edition #AlphabetSoupAuthorChallenge   T
7. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 2
8. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 +1
9. Color Coded #6 black
10. What an Animal Book #1
11. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #3
12. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #2
13. Cruisin thru Cozies  Animal #1
14. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #1
15. Craving for Cozies  Book #1
16. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #65  Shot #2
17. Medical Examiner Challenge 1 Toe Tags  poisoned
18. 23 in 2023 # 2
19. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2023  #35  Book you Meant to Read Last Year
20. 52 books in 52 weeks  #14 storyteller
21. Around the Year in 52 Books #14. A book with a con, deception, or fake
22. Bookworm #47  Read a book that involves a conspiracy 
23. BooklistQueen  #booklistqueenreadingchallenge2023  #30 An Audiobook
24. Beat the Backlist #BTB2023  #42 this house is alive (or at least very important)
25. Cozy Mysteries   #11 An author who uses initials
26. HP Quidditch 23 #53 mentions Harry Potter
27. Nerdy Bookworm  #NerdyBookwormChallengeXO #14 Listen to an audiobook
28. Nerd Daily #thenerddaily #nerdreading2023 # 18  GUILTY PLEASURE
29. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #40  A book by an author with the same initials as you
30. Pick your Poison  # 32 A book with a moon on the cover
31. Read with Allison #34 Audiobook
32. Sci and Nature # 2  With an Animal on the Cover
33. Unruly Reader Bingo  #8 Fire Drill

The Key Lime Crime

 This is the 10th book in the Key West Food Critic series by Lucy Burdette.   If you love tropical settings with a spunky female lead this is a great series for you.   The food descriptions will have your mouth watering for sure.  This particular book, The Key Lime Crime, is all about the notorious dessert of Key West and the rivalries about who makes the best Key Lime Pie.  As expected from a cozy, a sinister outcome arises from a competition to name a "Best Key Lime Pie"   Anyone with a sweet tooth will be longing for some pie I would suspect.

The Key Lime Crime by Lucy Burdette
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I always enjoy reading about the antics of Hayley Snow and Miss Gloria. Their relationship and the setting in Key West make the books an enjoyable read. It always feels like a vacation when reading these mysteries. After reading this installment full of Key Lime baked goods the reader will either be craving key lime or turned off of it like Hayley’s mother in law. The development of their relationship and the information we learn about Nathan adds depth to the characters and their relationships. The mystery is well plotted out and the guilty party was definitely a surprise ending. Key West at New Years is an even bigger scene than the other weeks of the year. Probably only surpassed by Fantasy Fest. The book does a nice job of discussing the conflicts felt by locals while living in a tourist driving economy and locale.

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book # 4
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #4   
3. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes  FL
4. AtoZ   #2023AtoZReadingChallenge  #AlphabetSoupChallenge K
5. Alphabet Soup Author Edition #AlphabetSoupAuthorChallenge  B
6. Finishing the Series   #FinishingTheSeries2023  Series: 2 Book # 1
7. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 10/1
8. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 +1
9. Color Coded #8 pink for other color
10. What an Animal Book #2
11. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #3
12. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #3
13. Cruisin thru Cozies  culinary 1
14. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #2
15. Craving for Cozies  Book #2
16. Six Shooter Challenge  Target # 16 Shot # 3
17. Medical Examiner Challenge 1 Toe Tags
18. 23 in 2023 # 17  A book with a triangle (or pointed building/house) on the cover
19. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2023  #16  Featuring one of the "Seven Deadly Sins" 
20. 52 books in 52 weeks  #23 southern
21. Around the Year in 52 Books #47. A book related to a geometric shape
22. Bookworm #28 Read a book with a neon-colored cover
23. BooklistQueen  #booklistqueenreadingchallenge2023  # 28. About Complicated Relationships
24. Beat the Backlist #BTB2023  #23 family drama or court intrigue
25. Cozy Mysteries   #5 Set somewhere you'd like to vacation
26. HP Quidditch 23 #37 Alicia Spinett: Written by a female author
27. Nerdy Bookworm  #NerdyBookwormChallengeXO #43 Read a book from the library
28. Nerd Daily #thenerddaily #nerdreading2023 #3 A SEQUEL
29. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #1 A book you meant to read in 2022
30. Pick your Poison  # 94 A book about a place you want to visit
31. Read with Allison #38 Blurbed by One of Your Favorite Authors:
32. Sci and Nature # 34 Set at Your Favorite Place (Beach)
33. Uncorked Reader #UncorkedReading2023 4 Islands
34. Unruly Reader Bingo  #21 Library Checkout

Anna and Elsa's Hygge Life

 

Disney Frozen: Anna and Elsa's Hygge Life   is a fun book about Olaf discovering the meaning of Hygge.   I must admit it was a term I had heard previously but couldn't really explain what it was prior to reading this book.  I now can describe it as something that gives you a warm cozy happy feeling.  Olaf is an adorable character that finds fun in life and is a great character to represent hygge. 

Disney Frozen: Anna and Elsa's Hygge Life by Heather Knowles
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Cute kids book explaining hygge. Was a great explanation of how different experiences bring joy and warm feelings to different people. Plus what’s not cute about Olaf

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  2
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #  2 
3. AtoZ   #2023AtoZReadingChallenge  #AlphabetSoupChallenge A
4. Alphabet Soup Author Edition #AlphabetSoupAuthorChallenge   K
5. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #2
6. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #1
7. 23 in 2023 # 20 A book with a title containing a word you don't know
8. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2023  #6 Under 200 pages
9. 52 books in 52 weeks  #4 hygge
10. Around the Year in 52 Books #1. A book set in a location that begins with A, T, or Y
11. Bookworm #33  Read a movie novelization book (movie to book, instead of book to movie)
12. BooklistQueen  #booklistqueenreadingchallenge2023  #35. Title Starts with “A”
13. Beat the Backlist #BTB2023  #35  letter “z” in the title
14. HP Quidditch 23 #12 Firebolt: Contains a special gift
15. Nerdy Bookworm  #NerdyBookwormChallengeXO #5 Read a book based on a tv series or movie adaptation (watch the show or movie after for fun)
16. Nerd Daily #thenerddaily #nerdreading2023 #27. A BOOK WITH ILLUSTRATIONS INSIDE
17. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #42 A book based on a popular movie
18. Pick your Poison  # 99 A book with a super cheerful person on the cover
19. Read with Allison #52 Book That Doesn't Fit Any of the Prompts:
20. Sci and Nature # 31 Flowers or Plants on the Cover:
21. What's in a Name   #6 Q, X, Z

Our Missing Hearts

 Our Missing Hearts was a rather intense book to start the year off with.  I enjoyed the book immensely but did find it unsettling at times and I did find the character a bit selfish.  As always Celeste Ng has written a powerful character-driven book that has a backdrop of an uncomfortable message.  I generally do not care for dystopian reads and this one was as out of my norm as I usually go.  

I read Our Missing Hearts for our book club read for Jan and we had quite an interesting discussion about it.  Particular attention was paid to the decision by the mother and what we felt about it.  

All in all, I liked the book and gave it 4 Stars.  The unresolved feeling at the ending was what kept it from being a 5-star for me.

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

intense and emotional read

This is a very thought-provoking book. I’m generally not a dystopian reader but this book reads along almost like a saga and a thriller. The character development was well done and the intensity of feelings between individuals was evident. The underlying message of being silent and looking away is one that resonates through history and is relevant today too

View all my reviews

 

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book # 1 
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #  1 
3. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes  MA
4. AtoZ   #2023AtoZReadingChallenge  #AlphabetSoupChallenge O
5. Alphabet Soup Author Edition #AlphabetSoupAuthorChallenge  N
6. Color Coded  #1 Blue
7. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #1
8. 23 in 2023 # 6 A book told from three perspectives or with three points of view
9. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2023  #8  Dystopian Fiction / 45 First Word in the Book is "The"
10. 52 books in 52 weeks  #9 rogue  
11. Around the Year in 52 Books #21 A book by an Asian diaspora author
12. Bookworm #8 Read a book you got from Project Gutenberg, a library, or another nonprofit source
13. BooklistQueen  #booklistqueenreadingchallenge2023  #39. 2022 Bestseller
14. Beat the Backlist #BTB2023  #32 point-of-view character is under 18 
15. HP Quidditch 23 #34 Oliver Wood: Includes a fanatical character
16. Nerdy Bookworm  #NerdyBookwormChallengeXO #16 2023 Bestseller
17. Nerd Daily #thenerddaily #nerdreading2023 #28. TOLD FROM THREE PERSPECTIVES / #16 AWARD-WINNING BOOK
18. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #35 A book about divorce
19. Pick your Poison  # 103 Children's: A book with a protagonist 12 years old or younger
20. Read with Allison #27 Contemporary Fiction
21. Unruly Reader Bingo  #2 Scholarly
22. Monthly Keyword #MonthlyKeyWordGXO Heart
23. Read Around the US   MA
24. Read Your Bookshelf  A book that starts with the word “a” or “the”.

Bookworm

 

I am going to attempt to knock off as many prompts as possible from this challenge hosted by Linz the Bookworm and Tress.   Not sure how many I will get but many do overlap with other challenges.

Completed:  39/60 Books 

Level 1: Book of the Month Club                            

1             Read a book recommended to you on social media or by a friend                             

2             Read a book under 300 pages   

• The Trial (Women's Murder Club, #15.5) by James Patterson
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 1/26/23         

3             Read a book with a female main character     

• Murder at the PTA Maya and Sandra Mystery, #1) by Lee Hollis 
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 1/11/23       

4             Read a book by an author whose name is Samantha, Sam, or a variant 

• The Lost Ticket by Freya Sampson
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 4/18/23              

5             Read a book that was written by an author from your home state                            

6             Read a book you meant to read for last year's challenge 

The Cracked Spine (Scottish Bookshop #1) by Paige Shelton

Blog Post and Goodreads Review 3/30/23

7             Read a book with a basic shape on the cover (examples: Circle, Square, Heart, star, Diamond)           

• Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 3/8/23

8             Read a book you got from Project Gutenberg, a library, or another nonprofit source 

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng  

Blog Post and Goodreads Review 1/1/23                        

9             Read a book about a hobby you enjoy or want to pick up (fiction or nonfiction)     

• Invitation to Murder (A Card Making Mystery, #1) by Elizabeth Bright

• Blog Post and Goodreads Review  5/15/23

10           Read a book that starts with the first letter of your name    

•  Two Wicked Desserts (Kitchen Witch Mysteries, #2) by Lynn Cahoon
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 1/21/23                     

11           Read the next book in a series you haven't read in a while     

• Read and Buried (Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery #2) by Erika Chase 
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 1/12/23                   

12           Free Space! Pick any book    

• Beagles Love Steak Secrets by C A Phipps
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 3/9/23

              

               Level 2: Casual Reader Club                      

13           Read a book by Mary Faulkner (or one of her aliases - https://www.fantasticfiction.com/f/mary-faulkner/)                       

14           Read a book of short stories or a novella 

• Murder 101 (Kitchen Witch #1.5) by Lynn Cahoon
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/21/23                  

15           Read a book that involves a lot of traveling   

• Distant Thunder (Stone Barrington, #63) by Stuart Woods 
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 1/24/23              

16           Read a book published in 1998 (25 years ago)                    

17           Read a book with a yellow cover

• Dead Before Dinner by Kat Bellemore
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 3/7/23                            

18           Reread a book you have recommended to someone else                             

19           Read a book by Dean Koontz                     

20           Read a book with a one-word title  

Less by Andrew Sean Greer

Blog Post and Goodreads Review 5/24/23                      

21           Read book 1 in a trilogy               

22           Read book 2 in a trilogy               

23           Read book 3 in a trilogy               

24           Free Space! Pick any book  

• Through the Liquor Glass (Literary Pub #5)  by Sarah Fox
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/13/23

                 

               Level 3: Dedicated Reader Club               

25           Read a book that takes place somewhere you'd like to live

• Three Shots to the Wind (Chloe Jackson Sea Glass Saloon #3) by Sherry Harris
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/20/23                      

26           Read a book recommended by https://www.whatshouldireadnext.com/  

•  Guilty as Cinnamon by Leslie Budewitz
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 3/10/23     

27           Read a book by an author who shares a first or last name with one of your friends        

• A Palette for Murder (Murder, She Wrote, #7) by Jessica Fletcher
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/22/23                  

28           Read a book with a neon-colored cover    

• The Key Lime Crime (Key West Food Critic Mystery, #10) by Lucy Burdette
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review  1/9/23      

29           Read a book that has under 1,000 reviews or ratings on a website or app    

• Winter Takes All (Seattle Wilderness #1) by ML Erdahl
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 1/30/23       

30           Read a middle-grade book (8-12 age range)    

•  The Nebula Secret by Trudi Trueit  
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 3/17/23    

31           Read a book with the word "Time" in the title                    

32           Read a book about a famous criminal(s)  

33           Read a movie novelization book (movie to book, instead of book to movie)     

Anna and Elsa's Hygge Life by Heather Knowles 

Blog Post and Goodreads Review 1/3/23               

34           Read a fiction or nonfiction book that motivates you to be a better version of yourself                             

35           Read a self-published book    

• The Bloodthirsty Bee: a Provence Cozy Mystery by Ana T Drew
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 1/27/23              

36           Free Space! Pick any book 

• Dead Heat by Dick Francis and Felix Francis
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/14/23

                             

               Level 4: Speed Reader Club                       

37           Read a book that is over 600 pages                        

38           Read a book from List Challenge's Rory Gilmore Challenge https://www.listchallenges.com/rory-gilmore-reading-challenge                

39           A book by an author named David/Dave               

40           Read a "Dark Academia" novel                  

41           Read a book with a title that starts with the letter V                       

42           A book set in Asia or an Asian-inspired culture  

• Last Tang Standing by Lauren Ho
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/16/23       

43           Read a book with a cat on the cover    

• A Scone of Contention (Key West Food Critic Mystery, #11) by Lucy Burdette
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 1/19/23               

44           Read a Folklore book or book based on Folklore  

• The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/4/23          

45           Read a book where the main character is a dancer         

• A Murder for the Books (Blue Ridge Library Mysteries, #1) by Victoria Gilbert
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/23/23

46           Read a book by a new author   

• Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 1/10 /23        

47           Read a book that involves a conspiracy  

•  Claws for Alarm (Nick and Nora Mysteries, #2) by T.C. LoTiempo
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 1/9/23              

48           Free Space! Pick any book 

• The Ghost and Mrs. Fletcher (Murder She Wrote #44) by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain 
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/13/23

                             

               Level 5: Overachiever Club                        

49           Read one of the New York Public Library's Best Books of 2022 (any category) https://www.nypl.org/spotlight/best-books-2022                            

50           Read a book where the main character is a Villain or Anti-hero

• Parable of the Sower Graphic Novel Adaptation by Octavia Butler and Damian Duffy
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/13/23

51           Read a book that has a title that is punny and/or alliterative   

• Cheddar Off Dead by Korina Moss
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/4/23

52           Read a "Found Family" story    

• West Side Love Story (Queens of Mariachi #1) by Priscilla Oliveras
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/7/23              

53           Read a book that has the letter Q in the title                          

54           Read a book that has an illustrated cover   

• A Christmas Candy Killing (Killer Chocolate, #1) by Christine Romeril
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/6/23

55           Read a book that takes place in at least two different decades

• Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/18/23           

56           Read a book about an entrepreneur (real or fictional)    

• Treble at the Jam Fest (A Food Lovers' Village Mystery, #4) by Leslie Budewitz
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 1/24/23            

57           Read a book that takes place in Alaska                  

58           Read a book with the word "Justice" in the title                

59           Read a book involving Dinosaurs  

Unicorns Have Bad Manners by Rachel Halpern

Blog Post and Goodreads Review 6/4/23             

60           Free Space! Pick any book

• Death Over Easy (Country Store #5 ) by Maddie Day
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 3/28/23