Carole´s Monday. Crouchback

 

Author: Sarah Woodbury

Title: Crouchback

Series: The Welsh Guard Mysteries #1

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

Format: Ebook

Pages: 331

Published: November 14, 2019

Where I got It: My shelf (Amazon)

Summary: 

April 1284. As a newly widowed lady-in-waiting to the very pregnant Queen Eleanor of England, Catrin never expected to return to Wales again. She was definitely unprepared to be confronted with murder when she got there--or to find herself face-to-face with Rhys, the childhood friend she lost twenty years before. Rhys had never intended to return home either, but a lifetime of war has deposited him right back where he started--impoverished and owing service to Catrin's older brother.

With Wales having fallen irrevocably to England, and fearful of trusting anyone within the English court of King Edward, Catrin and Rhys join forces against the treachery and intrigue rife within the half-built Caernarfon Castle. And when the murderer strikes again, the task before them becomes increasingly clear: catch the killer, certainly, but also protect their people from a future that is becoming more dangerous and uncertain with every day that passes.

Review:

This has been collecting virtual dust on my Kindle shelf for a while. I think this was a freebie I got ages ago....I honestly can't remember. 

But here we follow Catrin and Rhys as they join forces against murder, treachery, and intrigue. The two had been friends years and years ago, but they haven't seen each other in ages. Now that Catrin is back in Wales with the Queen. She will find herself face-to-face with her old childhood friend and a murder that could ruin everything. 

This was an intriguing read. I loved the freshness of the plot and the setting. It was nice! 

The mystery was good. I had zero idea what was going to happen. 

I liked Catrin and Rhys. There is a smidge of romance, but it wasn't at all a main plot point, which I'm glad for. 

Some areas were heavy-handed with info...which I understand...but it did slow the story down a bit.

Other than that, I really enjoyed it, and I'm glad I finally dusted this off to read it! I am curious about book 2...maybe someday ;) 

4 stars from me. 

A ghastly catastrophe by Deanna Raybourn

By: Deanna Raybourn

Narrated by: Angéle Masters

Series: Veronica Speedwell Mysteries, Book 10

Length: 11 hrs and 20 mins

Release date: 03-03-26

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Categories: Historical Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Another book that I failed to review in time, I am like 1,5 weeks late.

Veronica and Stoker seems to be pretty, sort of, settled by now. They are together, they are happy as things are.

Then they get a new murder to solver. A strange death, a victim missing all his blood. Is there a vampire in London?

A nice mystery. They meet a strange man who is a vampire? His witchy assistant? And things get weird as they try to solve it.

I think I have done audio before, but I am unsure. I kind of miss the book format now to be honest. Kind of makes me want to read book 1 again

When the corpse of an entitled young man is found entirely drained of blood in a carriage next to Highgate Cemetery, Veronica’s interest is piqued. And then a second victim is found, his death made to look like a suicide, and Veronica and her intrepid beau, Stoker, know the hunt is on. The two men share one they were both members of a society so secretive that only a singular mention of it can be found anywhere.

Thirsty for more clues, Veronica and Stoker hear that a young Roma boy may know more about their first victim, but the only way to the boy is through an old acquaintance of Stoker’s, Lady Julia Brisbane. Lady Julia and her dashing husband, Nicholas, occasionally track down murderers and are only too happy to help. But as it becomes clear the secret society is a dangerous sect looking to entice immortality seekers, Veronica and Stoker find themselves ensnared by a decidedly more sinister couple.

The professed leader of the society claims to be a creature of the night; his partner practices witchcraft and they both fancy themselves emissaries of the otherworldly. Just as Veronica and Stoker get closer to learning the true purpose of the society and unraveling this macabre mystery, another body turns up, and they quickly discover they’ve gone from being the hunters to the hunted. . . .

Audio: Adversary to the villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

By: Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Narrated by: Em Eldridge

Series: Assistant to the Villain, Book 4

Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins

Release date: 08-04-26

Publisher: Tantor Media

To review/ cozy romantic fantasy

There were a lot of Povs in this one, I do prefer if it had been the former Villain and Evie alone since that is the drama I am here for. And as of book 3 Evie is no longer the assistant, she is now the Villain. And the villain is the heir to the throne. Things got messy all the sudden.

Now people want to kill Evie. There is a prophecy, and Trystan and Evie are in love. So one would hope they could figure it all out and live happily ever after, and have no villagers with pitchforks after them.

There is more right? Cos the ending was evil. I mean there must be more coming?!

The narrator is doing a good job with this series. I like her voices.

HR Update: The position of “adversary to the villain” has been filled. Evie Sage does not recall applying.

Evie has always tried to be helpful, loyal, and only mildly involved in treason. But with a dangerous prophecy threatening the very magic of Rennedawn – not to mention the race to claim its necessary artifacts before King Benedict does – things are starting to feel… less like a career path and more like a serious problem.

The prophecy won’t stop pointing in Evie’s direction. The Villain’s magic keeps choosing her. And honestly, if you’re going to be accused of evil anyway, you might as well commit.

Unfortunately, the more Evie leans into her alleged villain era, the more her boss starts acting like the hero of a completely different story. Trystan is getting closer – closer than is wise, advisable, or even remotely professional – and looking at her like she’s already chosen a side. His.

Which is deeply inconvenient, because if Evie can’t save the kingdom’s magic, she might just become its greatest threat.

The enchanted greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst

Series: Spellshop (#2)

Format: 374 pages, Paperback

Published: July 15, 2025 by Tor UK

Cozy fantasy/library

I like this series, it is sweet, cozy and low stakes.

Terlu was turned into a statue. The capital was set on fire, and somehow someone sent the statue away to an island filled with greenhouses.

And that is the drama we get. Oh no, the green houses are failing! And the hot gardener does not know what to do.

Sure I like my fantasy with war, gods, and such. But this is just so cozy to read. Saving a greenhouse or several. Meeting a romantic interest. Becoming friends with talking plants.

Lovely.

Terlu Perna broke the law because she was lonely. She cast a spell and created a magically sentient spider plant. As punishment, she was turned into a wooden statue and tucked away into an alcove in the North Reading Room of the Great Library of Alyssium.

This should have been the end of her story . . . Yet, one day, Terlu awakes in the cold of winter on a nearly-deserted island full of hundreds of magical greenhouses. She's starving and freezing, and the only other human on the island is a grumpy gardener. To her surprise, he offers Terlu a place to sleep, clean clothes and freshly baked honey cakes - at least until she's ready to sail home.

But Terlu can't return home and doesn't want to - the greenhouses are a dream come true, each more wondrous than the next. When she learns that the magic that sustains them is failing - causing the death of everything within them - Terlu knows she must help. Even if that means breaking the law again.

This time, though, she isn't alone. Assisted by the gardener and a sentient rose, Terlu must unravel the secrets of a long-dead sorcerer if she wants to save the island and have a fresh chance at happiness and love.

A parade in horribles by Matt Dinniman

By: Matt Dinniman

Narrated by: Jeff Hays

Series: Dungeon Crawler Carl, Book 8

Length: 20 hrs and 27 mins

Release date: 05-12-26

Publisher: Audible Studios

Categories: Lit rpg

It is getting harder and harder to review.

New floor! Races! AI glitching.

No, I can't explain this. This is something you have to experience.

The madness, Gods, yes experience it.

I am just gonna leave it like this. Amazing narration

As chaos and mass panic spread outside the dungeon in the wake of Faction Wars, Carl and Donut find themselves on the tenth floor, where they’re forced to compete in a surprisingly normal set of tasks. Well, normal for the dungeon.

Races. Get from point A to point B, and don’t come in last. After each race, they pick an upgrade for their vehicle and the track gets more challenging. It all seems a little too normal, a little too simple.

Ignore those strange glitches that are occurring with increasing frequency. Don’t listen to those whispers about what’s happening on the mysterious eleventh floor, something the system AI calls A Parade of Horribles. Nobody, not even the showrunners, knows what that means. Just that the AI has ominously dubbed it “a coming-out party for the ages.”

Everything is fine, Crawler. I repeat, everything is fine.

Carl hates that it’s business as usual. The rules of this floor have taken away his agency. That just will not do.

So Carl is planning a party of his own. It’s a plan so dangerous, so insane, he can’t even consult his friends lest the AI put a stop to it. Because if it goes wrong, it’s not just the end of Carl and Donut. No. The stakes are higher than they’ve ever been.

TMST

 

9/22/2026 T ell us about your current (or past) job

As a teen I worked in the fields during summer. I worked as a freelance translator. I wrote some articles for a magazine. I worked as a telemarketer, that sucked! UGH. I worked in a kitchen...

Then I started working as a daycare temp and well I am still there, just with a real job.

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

If you are interested in participating in TMST or receiving periodic emails that list the upcoming TMST topics and questions,  please fill out this GOOGLE FORM.  Participation is optional and never required.

9/29/2026  Sweet or salty snacks - which do you prefer?

10/6/2026  If you had to teach a class or give a TED Talk, what would it be about?

10/13/2026 What animal do you think best represents your personality?

10/20/2026 If you could have any office supply in unlimited quantities, what would it be?

10/27/2026  Who do you want on your team during the zombie apocalypse and why?

Carole´s Monday: An elderly lady must not be crossed

 

Author: Helene Tursten
Narrator: Ann Richardson

Title: An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed

Series: Äldre dam #2

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Short Story, Fiction, Comedy
Pages: Audiobook
Published: October 8, 2020
Where I Got It: Borrowed from library



Summary: 

Eighty-eight-year-old Maud is never looking for trouble, but it always seems to find her. First, a woman in her building met an untimely end: tragic. Then, just recently, a dead body mysteriously appeared in her very own apartment, prompting an investigation by the local Gothenburg authorities. Such a strange coincidence. When it seems suspicion has fallen on her, little old lady that she is, Maud decides to skip town and splurges on a trip to South Africa for herself.

In these six interlocking stories, memories of unfortunate incidents from Maud’s past keep bubbling to the surface, each triggered by something in the present: an image, a word, even a taste. When she lands in Johannesburg at last, eager to move on from the bloody ordeal last summer, she finds certain problems seem to be following her. Luckily, Maud is no stranger to taking matters into her own hands . . . even if it means she has to get a little blood on them in the process.

Don’t let her age fool you. Maud may be nearly ninety, but this elderly lady still has a few tricks before she’s ready to call it quits.

Review:

We are back baaaabyyyyy! Book 2!

We start where we left off. Maud is old but she doesn't let that stop her from what she wants even if that means blood will be on her hands. We get to see some flashbacks as she goes along her trip.

Maud....we love you even though you are technically a serial killer. She doesn't kill for the thrill of it...sometimes people get in her way, and she isn't about that life. 

I loved watching her on her trip to South Africa. I was curious who in her tour group would fuck up and who she'd have to take out. You know one of them will piss her off....it was only a matter of when and who. Color me surprised by who the victim would be. 

Awww, the ending was good. I want more though!!! Sadly this is it. 

This was a fun listen. I loved the narrator. She did a great job. 

But yes, a quick listen, BUT so dang good. You gotta read these. I loved that we got some good flashbacks. Dark, but good.

5 stars from me. 

Reading Challenges

- Audiobook #39

- Library Love #24

The justice of Kings by Richard Swan

Series: Empire of the Wolf (#1)

Format: 464 pages, Paperback

Published: August 23, 2022 by Orbit

Fantasy/own

I actually dnfed this one, forgot to log it, and tried it again. And was bored. But I pushed through. 

One annoying this was that the blurb on my copy made it look like it was about Vornvolt, then I am reading and I am all what? No, the book is about Helena, his clerk, telling her and then his story. Like what?

Vonvolt goes around the empire handing out justice. Murderers beware! Then they are in the middle of a mystery with high stakes. And the whole Empire seems to be crumbling.

 It took a while, but i got there. I still have not decided though if I want to read more. Some books that turn out good in the end leave me wondering. They are so close to that just ok. And after some time I decided nope.

The Empire of the Wolf simmers with unrest. Rebels, heretics, and powerful patricians all challenge the power of the Imperial throne. 

Only the Order of Justices stands in the way of chaos. Sir Konrad Vonvalt is the most feared Justice of all, upholding the law by way of his sharp mind, arcane powers, and skill as a swordsman. At his side stands Helena Sedanka, his talented protégé, orphaned by the wars that forged the Empire. 

When the pair investigates the murder of a provincial aristocrat, they unearth a conspiracy that stretches to the very top of Imperial society. As the stakes rise and become ever more personal, Vonvalt and Helena must make a choice: Will they abandon the laws they’ve sworn to uphold, in order to protect the Empire?

The things we do to out friends by Heather Darwent

Format: 384 pages, Paperback

Published: January 4, 2024 by Penguin Books Ltd

Fiction/Borrowed

Sometimes a book is not bad enough to end it, and then it sort of grows on you and you want to know wtf is happening....

Clare comes to uni, meet a strange group of girls. A bit like Bunny, though Bunny was better. And then they start with something. And then we learn Clare has secrets.

Who needs enemies when you have friends. I cant say much cos that spoils it all. Everyone was just a mess. But I wanted to see how it would play out

Clare arrives at the University of Edinburgh with a secret. This is her chance for a blank slate: to find the right people and reinvent herself.

And then she meets Tabitha. Tabitha is charismatic, beautiful and intimidatingly wealthy. Soon Clare is sucked into her enigmatic circle of friends and their dizzying world of champagne on rooftops and summers in France.

Her new life has begun. Then Tabitha reveals the little project they're working on, a project they need Clare's help with. It's reckless, possibly perilous and might finally allow Clare to become who she was meant to be...

But how much is an extraordinary life worth if others have to pay?

A trade of Blood by Roberth Jackson Bennett

Series: Ana and Din Mysteries (#3)

Format: 380 pages, Paperback

Published: August 4, 2026 by Hodderscape

Fantasy/own

Why am I so late!!!! Srsly, this review will not be as good as it should be since I read the book 1,5 weeks ago

Ana and Din has another mystery to solve. Two families at war, people dying. And this is the cattle district and things need to function.

Who did it? Oh I can never solve these things. I am surprised to the end.

As for Ana...yeah things are being discovered.

Good mystery, good story and I can´t wait for more

Detective Ana Dolabra must prove a condemned man’s innocence and confront a terrifying magical technology in this fantasy-mystery from the bestselling author of The Tainted Cup, winner of the Hugo and World Fantasy awards.

The heir to one of the Empire’s most powerful families sits in jail, accused of murder. His hands are covered in the victim’s blood, and he can neither deny his guilt nor explain his actions.

But if the great detective Ana Dolabra cannot save him from the noose, the farming canton of Sapirdad will explode into war, threatening to plunge the whole Empire into starvation and chaos.

As Ana investigates—her assistant Dinios Kol, as ever, acting as her eyes and ears—she fears her task is even more daunting than it seemed. For this murder is just the latest in a deeper, subtler web of death, woven by a mastermind with an ancient weapon at his disposal.

With their customary skill, Ana and Din pursue their adversary through the canton’s wild ranges, sprawling ranches, and reeking slaughterhouses. Yet even they are not prepared to learn the horrifying secret behind their opponent’s powers.

Girl, Goddess, Queen by Bea Fitzgerald

Format: 496 pages, Paperback

Published : January 25, 2024 by Penguin Books

YA Mythology/own

When I had finished this one I read it was YA. Huh, I actually did not know that. It really works as both.

In this one Persephone says F it! She does not want to be a prize given away to whatever God wins. She choses her own fate so she jumps into the underworld. And Hades is not happy, but grants her sanctuary.

This was about Persephone finding her voice, her self worth and well all of that! She grows and no Gods or Goddesses can tell her what to do.

It takes a while for something to grow between her and Hades but it does. And I like it.

To hell with love, this goddess has other plans...

Thousands of years ago, the gods told a lie: how Persephone was a pawn in the politics of other gods. How Hades kidnapped Persephone to be his bride. How her mother, Demeter, was so distraught she caused the Earth to start dying.

The real story is much more interesting.

Persephone wasn't taken to hell: she jumped. There was no way she was going to be married off to some smug god more in love with himself than her.

Now all she has to do is convince the Underworld's annoyingly sexy, arrogant and frankly rude ruler, Hades, to fall in line with her plan. A plan that will shake Mount Olympus to its very core.

But consequences can be deadly, especially when you're already in hell . . .

TMST

 

9/15/2026  What’s one thing that’s always in your fridge?

Let´s see; Cheese, butter, milk, eggs...ugh boring! My fridge is very boring

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

If you are interested in participating in TMST or receiving periodic emails that list the upcoming TMST topics and questions,  please fill out this GOOGLE FORM.  Participation is optional and never required.

9/22/2026 T ell us about your current (or past) job

9/29/2026  Sweet or salty snacks - which do you prefer?

10/6/2026  If you had to teach a class or give a TED Talk, what would it be about?

10/13/2026 What animal do you think best represents your personality?

10/20/2026 If you could have any office supply in unlimited quantities, what would it be?

10/27/2026  Who do you want on your team during the zombie apocalypse and why?

Carole´s Monday. Playing Hard to get

 

Author: Monica Murphy

Narrator: Rock Engle & Meg Sylvan

Title: Playing Hard to Get

Series: The Players #1

Genre: Sports Romance, Contemporary Romance, New Adult

Format: Audiobook 

Published: December 1, 2022

Where I Got It: My shelf (Audible)

Summary: 

Knox Maguire is the king of our college campus, the star offensive tight end on the football team.

He is the complete opposite of me in every way. I'm quiet. He's loud. I'm shy. He's definitely not. Everyone loves him. No one knows me.

Fresh out of a breakup, I don't really trust him, and why should I? Knox is the ultimate player. When I become his English tutor, I tell myself we need to keep things between us strictly business. Watching my mother deal with my ex-athlete father long ago taught me to stay far away from that type of man.

Yet Knox is impossible to resist. Next thing I know, we're getting hot and heavy in the library—and that was never part of the plan. When Knox admits he can't stop thinking about me, I have a realization: I can't stop thinking about him either.

Instead of keeping my distance, I pull him in closer. Until somehow, we're spending all of our time together, and I find myself falling for Knox. Hard.

Will this actually work between us? Or am I getting played?

Review:

I was looking for a football romance since football season was on the way! 

Here we follow Knox, our resident football player, and Joanna, our resident book nerd and tutor. They couldn't more different, but they start bounding as Joanna helps Knox with his reading. Knox has dyslexia, and he's put off his English class for as long as possible, but he needs it to graduate college. Joanna is still working on her broken heart and Knox has a bet to not have sex until after the season is over. However, lust and love can't be stopped sometimes. 

This was a very sweet story. Yes, there is spice, but this was relatively low-key drama. Yes, there is a smidge, but nothing over-the-top or wasn't fixed after TALKING. I liked it!

I liked Joanna, and I did warm up to Knox. Knox was kinda annoying, but I did warm up to him especially when you could see him fall in love. It was sweet. 

My only issue was the Joanna has issues with football because of her dad being a footballer who abandoned her family. I feel like that lil factoid was breezed over. I think we needed some more time to dive into that and maybe….get a resolution? IDK. Maybe we’ll see something in book 2?

I am curious about book 2 because I feel like that will rock many boats, and I'm curious how Knox will react. Mmmmm I may have to download it. 

The narrators were good. They did well. 

But yes, this was very sweet and made me excited for Fall and football. I liked the low-key drama....it was fitting. I just really liked them talking, falling in love, and the spice was spread out enough not to be too much. It was nice. I think I needed something low-key in my life right now. Life has been lifing. 

4 stars. 

Reading Challenges

- Audiobook #37

Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite

Format: 352 pages, Paperback

Published: June 25, 2026 by FABER AND FABER

Fiction/library

This one was not as good as my sister the serial killer. It was good, but I think the constant jump between everyone kind of took something away.

Eniiyi is the main character, but so is also a lot of others. She is part of a cursed line of women. She is also the spitting image of her aunt who died before she was born.

And everyone is cursed to have bad luck with men. All try, and all come back to the family house. We get to see many failed relationships, and one is the aunt.

Kind of sad to see everyone fail at love. Eniiyi is trying, but sometimes you just fall into patterns even if there is no curse. And who knows, maybe there really was a curse.

I still liked it, the end brought some twists. But again, no real closure.

No man will call your house his home. And if they try, they will not have peace... So goes the family curse, handed down from generation to generation, ruining families and breaking hearts as it goes. And now it's calm, rational Eniiyi's turn - who, due to her uncanny resemblance to her dead aunt, Monife, and her family's insistence that she must be a reincarnation, has long been used to some strange familial beliefs.

Still, when she falls in love with the handsome boy she saves from drowning, she can no longer run from her family's history. Is she destined to live out the habitual story of love and heartbreak, or can she escape the family curse and the mysterious fate that befell her aunt?

Audio: Better Luck next time by Cara Bastone

By: Cara Bastone

Narrated by: Mae Whitman, Colin Woodell, Josh Hurley, Cary Hite, Daniel Henning, Rebecca Stern, Richard Poe, Maria McCann, Art Brown, Petey Gibson, Tim Lounibos

Length: 4 hrs and 50 mins

Release date: 05-15-25

Publisher: Audible Originals

Contemporary romance

Oh another wormhole book! I did not realise!

Yup those pesky wormholes and two former besties end up in one. Then they are stuck in an alternate reality, snowed in , in a cabin with both their families.

These two has some unresolved issues. It was also obvious they fancied each other but had never made a move.

It was short and good and it all works out. I like Bastone´s novellas.

Mona and Duncan used to be best friends. Now they can’t stand each other. Too bad that’s not a good enough excuse to miss their two families’ annual trip to the cabin. But things get really complicated when they accidentally drive through a wormhole together on the way. Look what playing nice and carpooling gets you.

Now they’re stranded indoors by an epic storm and stuck in an alternate timeline where things are just slightly ... off. Duncan and his dad aren’t speaking for reasons no one knows, Mona’s mom doesn’t like her hair or her career choices, and their siblings are meddlesome as ever.

Oh, yeah, and apparently they're going through a divorce. Which means that in this universe they are married. To each other.

All they can really do is play along until they figure out how to get back to the real timeline. How hard can it be—they already hate each other, don’t they? But figuring out how exactly Mona and Duncan managed to fall epically in love with one another—and then break each other’s hearts—is easier said than done. Navigating all these big feelings is leading to new ones, but are they destined to hurt each other in any universe? And what happens to this new relationship when they’re back to their old lives?

Audio: First sign of Danger by Kelley Armstrong

By: Kelley Armstrong

Narrated by: Thérèse Plummer

Series: Haven's Rock, Book 4

Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins

Release date: 02-17-26

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Thriller/audible

Casey and Eric is out hiking with their child when they come across hikers. Way to close to to Haven´s rock. What is going on?

And then there is the mining camp. They have already had issues with miners coming to close.

The stakes are high as always. Someone is dead, as always. And for once there is some closure, some sense of peace. At the end of this book they might have peace for a while.

Intense and good. Good narration. This was my first audiobook

Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton, are entering a new chapter of life as parents to their six-month-old baby. Their family is hidden away in the sanctuary town of Haven's Rock where they can live safe and private lives. But when they encounter hikers too close to the borders of Haven's Rock, they realize they're in danger of being exposed.

When they find one of the hikers dead the next day, they realize that their paranoia was justified, but they're no closer to finding out who these people were and what they were doing in the vicinity of Haven's Rock. Only by tracing the hikers' movements, as well as examining the recent behavior of their closest neighbors, the workers of a secretive mining camp, will they be able to figure out where the threat is coming from and shut it down. Otherwise, the lives of everyone in Haven's Rock--and their safe, secure new existence--are at risk.

John of John by Douglas Stuart

Format: 416 pages, Hardcover

Published: May 5, 2026 by Grove Press

Fiction/library

This one was, honestly I do not know, it was well written, very very slow, and I did want to know what would happen. But omg there was no closure! I wanted closure, I need closure. So yeah I got nothing at the end.

I did not know that the islands up north are very religious. The right kind of course too. God forbid. Also everyone is very sexually oppressed.

Cal is finished with uni, he has no job, no place to live so he comes back cos his grandmother is sick. He is also gay, and no he could not tell anyone. He also had a strange relationship with his former bestie. Do not know what to say there.

Oh and his dad is also gay, but would never tell anyone.

And everyone gossips about everyone.

But I wanted closure! Now, like what the f happens?

Out of money and with little to show for his art school education, John-Calum Macleod takes the ferry home to the Island of Harris to find that not much has changed except for him.

In the windswept croft where he grew up, Cal resumes his old life, caught between the two poles of his childhood: his father John, a sheep farmer, weaver, and pillar of their local Presbyterian church, and his Glaswegian grandmother Ella, who has kept a faltering peace with her son-in-law for decades.

While Cal wonders if any lonely men might be found on the barren hillsides of home, John is dismayed by his son’s long hair and how he seems unwilling to be Saved. As the seasons pass, everything is poised to change as the threads holding together the fragile community become increasingly entangled.

TMST

 

9/8/2026 Do you ever go to class reunions?

We had one 9? years after school ended and I was all nope. But I did go to my Elementary School one. Then there was another one for the same HS one and I was all nope. But I do wonder if my other HS did one I might go

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

If you are interested in participating in TMST or receiving periodic emails that list the upcoming TMST topics and questions,  please fill out this GOOGLE FORM.  Participation is optional and never required.

9/15/2026  What’s one thing that’s always in your fridge?

9/22/2026 T ell us about your current (or past) job

9/29/2026  Sweet or salty snacks - which do you prefer?

10/6/2026  If you had to teach a class or give a TED Talk, what would it be about?

10/13/2026 What animal do you think best represents your personality?

10/20/2026 If you could have any office supply in unlimited quantities, what would it be?

10/27/2026  Who do you want on your team during the zombie apocalypse and why?

Carole´s Movie Review: The Odyssey

Title: The Odyssey

Length: 2h 52m

Released: 2026

Genre: Drama, Dark Fantasy, Action/Adventure
Rating: R
Where I Got It: Theaters

SUMMARY:

After the Trojan War, Odysseus faces a dangerous voyage back to Ithaca, meeting creatures like the Cyclops Polyphemus, Sirens, and Calypso along the way.

Trailer

REVIEW:

I really, really wanted to watch this on the big screen. How can you not? This story has remained a classic for a reason. 

Here we follow Odysseus and his family. Odysseus went to war and then tried to come home. Along the way, he will suffer many of the gods' creations. Is it a test? Is it a punishment? Is it both? While he is making his journey, his wife and son are at home trying to keep his throne open, but Penelope is forced to house suitors who want her hand so they can rule. 

Man, this was an amazing cast. Even the side characters were amazing. Don't listen to the haters who hated that they cast a diverse cast. THIS IS A FANTASY. THIS IS NOT A BIOGRAPHY. Everyone was cast perfectly. They all did amazing!!! I was especially in awe of Robert Pattinson playing our main baddie of a suitor. Damn, he was good at being evil, but also being a coward. Loved it.

The way they told  this story was awe-inspiring. I loved how the past was told in story form. We only got glimpses when someone was telling the story. It really is a lovely nod to how stories used to be told. It was clever and amazing. 

I am SOOOO glad we had limited CGI. The CGI we did have was clean and nice. It was nice seeing some old Hollywood tricks coming into play. 

AND THAT ENDING? OMG the big reveal was heartbreaking and beautiful, and I couldn't stop the tears from falling. Man, that was a powerful scene. 

But yes, this is bloody, and it is set during ancient Greece....so it is dark, and human and animal life meant little. 

5 stars from me. I want to watch this again!

Audio: A Short Period of Exquisite Felicity

By: Amy D'Orazio

Narrated by: Harry Frost

Series: The Engaged to Mr Darcy Series

Length: 14 hrs and 36 mins

Release date: 05-29-20

Publisher: Quills & Quartos Publishing

Pride and prejudice variation/audible 

I can not believe it! Colonel Fitzwilliam, you are NOT a gentleman! I never knew this day would come, but Sir, I challenge you to a duel!

So that was a whirlwind. As for the rest, Darcy, I mean damn it, just TALK to her. Most of this book was him being sad because she had jilted him. Sad sad sad Darcy. Angry Darcy. Just man up! Talk yo her, ask her! I want to slap you too for being such a sad idiot.

And then there was the Colonel who was all Lizzy is evil, stay away from her. I wanted to slap him so bad.

Lydia was an idiot. Wickham, yes bad, but there were a few moments where I saw a soul

Still, my least fav in the series, because it was too long and Darcy was too sad

Is not the very meaning of love that it surpasses every objection against it? Jilted. Never did Mr. Darcy imagine it could happen to him.

But it has, and by Elizabeth Bennet, the woman who first hated and rejected him but then came to love him—he believed—and agree to be his wife. Alas, it is a short-lived, ill-fated romance that ends nearly as soon as it has begun. No reason is given.

More than a year since he last saw her—a year of anger, confusion, and despair—he receives an invitation from the Bingleys to a house party at Netherfield. Darcy is first tempted to refuse, but with the understanding that Elizabeth will not attend, he decides to accept.

When a letter arrives, confirming Elizabeth’s intention to join them, Darcy resolves to meet her with indifference. He is determined that he will not demand answers to the questions that plague him. Elizabeth is also resolved to remain silent and hold fast to the secret behind her refusal. Once they are together, however, it proves difficult to deny the intense passion that still exists. Fury, grief, and profound love prove to be a combustible mixture. But will the secrets between them be their undoing?