Cozy Sunday Sip & Share #4

This post is partly made for participation with the following blogging events: The Sunday Post hosted by Kimberly at the Caffeinated Reviewer, It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? hosted by Kathryn at Book Date, The Sunday Salon hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz, and What’s On My (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand hosted by Reading Reality.

Sundays also just happens to be the day where I have the least time commitments and my husband and I are both usually home hanging out.

Today’s Sip: Peppermint tea steeped with fresh ginger and lemon slices
Today’s Quote: “There are three things that I’ve learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics and the Great Pumpkin.” — Linus, “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”
Today’s Treat: None today.

What I’ve Been Up To

My son’s been in town this week and we had some very sad family news. We’ve been enjoying time with him and others who have visited, just talking and hanging out. He’s been able to visit all he hoped to see while here, which is always nice.

Today there are plans to play some Magic the Gathering.

A Little Halloween Humor

Last year, in a video game I’ve been playing off and on for at least a decade, I decorated a couple of starter zone areas with A LOT of carved pumpkins, which were renamed with spooky-season sayings. Some of the pumpkins were placed according to what was said on them.

This is only a partial list. It was fun 🙂

What I Read This Week

Speaking from Among the Bones (Flavia de Luce, #5) by Alan Bradley

Flavia de Luce, the 11 year-old, chemisty extraordinaire is our darling sleuthing MC. As per usual, there is much bullying done by Flavia’s sisters, and her father is mostly aloof. The family problems are compounded by financial worries. Bishop’s Lacey is readying for the opening of St. Tancred’s tomb, which is buried at their local church. Instead, Flavia discovers the dead body of the former church organist who had gone missing.

The mystery was okay, but it was my least favorite in this series so far***. It kind of dragged for me. There also seemed to be more hymns and religion in this book. Just mentioning that for those who like (or dislike) that kind of thing.

What I did enjoy: Flavia is always my favorite part in this series. I enjoy her chemistry references, the way she talks about her bicycle as if it is one of her very best friends, and I chuckle when she toasts her bread over her Bunsen burner, etc. However, if we had argued recently, I would likely keep at least one eye on her if she prepping my tea 🙂

There was a new character in this book, a friend of the vicar’s. He may be a good guy or bad guy; you’ll have to read to find out. I enjoyed his portions in the story. There were a few moments between the family members that I enjoyed too, oh, and the ending, but I can’t say anything about either since I view them as spoilers.

***It may have just hit a bit too close to home. Lots of discussion about graves, and we lost someone close to our family while I was reading it.

The Price of Lemon Cake (Below Stairs Mystery, #6.5) by Jennifer Ashley

Mrs. Kat Holloway, the usual MC, comes to Bobby to ask for her help when she realizes she needs someone who is willing to investigate in a men’s club. Kat’s usual side kick and love interest, Daniel, is out of town. Bobby offers to help in exchange for a piece of Kat’s Lemon Cake.

This novella contains a mystery (not a murder), but it’s easy to see this book was written more to tell us about Lady Bobby Perry and her love interest, Judith Townsend. While going undercover at a men’s club dressed as a man, Bobby makes a discovery that causes Judith to reveal some details about her past.

While I did enjoy this story and learning more about these two characters, it didn’t really hit on the main things I enjoy about this series. There was no murder and the mystery just wasn’t that interesting. I read this series because I enjoy the upstairs/downstairs theme and the interplay between Kat and others that help her solve the mysteries, which wasn’t present in this novella. Bobby is one of my favorite characters in the series, so it was nice to learn more about her.

The Murders in the Rue Morgue (C. Auguste Dupin, #1) by Edgar Allen Poe

Reading more Poe is one of my perpetual goals. This was an interesting story that I think I’ll enjoy even more after a few more readthroughs. I enjoyed the discussion in the beginning where Poe discusses the acumen, analytical power, ingenuity and other talents required while playing Chess (which I enjoy but don’t play often or very seriously) and Whist (which I have not played). This discussion helped lay the ground work for understanding the type of sleuth we would be introduced to.

This short story focuses on a brutal murder of a mother and her daughter and how C. Aguste Dupin and the narrator hear about the murders and their steps in investigating them. My main takeaway from the story is Dupin’s thought processes and how he went about viewing the crime scene and piecing together what he found while he was there. I also enjoyed the interplay between Dupin and the narrator.

I found the solution to the murders to be a bit fantastical, while also being a bit unfair to the solver of the mystery. That said, I’m glad I read it and I’m sure I will read it again before moving on to the next short story in this series.

Twice Bitten (Chicagoland Vampires, #3) by Chloe Neill

Hard Bitten (Chicago Vampires, #4) by Chloe Neill

Drink Deep (Chicagoland Vampires, #5) by Chloe Neill

I am still fully engrossed in this series. It’s been a great distraction from real life and I’m still enjoying the politics and the characters.

What I’m Currently Reading

Biting Cold (Chicagoland Vampires, #6) by Chloe Neill

What’s Coming Up This Week (and Ahead)

Since I’ve been busy with family, I haven’t planned much. I haven’t read much that specifically has to do with Halloween, Day of the Dead, Samhain, or All Hallow’s Eve yet this season, so I may find something in that area to read after Book 6 of Chicagoland.

How did your week go and what do you have planned for the week?