Giveaway: Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor

Summary: New York Times bestselling author Lisa Kleypas’s new series begins during the most magical time of year

ONE LITTLE GIRL NEEDS A FAMILY
One rain-slicked night, six-year-old Holly lost the only parent she knew, her beloved mother Victoria. And since that night, she has never again spoken a word.

ONE SINGLE MAN NEEDS A WIFE
The last thing Mark Nolan needs is a six-year-old girl in his life. But he soon realizes that he will do everything he can to make her life whole again. His sister’s will gives him the instructions: There’s no other choice but you. Just start by loving her. The rest will follow.

SOMETIMES, IT TAKES A LITTLE MAGIC…
Maggie Collins doesn’t dare believe in love again, after losing her husband of one year. But she does believe in the magic of imagination. As the owner of a toy shop, she lives what she loves. And when she meets Holly Nolan, she sees a little girl in desperate need of a little magic.

…TO MAKE DREAMS COME TRUE
Three lonely people. Three lives at the crossroads. Three people who are about to discover that Christmas is the time of year when anything is possible, and when wishes have a way of finding the path home… -- St. Martin's Press

I absolutely adore Christmas books! And by that I mean all types -- children's stories, Christian fiction, women's fiction, contemporary fiction, and even romance! In fact, I've already read a few Christmas books even though it's still October. One Christmas-themed book that recently caught my eye is CHRISTMAS EVE AT FRIDAY HARBOR by Lisa Kleypas. I just received my copy in the mail (it was released today!) and I'm looking forward to reading and reviewing it.

CHRISTMAS EVE AT FRIDAY HARBOR is already getting rave reviews. Publishers Weekly said, “Kleypas's holiday offering is sweet, romantic, and genuine…A solid romance with strong leads, this is a refreshing holiday treat.” And RT Book Reviews said, “ Kleypas can do no wrong. If you want a fantastic read, pick up this poignant, heartbreaking and deeply satisfying book.” I read a Kleypas book a few months ago for my on-line book club, and even though I'm not a huge fan of romance, I found it quite enjoyable.

To celebrate the publication of CHRISTMAS EVE AT FRIDAY HARBOR, Lisa Kleypas’s popular SUGAR DADDY is now available as a specially-priced $2.99 ebook for a limited time. In addition, Lisa is now on Facebook so make sure you check out her fan page because there are some fun giveaways and sweepstakes going on surrounding the book's release!

And I just happen to have a fun giveaway too! Thanks to the publisher, I have a copy of CHRISTMAS EVE AT FRIDAY HARBOR to share with one lucky reader. To enter, just fill out the form below -- pretty simple, right? This giveaway will be open until Monday, November 8th at 11:59 p.m. ET, and I will notify the winner the following day. U.S. and Canada mailing addresses only. Good luck!

Review: America (Audio)

Summary: Jon Stewart, host of the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning "The Daily Show", and his coterie of patriots deliver a hilarious look at American government . . . Termed a "political king-maker" by Newsweek, and "the Dan Rather of infotainment" by Vanity Fair, Jon Stewart, along with the writers of "The Daily Show", combines his riotous wit and razor-sharp insight in this hilarious book.American-style democracy is the world's most beloved form of government, which explains why so many other nations are eager for us to impose it on them.-- Hachette Audio

As part of my on-going effort to "read" more audio books, I thought I'd try a book a little outside of my comfort zone -- AMERICA: A CITIZEN'S GUIDE TO DEMOCRACY INACTION presented by The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. I decided to take a little break from the Dexter series (which I've grown quite fond of) because it was getting a little creepy running in the dark while listening to Dexter dismember people. Enter AMERICA! I think Jon Stewart and the entire cast of The Daily Show are a riot and I've been wanting to listen to this book ever since I saw Jon Stewart at this year's BEA.

Let me tell you...I loved this book! In fact, I'm glad it was dark out while I was running and listening to it because my neighbors would all think I was crazy. I laughed and laughed at this book and truly appreciated this irreverent look at our country's history and political structure. So much of what was presented was spot on, and because of that, hilariously funny! Even though I get frustrated with politics much of the time (and sometimes feel like crying), I had to laugh when Jon Stewart gave me his take on the events. In fact, I can't rave enough about how smart and witty this book was.

Even the way AMERICA was presented was funny. The book was set up in the format of a textbook. There were chapters covering our history, the branches of government, recent elections, etc. There were even chapter summaries which outlined what we could expect to learn as well as discussion questions and classroom activities at the end of each chapter. I found the discussion questions to be hysterical and one or two even made some surprisingly good points.

The majority of AMERICA was narrated by Jon Stewart; however, there were special sections throughout the book which were presented by the cast of The Daily Show. There was also an extremely funny foreword written by "Thomas Jefferson." I especially enjoyed the segments read by Samantha Bee, Stephen Colbert and Ed Helms (whom I also love from the television series The Office and the movie The Hangover.)

As is often the case with books like this one, there were definitely sections that appealed to me more than others. I think the first few chapters of this book that dealt with our country's history and the creation of our government were my favorites. I couldn't stop laughing at how our forefathers were portrayed. The end of the book which covered the Bush elections didn't resonate with me quite as much. I think because AMERICA was released over five years ago, these sections seemed a little outdated. Of course, it took me so long to "read" the book that it was my own darn fault! I definitely learned my lesson and won't be waiting that long to listen to EARTH.

I thought AMERICA was an absolute hoot and I highly recommend it if you appreciate great satire (and especially great satire about our nation's government!)

I received an audio download of this book at the 2010 BEA from the publisher.

An Evening with Beth Hoffman

Sam Droke-Dickinson, Beth Hoffman, and me!

On Thursday evening, I had the privilege of attending "An Evening with Beth Hoffman" hosted by my good friends at Aaron's Books and the Council of Friends of Lancaster County Public Libraries. It was an amazing event with about 200 people, and I had such a wonderful time. Thanks to the folks at Aaron's Books for helping to make it happen!

Beth Hoffman is the author of SAVING CEECEE HONEYCUTT one of my favorite books of 2010 -- you can read my review here. Beth is in the process of gearing up for her book tour to celebrate the release of the trade paperback version of SAVING CEECEE HONEYCUTT, and we were extremely fortunate to be the kick-off event. The book officially goes on sale October 26th, so if you haven't read this book yet, now's your chance.

I have wanted to meet Beth ever since I first started talking to her on Twitter, and then I just knew I had to meet her after my book club had an author chat with her. She truly is a wonderful and genuine person! She speaks from her heart like few people I've ever met, and she definitely had me in tears more than once during her presentation. Her story is an incredible one and her message about treasuring each day in your life was very inspiring. I especially liked that she left us with the hope that we could all find our passion, just like she was able to do!

Of course, I was there to meet Beth, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the food that was served at the event. There was a a cocktail inspired by the book as well as a huge dessert bar with lots of Southern goodies like Sour Cream Apple Pie, Key Lime Pie, Chocolate Torte, and Oletta's Cinnamon Rolls.

For those of you not familiar with SAVING CEECEE HONEYCUTT, Oletta was a wonderful character in the story that held a very special place in CeeCee's heart. She also happened to make some delicious-sounding cinnamon rolls. Beth was gracious enough to provide the chef with Olleta's actual recipe, and I thought I'd share it with all of you!

Oletta's Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:

1 cup milk

1 egg, beaten

4 tablespoons melted butter

4 tablespoons water

1/2 of a 3.5 ounce package instant vanilla pudding mix

4 cups bread flour

1 tablespoon white sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 teaspoons bread machine yeast

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup dried berries or raisins (optional)

Frosting:

1 teaspoon milk

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

4 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a bread machine pan, add the milk, beaten egg, melted butter, water, vanilla pudding, bread flour, sugar, salt and yeast in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select the dough cycle.

2. When cycle is finished, remove the dough and knead for 3 to 5 minutes. Roll our and lightly pat into an 8x10 inch rectangle.

3. In a microwave safe bowl, mix together the softened butter or margarine, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Soften in the microwave for 10 seconds. Add chopped walnuts and raisins, if desired. Spread over dough. Starting with the widest end, roll the dough into a log. Pinch to seam the ends. Cut into 3/4 inch slices and place on a greased jelly roll sheet. Place in a draft-free space and let rise until doubled.

4. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 15 to 18 minutes.

5. To make frosting, mix the milk, confectioners' sugar, softened butter and vanilla in a small bowl. Spread over warm cinnamon rolls.

Weekend Cooking is hosted by Beth Fish Reads and is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.

Kid Konnection: Picture Book Fun

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. Today, I'm going to share with you some fun picture books that Booking Son and I have discovered in the past few weeks.

Summary: Gigi is spending a day in the big city—and what a day it is! She travels through town on mass transportation, shops in various stores, goes to lots of museums, meets interesting people and learns about their occupations, and then goes home to dream of her fun-filled and informative day.

Through the use of lift-the-flaps, pull tabs, and changing-picture wheels, readers will learn about birthstones, genres of literature, the history of shoes and makeup, art and its different media, natural history (including the world’s largest tusks, flower, and butterfly!), and mermaids and fairies.

Young girls will have the time of their lives with Gigi—and they’ll learn a lot, too! -- Robin Corey Books

Poor Booking Son! When I first saw GIGI IN THE BIG CITY by Charise Mericle Harper , I couldn't wait to read it. And since I just happen to read Booking Son a book every night before bedtime, I sat down one evening on his bed and pulled out this cute little pink book. He was less than amused and made it clear to me that it was a girly, but he agreed to let me read it to him because I was so excited about it. Isn't he just adorable?

And I have to agree with him that GIGI IN THE BIG CITY was most definitely a book geared towards little girls, but I thought it was absolutely precious. And for just a minute (maybe not even that long), I wished I still had a little girl to read it too. Believe it or not, GIGI IN THE BIG CITY manages to teach almost everything under the sun about girly girl things; and the presentation is interactive with lots of flaps, pull tabs, and changing-picture wheels that make the book so much fun. Booking Son had a great time playing with all of the lift-the-flaps, but he wasn't too sure about the lessons in hair color/styles, makeup, and jewelry. Bless his little heart because he did try!

I just love the idea behind this book. Gigi is heading to the big city where the opportunities are endless! Once she arrives (via mass transportation), she goes to lots of shops and museums; and she proceeds to learn a great deal of useful girly things. For example, when she visits a shoe store, she learns all of the different styles of shoes; and when she goes inside a book store, she learns about the different types of books. Gigi continues to visit all types of museums as well as meet lots of interesting people. The young reader experiences Gigi's trip by opening flaps to see inside the stores and museums, turning wheels to test out different hair colors and styles, pulling tabs to learn about pedicures, etc.

GIGI IN THE BIG CITY is perfect for little girls -- probably ages 4 to 8 (and even a few moms like me!) In fact, I think it makes the perfect gift because it provides so much useful information as well as countless hours of fun.

Summary: Here is an epistolary picture book with a T. rex in a role similar to that of the mouse in If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.

A little girl is turning six in two weeks, and she's decided to invite a Tyrannosaurus rex to her birthday party! Her invitation entices the huge carnivore with promises of fun games to play, the extra-large cake her mother will bake, the goody bag he will get to take home, and, most important of all, how she will be the happiest girl in the world if he comes. But will he?

Lisa McClatchy's sweet, persuasive text is perfectly complemented by John Manders's endearing Tyrannosaurus rex, who can't quite fit under the birthday-party tent or blow out the candles without making a huge mess but is sure to make this birthday party-and this book-unforgettable! -- Random House

DEAR TYRANNOSAURUS REX by Lisa McClatchy and illustrated by John Manders  is another adorable book -- and one that was more geared toward Booking Son's tastes. The book is written in the form of a letter from a young girl to a Tyrannosaurus Rex, and the little girl is trying to convince the dinosaur to attend. (I found her to be quite persuasive!) She includes directions, an itinerary of the party, and some helpful advice. The anticipation builds throughout the story as the little reader wonders if the dinosaur will come to the party or not.

Both Booking Son and I thought this book was extremely cute. We giggled as we read it and we both liked the pictures too. The illustrations were very colorful and funny. I loved how they showed the huge dinosaur trying to interact at the birthday party. I found Booking Son checking out the pictures a little more closely than he does with some books.

DEAR TYRANNOSAURUS REX is a fun read for preschoolers and young elementary age children. It would be perfect for bedtime or a classroom circle time.

Summary: How much is 1+1? Think the answer is 2? Not always, as this playful approach to addition proves! David LaRochelle takes children on a joyful mathematical journey that will engage their minds and teach them to think about numbers in a creative, outside-the-box way.
Brenda Sexton's wild and wacky illustrations add layers of witty fun to LaRochelle's clever game.

These wacky equations don't add up…or DO THEY?
1 goat + 1 unicorn = 3 horns!
1 set of triplets + 1 set of twins = 5 babies!
1 duet + 1 quartet = 6 musicians!
1 ant + 1 spider = 14 legs!
1 century + 1 decade = 110 years! -- Sterling

Booking Son is starting to bring home math homework a couple of days a week, so I was interested to see what he thought about the new book 1+1=5 AND OTHER UNLIKELY ADDITIONS written by David LaRochelle and illustrated by Brenda Sexton. When I read the title of the book to him, I thought he might get confused. Instead, he started giggling like a nut!

The premise behind the book is that some equations seem wrong (like 1+1=5) but are really correct. For example, 1+1 = 3. The following page explains that 1 unicorn + 1 goat = 3 horns! The entire book is set up that the wacky equation appears on the right hand side of the book and the explanation appears on the following page (after you turn the page.) It only took Booking Son a few equations to get the hang of the book. In fact, he started guessing what the wacky equations were before we even turned the page.

I thought this was a cute book and I liked that it caused Booking Son to think a little bit out-of-the-box. Both of us appreciated the illustrations too. The pictures were extremely colorful with lots of cartoon-like animals, and I'd probably define them as whimsical.

1+1 = 5 AND OTHER UNLIKELY ADDITIONS would make a fun book for teachers to read to kids during circle time. I can easily see Booking Son's kindergarten class really enjoying this book.

Summary: When Leo was less than seven weeks old, he became orphaned in the snowy Himalayan mountains in Pakistan. Snow leopards need their mothers during the first two years of their lives, but Leo was all alone. Luckily, the cub was rescued by a kind shepherd and his family, who hand-fed Leo and kept him safe. But Leo quickly grew too large and was given to Pakistani authorities, who also found themselves without the resources to help him.

When the Wildlife Conservation Society learned of Leo's plight, they knew they had to do something. There was a special place that could save Leo: the world famous Bronx Zoo in New York, the leading experts on caring for and breeding the critically endangered snow leopard. After a rescue that involved a treacherous, winding trek in the Himalayas, an extraordinary partnership between Pakistan and the United States, and the help of dozens of dedicated people, Leo is making the Bronx Zoo his new home, where he is thriving and learning how to be a snow leopard again. 

Readers will delight to make a place in their hearts for Leo, one little snow leopard who inspired an international community to help save him. With breaktaking photographs, Leo the Snow Leopard is an extraordinary story about bravery, kindness, and the wonderful things that can happen when people come together to solve a problem. -- Scholastic

LEO THE SNOW LEOPARD: THE TRUE STORY OF AN AMAZING RESCUE by Craig Hatkoff, Juliana Hatkoff, and Isabella Hatkoff is a little different than the other books that I've reviewed because it's non-fiction and definitely educational. Booking Son and I don't read a lot of non-fiction books; however, he did seem to enjoy learning about Leo and his incredible rescue.

To be honest, LEO THE SNOW LEOPARD is probably geared towards children a little older than kindergarten, so Booking Son and I decided not to read the entire book in one sitting. There are quite a few words per page, although there are also quite a few gorgeous color photographs on each page as well. Booking Son loved all of the photographs of Leo, but I could see him zoning out with the text sometimes. He was just a little too young for the subject matter. It definitely wasn't a flaw of the book!

I actually really liked LEO THE SNOW LEOPARD. Of course, the illustrations were beautiful and Leo couldn't be cuter. However, I also found the story of Leo's rescue to be extremely interesting, and I think kids will agree. In this book, children will learn how different agencies and organizations from around the world worked together to save Leo's life. It's a heartwarming story, but also one that teaches children the importance of combining forces for the betterment of others.

If your child is interested in animals or science or even conservation, then I recommend taking a look at LEO THE SNOW LEOPARD.

Thanks to the publishers for sending me copies of these books.

If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, please leave a comment as well as a link below with your name/blog name and the title of the book! Feel free to grab the little button too!

Halloween Giveaway: A Discovery of Witches & Set of Buttons

Halloween is quickly approaching and I thought it was the perfect time for a fun giveaway! Thanks to the folks at Viking, I have a copy of A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES by Deborah Harkness and a set of buttons to share with two lucky readers. The five button set boasts allegiance to each of the magical species in the novel (I'm a Daemon, I'm a Human, I'm a Vampire, and I'm a Witch) and one that poses that nagging question, “Where is Ashmole 782?" One reader will win the book and another reader will win the set of buttons!

Summary: A richly inventive novel about a centuries-old vampire, a spellbound witch, and the mysterious manuscript that draws them together.

Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

Debut novelist Deborah Harkness has crafted a mesmerizing and addictive read, equal parts history and magic, romance and suspense. Diana is a bold heroine who meets her equal in vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont, and gradually warms up to him as their alliance deepens into an intimacy that violates age-old taboos. This smart, sophisticated story harks back to the novels of Anne Rice, but it is as contemporary and sensual as the Twilight series-with an extra serving of historical realism.-- Viking

Doesn't A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES sound so good? It was one of the most talked about books of the 2009 Frankfurt Book Fair and translation rights have already been sold in 32 countries. It’s the smart, sophisticated story of a witch and a vampire who overcome their differences to investigate a lost alchemical manuscript, Ashmole 782.

Author Deborah Harkness is a skilled novelist and history professor, and she also writes an award-winning wine blog. In this short book trailer (out just in time for Halloween), Harkness describes some great recommendations for people on a budget (who also might be serving dinner to a vampire.) I thought it was especially appropriate for those upcoming Halloween parties.

A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES will be available in January 2011, so if you are lucky enough to win the contest, the book won't ship until early next year. However, the buttons are currently available. To enter, just fill out the form below before October 31st at 11:59 p.m. ET. I will randomly select two winners the following day. This contest is open to those of you in the U.S. and Canada only. Good luck.

Review: Bury Your Dead

Summary: It is Winter Carnival in Quebec City, bitterly cold and surpassingly beautiful. Chief Inspector Armand Gamache has come not to join the revels but to recover from an investigation gone hauntingly wrong. But violent death is inescapable, even in the apparent sanctuary of the Literary and Historical Society— where an obsessive historian’s quest for the remains of the founder of Quebec, Samuel de Champlain, ends in murder. Could a secret buried with Champlain for nearly 400 years be so dreadful that someone would kill to protect it?

Although he is supposed to be on leave, Gamache cannot walk away from a crime that threatens to ignite long-smoldering tensions between the English and the French. Meanwhile, he is receiving disquieting letters from the village of Three Pines, where beloved Bistro owner Olivier was recently convicted of murder. “It doesn't make sense,” Olivier’s partner writes every day. “He didn't do it, you know.” As past and present collide in this astonishing novel, Gamache must relive the terrible event of his own past before he can bury his dead. -- Minotaur

I have heard so many wonderful things about mystery writer Louise Penny. I can't really explain why it's taken me so long to get around to reading one of her novels --  maybe I can use the excuse that there are just so many books and so little time! But I am so excited to say that I finally read a Louise Penny novel -- BURY YOUR DEAD. I can see what all the fuss was about -- it has received starred reviews everywhere. BURY YOUR DEAD was terrific!

I think the real reason that I hadn't read any of Ms. Penny's books is that I was hesitant to start yet another series. And truth be told, I am not fond of reading a series out-of-order. I finally decided that I was most likely never going to get around to reading all of the prior books, and I just took the plunge with BURY YOUR DEAD. And I'm so glad I did because I absolutely loved the characters and Ms. Penny's writing style.

I feel the need to be honest with you about BURY YOUR DEAD. I did really appreciate the story and technically the novel can stand alone; however, I really wish I had read some of the prior books so I had a better understanding of the characters and their actions. And, I especially wish that I had read THE BRUTAL TELLING first since BURY YOUR DEAD ties directly into the crime that was solved in prior novel. I think Ms. Penny did an excellent job of catching up the reader with all of the critical issues, but I still think I would have benefited from reading THE BRUTAL TELLING. (Ironically enough, I have THE BRUTAL TELLING sitting on my bookshelves!)

I can't rave enough about how well constructed BURY YOUR DEAD was. I was blown away by Ms. Penny's writing style, character development and storytelling abilities. Make no mistake about it -- I am now a big fan of hers and I intend to go back and read her other novels. I was seriously impressed with how she wove together three different stories in this one novel, but I was even more impressed with her character development. I absolutely adored Inspector Gamache and I found him to be such a complex character. I can easily see him becoming one of my favorite recurring detective characters.

I also appreciated how Ms. Penny told this story. BURY YOUR DEAD could have been rather complicated in that there were three different storylines going on at the same time. I was extremely impressed with how the different stories were woven together -- going back and forth between the present and the past -- and how all of the stories unfolded in unison. While it could have been difficult for the reader to follow everything, the transitions were so incredibly well done and the presentation was so clean that I had absolutely no problem understanding all of the events in the novel. Now that is really saying something about the writing skills of Ms. Penny!

Another added bonus to BURY YOUR DEAD was that I actually learned a thing or two about history. Part of the novel took place in Quebec City and one of the storylines dealt with discovering the burial site of Samuel de Champlain, the founded of Quebec. I don't claim to know much about the history of the United States, but I know next to nothing about Canada's history. Not only did a discover a few things about Champlain, but I also gathered some insight into the tensions between the French and the English in Quebec City. I found it all so interesting, and the differences in the cultures definitely caused me to think.

Normally, I don't recommend mystery style books for book clubs; however, I am making an exception with BURY YOUR DEAD. This book would be an excellent pick for book clubs, especially if your group is already familiar with the series and the characters. The storylines and the characters are incredibly interesting and complicated, and I think there is a great deal to discuss. I was excited to find that there is a reading guide available, and it delves into some thought-provoking questions. Some of the topics you might want to explore include the politics of Quebec, the history of Quebec, community, forgiveness, acceptance, mentoring relationships, and closure.

If you are already a fan of Louise Penny's, then BURY YOUR DEAD is a must-read book. And if you are like me and new to this author, then I highly recommend reading this series!

Thanks to the publisher and Get Red PR for providing a review copy of this novel.

Review: Pushing Up Daisies

Summary: Meet Paula Holliday, a transplanted media exec who trades her stilettos for garden clogs when she makes the move from the big city to the suburbs to start a gardening business. Paula can handle deer, slugs, and the occasional human pest—but she’s not prepared for the mummified body she finds while restoring the gardens at Halcyon, a local landmark.

Casual snooping turns serious when a body is impaled on a garden tool and one of Paula’s friends is arrested for the crime. Aided by the still-hot aging rocker who owns the neighborhood greasy spoon, a wise-cracking former colleague, and a sexy Mexican laborer with a few secrets of his own, Paula digs for the truth and unearths more dirty business the town has kept buried for years… -- St. Martin's Press

When I was a kid many years ago, I always loved to read mysteries, especially the Trixie Belden and Nancy Drew ones. I don't read too many of them anymore, but I do still love sitting down with a cozy every now and then. There is just something about reading a fun-themed mystery book with terrific characters. The latest one that I read and really liked is called PUSHING UP DAISIES: A DIRTY BUSINESS MYSTERY by Rosemary Harris.

Paula is a former executive who moves from the hustle of the big city to a small town where she starts her own gardening business. Unfortunately, she discovers a dead body while working on her first major gardening project. Paula most definitely has a talent with plants and gardening, but she also has some skills at solving murder mysteries -- who knew? As she begins to unravel the murder mystery, she discovers quite a few hidden secrets about her new town and its residents.

I have found that good cozies always seem to have a great cast of characters, and PUSHING UP DAISIES was no exception. I really liked Paula and her friends... and her love interests (yes, there was some romance in this book) ; and I thought she showed a lot of spunk and determination in solving the crime. Some of the townspeople were also terrific characters in their own right. I really enjoyed how the author incorporated so much humor into the story through this crazy cast of characters.

As I'm sure you can tell, PUSHING UP DAISIES has quite a few references to gardening and landscaping, so it will certainly appeal to mystery fans who also have green thumbs. That definitely would not be me -- I can't grow anything; however, I still appreciated how the author incorporated all of the information about plants and gardening into the story.

PUSHING UP DAISIES is the first book in the Dirty Business Mystery series, and I thought it was terrific. It was nominated for an Agatha and an Anthony Award for Best First Novel 2008, and I can easily see why. Not only was Paula a great amateur detective and the supporting characters were truly "characters," but I thought the mystery was very well crafted. There were quite a few suspects and there were many twists and turns along the way. I was actually kind of surprised with the direction that the story went towards the end, and I have to say that it was a little more complex than I was expecting from this type of book. For all of those reasons, PUSHING UP DAISIES exceeded my expectations and provided me with a few fun hours of entertainment. I am definitely looking forward to reading the next two books in the series -- THE BIG DIRT NAP (which I already have!) and DEAD HEAD.

If you are looking for a fun book which will definitely keep you entertained, then I recommend taking a look at PUSHING UP DAISIES.

Thanks to the author for sending me a copy of her book.