By Agatha Christie (Author), Stephanie Cole (Narrator), HarperAudio (Publisher) An Audiobook Review, by Jackie Houchin The last Miss Marple mystery is terrific. It is spooky, mystifying, and well laid out. It’s the story about a newly married couple who have bought a house in the English countryside. Gwenda feels right from the first moment that she is “home” in the…
Connie Berry (Author), Ruth Urquhart (Narrator), Dreamscape Media, LLC (Publisher) An Audiobook Review by Jackie Houchin Connie Berry’s THE SHADOW OF MEMORY is a suspenseful and complicated mystery, or maybe two mysteries (?) that are very hard to figure out. There’s a 60-year-old (accidental?) murder, plus a present-day killer on the loose. How are they connected? ARE they connected? It’s five…
by Gail Meath (Author) Gail Meath’s TWO OF A KIND is a prequel to her five book Jax Diamond series, set in the “roaring 20’s” in New York. It explains how and why Jax resigned from the Police Department, and acquired his new “partner” (a German Shepherd puppy), and leaves it open as to how he begins…
Naomi Hirahara (Author), Allison Hiroto (Narrator), Recorded Books Inc. (Publisher) An Audiobook Review by Jackie Houchin Naomi Hirahara’s CLARK AND DIVISION (the name of an “L” subway station in Chicago) is about two sisters in a Japanese-American family living in Los Angeles when Pearl Harbor was bombed. It touches briefly on the years before that event when Aki’s older sister…
by Alan Gratz (Author) A Children’s Book Review by Jackie Houchin BAN THIS BOOK by Alan Gratz, is an excellent book for middle grade and middle school kids (And older! Hey, I liked it!). It’s the story of Amy Ann, a 4th grade girl, and her reaction (and the good and bad consequences that happen) when she discovers…
#BLOGanuary (a month of blogging) question for January 30, 2023. . What would you title the chapters of your autobiography? At first, I thought, that is just TOO hard. I don’t WANT to write an autobiography or even a memoir. (Although a friend in my writer’s group has been encouraging us to do just that.…
by Irene Howat (Author) A Young Adult Book ReviewY\ by Jackie Houchin Scotsman, Robert McCheyne’s life story is told here in a very accessible way for young readers. They will relate to his fun times as a boy as well as the seriousness of his call to tell others about Jesus and salvation. He was a talented preacher, poetry…
by Jackie Houchin In the #Bloganuary challenge today, WordPress.com wants to know the PROS and CONS of procrastination. OKAY. Procrastination. Not a good thing. For me. Even though it begins with PRO, there aren’t many “pros” about it. Sure you feel great avoiding something that has to be done but you don’t want to do…
Chronicle Books (Author, Publisher), Allan Corduner (Narrator), Juha Sorola (Narrator) An Audiobook Review by Jackie Houchin NORDIC TALES is a good variety of 16 fables and tales from Scandinavia involving poor, but brave and kind peasants who do good and are generously rewarded; fights with goblins and giants and dragons and trolls to win back stolen inheritances, the hearts of fair…
by Katie Gayle (Author) — (Katie Gayle is, in fact, two of us – Kate Sidley and Gail Schimmel) A Book Review by Jackie Houchin AN ENGLISH GARDEN MYSTERY, first of three books in the Julia Bird cozy mystery series is another irresistibly written book. I don’t know what exactly it is that endows a book with…
Words and Reviews 