The Evolution of Annabel Craig by Lisa Grunwald

Dear Fellow Readers, I am not a student of history. Dates and places for the most part do nothing for me. Perhaps that is my problem with historical fiction. To be honest and embarrass myself simultaneously, I was shocked when I learned that World War II ended in 1945. 1945 was not that long ago. Or more specifically, it wasn’t that long before I was born. When I see things about it, I always…

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Finding Margaret Fuller by Allison Pataki

Dear Fellow Reader, Happy Spring!  I know I am a bit ahead of myself by saying that, but I want to push the season. I want to be warm, work in the yard, and stop wearing 3 shirts at a time. (Give me a break. I seem to run cold.) Back in February of 2022, I reviewed a book by Allison Pataki. The name of the book was The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post. (https://cecooney.com/?s=Allison+Pataki)…

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The Underground Library by Jennifer Ryan

Dear Fellow Reader, Welcome to March!  A month of madness? That seems to be what it is famous for but this year it has so much more – Spring Forward, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter – a whole cornucopia of spring!  Get out the patent leather shoes!  Meanwhile, I am sitting here warming my hands on a cup of tea!  It is sometimes hard to overcome the damp, cold here in the Midwest. I am happy to tell…

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Ill-Fated Fortune: A Magical Fortune Cookie Novel by Jennifer Chow

Dear Fellow Reader, Years ago, I joined an online writers’ group. It was fun and interesting getting to know a few of the writers in the group. Several of them are now published authors. I am not one of them but I have gotten to watch and see how well they have done. It has been a pleasure to support them. One of the most successful of the group has been Jennifer Chow. She has authored eleven…

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A Smoking Bun by Ellie Alexander

Dear Fellow Readers, Do you use your local library very much? I will admit that there were times in my life when I didn’t. I don’t think that I appreciated everything that libraries can do for a community. When I moved eight years ago, one of the first places that I headed was the local library. They had a book group that met one time a month in the afternoon and I decided that I should try it.…

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Of Hoaxes and Homicide by Anastasia Hastings

Dear Fellow Reader, It is the end of January already. While January can be dreary where I live (and it was) there is the hint of light at 5 p.m. which we haven’t seen for a while. There is hope. There must be, I have even been thinking about the garden, and by the end of the season, I never think I will want to think of it again. This week I have a (not too much of a surprise) brand new cozy…

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Public Anchovy #1 by Mindy Quigley

Dear Fellow Reader, The holidays are rushing up on us. I knew this would happen; it always does. December is but a passing glance. Do you listen to audiobooks? I might have talked about this before. I have a terrible time listening to fiction audiobooks. For some reason, non-fiction ones are fine but when I listen to fiction all I can think of is that I can read them faster. Yes, I know you can…

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Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord by Celeste Connally

Dear Fellow Reader, Are you on Instagram? I know I am late to the party but I have been using my Instagram account more lately, I have not been using it the way one probably should use it, I rarely post photos there. I use it to post quotes that I think are funny or poignant, Partially to put out positive messages but also to practice using design ideas, I am certainly not an artist – I cannot…

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A Christmas Vanishing by Anne Perry

Dear Fellow Readers, I know, I know… A Christmas book? Why am I reviewing a Christmas book? It just so happens that this book comes out today so you can blame the gods of publishing for having a Christmas book out so early. I took this book for a reason. I have never read Anne Perry before. She was a prolific writer. She has two series to her credit that were set in Victorian England, plus two…

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The Fatal Folio by Elizabeth Penney

Dear Fellow Reader, I was fortunate last week to go to an event at my library where a local author was reading excerpts of some of her books and talking about her process and experiences. If you can ever go to an author event, I urge you to go. First, there is something about the author reading their material that can give it a new spin on their book. They are the voice and sometimes it sounds…

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But Still They Sing by J. F. Riordan

Dear Fellow Readers, There is a definite chill in the air. Fall seems to be upon us. I look out the window and see the green grass is dotted with yellow leaves. I am not sure that we will see the beautiful colors that I have seen in past years. The start of fall means that I have been burning candles more and we have had a couple fires in the fireplace. Yep, that weather change is coming. And…

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Looking For Alaska by John Green

Dear Fellow Readers, “Books and ideas are the most effective weapons against intolerance and ignorance.”                                                                                                                    ― Lyndon B. Johnson This week is Banned Book Week as “celebrated” by the American Library Association (ALA). I do take time each year to talk about the books that are being…

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Case of the Bleus: A Cheese Shop Mystery by Korina Moss

Dear Fellow Reader, Fall is creeping its way into this area of the Midwest. It is getting cooler, and the leaves are starting to turn. I love it. I do enjoy the warmth of summer after winter and spring but come fall, I’m ready to get out the sweaters and curl up. It seems to me that it is warmer than usual for the end of September but it does cool off fast once the sun starts setting. Not yet…

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Nine Lives and Alibis by Cate Conte

Dear Fellow Reader, I am a very novice gardener. I will probably always be a novice gardener. This year, I have a nemesis in the garden that is not myself. There is this bunny. Of course, there are probably several but I just see one at a time, so I am pretending that there is just one. I have been calling him Peter and feel that in this plot I have taken on the role of Mr. McGregor. I feel bad…

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Verity Kent Series by Anna Lee Huber

Dear Fellow Reader, I am back to talk about another mystery series. These books readily available from my local library both in book and eBook form. I know how I found this series. (a rare event) The latest in the series came out recently and my local bookstore had an event where a local mystery writer (Erica Ruth Neubauer) was going to interview the author. I did not attend the event, but I…

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The Deja Glitch by Holly James

Dear Fellow Reader, So much to read and so little time! I feel that way all the time. I see books and think “oh, I need to read that.”  But then I have such a long list of those books. Do you get the daily email from Book Bub? It is a horrible thing is you are a book buyer! I say that because most of the books featured are $2.99, $1.99. or $0.99. So easy to spend that small amount of money,…

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The Madwomen of Paris by Jennifer Cody Epstein

The Madwomen of Paris is an historical fiction novel that takes place in the late 19th Century.

Dear Fellow Reader, Do you ever go to hear an author speak? I don’t go nearly enough but I do always enjoy it. Whether they are talking about their characters or their process, I find it interesting. Do they plot the entire book out in advance or start with a concept and let the characters lead the way? Are they funny in person and chilling on paper? Just what are they like? Could you be…

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