Weekend Book Reviews

 The Easy Baked Donut Cookbook by Sara Mellas is one of my favorite new cookbooks.  I love the variety of recipes and that they can be done in donut pans or in one of the donut hole makers.  I was so happy that I had held on to the electric donut hole maker I bought years ago.  Most of the recipes were very easy to halve if you wanted fewer donuts/dounut holes.  The donut holes were delicious and easy to make.  Most recipes could be made with ingredients in my pantry.  

The Southeast Native Plant Primer by Larry Mellichamp and Paula Gross is a collection of plants perfect for those living in the southeast.  It is packed with information on everything from grasses to trees.  I love that each plant had detailed growing information including where to plant and the growing conditions.  This is a wonderful guide for those new to the region as well as those who have lived there all their lives.

disclosure:  I received these e-books through NetGalley but was not otherwise compensated for these reviews.  All opinions are my own!

Weekend Book Reviews

 A Design to Die For by Kathleen Bridge is the fifth book in the Hamptons Home and Garden Mystery series.  Meg is a decorator in the Hamptons.  She has been asked by a friend to decorate some areas of her show house.  When the friend's husband is found murdered, Meg finds herself pulling double duty as a decorator and amateur detective.  This was a traditional cozy mystery.  I did suspect the killer early on although there were plenty of suspects from which to choose.  It is also very obvious that the author is a big fan of the television show Ghost Adventure.  I had not read any of the previous books and had no trouble following along.

The third book in the Bookmobile mystery series by Nora Page is Read or Alive.  Cleo is excited for the book society's book fair in Catalpa Springs.  She plans time away from the bookmobile to attend.  She soon discovers that her cousin Dot and others have been swindled by one of the attendees.  When Cleo's boyfriend Henry becomes the main suspect, Cleo decides to investigate.  I enjoy this series, but this particular book fell a bit flat.  The killer was glaringly obvious, and the flow of the story was not as smooth as in the previous books.  I would not say that I disliked it, but it is definitely not my favorite.  

The Black Cat Breaks a Mirror by Kay Finch is the fifth book in the Bad Luck Cat mystery series.  Sabrina is an author in Texas.  Her brother and nephews are in town for a country music concert.  When her older nephew stumbles on a dead body, Sabina feels compelled to solve the mystery.  I had not read any of the previous books in this series, but I was able to follow along with the characters.  Hitchcock is the "bad luck cat" and a wonderful addition to the book.  This is a good cozy mystery for those who enjoy a book heavy on the mystery with a healthy dose of mischievous cat.

disclosure:  I received these e-books through NetGalley but was not othewise compensated or these reviews.  Al opinions are my own!