I started this book on 1/2/23.  I’m about 25% done with it.  Billy just met up with Kaz in Italy.  He’s there investigating 2 murders.  The 10 of hearts and the jack of hearts.  So far he doesn’t know much.  Let you know later….1/18/23 I finished the book today.  Another great BB read.  Billy’s brother was sent to Italy to fight, being pulled out of college, and of course Billy was worried.  Luckily they met up and Billy was able to get him sent home….the hard way.  Big Mike got hurt and was sent to London on a medical ship.  No word on how he’s doing just yet.

Billy never did catch the “Red Heart Killer” but he didn’t get away.  All in all I’m giving this BB book an 8/10 rating.  There were times where all the names just got to be a bit much to remember who was who.

Damn!  I purchased this book on sale.  I LOVE this author.  She is amazing.  I’m only abut 20% done with this book but man I can’t put it down.  I started on 12/26/22 and plan on finishing before the end of the year.  Chapters are short, characters (there’s really only 3 characters) are very well written and you really start to feel for them early in the book.  Sara, Elle and Paige are girls who have been kidnapped and held hostage in the basement of Johns house.  That’s all I’m going to say for now. Well I finished this book on 12/30/22.  It’s a good thing I finished when I did cause we got sick and I wouldn’t have been able to reach my goal of finishing it before the end of the year.

She (Lucinda) is a freaking rockstar.  I don’t know how but I literally couldn’t put this book down.  The pain the girls experienced came through so vividly.  I’m not giving anything away about the ending so I’ll just say I give this book a 10/10.  I absolutely loved it.  5 days to read it.

I believe this was an Amazon first read, either that or I purchased this book.  I really like the author and his writing style.

I started this book on 12/13/22 and finished on 12/23/22.  10 days.  I blew through this book quick.  I really like the writing style, chapters were short and characters were very well written.  Eden, a mysterious stranger knocks on the door and Adam answers the door.   He and Ruth invite the stranger in and the fun begins.  It took a very serious turn in part 2 where Ruth gets “kidnapped” and Adam has to search for her and Eden.  Part 3 is the true kicker cause this book takes a serious turn.  Not going to spoil anything. I give this book a 9/10. 

Started this on 12/7/22.  This was a TikTok must read.  I’m about 10% done.  I like the chapters, character based and they are short.  We shall see….

So I finished this book on 12/13/22.  8 days.  Sarah, the lawyer has to defend her husband for murdering his mistress.  Well did he do it or not?  There’s too much evidence that says he didn’t do it.  He goes off the rails and gets into even more trouble.  Then it goes down hill from here, that’s where the twists come in.  I really really enjoyed this book.  Chapters were short, characters were very well written with no trouble keeping track of all of them.  Giving a 9/10.  I really recommend this book.  This is her first novel and I will be reading more from her when it comes out.

11/19/22

Recipe:

3 lbs honey
1 Cup hot black tea (I used Earl Grey tea….hence the name of the mead)
1/2 orange peel (I used fresh orange and peeler)
1 Tblspn Fleischmans Yeast (Yup bread yeast)
2 oz chopped raisins

I sanitized everything prior.  I chopped the raisins and added them to the 1 Gallon jar.  I poured in the honey.  I didn’t use a funnel or anything.  I added the hot tea to the honey pot to melt the remaining honey and get it out.  I poured that into the gallon jug.  I added the orange peel and then filled jug 1/2 way with water.  I shook and shook until it was mixed well.  I then added the rest of the water (not all the way to the neck!!!) and added the yeast.  Put the stopper on with water in the airlock.  I did not have a hydrometer so I couldn’t take an initial reading for ABV.  I will get one before I make the next batch though.

The yeast started working almost immediately.  I could see the airlock activity within an hour.

11/30/22
Earl has been setting under my desk in the office for a little over a week.  Haven’t touched it.  There is still activity in the airlock.  It will be time to swirl it on Saturday.  Can’t wait!

12/3/22

I swirled Earl today.  There is still a fair amount of activity in the airlock.  Not gangbusters but still going.  Next step is to swirl again in a week.  Then let it rest and rack.

12/12/22

I swirled Earl again today.  Airlock activity is slowing considerably.  I’d say about every 30 seconds.  It will be time to rack it soon.  I’m going to give it another week or so but that will be Christmas time so we’ll see…..

12/21/22

I racked Earl today into the 3 Liter plastic container that I have.  Didn’t quite get 3L out of it.  I left to much head space on the gallon.  Tasted pretty good but very alcoholic.  It will mellow and clear over time.  Should let it rest for 4 more weeks…..

1/17/23

I’m bottling Earl today.

I of course “tested” the mead also and it tastes amazing!!!  I could really taste the orange.  Not over powering but it imparted a great flavor.  I didn’t get much raisin or tea flavor.  It was still pretty cloudy as you can see in the photos but very (and I mean very) drinkable.  Now all there is to do is try not to drink in all to soon.

1/23  I poured a small amount for consumption last night.  It is clearing very nicely in the bottle.  The bottle that I tried was cold from being refrigerated.  60 Days

This is an Amazon first read.  I started this book on 11/26/22.  I’m almost 50% done with it in just a few days.  I like it (I think..).  Kendra read it first so she knows how it ends.  Moms group for new babies meets.  One of the moms goes missing.  One mom goes crazy trying to figure it out but some of the clues point to her as the villain.  We shall see.

I finished on 12/6/22.  10 days.

The book is called “Mother” of all secrets.  Seems there’s one more mother that everyone forgot about.  She is the one who saves the other moms.  Good read, chapters not to long but characters are not that memorable.  Not to many characters and the husband….Ugh.

I give this on an 7/10.  Didn’t not like it.

I’m starting this book the same day I just finished another one.  11/9/2022.  I’m looking forward to getting back to the story.  Lucas’s cops gun down three bank robbers.  LaChaise escapes from jail to avenge his wife getting gunned down.  He kidnaps Sandy Darling and LaChaise and Dick along with Sandy try and go after Lucas and some other cops.  Weather won’t hold up in the hotel and LaChaise gets to her in the hospital where she works.  It didn’t end well for him.  Lucas gets his man in the end.  I finished this book on 11/25/2022.   16 days to read.  Give it a 8/10.  Characters were memorable and easy to keep straight.

Amazon First Read: I started this book on 11/1/2022 and just finished it on 11/9/2022.  Good read.  Chapters are short, characters are well written and believable.  The twists and turns are to many to list.  The “Devil” gets her due in the end.  I’m giving this book a 8/10 review.  I really liked the writing style and story.  Ashley (the actress) and her roommate (Jordan) are living together as friends.  Ashley is a struggling actress without a break.  Until one day her dog runs away to the “Scooby Doo” house down the street.  This puts in motion the story and twists and turns it takes.

I started this book on 10/12/2022.  It was a TikTok recommendation book.  I’m about 6 chapters in and so far it’s really good.  I like it.  Pip is a high school student trying to gather info on a murder that happened in her town 5 years ago to “prove” that the boy didn’t do it.

We will see how it goes. I finished the book on 10/30/22.  18 days.  I really liked the book.  The writing style was excellent.  Chapters were fairly short and the characters were well defined and easy to follow.  Being an English writer, some the terms and slang you just had to figure out.  I’m giving this book a 8/10.  The way that it finished was really good too.  Pip did a great job on her report…..

This is an Amazon First Read for September 2022.  I started it on 9/27/2022.  First time reading this author.

10/11/2022.  I finished this book.  I didn’t really care for it at all.  The characters were muddy.  I couldn’t remember who was who and who was married to who and who killed who.  The writing style was OK.  I like the fact that chapters were broken into segments of the day so at least you could keep a timeline of events.  Catherine and Paul, Ginny and Tarryn.  Those are the four main characters.  They go for a hike that has been planned.  There is an plot to kill 2 or three of them by one of them.  Doesn’t go as planned but some how the one gets away.

Just based on my opinion I didn’t really care for the book but I’m still going to give it a 6/10 rating.  14 days to read.  Glad it’s over.