I've Got Your Number - Sophia Kinsella

Book Blurb: I’ve lost it. :( The only thing in the world I wasn’t supposed to lose. My engagement ring. It’s been in Magnus’s family for three generations. And now the very same day his parents are coming, I’ve lost it. The very same day! Do not hyperventilate, Poppy. Stay positive :) !!
 
Poppy Wyatt has never felt luckier. She is about to marry her ideal man, Magnus Tavish, but in one afternoon her “happily ever after” begins to fall apart. Not only has she lost her engagement ring in a hotel fire drill but in the panic that follows, her phone is stolen. As she paces shakily around the lobby, she spots an abandoned phone in a trash can. Finders keepers! Now she can leave a number for the hotel to contact her when they find her ring. Perfect!
 
Well, perfect except that the phone’s owner, businessman Sam Roxton, doesn’t agree. He wants his phone back and doesn’t appreciate Poppy reading his messages and wading into his personal life.
 
What ensues is a hilarious and unpredictable turn of events as Poppy and Sam increasingly upend each other’s lives through emails and text messages. As Poppy juggles wedding preparations, mysterious phone calls, and hiding her left hand from Magnus and his parents . . . she soon realizes that she is in for the biggest surprise of her life. 

Book Review: I found myself laughing out loud, cringing in embarrassment, and ready to reach out to slap some of the characters.  I can't even imagine the horror Poppy felt when she lost her engagement ring that sounded gorgeous when described.  I really thought it was nice of Sam to let her keep the phone until she starts getting involved in his business.....which  as girl she thinks she is helping but she really isn't!  

This is same author who wrote the Shopaholic series. If you love a good laugh as you read...this is the book for you.  

One Bad Apple by Sheila Connolly

Book Blurb: Meg Corey has come to the quaint New England town of Granford, Massachusetts, to sell her mother?s old colonial home and apple orchard. Instead, she becomes embroiled in development plans that include her land?and her former flame from Boston. When he?s found dead in the new septic tank on her property, the police immediately suspect Meg, whose only ally in town is the plumber Seth Chapin. Together, they?ll have to peel back the layers of secrecy that surround the deal in order to find the real murderer? and save the orchard.

My Review: I was browsing the shelves in the library one day and this title caught my attention.  I really enjoyed it and I will be the first to admit that I did NOT figure out who was the killer.  This one had me stumped. I enjoyed every twist and turn in this novel.  This is another one that contains wonderful apple recipes!!!  I felt really sorry Meg with everything she was going through in this book.  Not to mention, I wanted to tour her house!  I would love to see her 200 year old house!   This is the first book in this series so I am going to have to go check out the second one....I want to see what happens with Meg and Seth!!!

Cinnamon Roll Murder by Joanne Fluke

Book Blurb:  April is a busy time for Hannah Swensen and her bakery; the warm weather makes folks in Lake Eden, Minnesota go wild for something sweet. When Hannah hears that the Cinnamon Roll Six jazz band will be playing at the town's Weekend Jazz Festival, she's more than happy to bake up a generous supply of their namesake confections to welcome the band to town. Before the festival even begins, tragedy strikes when the tour bus overturns. Among those injured is Buddy Neiman, the band's beloved keyboard player. Buddy's injuries appear minor, until his condition suddenly takes a turn for the worse - as in dead. Hannah's no doctor, but she suspects that the surgical scissors someone plunged into Buddy's chest may have something to do with it. Hannah isn't sure just how she'll unravel the mystery, but one thing's for sure: nothing's sweeter than bringing a killer to justice.

My Review:   I LOVE LOVE this series!  This is book fifteen and every time I read her books I want to get into the kitchen and bake!  I Love the fact that as your are reading and she is making cookies in the bakery or at home,  the recipe to what she is making is there for you to try along with her footnotes on what works best.   I think out this book I want to try and make her Sinco de Cocoa Cookies..AKA  Chocolate Avocado Cookies...Don't those sound wonderful?

After the fifteenth book, it just feels like you Hannah and her family are your friends too.  I highly recommend this series to anyone who likes a good mystery and one who likes to bake!   If you are interested, in this series then you may want to start with the first book so you can get to know the characters.   The first book in the series is called:

   

Janet Evanovich Books

This past week I finished two books from Janet Evanovich.  I LOVE her books!  The first one I read was Notorious Nineteen.  As you can tell from the title this is the Nineteenth book in her Stephanie Plum series.  Stephanie Plum is an ex-lingere seller turned bounty hunter. Not your typical bounty hunter because she keeps her gun in her cookie jar, and it usually doesn't have bullets.  Her partner is a 300 lb ex hooker name Lula who loves to wear spandex.  She has a an on again/off again boyfriend Joe, who is a cop. Then again there is the Hot Bounty Hunter Ranger who makes her knees knock.  I find myself laughing out loud while reading her books.  I usually get them on audio and stitch while I listen.   My husband just looks at me like I am crazy while I am reading this series.

The second Evanovich Book I read was The Husband List.  This was not a typical book from her.  It was set in 1894 in New York City.  Caroline Maxwell is a society girl who wants nothing more than to go to college, study, travel , however she has to follow her mothers wishes to marry a high in society.  Her mother has her eyes set on a duke from England!  Caroline has no desire for this, she likes Jack, her brothers best friend.  

I really enjoyed this book once I realized what was going on in it. But that was my mistake, you see when I first read the year, I read 1984 instead of 1894..so I couldn't understand why they were traveling by ship to Paris, traveling by horse and buggy, plus receiving telegrams.  Once I figured out what I had done...it was GREAT!  The store was excellent, the clothes they were sounded beautiful.  I recommend it.

Victorian Winter - Mystic Stitch

I have say, after stitching several Haeds, I am LOVING this Mystic Stitch!!!   My friends thinks it is funny when I say that this design is only 9 pages instead of my usual 30 plus pages.   Looking at it you can already see the tree tops forming in the corner.  I think it is just amazing how the pictures come alive.

HAED - Last Judgement and Tusk Update

I haven't posted in a while and since I am doing so many projects, I think they should each have their own post.   Here is my HAED Last Judgement- the first 1,000 stitches of it that is.  I love the colors!!!!

Several people have asked about my furbaby Tusk.  Right now we are in a waiting pattern.  The Vet said that 15% of dogs with a torn ACL will develop enough scar tissues that they will walk with a limp and be just fine.  We are hoping for this because if not, then it is a $1200 surgery and 2 months of doggie rehab.  Who knows how much that will cost.   If the scar tissue doesn't form then we will be having surgery within the next 2 weeks....Will keep you updated!!!!

Sistine Chapel update

On Sunday, I spent the day working on my Sistine chapel.  I was able to put in another 700 stitches.  If you look closely you can see some legs and hands.  Just for fun, I have put in 4,799 stitches and only 0.8% complete.  That is it for now.

Yep, I got my flu shot earlier in the year but I felt TERRIBLE on Monday!  I could barely lift my head up off the pillow and I just knew that there was no way I could make it to work on Tuesday.  I decided to drag myself out of bed so I could go to Wal-Mart and then to the High School so I could make out lesson plans. I drove to the High School first (20 minutes from home) and realized that my lanyard had broken on Friday so my Keys were on the kitchen counter instead of in my car...sigh...so off to Walmart I went to buy some food for our empty cabinets. After I arrived, home, I headed back into town and made out lesson plans for the week just in case I am sick for the rest of the week. There is NOTHING worse than being sick and having to drag your behind into work just because you don't have sub plans.  It is easier to be at work deathly ill than have to make sub plans.  Every teacher will tell you it is more work to make those darn plans than just coming in.....

I have spent the day relaxing in my chair watching the 1970's version of Masterpiece Theater Upstairs/Downstairs on Netflix and napping. I have napped so much that I am not tired now...but I am feeling better.  I am taking off one more day to just to recoup.  No sense rushing back to work when I am still sick. I am planning to go back to work on Thursday....