Loving Life

April 01, 2026

Welcome to my What's On Your BookShelf post. The #WOYB link party is hosted by Deb, Jo, Jennifer and Bernie....all gals I follow on a few other link parties. I love their blogs. Go check them out. #whatsonyourbookshelfchallenge You can link up on the third Thursday of the month.

I also decided to link this with #shareyourshelf hosted by some great bloggers I follow, like Joanne. I'll link it on the week they post theirs, which is the first Thursday of each month.

My rating system:

⭐ DNF (which there's a reason), story lacking any depth, grammatical or spelling errors (too many), just did not enjoy it and enough because maybe it wasn't my type of book. If I can't get into it after 1/4 of the way (or less), I don't want to waste my time. Don't bother reading

⭐⭐ Story line is a bit all over the place, struggle to read it but maybe it had some redeeming parts. Characters or story line weren't believable or too unrealistic. I wouldn't want to read it again. Grammar wasn't "realistic". Too many storylines going on at the same time. Read it or don't read it.

⭐⭐⭐ Solid story line and characters. I liked it but didn't necessarily LOVE it, but I didn't HATE it either. I may have felt that it dragged on, or had parts that weren't necessary to the story. Maybe was a little hard to follow. Probably wouldn't recommend but it wasn't a total disaster.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ A really great read that I enjoyed picking up each time. I enjoyed it from front to back. The characters and storyline were really good. As someone said "a truly good book, but missing the cherry on top". Go ahead and read it

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This book knocked it out of the park and I couldn't put it down. OR it was a book that really opened my eyes to something or taught me something about someones life. One I have bookmarked and even taken notes. It left me wanting to read more by the author or more in the series. Definitely go read.

I've probably already said it....I love my rating system, but I'm not always great at following it. I hate leaving low ratings...lol.

March was a pretty good reading month. I enjoyed the books I read. However, I did have two that I gave low ratings even though I hate giving low ratings, I just couldn't give them higher. I'm plugging away at the challenges I'm a part of though I need to really sit down and update them.

If I shared about one of the books last month (what I'm reading now), I probably won't share what it's about now that it's finished.

March Reads:

Booked for Murder: A Balefire Bay Cozy Mystery by Shannon Symonds ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was my first by this author and it was a good read. I wouldn't mind reading the next in the series. I enjoyed the characters and thought they were well done. I liked that it also took place on the Oregon Coast.

Bed, Breakfast and a Body (Willow Creek Cozy Mystery) by Jenni Marie ⭐

You guys, I finished this because it was part of a book club I joined on Fable, and I wasn't alone in this rating. We all honestly think it was written using AI or Chatgpt...it was so all over the place, portions out of order, characters confused, etc. Which was sad, because it had potential to be a really good book. This "author" had several come out back to back which raised a red flag. So disappointing.

Portrait of a Dead Guy (A Cherry Tucker Mystery) by Larissa Reinhart ⭐⭐

Another one that I just didn't really enjoy. I really like my cozies as G rated as they can get. No cussing, no steam, I like a sweet romance build up. This one just did not deliver anything I normally like in a cozy. I listened to it on audio because I won it and the voice of the main character just drove me crazy. Maybe if I had read it I'd like it a little better, and without the cussing and steam.

Love & Saffron by Kim Fay ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The last several books I read made up for the ones that were flops. This book, Love & Saffron was such a refreshing book. I listened to this on audio and enjoyed each moment of it. I plan to read the others by the author.

From Goodreads: this witty and tender novel follows two women in 1960s America as they discover that food really does connect us all, and that friendship and laughter are the best medicine.

It was fun envisioning what a typical kitchen was like in the 60's and what ingredients were available or newly heard of. One woman is in Washington State, the other in California.

Guidebook to Murder (A Tourist Trap Mystery #1) by Lynn Cahoon ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This one ended up being a good one. I'd also probably read the next in this series. I had another book by Lynn Cahoon that I had a hard time getting into so I was glad I liked this one.

The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau by Kristin Harmel ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book was for my pass along book club and I really enjoyed it. I also shared about this one last month because I had already started it. A fascinating story with a Robin Hood element to it and an ending that took me a bit by surprise.

Murder is Easy (Superintendent Battle, #4) by Agatha Christie⭐⭐⭐⭐

I chose this one because it fit one of the prompts for the 52 book club. I'm using it as a genre-defining read...I feel like Agatha Christie books helped define mystery books. This is also the first Agatha Christie book I've ever read (I actually listened to it). It was pretty good.

Currently Reading:

Here We Goat Again: A Zen Goat Mystery by Janna Rollins

I have this book as an ARC so I need to focus on getting it read. I love Janna Rollins, who also writes as Paula Charles. In this third book of the Zen Goat Series, a visiting photographer is murdered and of course Callie Haybeck is on site. A fun story..the author who's first name is Paula, lived in the next town over from me, and I have gone to a few of her book signings...it's was always hard to remember which was her real first name. Then one day, she walked into where I worked and needed a notary. I did it for her, but I had to keep reminding myself of her real name and not her pen name because Charles isn't her real last name...so funny. She since moved a little over an hour away to the beach, but I'm hoping to get to a book even again soon by her.

This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page

This is for my in person book club, and I intentionally added it to the choices hoping it would be picked. So many of you had read it and it's been on my list. I am loving this book. It's not too often that I really feel like I love a book and while it is sad, it is beautiful, and real and I rarely underline parts in fiction books, but I have in this one. And I absolutely LOVE the book recs at the beginning of each month. I look forward to discussing this one at book club. The premise of the book is that Tilly's husband visits a local bookshop before he passes away and arranges for Tilly to receive one book a month for an entire year after he passes away.

A Botanists Guide to Parties and Poisons (Saffron Everleigh Mystery), by Kate Khavari I'm close to being done with this one, but wanted to finish it in April so I could use for Rosalie Spielmans April challenge choice, "a book from the past"...I'm going with the interpretation that it takes place in the past.

The Last Green Valley by Mark T. Sullivan

This is my April book for our pass along book club. I think this will be a good one. It follows a young couple in 1940's Ukraine as they make the hard decision between staying and facing Stalin, or taking the Germans proposed protection. A dual timeline story. I'm not that far into it, but I think it will be a good one.

A Very Novel Murder by Ellie Alexander

I haven't started this one, but it's the April choice for the Fable Cozy Mystery book club I joined which is really laid back and chill. I haven't even looked to see what it's totally about.

On Fire: 7 Choices to ignite, a radically inspired Life by John O'Leary

I just started listening to this one on audiobook. Read by the author and delving into the lessons learned through his life after being burned on 100% of his body at the age of 9.

I'll also share my graphics for the 52 book club and the mystery challenges. I'm doing pretty good. I'm about 3 books behind to be on track with my Goodreads goal but I'm not too worried.