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Lessons from Madam Chic–humorous look at living well
Lessons from Madam Chic
by Jennifer L. Scott
This nonfiction tome is part advice and part memoir. This delightful book draws on Scott’s experiences as a college student living with a family in Paris for six months. I first encountered Jennifer L. Scott in a YouTube video series The Daily Connoisseur. She has written several books that mesh with the stories on her channel. A proponent of the ten-item wardrobe and gracious living, many of her writings and videos center around how to “be classy.”
Jennifer shares some of her many ideas on how to live a passionate life “filled with love, art, and music” where “no moment was wasted.” She dispenses her advice with her trademark, sometimes self-deprecating, gentle humor. She lived with two families, each with their own variety of a fulfilled life. Madame Chic ran a sophisticated, orderly household with a minimalist style that displayed an appreciation for the simple, finer things in life. Madame Bohemienne had a more free flowing joi de vivre approach to life. Both women were role models to Jennifer.
This book is divided into three parts: Diet and Exercise, Style and Beauty, and How to Live Well. One of my favorite chapters is “Snacking Is So Not Chic.” It tells the story of newly arrived Jennifer trying to sneak down to the kitchen for a snack. She soon learned that French people don’t snack or eat on the go. Another of Jennifer’s memorable chapters is “Look Presentable Always” that goes against what many of us in the United States revert to, seeking the comfort of sweats and ragged tees. “Practice the Art of Entertaining” is a chapter this introvert found quite interesting. I’ve focused on three standout portions of the book, but I enjoyed the entire read, and I highly recommend it.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Nonfiction, Humor, Travel
Notes: subtitled: 20 Stylish Secrets I Learned While Living in Paris
Publication: 2011—Simon & Schuster
Memorable Lines:
And when you’re not doing housework…Dance! I love to put on music in the morning and dance with my children. They find it quite amusing, I get a good workout in, and we all laugh. It’s a mood booster.
Famille Chic had impeccable manners and used them on a daily basis. They applied the “use your best” philosophy to their behavior toward their guests, of course, but also to their behavior toward each other every day.
There are few things better, in my opinion, than attending a proper dinner party—with apéritifs, hors d’oeuvres, music, a properly set table, interesting guests, excellent cuisine, dessert, cheese course, coffee, and digestif. The experience can be divine. Throwing a dinner party, on the other hand, can be very daunting.
A Very English Murder–good mystery with sophisticated humor
A Very English Murder
By Verity Bright
When Ellie’s uncle dies, she leaves her life of adventure and world travel and returns to Henley Hall in the little town of Chipstone in the 1920’s. Even though she did not know her uncle well and had not been to Chipstone in many years, everyone in town recognizes her as Lady Swift. She is somewhat overcome by her life changes and that is complicated by her witnessing what appears to be a murder, but it is hard to convince the police of that because there is no body.
Clifford is her butler and she soon recognizes that he had a special relationship with her uncle and the townspeople and will be just as helpful to her in her investigation. She is not quite sure what the pair did, but as the story develops, the scope of their “work” starts to come into focus.
The mystery is fascinating and was quite a puzzle. The staff at Henley Hall are supportive of her and were clearly a trusted part of the projects her uncle and Clifford pursued. Clifford is a favorite character but takes some getting used to. Ellie is not sure if she can trust him. She can definitely trust Gladstone, her uncle’s bulldog. He adds humor to the book along with Ellie’s musings and misadventures. Danger comes her way as someone tries to impede their investigation. There is definite closure to the mystery, but it certainly leaves readers wanting to read more of Ellie’s adventures. If you like “Britishisms,” a strong and impulsive female lead, and a 1920’s setting, you’ll enjoy A Very English Murder, a stellar start to this extensive cozy mystery series.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: #1 in the Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery Series. The author is actually a husband and wife team and the series has 25 books so far.
Publication: April 7, 2020—Bookouture
Memorable Lines:
“Give a man a badge and an official title and he thinks he’s the sole decider of right and wrong. Which would be fine if power didn’t corrupt.”
“Clifford, how did my uncle ever swallow your unwavering advice on his every daily action?” “With Darjeeling and lemon, my lady.”
Eleanor laughed, her bad mood broken. “You are very perceptive, Mrs. Butters. Clifford has a fabulously analytical mind, but it drives me to absolute distraction! But you know, you always bring me a basket full of feel-good each morning.”
The Harmony Series (audio version)
I don’t listen to audio books very often, but I think I have found a comfortable niche that works for me—Philip Gulley’s Harmony Series. It’s an easy series to come back to when walking my dogs. If my thumb hits the wrong place on my phone and I’m suddenly back a few chapters, it is not a problem. I can just enjoy that portion again. So, when I listen to a book from the series, I will share it here, but only with a brief reflection because the books are like reading short stories or collected anecdotes. The members of the Harmony Friends Meeting show up in all the books, and the setting is always the fictional small town of Harmony, Indiana. The tone of the book is generally light-hearted, containing some sarcasm and some thoughts about the ways people get along with each other. Think of Harmony as a Mayberry come to life with characters that will make you chuckle, and sometimes reach out with empathy.
Just Shy of Harmony
By Philip Gulley
The second book in the Harmony Series is Just Shy of Harmony. It has a lot of humor in its tales. Dale Hinshaw’s new outreach is his “scripture eggs” project inspired by an article about a chicken that supposedly laid an egg that had a message inside because the chicken ate a piece of paper. He’s off to evangelize the world, but he has trouble getting others excited about his idea!
The whole town “knows” about Jessie and Asa’s marital problems because the editor of the local paper writes weekly about what he sees out his window and he saw Jessie going into the building that houses the counselor’s office. You can see where that one is going, but poor Jessie and Asa don’t know why everyone is asking how they are doing.
Framing the humor, however, are two deeper subjects. Sam, the Quaker pastor, is depressed and feels like he has lost his faith. The whole town knows about it; word of mouth is as good as the local newspaper in Harmony. He is experiencing burn-out, for sure, but doesn’t know what to do about it. Avoiding spoiler details, a member of the congregation has leukemia and we see a different side of the Quaker Friends as the church rallies around in prayer and fund raising.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Christian, Fiction, Religion, Inspiration
Notes: Read by Norman Dietz who had a lot of different voices to employ and did it well.
Publication: 2002—Harper One
Memorable Lines:
After all, life is so fleeting, so tenuous, that if you can do someone even the smallest good, you ought to do it.
Christmas in Harmony–fun seasonal novella
Christmas in Harmony
by Philip Gulley
This sweet novella will put just the right touch on your Christmas season. Author Phillip Gulley returns his readers to the fictional town of Harmony to join the citizens celebrating Christmas. Even if this is not a return visit to Harmony, readers can quickly jump into the nostalgic small town feel. The narrator is a Quaker pastor, and he infuses his tales and reminiscences with both humor and gentle inspiration. Probably the most interesting (stunning?) idea that his congregation tries is a progressive Nativity scene, kind of like a progressive dinner but harder to wrap your mind around! You really should read this novella to find out how parishioner Dale Hinshaw’s money making Nativity scene idea pans out. What a great start to the Christmas season!
Rating: 5/5
Category: Fiction, Humor, Christian
Notes: #2.5 in the Harmony Novels, but could be read as a standalone
Publication: October 15, 2002—Harper One
Memorable Lines:
Every Christmas she would send the cards she’d received the year before back to the very people who’d sent them. She’d add her name below theirs, and write, We return your greetings and wish you a Merry Christmas. She’d written up the idea and sent it to Heloise as a hint, under the pseudonym Cautious Christian.
“I want you to know I love you, son. I’m proud of you, awful proud of you. Have been since the day you were born.” Then he hugged me. It was the best Christmas present he ever gave me, those words.
The old-timers walked in, saw the hordes of people sitting in their pews, and were appalled. Pews, which had been in their family for generations, now occupied by total strangers!
Frank and Red–healing tale
Frank and Red
By Matt Coyne
Frank is a curmudgeon and a recluse. Red is a precocious six year old. Both have had a rough life in the last few years, but they approach their situations from very different perspectives. Frank is in such pain when his beloved Marcie passes away that he creates a dysfunctional relationship with his son. Red’s parents divorce causes upheaval in his life with a new home, new school and new neighbor Frank. Red faces life with enthusiasm despite the tough times. When Frank’s advice to Red about bullies has some unfortunate consequences, Frank finds himself taking on caregiving responsibilities for Red. Frank has a lot to learn from Red. Although some may initially find the plot predictable, the last part of the book is anything but predictable with lots of adventure and humor.
Frank is the ultimate grump, and Red is totally lovable. Together they make an interesting pair. The book is replete with crude language, but being British English it somehow doesn’t seem as offensive to the American ear. Short chapters are entitled “Frank” or “Red” with alternating perspectives moving the story along quickly. Red’s interactions with his new classmates are both sad and funny; it’s hard to be a new student. Red’s mother is a hospice nurse, a very caring woman who is devoted to Red and tries to shield him from an indifferent father. A fence separates Frank and Red, but its physical toppling brings about a metaphorical destruction of the barriers between Frank and Red and between Frank and the outside world that he fears.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Fiction, Humor
Notes: Offensive Language
Publication: February 1, 2024—Wildfire
Memorable Lines:
He had once heard a saying that went something like: “You don’t need a parachute to skydive once.” That’s what he was thinking about: that falling in love with someone, and allowing yourself to do so, was like falling without a parachute. And that’s okay when it’s the love of your life, because you only intend to skydive once.
And Jake, of course, whom he had absolutely no intention of playing with, inside or outside, on account of him being a dangerous cycle-path.
“You’re comfortable being miserable. You wear it like a pair of slippers.”
Home to Harmony–gentle, inspirational humor
Home to Harmony
By Phillip Gulley
Some readers compare the Harmony series to Jan Karon’s Mitford books with their gentle humor, others to Garrison Keillor’s Lake Wobegon with a dry-humored look at a small town, and still others see the folksy Mayberry in this collection. I glimpse some of all of those attitudes in Gulley’s novels along with a lot of emotion from passages that are laugh out loud funny to others that are so touching they will bring tears to your eyes.
Phillip Gulley is a Quaker pastor, thus giving some authenticity to his main character Sam Gardner who is a Quaker pastor in Harmony, the little town he grew up in. The author peoples Home to Harmony with some extreme characters living out their ordinary lives in unspectacular ways. Despite the ordinariness of the events in the book, Gulley manages to pull all the plugs of human emotions. There is Dale Hinshaw, the tight-fisted elder who has a firm opinion about everything. Miriam Hodges is a leader who manages to get church business accomplished despite elders who would rather discuss things than get them done. Topics range from plumbing to spelling bees and lots in between. The characters manage to get into some hilarious situations and certainly are not perfect. But they try, and Sam Gardner works at being his best and guiding his flock with the kindness and gentleness of Jesus while standing up for what is right in day to day decisions. As Jesus taught through stories, Gulley tries to instruct in the same way using characters we can relate to even if they are somewhat exaggerated. We get to know the characters through various anecdotes that compose the chapters and which generally end with an inspirational line or two that sum up the take aways that Gulley is aiming for.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Christian, Fiction, Humor, Inspiration
Notes: 1. #1 in the Harmony Series
2. Audiobook narrated by Norman Dietz. I listened to the book and also read some of it. Dietz is a good narrator for Home to Harmony.
Publication: March 16, 2004—Harper One
Memorable Lines:
There’s danger in thinking joy is a matter of location. If we can’t find joy where we are, we probably won’t find it anywhere.
When love takes you by the hand and leaves you better, that is home. That’s the place to stake your claim and build your life.
In the end, that is what we all must do. Stand where we feel led. Stand straight, stand tall, and try hard to remember that other folks might be led to stand elsewhere.
Pinned 4 Murder–mystery in the bowling alley
Pinned 4 Murder
By J.C. Eaton
Sophie Kimball, an accountant for an investigative firm, is now Sophie Kimball Gregory as she and private detective Marshall Gregory are now married. An informal sleuth, Sophie excels at listening in on conversations and passing along information to her husband and the local authorities. Most of the time what she does is legal, but she did step over the line once in this book. It’s one of those cases of suspending reality and judgement because it is, after all, fiction. Sophie’s mother and her friends have some hilarious responses when a crime occurs or someone tries to put through a policy in their community that they don’t agree with. They always turn to Sophie to solve the crime or straighten out the situation.
In my review of #12 (Revved up 4 Murder), I explained that I had loved this series, but #12 just fell flat for me. The humor was down, and the emphasis on the foods the characters ate was just too repetitious. Pinned 4 Murder was the chance I gave to the Sophie Kimball Mystery series before I decided to abandon it or stick around for more of the cozy mysteries. My judgement of Pinned 4 Murder is that the husband and wife writing team has somewhat redeemed themselves, and I will continue on to the next book they publish in this series. This recommendation, however, comes with a caveat. The humor level is back up in this book with the chiweenie Streetman on top of his game and the Sun City West Book Club ladies and the Pinochle Crew of men creating gossip and mayhem as usual. The crafting of the mysteries (murder, vandalism, and cyber-crime) is excellent. Where Pinned 4 Murder lets me down is the focus again on all the foods they consume—takeouts or deliveries from restaurants and coffee and pastries to share. Those repetitive passages do not entertain or move the plot forward.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Humor, Mystery
Notes: #13 in the Sophie Kimball Mystery series. I think it is too far into the series to be enjoyed as a stand alone, but the authors do include a very helpful “Cast of Characters” at the beginning of the book.
Publication: July 16, 2024—Beyond the Page Publishing
Memorable Lines:
“That’s where nosing around comes in.”…“Please don’t suggest the dog park. You have no idea how stressful it is to take Streetman there. He doesn’t listen. He rolls in smelly stuff on the ground, pees in the water bowls, and worst of all, goes after female dogs like a sailor who hasn’t been to port in a year!”
Too bad my mother forgot that her dog had selective hearing and a total disregard for obeying commands. I looked on in horror as that sneaky little chiweenie raced after the bowling ball, only to find himself slipping and sliding on the freshly oiled lane. Still, it didn’t prevent him from following the ball and knocking down all the pins.
Within seconds, people scrambled to spread the rumor like hair lice in a kindergarten, and I knew if it reached my mother’s table, the book club ladies would waste little time circulating and embellishing it.
Revved Up 4 Murder–dangerous auto restoration
Revved Up 4 Murder
By J. C. Eaton
I have read a lot of the cozy mysteries created by the husband/wife writing team called J.C. Eaton. I have enjoyed most of the ones in the Sophie Kimball Mystery Series, but Revved Up 4 Murder lagged a bit for me. The predictability is what got to me. Sophie (Phee) constantly frequents fast food restaurants picking up food for herself and her husband or her co-worker Augusta. Although Augusta can be counted on to get treats like donuts for the office, Phee often purchases their lunches or brings home meals for her husband, a detective in the Williams Investigations firm they both work for. As a reader, the repetition quickly became old.
There are other aspects that were funny in the earlier books, but fell flat for me in this one. Sun City West is a retirement community and Phee’s mother lives there. Both men and women there don’t have enough to do in their retirement years and spend a lot of time stirring up trouble, gossiping, and dramatizing events. Phee’s mother Harriet has a chiweenie dog, Streetman, who is spoiled and neurotic. Harriet brings Streetman along when she ventures out on escapades, and Harriet expects her daughter to solve crimes even though she is an accountant/bookkeeper for Williams Investigations. Despite the predictable phone calls from Harriet to Phee demanding outlandish investigations, there are admittedly some funny scenes with the “book club ladies” and their dogs.
In spite of my hesitations about Revved Up 4 Murder, I must “confess” that there are a lot of credible suspects for the crimes which include murders and the theft of a valuable object from a museum. I didn’t guess the solution to the mysteries which were fairly complicated. The investigative team of two private detectives and a duo of less than stellar detectives from the local police force are aided by Rolo, a computer genius with access to the dark web. His expertise is not cheap, and he insists on being paid in expensive kitchen appliances to support his current food craze.
My conclusion is that the core mystery is much more interesting than the context and setting, but it could be a fun diversion if you need a break from other genres or the news cycle.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Mystery, Humor
Notes: #12 in the Sophie Kimball Mystery Series. There are a number of characters who are introduced in previous books, but don’t stand out as individuals in this book. They function more like a Greek chorus to this plot.
Publication: February 20, 2024—Beyond the Page Publishing
Memorable Lines:
Gossip at the beauty parlor rises exponentially at rates not even seen by mathematicians.
Going to sleep at my normal hour was never going to happen. More thoughts crossed my mind than ants on a watermelon.
When I ended the call, I was certain my mother and her crew of yentas would be camped out across the street from Betsy’s house. Nothing ensures that someone will do something like telling them not to. It’s like a law of physics, only with human nature.
A Whyte Christmas–a wintery tale
A Whyte Christmas
by Michele Brouder
Taking a little break from my Advance Reader Copies and my Book Club books, I got wild and crazy as February turned to March and read a Christmas book. I’m glad I did. A Whyte Christmas is clean; no need to worry about language or open bedroom doors. The main characters have lots of misunderstandings during their slow burn romance. Both of them work hard to NOT be attracted to the other, but as you might guess, that doesn’t work well. Kate O’Connor is an extremely likable protagonist. Originally a copywriter for an advertising firm, she is demoted to receptionist during a downturn for the company. Gavin Whyte is close to the top of his pharmaceutical company in Ireland and is sent to supervise the ad campaign for their latest drug.
Kate and Gavin are thrown together in multiple situations that always seem to end up with humorous to hilarious endings. Sometimes involving police authorities. Both had bad luck in their previous relationships and neither is particularly happy in their jobs. It does not seem inevitable that an American who gets herself into situations from falling off a ladder to being stuck in a snowstorm with no place to spend the night and an Irishman, unaware of his good looks and delicious Irish accent, will end up together. But can it happen?
Rating: 4/5
Category: Romance, Fiction
Notes: #1 in The Happy Holidays Series that is comprised of standalones.
Publication: September 30, 2021
Memorable Lines:
“Dieting is the only thing where losing is everything.”
Butterflies flew around like kamikaze pilots in her stomach and she still had no idea what she was going to say.
Jumping to conclusions was the only exercise she got.
Caught in the Traminette–NY winery mystery
Caught in the Traminette
by J. C. Eaton
I am by no means a wine connoisseur and had never heard of “traminette.” Learning new things is part of the fun of reading. Traminette is a variety of a grape hybrid and also the name of a type of white wine made from that grape. It is popular among wine growers in the northeast of the U.S.
In Caught in the Traminette there are a head spinning number of plot threads. The setting is Seneca Lake and Penn Yan in New York. Norrie, a screen writer, is part owner of Two Witches Winery and at her sister’s request is managing the winery while her sister Francine is in the Philippines with her entomologist husband. While reading this fun series you’ll find a lot of information about how a vineyard is managed and the wine is made and marketed. Hint: it’s a lot more involved than squishing some grapes and bottling the juice!
Norrie can jump into an investigating mode at the drop of wine bottle, and she does just that when a body is found wrapped in a tarp at a neighboring winery. To help Madeline, a fellow winery owner who has been arrested for the murder, Norrie puts on her detective hat. There is some self-interest (OK, a lot of self-interest) involved because neither Norrie nor any of the other winery proprietors want to take on Madeline’s role as facilitator of WOW (Wineries of the West), the promotional group for the wineries in their area.
On Norrie’s to-do list, besides discovering the murderer, is protecting the traminette at her own winery, improving the security at the winery and at her house, and stopping a developer from bringing high rises to the lake ruining the popular view currently part of the attraction of the area. Some days just getting from her house to the tasting room on the same property is a challenge given all the snow and ice storms.
On a professional level, Norrie has a rocky relationship with Deputy Hickman because of previous encounters where she just won’t leave mysteries alone. She has even caused Eugene, a technician in the forensics lab, to get a prescription for anti-anxiety medicine.
On a personal level, Norrie has lots of friends including her next door neighbors, Don and Theo, who own the Grey Egret Winery next door. Theo frequently gets roped into sleuthing with Norrie into illegal, dangerous, and sometimes disgusting adventures including “mud” on a cow farm. She has a great and supportive staff at the winery. One of her employees, Glenda, is involved in the paranormal and invites her friend Zenora to ward away evil. When this happens there is a lot of eye rolling at the wine tasting room. Zenora’s “day job” is research librarian at the University library and in that role she can provide some valuable information.
Norrie is dating a lawyer who frequently has to travel. When Bradley is away, she finds her eyes wandering to her dismay. So far, she has controlled her impulses in that area although she does manage to keep all of the men who want to date her content to be friends and serve as resources in her investigations. She is always upfront with potential suitors about her exclusive relationship with Bradley.
One important thread involves entomologists who are devoted to their research in a nerdy sort of way. Another focus is evidence of a break-in at Norrie’s house. Why would anyone rummage through her refrigerator without eating anything? Norrie sometimes does outlandish things, but this is a fun mystery with a lot of humor. Everything gets sewn up with a surprise ending.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Fiction, Mystery, Humor
Notes: #9 in the Wine Trail Mystery Series. Like many series, you’ll want to read more if you read this one,but it could be enjoyed as a standalone.
Publication: November 7, 2023—Beyond the Page Publishing
Memorable Lines:
Every winter day is a bad hair day in New York’s Finger Lakes. And those cute little snowflakes weren’t as adorable as they were back in November. By the beginning of January with the holiday decorations down, the dreariest part of the season was about to unfold.
“I’m eighty-six years old. I don’t act fast,” Rosalee said. “I only move at two speeds—slow and slower.”
“You snooped on the chitchat ladies?” “Didn’t have to snoop. They spread the gossip like fertilizer on a field.”
education pathways 