September 2020 book of the month club (Poll)

Vote for the book we should read in September 2020

  • Arsenic in the Azaleas by Dale Mayer

    Votes: 6 50.0%
  • See You Soon by NC Marshall

    Votes: 2 16.7%
  • Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

    Votes: 4 33.3%

  • Total voters
    12
  • Poll closed .

Mamanyt1953

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I had a ton of fun with this book! And I'm entirely smitten with Goliath. I didn't figure out whodunit too soon, there wasn't a single character who failed to capture my interest, and the actual storyline, apart from the mystery, was imminently satisfying to me. And Goliath! The very best thing I can say about this book is that I now want the rest of the series!
 
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rubysmama

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I've struggled trying to post what I thought of this book.

On one hand, I thought it was ridiculous that there were so many murders in one area, and that "Nancy Drew" kept finding the bodies. Then I wondered if I'm supposed to read the book in the same mindset as a Nancy Drew book, and just enjoy the ride, and not think about the lack of reality in them.

Then on the other hand, despite not being sure if I even liked the book, I was happy to see I could borrow the next 5 in the series from Hoopla, which made me think I must have liked it somewhat, or why would I want to read another one. :dunno:

But I really didn't like Doreen, or maybe I just couldn't relate to her. And the grandmother just seemed too over the top eccentric. I did somewhat like Mack, who I suspect will become a love interest for Doreen in future books.

Also thought the murder mystery didn't really give the reader much of a chance to "solve".

My favourite "character" was Thaddeus. Loved that parrot and his attitude. :lol: In fact, the book wouldn't have been the same without him, or the cat and dog.

Maybe because this was my first cozy mystery, it's hard for me to review as I have nothing to compare it to, but I didn't love it, nor hate it, and will probably read at least one more in the series.
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verna davies

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Let me start by saying I am not a fan of cozy mysteries and after reading this book I am still not. Having said that, I did have quite a few laughs mainly at the antics of Thaddeus the parrot. Without the assortment of pets, I doubt I would have finished the book. I found Doreen unbelievable, surely no-one can be that helpless and I found her repetition of her bad marriage irritating. I found Mack to be a little too free with the information he was telling Doreen, I cant imagine that happening on a real life scenario. I liked the relationship between Nan and Doreen and her pets.
It was an easy book to read, didnt require hard concentration.
Like rubysmama rubysmama , I think a love interest between Mack and Doreen will develop in the following books but I wont be reading them.
 
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rubysmama

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I did have quite a few laughs mainly at the antics of Thaddeus the parrot. Without the assortment of pets, I doubt I would have finished the book.
The animals definitely were the best part of the book, and I'm not sure what that says about the human characters the author created. Maybe they'll be further developed in future books, which I may or may not read, as my interest in reading another one is waning, as more time passes.
 
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rubysmama

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LOL. I've always thought a parrot would be a cool pet, but would worry over the fact that it would most likely outlive me.

As for the book, I'm glad I gave it a go, as well. Hopefully the members who voted for it, and anyone else who read it, will post their reviews. I'm particularly interested in hearing what fans of cozy mysteries thought of this book, and how it compares to others that they've read.
 

Mamanyt1953

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Well, with cozies, you have to expect that the law enforcement folks are going to share more than they should, while firmly telling Our Plucky Heroine that she should stay out of it all. That's kinda a given. I really did have fun with the book, and was quite smitten with Goliath, and Thaddeus, of course. I'll be reading the rest of them on Kindle (cheaper that way), but I'm not in a rush to get them as I was with the Miss Fortune series by Jana DeLeon (one of the funniest series I've ever read, and the mystery portion is pretty good, too).

As for the over-the-top grandmother, GIRL...the Deep South of the USA is FILLED with women just like her.

Yeah, there's a Nancy Drew quality to most cozy mysteries, and I've decided one thing in the course of reading a few hundred of them...Small towns and villages are LOADED with dead bodies! Beats all I've ever seen. That, and women whose marriages have ended for whatever reason who move back home to start a business (or whatever). But there are a LOT of divorced and widowed women in these towns, too. I'll bet all the men shake in their boots...they're hunted down like small, fur-bearing mammals!

This wasn't one of the best I've read, but it wasn't one of the worst, either.
 

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The positives: short, free, easy-to-read fairy tale - but, not my cup of tea! :headshake::headshake::headshake:

I can guess how the last book in the series will end - too cosy for comfort! And I'm not going to bother reading the rest of them just to prove myself right (or to find out I've made a ridiculous assumption :p)

I have probably given away my copy of next month's book, but I've purchased a secondhand copy - so off we go again. I'm interested in my own reaction to reading a Nikki French book a second time.

Happy reading!
 
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rubysmama

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in the course of reading a few hundred of them.
Is it typical to "introduce" the next murder at the end of the current book.
Also, is the timeline always so short. I mean, she just moved there, and already we're onto book 2.

I can guess how the last book in the series will end - too cosy for comfort!
That she and Mack will marry and live happily ever after? :itslove:
Is that a typical ending for a cozy mystery series, Mamanyt1953 Mamanyt1953 .

I have probably given away my copy of next month's book, but I've purchased a secondhand copy - so off we go again. I'm interested in my own reaction to reading a Nikki French book a second time.
Glad you got another copy, so you can join the October read.
 

gilmargl

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That she and Mack will marry and live happily ever after? :itslove:
Is that a typical ending for a cozy mystery series, Mamanyt1953 Mamanyt1953 .
Hm......Wasn't there a nice attorney (friend or brother of Mack) who will help her get all her riches back from her almost ex-husband and his new girlfriend? :cringe: Sorry, I've forgotten the story already! I must read it again! 🙀
 

Mamanyt1953

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That she and Mack will marry and live happily ever after? :itslove:
Is that a typical ending for a cozy mystery series, Mamanyt1953 Mamanyt1953 Mamanyt1953 Mamanyt1953 .
Kinda-sorta, but there are usually several kinks along the way, and sometimes one love interest drops out and is replaced by another. Depends on the author. But the best love-interest in cozies, for my money, is Fortune and Carter of the "Miss Fortune" series. Now, THERE's a match made...somewhere!
 

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I had a good time reading it. I haven't read a cozy mystery before. It made me smile in places, the animals antics and descriptions were fun. I always thought a parrot like Thaddeus would be yucky to own, why would anyone want to! His comments were funny and maybe parrots aren't so bad.
Nan sounded like patients I had in the past.
Not really real life/very realistic, but that was fine with me with how life has been lately. I liked the characters, although Doreen got a bit irritating sticking her nose in to things. But I didn't go into it for realism, but some escape. I liked how the writing was, I chuckled some and smiled.
I can never guess who did it though!
 

jcat

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Yeah, there's a Nancy Drew quality to most cozy mysteries, and I've decided one thing in the course of reading a few hundred of them...Small towns and villages are LOADED with dead bodies! Beats all I've ever seen. That, and women whose marriages have ended for whatever reason who move back home to start a business (or whatever). But there are a LOT of divorced and widowed women in these towns, too.

This wasn't one of the best I've read, but it wasn't one of the worst, either.
This sums up cozy mysteries in general and this book in particular. There are some cozy mystery series that make me look forward to the next installment and be willing to pay for it, e.g., the Magical Cats series by Sofie Kelly, the Second Chance cat mysteries by Sofie Ryan, or the Joe Grey books by Shirley Rousseau Murphy. This wasn't one of them, because I didn't care for the human characters, and the story lines were way too unrealistic even for a cozy mystery. However, it was a good distraction, a quick read that didn't require any concentration, the animals were very entertaining, and the series was free. Some of the cozy mystery series are so bad that I don't even finish the first book.
 
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rubysmama

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I can never guess who did it though!
I like trying to figure out the whodunnits, but this one didn't seem to even make the suspects that suspicious. :dunno:

I only read a few chapters. Didn't care for it but I tried.
Sorry you didn't care for it Mia6 Mia6 , but at least it was free, so you're not out anything, other than a bit of your time. 🤗

Guessing you'll have a better review for the Oct book. :biggrin:

However, it was a good distraction, a quick read that didn't require any concentration, the animals were very entertaining, and the series was free.
Loved the animals. And free was good. :)

And, because Hoopla has the next 5 for free download, I went ahead and borrowed "Bones in the Begonias". I think it's going to be a fast read, especially since the first 2 chapters I'd already read at the end of book one.

I expect storylines will continue be to unrealistic, and I may not like the human characters, but it's going to be a nice distraction from what's going on in the world.
 

Mia6

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Sorry you didn't care for it Mia6 Mia6 Mia6 Mia6 , but at least it was free, so you're not out anything, other than a bit of your time. 🤗
Aww....no worries rubes..we all have different tastes and I've had a rough time lately with COVID19 lockdown-itis, flare-ups of my condition, so I'm been rereading books that I love. I know these people, and like to stick with familiar genres and authors, at least
for now. This is my escapism. :hugs:
 
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rubysmama

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We're at the end of another month, so we're also at the end of the "official" discussion for Arsenic in the Azaleas. Of course, if anyone has any further comments, feel free to post them, as the thread will remain open.

Thanks to everyone who read along with us, and took the time to post your thoughts. Hope to see you all again in October when we read Killing Me Softly by Nikki French - October 2020 Book of the Month Club
 
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