The RAHM Report for 11/6/17

All of us (including the newborn, unfortunately) have been fighting colds these past two weeks. The only nice thing about it is that we've had lots of time to read while we've been sitting around waiting to get well. Here's what I've been reading.

Finished Reading:

• Where Are the Children? by Mary Higgins Clark
  This was more of a thriller than the other mysteries I've been reading, and the subject matter involving a mother who has been accused of murdering her own children may not have been the wisest postpartum reading material, but I was really impressed by Clark's writing. This was her first novel, and someone on Facebook mentioned that it's her best, but even if the others are half as good, I'm willing to give them a try. 
• The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny
  This third book of the Armand Gamache series seemed really similar to the second one, and though I still enjoyed reading it, I also realized that I really need to take a break from Three Pines for a while. I wasn't crazy about the role of witchcraft and seances in the main mystery plot, but I was drawn into the secondary plot involving Gamache and his role in the Arnot case and appreciated the way it was resolved.
• Real Murders by Charlaine Harris
  I didn't know until this past week that Charlaine Harris had ever written a mystery series that was not fantastical. Once I realized that Aurora Teagarden was a librarian, however, and not some sort of witch or fairy, I knew I had to give this one a try. It wound up being a five-star read, with great characters, a setting I loved spending time in, and a clever and surprising plot. I also watched the Hallmark movie, which is a bit different from the book, but still pretty good. 
• The Deep End by Julie Mulhern
  I have been wanting to start this series for weeks, after hearing about it a lot in the Save Our Cozies Facebook group, but it was only available through Hoopla and I had used all my October borrows early in the month. As soon as my borrows reset for November, however, I checked this one out and zipped right through it. There is quite a bit of sexual content involved in the mystery, but it's not necessarily portrayed in a positive light, and I loved the main character's tone, the 1970s time period and the country club setting. I'm  really looking forward to the rest of the series. 

• Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
   I have such a love/hate relationship with John Green's books, but I couldn't not read this one. It was everything I expected a John Green book to be: somewhat pretentious (complete with references to Ulysses), beautifully written in a way that just feels a little bit over-the-top, and very appealing to teens and college kids, but somewhat tiring for adults who have matured beyond adolescence. It was very good, and I gave it four stars, but I also found it somewhat irritating. But it was much less manipulative than The Fault in Our Stars, and overall one of Green's better books. 
• Jolly Foul Play by Robin Stevens (ARC)
  This book is not out in the US until April, but the ARC was calling to me from Edelweiss and I started reading pretty much as soon as I could download it. It was possibly the best book of the series so far - definitely as good as the first book, which has been my favorite up to now. I was so glad to finally have another mystery set at Deepdean, and I'm even more excited for the next installment, which is set during Christmas. (I'm so tempted to order the UK edition online. I am not sure I can wait until it comes out here.)
• Halloween Treats by Carolyn Haywood
  I finished reading this aloud to Little Miss Muffet (almost 4) and Little Bo Peep (2) on Halloween. It was a good first introduction to a lot of Carolyn Haywood's characters, and they both seemed to enjoy it. 
• Peeled by Joan Bauer
  Another wholesome teen story by Joan Bauer. I liked Hildy, the main character, even if I didn't find it totally believable that a high school newspaper could have such influence on a community.  
• The Original Adventures of Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy by Johnny Gruelle
  We finally finished the last story from this book. Little Bo Peep, especially, really seemed to love this collection, but it was not one of my personal favorites. 

Currently Reading;

• The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
  I've been meaning to read this for a long time, and John Green's new book sort of put me in the mood for more YA so I figured this would be a good time. I've read a few chapters and so far I think it's Smith's best book. 
• The Boyhood of Grace Jones by Jane Langton
  My husband read this recently and loved it, so he's passed it on to me. I read the first two chapters, and it's great so far. I hope to really get into it this coming week. 
• The Milly-Molly-Mandy Storybook by Joyce Lankester Brisley
  This is our new lunchtime read aloud. It's really sweet and perfect for preschoolers.
• Read-To-Me Storybook illustrated by Lois Lenski
  We also started reading this aloud at various times throughout the day. With its shorter stories, it's really perfect for my two year old.
• Pumpkins in Paradise by Kathi Daley
  This is another series I've been eyeing. I have this book checked out from Hoopla, and it seems like a quick read with another enjoyable setting. I'll probably finish it in another day or two.

I'll be linking up today with Unleashing Readers/Teach Mentor Texts and Book Date for It's Monday! What Are You Reading?