Tag: shady hollow

Book Review: Shady Hollow by Juneau Black

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn book review5 Comments

Goodreads Summary:

The first book in the Shady Hollow series, in which we are introduced to the village of Shady Hollow, a place where woodland creatures live together in harmony–until a curmudgeonly toad turns up dead and the local reporter has to solve the case.

Reporter Vera Vixen is a relative newcomer to Shady Hollow. The fox has a nose for news, so when she catches wind that the death might be a murder, she resolves to get to the bottom of the case, no matter where it leads. As she stirs up still waters, the fox exposes more than one mystery, and discovers that additional lives are in jeopardy.

Vera finds more to this town than she ever suspected. It seems someone in the Hollow will do anything to keep her from solving the murder, and soon it will take all of Vera’s cunning and quickness to crack the case.

My Thoughts:

This book was absolutely adorable – or I guess as adorable as a murder mystery can get, which in this case is pretty darn adorable. Shady Hollow seems like a wonderful village to live in, with a bookstore named Nevermore owned by a raven named Lenore, a moose named Joe who runs the local coffee shop, and of course Vera Vixen, the reporter with a nose for news…and solving mysteries.

Shady Hollow is a sweet little woodland town, usually a sleepy little woodland town as well. But when the grumpy toad Otto Stumpf is found dead in the water, it sets the town a buzz. At first it is thought that he died accidentally, but circumstances and evidence soon begin to point to murder – you know, like that knife found in his back when they pull him from the water. But who did it? And why? Otto’s murder kicks off a series of events, revealing new mysteries and secrets and even more danger, especially for Vera who is hot on the case.

I loved this book. I love books with animals, although honestly I was a little overloaded this time around as I am also reading Wind in the Willows and a Heartwood Hotel book aloud with Wyatt – so many animals who talk and wear clothes and live like people! However, I enjoyed escaping into the world of Shady Hollow in my own free time, and I am looking forward to reading the next one in the series, Cold Clay, which I have on my list for autumn!

My Sunday-Monday Post

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn books and reading36 Comments

My Sunday Post is hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date

Hello everyone! We had a pretty big week last week, lots of happenings and big decisions and fun things too! Wyatt and I finally have gotten back on track with our schedule. We have had a crazy two months and it was so nice to get back fully into our routine. Just in time for us to go on a mini-trip this weekend! We are heading to Indiana to see the wolves at Wolf Park. This was supposed to be Wyatt’s birthday gift but he was in the hospital so we rescheduled. I mentioned last week that I had started making journals through Amazon’s self-publishing program and I made a special one for our upcoming trip (as well as the rest of our trips throughout the rest of the year). It arrives today and I am anxious to get started writing in it. I am excited about our trip too, I think Wyatt will really love it!

I have not quite figured out all the logistics of selling these yet. Lol. They are available on Amazon but I haven’t been able to master how to show the interior pages on the Amazon page quite yet; however I have been making these informational type things that I post on the Fox & Firth Facebook and Instagram pages that do show the interior pages. The storefront itself is here.

Read Last Week:

Shady Hollow is so cute!!! I am not quite done with it but I should be today or tomorrow. I really love it. I mean, any book that references Watership Down in the little blurb I had to read, and while it is nothing like Watership Down, really, except for talking animals, it is a great book all on its own. I also finished listening to Braiding Sweetgrass. I loved the book when I read it a few years ago and loved it even more listening to it being read by Kimmerer. I highly recommend it, whether you read it or listen.

Reading This Week:

I know going into this week that I am not going to have too much time to read so I am choosing my books accordingly. The Wild and Free Family is a shorter book that I can take my time reading, picking it up here and there, probably while Wyatt is in physical therapy and speech. I LOVED the Call of the Wild and Free by Arment so I am excited to start this one. And then The Moth Keeper just looks beautiful. It is a middle grade graphic novel and I look forward to relaxing with it at night. (plus I love Luna Moths!)

Posted Last Week:

Book Review: The White Hare

The Spring of Cary Grant: An Affair to Remember

Wonderful Watership Down Covers

Watched Last Week:

In TV, we watched When Calls the Heart, which Billy is truly such a sport for watching with me. We also watched a few Murdoch Mysteries, and then last night the newest episode of Brokenwood Mysteries. Brokenwood is seriously one of my favorite shows. I am also waiting very impatiently for new episodes of Hotel Portofino (the first season was amazing!) and Beyond Paradise, although that last one I feel like I will be waiting for a while sadly.

We of course also watched An Affair to Remember. This week our Cary Grant film of the week is Holiday! I have heard good things about that one and I am looking forward to it!

And that is about it from our around here today! I hope all is well in your world!

My Sunday-Monday Post

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn books and reading36 Comments

My Sunday Post is hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date

Hello everyone! We had a very quiet week around here, and so far, a pretty quiet weekend. It’s been nice actually. I’ve been working on a new enterprise along with Billy, making journals that I sell over on Amazon through their self-publishing service, and I have been enjoying working on them whenever I can catch a moment. So far I have made camping and caregiver and medical journals to take to doctor’s appointments, as well as a line of nature journals that Wyatt designed the covers for. It’s been really fun!

I’ve also been making my final decisions on the curriculum that Wyatt and I are going to use next year. It is one of my favorite things to do! I’ve been toying with an idea of a YouTube channel to talk about homeschooling, and homeschooling a special needs child, our crazy life and adventures, but…I don’t know if I would feel comfortable being in front of a camera like that. I prefer being behind the scenes and behind the camera, but I feel like I get so much out of the YouTube channels I watch, information wise, that I wonder if I have something to offer with our experiences as Wyatt’s parents and how we all choose to live. It would also offer an opportunity for more conversation with other families like ours and opportunities to learn from. I don’t know though. And here I am just blathering on this morning, I guess I couldn’t wait for my coffee catch up day.

Let’s get to the books!!

Read Last Week:

So last week I ended up starting The White Hare and I absolutely am in love with it. I am not quite finished yet but I will finish today or tomorrow. It reminds me of a Barbara Michaels or Mary Stewart book and they are two of my favorite authors to read! I have also been listening to Braiding Sweetgrass. I read it a few years ago but there is something very special about listening to it as well. Robin Wall Kimmerer reads it herself and that adds such a lovely additional dimension, her words in her voice. I definitely recommend listening to it.

Wyatt and I FINALLY finished The Wild Robot. We had some big pauses in our nightly reading with his surgeries even though we tried a few times, but we finally got off that island. I do like that book and Roz and Brightbill but if you have a sensitive child I would recommend reading it yourself first to see if it will bother them.

Reading This Week:

I keep seeing so much about this Shady Hollow series that I am going to give it a go. I think I tried once before but didn’t end up reading it. And Wyatt and I have started Heartwood Hollow book 3, Better Together as our before bed read. I guess both of us are all about anthropomorphism.

Posted Last Week:

Wednesday Morning Coffee Catch Up

The Spring of Cary Grant: My Favorite Wife

Book Review: Watership Down

Watching and Listening:

We have been watching When Calls the Heart (Billy, you are such a good guy), and The Brokenwood Mysteries. I am so excited Brokenwood has a new season, I just love that show. Then Lisa from Boondock Ramblings mentioned that Newhart is on Amazon and when Billy told me he had NEVER EVER watched it, we had to add it to our line up. We watch it when we need to watch something quick and funny because Bob Newhart always cracks me up with his deadpan delivery. I remember watching it when I was real little kid with my mom and dad – just like Wyatt does now. I wonder if he will grow up wanting to live in New England in an old home in a small town, sort of like I did? I am pretty sure Newhart influenced me (but better Newhart than Dallas which I also watched with my mom…)

We also watched My Favorite Wife as part of our Spring of Cary Grant.

I haven’t been listening to podcasts since I have been listening to Braiding Sweetgrass.

Musically, we generally ask Alexa to play Classic 70s Folk, and that is our go-to. Although I always always skip Joni Mitchell because her voice is beautiful but sounds so mournful to me, and also that Cat’s in the Cradle song that always makes me want to sob.

And that is it from around here! What is going on in your world?