Smut & Scones

Death by Dumpling by Vivien Chien My rating: 5 of 5 stars Love this one! It is SO refreshing to find a cozy mystery that isn't about white ladies working in bookshops. And don't get me wrong, I LOVE a good bookshop mystery. But I am so thrilled to have stumbled upon a series that has a POC cast and a unique setting. Chien's writing is also amazing, funny and cute without any of the cliched, Hallmark-channel feeling that abounds in cozies. The characters all felt real, young people being written by a young person, and it showed. I loved it. And the mystery was great. Not obvious, not obscure. I am all in for this series and I can't wait to read the next one. View all my reviews

Husband drove up to the Bay Area with the kids on Wednesday, to visit his parents one last time before school starts on Tuesday. His dad's dementia is getting just worse and worse, and my MIL could use the help around the house, and some kid hugs. I stayed behind, because work was busy, because we just got a new cat who is still acclimatizing to the old cat, and to get things ready for school. I was a little nervous, or, I guess, afraid I would be nervous, if that makes sense, that I wouldn't like being without them for four days. Even though I knew I'd have lots of times to get things done and do my own stuff, there was a part of me that, really, was worried I'd start having anxiety. But, happily, things have been fine. I spent the first two nights eating all the junk food I haven't had in ages, all by myself, in front of whatever I wanted to watch on tv. Friday night, when I didn't have to worry about getting to bed, I sat on the couch and worked on my...